The days of wine …and grape juice
STRASBOURG
,
FRANCE
- Reuters reports: to be good to your heart and possibly live a lot longer, drink grape juice three times a week. Research from the Universite Louis Pasteur concludes Concord grape juice " can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine without alcohol. “That is a very important message," said study author Dr. Valerie Schini-Kerth. Certain types of grape juice and red wine are packed with high levels of polyphenols, shown to block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease. When endothelial cells stop working, heart and vascular problems develop. Scientists found polyphenols in Concord grape juice activate the endothelial cells so they make nitric oxide to protect the heart from cardiovascular disease and help maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure. If you're going to drink grape juice for your heart, make sure it's Concord grape juice. Other types of grape juice, which don't have the same high polyphenols levels and are processed differently, don't have the same healthy punch. The study, partly funded by Welch Foods Inc., was in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted the VSA arts and Volkswagen of America Inc. "Driven" contest for young artists with disabilities (deadline
July 6, 12
p.m. MST). With no entry fee, it’s open to
U.S.
artists with disabilities, 16 -25. "Driven" asks artists to pinpoint motivation for their artistic expression and to identify what sustains creative energy. Art must be original and done in the last three years. Eligible media include: paintings, drawings, fine art prints, photography, computer-generated prints, and mixed media presented in two dimensions. It shouldn’t exceed 60 inches to either side, and 15 finalists will be given a total of $60,000 at a ceremony on Capitol Hill in September. Artwork will be displayed in a touring exhibition that debuts at the Smithsonian. To apply, visit: www.vsarts.org, or call
800-933-8721
, x3885; e-mail: jenniferw@vsarts.org.
ANN
ARBOR
,
MI
- Laura Gable, 41, was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP), a neurological disorder that permanently affects body movement and posture. She has noticed pain and stiffness, and other motor affects have worsened. While physical and occupation therapy bring relief, many adults with CP find juggling work and family schedules leaves little time for regular therapy sessions outside the home. Some insurers don’t cover physical and occupational therapy for CP adults. An Internet connection and at-home computer is what a program developed by the University of Michigan Health System and School of Kinesiology aims to make movement-based training more convenient and assessable to such adults. The Upper Limb Training and Assessment Program, or ULTrA, is designed to aid CP adults with upper limb and hand impairment. Dr. Edward Hurvitz, chair of the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the health system, said, “The program works with the idea of bringing therapy into the home to allow adults to do therapy at a time that’s convenient for them.” The project also collects data to determine how well the in-home therapy is working.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted the AT&T Excelerator Program (deadline: May 4) has $9 million in grants to aid local nonprofits integrate technology into their operations and community outreach. The program is open to nonprofits in:
Alabama
,
Arkansas
,
California
,
Connecticut
,
Florida
,
Georgia
,
Illinois
,
Indiana
,
Kansas
,
Kentucky
,
Louisiana
,
Michigan
,
Mississippi
,
Missouri
,
Nevada
,
North Carolina
,
Ohio
,
Oklahoma
,
South Carolina
,
Tennessee
,
Texas
, and
Wisconsin
. An organization must emphasize education, community development, health and human services, or arts and culture. No less than 50% of the grant must be used to target underserved populations, including racial and ethnic groups, low-income populations, seniors, and/or disabled persons. The program will award individual one-year grants $2,500-$25,000 each. Collaborations will be considered for one-year grants of up to $50,000. Visit fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10006838/att.
ST. PAUL
,
MN
- Parenting.com noted that on colds, flu, stomach bugs, and ear infections, everyone has a theory. Many aren't true. Feed a cold, starve a fever: All sick kids and adults - whether they've got a cold, fever, or both - need nutrients and liquids to get well, says Leigh Ann Greavu, a dietitian in St. Paul. If your child doesn't feel like eating solids, then chicken noodle soup, juice, and ice cream are alternatives. Greenish mucus means your child has something worse than a cold: While clear mucus is most common, green or yellow can be symptoms of a cold. Discolored mucus plus a persistent high fever, less appetite, cough, or severe nasal congestion may be signs of a bacterial infection, which could require antibiotics. Colds/flu are most contagious before symptoms appear: They spread most easily when symptoms are at their worst. It's best not to treat mild fevers: It depends on how your child's feeling. Fevers help fight infections by killing bacteria and viruses that can't survive at higher-than-normal temperatures. If he has a mild fever but seems especially cranky, lethargic, or in pain, giving him the right dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen will likely make him feel better.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted registration is open for the seventh National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute, July 31-Aug. 2, in
Chapel Hill
,
NC
. Visit the conference Web site for details: www.nectac.org/~meetings/InclusionMtg2007/splash.html.
ANN
ARBOR
,
MI
- Genetic testing for eye disease is yielding vital data on complex retinal diseases, especially to confirm a clinician’s diagnosis. In a review of tests in a five-year period at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, scientists confirmed a clinician’s diagnosis in half of the cases. The tests were in the lab of Dr. Radha Ayyagari, director of Kellogg’s Ophthalmic Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. In the Archives of Ophthalmology, her team tells of 350 genetic tests done since 1999, when the lab became one of the first in the
U.S.
to get government approval for ophthalmic testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment. For each test, scientists analyzed one or more of eight genes known to cause retinal diseases. Of the 350 tests, 266 were done to confirm a clinician’s diagnosis, by far the most common use of genetic testing for eye disease. Another 75 tests sought to determine whether an individual was a “carrier” of a disease, and nine tests were used to predict the likelihood an individual with a family history of a given eye disease would develop it. The team was able to determine the molecular basis of the disease in half of 266 tests done to confirm diagnosis. These results are significant because many retinal diseases present similar symptoms, and it is sometimes difficult for the most skilled specialist to tell one from the other.
WASHINGTON
- Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP, www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20070472.htm) posted for
U.S.
employers a free database of 2,000 new disabled job candidates seeking work in various fields. Federal employers can use this resource at www.
WRP
.gov, and private sector and other government employers can do unlimited searches by calling
866-327-6669
. The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities sponsored by ODEP and the U.S. Dept. of Defense compiled the database by sending recruiters to more than 250 colleges to interview eligible undergraduate and graduate students. Many of them seek summer internships; others graduated and seek full-time jobs.
DOVER, DE - Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware is taking applications for a 20 executives from the DD field to be trained at the 2007 Summer Leadership Institute. The group was set up due to significant concern about training and support for the next generation of leaders in DD, and the faculty has well-known executives in the disability field. Deadline for applications is April 30. Visit www.nlcdd.org/pdfs/nlcdd-brochure.pdf.
