An oversight committee for Arecibo Observatory, the national astronomical facility in Puerto Rico, has been established to act as a management link between Cornell, which manages the huge radio telescope, and the U.S. funding agency, the National Science Foundation.
Even if implemented to the maximum, renewable energy sources would replace only about half the U.S. consumption of oil, natural gas and coal, according to an analysis by ecologists at Cornell. Furthermore, the analysis states alternative energy systems -- such as hydroelectric, solar and wind power and biofuels -- if fully developed would occupy up to one-sixth of America's land area.
Cornell President Hunter Rawlings and Provost Biddy Martin today (Dec. 20) issued the following statement on the status of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning: "Based on the extensive conversations that have taken place with the College of Architecture, Art and Planning and its several constituencies over the last several months, we do not recommend the dissolution of the College.
New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - Physicians in the Departments of Urology and Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center have become the first in New York City to perform robotic urologic surgery on a child. The procedure, robotic pediatric pyeloplasty, corrects a common congenital malformation that, if left untreated, will endanger kidney function. It is a less-invasive alternative to the traditional "open" method, which requires a large, scarring incision.Dr. Dix Poppas, Chief of Pediatric Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell and the Richard Rodgers Family Associate Professor in Pediatric Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College, performed the surgery on a seven-year-old boy from Wallington, NJ, correcting a uretero-pelvic junction obstruction (UPJ), a narrowing of the kidney where it connects to the ureter. As many as one in 200 children are born with a degree of hydronephrosis, a dilation of the inside of the kidney that results from obstructions to the flow of urine; a large majority of these cases are due to UPJ.
New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - A new surgical technique, developed and pioneered by a NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell urologist, prevents the unnecessary removal of testes for some men with testicular tumors, ultimately preserving their fertility. Hidden testicular tumors can now be correctly identified and safely removed by ultrasound guided needle localization aided by an operative microscope. Weill Cornell was the first in the world to perform the procedure and demonstrate its efficacy.The new technique is discussed in a recently published issue of the "Journal of Urology," and was presented earlier this year at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.
New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - Disproving a widely held belief and a common urban myth, a new NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center study shows that New York City police officers are less likely to commit suicide than the average New York City citizen. The most common causes of police suicide are marital problems and alcoholism; age, race, years of service, and rank were not determining factors. By far, the most common suicide method was death by gun. The study, which looked at 20 years of police deaths, appears in this month's "American Journal of Psychiatry."The rate of police suicide was 14.9 per 100,000 persons, compared to a suicide rate of 18.3 per 100,000 persons for New York City residents as a whole, the study shows. The total yearly suicide rate for police officers was less than that of the city for 17 of 20 years, for the period 1977-1996.
New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - In a major expansion of its neurosurgery program, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center has named Dr. Susan Pannullo as its first Director of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurological Surgery. The new division offers world-class research and treatment for cancers affecting the brain and spine, among other areas. Additionally, a new departmental initiative, the New York Brain Tumor Project, will investigate promising new treatments for brain cancer."Dr. Pannullo is one of the nationâs few doctors trained in Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Neuro-Oncology. Accordingly, she is uniquely qualified to lead our multifaceted, multidisciplinary Neuro-Oncology program," said Dr. Philip Stieg, Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery. "Additionally, Dr. Pannullo has that rare combination of research acumen and humanistic patient care."
Dr. Jean W. Pape, an internationally recognized infectious disease expert and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, has received France's highest distinction, the Legion d'Honneur, for his more-than-two-decades of work fighting disease in his native Haiti.
Last April Swedish scientists discovered high levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide in wide range of starch-containing foods that are fried or baked, particularly french fries, potato chips and crackers.
Light the yule log and mull some cider if you live in the Northeast United States because chances of a white Christmas improve if snow still is on the ground by tomorrow, Dec. 18.
This holiday season, go out on a limb -- give the gift of graft. Without leaving home next spring, gardeners can learn to graft multiple fruit varieties onto a single fruit tree, create unusual growth forms and apply these skills to propagate plants that do not root easily.
Jeffrey S. Lehman, dean of the University of Michigan Law School and national leader in higher education, was appointed Cornell University's 11th president by the Board of Trustees at a special meeting held on campus today (Saturday, Dec. 14).
