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N.C. campuses worried by screening of foreign researchers
Richard Best, sponsored programs and regulatory complianceBridging worlds: school and work
Carol Schroeder, Career CenterAnimal shelter looks for shelter
Kelli Ferris, clinical sciencesN.C. State Grad Student Studies Impact Of Red-Light Cameras
Student: Local Governments Rely On Flawed Data To Evaluate CamerasLuxury suites will tower over Carter-Finley
Carter-Finley StadiumEnjoy it while it lasts
Lee Fowler, athleticsNCEITA nomination deadline is Friday
former chancellor Larry MonteithGranville County schools try to beat inflation
The Granville system is about to embark on a $35 million building program.UNCC pitches for homeland security funds
studying the economic impact of terrorism
UNC's
Bell Tower gets nighttime presence
Memorial Bell Tower
Suspect,
911 Tapes Released In N.C. State Shooting
tailgate murders
Plans
to renovate Velvet Cloak Inn
located two blocks from campus
Letter
to the editor: Political runoff
Tom Colson, Center for Earth Observation in the College of Natural Resources
Social & Environmental
Factors Play Important Role In How People Age, Two Studies Find
Thomas Hess, psychology
Varian
Semiconductor Technologist Recognized by Boston College
Semiconductor Research Council
Judge
Rules Reservist Must Report for Duty
Todd Parrish signed an ROTC contrac a student at
NC State.
The
Dark Side of Small
As nanotechnology takes off, researchers scramble to assess its risks
Breaking
Barriers, NC State Engineers Patent Methods for Creating Self-Assembling,
3-D Nanostructures
Jagdish Narayan and Ashutosh Tiwari, material science and engineering
USA:
DuPont developing new protective suits for military, first responders
Dr. Roger Barker, Textile Protection and Comfort Center
Upbeat
outlook keeps you young
Thomas Hess, psychology
Obituary:
Janis Wynelle Lewis
English Institute for Foreign Students
Suspect, 911 Tapes Released In N.C. State Shooting
Sept. 14, 2004
NBC 17
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -- One of the suspected accomplices in the double-fatal shooting at a North Carolina State University tailgating party is free on bond.
Ashley Brown, 18, was released just before 9 p.m. Monday. She is accused of helping one of two Tarboro brothers hide from police after the shooting.
The brothers, Timothy and Tony Johnson, are currently being held in the Wake County Jail without bond. Each faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kevin M. McCann of Chicago and 2nd Lt. Brett Johnson Harman, a Camp Lejeune Marine from Park Ridge, Ill., both 23.
Another alleged accomplice is still being held at the jail as well. Rachel Louise French, 20, of Apex, has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder for allegedly helping Timothy Johnson, an N.C. State student, escape police detection.
Meanwhile, disturbing details are emerging by way of frantic calls placed to 911 after the shootings.
The calls began pouring in just after the gunfire ended. Witnesses described seeing the suspects open fire, mortally wounding the two victims.
DISPATCHER: "Is there any serious
bleeding?"
CALLER: "One was shot in the head and one in the neck."
CALLER: "They're two of my best friends, man."
DISPATCHER: "Okay, now listen to me for a second."
CALLER: "I'm going to stay on the phone to get the people who did it."
N.C. State has since changed its tailgating procedures, which will go into effect this weekend in time for the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Sept. 14, 2004
Assocaited Press; Charlotte Observer; NBC 17; News 14 Carolina; News & Observer; WCNC; Wilmington Morning Star; Winston Salem Journal; WRAL; WVEC, VA
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
DURHAM, N.C. -- A pair of North Carolina universities say research is being slowed by federal efforts to screen foreign scholars involved in nonclassified projects.
At Duke University, work on a Defense Department contract to test lightning detection equipment was postponed for six months, until assistant professor Steven Cummer and others could persuade the government to allow work by graduate students from places such as China, India or Romania to continue.
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies have become more likely to impose limits on who may work on nonclassified research projects or where results may be published, according to officials.
Duke's research vice provost said the school respects security concerns, but that academic freedom is threatened.
"We're at a time of war. This is not business as usual," James Siedow said. "The problem is the umbrella is spreading wider than it needs to."
The Defense Department's director of defense laboratory programs, James M. Short, said the department is trying to ensure research results will not be used for ill or end up in the wrong hands.
"We're doing a much more thorough job of considering alternative uses for the results," he said.
In a recent six-month period, 20 campuses - including Duke - were asked in 138 cases to restrict the involvement of foreign students or accept limitations on publication of the research.
All those cases involved nonclassified work, said the Council on Government Relations, which represents 150 research universities and institutes. The group is concerned by the trend toward greater restriction.
"We believe the strength of the university system has been its openness and ability to embrace people from all parts of the world. Look how many U.S. Nobel Prize winners have been foreign-born," said Robert Hardy, the council's director of contracts and intellectual property.
Some campuses have tried to negotiate compromises that allow work to go forward.
Richard Best, associate director of sponsored programs and regulatory compliance at North Carolina State University, said his school has noted the increased scrutiny of projects and has tried to be flexible about negotiating over foreign student involvement.
"We may get a case where a funder wants prior approval of foreign students on the project. We change it to prior notification and provide the government with a listing of personnel. That's a moderation," Best said.
Sometimes the campus can't win the changes it seeks, Best said. On about 10 occasions since 2001, it has accepted limitations imposed by the government.
Recent government studies, particularly one by the U.S. Department of Commerce, have called for tightening trade restrictions, which could further limit foreign student involvement in contract research.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, foreign scholars undergo stricter scrutiny than ever to get visas to study in the United States and the number of scholars from other countries applying to study here has declined.
Plans to renovate Velvet Cloak Inn
Sept. 14, 2004
News 14 Carolina
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
A 40-year-old Raleigh landmark will undergo a facelift.
The new owner plans to renovate the Velvet Cloak Inn and operate it as both a hotel and condos.
The condos will be located among the hotel units.
They'll range in price from $70,000 to $250,000 dollars.
The hotel will reopen next month if the upgrades are completed.
The Velvet Cloak Inn was built in 1963.
It's located two blocks from NC State University.
UNC's Bell Tower gets nighttime presence
Sept. 14, 2004
Durham Herald-Sun
By ERIC FERRERI
© Copyright 2004
CHAPEL HILL -- Now there really is a light on the hill.
With the help of some new floodlights, UNC's Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower emerged from the shadows Tuesday night, giving the state's flagship university a real beacon to go with its figurative identity as a symbol of hope to the state's citizenry.
The new lighting system includes two fluorescent panels placed behind each of the tower's four clock faces and floodlights both on the ground and attached to the belfry. The idea is to give the 172-foot tower -- and, by extension, the entire campus -- a nighttime presence.
The lights debuted Tuesday night with a bit of fanfare; the official unveiling was accompanied by a UNC brass quintet. And as an added bonus, bellringer Travis Kephart performed -- on the tower's 14-bell system -- several of the same tunes played in 1931 at the tower's original dedication.
UNC officials wanted to light the Bell Tower several years ago, but they opted not to because they didn't have enough private money for the project and were reluctant to spend public funds.
"This is something I wanted to make happen since I came to this wonderful campus and saw it dark at night," Chancellor James Moeser said during the brief lighting ceremony. "It's one of the great symbols on this campus."
The $150,000 used to light the tower is part of a bequest UNC received from the estate of Lois Thelma Harris, an alumnus with three Carolina degrees who died in September 2003.
The new, high-tech lighting system will be computerized, coming on automatically at dusk and blazing all night.
"It's just like your porch light," said Kephart, a UNC senior from Murphy. "When it gets dark enough, they'll cut on."
The 73-year-old tower has never had a continuous lighting system, although Kephart occasionally has brought in temporary colored lighting -- green and red at Christmas, orange at Halloween -- to make the landmark stand out. The new system also includes a surge protection system to guard against it shorting out if the tower gets hit by lightning, which has happened before.
At least at first, the lights won't have any sort of colored tinge, like N.C. State University's Memorial Bell Tower, which glows red after Wolfpack victories and on other special occasions. The lights at UNC will simply illuminate the tower and its surrounding grounds with bright, white beams. Along with the visual change, the lights are expected make the area around the Bell Tower a bit safer for nighttime pedestrians.
And although it will be bright, Kephart said, the campus's new nightlight is not expected to affect students sleeping in nearby Carmichael Residence Hall. None of Carmichael's rooms directly face the Bell Tower, and the lights won't be invasive enough to cause a disruption, he said.
As dusk rolled in Tuesday evening, several dozen students, photographers and onlookers gathered for the tower's first official lighting. Among them was Mike Lloyd, class of 1981 and a UNC employee who has fond memories of the sound of the tower's bells chiming on football Saturdays.
"I wouldn't miss the lighting ceremony," said Lloyd, who sported a UNC hat and polo shirt and sang along softly when the tower's bells tolled "Hark the Sound," UNC's alma mater.
"If you've been a student here, after the Old Well, [the Bell Tower] is the most famous landmark you know," he said.
The Bell Tower is named for two of the university's most generous families: John Motley Morehead, class of 1891, and Rufus Lenoir Patterson II funded the Bell Tower's construction. Dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1931, the tower is surrounded by a hedge and lawn designed by William C. Coker, former botany professor and the creator of the campus Arboretum.
Kephart hopes the new lighting will lead campus visitors to pay a bit more attention to the aged landmark.
"I don't think people pay enough attention to it," he said. "They just take it for granted. This kind of change, they cannot ignore. It's going to be a benefit for every student."
Luxury suites will tower over Carter-Finley
Sept. 10, 2004
Triangle Business Journal
By Richard R. Rogoski
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH - Last weekend, North Carolina State University football fans got a glimpse into the future. While most fans were focusing on how the Wolfpack team would perform on the gridiron without star quarterback Philip Rivers, others were gazing at the new digs under construction on the west side of the stadium.
Called "Wolfpack Towers," the new 113-foot high structure will add 955 club seats, 50 luxury suites, private and public restrooms, a new press box and concession areas, says Jimmy Bass, associate executive director of the Wolfpack Club, which is spearheading the stadium's rehab.
"We expect to be done by the end of May 2005," says Jay Waddell, site manager for Turner Construction, the New York-based general contracting firm in charge of this stage of construction.
The $39 million project is being funded almost entirely from the leasing of the new seats, says Bass. Each of the open air seats are going for $1,750 a season. The suites, which contain 16 seats each, are priced between $45,000 and $55,000 per season. "We've sold out the club seats and 44 of the 50 suites have been taken," says Bass.
Built in 1966, Carter-Finley Stadium was showing its age both in wear and tear and in a lack of amenities. In a previous interview, Bass said, "Other than a few coats of paint, Carter-Finley has not gone through any renovations."
Adequate seating also was a problem. A record crowd of 58,650 showed up in 1986 to see NCSU battle East Carolina University, and many of those fans had to sit on the grassy hill at the south end of the stadium.
Phase I of the stadium's renovation, which was completed last year, consisted of a 5,864-seat horseshoe grandstand which took the place of the grassy knoll at the south end of the stadium. That brought the stadium's fixed-seating capacity to 51,500.
By the time all three phases of the renovation project are complete, Carter-Finley's total seating capacity will be between 59,000 and 60,000.
The Chapel Hill-based design firm Corley Redfoot Zack Inc., which completed the original designs for the Dean Smith Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has served as the architect and civil engineer for both Phase I and Phase II of NCSU's stadium project.
Glenn Corley, the firm's president, says the biggest hurdle he encountered in the Phase II project was the same he had to deal with in Phase I: "Time was the major challenge. You have to do this between seasons."
Corley says the 117,000-square-foot, 400-foot-long Wolfpack Towers structure runs from end zone to end zone on the west side of the stadium.
The tower consists of four levels. The first level, which rises 63 feet above the ground, contains the club seating. The luxury suites are on level two, and the press box is on the third level. Level three also includes enough space to add another 17 suites if they are needed in the future, Corley says.
An area reserved for those in charge of game-day operations is on the fourth level.
Four elevators will run from the ground floor to the upper level and there will be a shuttle elevator operating between the third and fourth levels, adds Waddell. In addition, there will be four separate stairwells running from top to bottom.
Although the seats in Wolfpack Towers will not be open until next season, the North Carolina Department of Insurance has issued a temporary occupancy permit allowing the use of the public restrooms this year, says Bass. Sixty members of the media also will be accommodated under the same permit.
As part of Phase I, NCSU got more than just grandstand seating. It also got a new operations center, now called the Wendell Murphy Center. Housed in that building are offices and staff meeting rooms on the fourth floor, a dining room and players' lounge on the third floor, a 15,000-square-foot weight training room and exhibition space on the second floor, and locker rooms and a sports medicine facility on the first floor.
In order to tie together all parts of this growing football complex, Corley says the same building materials and color schemes used on the exterior of the Wendell Murphy Center were used on Wolfpack Towers.
Waddell says that while the exterior of the new structure is made of poured concrete, a redish-brown brick veneer, similar to that used on the operations center, is used as an accent on Wolfpack Towers. This brick accent rises 17 feet from the ground, he says.
Above that are metal panels. "The metal panels start at the first-floor level at about 50 feet and go up to the top," he says. "They are off-gray with red and white accents, which is what the Wendell Murphy Center looks like."
Turner Construction, which has an office in Charlotte, is no stranger to the world of college football. According to Bass, Turner has completed a lot of renovations and new construction on stadiums, including those at Florida State University and Georgia Tech. Because of that experience, Waddell says the NCSU project has not presented any major challenges except for time constraints. And the project is right on time. "Construction began in the latter part of March and in five months we built over 50 percent of the project. Right now, we're about 55 percent through," he says.
Waddell notes that 30 subcontractors are being used on this job and that "we peaked out this summer with about 170 people on site."
Waddell would not discuss the two accidents that occurred during the early stages of construction. A laborer was killed in one of those accidents. He did say, however, that having to stop work during the investigation slowed up the project, but that the lost time was eventually made up.
As for the nuts and bolts of construction, Waddell says this project uses conventional construction methods and techniques. Once the old press box and restrooms were demolished, construction of Wolfpack Towers began.
The first 60 feet of the new structure is made of reinforced concrete and a structural steel deck frame is used to support the seating areas, he says.
Twelve sections of precast concrete seating is being installed, with each of these sections weighing 25,000 pounds.
The restrooms and lower concession areas were built as separate outbuildings, Waddell says. At one point, two large cranes were operating opposite each other as work on both the seating and restrooms was under way.
In keeping with the rest of the stadium's design, Wolfpack Towers is curved. To achieve this curve, the outside walls were built in 12 slightly-angled sections, says Waddell.
While the project is now more than half done, Waddell says the elevators still need to be installed, the rest of the mechanicals and electricals need to be installed, and the floors need to be built out.
But by next September, howling Wolfpack fans will be once again cheering their football team, but some will be making noise from their new seats high atop Wolfpack Towers.
Bridging worlds: school and work
Sept. 15, 2004
News & Observer
By JONATHAN B. COX
© Copyright 2004
Meet Mariana Maraccini, ambassador.
She's a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in business and economics. In her spare time she represents a large Triangle employer.
But the job doesn't require diplomatic prowess. Maraccini is a college ambassador for Nortel Networks, ensuring that the telecommunications gear maker is known by her peers at school.
She volunteered for the unpaid position while working as an intern at Nortel's 3,000-worker campus in Research Triangle Park this summer.
"I was having such a good experience here, and I was going to share that with my friends in either case," Maraccini, 21, said. And she figured the expanded role would help her form deeper ties within Nortel.
Companies expect to benefit from their student liaisons. They get direct insight into the minds of youth and can ferret out top talent. Sony Ericsson, the cell-phone maker, and Walt Disney, the entertainment company, have used similar programs.
"Students listen to other students," said Carol Schroeder, director of N.C. State University's Career Center. "Companies, I think, to a certain extent rely on that informal structure. They are hoping that other students will become enthusiastic" about them.
Nortel has run an ambassador program for 10 years. It has 15 students signed up to represent the company across the United States and Canada, where it is based, and is seeking about four more this semester.
There are three ambassadors in the Triangle -- two at UNC, one at N.C. State University -- as well as two at N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro. Though they receive no money, they get to develop relationships that could lead to permanent jobs after graduation.
Nortel expects its ambassadors to coordinate three to five events on their campuses each semester. These can include job fairs or informal talks between students and Nortel leaders or employees. The students also are expected to serve as a resource for others, fielding questions about the company.
Maraccini said she is often asked about the health of Nortel. The company slashed its worker rolls as the economy slumped, reducing its local work force by more than 4,000. By the end of the year, after another round of cuts, it will employ just more than 30,000 globally, down from 95,500 at its peak in 2000.
In April, it fired Chief Executive Frank Dunn and two other senior executives after discovering faulty accounting dating to 2001. The Ontario Securities Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are reviewing its books.
"Right now, we are going through restructuring," Maraccini tells those who ask. "Once we restructure our costs, I believe we'll be ready to be more successful and start hiring again. I believe that's coming soon."
Nortel gave permanent jobs to three ambassadors who graduated last semester, said Lisa Babb, Nortel's university relations director in Dallas. Maraccini would like to emulate their success, but knows that a job is not guaranteed. Regardless, she and the other students will be better positioned for the work world, Babb said.
"Student recruiting has always been a strong focus. Students bring us a lot of innovation," Babb said. "We know we're not going to hire every single student we meet. We're helping prepare these students, whether we hire them or not."
Sept. 15, 2004
News & Observer
By LORENZO PEREZ
© Copyright 2004
Does it count as a rivalry when it lasts only two games?
Count games between N.C. State and Ohio State among those good things in life that run exclusively in pairs, just like "The Godfather" series if Francis Ford Coppola hadn't gone one film too far.
N.C. State tailback T.A. McLendon will be 32 by the time another slot opens up on Ohio State's schedule, so the Wolfpack shouldn't count on a regular-season rematch anytime soon if they finish the home-and-home series 0-2.
N.C. State may be looking to fill a hole in next season's schedule should Louisville back out of a scheduled trip to Raleigh, but Ohio State is set to begin a home-and-home series with Texas next year.
"We're pretty well set through 2015. We don't have it on the table for discussion," Ohio State athletics director Andy Geiger said Tuesday of the possibility of scheduling future games with N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler. "But that doesn't mean that my successors or his successors won't do that."
With the Atlantic Coast Conference adding Boston College next year, Fowler said that N.C. State officials are taking a wait-and-see attitude with scheduling future non-conference opponents until the Wolfpack's conference schedule each year becomes more clear. Louisville has indicated, however, that it hopes to back out of next year's trip to Raleigh because it's set to join the Big East Conference and will have too many games on its schedule, Fowler said.
"There would be great interest on our part," Fowler said of resuming a home-and-home series with Ohio State at some point. "I guess we feel fortunate to get a home-and-home with them, but there has not been any talk of continuing the series."
Ohio State hasn't ventured into the South for a regular-season game since 1987, when the seventh-ranked Buckeyes traveled to play at No. 4 LSU. That game ended in a 13-13 tie.
Some N.C. State online message-board conspiracy theorists spent the past year theorizing that Ohio State had hoped to back out of its trip to Raleigh after last season's triple-overtime game.
Even N.C. State senior roverback Andre Maddox said he had "heard somewhere they wanted to get out of this game."
Fowler quashed the theory Monday, saying that Geiger never approached him about canceling Saturday's game.
"I don't know where anybody would get that idea," Geiger said Tuesday. "I scheduled the two games, and one of the reasons that we scheduled it is that we haven't played in the mid-South ever, and we have a lot of alumni.
"You'll see some scarlet and gray in the crowd."
Animal shelter looks for shelter
Sept. 15, 2004
Associated Press; Charlotte Observer; NBC 17; News 14 Carolina; News & Observer; WCNC; Wilmington Morning Star; Winston Salem Journal; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL; Tuscaloosa News, AL; WVEC, VA
By ESTES THOMPSON
© Copyright 2004
With more tropical weather approaching, a Western North Carolina animal shelter that was evacuated in flash flooding last week is seeking cover for dogs and cats being housed at a former state prison.
Last week, scores of dogs and cats from Hendersonville's All Creatures Great and Small shelter were evacuated as remnants of Hurricane Frances lashed the North Carolina mountains. Now, Hurricane Ivan threatens to bring more rain to the region while dozens of dogs are being kept under tarps in open cages outside the prison building.
"I just need them out of the weather for right now, and we're asking for anyone willing to take an animal or animals to please call us first to make arrangements," shelter president Kim Kappler said.
Even without the weather worries, the animals will have to be moved by the end of next week because the prison is being demolished so a state Department of Transportation facility can be built.
Kappler said she hopes to find a large tract where she can build a new shelter. She views a return to the old, low-lying building as only a temporary solution.
About 70 "good-sized dogs" need indoor shelter as Ivan threatens, Kappler said. Volunteer animal rescue groups will take some animals, but more help is needed. Kappler said she has about 450 animals in the shelter, which doesn't euthanize animals.
The old prison "is a good temporary facility," said Dr. Kelli Ferris of the N.C. State University veterinary school, who is assisting Kappler.
Letter to the editor: Political runoff
Sept. 15, 2004
News & Observer
© Copyright 2004
Regarding your Sept. 13 article "Builders change the rules":
Stormwater has a fire hose effect on stream banks, eroding a curvy stream into a perfectly straight ditch. The straighter the stream channel gets, the faster the water flows through it, and the faster it flows, the more soil it carries with it. The cycle literally does not stop until the fast-flowing stormwater has cut down to bed rock.
If I had 10 backhoes and a year, I could not have modified Richland Creek in Shenck Forest as quickly as runoff from the RBC Center has. Erosion means more sediment entering the stream. Multiply that by the thousands of streams that drain to the Neuse or the Cape Fear, and that's a lot of erosion. A one-inch rainfall results in hundreds, thousands of tons of soil particles entering the river in a short amount of time.
In selling rural watersheds to the Homebuilders Association, the state has implemented its own catch-22:
The state, will spend this year, tens of millions of dollars "mitigating" streams and wetlands that have been impacted by development. For every mile of stream, for every acre of wetland negatively impacted by a development project, it must be restored elsewhere in the same watershed.
A significant portion of the research conducted by N.C. State University focuses on the impacts of "urbanization" of rural watersheds and monitoring restoration projects. The Homebuilders Association claims that strict regulatory oversight "...is going to cost everybody." A far greater cost this state is going to incur is when all the stream channels in unincorporated areas evolve into conduits of sediment and pollution.
At some point, there is going to be an ecological catastrophe that is going to make us realize we need to stop bulldozing the state into the ocean.
Tom Colson
Raleigh
(The writer is with the Center for Earth Observation in the College of Natural Resources at N.C. State University.)
NCEITA nomination deadline is Friday
Sept. 15, 2004
Charlotte Business Journal
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
The N.C. Electronics and Information Technologies Association will close nominations Friday for the 10th annual NCEITA 21 Awards.
The awards honor individuals and companies in North Carolina that demonstrate excellence in technology.
Previous award recipients include LendingTree Inc. and Peak 10 Inc., both of Charlotte, and the Charlotte office of Alston & Bird, an Atlanta-based law firm.
NCEITA also will present an Outstanding Achievement Award to an individual who has demonstrated a career-long commitment to the advancement of the information-technology industry. Past recipients include former N.C. State University Chancellor Larry Monteith and N.C. Community College System President Martin Lancaster.
This year's awards will be presented Nov. 18 in Cary.
NCEITA, based in Raleigh, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the information-technology industry in North Carolina.
Further information on the NCEITA awards is available at www.nceita.org.
Granville County schools try to beat inflation
Sept. 15, 2004
Henderson Daily Dispatch
By CHARLIE RICHARDS
© Copyright 2004
OXFORD - If you think Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is concerned about re-emerging inflation, consider the Granville County School Board.
The Granville system is about to embark on a $35 million building program, and at Monday night's board meeting, it became clear that inflation is the new bogey man that has planners concerned.
Architect John Sinnett had earlier recommended the system move quickly on its projects to head off some rising costs, and Monday night he commended the board for doing just that.
But then he outlined steps he and school administrators are taking to deal with the threat of inflation in the construction area that he said is still accelerating faster than projected in original cost estimates.
In previous special meetings the board has discussed how to proceed on the building program, which includes a new high school, the top priority, plus other projects at all 14 existing schools.
Superintendent Tom Williams and his staff had outlined five factors affecting the schedule, which the board accepted: overcrowding, equity, minimizing mobile units, future growth needs and minimizing loss due to inflation.
He said Monday those factors remain the keys to scheduling projects, but now that Sinnett has become more closely involved in the planning, new inflation-fighting steps are being considered.
The administrators and architects will work with county officials who handle the sale and repayment of school construction bonds to manage the cash flow available to the schools.
Projects could be selected and scheduled to get them under contract as soon as possible, particularly those involving expensive construction factors such as steel and concrete.
Bids and contracts may be juggled to minimize inflation, stay within the cash flow available and bring about project completion in a convenient manner.
In establishing cost estimates for building projects, ranging from the $15.5 million needed for the new school to $120,000 at one elementary school, Sinnett's firm had allowed for a generous contingency and for three percent inflation per year.
But inflation in construction is moving faster, particularly for steel recently. Also affected has been concrete, which at times recently has been in short supply at any price.
Meanwhile, in regard to the new school, new attendance figures for this year, reflecting sources of increases, have been supplied to the planning agency at N.C. State University that advises the Granville system, to be used in helping designate a site.
Responding to School Board member Chip Bristow, Sinnett said his firm will offer to help plan water and sewer services, which are likely to be a concern whatever the site because the new school is expected to be located in the central part of the county, to relieve existing high schools.
South Granville High in Creedmoor is another concern of the School Board. It is growing fast and already has 14 mobile classrooms. But expansion there cannot start until the new school is available, because the mobile unit area is needed for construction.
Also, Chairman Leonard Peace was concerned about plans for a two-story building, but Sinnett said that would allow for further expansion at a future time.
In other matters Monday, the board heard two spokesmen for the Gideons request a reconsideration of policy regarding Bibles.
The Gideons have in the past supplied "scripture" for graduating seniors and made them available for fifth graders. The school system recently decided it appropriate to continue the practice but only for seniors at baccalaureate events.
Citing a federal court ruling, Ben Neal and Robert Nugent asked the board to reconsider the limitation.
The board also:
€ Learned the Granville Education Foundation has allocated $20,000 for a literacy program, including providing books for some classrooms.
€ Heard a report on plans by the system to participate in a "district accreditation" program.
€ Geard that the school system's child nutrition program needs improvement or further assessment in some areas in regard to the Eat Smart School Standards of the N.C. Healthy Weight Initiative.
UNCC pitches for homeland security funds
Sept. 15, 2004
Charlotte Business Journal
By Fred Tannenbaum
© Copyright 2004
UNC Charlotte wants to become one of the country's four homeland security research centers and the first based in the Southeast.
The university is in discussions with other schools in the Southeast and Midwest on creating of a consortium that would study the behavioral and social aspects of terrorism and counter-terrorism, says Edd Hauser, a UNC Charlotte professor and director of the school's Regional Center for Homeland Security and Major Disaster Management.
Ideally, UNC Charlotte would be the host university for that research effort. If that fails, however, the local school still wants to be part of the collaborative research effort.
As part of that proposal, UNC Charlotte and the other schools will apply this month for $12 million over three years from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Their goal is to be designated by the federal agency as a "center of excellence" studying terrorism.
UNC Charlotte officials decline to reveal which universities they are seeking to collaborate with.
The proposed research may include how and why terrorists are recruited and persuaded to commit heinous acts, Hauser says. The project also might study the best ways to evacuate buildings on short notice, researching the impact on groups such as workers in office skyscrapers or residents of nursing homes.
An estimated 12 to 15 other universities -- or groups of universities -- are expected to compete for the research designation. "It's going to be hot and heavy," Hauser says of the competition.
The application deadline is Sept. 30. A group should be chosen by year end, says Kirk Whitworth, Department of Homeland Security spokesman.
U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) says having the research conducted here could spur the growth of businesses and jobs to support it, similar to the cluster of defense-related industries she is trying to establish in Gaston County.
"This is just another economic development tool and would pay dividends if it would be located here," Myrick says.
Since November, the Department of Homeland Security has created three research centers. They are:
A University of Southern California-led group of schools, including N.C. State University, that is studying the economic impact of terrorism.
A Texas A&M University center
that will study bio-terrorism threats, such as chemical attacks that could
affect farm animals and then spread to humans.
A University of Minnesota-led group, which also includes N.C. State, that
will study threats to food crops.
Even as UNC Charlotte seeks the high-level research designation, the school
is pursuing other studies related to homeland security. In particular, the
university is seeking a separate $6 million in grants over three years to
fund the university's Regional Homeland Security Center's research full-time.
The
center, created in 2002, conducts its work on a part-time basis, Hauser says. "With
$2 million a year, we could do a lot of necessary research and training."
Topics the center's researchers could tackle include creating downtown evacuation plans and helping emergency responders in the region determine how to safely enter a damaged building that's about to collapse, says Stephen Mosier, UNC Charlotte associate provost for research and federal relations.
Such research could be used by local law enforcement officials and shared nationally. Mosier says the center also would serve as a model for other communities around the country.
N.C. State Grad Student Studies Impact Of Red-Light Cameras
Sept. 14, 2004
WRAL
By Mark Roberts
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Red-light cameras are supposed to make intersections safer, but the cameras cannot prevent all problems. More local governments are getting into the red-light camera business as well as a graduate student at North Carolina State University.
Chris Cunningham is working on his Masters degree at N.C. State's Institute for Transportation Research and Education. He is the lead man on a red-light camera study funded by the Governor's Highway Safety Program. He has a theory.
"The majority of the studies are not the best possible studies they can be. They can be more rigorous," he said. "The question we're trying to answer is, 'Do red-light cameras really reduce the number of collisions at intersections.'"
Cunningham said most local governments rely on flawed studies when they place red-light cameras and evaluate how they are working.
"What you try to do is set up a study that has a comparison group or a control group that is similar or comes from a similar pool to eliminate as much bias as possible and get a more true effect," Cunningham said.
Cunningham and his colleagues have a lot of work to do. They are pouring over data from intersections, including the one at Dawson and South Street -- Raleigh's first red-light camera intersection.
You might think Raleigh would not like a student researcher poking into its red-light camera business, but officials are happy about his project.
"I was very excited when they approached us about looking at our program. We've started to provide them some data and will continue to and hope to have a report sometime at the end of the year," Raleigh traffic engineer Mike Kennon said.
Everyone involved in the study said there is one goal.
"We want to make roads safer in North Carolina," Cunningham said.
Officials are planning a study of traffic cameras that also measure speed.
Sept. 14, 2004
Marine Times
By Laura Bailey
© Copyright 2004
When a group of tightknit Marines and their civilian friends came together Labor Day weekend in Raleigh, N.C., they knew it would be their last chance to see one another for a very long time. They didn’t know the reunion would be their last.
What began as a fun-filled weekend ended in tragedy for the group when a Marine second lieutenant and a civilian were shot dead Sept. 4 after an argument at a North Carolina State University football game.
Second Lt. Brett Harman, 23, a recent Naval Academy graduate, was eagerly preparing to deploy to Iraq when he and his best friend, Kevin M. McCann, were killed at a tailgate party near the school’s stadium.
McCann, 23, a finance account representative from Chicago, was one of several friends from school and officer training visiting Harman, who was a rifle platoon commander stationed at Camp Lejeune. Harman, a popular wrestling champion, was to deploy to Iraq early next year.
“He had friends everywhere. That’s the reason we all met. It was the last weekend we could all get together before we all had to go our separate ways,” said Harman’s roommate, 2nd Lt. Joe Clemmey, who went through training with Harman before both were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, at Camp Lejeune.
As part of their last weekend, Harman, McCann and about eight other friends including Clemmey, were tailgating in a parking lot just before the university’s season-opener game when, according to Clemmey, they got into a shouting and shoving match with one of two brothers whose speeding car nearly hit a father and his little girl.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Department provided few details from the investigation, but said Timothy and Tony Johnson, both 22, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Harman and McCann.
Clemmey said the driver, Tony Johnson, backed into a car with his vehicle and then sped through the lot, endangering pedestrians.
Mistakenly believing the car had hit the pedestrians, McCann and Harman went to investigate, Clemmey said. The father and daughter were untouched, but McCann yelled at the driver for his recklessness, Clemmey said.
The driver tried to punch both McCann and Harman, according to Clemmey, and at some point, McCann pushed the driver against his car. The driver took a swing at Clemmey, who said he reacted by throwing the man to the ground.
Tony Johnson left, but returned with his brother and a gun a half-hour later as the friends were about to head into the game around 6 p.m., witnesses said.
The brothers began antagonizing the group and eventually began trying to slash Harman and McCann with broken beer bottles, according to witnesses. When Harman tried to defend himself by tackling one of the brothers, he was shot in the neck, Clemmey said. When McCann tried to assist Harman, he was shot in the face, according to Clemmey.
McCann died instantly, and Harman died later that evening, according to press reports.
Details unclear
Harman’s role in the fight is still unclear. Local media reported that the Johnsons’ mother said Tony fought with both Harman and McCann earlier in the evening. But the Harman family said investigators told them their son had acted as a peacemaker, helping Tony to get back in his car.
“Brett and Kevin were doing the right thing,” said Craig Fallico, Harman’s high school wrestling coach and a friend of both families.
“What is not disputed is that [the Johnsons] left and got a weapon and returned. That is not disputable,” said Fallico, who attended a family discussion with investigators.
According to local press reports, the Johnson brothers were regular attendees at football games. Timothy was a senior at N.C. State and planned to become a psychologist after graduating in May, his mother told the Raleigh News and Observer. Tony recently dropped out of a local community college. According to the newspaper, the two brothers have minor drug offenses on their records, but no violent crimes.
Harman, who attended the Naval Academy on full wrestling scholarship, stood above his peers in many ways, said Fallico, who coached Harman since fifth grade at schools in suburban Park Ridge, outside Chicago.
“He was really just an incredible person. He was way more mature, he knew about work ethics, self-motivation and courage. He had these qualities very early,” Fallico said.
The captain of his high school wrestling team, Harman was ranked among the nation’s top 10 wrestlers and broke records for the school with 136 wins — the highest number in school history at the time.
Wrestling helped Harman achieve his aim of joining the military, Fallico said. “His goal was not to be an Olympic champion … He actually understood what it meant to sacrifice at a very young age.”
Clemmey said Harman was looking forward to his deployment and spent late nights working to get his platoon ready.
“He loved working with his platoon. … He loved the fact that he was going to have a group of guys to train and take with him. It was the happiest he’s been — ever since he picked up his rifle platoon.”
As a Marine officer, Harman had all the right traits, his roommate Clemmey said.
“He inspired the people around him to do better. He was the person who, if anything happened, you would want with you. He would always do the right thing.”
Social & Environmental Factors Play Important Role In How People Age, Two Studies Find
Sept. 14, 2004
Science Daily
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
WASHINGTON -- Why do some older people experience a rapid decline in their
physical and functional health while some of their peers remain healthy and
active? While your genes and overall physical health play a role, new research
shows how psychosocial factors can also play an important role. Two studies
report on this in the September issue of Psychology and Aging, a journal published
by the American Psychological Association (APA).
In the first study, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch
at Galveston found a link between positive emotions and the onset of frailty
in 1,558 initially non-frail older Mexican Americans living in five southwestern
states – Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. This was the
first study to examine frailty and the protective role of positive emotions
in the largest minority population in the United States.
Study authors Glenn Ostir, Ph.D., Kenneth Ottenbacher, Ph.D., and Kyriakos Markides, Ph.D., followed the participants for seven years and assessed frailty by measuring the participants' weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength. Positive affect (positive emotions) was measured during the study period by asking the participants how often in the last week "I felt that I was just as good as other people," "I felt hopeful about the future," "I was happy," and "I enjoyed life."
The overall incidence of frailty increased almost eight percent during the seven-year follow-up period, but those who scored high on positive affect were significantly less likely to become frail. Each unit increase in baseline positive affect score was associated with a three percent decreased risk of frailty after adjusting for relevant risk factors.
The precise reason for this happening was beyond the scope of the current study, but the researchers speculate that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance. Or a more indirect process may be at work, according to the authors, with positive emotions affecting health by increasing a person's intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, researchers Thomas Hess, Ph.D., Joey Hinson, M.A., and Jill Statham, B.A., from North Carolina State University investigated how negative stereotypes about aging influences older adults' memory. Their study involved 193 participants and two experiments, each with a younger (17 – 35 years old) and older (57 – 82 years old) group of adults. Participants were exposed to stereotype-related words in the context of another task (scrambled sentence, word judgment) in order to prime positive and negative stereotypes of aging. This involved either words reflecting negative stereotypes about aging (brittle, complaining, confused, cranky, feeble, forgot, senile, etc.) or words reflecting positive views of aging (accomplished, active, alert, dignified, distinguished, knowledgeable, successful, etc.)
Results show memory performance in older adults was lower when they were primed with negative stereotypes than when they were primed with positive stereotypes. In addition, age differences in memory between young and older adults were significantly reduced following a positive stereotype prime, with young and older adults performing at almost identical levels in some situations.
The study also provides evidence that older adults can control the effect of negative stereotype activation but only when the primes are relatively subtle. In contrast, when the stereotype primes are relatively blatant, memory performance tends to be negatively affected.
The results of this study add to a growing list of findings that implicate the importance of the social environment in how it affects older peoples' memory performance, according to the authors. If older people are treated like they are competent, productive members of society, then they perform that way too.
Varian Semiconductor Technologist Recognized by Boston College
Sept. 14, 2004
TMCnet; Business Wire; Stockwatch
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
GLOUCESTER, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 14, 2004 -- Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSEA) announced today that principal physicist, Daniel F. Downey, Ph.D., received the distinguished 2004 Boston College Alumni Award of Excellence for Science. Boston College selected Dr. Downey based on his lifelong accomplishments working at Varian Semiconductor in advanced thermal processing research.
"Dan exemplifies the type of technologist that enables Varian Semiconductor to lead the industry in ion implant technology," said Tony Renau, Ph.D., Varian Semiconductor's chief technology officer. "Ion implantation and thermal processing steps are interdependent processes and both are critical in achieving final dopant placement accuracy required for today's advanced transistors. Dan is a recognized world-class leader in advanced thermal processing and is a key member of the team that drives our technology roadmap. We applaud Dan for his years of dedication to this research and are proud to have him as a member of the Varian Semiconductor team."
Boston College will formally present Dr. Downey with the award at its Alumni Achievement Award Ceremony on Thursday, September 30, 2004.
Downey is a 28-year veteran of Varian Semiconductor and holds a doctorate, master's degree and bachelor's degree in physics from Boston College. In 2002, Dr. Downey received the James F. Gibbons Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in recognition of his numerous contributions to the field. He is currently a mentor for students at Stanford University and at the University of Florida. He has also served as the industry mentor for the Semiconductor Research Council at the University of Texas and at North Carolina State University.
About Varian Semiconductor
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. is a leading producer of ion implantation equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors. The company is headquartered in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and operates worldwide. Varian Semiconductor maintains a web site at www.vsea.com. The information contained in the company's web site is not incorporated by reference into this release, and the web site address is included in this release as an inactive textual reference only.
Judge Rules Reservist Must Report for Duty
Sept. 14, 2004
Associated Press; AirForceTimes.com; ArmyTimes.com; MarineTimes.com; NavyTimes.com; New York Lawyer
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A man who served the eight years required under his ROTC contract remains an Army reservist obliged to report for active duty because he failed to sign a resignation letter, a federal judge has ruled.
Todd Parrish, 31, had sought to block the Army from calling him to active duty until his lawsuit on the issue was decided.
But Judge Louise Flanagan denied the request on Friday, meaning that if the Army denies Parrish's administrative appeal, he could be forced to go on active duty while the case is litigated.
Parrish signed the ROTC contract while a student at North Carolina State University. He argued that his military obligation ended Dec. 19, following four years of active duty and four years in the reserves.
His attorney, Mark Waple, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.
Army lawyer Maj. Chris Soucie told the judge that Parrish could be recalled to duty because he failed to sign a resignation line on a letter asking for an update on his personal information.
Parrish, a married communications officer, said he sent the Army a letter resigning his commission and did not sign the line on the form because he thought he had already resigned.
The judge's order said Parrish cannot be ordered to active duty before Sept. 26.
If the Army's adjutant general denies Parrish's appeal, he will be given a reasonable amount of time to report for duty, U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney said.
Sept. 10, 2004
Chronicle of Higher Education
By RICHARD MONASTERSKY
© Copyright 2004
On the big screen this summer, small science nearly squashed Spider-Man. In the sequel to the 2002 blockbuster, ultraminiature materials called "nanowires" transmogrify a brilliant physicist into a rampaging villain who pummels the superhero to within a millimeter of his life.
If the plot sounds far-fetched, consider that we all can harness the superpower of nanotechnology, for just $49.50 plus shipping and handling. That's what it costs to buy a pair of comfort-waist pleated khakis from Eddie Bauer, endowed with nanoparticles that are advertised to knock out stains and wrinkles.
Welcome to the brave new little world of nanotechnology, the fast-approaching revolution that proponents say will play an increasingly important role in all our lives. Store shelves are starting to sag with products touting nanotech components, such as transparent sunscreens, self-cleaning windows, and tennis balls that keep their bounce. Soon, the fruits of nanotechnology may slash the power required to propel cars down the road and may fundamentally improve the way doctors treat cancer.
"We see it as having virtually unlimited potential to transform the way we produce, deliver, and use energy, not to mention its likely effect on medical technology and national security," said U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham at a nanoscience conference in June.
But the small world is arriving before scientists have had an opportunity to test whether nanoparticles will harm people or the environment. The federal government has ramped up spending on the development of nanotechnology to nearly a billion dollars this year, with more than half of that going to researchers at universities. But less than 1 percent of the total is going to investigate the toxicity of the materials. Simply put, our knowledge about nanotechnology's risks is as slim as the particles themselves.
"We don't have the information to be able to quantify the potential for hazards, and we don't really have methods for assessing those hazards -- and indeed we don't have a common language for being able to talk about these substances," concluded Lynn R. Goldman, a professor of environmental health at the Johns Hopkins University and a former official at the Environmental Protection Agency, who spoke at a meeting of the National Institute of Medicine this spring.
Indeed, of the few tests conducted so far at universities and federal labs, several have raised red flags, showing that some nano-size molecules can damage the lungs and even the brains of animals. While the Food and Drug Administration has ruled that the nanoscale titanium dioxide particles in some sunscreens are no different from the larger titanium dioxide particles already present in products, initial studies suggest that, ounce for ounce, the nano-size particles are more toxic to lung tissue than their larger siblings.
As academic, corporate, and government scientists race to develop nanotechnology's myriad benefits, those who study its risks are playing catch-up and will not have time to assess many new materials before they reach consumers. At the same time, the absence of reliable information has allowed science-fiction plots -- such as Michael Crichton's novel Prey -- to dominate public discussions about nanotechnology, a trend that worries researchers who watched scare scenarios close down markets for genetically modified foods.
"The perception that nanotechnology will cause environmental devastation or human disease could itself turn the dream of a trillion-dollar industry into a nightmare of public backlash," said Vicki L. Colvin, a professor of chemistry at Rice University, when she testified last year before Congress.
Nano, Nano Everywhere
Although the buzzword "nanotechnology" has entered the lexicon of Hollywood and Madison Avenue, many researchers consider the term so broad that it verges on meaningless. It takes its root from "nanometer," a unit of length that is one millionth of a millimeter. For scale, a water molecule is about a third of a nanometer wide. A virus particle might reach 150 nanometers in size, while a red blood cell looms large at 7,000 nanometers in width. An arbitrary definition of nanotechnology -- not universally accepted -- is that it deals with human-built structures measuring 100 nanometers or less.
As a species, we have been making nanoparticles from the dawn of time, albeit without any intention. Fires generate a bevy of carbon-containing molecules in the nanometer range. Stop at a red light behind a diesel bus and you'll inhale a good dose of nano-size specks, some of which have been shown to cause microscopic lung damage.
But nanotechnology represents something new because researchers are creating novel, highly refined structures with specific properties, such as the ability to conduct electricity or to glow when illuminated by a laser. And each week, scientific journals report advances in developing nanomaterials that could dramatically help people or the environment.
Last month, for example, researchers from Banaras Hindu University, in Varanasi, India, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute described a process for building large filters out of carbon nanotubes, hollow cylinders only a few nanometers across, made of carbon atoms. The team demonstrated how such fine sieves could filter bacteria and poliovirus particles out of drinking water.
Earlier in the summer, a team from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology reported using quantum dots -- nano-size semiconductor particles -- to detect cancers in living mice. By bonding antibodies to the quantum dots, the researchers made particles that could travel through an animal's bloodstream to attach to cancer cells. Then they detected the location of the tumors by shining a tissue-penetrating light on the mouse, which caused the quantum dots to emit a signal. In the long run, researchers plan to make such systems capable of killing cancer cells after they detect them.
In many cases, nanotechnology research does not involve the creation of new chemicals. Carbon nanotubes are, after all, another form of the carbon present in diamonds or pencil graphite. But the properties of the particles can change drastically as they shrink in size. A quantum dot two nanometers wide glows in blue light, for example, while the same type of quantum dot shines in red if it measures six nanometers wide.
The difference illustrates the gargantuan task facing toxicologists who want to know whether nanoparticles can harm people. There are so many different kinds of materials and so vast an array of sizes that researchers need some overarching framework to tell what class of nanoproducts might cause harm and therefore deserves the most scrutiny.
A Fish Tale
At this point, though, scientists can't even draw the plans for such a framework. While thousands of papers have come out touting different developments in nanoscience, fewer than 50 papers have examined how engineered nanoparticles might affect people or the environment.
"We're guessing on a lot of this," says Ms. Colvin, who directs the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology at Rice.
For the past 10 years, academic institutions of all stripes have been scrambling to get a share of nanotech research money. And the pot is quickly growing. Last month, for example, the National Science Foundation announced that as part of its nanotechnology portfolio for next year, it will be giving out $81.5-million. Proposals are due in November and the money will support roughly 130 grants.
"Every university and its brother has a nanotech center and is trying to do nanotech one way or another," says Ms. Colvin.
Originally, nanotech researchers didn't want to explore potential problems. "The academic community was very negative about this kind of stuff," she says, "because most of the nanotech people like myself, who make nanomaterials, want our stuff to save the world. We don't want to find out that it's toxic."
But she has detected a turning point, as the government has started making modest sums available for studying the effects of nanotechnology. "Just in the last year," she says, "I've seen this enormous transition in how it's handled in the research community and the level of interest."
The studies that have come out so far have not painted a glowing picture of the technology. This spring Eva Oberdörster, an adjunct scientist at Duke University who lectures at Southern Methodist University, made headlines with potentially disturbing news about highly touted nanoparticles called buckyballs, after the inventor R. Buckminster Fuller. Made of 60 carbon atoms bonded together like a molecular soccer ball, the particles are also called fullerenes.
Ms. Oberdörster put a solution of fullerenes into a tank with large-mouthed bass and later examined different organs in the fish. She found signs of oxidative damage in their brains and speculated that the nanoparticles had stimulated the production of free radicals, highly reactive compounds that can damage cells.
Normally, she says, particles can't get into the brains of fish -- or people -- because a protective structure called the blood-brain barrier keeps out harmful materials. But past experiments have shown that nano-size particles can slip through that barrier by traveling up nerve cells into the brain.
As Ms. Oberdörster was conducting the bass studies, she noticed that the tanks containing fullerenes had noticeably clearer water than did the control tanks. The molecules, it seems, killed off beneficial bacteria in the fish tanks.
The results show that fullerenes could prove useful in the future as powerful new antimicrobial agents. However, nobody has examined whether fullerenes could harm natural bacteria living in rivers and oceans if the particles were released in the environment, says Ms. Oberdörster.
Because hers was the first study to examine how fullerenes affect fish, Ms. Oberdörster cautions against drawing any broad conclusions from the work so far. "This was just scratching the surface," she says. "It was very limited in scope. We used only one nanomaterial."
But it has opened scientists' eyes, she says: "It's made people aware that there may be some consequences to these nanomaterials."
Size Matters
For Ms. Oberdörster, studying extremely small particles is something of a family business. Her father, Günter Oberdörster, has spent decades analyzing how the lungs react to ultrafine materials. (Her brother is also a toxicologist.)
Dr. Oberdörster, a professor of toxicology in environmental medicine at the University of Rochester, just received a $5.5-million, five-year grant from the Defense Department to study the effects of nanoparticles. His previous work suggests that particles of this size can be more destructive than bigger ones with exactly the same composition.
The Rochester team, for example, looked at titanium dioxide particles, which are used as pigments in white paint and also in some sunscreens. When rats and mice inhaled particles ranging in size from 12 nanometers up to 250 nanometers, the smaller particles caused more inflammation than did an equal weight of larger particles.
The discovery points out a flaw in the way researchers and government agencies generally assess doses in toxicology studies and safety regulations. The standard way is to measure the mass of a material, but that quantity is not so critical in the nanoworld. When particles get extremely small, what matters most is their surface area because almost all of the particle is exposed surface. Dr. Oberdörster found that the amount of surface area, rather than the mass of the particles, predicted how much inflammation they would cause in the lungs.
The smaller particles react differently from larger ones, he says, because nano-size materials evade the normal defense system in the lungs, the macrophage cells that gobble up irritants and clear them out. Once nanoparticles get deep into the lungs, they can cross over into the bloodstream and from there into any organ.
At this point, he says, it is unlikely that people will inhale the nano-size titanium dioxide on the market because the particles are suspended in liquid sunscreens. But he wonders about other routes of exposure.
"We don't know how well these particles translate across the skin," he says.
Some tests on cadavers have shown that nano-size particles can slip through the skin, especially when it is flexed, as might happen when a person bends an arm. "It's probably possible that these nanoparticles will be able to penetrate the skin, but to what degree, that is still open," says Dr. Oberdörster.
It is not even clear to what extent gloves can protect lab workers from exposure to nano-size particles. At this point, researchers are still very much in the dark, he says. "I'm not saying that nanoparticles are bad in general, but we just need to test for the potential pitfalls."
After considering safety data submitted by manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration ruled in 1999 that nano-size titanium dioxide in sunscreens was not a new product, and there was no evidence of any safety concern. But some toxicologists question that ruling, given nanoparticles' large surface area and the unusual way that they have behaved in certain studies. The FDA declined numerous requests to explain its decision regarding nano-size titanium dioxide.
Damage to Lungs
The FDA's decision is "probably not correct," says Vincent Castranova, an adjunct professor at West Virginia University and chief of the health-effects laboratory in the pathology and physiology research branch of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or Niosh.
Mr. Castranova and his colleagues have explored the health effects of carbon nanotubes, which are attracting considerable interest for potential use in electronics, aerospace materials, batteries, and fuel cells. Companies now manufacture carbon nanotubes at the rate of tons per year, but several have advertised that they will step up production quickly in the future, as demand for the materials grows.
The Niosh team was interested in how carbon nanotubes would affect lung tissue if the particles were inhaled. In a study run by Anna A. Shvedova, an adjunct associate professor at West Virginia and a senior staff scientist at the institute, the researchers put carbon nanotubes into the lungs of mice and found scar tissue forming within a week, faster than the scarring from any other material they have tested.
In another study, Ms. Shvedova and co-workers found that carbon nanotubes generated dangerous free radicals in cultures of human skin cells. The oxidative damage caused by the nanotubes triggered the deaths of the cells, her team reported in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health last year.
"Our hazard identification would say these are materials of potential concern," says Mr. Castranova.
He and Ms. Shvedova hypothesize that the real culprit may be iron trapped within the nanotubes, an unwanted byproduct of the fabrication process. At present, most nanotubes contain such contaminants, but manufacturers are trying to create cleaner structures, and the Niosh team plans to test the more refined molecules as they become available.
Heavy metals can also cause a problem with quantum dots, the ultrasmall particles that could play a role in cancer treatment and other medical applications. Current quantum dots have cores of toxic elements such as cadmium and selenium, prompting some researchers to worry about their effects.
Warren C.W. Chan, an assistant professor of biotechnology at the University of Toronto, and colleagues at the University of California at San Diego found that uncoated cadmium-selenium quantum dots did indeed kill cultures of rat-liver cells. But by coating the quantum dots, the researchers reduced their toxicity.
That fact highlights how nanotechnology can follow a different path from that of previous technologies, says Rice's Ms. Colvin. In the past, drug companies or biotech firms have waited to test their products for problems until late in the process. At that point, toxicology researchers would give the green light to products or put up a permanent stop sign, preventing them from ever reaching the marketplace.
"The paradigm shift really is not seeing toxicology as a gatekeeper but seeing toxicology as a point of information that allows you to generate more biocompatible materials," says Ms. Colvin. She is hoping to team up nanomaterial producers with toxicologists early on so the latter can help steer the former toward making safer particles. In some cases, that might mean adding a surface coating to a nanomaterial. In other cases, such as with buckyballs, it could involve breaking one of the carbon-carbon bonds and adding another molecule that alters the properties of the fullerene.
Nanoscale Support for Research
Almost everybody involved in nanotechnology says it is too soon to tell whether and how these materials might harm people or the environment. "Very little is known," says Mr. Castranova. "It's sort of a virgin territory." He and others argue that the federal government has devoted far too little money to studying the potential dangers of nano-technology.
"We can't test all those materials with the amount of resources we're spending," he says.
E. Clayton Teague, director of the national nanotechnology-coordinating office, says the federal government is spending a little over $10-million a year to assess the risks that nanomaterials pose to human health and the environment. That amounts to 1 percent of the total federal expenditure on nanotechnology.
Because researchers are still in the early stage of developing nanotechnology, says Mr. Teague, the amounts allocated for toxicology make sense. "It's unclear that if you poured more money into it, it would move faster," he explains.
But toxicologists disagree, saying that the lack of resources is holding back research. The available money "is not enough," says Dr. Oberdörster. "If you really forge ahead with nanotechnology -- which is no question what we will do and what we should do- -- you can't forget that there may indeed be something which is not as we expect it to be."
As criticism grows, the White House last month called on agencies to support research into how nanotechnology will affect human health and the environment. But at this point, the administration has pledged no new money for that effort beyond what it had previously planned.
With the low level of support for risk research, the nanotech industry is speeding far ahead of researchers' ability to test the newly created materials. So products will enter the marketplace well before they have been examined for safety. In one scenario, the Rice center has estimated that tons of fullerenes packed into fuel cells could be arriving at people's homes within four to five years.
That prospect -- and nightmarish fears about nanotech disasters -- has led some groups to call for moratoria on nanotech products. While such draconian steps have not won the support of scientists, the British Royal Society this summer issued a report saying, "Until more is known about environmental impacts of nanoparticles and nanotubes, we recommend that the release of manufactured nanoparticles and nanotubes into the environment be avoided as far as possible."
Academics who work on nanomaterials worry that the gap between testing and product development could send nanotechnology down the same hole that recently doomed genetically modified crops. Bad publicity about the potential risks of such products caused people, especially in Europe, to rise up against what had been dubbed "Frankenfoods."
"We like to hold up GM foods as the poster child of what not to do," says Kristen Kulinowski, executive director of education and public policy at Rice's center. The lessons that she draws: "Don't minimize the public's concerns. Don't sweep potential problems under the rug. Don't try to lull people into a false sense of security."
At this point, public perceptions remain fairly positive about nanotechnology, according to a recent poll conducted by North Carolina State University. But people also remain mostly uninformed about it. That ignorance may come to haunt researchers, as more developers of popular culture start casting nanotechnology as the next übermonster.
Plots in video games and movies have already started the trend, which will only grow when the novel Prey meets the big screen. David Rejeski, director of the foresight and governance project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, says that the public is "going to get much more information from films and television shows and games than they ever will from a National Academy study."
So for the moment, with little research exploring potential risks, the public may draw its knowledge about the nanotechnology they will soon be buying from films like Spider-Man 2. And that prospect is making scientists' skin crawl.
Breaking Barriers, NC State Engineers Patent Methods for Creating Self-Assembling, 3-D Nanostructures
Sept. 15, 2004
PhysOrg.com
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Nanotechnology promises to revolutionize modern life. From energy-efficient lighting that lasts for 50 years, to greater data storage capacity, to stronger metals and ceramics, the improvements attributed to the development of nanostructures seem limitless. So far, the greatest impediment to developing these advances has been creating usable nanostructures that self-assemble. Engineers at North Carolina State University recently applied for a patent for two processes that help break that barrier.
Dr. Jagdish “Jay” Narayan, the John C.C. Fan Family Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the NSF Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures at NC State, and Dr. Ashutosh Tiwari, research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, developed two methods for self-assembly of three-dimensional nanostructures.
Results of their research will be published in the September issue of the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology with images of the newly created structures appearing on the cover of the journal. The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The new methods are a breakthrough in nanotechnology that opens the door to creating new materials for a myriad of applications, including super-dense data storage, solid-state lighting, super-strong materials and advanced detection systems. According to Narayan, three-dimensional self-assembly is the key to being able to use the nanostructures.
“The grand challenge is to be able to use the nanounit in the form of nanodot, nanowire or nanodisc,” said Narayan. “In the past we could make only one layer of the nanostructure with these units. There was only two-dimensional self-assembly, which is not usable for applications. We couldn’t control the properties of the medium. Now, with this development, we can control the medium and do three-dimensional self-organization. More importantly, we can change the size in different layers and change the functionality at different depths.”
“National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has created a broad base of scientific discovery and potential technological development,” said Dr. Mihail Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology at NSF and chair of the NNI organization. “This research shows the importance of creating infrastructure because NC State University has established a strength in the area of nanostructured materials, and at this moment, we can see several results that weren’t initially planned.”
The two methods involve using pulsed laser deposition, which works with a variety of materials and reduces imperfections. The sequential growth method uses the laser pulses to ablate successive targets to create layers of nanodots in a matrix. The simultaneous growth method is based on the difference in the oxidation rate of the nanodot and matrix materials. In this method the matrix and nanodots are deposited simultaneously on a substrate. Both methods produce consistent size and shape of the nanodots and demonstrate control of the materials that cannot be achieved by previously proposed methods.
“This device is part of the first generation of passive nanostructures which illustrate how one can exploit new phenomena and behavior of materials at the nanoscale for economic advantage,” said Roco.
The patented processes can be applied to almost any material. To create nanostructures for the different applications, the material used for the nanodots and the matrix are changed. For example, to create structures for data storage, Narayan uses nickel; for solid-state applications, gallium nitride or zinc oxide is used; for super-strong materials, copper, tungsten carbide and nickel aluminide are used; and for ceramics, aluminum oxide is used.
The most interesting application may be the development of energy-efficient, low-cost, solid-state lighting. By creating a matrix of layers of varying sizes of nanodots embedded in a transparent medium such as aluminum oxide, Narayan can create a chip that glows with white light. Solid-state lighting would use about one-fifth the energy of standard fluorescent lighting and last for approximately 50 years.
Another interesting application for the nanodots is the development of a chip that can hold 10 terabits of information – information that equals 10 million million or 10 to the 13th power bits – which is equivalent to 250 million pages of information. Narayan estimates that a chip with this storage capacity represents an increase of more than two orders of magnitude, in fact, or five hundred times the existing storage density available today.
According to Narayan, the key to moving nanotechnology from the laboratory to the consumer is keeping the cost of manufacturing low because people will not embrace a new technology if the cost is substantial. He believes that the beauty of these new processes is that they make it possible to build a three-dimensional matrix of nanodots that is not only more efficient but also costs less to produce. Using Narayan’s methods, all of the steps can be performed in the same processing chamber, reducing the manufacturing cost and the impact on the environment.
With further development of these new processes, copper can be created that is as strong as steel, and ceramics can be made tough enough to be used in automobile engines. The major difficulty with most materials is the problem of defects. However, when materials are reduced in size to nanoscale, the defects are reduced or eliminated, creating stronger materials that would last much longer and be less likely to fail. For example, ceramics are excellent performers at high temperatures but are currently too brittle to be used in automobile engines. Applying nanotechnology would create a ceramic material that would be able to withstand the stress that affects an automobile engine. Because ceramics perform at higher temperatures, a ceramic automobile engine could run at a higher temperature and thus run more efficiently – essentially creating a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Other applications include spin transistors and single electron transistors. Since these new methods can create self-assembled matrices of nanodots both randomly and epitaxially, the applications are seemingly infinite. The random self-assembly method is most cost effective and would be used for storage applications. The more expensive epitaxial self-assembly method would be used to create spin transistors that use less power because heat losses are reduced or eliminated.
Narayan anticipates that the first applications of his nanodots will be available to consumers within the next five years. He predicts that data storage and solid-state lighting will be the most likely consumer applications to be developed during that time.
USA: DuPont developing new protective suits for military, first responders
Sept. 14, 2004
Bharat Textile, India; SpaceDaily
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
DuPont recently announced promising research in the fight against terrorism with the development of protective materials that are resistant to chemical and biological agents. The suits are targeted for use by U.S. soldiers, firefighters, and other first responders. Early feedback from wearers has been positive.
The U.S. government has awarded nearly USD 2.5 million to DuPont and its partners to assist in the development of this new technology. Prototype military garments were recently tested by the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts.
In addition to traditional DuPont fire resistant materials, DuPont™ Nomex® and Kevlar®, these new, lightweight suits contain a selectively permeable membrane developed by DuPont that will help protect front line defenders from toxic industrial chemicals and military warfare agents.
Through the process of selective transport – the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane – this membrane allows sweat evaporation and body heat to escape to keep wearers cooler while blocking harmful agents from entering the suit. The new suits for the military are expected to be up to 50 percent lighter than existing protective gear, are impermeable to aerosols and biological agents and will fit compactly in a small duffel bag. "In this post-9/11 environment, first responders and firefighters throughout the country are saying they need improved protection from weapons of mass destruction without compromising the weight and existing protection of their turnout gear," said Dale Outhous, DuPont Personal Protection business director. "We believe this emerging technology could revolutionize gear for both first responders and military personnel. The new suits should be lighter, more compact, more breathable and resistant to chemical and biological warfare agents. It's just one example of the R&D pipeline from the DuPont Safety & Protection platform where we are developing new products to help keep people safe and protected."
On Aug. 30, the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center awarded a USD 1.5 million cooperative agreement to DuPont scientists for the military application of the technology. Earlier this year, the U.S. Office of Homeland Security awarded North Carolina State University, in partnership with DuPont and Globe Firefighter Suits, a USD 830,000 grant to develop the next generation of firefighter turnout gear.
Dr. Roger Barker, head of the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) at N.C. State's College of Textiles said, "The best firefighter suits today offer protection against several chemicals, such as battery acid, but that protection is limited. This suit is going to take that protection to an entirely new level with a wider range of chemical resistance at higher levels."
Upbeat outlook keeps you young
Sept. 14, 2004
Health24, South Africa
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Positive thoughts can help older people maintain their physical and functional health, while negative emotions can cause a rapid decline, say two studies in the September issue of Psychology and Aging.
In the first study, University of Texas researchers tracked 1 558 older Mexican-Americans in five southwestern states for seven years. They found those with positive emotions were much less likely to become frail over that time.
Mechanism explained
Positive emotions may have a direct impact on health by influencing chemical
and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance, the researchers
suggest. Or positive emotions may indirectly affect health by increasing
a person's physical, intellectual, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, North Carolina State University researchers found negative stereotypes about ageing resulted in a decline of older adults' memory performance.
The study concluded that if older adults were treated like competent, productive people, then it's more likely that's how they would perform. – (HealthDayNews)
Sept. 15, 2004
News & Observer
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