Daily News

December 23, 2004

Researchers at McMaster University have developed the first assessment tool of its kind for evaluating risks faced by Canadians suffering from a rare and often fatal bleeding disorder. Their detailed bleeding questionnaire helps discriminate between patients - often in the same family - affected by a puzzling and rare condition known as Quebec Platelet Disorder (QPD) and those who are not.

December 23, 2004

People with chronic pain should have it attended to by a pain specialist, not just by the physician overseeing their disease or condition, says the scientific director of the new Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care. James Henry, 60, says chronic pain should be treated aggressively as early as possible, to stop the body from getting set in its ways, that is, allowing the development of neuroplastic processes which may mean the pain condition lasts longer than the underlying condition or disease which brought it on.

December 23, 2004

In accordance with the McMaster University Storm Emergency Policy, we have been monitoring the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Web site this morning. The H-W District schools are already closed for the holidays, and are therefore not affected by today's storm. However, we are now advised that all H-W District School Board buildings are closed for the day. Accordingly, McMaster will close today at 12:30 p.m. All essential services will continue to operate. Please note that under the terms of the McMaster University Storm Emergency Policy this closure is for the balance of today and tonight. Please check the usual media sources for information for Friday, Dec. 24.

December 22, 2004

It's like bathroom tissue; use the last sheet, replace the roll. If you take the last bus ticket from Planning & Analysis' petty cash box, you're supposed to let someone know to replace the strip. But yeah, sometimes you get busy or forget. Half of Planning & Analysis' employees commute to McMaster's Downtown Centre by bus or on foot. For meetings on main campus, department staff take transit; the trip from downtown is a mere eight minutes if the Beeline is running and the bus conveniently drops its passengers a scant 30 seconds from the Student Centre and Gilmour Hall. It's a departmental practice that Carolyn Essner, Anne McInnis and Nancy Weller appreciate.

December 21, 2004

McMaster University will be closed from Monday, Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, when normal activities resume. It is important to make sure all doors are locked and valuables are put away. If you are on campus during this period and notice anything suspicious, phone Security Services at ext. 24281. Security will be on duty throughout the holiday period, providing emergency services 24 hours a day. Officers will be patrolling campus, answering alarms and monitoring security systems.

December 20, 2004

Humanists studying electronic texts now have some new tools to assist them in their research. Computing researchers in McMaster University's Faculty of Humanities, with colleagues at New York University (NYU), have just released TAPoRware 1.0 which contains three sets of tools that can be used for the analysis of text in three specific file formats: xml, html and plain text.

December 20, 2004

Catherine Tompkins has been appointed associate dean of McMaster University's School of Nursing. In making the announcement, John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, praised the School of Nursing professor as an excellent educator and efficient administrator.

December 20, 2004

For the last decade, archaeologists, historians and Biblical scholars have been embroiled in a debate about the origins and development of the Kingdom of Edom, one of several Iron Age kingdoms mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Like the Kingdom of Israel, Edom grew from the collapse of the Egyptian empire around 1200 BC. Some have argued that Edom, located in present-day Jordan, was the result of the expansion of the Assyrian Empire in 8th to 6th centuries B.C.; others have said Edom is older, and developed independently.

December 20, 2004

Restoration companies have been called in to help with the clean-up and to dry and test computer and audio-visual equipment, after a flood from burst pipes in the McMaster Health Sciences Centre on Sunday evening. The flood caused extensive damage of the first and second floors of the west side of the Health Sciences Centre, in the red and purple areas.

December 17, 2004

McMaster and its neighbours today launched a not-for-profit organization to establish and sustain a vibrant university campus community in Hamilton's Ainslie Wood/Westdale-McMaster neighbourhood. The University, the Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association of Resident Homeowners (AWWCA) and the Westdale Village Business Improvement Association (BIA) announced the creation of the Campus Town Association (CTA).

December 17, 2004

Burgeonvest Securities Ltd. will host a unique series of events beginning Tuesday, Dec. 21, that will see the company donate an anticipated $750,000 to the Athletics & Recreation Centre and Stadium project over the next 10 years.

December 17, 2004

An overview of the McMaster Burlington campus project, final enrolment numbers, a three-year financial plan and an update on a new student residence, were some of the highlights from recent Senate and the Board of Governors meetings. The following are some of the topics addressed at these meetings: Burlington campus update:

December 17, 2004

Norman (Norm) Buckley has accepted an appointment as chair, Department of Anesthesia, effective since July 1, 2004. Buckley is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University and is the founder and director of the Pain Management Centre for Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University.

December 16, 2004

One word describes Terry Greenlay  outstanding. It's a word that appears in all categories of his annual performance reviews. Greenlay was presented the Faculty of Engineering's fourth annual Veronika Czerneda Staff Award for Outstanding Service yesterday at a year-end recognition reception. "Terry is constantly doing more than is expected without ever a word to draw attention to this fact," said Barbara McKenna, business manager, Faculty of Engineering and chair of this year's selection committee.

December 15, 2004

In just six months after graduation, 94.6 per cent of McMaster students are employed, according to a recent provincial survey. In two years, that number rises to 96.1. As well, fewer McMaster students are defaulting on their loans and more who embark on a degree, graduate with one. "I'm not surprised by these results," says McMaster President Peter George, in response to the survey sponsored by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Council of Ontario Universities. "McMaster has always graduated high-quality students who have the knowledge, skills and experience that employers require."

December 15, 2004

McMaster Marauder running back Jesse Lumsden will suit up in the 80th edition of the East-West Shrine Game on January 15, 2005 at SBC Park in San Francisco, California. Lumsden, and defensive tackle Nick Johansson, from the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, were selected as the 40th and 41st Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) representatives since 1985 to be invited to the annual all-star showcase. The game will feature more than 80 of the top United States college players. Every year since 1925, the Shrine Game has been played to benefit children who receive free medical care at 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children throughout the U.S. To date, the game has raised more than $14 million for Shriners Hospitals.

December 14, 2004

It's a unique tracking system that allows scientists to follow the course of cancerous cells throughout the body of a live animal in real time. The technology is in use at the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) and Gurmit Singh, professor of pathology and molecular medicine and director of research at the JCC, will discuss the research that might one day lead to new ways to control, treat, cure or even prevent diseases such as cancer, at tonight's Science in the City lecture.

December 13, 2004

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to start a fitness regimen, you might want to seek professional help. A study by McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology has found that people who are new to an exercise activity perform better when their goals are set by a fitness professional rather than by themselves.

December 13, 2004

Olympic gold medallist and McMaster student Adam van Koeverden celebrated another victory today after being named Canada's outstanding athlete by the Toronto Star. The kayaker was named the 2004 winner of the Lou Marsh Award, beating out some of Canada's top athletes, including wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc, basketball player Steve Nash and gymnast Kyle Shewfelt.

December 10, 2004

Despite a shortage of nursing staff, new Ontario nursing graduates can't find full-time work, a McMaster University study says. In a province-wide survey of this year's graduates, researchers in McMaster's Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU) established that, among new nurses who found employment, 37 per cent had full-time jobs, 61 per cent had part-time or casual work and the others took on multiple jobs. In contrast, most new nurses (79 per cent) say they want full-time work.