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Iams Teams Up With NCSU To Open MRI Center for Animals
College of Veterinary MedicineArea's first MRI for domestic pets opens at N.C. State
College of Veterinary MedicineA peek inside a beagle
College of Veterinary MedicineBiotechnology Conference Held at UNCP
Peter Kilpatrick, chemical engineering
Chatham
project assessed two ways
Mitch Renkow, agricultural and resource economics
Study:
Briar Chapel may help Chatham financially
Mitch Renkow, agricultural and resource economics
Granville
schools begin long road to new facilities
Jeff Tsai, Institute of Transportation Research and Education
Panel
mediates NCSU plan
Centennial Campus expansion
Commentary:
Agenda for North Carolina
Michael Walden, agricultural and resource economics
Letter
to the editor: Graduates' debt
University
of North Carolina system
P&G's
Iams to open 2nd MRI center
College of Veterinary Medicine
Little-Known
Weed Causing Big Trouble in Southeast
Michael Burton and Alan York, crop science
Biotechnology Conference Held at UNCP
Aug. 25, 2004
Southern Pines Pilot
By AMBER RACH
© Copyright 2004
If biotechnology is the wave of the future, the ripples are already landing on North Carolina’s shores, and educational institutions are making plans to keep the state at the forefront.
Area public school, community college and university representatives received an update on the future of biotechnology at a July 29 conference at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
The news holds promise for southeastern North Carolina and the state, says UNCP chemistry Professor Dr. Len Holmes.
“North Carolina just moved into third place from fifth in the U.S. for biotechnology investment, research and manufacturing,” Holmes says.
Economists predict biotechnology will be the leading employer in the U.S. sometime in the 21st century, and biotech manufacturing holds great promise to replace jobs lost in textiles and other manufacturing industries.
The conference focused on training a work force to support the fledgling industry.
“There is a lot going on in biotechnology in this region,” says Sylvia Pate, director of UNCP’s Regional Center for Economic, Community and Professional Development. “This is part of our effort to bring you up to date on issues in our region and in North Carolina.”
Dr. Collie Coleman, UNCP’s associate vice chancellor for Outreach, says the University is building partnerships that will open the doors of opportunity for biotechnology manufacturing and worker training in the region.
“Biotechnology has been a total University effort, and our partnerships with the community colleges, public schools, universities and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center hold great potential for every individual and institution in this room,” says Coleman.
With a $600,000, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, UNCP’s Project BIO will establish a Biotechnology Business and Industrial Training Center at COMtech, a business incubator near Pembroke and Lumberton and in the long term, will be a physical location housing a bench-to-pilot-scale fermentation and biotechnology facility, providing the resources, curriculum and programs for biotechnology-related training as well as academic activities.
The university has forged partnerships with five community colleges —Robeson, Richmond, Southeastern, Fayetteville and Central Carolina — several biotechnology companies —Embrex, Kelly Scientific Resources, New Brunswick Scientific and Wyeth Vaccines — and government agencies in Scotland and Robeson counties.
N.C. State is preparing to break ground on a major biotech training facility that is expected to open in 2006, says Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and director of the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center.
“Biomanufacturing in North Carolina is currently clustered around the research centers hugging I-40,” says Kilpatrick. “Like the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, biomanufacturing will spread out all over North Carolina. To do this, we must ensure an adequately trained work force. At N.C. State, we want to be the leaders in developing education and training programs.”
Because the biotech industry requires trained workers with high school, community college and college degrees, there is a place at the table for all of North Carolina’s educational institutions.
UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University were also at the conference. Also in attendance were representatives from Robeson Community College, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Sampson Community College, Southeastern Community College, Cumberland County Schools, Sampson County Schools and the Public Schools of Robeson County.
Many of those in the room were science teachers like Dennis Chavis of Lewis Chapel Middle School in Fayetteville.
“I came today because I wanted to find out more about biotechnology and to jumpstart some of the students I am working with,” Chavis says. “The earlier we can expose them to this the better.”
Sheila Regan, chair of Robeson Community College’s Math and Science Departments, says she is in the planning stages of purchasing equipment for biotech training labs for a project called BioWorks.
“BioWorks is a hands-on science training program,” she says. “Planning it is our first challenge, but our second challenge is interesting our students in this industry. The next three to five years are pivotal. We all have to come back for retraining, and UNCP is offering that.”
UNCP biology professor Dr. Maria Pereira outlined the University’s new biotechnology major, which is expected to begin in fall 2005. She promised it would be a unique program.
“We know of no other bachelor of science degree in biotechnology in North Carolina at this time,” Dr. Pereira says. “It is a collaboration between the chemistry, biology and mathematics departments. Another unique feature of the new biotech major is an internship, which could be at a biotechnology company or at the new training facility at NC State.”
The daylong conference offered continuing education credits for teachers and opportunities for them to obtain support for their school programs.
A representative from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center described opportunities for training and gave an overview of the support it offers to public schools and universities. UNC-Chapel Hill brought a mobile teaching laboratory for the teachers to tour.
Aug. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By JESSICA ROCHA
© Copyright 2004
Chatham County would come out ahead financially if the proposed Briar Chapel development were approved, but streams, flora and fauna might not fare as well, according to two new reviews.
A third study, of the project's effect on traffic, is expected to be available today.
The independent financial review submitted to the county this week found that even though Briar Chapel would increase the county's population by almost 10 percent, it would generate more public money for the county than it would cost in schools, sewage treatment and other services.
But the environmental study concluded that current plans might fall short of meeting the county's requirements for protecting streams and endangered animals and plants.
The two studies were among three required by the Compact Communities Ordinance, a detailed planning guideline approved by county commissioners in April. The ordinance grew out of the original debate over Briar Chapel, the first version of which commissioners rejected two years ago.
The ordinance applies to zoned areas such as the proposed location of Briar Chapel, which would put 2,389 homes on 1,589 acres south of Manns Chapel Road and west of U.S. 15-501. If approved, it would be the largest development ever in Chatham.
The economic review, by Tischler & Associates Inc., agreed with Briar Chapel's own consultant that the development would generate $900,000 to $1.7 million in annual revenue for the county, depending on the expansions of county services, the values of the homes, and the number of new students in county schools.
The study found that tax revenue from the $317,000 average home value, plus $5.25 million in donated land and voluntary impact fees, would more than cover the costs of an additional 5,901 county residents, including 956 public school students.
"We made a promise up front about Briar Chapel paying its own way and more," said Diane Gaynor, spokeswoman for Newland Communities of California, the developer for the Briar Chapel proposal.
But Mitch Renkow, an economist at N.C. State University, said the study might underestimate the number of new students, because it is based on census data from nine Triangle counties. New developments such as Briar Chapel tend to have higher numbers of children, said Renkow, who is working with Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, a slow-growth advocacy group.
Protected species
The environmental review submitted last week by Robert J. Goldstein & Associates Inc. questioned some of Briar Chapel's original assessments. The study found that project's design did not include buffer strips of trees around 16 intermittent streams -- waterways that dry up for part of the year, but nevertheless affect water quality downstream. The developers also did not assess the impact on 11 state-protected animal species, including two birds, several river mussels, one fish and one salamander.
Goldstein's study said that because the final design was not yet completed, "it may be appropriate for Chatham County to issue conditional approval of the project" until the other environmental requirements are satisfied.
Newland Communities paid for the traffic, environmental and fiscal reviews. They were administered by the county planning department to maintain independence.
But some members of Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities voiced concern about the reviews' legitimacy because Newland and its consultants reviewed the studies before they were presented to the public.
"We have no idea whether those peer reviews were influenced by the developers' comments," said Jeffrey Starkweather, a member of the citizens' group.
The independent consultants said it was standard practice to let the developer look over draft versions of the comments. "We don't want to go to the public with something that is completely wrong because we misinterpreted something," Goldstein said.
Once all three reviews are submitted, there will be two public forums to discuss the development. Chatham Citizens requested the forums be recorded, formal meetings sponsored by the county, however it is unclear whether that will happen. Instead they could be informal meetings sponsored by Newland Communities and/or the citizen's group.
The county commissioners also will set a date for a public hearing, likely no earlier than November.
Granville schools begin long road to new facilities
Aug. 25, 2004
Henderson Daily Dispatch
By CHARLIE RICHARDS
© Copyright 2004
OXFORD - The Granville County Board of Education began Monday night what will likely prove to be a long, tedious and difficult process of planning building projects to be financed by the $35 million bond issue approved by the voters last month.
In one official action, the board selected an architect, but the other chores of establishing priorities and picking a site for the proposed new high school won't come so quickly or easily.
In quick, brief action, the board selected the firm of Smith Sinnett of Raleigh to design its new school and other expansions. That firm has handled all of Granville's school designs for the past decade and helped with the needs assessment that led to the bond issue.
Superintendent Tom Williams said the firm and the system administration have a positive relationship.
In an unrelated business item, the board saw early enrollment figures for the new school year that showed no growth, which might be considered welcome news in view of overcrowded schools.
Williams cautioned that conclusions about the enrollment should wait until the 20th day report, but as of the 10th day, total system enrollment was reported as 8,706, about a dozen less than a year ago.
An exception was South Granville High School, which jumped to 1,261 students, more than 100 over the same point last year and making it larger than J.F. Webb High School for the first time.
The school's growth already has pushed it into a higher class in athletics, effective next school year.
Some of the growth may be explained by population growth in southern Granville, but school spokesperson Jan Allen said a "bubble" is currently moving into the high school level.
Both high schools are rated as over designed capacity, which explains why a third high school will be among top priorities for spending the bond money.
But locating and planning a new school, plus planning a program for it, will take time, so the school board is engaged in setting priorities for other improvements and expansions.
In a work session Monday, Williams presented the board some of the factors that will influence decisions, such as the effect on overcrowding, effect on quality and equity of school facilities, use of mobile units, and escalating construction costs.
Part of the School Board's first work session was devoted to an explanation from Jeff Tsai of a research institute at N.C. State University that helps school systems plan and locate schools.
Tsai said there is a lot of uncertainty about how fast Granville will grow and in what areas. He also raised a question about the meaning of a drop in the birth rate two years ago.
One projection made previously by Tsai's organization, that South Granville would get most of the new growth, was supported by the early enrollment figures for this year.
As for the current planning, Tsai's process will use existing information, forecasts of growth and new enrollment information, together with such goals as minimizing transportation costs, to arrive at a target area in which the new high school should be located.
The School Board also will have to consider such factors as road networks, water and sewer services and land costs.
Another planning work session is scheduled for next Monday night, and an extra hour of the regular Sept. 13 meeting will be devoted to setting building priorities.
The result of all the planning, if it goes well, will be a new high school opening in 2007 for about 500 students, relieving both existing schools.
Study: Briar Chapel may help Chatham financially
Aug. 24, 2004
Durham Herald-Sun
By GEOFFREY GRAYBEAL
© Copyright 2004
PITTSBORO -- An independent review of the fiscal impact assessment of the massive Briar Chapel mixed-use development found that the project would ultimately benefit Chatham County financially, but only if the developer makes voluntary contributions.
The county hired Tischler & Associates Inc. to review the assessment submitted by Miley & Associates Inc., which was hired by Newland Communities, the developer of the proposed 2,389-home, 1,589-acre project.
The report from Miley & Associates claimed the development would bring in an additional $1.7 million a year to the county at existing service levels and about $900,000 if the county expands services like EMS, sheriff and fire protection.
The Tischler review concludes that the county's current fees aren't high enough to make sure new growth covers its costs unless Briar Chapel's homes command "relatively high market values" and, most likely, unless the developer contributes more money.
Newland representative Mitch Barron said the developer is pleased with the independent assessment.
"I thought it was a very good report and it was appropriate that the peer review process has taken place," he said. "It helps solidify our understanding and our numbers and I think Tischler's report has done that."
But Mitch Renkow, an N.C. State University economics professor and member of the citizen watchdog group Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, said whether the development will benefit the county financially depends on the assumptions used.
The Tischler report does not challenge the developer's assumptions.
But Renkow said there are varying opinions about the validity of those figures. He singled out the figures used for average home price and students per household -- $317,000 and 0.4, respectively -- as being worthy of a closer look.
For instance, if developers market Briar Chapel toward young families, then the number of students could be higher, while if it's geared for older residents, the number of students who come in would be lower.
"It all turns on a number or set of a few numbers that are embedded in this, and this is why people need to get down and really try to figure out who is going to be living there," Renkow said.
The average home price fluctuates with the market and could affect the amount of tax revenue the county receives, Renkow said.
Some experts have suggested that a 0.56 per household student rate is more realistic and would show that the county would actually lose money annually as a result of Briar Chapel.
The Tischler report said the consultant's assessment doesn't give Newland full credit for its potential contributions, but the final result is still likely to be favorable to the county.
Newland plans to contribute $4.5 million in voluntary school impact fees, $712,771 in donated school land, $1.9 million in county park land, a $40,000 EMS and fire station, $100,000 toward a water reclamation site and $220,000 in other contributions.
The Chatham County Commissioners will use the county's Compact Communities Ordinance to weigh Newland's proposal. The law, enacted in April, is designed to regulate large-scale, mixed-use development.
In other recent Briar Chapel-related news, Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities has sent letters to Chatham residents soliciting funds.
The letter said the group will work to find experts to examine Newland's application, present independent analysis of the proposal at public meetings, unleash a broad media campaign "to raise public awareness of the risks of such massive developments" and organize a large public display for a "smaller, smarter Briar Chapel."
"With your help, we can rally your fellow citizens to defeat yet another attempt to pave over Chatham and the rights of its taxpayers," the letter concludes.
Diane Gaynor, a California-based spokeswoman for Newland, said the letter contradicts statements from the group's members that the organization is not opposed to Briar Chapel.
"It's very disappointing," she said. "They publicly proclaim they are not against Briar Chapel, yet the letter says the exact opposite. It's hurtful."
Gaynor said the group has moved from grassroots efforts to advocacy. She also charged that the line between the citizens group and a local political action committee, the Chatham Coalition, is fuzzy.
Loyse Hurley, president of the citizens group, denied the claims.
"We are not against Briar Chapel at all," she said. "We are for a compact community and we are for a compact community that adds to the beauty of Chatham, so we are reviewing the Newland submission with that in mind."
The citizens group and the developer have discussed holding forums before a formal public hearing on the proposal. Newland plans to host four community forums in various parts of the county, while the citizens group would like the county to hold two public forums.
The commissioners are expected to set a public hearing date Sept. 7.
An independent review of the traffic impact assessment for Briar Chapel is expected later this week.
Iams Teams Up With NCSU To Open MRI Center for Animals
Aug. 25, 2004
LocalTechWire
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH – Iams and North Carolina State University have opened a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) center for animals at NCSU’s Centennial Campus.
The Iams Pet Imaging Center is the first commercial presence at NCSU’s new biomedical campus. It is the second MRI center opened by Iams.
“Iams is in the pet well-being business, so this is an exciting way to bring to local veterinarians a better methods to diagnose disease conditions in pets while we provide the MRI experience to the veterinarians of tomorrow,” said Jeffrey Ansell, president of Iams.
The NCSU veterinary school is located close to the MRI center.
The center uses technology from ProScan International.
Aug. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By RICHARD STRADLING
© Copyright 2004
The Raleigh Planning Commission wants to spend more time reviewing N.C. State University's plans to expand its Centennial Campus to see whether the city can do more to protect a nearby neighborhood.
Residents of Pullen Park Terrace, eight acres of homes on small lots, asked the commission Tuesday to reject the expansion. They say the university's plans would allow offices, labs and parking lots too close to their homes.
Planning Commission members sent the plans to a committee to try to work out differences between neighbors and NCSU.
"I think we need to take the utmost care with a neighborhood like this," said commission member Betsy Kane.
Pullen Park Terrace includes a six-unit apartment building and 27 homes and duplexes sandwiched between Centennial Campus, the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus and land owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. Residents want the city to prohibit Centennial Campus buildings or parking lots within 200 feet of their property.
"Our quality of life is dependent on this 200-foot buffer," Scot Dunlap told the commission. Dunlap, the director of technology for a local building company, has lived in the neighborhood for about two years.
University officials have proposed a 100-foot buffer, saying that 200 feet would cede too much land. University architect Michael Harwood said the two sides are not likely to agree.
"We've spent two years talking about this," Harwood said. "It's up to the Planning Commission to make a decision."
Though none of the commission members objected to studying the plans further, some said they were skeptical the city could guarantee a 200-foot buffer against development.
"I don't think anybody in Raleigh has that kind of protection," commission member Jack Reed said.
Commission member Russ Stephenson said he wanted to see whether the city could require NCSU to abide by design guidelines it drafted with help from the neighbors. The guidelines include the types of materials used on buildings and the design of walkways.
Residents said they feel deceived by the university because the guidelines are not part of the zoning proposal.
Area's first MRI for domestic pets opens at N.C. State
Aug. 24, 2004
News 14 Carolina
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
There's good news for owners of sick pets.
Now pet owners in the Triangle can get their four-legged friends the same kind of high-quality medical treatment as other family members.
The Iams Company teamed up with N.C. State to bring in a new MRI center to campus. The center is located next to the College of Veterinary Medicine's teaching hospital.
Because of its campus location, the center will serve a dual service. Practicing vets in and around Raleigh will be able to use the center to help diagnose diseases and veterinary students will gain valuable advanced training in their profession.
Iams President Jeffery Ansell said, "N.C. State is one of the top veterinary colleges in the United States and we truly wanted to partner with one of the best. And by partnering with N.C. State, we're able to bring state-of-the-art diagnostics, something really not done with any other university anywhere else in the country or the world."
MRI machines use energy and radio waves to give doctors and vets a detailed look inside their patient so exploratory surgery isn't necessary.
Commentary: Agenda for North Carolina
Aug. 25, 20004
Charlotte Observer
By Michael Walden
© Copyright 2004
From Michael Walden, a Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at N.C. State University:
Dear N.C. Candidate for Public Office:
I'd like to humbly offer you some advice about a sensible public agenda for North Carolina. Even if you don't agree with all of my agenda, I hope it will stimulate your thinking about public policy.
Education: More money is being spent in North Carolina on K-12 education, but much of it doesn't reach the classroom. Fully 36 percent of our state's K-12 public education budget is spent in noninstructional areas, excluding food service.
If half of this noninstructional spending could be re-directed to the classroom, instructional spending statewide would increase by more than $1 billion annually. I recommend following the lead of the private sector and using modern technology to cut layers of middle management in the public schools as a way to reach this goal.
Roads: Along with education, the most important economic development tool is roads. But after years of being ranked at the top, North Carolina's road conditions are now calculated to be the fifth-worst among the states. The reason is simple -- road use in our state is increasing at double the rate of road spending. We're not putting enough resources into roads. Three changes could fix this.
1. End any transfers of monies from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund. Drivers are paying a user fee through their state gas tax, and these funds should be spent on roads.
2. Make sure our state gets back all the money it sends to Washington via the federal gas tax. Now we're short by more than $150 million annually.
3. If these two measures aren't sufficient, consider increasing the state gas tax. I know this would be a hard sell, but adjusted for inflation, the tax today is lower than it was a decade ago. Studies show that higher gas taxes, if they are spent on roads, contribute to faster economic growth.
State Spending: The biggest budget-buster is Medicaid. State spending on Medicaid jumped 168 percent in the past decade, twice as fast as other state spending. Medicaid spending now exceeds state spending for K-12 education.
A way to control Medicaid growth is to "voucherize" the program -- that is, convert Medicaid funds into health-insurance vouchers for low-income recipients. This would help in three ways.
1. It would reduce the open-endedness of the program and provide more cost predictability.
2. It would allow the state to adjust the quality of assistance by changing the size of the voucher.
3. By working through private policies, health-care vouchers force Medicaid users and providers to confront choices and recognize that funds for health care are not unlimited.
State Taxes: Our state tax system desperately needs reform. It's complicated, unresponsive to structural economic changes and unfair in the eyes of many. I know a massive overhaul would be "political heavy lifting" because major changes would step on many toes. Yet it's worthwhile to have a goal of what the best system would be.
My best state tax system would be a flat income tax. I would eliminate all state taxes except the gas tax and replace them with a simple flat-income tax system. Households would get one large deduction based on household size and then pay a single rate on the rest of their income. Businesses would pay the tax on their income after expenses, where capital costs are fully "expensed" in the year they occur. With an $8,000 per-person deduction, the flat rate would need to be about 9.5 percent to produce today's state revenues.
Government Efficiency: A quick way to reduce government waste is to give workers an incentive to do so through "gain-sharing": Workers in government agencies that meet or exceed agency objectives, without spending the entire budget, receive part of the savings as salary bonuses. Gain-sharing gives government workers a financial stake in improving government efficiency.
Letter to the editor: Graduates' debt
Aug. 25, 2004
News & Observer
© Copyright 2004
The Aug. 22 Business section article "More grads carry debt burden" made some valid points about students who borrow too much for their college education. Clearly student debt, an investment in one's own future, should be kept at a manageable level. By focusing on national statistics, however, and by highlighting only graduates with very large debt loads, the article didn't offer a full and balanced picture.
Within the 16-campus University of North Carolina system, for example, it appears that students are managing debt well. A study conducted by the State Education Assistance Authority in November revealed that among UNC undergraduates who demonstrated need for aid and who borrowed money to pay for college, the average indebtedness at graduation was just over $15,000. That's far less than the national average and probably less than the car loans of most recent graduates.
The growing UNC Need-Based Financial Aid Program provided by the General Assembly should help keep that number lower than the national average, even with rising tuition.
And as a subsequent article ("Debt-free education," Aug. 23) observed, programs such as the Carolina Covenant at UNC-Chapel Hill convey the promise to those in need that higher education is within reach.
Do some students incur debt beyond their means? Undoubtedly. But when used properly, the loan programs are an excellent means of attaining the higher education that is so essential to earnings potential.
Steven Brooks
Executive Director
N.C. State Education Assistance Authority
Research Triangle Park
Aug. 25, 2004
News & Observer
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
For a copy of this image, contact News Services at 5-3470.
Caption: Casper, a beagle with a problem in the hindquarters, is under anesthesia for an MRI at the Iams Pet Imaging Center at N.C. State University. At left is Dr. Sherrie Hartke, medical director of the imaging center. At right is Vicki Saxe, a registered technician. At left is the image of Casper's innards on the screen.
The Iams Company Partners With North Carolina State University to Enhance the Way Veterinarians Practice Medicine
Aug. 24, 2004
PR Newswire; Yahoo News
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Iams Company announced today the opening of a state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) center on the campus of North Carolina State University (NCSU). The Iams Pet Imaging Center is the first corporate presence on the University's Centennial Biomedical Campus and is located adjacent to the College of Veterinary Medicine's Teaching Hospital.
"We are pleased to be partnering with North Carolina State University to make state-of-the-art technology, that can truly enhance pet well-being, more readily available," said Jeffrey P. Ansell, president of The Iams Company." Iams is in the pet well-being business, so this is an exciting way to bring local veterinarians a better method to diagnose disease conditions in pets while we provide the MRI experience to the veterinarians of tomorrow." The technology comes from ProScan International, already a leader in providing human MRI services. "This technology has proven to be incredibly valuable to humans, and now, MRI is being used to help diagnose diseases in pets non-invasively," said Dr. Stephen Pomeranz, founder and president of ProScan.
The Iams Pet Imaging Center will serve a dual purpose because of its location at one of the leading veterinary schools in the country. Practicing veterinarians in the Raleigh area and North Carolina region will be able to refer to the new service, providing their patients with the most advanced veterinary diagnostic information available. Students will be able to see MRI early in their careers.
"We are changing the way veterinarians can practice medicine, making diagnosis not just faster, but more accurate, which leads to better treatment, outcomes and better pet health," said Dr. Liesa Stone, technical services veterinarian at Iams Research & Development.
The Iams Pet Imaging Center also adds a new dimension in the education of students at the NCSU Veterinary Teaching hospital, according to Dr. Oscar Fletcher, former dean of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine: "We are thrilled to bring this breakthrough technology to our program. This offers a unique benefit for our students and provides new tools to our area veterinary community for providing new solutions for pet owners."
The North Carolina facility is the second Iams Pet Imaging Center, with the first opening near Washington, D.C. in Vienna, Virginia, in early 2002. That Center has become the world leader in pet MRI scans, based on nearly 3,000 case referrals. Pets have benefited from MRI's ability to show conditions such as strokes and bursitis (tissue inflammation), conditions previously difficult or impossible to detect with traditional technology, such as x-rays.
Like its Washington D.C.-based counterpart, The Iams Pet Imaging Center at NCSU will feature state-of-the-art imaging and monitoring equipment for faster, high-quality imaging in the safest possible environment. The highly trained staff includes a veterinarian specially trained in anesthesiology and a veterinary radiologist, so customers can feel confident that pets are receiving the highest level of veterinary care available. The center utilizes Siemans-engineered and manufactured MRI equipment and technical expertise provided by ProScan, a world leader in MRI technology and education.
About MRI
MRI is an advanced diagnostic tool that uses magnetic energy and radio
waves to create detailed images of tissue. With this technology,
veterinarians now can more accurately determine the cause and location of
diseases in pets, so they can treat them more efficiently and effectively.
MRI identifies conditions such as cancer and orthopedic injuries without
invasive exploratory surgery that can sometimes otherwise be required.
NCSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
The NCSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) established in 1983, provides
state-of-the-art veterinary medical services for veterinarians and the people
of North Carolina and surrounding regions. Each year nearly 17,000 patients
are examined in the Teaching Hospital.
About the Iams Pet Imaging Center
The Iams Pet Imaging Center is the most technologically advanced MRI
center available dedicated to superior veterinary diagnostic care. The center
houses state-of-the art equipment with technical expertise provided by
ProScan, a world leader in the development of MRI technology. To learn more
about The Iams Pet Imaging Center, call 1-866-4PETMRI.
About The Iams Company
For more than 50 years, The Iams Company has been living its mission of
enhancing the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality
foods and pet care products. Through its Iams Partners for Health and Iams
Pet Imaging Center, The Iams Company is working with veterinarians to improve
the quality of life for dogs and cats. To learn more about Eukanuba(R) and
Iams(R) Dog and Cat Foods, the Eukanuba Veterinary Diets(TM) line of canine
and feline prescription diets, or general pet care and nutrition information,
call the Iams Consumer Care Center at 1-800-863-4267. You can also visit Iams
on the Web at http://www.iamsco.com, http://www.iams.com , or
http://www.eukanuba.com .
About ProScan
ProScan Imaging is a provider of medical, technical, and educational
support in all areas of diagnostic medical imaging. Through the vision of its
founder Dr. Stephen Pomeranz, ProScan Imaging has evolved as the world leader
in medical imaging technology. ProScan currently serves clients on six
continents and performs more than 300 primary and secondary MRI and CAT Scan
reads daily. Licensed in the majority of states, the ProScan team of readers
provides reading services to physicians and healthcare entities across the
nation and the world.
P&G's Iams to open 2nd MRI center
Aug. 24, 2004
Cincinnati Business Courier, OH; Dayton Business Journal, OH
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Vandalia-based Iams Co. will open a state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging center on the campus of North Carolina State University, company officials announced Tuesday.
The MRI technology will give veterinarians and students a noninvasive way to diagnose diseases in animals. Veterinarians can more accurately determine the cause and location of diseases in pets, so they can treat them more efficiently and effectively. MRI identifies conditions such as cancer and orthopedic injuries without invasive exploratory surgery that can sometimes otherwise be required.
The North Carolina facility is the second Iams Pet Imaging Center, with the first opening near Washington, D.C. in Vienna, Virginia, in early 2002.
Iams is owned by Cincinnati-based Procter and Gamble Co., a manufacturer of such consumer goods products as Tide, Downy, Crest and Folgers.
Little-Known Weed Causing Big Trouble in Southeast
Aug. 24, 2004
Agricultural Research Service; SeedQuest
By Sharon Durham
© Copyright 2004
Like the plant in "Little Shop of Horrors," a little-known weed is growing fast. Tropical spiderwort, inconsequential for seven decades, has recently spread in alarming proportions in fields in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
First detected in the United States in the 1930s, the weed has made major gains in Georgia, according to Agricultural Research Service agronomist Theodore Webster of the Crop Protection and Management Research Unit in Tifton, Ga. Webster and his colleagues—Michael Burton and Alan York of North Carolina State University, and Stanley Culpepper and Eric Prostko of the University of Georgia—are monitoring the weed's advances.
In 1999, it was found in five counties in southern Georgia. By 2002, 41 Georgian counties reported tropical spiderwort was present, and 17 listed it as moderate to severe.
A 2003 survey revealed that tropical spiderwort was entrenched in Georgia, affecting 52 counties, with 29 counties listing the weed as moderate to severe. More than 195,000 acres in Georgia are infested. It's now widespread in Florida, and has been discovered on about 100 acres in Goldsboro, N.C.
Tropical spiderwort, Commelina benghalensis, is now the most troublesome weed in Georgia cotton and the second most problematic weed in peanut. The weed competes with crops for water and nutrients, and smothers the crops at the same time. One reason for the surge in the weed's growth is its resistance to the commonly used herbicide glyphosate. Conservation tillage and reduced use of soil-applied herbicides may also be contributing to the problem.
According to Webster and his colleagues, tropical spiderwort spread has coincided with resurgent cotton production in Georgia. Cotton acreage in the state increased from about 260,000 acres in 1989 to nearly 1.5 million acres in 1995, in part due to the success of the boll weevil eradication program. Most cotton grown in Georgia is tolerant to glyphosate, allowing growers to spray the chemical on cotton crops to control weeds.
Webster and his colleagues are studying the biology and management of tropical spiderwort and will continue to monitor its presence in the Southeast.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.