2003 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
08 December 2003
Gene mutation leads to super-virulent strain to TB, finds new study
Disabling a set of genes in a strain of the tuberculosis bacteria surprisingly led to a mutant form of the pathogen that multiplied more quickly and was more lethal than its natural counterpart, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
08 December 2003
Shifting responsibility for public services from state to counties led to decreased health spending in California, finds new analysis
In 1991, the California legislature shifted the responsibility of providing health, social, and mental health services from the state to the counties in a landmark effort to resolve the state's fiscal crisis and to increase local control and delivery of services.
31 October 2003
Rain is more lethal for drivers after a long dry spell, says new study
Going out for a drive in the rain? A study by a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, provides new data on how risky that road trip might be.
New briefs find relatively few hospitals providing bulk of charity health care in the state
Do nonprofit hospitals deserve the tax breaks they get? California policymakers are hotly debating this question by considering the amount of charity health care these hospitals provide for the medically indigent and uninsured.
25 September 2003
Home-treated water no better than plain tap in preventing gastrointestinal illness, finds new study
A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, should make some people feel better about the next cool glass of tap water they get at home. The study found that, in homes served by well-run water districts, an in-home water treatment device provided no additional protection from gastrointestinal illness.