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June 12, 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
Common Cause
ScientistLive.com (United Kingdom)
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (USA) first noticed the connection in children with a respiratory disease that affects cilia, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). A genetic mutation that impairs cilia movement causes the disease. A few children treated for PCD at UNC-Chapel Hill also had heterotaxy - an abnormal position of the heart and lungs associated with congenital heart disease.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun07/knowlespcd061107.htmlStudy Shows the Importance Of Sunscreen
Ontario Now (Canada)
Too much exposure to sun as a child may have a lasting effect according to a new study released Monday. ...AP quotes Dr. Nancy Thomas, a dermatologist at the University of North Carolina who led the UV research as saying, “Sunscreen is imperfect. Schedule activities when UV irradiation is not quite so high.”
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may07/skincancer053007.htmlFacebook: watching the watchers
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Until seven weeks ago, Shelley van der Spank heard just two words when she asked her two teens about their lives: “Oh, nothing.” ...“It used to be a wide open space,” says Fred Stutzman, a University of North Carolina graduate student who's writing his dissertation about Facebook.National Coverage
Exposure to sun as a child is tied to cancer, study finds
The Associated Press (National)
A new study has found that exposure to sun as a child increases the risk of developing a deadly skin cancer. The study was published in the journal "Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention," and was conducted by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Schools of Medicine and Public Health.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may07/skincancer053007.htmlRegional Coverage
State taking new steps to combat cheating
The Austin-American Statesman (Texas)
Public school students in Texas no longer will answer the same standardized test questions in the same order as their neighbors, independent monitors will go to campuses with previous cheating violations, and schools will have to keep testing materials for five years, Texas Education Agency officials announced Monday as part of a new plan to crack down on cheating. ...Gregory Cizek, a professor of educational measurement and evaluation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said in a statement released by the education agency, "These new initiatives represent an even more aggressive and comprehensive approach that, in my opinion, makes Texas the leader among states in this area."
Related link: http://www.eontarionow.com/health/2007/06/12/study-shows-the-importance-of-sunscreen/Group seeks to match drugs to specific groups worldwide
Orlando Sentinel (Fla.)
It isn't personalized medicine, but it's the next best thing: a guide to what drugs are likely to work best in different populations across the globe. That's the goal of the Pharmacogenetics for Every Nation Initiative (PGENI), which aims to spread the medical benefits of advances in pharmacology and genetics to the developing world. ...In rich nations, doctors are thinking about tailoring drug treatment to the individual by testing people for gene variants that make certain drugs fail or cause adverse reactions. Most countries, however, cannot afford to run genetic tests on every patient, says Howard McLeod of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.State and Local Coverage
Business students bring skills to Peru
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Members of the Carolina Microfinance Initiative are setting off to Peru this summer to put their knowledge into action. ...The group was founded in 2006 at UNC. Their mission is to expand microfinance services to some of the 395-plus million families who lack access to those kinds of services.Defendant in UNC attack apologizes for actions
The Associated Press (N.C.)
The man accused of striking nine people when he drove a vehicle on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last year has apologized in a letter sent to the court. ...
Related links: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/599995.html
http://www.wchl1360.com/details.html?id=3838Issues and Trends
Tax rate holds in Chapel Hill
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Town Council voted Monday to spend $86.8 million next fiscal year with no tax increase. ...Council members agreed that the town needs a consultant to help craft development regulations for Carolina North, a campus being planning by UNC-Chapel Hill.Nelms at the helm (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Higher education is one of the Triangle region's chief industries and one of North Carolina's proudest endeavors, opening a path to more fulfilling lives for many thousands of students and helping to meet the economy's demand for brainpower. The quality of leadership at our area universities is thus a matter of broad significance. And nowhere does the public have a greater stake in those leaders' capability and vision than at the public universities within the University of North Carolina system.Agency plans to blanket state with investor network
The Triangle Business Journal
The Small Business and Technology Development Center has taken the lead role in establishing a statewide network of micro angel investment funds - including one in the Triangle - that could help improve the state's startup survival rate. ...Each of the six funds will focus on a specific geographic area, Janke says, creating a blanket of early stage funding opportunities across the state. IMAF-RTP will target spinoffs from Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Central University.
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.