Duke in the News: May 7, 2007

LEARNING TO 'SURF THE URGE' (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 6 -- Thanks to a new behavioral therapy at a Duke University Medical Center clinic, 9-year-old Rick Shocket is doing what seemed impossible for him a year ago: gain control of his brain disorder that causes repetitive movements and sounds. ... Full story

STUDY: GENERIC BIOLOGICS NOT MUCH CHEAPER UPI, May 3 -- A Duke study has determined generic versions of a class of medicines called "biologics" would not be significantly cheaper than brand-name drugs. ... Full story

FROM STOREFRONTS TO SANCTUARIES Orlando Sentinel, May 6 -- Rev. William Turner of Duke Divinity School discusses the historical precedent for shopping-center churches, which today serve as incubators for diverse new congregations. ... Full story

DUKE MANDATES LIVING WAGE FOR WORKERS Durham News, May 5 -- Duke is now requiring its food vendors to meet the same minimum wage and benefit standards it does for its own employees. In all, about 140 workers are affected, officials said last week. ... Full story

CULTIVATING INDEPENDENCE St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, May 6 -- Duke student Camille Kingsolver, writing with her author mother, shares an "impassioned" and "witty" narrative about a year she and her family spent living off the land -- well, except for coffee and chocolate. ... Full story

NITRIC OXIDE: KEY TO HEART, PULMONARY FUNCTION AND DRUG EFFECTIVENESS ScienceDaily, May 7 -- A naturally occurring molecule in the body appears to control whether certain medications, such as beta adrenergic receptor agonists used in acute heart failure or in inhalers for asthma, lose their effectiveness over time, Duke researchers report. ... Full story

SNEAKY LITTLE SLIM-DOWN TRICKS CNN, May 3 -- Health magazine went to the top weight-control experts for their No. 1 tips to get the weight off. Eat the most food earlier in the day, says Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager at Duke Diet and Fitness Center. ... Full story

SECURITY COMPANY SUED OVER DEATHS OF CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ Salt Lake Tribune, May 7 -- In an age of increasingly privatized warfare, the families of two men killed when their security detail was struck by a massive car bomb in Baghdad are straying into an untested area of law, explains Duke law professor Scott Silliman. ... Full story

A NEW FUSION (Chapel Hill-Carrboro) WCOM-FM's Radio In Vivo, May 2 -- Greg Wray, director of the Center for Evolutionary Genomics at Duke, talks about the importance of making evolution real and relevant to students. (Link to audio.) ... Listen