Feb. 26 - March 4 A Greener Path for Business Master Builder Patrick Orr spurned touring with the likes of Placido Domingo Feb. 27 11 a.m. (“wonderful, the Colloquium: "Very sweetest man”) to labor Cold But Very Floppy with UVM students in the Molecules — Mixed fragrant, dusty world of van der Waals Atomic an academic theatre Clusters," Howard woodshop. Mayne, University of New Hampshire. Angel B112. 656- Thinking Pink Maple 2594 syrup, newborn lambs, tiny white flowers called snowdrops, pink snow — Feb. 27 12:30 p.m. these are the harbingers Seminar: "The of early spring in cold Beginning of the End of Matt Wilson says that far too often business climates. Conventional people and environmentalists only speak to Economics," John each other in a court. He hopes his hybrid Gowdy, RPI. courses lay groundwork for more productive Carpenter dialogue. (Photo: Bill DiLillo) Auditorium, Given. 656-3269 or SNR Seminar Matt Wilson, a faculty member whose expertise encompasses the economic and the ecological, is a harbinger of UVM's drive to create a series of Feb. 27 4 p.m. courses that combine business and environmental Seminar: "Effect of concerns. Ovarian Hormone Deficiency on Risk for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes," Dr. Michael Toth, medicine. Given B-333. 656- 2500 Feb. 27 6 p.m. Engineer's Week Film: Bamboozled, directed by Spike Lee. Writer to Share "Notes from an Evolving Project" Discussion follows on film and UVM "Kake Walk." Campus Saving the Landscape Center Theater, Billings. 656-8833 Visit by Boston Kids Nurtures Dreams of Academe March 5 Noon Panel: "Mother's and Ski Catamounts Notch Another Carnival Win Daughters: A Generation of Conversation," Three Strikes and Engineers Are In International Women's Day. Peggy O'Neill-Vivanco, Taking the Plunge 860-1704 UVM to Celebrate Hayford Biography March 512:30 p.m. Lecture: "China's Weather Reporter New Leadership," Shiping Zheng, political science. John Family Effort Dewey Lounge, Old Mill. 656-1096 Feb. 26 - March 4 Study Identifies New Treatment For Leg Blood Clots Deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts approximately 270,000 people annually in the United States, likely will be treated differently due to the dramatically positive results of a new study, in which UVM participated. Results of the study, which appeared this week in the electronic version of the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate that long-term, low-dosage use of warfarin, a blood thinner, provides an effective and safe treatment for deep vein thrombosis. The drug also is prescribed by the Lou Reed, former Andy Warhol collaborator brand name Coumadin. and leader of the Velvet Underground, is on campus March 12. For more, see Reed story. UVM was one of 52 international sites that participated in the Prevention of Recurrent Venous Thrombosis (PREVENT) study, a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled UVM and State High-Tech Incubator project using 508 participants. Dr. Mary Partnership Could Spur Economic Cushman, associate professor of medicine and co- Growth author of the report, led the study at the UVM/Fletcher Allen Health Care site, which had 27 Vermont has the resources, the brainpower and participants, one of the highest patient enrollment the community support needed for development rates. of a statewide, high-technology incubator program. That's the word from a study UVM Also known as phlebitis, deep-vein thrombosis is a recently commissioned on the topic, and now the blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the university and the Vermont Department of thigh or calf, resulting in pain and discomfort. The Economic Development are looking at how best to greater concern, however, is the 20 percent risk capitalize on this opportunity to foster that a piece of one, a clot, will break off, travel entrepreneurship, technology transfer and through the veins and block blood flow to the commercialization around the state. lungs, causing breathing problems and possibly death. UVM is leading the effort to bring together community leaders from government, academia, Previous to this study's findings, patients who industry and civic organizations to explore the suffered a venous thrombosis episode – called a development of the Vermont Center for Emerging venous thromboembolism – were treated with a Technologies, a high-technology business standard, anticoagulation therapy: a combination incubator. Plans call for the establishment of a of several days of an intravenous or injected working group to oversee development of a blood thinner followed by three to 12 months of detailed business plan. full-dose warfarin. Once the treatment ended, however, blood clots recurred at a rate of 6 to 9 As part of a recent panel discussion sponsored by percent annually. the Burlington Business Association, President Daniel Mark Fogel noted that faculty brought in All the patients enrolled in the PREVENT trial had nearly $103 million in external grants last year, experienced deep vein thrombosis and had and expressed his enthusiasm for an incubation undergone the standard short-term, higher-dose center that could capitalize on the intellectual treatment with warfarin. Patients then were property that comes from this research. randomized, with half receiving low-dose warfarin for between two and four years and half receiving "The University of Vermont is excited to take the a placebo over the same time period. The study lead in helping to foster the commercialization of terminated early when researchers found that the technology in Vermont," Fogel said. "We look experimental therapy showed a 64 percent forward to working with our partners to make this reduction in the recurrence of venous vision a reality." thromboembolism compared to the placebo group after roughly 2 years of follow-up. Gov. James Douglas has stated that growing Vermont's economy is a priority for his Approximately 1,200 people in Vermont suffer administration, and he has looked forward to from deep vein thrombosis annually. The business-development partnerships with the condition most commonly occurs in individuals university. aged 60 years or older. Among those at risk for developing this condition are those with obesity, diabetes or cancer; people with inherited blood "UVM has the requisite knowledge base and a conditions; pregnant women; women who take track record for technological innovation," said oral contraceptives or hormone replacement Janice St. Onge, who helps develop technology therapy; and individuals who have had surgery or businesses at the state department of economic a bone fracture. development. "We’re excited to see them taking a lead role in helping to foster technology commercialization in the state, and look forward To read the full article on the study, see New to working together to realize the potential England Journal of Medicine. outlined in the assessment study." UVM in the News Rainey & Associates, a Hanover, N.H.-based economic development consulting firm, carried out the initial feasibility study. More than 70 Bernd Heinrich’s new book, Winter World, was potential stakeholders and community leaders among several UVM stories that grabbed a bit of around the state were interviewed, including the national spotlight in January. Heinrich , economic and technology development officials, professor of biology, was featured in the Science higher education leaders, non-profit Times section of the Jan. 7 New York Times for organizations, private sector entrepreneurs and his work on how critters survive winter. The business people. To see a copy of the study (note article also appeared on Jan. 9 in the that it is a large PDF download), visit International Herald Tribune. The book was ThinkVermont.com. reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Diego Union- Tribune, New Scientist and in Outside magazine's Funeral Arrangements Set for First-Year February issue. Heinrich also was interviewed on Student radio stations nationwide. Read the New York Times feature article at Science Life and its book Ashlee D'Avignon, a first-year student in the review at NYT Books. College of Engineering and Mathematics, died on Feb. 22 after an automobile accident in Robert Costanza, professor of ecology and Shelburne. She was 18. economics and director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, discussed his approach to "We're going to miss her," said Joan Jordan, the teaching in a Jan. 21 interview with the Christian college's student services coordinator and Science Monitor The interview also was carried D'Avignon's work-study supervisor. "She was a that day on WAMC-FM90.3 (Albany, NY) and young, vivacious woman who quickly found her WNYC-AM820 (NY, NY). Read the interview at niche at UVM." Monitor D'Avignon was born in Middlebury and grew up in Dr. David Fassler, clinical associate professor of Virginia Beach, Va., where she was an honor psychiatry, was featured in a Jan. 14 front-page student and graduated 13th in her high school Washington Post article about children receiving class of 483. She is survived by her parents, Ann psychiatric drugs. Prompted by a study published and Allen D'Avignon; her brother, Andrew; and in the current issue of Archives of Pediatrics and her extended family throughout Vermont. Adolescent Medicine, the story also ran in the Desert News (Salt Lake City, Utah) and on the AP wire. In another drug-related story, Fassler Visiting hours for Ashlee's friends are on Feb. 26 discussed FDA approval of the antidepressant from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sanderson Funeral Home Prozac for the treatment of depression and in Middlebury. obsessive compulsive disorder in children on Reuters, Yahoo! Finance and Forbes.com and in A mass celebrating her life will be held Feb. 27 at the Economic Times (New Delhi, India). Read the 11:30 a.m. in St. Mary's Catholic Church in Reuters article at Economic Times.