Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
Tai Chi may help ease arthritis pain
United Press International
Tai Chi, a martial art originating in China known for fluid movements, helps relieve arthritis pain, stiffness and improves well-being, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine found participants diagnosed with arthritis who took part in an program of Tai Chi also showed improvement in their ability to reach while maintaining balance.
UNC Release:
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2010/November/unc-study-tai-chi-relieves-
arthritis-pain-improves-reach-balance-and-well-being?utm_source=
release&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=tai-chi
National Coverage
When Science Becomes Personal
"The Story" American Public Media
Matt Redinbo and Bret Wallace are celebrating the publication of their research article in the latest edition of the journal Science. The two were a part of a team that’s been working for a long time on ways to alleviate the difficult side effects of a common cancer drug called CPT-11. Matt and Bret each had an extra bit of incentive to do this work. They had both watched friends suffer the side-effects of the drug. (Matt Redinbo is professor and chair of chemistry and Bret Wallace is a research assistant at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
Hidden Heart Disease
The Wall Street Journal
…Experts are sharply divided in the drugs-versus-lifestyle debate. Some doctors don't even like the term "prehypertension," let alone the idea of treating it with drugs. Anthony Viera, a family physician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says he doesn't tell patients they have "prehypertension," instead counseling them on lifestyle modifications.
Cheaper, Older Treatment for Vasculitis Beats Out New Drug
HealthDay News
…The older drug, azathioprine, "beat out the new kid on the block," said Dr. Ronald Falk, a kidney specialist familiar with the findings. But that's not necessarily good news because relapses and serious side effects are common over time. …"The issue of how to maintain remission is critically important. At least now these patients can take a less expensive drug that seems to work better," said Falk, director of the University of North Carolina Kidney Center at Chapel Hill.
Do deficits matter? (Blog)
The Washington Post
The short answer is yes, but more specifically, sort of. Non-economists generally think of deficits as an issue of responsibility. Deficits mean that we are living beyond our means. This is not good, as it will surely come back to haunt us. This seems intuitive, but is it economically sound. (Karl Smith is an assistant professor of economics and government at the University of North Carolina.)
Related Links:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/11/the_fundamentals_of_the_econom.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/11/letting_it_happen_here.html
State and Local Coverage
UNC study: Tai Chi benefits people with arthritis
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Tai Chi, a Chinese exercise system for relaxation and health, improved pain, fatigue and stiffness among a group of people with arthritis who participated in a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study, released today, followed the progress of 354 people recruited from 20 sites in North Carolina and New Jersey. After twice-weekly Tai Chi classes for eight weeks, participants reported improvements in their arthritis symptoms, including less pain, stiffness and fatigue. They also said they felt better overall.
UNC Release:
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2010/November/unc-study-tai-chi-relieves|
-arthritis-pain-improves-reach-balance-and-well-being?utm_source=
release&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=tai-chi
UNC to help fund 'gap year' plans
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
A year can make a world of difference to some students preparing to enter the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Thanks to a $1.5 million commitment from an anonymous donor, incoming students selected for the new Global Gap Year Fellowship Program will have the opportunity to spend a year in international service. The Global Gap Year Fellowship Program Endowment Fund will support new high school graduates who wish to defer entrance to the university for a year to pursue a combination of work, travel and volunteer service, where at least one component will be international.
Lawrence H. Summers to Speak at UNC
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
A presidential advisor is speaking on the UNC campus this week. Lawrence H. Summers will deliver a speech at UNC’s FedEx Global Education Center. He currently serves as assistant to President Obama for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4047/107/
Haiti dealing with deadly cholera epidemic
WRAL-TV (CBS/Raleigh)
Still recovering from the aftermath of last January's earthquake, the island nation of Haiti is facing new concerns with a cholera epidemic, and new flooding is expected to increase disease concerns. …“In fact, patients with this type of gastroenteritis can lose up to 10 percent of their body weight just in a few hours,” UNC epidemiologist Dr. David Weber said. Weber, an infectious disease expert, says the mortality rate from cholera can be as high as 50 to 70 percent.
Woman brought back to life after dying
WTVD-TV (ABC/Raleigh)
…Amy Moore had suffered sudden cardiac death, which is the cause of 250,000 deaths a year nationwide. "It's a more common death than lung cancer, breast cancer and AIDS all put together," UNC Cardiologist, Dr. Lisa Rose-Jones explained. But Rose-Jones says Amy Moore's case was unique because of her age and the fact she didn't have any underlying heart disease.
Issues and Trends
Drastic ideas may be what is needed to save our universities (Editorial)
The Star News (Wilmington)
UNC system President Erskine Bowles was no doubt going for shock value when he suggested last week that impending state budget cuts could be so drastic that closing a state campus might do less harm than chipping away at the quality of all North Carolina universities. But he made his point: The type of cuts that will be on the table with the state facing an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion shortfall will hurt – badly.
The humanities, at America's core (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
When the ax fell, it was not a complete surprise. Colleges and universities all over the country are looking for ways to cut costs, and the humanities are an obvious target, given their negligible economic impact. So when, on Oct. 1, George M. Philip, president of the State University of New York at Albany, announced that the departments of French, Italian, Classics, Russian and Theater would all be eliminated, it seemed to many to be the first Arctic blast of what might be a long and bitterly cold winter of discontent for the humanities at colleges and universities across the country. (Geoffrey G. Harpham is president and director of the National Humanities Center, which is located in Research Triangle Park.)