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Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:

International Coverage

Dopamine jolt behind internet addiction
Financial Times (United Kingdom)

…Social media addiction is the latest iteration of internet addiction. Kristen Lindquist, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says social information feels intrinsically rewarding to people. We get a jolt of dopamine when someone “likes” our Facebook post or retweets our Twitter link. Over time, the effect on the reward centre in the brain is similar to what makes drug addicts go back for another line of cocaine.

National Coverage

Genes Changes Seen in Alzheimer's Can Be Found in Infancy: Study
HealthDay News

Brain changes found in adults with certain gene variants linked to conditions including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and autism can also be spotted in brain scans done on newborns, a new study indicates. Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine said these brain changes could open new avenues for research.
UNC Release:
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2013/january/risk-genes-for-alzheimers
-and-mental-illness-linked-to-brain-changes-at-birth

Regional Coverage

Kiplinger's names 3 Oklahoma universities as best values for 2013
The Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

Topping the list is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is followed by the University of Virginia and the University of Florida. …Topping the list is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is followed by the University of Virginia and the University of Florida.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/5773/68/

State and Local Coverage

UNC researchers link newborn disorders to later diseases
The Triangle Business Journal

Researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill say some brain changes that are found in adults with common gene variants linked to disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism can also be seen in the brain scans of newborns. “These results suggest that prenatal brain development may be a very important influence on psychiatric risk later in life,” said Rebecca C. Knickmeyer, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine, in a news release about the research.
UNC Release:
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2013/january/risk-genes-for-alzheimers
-and-mental-illness-linked-to-brain-changes-at-birth

Stone Center’s Diaspora series among upcoming film festivals
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History will present its annual Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film, concurrently with its Festival of Afro-Surrealist Films, beginning this month.

Spring highlights at DPAC, PlayMakers
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

…Elsewhere in theater, PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill will present a rotating repertory of Lorraine Hansbury’s 1959 drama about an African-American family, “A Raisin in the Sun,” and the follow up by Bruce Norris, “Clybourne Park.” Both plays will be performed Jan. 26-March 3 at the Paul Green Theatre in the UNC Center for Dramatic Art. In April, PlayMakers will present “Cabaret.”

UNC cancer center computers hacked
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

Some 3,500 people had their personal information exposed when hackers hit two servers of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. …The servers were immediately blocked to protect data. The breach involved administrative servers that did not typically store patient data, so the center’s patients need not worry, said Ellen de Graffenreid, director of communications and marketing at Lineberger.

Gov. Martin defends findings in UNC academic scandal
News 14 Carolina

Former Gov. Jim Martin stands by his findings that show a 15-year history of academic misconduct hundreds of courses at UNC Chapel Hill. In a letter to a Raleigh newspaper published Thursday, Martin addressed scrutiny saying his report left some questions unanswered. During an interview with News 14 Carolina, Martin responded to the accusations.
Related Link:
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/iteam/former-gov-martins-letter-on-red
-flags-over-no-show-classes-and-what-the-record-shows

Piling on at UNC? (Editorial)
The News & Record (Greensboro)

Some folks in Chapel Hill are starting to feel bullied and persecuted. Yes, they concede, the recent litany of athletics scandals at the state’s flagship university is as sad as it is surprising. And, yes, they admit, these mostly avoidable messes did cost the jobs of a chancellor, a head football coach and a department chairman, among others.

Issues and Trends

A much-needed window into college learning (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)

Back in 2007, American universities faced a threat: The Department of Education wanted proof that students were learning something! Universities have generally shied away from providing such learning “outcome” information, preferring to be judged according to “input” information such as the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. Then Education Secretary Margaret Spellings created her Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education, and it looked as though the federal government would mandate evidence of colleges’ educational worthiness. (Jenna Ashley Robinson is director of outreach at the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.)

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