Health statistics for Alabama presented today at conference show state near bottom
Al.com – Feb. 20
Alabama is not healthy. The proof is in the numbers presented this morning at the 14th Annual Rural Health Conference at the University of Alabama. “The numbers are not good,” said Sheena Quizon Gregg, who presented them to the conference this morning. “What we are doing is focusing on the various ways we can create partnerships in our rural communities to reduce obesity.” Gregg is chair-elect of the Alabama Obesity Task Force and assistant director of Health Education and Prevention at the University of Alabama. As can be seen in the charts at the left Alabama is in the nation’s bottom five for the percentage of adults with these health problems and at-risk conditions: physical activity (4th worst), hypertension (3rd worst), obesity (2nd worst), and diabetes (worst in the nation). The conference is hosted by The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences and its Institute for Rural Health Research.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Feb. 20
NBC 12 (Montgomery) – Feb. 20
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 20
Bob Woodward of Washington Post to speak Friday
Crimson White – Feb. 21
Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist famous for breaking the Watergate scandal in 1972, will speak on campus Friday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. Woodward, currently the associate editor at the Washington Post, will speak at the Gloria and John L. Blackburn Academic Symposium Lecture in Sellers Auditorium at the Bryant Conference Center. Woodward’s work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for the Post. Additionally, Woodward was the Post’s primary reporter for its Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and aftermath. Mary Lee Caldwell, coordinator of the Blackburn Institute, said Woodward’s speech will be in conjunction with the Blackburn Institute Winter Symposium. “The annual Blackburn Institute Winter Symposium serves as a convention for numerous leaders in Alabama,” Caldwell said. “Friday’s lecture is the public portion of the symposium.”
CNN’s Don Lemon to speak at UA
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Feb. 20
CNN anchor Don Lemon will speak at the University of Alabama. Lemon’s visit is part of the 50th anniversary of UA becoming an integrated campus. He will speak tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Ferguson Center Theater.
Fruit flies playing key role in medical research
Crimson White – Feb. 21
When working with fruit flies, assistant biology professor Laura Reed looks for a genetic mechanism behind metabolic syndrome, which is predictive of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “Basically, what I’m trying to figure out is, if a person gets diabetes, to what extent is the cause of that genetic, and how much of that is environmental, such as diet?” Reed said. “We’re doing this using fruit flies as a mode.” Reed said although it may not seem like it, fruit flies and humans are evolutionarily similar. “Fruit flies and humans are actually pretty similar to each other evolutionarily,” she said. “We feed different genotypes of fruit flies different diets, so maybe they get a high-fat diet or high-sugar diet, and we can analyze how much of the variation in their disease is because of their genotype and how much is because of their diet.” Reed said the research is trying to determine and explain the differences in how individuals react to different diets. “You probably know some people who can eat whatever they want and never gain or lose weight, and there are other people who have to be very careful about their diet,” she said. “This indicates that there are differences in the way individuals react to their diet, so I was interested in trying to figure out why.”
Scientists publish analysis of algae parasite impact on algae biofuel in PLOS ONE
Bio-Medicing.org – Feb. 20
As part of an ongoing effort to improve commercial scale algae biofuel production, a group of scientists, led by crude oil producer Sapphire Energy, Inc., today announced the completion of a collaborative study which identified the morphology, ultrastructure, and life history of A. protococcarum, one of the most difficult to manage algae parasites. Their findings are detailed in “Characterization of Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum: An Algal Parasite New to the Cryptomycota Isolated from an Outdoor Algal Pond Used for the Production of Biofuel,” published today in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE. The article provides a comprehensive study of the parasite challenge facing crop protection for scaled algae cultivation in open-pond systems. These results will provide a broader understanding and promote the development of sustainable management strategies for biofuel production. This article was prepared in collaboration by Robert C. McBride, Ph.D., Salvador Lopez, MSc, Craig Behnke, Ph.D., and Philip A. Lee, Ph.D., of Sapphire Energy; Peter M. Letcher, Ph.D., and Martha J. Powell, Ph.D., of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama; and Robert Schmieder, Ph.D., of the Department of Computer Science and Computational Science Research Center at San Diego State University.
BioDiesel Magazine – Feb. 21
Eligibility changes could cut Pell Grants at MSU
The State News (Mich.) – Feb. 21
Thousands of students across the country utilize federally-funded Pell Grants, or money generally granted to students from low-income families. But after new governmental eligibility restrictions, recent studies show Pell Grant funding is at an all-time low. A study released this week from the University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center found changes in Pell Grant eligibility decreased enrollment at colleges and universities in the southern region of the U.S.
Online brain training may keep minds sharp
Crimson White – Feb. 21
Many people know the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy, fit body, but not nearly as many people know the importance of cognitive exercise in developing and maintaining an alert, healthy mind. Lumosity.com, a popular online brain training program developed by neuroscientists, is based on in-depth research of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. The human brain is constantly rewiring itself and creating new neural pathways with each new experience or novel thought. Philip Gable is a professor of cognitive neuroscience and introduction to psychology class at The University of Alabama. He explains how repetition of cognitive training exercises can help to strengthen certain areas of the brain based on previous discoveries regarding professional violin players. “What’s been found is that professional string players have a larger area of the brain that controls the left hand because it is repetitively used in controlling minute details,” Gable said.
Can Antioxidants Really Save Your Brain?
Men’s Health – Feb. 21
We tell you about the benefits of antioxidants all the time—they fight cancer, slow aging, and boost your immunity—but new research suggests they can’t do everything. Fueling your body with high levels of antioxidants may not be enough to save your brain from diseases like dementia, according to a recent study in Neurology…Other brain experts understand Devore’s study but worry that people may misinterpret it, thinking that foods rich in antioxidants are a waste of money. “That’s not true at all,” says Daniel C. Potts, M.D., president of the Cognitive Dynamics Foundation and associate clinical professor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. “The overwhelming evidential data is that antioxidants do help brain function.”
Student organization to host 5k to raise scholarship funds
Crimson White – Feb. 21
The Tuscaloosa Dietetic Association and the Student Dietetic Association will host the sixth annual 5k run to kick off national nutrition month. The race is Saturday Feb. 23 at The University of Alabama recreational fields starting at 8 a.m., with registration at 7 a.m. The first 125 registered are eligible to receive a free T-shirt, door prizes and food and nutrition information. Participants will run along Campus Drive up Helen Keller Boulevard. The course is designed to be a quick 5K with a downhill finish. The race is intended to raise money for scholarships and the Good Samaritan Clinic. At the conclusion of the race, three scholarships will be given to nutrition majors at the Capstone.
Nursing, DCH to support recent UA graduates
Crimson White – Feb. 21
A new nursing residency program designed to support nursing graduates’ transition into the job field is being offered by the Capstone College of Nursing in a partnership with DCH Regional Medical Center. “The first year for a new nurse can be challenging,” Yvette Daidone, nurse residency coordinator at DCH, said in an emailed statement. “The transition to the reality of hospital life, acuity of our patients and rapidly changing health care environments make it difficult to adapt.” The program began last fall and is available for nurses who have graduated with a baccalaureate degree. It is affiliated with the University Health System Consortium and American Association of College of Nursing, two nationally recognized organizations. “The first cohort at DCH Regional Medical Center began with 27 new baccalaureate RN employees in August 2012,” Linda Patterson, Capstone College of Nursing instructor, said. “BSN nurses apply for this supportive program.”
Film to shed light on mitochondrial disease
Columbia Daily Herald (Tenn.) – Feb. 20
In the face of the often challenging reality of raising a child with special needs, Ellen and Michael Hollis don’t allow time for sulking. This attitude is captured in the new documentary film, “Not a Statistic,” which profiles the Hollis family. Their three-year-old son, Hunt, suffers from mitochondrial disease, a chronic, genetic disorder occurring when the mitochondria of the cell fail to produce enough energy for cell or organ function. The 36-minute documentary film will premiere March 14, at the Franklin Theatre, 419 Main St., Franklin, at 7 p.m….Now “Not a Statistic,” by filmmaker Shelby Hadden, will shed light on the family’s daily challenges with the disease, their fight to find a cure and their passion to make a difference … The idea for the film started when Hadden, a telecommunication and film major at the University of Alabama, received a class assignment in Fall 2011 to write a treatment for a potential documentary. Hadden’s mother, Meggin, told her about the Hollis’ story, after meeting the family while training at the same Franklin fitness facility.
UA dance marathon planning bigger and better event
Crimson White – Feb. 21
With the 2013 University of Alabama Dance Marathon quickly approaching, organizers are working to increase student and organization involvement with hope to mimic other schools’ DM events, some of which have raised as much as $500,000 to benefit Children’s Miracle Network. Tyler Rigdon, president of UADM, said he became encouraged to start Dance Marathon at the Capstone after one of his friends from the University of Florida showed him a highlight video of UF’s Dance Marathon. “Those highlights really opened my eyes to the difference that Dance Marathon can have, especially on a campus with the size, growth and accessibility as UA’s,” Rigdon said. UADM will be on March 9 at the University Recreational Center from noon to 8 p.m. The philanthropic event benefits the Children’s Hospital of Alabama and the Children’s Miracle Network…Registration is $25, which includes a T-shirt and food, as well as participation in the games, activities and dancing. The event celebrates taking a stand against illnesses and diseases and raising money for children.
Spectrum hosts Southeastern Student Leadership Conference
Crimson White – Feb. 21
The largest LGBTQ conference in the southeast is coming to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24. Spectrum is hosting the Southeastern LGBTQ Student Leadership Conference, which strives to make a space for students and organizers to share stories and experiences. The conference is a two-day event. There will be speakers during both days. Saturday will be focused on general discussions about LGBTQ issues with an emphasis on liberation in the southeast. Sunday will be focused on leadership in society as a whole.
UA Band Director visits middle school band members in Hoover Wednesday
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Feb. 20
Hoover’s Simmons Middle School Honor Band today welcomed University Of Alabama’s Associate Director of Bands, Randall Coleman. Coleman was invited to critique and assess Simmons’ Honor Band as it heads to the Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA) State Music Performance Assessment in March. School officials say it’s an honor and unique privilege for a musician of Coleman’s stature to visit a middle school program.