In a story about Portland’s beleaguered efforts to open a new crisis and sobering center after the previous one closed in 2019, George Keepers, M.D., says Oregon is not one of 35 states that allow involuntary treatment for victims of substance abuse through a civil commitment process.

A story about Texas having one of the highest rates of uninsured kids in the nation notes a 2016 OHSU study found children who are eligible for public insurance and have uninsured parents were 14 times more likely to be uninsured.

As acting chairperson of an independent FDA cancer drug advisory committee meeting, Andy Chen, M.D., says, “We have significant concerns over the very prolonged delay in getting these confirmatory studies underway.”

Research by Andrea Chobrutskiy, M.D., Boris Chobrutskiy, M.D., and others identifies a potential early esophageal cancer antigen.

Atul Deodhar, M.D., says that physical trauma in a “genetically primed host” can trigger early stages of the arthritic disease.

A study led by Andrew McHill, M.D., finds people who have a healthy weight use more energy during the day, when most people are active and eat, while those who have obesity spend more energy during the night, when most people sleep: “It was surprising to learn how dramatically the timing of when our bodies burn energy differed in those with obesity. However, we’re not sure why. Burning less energy during the day could contribute to being obese, or it could be the result of obesity.”

A study led by Andrew McHill, M.D., finds people who have a healthy weight use more energy during the day, when most people are active and eat, while those who have obesity spend more energy during the night, when most people sleep: “It was surprising to learn how dramatically the timing of when our bodies burn energy differed in those with obesity. However, we’re not sure why. Burning less energy during the day could contribute to being obese, or it could be the result of obesity.”

Research by Vijayshree Yadav, M.D., finds people with MS may have reduced fatigue if they also eat foods low in fat, saying: “We are able to show that dietary changes can play a significant role in symptom management in people with multiple sclerosis.”

In a story about how illegal monkey smuggling may impact scientific research, Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., shares an anecdote about how his lab couldn’t use a small group of legally imported, captive-bred nonhuman primates after one was found to have latent tuberculosis. Sacha says: “That cost hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage and delayed our research by many years.”

While providing outside expert commentary on a study that found about a third of adults with high lipoprotein cholesterol don’t know it or aren’t receiving treatment, Jonathan Purnell, M.D., says lack of insurance may be a contributing factor.