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Recalled Dog Food Probably Killed Two NC Dogs, Researchers Say
College of Veterinary Medicine
Biffle
flies dog to vet appointment by helicopter
Dave Green, College of Veterinary Medicine
Helms'
service
North Carolina tobacco
Blood
donors earn chances to win ACC ball
ACC Basketball Blood Donor Challenge
Obit.:
Raul Eduardo Alvarez
retired faculty, College of Engineering
Recalled Dog Food Probably Killed Two NC Dogs, Researchers Say
Jan. 6, 2005
WRAL
By staff report
© Copyright 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Researchers at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine say they have found convincing evidence that a recalled dog food killed two dogs brought to the school's animal hospital last week.
Tests show the Diamond pet food consumed by two whippets had a poison level 18 times the legal limit and that the animals had liver damage consistent with that type of poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the contamination.
Seven other North Carolina dog deaths are strongly linked to the recalled food. Nationwide, the 18 varieties of dog and cat food is blamed for 23 deaths.
The bags of food affected in the recall have a "Best By" date of March 1, 2007 through June 10, 2007.
Jan. 6, 2005
Goldsboro News Argus
By staff report
© Copyright 2005
During January and February, donating blood will give Wayne County people the chance to win a signed ACC basketball.
The ACC Basketball Blood Donor Challenge will start with the first blood drive of the year, today at Oak Forest Church, and end with the last one next month, Feb. 24, at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
Everyone who gives blood at one of Wayne County's blood drives will have his or her name entered into one of three drawings for a men's team signed ACC basketball from either Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University.
"With such strong ACC ties in our area, we expect this to be a well-received challenge," said Samia Garner, blood services director for the Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross. "We're just trying to think of ways to give back to our donors."
The opportunity to win one of these signed basketballs is only being offered in Wayne County and only during this 56-day period.
"Throughout the ACC Blood Donor Challenge, there will be various other giveaways and drawings to let our donors know how much we appreciate them," Mrs. Garner said.
She said the schools are "happy to be on board with us to promote blood donations during those two months."
The balls go for thousands of dollars at auctions, Mrs. Garner said.
"Since donors are allowed to give blood only every 56 days, each donor during January and February will have only once chance of entering the drawing," she said. "That increases your odds of winning."
Mrs. Garner explained that January is an extremely challenging time for blood collections because of recent holiday travel, school closings, winter illnesses and other factors that shrink the donor pool. However, the need for blood is still there.
"The American Red Cross encourages people who are in good health to give blood so that hospital patients are not at risk for going without blood they need to make a full recovery," Mrs. Garner said. "Despite the advances in medical science, there is still no substitute for blood -- the gift of life that only volunteer donors can give."
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. A photo identification is required when giving blood.
For more information about the ACC Basketball Blood Donor Challenge, contact the local Red Cross at 735-7201.
Here is the Bloodmobile schedule for January and February:
*Today from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Oak Forest Road Church.
*Jan. 10 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Red Cross chapter house, 600 N. George St.
*Jan. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Excell Linde and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at O'Berry Center.
*Jan. 12 from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Mount Olive Medical Center.
*Jan. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mount Olive College.
*Jan. 20 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Social Security office.
*Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Mall.
*Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 3HC and from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Seven Springs Rescue Squad.
*Jan. 26 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Goldsboro Milling Co., from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Red Cross chapter house sponsored by the Goldsboro Jaycees and from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Eureka United Methodist Church.
*Feb. 2 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. at New Hope United Methodist Church.
*Feb. 7 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wayne Country Day School.
*Feb. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Spring Creek High School.
*Feb. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Greenleaf Church.
*Feb. 14 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Red Cross chapter house, 600 N. George St.
*Feb. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lowe's.
*Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Wayne Community College.
*Feb. 23 from 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Red Cross chapter house, 600 N. George St.
*Feb. 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
By Becky Barclay
Jan. 6, 2005
News & Observer
By staff report
© Copyright 2005
Regarding Michael Schwalbe's Dec. 19 Point of View article "N.C. State's addiction to tobacco money":
If farmers never produced another tobacco crop, foreign tobacco would replace it. The Indians used tobacco before Columbus discovered America. People will be smoking after we are gone. Tobacco is a legal product: it is an adult decision.
N.C. State University, through research, has developed several safer fungicides and pesticides for use on tobacco. This research has allowed tobacco farmers to use safer techniques and better practices in growing, harvesting and curing tobacco.
Schwalbe, in criticizing a "Distinguished Service to Tobacco" award from the university to former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, failed to mention the livelihood of many farmers and farm communities that Helms helped to protect by inducing the tobacco companies to use more U.S. tobacco. As a friend to tobacco companies and tobacco farmers, Helms helped a beleaguered industry survive by supporting legislation that helped both the farmer and the industry. This could not have happened without the fairness and integrity of Helms.I am a tobacco farmer. I and other farmers have greatly benefitted from Helms being an important bridge between the tobacco industry and tobacco farmers. Schwalbe said Helms deserves an award for service to the funeral industry. I beg to disagree. The award should go for the funeral of despair, discouragement and of poverty.
Bruce Flye
Battleboro
Biffle flies dog to vet appointment by helicopter
Jan. 6, 2005
Charlotte Observer, Cup Scene
By staff report
© Copyright 2005
Greg Biffle drives hundreds of miles a day for a living during the racing season.
When he's off the clock, he'd prefer to be off the ground.
Biffle, who finished second in NASCAR's Nextel Cup standings last season, flew by helicopter from his home in Mooresville, N.C. to Raleigh so Gracie, one of his boxers, could see a veterinarian at the N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
A roundtrip would have taken seven hours by car.
Biffle brought his dog to N.C. State at the suggestion of fellow driver Ryan Newman after local vets couldn't figure out why Gracie had been sitting strangely and hobbling a bit after chasing Biffle on his four-wheeler.
School spokesman Dave Green says it's the first time an animal had been flown to the school for a routine exam.
Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at: greg@cupscene.com
Research Debunks Pathogen Evolution Hypotheses
Jan. 6, 2005
PhysOrg.com (VA)
By staff report
© Copyright 2005
By sequencing the set of all genes, or genome, inside the cellular power plants, the mitochondria, of the different strains of the pathogen, Dr. Jean Beagle Ristaino, professor of plant pathology at NC State, and a team of researchers discovered that type II strains did not evolve from the type I strains, as was previously hypothesized. Instead, Ristaino and her colleagues say that the strains evolved from a common ancestor and that the type II strains diverged earlier than the type I strains.
The research is published in the January 2006 edition of Current Genetics.
There are four different strains, or haplotypes, of P. infestans – types Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb. The fungus-like pathogen causes severe lesions on leaves of potato and tomato plants. Ristaino called into question prevailing theories that the Ib strain of the pathogen caused the Irish potato famine in a paper published in the journal Nature in 2001, and published findings that pointed the finger instead at the Ia haplotype in 2004.
“We wanted to know how the four strains evolved and how they are related to each other,” Ristaino said. “This will help us learn how mutations, or changes in the genome, are leading to sensitivity to fungicide, for example.”
The Ib strain has been termed the ancestral strain by other researchers. Ristaino and her team discovered that while the Ib strain is most closely related to the common ancestor – it has the fewest mutations of the four strains – evidence suggests that it diverged from the common ancestor later in time than the divergence of the type II strains.
Type Ia and IIa still affect potato plants around the world; in fact, more fungicide is sprayed for potato late-blight, which is caused by P. infestans, than any other potato disease, Ristaino said. Type IIb has a large number of mutations, which could explain why it is so rare and why it most often affects tomato plants instead of potato plants, she added.
Ristaino’s lab is currently investigating the center of origin of P. infestans. She hypothesizes that the pathogen originated in South America and perhaps made its way to Europe and the United States via exports of potato seed on steamships.
The late-blight pathogen led to the Irish potato famine, which killed or displaced millions of Irish people, and other epidemics across the world.
Jan. 6, 2005
News & Observer
RAUL EDUARDO ALVAREZ, 83, of Cary, NC passed away on Tuesday, January 3rd
at Western Wake Medical Center in Cary. Raul was born in Bahia Blanca, Argentina
on October 21, 1922 to the late Siro J Alvarez and Carmen Prieto Arias. He
moved to the USA in 1955 and proudly became a US Citizen on April 5, 1961.
Raul Alvarez was a Professor Emeritus of North Carolina State University
where he taught in the School of Engineering as Professor of Industrial Engineering.
At the time of his retirement, he was on loan to the University of North Carolina,
as the Director of Engineering Programs at the University of North Carolina,
Asheville. He received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of
Buenos Aires, Argentina, a Masters of Science degree in Industrial Engineering
from North Carolina State University and pursued doctoral studies at John Hopkins
University.
Upon his retirement, Raul remained active in civic organizations such as the Raleigh Golden "K" Kiwanis Club, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, the Friends of the Library-NCSU and the Food Bank of North Carolina.
Raul is survived by his son, daughter-in-law and grandson, Charles, Melinda and Drew Alvarez of Wake Forest, NC, as well as his long time friend, Annyce Alvarez of Raleigh, NC.
The family wishes to thank the staff and residents of Glenaire Retirement
Community for the loving care given to Raul during his period of declining
health.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, January 7th, 2006 in
the Assembly Room at Glenaire Retirement Community, 4000 Glenaire Circle,
Cary,
NC
The family will receive friends at Glenaire following the memorial service
and other times at the home of Charles Alvarez, Wake Forest, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Friends of the Library, NCSU, Campus Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695; the Food Bank of North Carolina, 3808 Tarheel Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609 or the American Red Cross, 100 N Peartree Lane, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Arrangements are in the care of The Cremation Society of the Carolinas.