uncnews.unc.edu

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

National Coverage

How to profit from the presidential election
CBS
Sometimes two unremarkable and unrelated ideas can be merged into a single brilliant strategy. Gregg Polsky, a tax professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, recently emailed me two such ideas. His proposal -- combining a Roth conversion with the November presidential election. This is how it would work.

Use of imaging tests soars, raising questions on radiation risk
The Los Angeles Times
...Physicians are not required to inform patients in writing about the radiation risks of CTs. But Dr. Richard Semelka, director of MRI services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the time had come for that to change. "It should be abundantly clear by now that ionizing radiation does carry with it the risk of cancer," said Semelka, who wasn't involved in the study. "It just seems so obvious that we should be providing patients with the risks even if we don't have the exact numbers."
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-ct-mri-growth-20120613,0,641613.story

Will Beer And Brats Break Through Wisconsin's Partisan Divide?
NPR
..."Social eating was the norm 50 years ago," says Barry Popkin of University of North Carolina's School of Public Health. Not anymore, he says. We eat alone, in fast food restaurants or in front of the T.V. or in shifts.

A New Leaf: New Catalyst Boosts Artificial Photosynthesis as a Solar Alternative to Fossil Fuel
Scientific American
...Thomas Meyer came upon the solution almost by accident. Meyer, a chemist at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of its Energy Frontier Research Center in Solar Fuels, noticed that two separate groups of researchers working on two separate parts of the photosynthetic reaction happened to be using the same class of catalyst—ones with an atom of the metal ruthenium surrounded by organic molecules.

Shot may top acupuncture for pain relief
Science News
A new treatment mimics the pain-blocking mechanism of acupuncture but offers longer-lasting pain relief, at least in mice. Injections of an enzyme called PAP into an acupuncture point behind the knees of mice relieved pain caused by inflammation for up to six days, Julie Hurt and Mark Zylka of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill report online April 23 in Molecular Pain.

State and Local Coverage

Roses and Raspberries
The Chapel Hill News
...Roses to UNC, for turning 107 acres of environmentally sensitive land over to the North Carolina Botanical Garden. The land, the bulk of the 119-acre Parker Property, will be appended to the Mason Farm Biological Reserve, a 367-acre natural treasure administered by the NCBG.

UNC minister named state’s Chaplain of the Year
The Chapel Hill News
Patricia Cadle, oncology chaplain at UNC Health Care's Department of Pastoral Care, has been named Chaplain of the Year by the N.C. Chaplains Association. This award is presented annually at the association's spring conference in recognition of “distinguished ministry” by a chaplain “who serves patients, community and colleagues with grace and innovation.”

Keeping up with changing nutrition guidelines (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
So which do you think is harder: Calculating your income taxes or figuring out how to eat to stay healthy? Most people say it’s harder to understand how to eat well. That’s according to survey results released last month by the International Food Information Council Foundation, a nonprofit food industry organization that publishes an annual report on consumers’ attitudes about food and health.
(Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical associate professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

UNC's academic reputation continues taking hits
WRAL (CBS/Raleigh)
Two years after allegations of academic misconduct involving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill football program surfaced, the school is still struggling to keep its academic reputation from being tarnished.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/13/2132053/conrad-conero-dog-gets-wagged.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

Issues and Trends

Shortchanged (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Preparing and adopting North Carolina’s state budget is all about making choices – how much money to raise, who to raise it from and what to spend it on. A conscientious budget seeks to address the most needs at the lowest cost. But those making the decisions must be mindful that aiming too low can have lasting consequences for the state’s well-being.

When Dean Smith stood up for Bear Bryant (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Sports Illustrated's Frank Deford visited The N&O recently and spoke warmly of Dean Smith, the former UNC basketball coach. But Deford, in town to promote his new book, "Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter," described an incident in which Smith would not be interviewed by Deford -- even though they'd had a good relationship for many years.

“Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America” will air tonight at 9 on the Travel Channel.
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Adam Richman of the Travel Channel has been touring the country searching for what he calls “the absolute best sandwich in this great country.” Tonight his quest brings him to Chapel Hill, where he will introduce the rest of the country to Eddie Williams’ Chicken and Cheddar Biscuit.