Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
Glaxo Said to Pay $60 Million in Avandia Settlements
Bloomberg News
GlaxoSmithKline Plc agreed to pay about $60 million in the first settlements of lawsuits alleging the company’s Avandia diabetes drug causes heart attacks and strokes in some users, people familiar with the accords said. …The report, by Senators Max Baucus and Charles Grassley, also said Glaxo officials sought to intimidate doctors who criticized the drug. Dr. John Buse, a University of North Carolina Medical School professor, gave presentations highlighting Avandia’s risks, the senators said.
Scientists to test ultrasound as a male contraceptive
BBC News
Scientists are beginning tests to see if ultrasound can be used as a reversible contraceptive for men. Based on early work, University of North Carolina experts believe a blast of ultrasound to the testes can safely stop sperm production for six months. With a grant of $100,000 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation they will push ahead with more clinical trials. The researchers ultimately hope it could offer a new birth control option to couples throughout the world. Lead researcher Dr. James Tsuruta said: "We think this could provide men with up to six months of reliable, low-cost, non-hormonal contraception from a single round of treatment.
Genital wart virus may raise men's risk of HIV
Reuters (Wire Service)
Men who carry the virus that causes genital warts may be at increased risk of HIV infection, a study of Kenyan men suggests. Researchers say the findings raise the possibility that vaccination against the virus, known as the human papillomavirus (HPV), could help curb the world's HIV pandemic. …All of this suggests that HPV vaccination, along with circumcision, could help stem the HIV pandemic, according to lead researcher Dr. Jennifer S. Smith, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
National Coverage
Millions of Women in Childbirth, Newborns Dying
Voice of America
Despite data showing sharp declines in maternal mortality, half a million women still die every year in childbirth. In addition, three and a half million newborns die within the first 30 days of life. There's an effort to save these lives with proven maternal and childcare techniques. …The University of North Carolina School of Medicine conducted a study that shows that by training local birth attendants in a method promoted by the World Health Organization, the number of still births was reduced by about 30 percent.
State and Local Coverage
Kagan's confirmation likely, local experts say
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Elena Kagan, President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, should sail through confirmation hearings in the Senate without much difficulty, say local legal experts. "She's going to be fairly easily confirmed unless some kind of extraordinary secret about her is lurking out there," said Eric Muller, a professor at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Law. "She is very, very likely to be our next justice."
'Babies cry' is the message (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Two years after launching a campaign to educate new parents about how much newborn babies cry, Dr. Desmond Runyan was eager to see its effect on the incidence of shaken-baby syndrome in our state. …"We still have some number crunching to do," said Runyan, a professor of social medicine and pediatrics at UNC-Chapel Hill, "but maybe we had more of an impact than we thought." The campaign is called the Period of PURPLE Crying, and it is focused on a simple message: Babies cry – on average five hours a day.
Here comes the sun
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As the heat and sun settle in for summer, the calls to protect your skin from damaging rays begin. But with so many choices of sunscreens, sunglasses, hats and even sun-protected clothing, it might seem easier to hide out in a dark closet. Go ahead, break out the bathing suit. We've got the skin-care basics from two experts in the field: doctors Nancy Thomas, associate professor at UNC's Department of Dermatology Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Kelly Nelson, assistant professor at Duke University Medical Center's Department of Dermatology.
UNC researchers: Ban cell phones while driving
WRAL-TV (CBS/Raleigh)
Lawmakers banned texting while driving last year. Now, researchers say it might be time to ban all cell phone use behind the wheel. Arthur Goodwin, a senior research associate for the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, recently briefed state lawmakers about the dangers of talking while driving. "The research shows that if you're talking on a cell phone while driving, you're four times more likely to be in a crash," Goodwin said Monday, adding that is the same risk of being in a crash if a person were drunk.
Teaching History
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM
Deciding how to teach history involves making tough decisions about what the past means and how we should remember it. That can be a messy process, as the N.C. Department of Public Instruction learned last winter. Their proposed changes to the history curriculum drew an impassioned response. But the classroom isn't the only place where history is taught. …Joining host Frank Stasio to discuss the process of teaching history are: …Fitzhugh Brundage, William B. Umstead professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill; and, Reginald Hildebrand, associate professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill and a member of the board of directors of the Freedom Monument Project.
GAA Honors Four with Distinguished Service Medal
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
Among the commencement festivities on Sunday, UNC’s General Alumni Association honored four recipients with the Distinguished Service Medal.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3622/68/
Issues and Trends
NC lawmakers return; closing budget hole is focus
The Associated Press
North Carolina legislative leaders are trying to prevent the economic recession from prolonging the General Assembly's so-called "short" session. …Democrats want to keep the election-year session focused on issues that play well with voters, like encouraging job growth and lessening the financial pain on public schools, the University of North Carolina and community college systems.