Health

Fewer teens get pregnant except for those 10-14

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — Teen pregnancies are on the decline in the state except among the youngest girls, a Department of Community Health (DCH) report shows. The most recent report from 2012 shows that there was a slight increase from 2011 in pregnancies among those 10-14. After decades of steady decreases, the number increased from 94 to 105 reported teen pregnancies. The reduction of other unintended pregnancies could be a result of the statewide goal to reduce infant mortality, said Angela Minicuci, the information director at DCH. “It’s something that Gov. Rick Snyder has identified as a priority area for the department,” said Minicuci.

Health

Your genes may be to blame for binge eating and obesity

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — A recent study of rats at Michigan State University could lead to identifying a genetic cause of binge eating. An MSU psychologist gave two strains of rats – the Wistar and Sprague- Dawley rats – vanilla frosting for two weeks to see if they developed binge eating at different rates. Binge eating is an excessive consumption of food at one time. . The result points to a genetic difference between the two strains that affects how likely they are to develop the eating disorder.

Environment

Tough winter good for some endangered species

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – Heavy snowfall is proving to be helpful for some of Michigan’s endangered species. Karner blue butterflies are federally listed endangered insects that are taking advantage of the protection the heavy snow brings, said Chris Hoving, an adaptation specialist with the DNR in Lansing. “Karner blue butterflies do best when there’s continual deep snow through the whole winter,” he said.  “That’s what we’ve had this winter for the first time in decades. It’s excellent weather for blue butterflies.”

The Karner blue butterfly has been found in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and in western Michigan. In Michigan it used to be common from Lake County to Allegan County, but the butterfly sightings have dropped 50 percent to 90 percent every year for the past four years, said Hoving.

Environment

From tank to pond bully — it's parrot feather!

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – State officials fear a return of the aquatic invasive plant, parrot feather. The plant called parrot feather has had two appearances in Michigan, in Oakland County and in Brownstown Township in Wayne County. It flourishes in lakes, ponds, and other shallow waters, said Matt Ankney, the early detection rapid response coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife division, but it does have the potential of spreading to Lake Erie if it is not contained. The plant has a distinctive bright green color and can grow up to five feet long. Unlike native plants it can grow above water, Ankney said.

Environment

Cold spells may kill some but not worst invasive bugs

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BY LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — Severe winter weather may lead to the death of some invasive species, according to a recent study. In negative-10-degree weather, invasive species could freeze and die, the report from the USDA Forest Service and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said. The report shows the effects of severe weather temperatures on the invasive emerald ash borer, an insect that feeds on ash and kills the tree. Regardless of the study’s findings and the bitter cold affecting Michigan this season, there is little hope for eradication of many of our invasive species, particularly the resilient emerald ash borer, said Deborah McCullough, a Michigan State University professor of entomology and forestry. “Given that temps have gotten really cold, and not for one night but for an extended period, there’s a tendency for a lot of people to hope for insect mortality,” McCullough said.

Transportation & Roads

More holiday-eve airport snarls? Maybe not at Detroit, Grand Rapids

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – Future travel plans will become more frustrating on the day before major holidays, the U.S. Travel Association warns, but airport officials in Detroit and Grand Rapids aren’t concerned. An association report predicts that in the next 15 years, more than half of the world’s largest airports will face that problem due to increases in travelers. The report said in the first half of 2013, enplanements increased 3 percent, more than in past years. Michael Conway, director of public affairs at Detroit Metro Airport, says there are fewer holiday-eve delays now. “The waits are reducing and the reason is because there are less aircraft in the sky,” Conway said.

Environment

Black bear shooting highlights poaching problem

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – A bear-poaching incident in Manistee County has shed light on a continuing poaching problem throughout Michigan. “A poacher is nothing more than a criminal. If someone goes into a department store and steals a blender, that would be the same thing as someone who goes into the wild and steals a deer,” said Dean Molnar assistant chief of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) law enforcement division. “They’re a criminal. They’re not ethical, licensed hunters.

Business & Economy

Industry faces shortage of engineers

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING—The need for engineers in the state is rising, yet the amount of available skilled workers remains low. That’s true even though Michigan has the most industrial and mechanical engineers in the country. Michigan’s manufacturing jobs dwindled during the economic downturn but are bouncing back, according to Michigan Industry Cluster Workforce Reports. “The economy is coming back. There are a lot more manufacturing jobs out there.

Environment

Early warning program battles frog bit, other invasive species

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – A Department of Natural Resources (DNR) early warning program is preventing the invasive species frog bit from destroying native aquatic plants. “Essentially, frog bit is an invasive plant that’s come into Michigan from Canadian waterways,” said Holly Vaughn, a DNR wildlife outreach technician. “It’s roughly the size of a quarter or half dollar, it looks like a mini- water lily but forms really dense mats of leaves on the surface of the water and ends up choking out native species of plants.”
An invasive species  is one that comes from another ecosystem and can harm native plants and animals  There are more than 200 invasive plants and animals in Michigan that could have been controlled or prevented had the program started earlier, said Susan Tangora, invasive species coordinator for the DNR Wildlife Division. The Early Detection Rapid Response Program, which received $970,000 over three years from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,  is one of the most cost-efficient ways to prevent the spread of invasive species, Tangora said. To control them, they need to be caught quickly.

Health

Doctors, hospitals worry about shortage of medication

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By LACEE SHEPARD
Capital News Service
LANSING – Michigan is experiencing the nationwide problem of insufficient pharmaceutical drugs. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are struggling with a lack of IV drugs, said Christopher Kelly, with the Office of Media Affairs for the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based in Maryland. “We are continuing to see new shortages develop in 2013, especially of IV electrolytes and other IV drugs needed for adults and pediatric patients,” Kelly said. “These shortages have mainly occurred due to delays at one large manufacturer, and FDA is continuing to work with all of the manufacturers.”
Drug scarcity is a significant health threat that can result in serious and sometimes deadly outcomes for patients who cannot get what they need, Kelly said. Experts say the most common pharmaceuticals they are running short of are IV components, anesthesia, chemotherapy drugs, pain medication, and Adderall – which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.