Professor of Biology Stephen Helfand comments on new findings that heavy doses of a red wine extract called resveratrol lower the rate of diabetes, liver problems and other fat-related ill effects in obese mice. The research, conducted by Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging, appeared in the online edition of the journal Nature. Helfand, who was not part of the research team, called the study “a historic landmark contribution.” The article says Hefland “won't be taking red wine extract supplements – but he has put his elderly mother on them. He said he's waiting to see if there are long-term ill effects for humans. Mice, he said, are good initial test subjects for human drugs because their bodies function more similarly to humans than differently. However, he added that those differences can prove crucial.” This article appeared in media outlets throughout the world.
www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/11/01/ap3136957.html

An ingredient in red wine extends lifespan and alleviates disease when fed in huge quantities to obese mice, even though the mice remain fat, researchers reported in the online edition of the journal Nature. "The fact that you can see such an effect over millions of years of evolutionary differences ... bodes extremely well for the likelihood that this is going to work in other organisms," including humans, said Professor of Biology Stephen L. Helfand, who was not involved in the research. This article appeared in dozens of other media outlets.
www.latimes.com/news/la-sci-longevity2nov02,1,3468828.story

Professor of Biology Stephen Helfand comments on new findings that heavy doses of a red wine extract called resveratrol lower the rate of diabetes, liver problems and other fat-related ill effects in obese mice. The research, conducted by Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging, appeared in the online edition of the journal Nature. Helfand, who was not part of the research team, called the study “a major landmark.” This article appeared in numerous media outlets throughout North America.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/01/AR2006110101667.html

Resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, extends lifespan and alleviates disease when fed in huge quantities to obese mice, even though the mice remain fat, researchers reported in the online edition of the journal Nature. Professor of Biology Stephen Helfand, who has prolonged the lives of fruit flies given resveratrol, termed the new report “pretty exciting work.” "This is a first step for reaching a condition that would give you a longer life," he said, adding that the results were limited to the effects of resveratrol on mice with unhealthy diets, and not on healthy eaters.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.wine02nov02,0,2423897.story

Professor of Anthropology Stephen Houston is featured in “The Maya: Death Empire,” an episode of “Engineering an Empire.” The episode, which premieres Monday, Nov. 13, at 9 p.m. on the History Channel, examines ”the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the ancient Maya civilization.”
www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=196861

A descendant of Brown University's founding family praised a new report that examines the school's early ties to the slave trade. Sylvia Brown, a member of the 11th generation of the Brown family, said she flew from London to attend the university’s public forum on the 106-page report, which recommends that the university create a slavery memorial and commit to recruiting and retaining minority students. She said the report did "an excellent job of setting in context the uncomfortable realities of both the slave trade and the institution of slavery in 18th-century New England.
www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/11/02/public_forum_held_on_
brown_slavery_report/

A committee that studied Brown University’s links to slavery was on the right track when it recommended that Brown dedicate itself to improving urban education, especially in Providence. That was a predominant theme of the comments made to the committee at a public forum yesterday afternoon that drew a crowd of 175 to 200 people to the Brown campus.
Free registration: www.projo.com/news/content/Brown2_11-02-06_SP2LKND.3fad5df.html

With competition for spots at top-flight universities fiercer than ever, what do admissions officials really look for? At a recent college fair, Tim Kessler, representing Brown University, said, "Test scores are important to Brown. If a student's scores fall below the mid-50 percent of scores, we're going to look at their application to find out why." He added: "Brown is looking for self-motivated students who challenge themselves, set their own learning path and are willing to take full advantage of opportunities. We're also looking at people with a broad breadth of knowledge."
www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/living/15910153.htm

Brown is among 27 universities currently seeking to raise at least $1 billion. This article offers updates on each campaign.
chronicle.com/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?article=chronicle.com/daily/2006/11/20061102
06n.htm

Brown political scientists Wendy Schiller and Darrell West offer their perspectives on the Lynch and Harsch campaigns for R.I. attorney general.
www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/10/31/nightclub_fire_domina
tes_race_for_ri_attorney_general

Professor of Political Science Darrell West comments on Sen. Lincoln Chafee’s run for reelection.
www.nydailynews.com/front/story/467560p-393412c.html

Professor of Political Science Darrell West offers his perspective on remarks made by Sen. John Kerry earlier in the week in California. President Bush and others accused Kerry of suggesting U.S. soldiers were uneducated. Kerry apologized for his remark.
Free registration: www.projo.com/extra/election/content/kerry2_11-02-06_2K2LJHP.3fab1dd.html

Several Republican candidates are running ads emphasizing how well they work with Democrats. Professor of Political Science Darrell West discusses what he calls “examples of political cross-dressing.” “This is a highly partisan political era, but yet voters don't like that. They actually are centrists. They're moderate. They believe in bipartisanship, and so we're seeing some candidates start to reach out across the political aisles in order to boost support for themselves,” he said. Audio is available at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6417963.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6417963

Professor of Political Science Darrell West comments on the GOP’s use of microtargeting, in which the party combines voters' consumer data with political data, then analyzes it to find out who would be the most receptive to the GOP's pitch. "In recent elections, it has been the case that Republicans were able to add a few percentage points to their vote through microtargeting," said West. "Everybody is watching to see if they're able to do it this year or if they have finally hit their Waterloo."
www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-0611020273nov02,1,3437623.story

Professor of Economics Glenn Loury participates in a roundtable discussion about historically black college and universities, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's fight against global warming, and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Audio is available at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6411131
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6411131

W. Duncan MacMillan ’53, a former member of the Brown Board of Trustees and this year’s recipient of the Brown Bear award for his lifelong service to the University, died Oct. 31 in Florida. He was 76.
www.startribune.com/466/story/779842.html

W. Duncan MacMillan ’53, a former member of the Brown Board of Trustees and this year’s recipient of the Brown Bear award for his lifelong service to the University, died Oct. 31 in Florida. He was 76.
Free registration: www.legacy.com/providence/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=19802156

Brown University’s International Writers Project will host “Strange Times, My Dear: A Freedom-to-Write Literary Festival” Nov. 14 through Nov. 17. The festival is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for certain events.
www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-050.html