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

 

National Coverage

New Clues to Causes of Autism Found
Newsday

A group of enzymes in the brain appears to be key to the activity of many genes linked to autism, a new study reveals. Experts hope the findings will shed light on the causes of autism, and possibly lead to new treatments. The study results, published online Aug. 28 in the journal Nature, hint that if disruptions in enzymes called topoisomerases occur during brain development, they might contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders. The enzymes are found throughout the body, and their main job is to "untangle the knots" in cells' DNA so the cells can function and reproduce themselves normally, explained senior researcher Mark Zylka, an associate professor of cell biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
UNC release:
http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2013/august/researchers-discover-a-potential-cause-of-autism

Other clips:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112933984/impaired-enzymes-linked-to-autism-082813/
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/accidental-finding-suggests-environmental-component-autism
http://www.wral.com/unc-researchers-uncover-potential-cause-for-autisim/12828736/
http://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-and-neurological-health-information-26/autism-news-51/new-clues-to-causes-of-autism-found-679662.html
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Researchers-Discover-a-Potential-Cause-of-Autism-4769560.php
http://www.medicaldaily.com/possible-environmental-cause-autism-discovered-scientists-link-enzyme-inhibiting-compound-impaired

As Renters Move In, Some Homeowners Fret
The New York Times

A Loss of Community: Neighborhoods across the country are being transformed, as houses built for homeowners are turned into rental properties. Residents of one such community in Memphis, Tenn., discuss the changes. … “When there are fewer homeowners, there is less ‘self-help,’ like park and neighborhood cleanup, neighborhood watch,” said William M. Rohe, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has just completed a review of current research on homeownership’s effects.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/business/economy/as-renters-move-in-and-neighborhoods-change-homeowners-grumble.html

Are Introverts Smarter than Extroverts?
Huffington Post, David Hassell (blog)

Let's get this clear, introversion does not mean shyness. Shyness is a fear of social judgement. Our personality type determines and explains how we react to stimulus. Extroverts crave social stimulation, while introverts are at their best in quieter situations. …In Western society, extroversion (properly, extraversion) is celebrated: the outgoing and enthusiastic nature of a person who gets things done and is a great communicator is considered an asset. Much of our public life is dominated by extraverts, such as Clinton and Thatcher, among others. In fact we're living in an "extrovert ideal:" in a University of North Carolina study, it was found that 96% of managers and executives display extravert characteristics.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-hassell/are-introverts-smarter-th_b_3756203.html

Balancing Work and Study in the MATC Online Master’s Program in Digital Media
PBS

College towns have a set of seasons all their own: the quiet shudder of the winter, the frenzied exodus of the spring, the lazy silence of the summer, and the excited buzz of the fall. Here in Chapel Hill, N.C., it’s no different. And this fall, I too was eager to join my classmates in the place we have gotten to know one another: an online message board. As a student in the Master of Arts in Technology and Communications (MATC) program at the University of North Carolina…
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/08/balancing-work-and-study-in-the-matc-online-masters-program-in-digital-media

IVF New Jersey Fertility Center Supports Getting Pregnant Naturally with Monitoring
The Chronicle (Houston)

Confirmed by the experts at the IVF New Jersey Fertility Center, a new study from the University of North Carolina reveals more women could be getting pregnant naturally if they tracked their fertility window more closely. …The study was performed by the University of North Carolina and focuses on the self-directed method of cervical mucus monitoring (CMM). …
http://www.chron.com/default/article/IVF-New-Jersey-Fertility-Center-Supports-Getting-4770799.php

What Will Spur the Next March on Washington?
LiveScience.com (website)

Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd of some 250,000 people thronging the Washington Monument that he had a dream. … It's hard to predict what the next big one will be, but sociologists say it will take a network of organizations or a cause that resonates widely to mobilize people for such an event. "It's hard to ask the question of what the next 'March on Washington' will be without asking the question of what social movement would have such a profound impact on society," said Kenneth Andrews, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies social movements.
http://www.livescience.com/39273-what-will-spur-next-march-on-washington.html

Regional Coverage

Low Home Down Payment Builds Family Wealth
The Daily World (Atlanta, Ga.)

In the midst of varying proposals for housing reform, civil rights leaders are publicly calling for lawmakers to keep mortgage lending affordable and accessible. A recent letter jointly signed by the NAACP, National Urban League, National Council of LaRaza, National Fair Housing Alliance, the Haas Institute’s John Powell, and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), reminded Capitol Hill lawmakers how low down payment mortgages enabled many low-wealth borrowers to become successful homeowners….A recent joint study by CRL and the Center for Community Capital at the University of North Carolina found that among borrowers who took out a mortgage from 2004-2008 and were current through February of 2011, 60 percent of successful Black mortgage borrowers would have been excluded if a 10 percent down payment had been required. A 5 percent down payment would have excluded 33 percent of successful Black borrowers.
http://www.atlantadailyworld.com/201308288495/Business/low-home-down-payment-builds-family-wealth

State & Local Coverage

Making school, child nutrition healthier
UNC-TV

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, professor of nutrition at Gillings School of Global Public Health and of medicine at the School of Medicine, is interviewed on UNC-TV regarding healthy nutrition for school children and her work on Type 1 (formerly "juvenile") diabetes.
http://video.pbs.org/partnerplayer/zMzGbhq92RaBLHynqGH3vw==/?w=512&h=288&autoplay=true&start=667&end=1158&chapterbar=false&toolbar=true&endscreen=true'%3E%3C/iframe
UNC news release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/6123/107/

Johnston still a center of arthritis research
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Herald (Smithfield)

A long-term scientific study in Johnston County is continuing to pay off. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded $5.6 million to UNC-Chapel Hill's Thurston Arthritis Research Center for multiple projects, including another study using the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.
http://www.smithfieldherald.com/2013/08/26/3139474/johnston-remains-a-center-of-arthritis.html
UNC release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/6158/107/

Which Charlotte-area companies are the most family friendly?
The Business Journal (Charlotte)
Twenty Charlotte-area companies have been recognized on Carolina Parenting Inc.’s 2013 N.C. Family-Friendly 50 list, published in the September editions of Carolina Parent, Charlotte Parent and Piedmont Parent magazines that came out today. The list highlights companies that help their employees achieve work-life balance with incentives and benefits….Companies were selected in partnership with the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and based on information provided by the companies about available benefits and programs.
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2013/08/28/sixteen-charlotte-companies-recognized.html

Commissioners approve bond refinancing for Pardee Hospital
The Times-News (Hendersonville)

Henderson County commissioners approved a series of legal documents Wednesday to better position Pardee Hospital to adjust to a rapidly changing health care climate, including a bond order that will save the hospital $626,736 in interest over the next decade. By a 5-0 vote, commissioners approved a plan allowing Pardee to consolidate old debts into a new bond. … By giving approval to the refinancing, commissioners put their final stamp on a memorandum of understanding and agreement the county signed with Pardee and the University of North Carolina Health Care Systems in April.
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20130828/articles/130829816

Triangle Arts and Entertainment (website)
“Surviving Twin,” Written and Performed by Loudon Wainwright III, Will Premiere at UNC on Sept. 4-8
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s professional-theater-in-residence, PlayMakers Repertory Company, will present the world premiere of Surviving Twin, written and performed by 66-year-old Grammy Award® winner Loudon Wainwright III, on Sept. 4-8 in the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art. (Three-time Grammy nominee Loudon Wainwright III won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for his album “High, Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project,” a tribute to legendary old-time banjo player and singer Charlie Poole (1892-1931) of Spray, NC.
http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2013/08/surviving-twin-written-and-performed-by-loudon-wainwright-iii-will-premiere-at-unc-on-sept-4-8/
UNC release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/6179/66/

Issues and Trends

UNC 'Courage Project' Vandalized By Terrible Person Without Courage
The Huffington Post

The Courage Project, a photo display on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus devoted to empowering survivors of violence and abuse, was vandalized late last week. … University employees discovered the vandalism around 5 a.m. Friday, Pino told HuffPost. Senior Associate Director of the Carolina Union Scott Hudson filed a police report later that morning.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/unc-courage-project-vandalized_n_3831667.html?utm_hp_ref=college

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