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March 13, 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
Daylight saving time to re-examine sleep
United Press International
Daylight saving time gives adults and children an opportunity to learn and practice sound sleep habits, says a U.S. expert. The change provides an extra hour for outdoor activities, but it may be hard for children to sleep when it's still light out, said Dr. Maha Alattar of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
UNC News Tip: http://www.unc.edu/news/newstips/2007/daylightsavingstime030807.html
New species of North American bamboo found
United Press International
U.S. botanists have found a new species of North American bamboo -- the third known native species of North American bamboo discovered in 200 years. The discovery was made by Iowa State University botany professor Lynn Clark and graduate student Jimmy Triplett, along with Alan Weakley of the University of North Carolina.
Smoking risk for young TV loners
Sunday Telegraph (United Kingdom)
Teenagers who watch 18-certificate movies and have televisions in their bedrooms are twice as likely to take up smoking, scientists warn in a new study. ...Researchers at the University of North Carolina interviewed 735 students, aged 12- to 14-years-old, over two years and found that those who had seen the most movies were 2.7 times more likely to smoke.
National Coverage
John Edwards: Seeking the Top of the Ticket on 2nd Try
The New York Times
Been there, almost done that: One distinction John Edwards holds in the crowded presidential field is being the only candidate in either party to have been on a November presidential ballot, having served as Senator John Kerry's running mate in 2004. ...Since then, he has run a center on work and poverty for the University of North Carolina law school, but has primarily worked on preparing for this year's campaign.
CDOs May Bring Subprime-Like Bust for LBOs, Junk Debt
Bloomberg
Bond investors rattled by mounting losses in subprime U.S. mortgages say trouble is brewing in collateralized debt obligations, the same securities that fueled the boom in leveraged buyouts and cut-rate finance. ...The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which invested in one CDO backed by loans in 2002, isn't buying any now, said Mel Williams, vice president and co-founder of UNC Management Co., which oversees $2 billion of endowment funds for the school.
The All-Academic NCAA Bracket
Inside Higher Ed
Talent and heart rule on the basketball court — the teams with the most skill and the players who want it the most tend to win. ...Of the three No. 1 seeds, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a Graduation Success Rate of 70 percent, but the University of Kansas has a rate of 45 percent and Ohio State University lags with a GSR of 38 percent – and a federal graduation rate of just 10 percent.
Norovirus Grabbing Illness Spotlight During Flu Season
NBC NewsChannel
It closed a Washington hotel and is popping up on college campuses and in communities across the U.S. ...Across the UNC campus, scientist Ralph Baric runs a norovirus lab. He said this year's rampant outbreaks are linked to a strain called G24 that first emerged about a decade ago.
Note: This segment was distributed to NBC affiliates nationwide and has aired on a variety of them including the stations in Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis and Sacramento.
Undocumented Immigrants' Childbirth Is Top Emergency Medicaid Expense
HealthDay News
The lion's share of Emergency Medicaid expenditures in North Carolina covers undocumented immigrants' pregnancy and labor complications, a trend that's probably occurring in other states, a new study found. ...In their study, researchers at the University of North Carolina analyzed administrative claims data for Emergency Medicaid, which showed that 48,391 people in the state received emergency care between 2001 and 2004.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar07/medicaid030807.html
Poorer Health Care Ups Black Men's Prostate Cancer Risk
HealthDay News
Black American men are at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer and dying from their illness, because they often lack access to routine health care, a new study suggests. ...Talcott teamed up with colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine to survey 84 black American men and 253 white men from North Carolina, all of who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2001 and 2004.
Related link: http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20070312/prostate-cancer-black-white-race-gap
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar07/prostatecancergodley030707.html
Looming Shortage of Physicians Raises Concerns About Access to Care
Journal of the American Medical Association
About a decade ago, the powers-that-be proclaimed an emerging physician surplus in the United States and called for a capping of residency slots for the training of future physicians. ...The lack of on-call specialists is affecting patient care as emergency personnel triage patients to longer waiting times for specialty care or even for transfer to distant hospitals for such treatments, said Cherri Hobgood, MD, chairman of the ACEP board and an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Regional CoverageStudy: Emergency health care for recent, illegal immigrants in N.C. costly
The Associated Press (Regional)
Paying for basic checkups and pregnancy care for illegal immigrants would save money in the long run, possibly averting expensive emergency treatment, say researchers who studied immigrants in North Carolina. ..."I hope that it helps us think about whether there are better ways to allocate health care services to this population that has such limited access to primary care," said Dr. Annette DuBard, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lead author of a study that appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Part of a balanced breakfast
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Sometimes breakfast goes beyond providing nourishment for the body. ...Research conducted by William Darity Jr., a professor of public policy at Duke University and economics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, indicates that contrary to popular belief, minority students don't harbor cultural biases against academic achievement.
Write it, play it, publish it, sell it, do it yourself
The St. Louis Dispatch
Jim Downey had reached one of those "if a tree falls in the forest" moments. ..."If you would have tried these types of things 10 years ago, you wouldn't have had nearly as much power," said Debashis Aikat, a University of North Carolina journalism professor whose research topics include the Internet and the future of media.State and Local Coverage
Immigrants gain little from Medicaid
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Recent immigrants — including those in the country illegally — are not the financial drain on North Carolina’s Medicaid program that some may believe them to be, a study published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association asserts. Between 2001 and 2004, North Carolina’s Medicaid program spent less than one percent of its total annual budget on care for recent immigrants, according to the study led by Dr. Annette DuBard, a family physician and research associate at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar07/medicaid030807.htmlStudy ties prostate-cancer rates to medical access
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Cutting death rates among black men from prostate cancer likely requires improving access to medical care — not just raising awareness of the disease — a study of black and white prostate-cancer patients suggests. ..."The African-Americans in the study were hampered by real barriers to accessing care," said Dr. Paul Godley, a medical oncologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and co-author of the article.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar07/prostatecancergodley030707.htmlStudy: Access, Trust Issues Put Black Men at High Risk for Prostate Cancer
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
A new study suggests access to health care and issues surrounding that access among the top factors as to why black men are at higher risk for prostate cancer. ..."It was access to health care and issues surrounding access to health care," said Dr. Paul Godley, of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.Meet Cynthia Bulik
"The State of Things," WUNC-FM
Cynthia Bulik, director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program, was featured on yesterday's (March 12) edition of "The State of Things" to talk about the genetic and socio-cultural components of eating disorders. The disease she specializes in has the highest death rate of all the psychiatric disorders, yet it is widely misunderstood by both the general public and medical professionals as a disease of choice among privileged girls.The Southern Past
"The State of Things," WUNC-FM
In his book, "The Southern Past: A Clash of Race and Memory" (Harvard University Press/2005), author and UNC history professor Fitzhugh Brundage explores how memory of the South is presented and preserved and shares how the reigning interpretations of history prevailed. When ethnic heritage and nostalgia intersect, documentation of Southern history suffers.UNC law students work pro bono in La.
The Chapel Hill Herald
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Matt Liles was starting his first year at the UNC School of Law, and just four months later he was doing pro bono work in New Orleans in the aftermath of that disaster. ..."UNC law students are part of our 'new normal' and we welcome and enjoy their energy and commitment to our mission," said Rachel Piercey, the project's executive director.UNC Scientists to Teach Wayne County Students About DNA
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Two Wayne County Public Schools teachers have been selected to have UNC-Chapel Hill "DNA Day Ambassadors" visit their classrooms on April 25. Charles B Aycock High School biology teachers Julie West and Christy Collins were among 65 teachers statewide selected to have a UNC scientist talk to their students about DNA.Issues and Trends
Universities Take Varying Approaches to Retiring Faculty Members, Study Finds
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Universities are much more concerned about recruiting and retaining faculty members than about retiring them, according to a report on retirement policies to be released today by the American Association of University Professors.
Related link: http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/03/13/retirement
UNCW plan will aid low-income students
The Wilmington Star-News
The University of North Carolina Wilmington on Monday announced a plan to use part of a tuition and fee increase to help subsidize the education of low-income students.The increases are projected to bring in $700,000 in revenue for the new program, called Seahawk SOAR, or Support, Opportunities, Accessibility and Responsibility.
Racially Charged Web Postings Upset N.C. State Students
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Although the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament wrapped up Sunday, emotions continued to roil Monday over racial slurs and other postings to a North Carolina State University fan Web site.
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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