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July 31, 2007
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
Study: Lab mice more varied than thought
United Press International
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, said previously only 140,000 variations in DNA sequence in such mice were described. The new study suggested there are 8.3 million such variations. ..."Our article reports the first comprehensive analysis of such variation with an emphasis in evolutionary origin of the variation and its implications for biomedical research," said study co-author University of North Carolina Associate Professor Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul07/naturegenetics072507.htmlNational Coverage
Can CEOs Cure Cancer?
Fast Company Magazine
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has also teamed up with researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study the Gold Standard's effectiveness. There's "honest disagreement" over which screening tests work, says David Potenziani, director of instructional and information systems at UNC's School of Public Health. In addition, there's not enough good research to draw any conclusions about the long-term impact and cost of corporate wellness programs that offer perks such as on-site gyms, or tests to detect osteoporosis. In the meantime, Potenziani contends, companies that sign on for such programs are doing so "as a bet. They don't necessarily have the research to support it."
Regional Coverage
More senior citizens choose to keep working
The Maryland Gazette (Glen Burnie)
"The fact is people are healthier, they are living longer and, for some, they just don't want to stop working," said Victor Marshall, director of the University of North Carolina's Institute on Aging. "Retirement doesn't automatically mean that you go sit on the front porch and do nothing. People like to stay busy."
State & Local Coverage
Lawmakers approve $20.7B budget
The Associated Press (NC)
...A dedicated fund sought by the Senate for research at the University of North Carolina's cancer center also made the budget's final edition, receiving $25 million this year. Ultimately expected to receive $50 million annually, the fund is paid in part by raising the tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco from 3 percent of wholesale price to 10 percent.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/654576.htmlHartsell explains vote on funding for N.C. Research Campus
The Independent Tribune (Concord and Kannapolis)
State lawmakers appropriated about $18 million for the North Carolina Research Campus in its $20.7 billion state budget. That number is the amount requested by the UNC system and the N.C. Community College system for operations at the campus. Lab directors could not begin recruiting faculty members until the budget passed. Dr. Steven Zeisel, director of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute, said he can begin advertising for faculty positions.
Career moves
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Four faculty members at UNC-Chapel Hill have been named faculty fellows of the Renaissance Computing Institute: Catherine Blake, assistant professor of the School of Information and Library Science; Charles C. Finley, research associate professor of the School of Medicine; Joyce Rudinsky, associate professor of Communication Studies; and Ted Zoller, assistant professor of the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Ruling unlikely to affect prescribing
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The recommendation Monday by a regulatory advisory panel not to pull GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia from the market is unlikely to add much clarity to the confusion that has surrounded the diabetes drug for two months. ...Dr. John Buse, head of the diabetes center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an early critic of Avandia, said he would still prescribe the pill in limited cases -- if a patient needs a glitazone-based drug and the insurance won't cover other medicines in that class.
Doctors say jogging is heart healthy
News14 Carolina
After the recent death of Skip Prosser, some wonder if the stress on your body is beneficial. Dr. Eric Yang, cardiologist at UNC Hospitals, says yes. "Exercise is very important. It helps lower your blood pressure. It helps prevent people from having excess weight, which is a high-risk factor for heart disease as well as diabetes," said Dr. Yang.
Issues & Trends
UNCC increases electric car fleet
News14 Carolina
UNC Charlotte's new "green” carts are friendly to the environment -- and the University’s wallet. ...The idea is catching on. UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State and Appalachian State are among the schools following UNCC’s lead. They say they're driven to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
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.
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