UA professor to study oil’s effects on anemones
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 2
A University of Alabama professor won a federal grant to study the effects of the recent oil leak on a small animal living in the marshes along the Gulf of Mexico…With a $110,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, UA biological science professor Matthew Jenny and a partner at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts will collect sea anemones from Gulf marshes and bring them to Tuscaloosa for further study. The tiny invertebrate animal lives in mud-like sediment, rising out in high tide to eat and be eaten. The anemone should be able to yield clues on how other invertebrates handle the removal of oil, along with the chemicals that government and BP officials sprinkled on the Gulf to disperse the oil, Jenny said…
Care trend puts focus on patients
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 2
A nationwide trend toward patient-centered care is starting to take root in Alabama, according to professionals taking part in the annual Rural Health Conference at the University of Alabama this week. The “patient-centered medical home” involves a family practice physician who coordinates with other medical specialists, including nurse practitioners, physical therapists, even dieticians, pharmacists and dentists to ensure that a patient is being fully taken care of, said Lea Yerby, assistant professor in the department of community and rural medicine. “It’s a team approach to health care,” Yerby said. “We are moving back toward the way it used to be.”…Studies have shown that if someone has a primary care physician whom they know well enough to call by name, their risk of dying early from disease or other health problems drops significantly, said Chelley Alexander, chair of family medicine at the College of Community Health Sciences at the University of Alabama. It also helps physicians keep track of their performance since they are working closely with the patients on their whole health and working with other medical professionals, Alexander added…The 11th annual Rural Health Conference is sponsored by UA’s Rural Health Institute. As part of the conference, health care professionals, community leaders, researchers and government officials gather to discuss issues facing rural health, specifically on the “medical home” concept this year. The conference, which started Wednesday, will continue today at the Bryant Conference Center.
Thad Allen: In hindsight, BP might have shut down oil well sooner
Birmingham News – Sept. 2
…Philip Johnson, a petroleum engineering professor at the University of Alabama, said engineering textbooks are essentially composed of episodes in which engineers failed to make the right choices for various reasons. The effort to cap the leaking Gulf well is likely to be remembered the same way, he said. “I bet they are feeling ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda.’ I would say there was an overabundance of caution. The fact is, it would have been hard to make the situation worse than it was,” Johnson said. “Early on, I looked at the riser as an opportunity to catch the oil, not as a problem. I was wrong about that. So were they.”…But UA’s Johnson said he remains puzzled as to why BP didn’t immediately attempt to unbolt the broken riser and attach some kind of collection system. “Why did they bother to cut the pipe with the diamond saw and all that? Why not try to unbolt it in the first place? That’s what they did in the end to install the new cap. There was a flange there you could have attached anything to,” Johnson said. “I would say there was a series of missed opportunities.”…
Healthy lunch ideas
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 2
…In talking with UA nutritionist Suzanne Henson for a story on healthy lunch ideas, I picked up some creative ideas for eating healthy and gained new perspective on what ‘dieting’ means…Here are some of Suzanne’s healthy lunch ideas that allow you to combine different starches, proteins and fruits and vegetables…
ACRE to hold Tuscaloosa networking event today
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 2
The University of Alabama-based Alabama Center for Real Estate will hold the first UA-FARE Tuscaloosa networking reception from 5-7:30 p.m. today at the new outdoor pavilion at Cypress Inn, 501 Rice Mine Road N. Real estate professionals from all disciplines and industry service affiliates are welcome. The reception is free and will include complimentary appetizers, beer and wine, along with light entertainment. Westervelt Communities is event host of the UA-FARE (Friends and Alumni of Real Estate) reception. Also hosting are ACRE, the Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors and the Home Builders Association of Tuscaloosa.
ATO honored by national board
Crimson White – Sept. 2
After four years of working to be the best, the 2007 pledge class of the Beta Delta chapter of Alpha Tau Omega achieved their goal of being named Top Chapter by the National Alpha Tau Omega Board…“Last year, we worked really hard to make improvements in our annual golf tournament that benefits the RISE school,” he said. “We also had a lot of members get into honor societies and receive a lot of awards at the SGA Banquet last spring.”…
Community Service Center hosts volunteer expo
Crimson White – Sept. 2
The Community Service Center will host its annual Volunteer Expo, which is intended to inform students about local and national nonprofit organizations. The event will be today on the second floor of the Ferguson Center, in the main entrance area by the food court, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Volunteer Expo will connect students with local and national nonprofit organizations. There will be more than 20 local and national volunteer agencies in attendance, and students will be able to discuss the agencies’ service projects with representatives…
Student veterans talk about end of Iraq war
Crimson White – Sept. 2
…The UA Campus Veterans Association is an organization comprised of the men and women Obama addressed. Gregory Chiadika, a senior majoring in criminal justice and CVA member, is now a student at the University after serving in the Army. He said the removal of combat troops from Iraq is a step in the right direction for the United States. “I believe that the removal of our troops in Iraq has been long overdue,” Chiadika said. “We could not have been expected to stay in Iraq forever, and the money funding the war in Iraq can now be used to help put our economy on the right track.”…
Festival highlights Asian food, culture
Crimson White – Sept. 2
Students will have the opportunity to sample Chinese and Indian food, learn about Asia-related student organizations, and participate in several Asian culture activities at 6 p.m. tonight on Woods Quad. According to Steven Ramey, assistant professor of religious studies and director of Asian studies, many UA students are interested in Asian food, Chinese calligraphy, Japanese drumming and anime…