Week Ending July 30 2004 - Synopsis number 608

University of Dundee News

Academic looks at role of parliament
With Scotland's new Parliament building due to open its doors later this year, a University of Dundee historian, Dr Alan MacDonald, has just been awarded over £14,000 to examine the role of the parliament in Scotland's past.
The Courier 30.07.04

Historian's cash
As above
Evening Telegraph 29.07.04

Pledges hit by fall in teacher numbers
Promises by Scottish ministers to cut class sizes and improve literacy and numeracy standards have been hit by a fall in the number of teachers. A leading Dundee-based educationalist has defended the Scottish Executive. Professor Ron Elder, dean of the faculty of education and social work at Dundee University, believes the Executive has responded to an impending crisis in the sector and has succeeded in recruiting more trainee teachers over the past year.
The Courier 30.07.04

Drop in teacher numbers revealed
As above
Evening Telegraph 29.07.04

Death of Mr Bob Langlands
Mr Robert (Bob) Langlands, a former commercial artist with DC Thomson & Co. Ltd in Dundee, has died after suffering a heart attack while on holiday in Strathpeffer. He was 81. He spent a period studying at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.
The Courier 29.07.04

Top award for cancer scientist
Cancer scientist, Dr Inke Nathke, at Dundee University, has been named the 2004 Women in Cell Biology junior award winner as chosen by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB).
The Courier 29.07.04

£150,000 to beautify bio-tech site
More than £150,000 is to be spent by the city council on environmental improvements to an area which houses many of Dundee's biotechnology companies.
The Courier 29.07.04

Environmental improvements
As above
Evening Telegraph 27.07.04

City firms praised by enterprise minister
Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace yesterday praised two of Dundee's most cutting edge biotechnology industries that have put the city on the world map over the past few years.
The Courier 28.07.04

Blindness and amputations from diabetes can be stopped - experts
The devastating complications of diabetes such as kidney disease, blindness, and amputations, can be "virtually" stopped by early intervention, according to experts. Dr Stephen Greene, reader in child and adolescent health at Dundee University who chairs the Children's Guideline Development Group comments.
Press & Journal 28.07.04

Dundee exhibition is turning Japanese
Dundee has been chosen to host the only Scottish showing of an acclaimed touring exhibition of photography by renowned Japanese artists.
Press & Journal 27.07.04

Cyclacel blames state of market as it postpones flotation plans
Scottish biotech high-flier Cyclacel has been forced to postpone its flotation plans just three weeks after it announced it would list on both the London Stock Exchange and the US Nasdaq.
The Herald 27.07.04

Cyclacel calls off planned joint UK and US flotation
As above
The Scotsman 27.07.04

Biotech firm postpones flotation
As above
The Courier 27.07.04

Cyclacel to benefit from research cash
As above
Evening Telegraph 27.07.04

Cyclacel flotation plan postponed
As above
Evening Telegraph 27.07.04

Right said Fred
Comedian and broadcaster Fred MacAulay continues a notable series of firsts this weekend, when he breaks Pitlochry Festival Theatre's duck for staging a full show of stand-up comedy.
The Courier 27.07.04

Dundee student gets on his bike with euphonium for research cash
A Dundee student is pedaling his way from Lands End to John O'Groats this week with only his euphonium for company.
Press & Journal 26.07.06

Nationalist hero who was really a union man
Lord Belhaven, Patriot who denounced 'parcel of rogues' for sell-out may have been a rogue himself. Professor Christopher Whatley, of Dundee University's history department, is writing a book called The Scots and the Union, to be published in 2006 ahead of the 300th anniversary.
The Scotsman 24.07.04

University hosts Japanese photographic exhibition
The public will have the opportunity to see some of the most exciting photography to emerge from Japan at the only Scottish showing of an exhibition of Japanese Photographic works at the University of Dundee.
Press & Journal 24.07.04

Former Dundee art student turns clay into precious metal
Hazel Passmore, who has a studio gallery in Inverness, is one of only a few UK jewellers using Precious Metal Clay (OMC), a substance developed by scientists at Mitsubishi in Japan. She studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of art in Dundee.
Press & Journal 24.07.04

University of Dundee Radio, TV & online

Russia, Yukos fight about more than taxes
The latest salvo in the battle between the Russian government and oil company OAO Yukos -- being waged under the pretext of recouping as much as $10-billion (U.S.) in taxes from the company -- was yet another illustration that there is more to this story than a hefty tax bill. This scenario might make more sense, suggests Dr. Jennifer Considine, a lecturer at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee in Scotland.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/ 30.07.04

Breakthrough discovery on Leishmaniasis, world's most deadly tropical diseases
Scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, working with colleagues at the University of Dundee, have discovered how the tiny sand fly spreads one of the world's most deadly tropical diseases - Leishmaniasis.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=3631 29.07.04

Diabetes should be checked yearly
Annual checks could prevent the devastating complications of diabetes, a report says. Dr Stephen Greene, of the University of Dundee, who also worked on the guidelines, said and chair of the Children's Guideline Development Group, admitted care was patchy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3930971.stm 28.07.04

Foreign interns throng Pune hospitals to see TB, polio first hand
Twenty-two year-old Katie Fergus, studying at the University of Dundee, Scotland, also chose Pune to complete her electives in the final year of medicine because it gave her a chance to see a different perspective on health care.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=93167# 28.07.04

Researchers review evolutionary history of modern algae
Trees and grass are usually the only "heroes" that come to mind for consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen for planet Earth, but they have allies in the water: phytoplankton, or in another word, algae. Other coauthors of the article are Paul G. Falkowski, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and physiological adaptation, Oscar Schofield, associate professor of marine biology and ocean optics, Miriam E. Katz, assistant research professor at Rutgers University, Andrew H. Knoll, professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard University, John A. Raven, professor of biology at University of Dundee, UK, and F. J. R. Taylor, professor of biology at University of British Columbia, Canada.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-07/tau-rre072704.php 27.07.04

Fighting the bite of the vampire
"This is an excellent example of collaborative research bringing together biology and chemistry to unravel key questions," says Mike Ferguson, one of the authors of the study, carried out by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Wellcome Trust Biocentre at the University of Dundee, both in the United Kingdom, and the Max-Planck-Institut for Biologie in Germany.
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=119394 26.07.04

Close to the truth
Lei Cox, who teaches Time Based Art at the University of Dundee in Scotland, is showing scaled-down versions of major works in Adelaide, as well as early single-screen video works. Cox is in Australia for the first time with a solo exhibition at Adelaide's Experimental Art Foundation.
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/ 26.07.04

Euphonium Player Hoping to Make Some Brass
A medical student set off on a musical journey the length of Britain today - with his euphonium for company.
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3251822 25.07.04

Euphonium player aims to make brass
As above
http://icscotland.icnetwork.co.uk/news/scottish/ 25.07.04

University of Abertay

No title
Officials and academics from China arrived in Dundee today to visit the University of Abertay, which has a partnership with Nanchang University in Jiangxi.
Evening Telegraph 30.07.04

Computer show boost for teams
The winners of Abertay University's unique Dare to be Digital competition will be given a chance to showcase their winning products at Europe's largest computer show.
The Courier 29.07.04

National News

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