uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Hepatitis Patients Respond Equally Well to Short Course Treatment
Voice of America
The hepatitis C virus is a leading cause of liver disease, sickening nearly 200 million people worldwide. Now, researchers report they can cure the chronic infection in a majority of cases with a shorter course of anti-viral drugs. ...But Michael Fried, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, says about 75 percent of H-C-V cases can now be cured with antiviral drugs. “So that’s very encouraging. And we know that permanent eradication of hepatitis C does lead subsequently to long-term clinical improvement with less likelihood of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer,” Fried said.
UNC Release:
http://uncmedne.ws/HepC

National Coverage

Where Universities Can Be Cut
Inside Higher Ed
What a group of management consultants found when they analyzed several research universities in 2008 and 2009 to identify potential savings probably didn’t come as a surprise to most people in higher education. The key findings section of Bain & Company’s report on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill summarizes the issue: “UNC has a complex [organizational] structure,” the slide states. ...Even if administrative cuts won't balance the budget, they still matter, says Joe Templeton, a chemistry professor at UNC-Chapel Hill who is responsible for carrying out efficiency measures.

Song Lyrics Getting Sexier. Should We Care?
Discovery News
...The study is the first to demonstrate for music what other studies have found about TV-watching and what most experts have long suspected, said Jane Brown, an expert on the effects of media on adolescence at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. "We all think, 'Oh my goodness, music has gotten so much sexier and raunchier,' and basically that's what they're showing," Brown said. "We really haven't had that evidence, and this brings us right up to date on how lyrics have changed over time."

State and Local Coverage

UNC: Drug cuts hepatitis treatment in half
The Triangle Business Journal
A study out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that a new drug could cut Hepatitis C treatment time in half, eliminating some of the side effects in the process. Traditional Hepatitis C treatments call for a 48-week regimen of two drugs. Researchers found that by adding a third drug for the first 12 weeks, the cure rate for the liver disease after 24 weeks was just as high as of that after 48 weeks. That’s good news for up to 4 million people in the U.S. who suffer from Hepatitis C, says Dr. Michael W. Fried, director of the UNC Liver Center.
UNC Release:
http://uncmedne.ws/HepC

Before disaster strikes (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Following Hurricane Irene, a number of largely predictable events occurred. The storm (once again) exposed the vulnerability of North Carolina's barrier island communities and the infrastructure upon which they depend. (Professor Gavin Smith is executive director of the Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence - Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management, at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

UNC Hospitals unit offers moms help
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC Hospitals celebrated the grand opening Thursday of the first separate 24-hour perinatal psychiatric unit in the United States for treating depression during and after pregnancy. ..."The problem before is that there was an odd mixture of other patients on the unit, and it created a disruptive environment that made it very difficult to establish, if you will, the nurturing (environment) that exists on this separate unit," said Dr. David Rubinow, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry.

With job prospects dim, new lawyers turn to startup option
The Triangle Business Journal
...Another challenge is the risk of malpractice claims. Bernie Burk, a UNC-Chapel Hill legal ethics professor who has represented attorneys in malpractice litigation, says young solos can be less adept at identifying and declining riskier legal work, or at least preparing the client for the possibility of a dissatisfying outcome.

UNC to pay tribute to Chicago blues master
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
...UNC’s Southern Folklife Collection has a number of Wolf’s original and commercial recordings, as well as archival material. To celebrate Wolf’s legacy in music, the Southern Folklife Collection will present a symposium and concert dedicated to Wolf’s music. The Wolf symposium is the first of three in the Blues Legacy Series.
Related Link:
http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/honoring-howlin-wolf/view
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/4699/107/

Oh, honey: It's National Honeybee Month
The Chapel Hill Herald
A bee stung Abby Bouchon for the first time in seven years this August, although Bouchon has been an active beekeeper since 2005. Bouchon, a junior biology major double minoring in entrepreneurship and chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, manages three beehives, totaling 90,000 bees, with her father in their backyard in Raleigh.

Honeybees: an endangered $186M industry
The Chapel Hill Herald
...“For an animal that is crucial to the daily function of our world, they usually get such a bad rap,” said Alaina Braswell, a senior studio art and communication studies double major at UNC-Chapel Hill and a self-described bee enthusiast from Hickory. “I think they’re just misunderstood. Honey bees are fascinating, and I’d love to study their world more closely with beekeeping. Plus, you get to wear that cool costume.”

NCAA's follow-up visit over at UNC
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The NCAA's return visit to North Carolina on Wednesday will not affect any Tar Heels football players' eligibility for this weekend's home game against Virginia, interim coach Everett Withers said Thursday. "We're expecting to have our full allotment of players," he said. All players were practicing as usual.