July 13, 2006

Carolina in the News

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:

National Coverage

Rice University Revives Its Press In Digital Model
The Wall Street Journal
One of the nation's most prestigious universities is resurrecting its defunct academic press online -- a move that adds a new wrinkle to the debate over who will profit from Web publishing. ... Often, university professors who publish though campus presses "get compensated by tenure and promotion," in addition to modest royalties, notes Kate Douglas Torrey, director of the University of North Carolina Press in Chapel Hill.

A question about beta-agonists
U.S. News & World Report
Some inhaled medications used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, may do more harm than good, according to a review of clinical trials performed by researchers at Cornell and Stanford universities. ... James Donohue, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, points to the preliminary results of a GlaxoSmithKline trial released in April, which found that, compared with a placebo, the beta-agonist Advair reduced overall deaths in COPD patients by 17 percent.

Ultrasound Detects Rh-Disease Complication in Womb
HealthDay News
Using Doppler ultrasound tests to detect severe anemia in an unborn baby -- a complication of Rh disease -- is just as effective, if not more so, than the current standard of care, amniocentesis, a new study found. ... And, in an accompanying editorial in the journal, Dr. Kenneth J. Moise Jr., with the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, pointed out that the amniocentesis procedure itself could make Rh disease worse by mixing the mother's and baby's blood to a greater degree.

Regional Coverage

Pacifier philosophy
WHDH-TV (NBC, Boston)
Dentists don't deny the dental problems associated with pacifiers and thumb-sucking. But many are now recommending pacifier use because it's a lot easier to take a pacifier away from a child than trying to stop them from sucking their thumb. ... "It is better to suck the pacifier than the thumb because you can get rid of the pacifier," Dr. William Vann, a pediatric dentist at the University of North Carolina said.

CDC Wants Docs to Ask Your HIV Status
KLTV (ABC, Tyler, Texas)
As an HIV prevention counselor, Sharlene Miles knows a thing or two about slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS. ... These are important things to consider, said Dr. Myron Cohen, chief of the division of infectious disease at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, but not reason enough to stall the CDC guidelines.

Planting heirloom seeds brings the past to life
Gwinnet Daily Post (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
Gardeners who plant heirloom seeds, which have been handed down from generation to generation, can harvest history. ... Lynn Coulter, author of "Gardening with Heirloom Seeds" (University of North Carolina Press, $34.95), remembers one seemingly mythical seed in particular.

State & Local Coverage

Chapel Hill, UNC vow to cut carbon dioxide emissions
The Chapel Hill Herald
The town of Chapel Hill and UNC have signed pledges through the Carbon Reduction Program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent by 2050. ... UNC professor Douglas Crawford-Brown introduced both the town of Chapel Hill and the university to the Carbon Reduction Program (CRed), a program originated in England that urges local governments to commit to specific reductions of carbon dioxide emissions.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun06/carbon062706.htm

UNC gets OK to raze West House
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC will raze West House, the cozy brick home that sits in the way of the university's planned Arts Common, by the end of the month. The Council of State, a group of government officials, gave the university final approval this week to demolish the house, which is near Franklin Street and just south of Hanes Art Center.

Dental Implants Next Generation Of Dentures
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
It is not unusual for today's older generation to have dentures, bridges or partials. But the newer generation might be more likely to choose a more permanent option: dental implants, or false teeth that are anchored to the jawbone, just like a natural tooth. ... After removing the damaged tooth root, doctors use a short temporary tooth to fill the gap while the bone beneath grows permanently around an implanted titanium screw, said Dr. Glenn Reside, a maxillofacial and oral surgeon at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.

House OKs ban on teens, phones
The Asheville Citizen-Times
North Carolina teens would be barred from talking on cell phones while driving in most cases under legislation the state House approved on Tuesday. ... Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in North Carolina and nationwide, according to the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.

Facilities' violations going public
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Beginning in October, serious violations and fines levied against North Carolina nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be posted online. ... "If we go through the process of finding a severe issue and levying a fine, you ought to be able to find that information out, and it shouldn't be difficult to do," said Bill Lamb, of the Institute on Aging at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Cree expects less profit
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Cree wasn't kidding when it warned that its fourth quarter would be tough. ... But the alternative would be worse, said Ronald Williams, an entrepreneurship professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler School of Business.

County urges Kannapolis, Odell meeting
The Charlotte Observer
Cabarrus County commissioners say they've listened to the residents of Odell and their questions about a Kannapolis annexation they claim is illegal. ... In this case, Cabarrus County is the political subdivision that owns Lake Howell, said David Lawrence, a professor at the N.C. Institute of Government at UNC Chapel Hill.

Autism pioneer leaves life-changing legacy (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and parents of autistic children have lost a compassionate researcher and doctor who pioneered techniques in the treatment of autism. Eric Schopler, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the university for more than 40 years, died Friday of cancer at the age of 79.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul06/schopler071106.htm

Issues & Trends

Religious Freedom (Editorial)
The Daily News Record (Harrisonburg, Va.)
A Seventh Circuit decision involving religious freedom on universities made only a small plop in the news, but the waves from that judicial ripple may be enormous. ... Christian organizations have been the target of such academic harassment at dozens of universities, including Penn State, Rutgers, the University of North Carolina, the University of Minnesota, and Cal State, among others.

Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.