Tags: Human Nature
Lots of great news out of the department of genetics, and now we add to it an interesting new study:
researchers at the University of Georgia have published findings in Nature Communications that reveal where these extra glands come from and help explain what roles the extra thymuses may play in the complex network of the body's natural defense systems.
"This was a really important question for me as a developmental biologist studying the thymus…
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines, whipping the low-lying and densely-populated islands with 200 mph winds and sending a two-story-high storm surge flooding into homes, schools, and hospitals. The PBS NOVA dcomentary Killer Typhoon featured perspectives from some of the world's leading climate scientists, including AMS president and UGA professor Marshall Shepherd. The program aired last night. The…
The end of the year and early 2014 has been a very active time for Franklin College faculty work and expertise. Their contributions to the public discussions on a range of subjects remains an important aspect of our work. Here are a few recent instances:
As we noted, Georgia Athletic Association Professor J. Marshall Shepherd of the department of geography was part of panel on the Polar Vortex convened by the White House Office of Science and…
With the New Year arrives awards, acknowledgments and congratulations to UGA faculty, staff, students and alumni for their many accomplishments. A sampling of these starts with this very cool use of the internet on Friday, January 10. The White House hosted a panel discussion on the the 'Polar Vortex' featuring our very own J. Marshall Shepherd and host of other climate and weather luminaries:
Archived video of the discussion is here
Marine…
A good, short essay In Defense of a Liberal Arts Major by UGA Franklin College student (Women's Studies) Alex Laughlin:
I knew I wanted to be a journalist when I came to college, but I also knew I wanted to spend these years expanding my mind to the world. A major in journalism would teach me to write, which I already knew how to do, while a liberal arts major could force me to question my assumptions and beliefs. In women’s studies, I learned…
A prodrug is medication introducded into the body in an inactive (or less than fully active) form, that then becomes converted to its active form through the normal metabolic processes of the body, as a sort of precursor to the intended drug.
Researchers in the department of chemistry announced the development of a new aspirin-based prodrug that may prevent damage caused by chemotherapy:
[The new treament] promises to reduce many of the…
Startling new discovery of a gene that may play an important role in the development of the life-threatening birth defect congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or CDH:
The hallmark of CDH is a rupture of the diaphragm that allows organs found in the lower abdomen, such as the liver, spleen and intestines, to push their way into the chest cavity. The invading organs crowd the limited space and can lead to abnormal lung development or poor lung…
Cheeky title but good article in the Chronicle of Higher Education on digitized humanities in the classroom:
Colleges see the fresh digital focus as an opportunity to demonstrate the continued importance of the humanities. And students hope that credentialing themselves in this field, known as "digital humanities," will strengthen their job prospects.
"Critical engagement with the digital infrastructure that permeates every aspect of our…
Warm holiday wishes and Feliz año nuevo from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
Our offices will be closed from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, 2014, re-opening on Jan. 2. Classes resume on Jan. 6.
See you in 2014!
Interesting new work on stem cells sheds light on mysteries about cell differentiation:
Amar Singh, postdoctoral associate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar of Molecular Cell Biology Stephen Dalton worked together to uncover the mystery about why stem cell populations are thought to be heterogeneous, or made up of a variety of different cells. They discovered the heterogeneity, or…
Polycystic kidney disease is one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases, affecting an estimated 12.5 million people worldwide, and but one of multiple conditions researchers have connected to defective cilia. UGA researchers recenty published a study describing how cilia are constructed, findings based on new protein-level observations:
Led by Karl Lechtreck, assistant professor in the department of cellular biology, a team of…
The current edition of the NEH's Humanities Magazine features great friend of the blog and creative writing professor emeritus Coleman Barks:
Poetry in the Muslim world takes on many forms and touches upon myriad sentiments and sensibilities. Its roots lie in the epic and in romances, oral traditions that flourished in Persia and in the Ottoman and Mughal courts. Today, in Pakistan and India, truck drivers paint their entire rigs—cabs and…
UGA psychology research may lead to earlier, better diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer’s
By JESSICA LUTON
jluton@uga.edu
New research from UGA’s department of psychology may one day lead to a better biomarker for earlier detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the leading predictor of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.
With nearly 36 million people estimated to have dementia currently, and that number expected to double every…
A diversity of invaluable faculty expertise was reported on or quoted in a variety media over the last month. A few examples of this crucial element of university public service:
Associate professor of chemistry Jason Locklin teamed up with an area high school student to create an app to help students study organic chemistry
The Red & Black reported on work by asssitant research scientist Zhu-Hong Li of biochemistry and molecular biology and…
Plenty of commemorations for the fifty-year anniversary today of the arrival of Vince Dooley to campus, and deservedly so. Coach Dooley has a tremendous legacy at the university, and continues to have great impact on UGA and the Franklin College through his philanthropic beneficence to the department of history, the Redcoat Marching Band and other units.
Five decades is obviously a long time, easy to remember as a conceptual frame - truly a…
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an international professional organization founded in 1848 that published the journal Science, which has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world (approximatelt 1 million). AAAS also has two new members from the UGA:
Two University of Georgia faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement…
Local High School Student, UGA Professor Team Up to iPhone/iPad application
By Jessica Luton jluton@uga.edu
For North Oconee High School student Chuanbo Pan, computer programming just comes naturally. After creating an iPhone app to help fellow high school students learn Latin, Pan was sought out by his neighbor, chemistry professor Jason Locklin, to help create an app for what is often known as one of UGA’s most difficult classes—Organic…
Nice article going around this week on one of the Willson Center Faculty Research Clusters projects focused on the behemoth that is the local musical traditions of Athens, GA:
The Athens Music Project will take into account the city's variety of African-American musical traditions, both secular and religious; its growing jazz scene; bluegrass and other folk music traditions; the Latin American/Latino musical community; new music and conceptual…
I was trained as a conventional plant breeder but have been fortunate to participate in genome sequencing to reveal the entire genetic blueprint(s) of most of the crops that I study. Their unique attributes make crop plants valuable both commercially and as botanical models, thus linking increased fundamental knowledge to improving human lives. Genome sequences empower many new opportunities to improve plants to better suit human needs while…
Terrific article on classroom innovations by two of our very best: Steven Lewis and Craig Wiegert:
Two physics professors have taken Isaac Newton's first law of motion-an object at rest will continue to be at rest unless acted upon by an external force-and applied it to the way they teach the subject.
For decades there was inertia on how physics classes were taught to undergraduates: A lecturer would talk to students about physics without the…
Researchers in the department of cellular biology have discovered that a combination of two commonly prescribed drugs used to treat high cholesterol and osteoporosis may serve as the foundation of a new treatment for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite capable of infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals. While healthy human adults usually suffer no lasting ill effects…
Interesting new study authored by Dorothy Fragaszy in the department of psychology and several collaborating authors from around the world:
A new study from a group of researchers, led by University of Georgia behavioral scientist Dorothy Fragaszy, reports that artifacts—objects similar to the ball or shovel—are an important component in technical learning by nonhuman species. The study, published Oct. 7 in Philosophical Transactions of the…
And speaking of great faculty, ours continue to shine with professional accomplishments, new grants and awards that bring UGA and the Franklin College great honor and distinction. A few this month include:
David P. Landau, Distinguished Research Professor and director of the Center for Simulational Physics, was awarded the newly created title of Mainz Visiting Professor for 2013-2015 by the "Graduiertenschule (Graduate School of Excellence)-…
Ethnomusicology is the study of why, and how, human beings are musical - a definition that positions ethnomusicology among the social sciences, humanities, and biological sciences dedicated to understanding the nature of the human species in all its biological, social, cultural, and artistic diversity.
The Hugh Hodgson Schol of Music welcomes UCLA ethnomusicologist Timothy Rice to campus on Thursday, Oct. 10, where he will present a public…