Medical Grant Awarded to U of M Professor

A University of Maryland professor is working on a vaccine that could be used to treat children with cancer.  It is seen to be a hopeful alternative to the harmful side effects that chemotherapy can cause.  The $375,000 grant was awarded by the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.  The grant will help fund books, equipment, and the trails.  You can learn more at The Gazette.
 
A University of Maryland, College Park, professor is designing a cancer vaccine that could be used to treat children without risking the harmful side effects of chemotherapy, and is now being backed by a national cancer foundation.

Christopher Jewell, a UM assistant professor of bioengineering, received a $375,000 grant in December from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer to support his research as it applies to pediatric cancer.

“This is a pretty big grant for an assistant professor,” said Jewell of Silver Spring. “It’s really a great opportunity to gain some innovation, expertise and hopefully make a difference for pediatric patients.”

The three-year grant, which began in early January, will help fund equipment, books and materials for the project, as well as vaccine trials on mice, Jewell said.

Jewell’s research aims to create a designer vaccine that will specifically target lymph nodes and help the immune system eliminate cancer cells and prevent their return, he said. Once developed, the technology could be modified to treat various types of autoimmune diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis, he said.

“Cancer vaccines have been studied, because it’s a very promising idea,” Jewell said. “But the problem is the field just hasn’t gotten that to work very well in cancer patients.”

Jay Scott, co-executive director for the Pennsylvania-based Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, said Jewell’s research stood out because it presented a treatment that was safer for children than traditional treatments.

“One of our priorities is obviously find new cures, but also treatments that are less toxic for the kids,” he said. “We’re looking for something that might be innovative. Something that hasn’t been tried before.”

Jewell’s grant was one of the largest awarded by the organization, which receives nearly 400 applications each year, Scott said.

“This is a very prestigious award,” he said.

James Andorko, 24, of Silver Spring is one of around 10 students and post-doctoral researchers working with Jewell and said he is thankful for the chance to participate in the research.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Andorko said. “Winning the grant and getting an opportunity to work on this project opens a lot of doors.”

Yu-Chieh Chiu of College Park is a post-doctorate researcher who has been working in Jewell’s lab since July. He said he was drawn to the project because of Jewell’s energetic and innovative approach.

“At this point everybody is trying to kill cancer. There are hundreds of different ways to kill cancer,” he said. “This project is very different from other approaches. From Dr. Jewell’s primary data, it seems pretty feasible.”

50 DIY Organizational Tips

Are you looking for a new organizational system for the new year?  Buzzfeed has a list of 50 Clever DIY Organizational Ideas.  You can look below and check out Buzzfeed for the complete list.

1. Tea Shelf

Organize all your teas (or coffees or spices or what-have-yous) in this prettified champagne box by Sarah from Look What I Made.

Materials: an old wine or champagne box (you can get it at wine stores or even some delis), two pieces of the lid of the box (you’ll get it in pieces anyway since it breaks when opened), four screws, decorative paper (old wrappig paper will do the trick), and a screwdriver.

1. Take the box and fit the paper in the back. Just fold the edges in to get the right size. No need to glue it- adding the shelves will secure it in place.
2. Take the pieces of the lid and fit them in where you want the shelf to go. Screw them to the sides.
3. Once you have the pieces of the lid set and steady, the little shelf is finished.

2. Book Letter Holder

Don’t let your mail just pile up on the counter this year. Use this tutorial by Renee from Bulb to Blossom to turn an old book into an elegant letter holder.

Materials: a book (a smaller hardcover works nicely), craft glue, a sponge brush, a ruler, and a utility knife.

1. First, after separating the book into equal sections, apply glue to the inside of the seam.
2. Use the sponge brush to spread the glue evenly along the seam.
3. Roll the first section of the book inward and press it into the seam, and hold in place.
4. Continue this process for the remaining sections.
5. After the glue has dried, use your ruler and utility knife to score the cover of several times, removing the excess. Do this for the front and back cover.

3. Address Book

You meant to send out those thank you cards, mail that New Year letter, and just keep in touch in general. However when the “daunting” task of writing that letter, and penning 30+ addresses… sometimes best of intentions is as far as it goes. So create this zero effort address mailing book by Ursula from Homemade by Carmona that takes the scary out of the task! Perfect for Christmas cards, paying bills, sending out party invitations, or just your everyday letter.

Materials: binder, plastic divider pockets and/or sheet protectors, variety of address labels, and stationery materials (cards, envelopes, paper, stamps, stickers, and ribbon).
1. Create address labels. Using the template instructions included with the labels, type up addresses by category. Try categories such as His Side of the Family, Her Side of the Family, Friends of the Family, Business Associates, Church Friends, even Monthly Bills, etc. Don’t forget to create return address labels.
2. Print an address template on paper rather than directly onto labels. Addresses may change over time, and it is better to keep a paper template you can copy off of when you are ready to print your actual labels. Make any necessary changes on your computer and print up a new paper template rather than waste pre-printed labels. (The only exception is return address labels.)
3. Organize and stock the binder. Use pocket dividers or sheet protectors to organize address templates, a variety of label styles (same size), cute stationery, stickers, stamps, etc.
4. Use your address book often!! When it is time to plan that party or send those thank you notes, pull the appropriate address category, print your labels, adhere, and send.

4. Magnet Bowls

Via agirlandagluegun.com

Simply paint some magnetic bowls and use them to store all your metal necessities, such as pins, paper clips, jewelry, nuts and bolts. This simple tutorial shows you how.

5. Cubby Shelf Organizer

Via onceuponherdream.blogspot.com

This post shows you how to secure empty tape rolls to a glitter-covered tape roll to create a storage solution of jewelry and other odds and ends.

6. Screwdriver Coat Rack

Via homemade-modern.com

Turn painted screw drivers into the handles of a modern DIY coat hanger.

7. Six-pack Craft Caddy

Via craftfoxes.com

Easiest DIY ever- use six-pack beer box to store your craft supplies, such as knitting needles, tape measures, and yarn. This blog had the bright idea.

8. Makeup Brush Storage

Via irinascutebox.blogspot.com

This blogger shows you how to weave elastic through a sushi mat to make a nifty makeup brush storage solution.

9. Shoe Ladder

Via diydoctor.org.uk

Paint a wooden ladder and you’ve got yourself a new shoe rack! As seen here.

10. Wire and Hanging Spice Storage

Via freckledlaundry.com

Stacking spices in a cupboard just doesn’t work. But you can easily (and cheaply) make a pretty and practical spice display with small glass bottles, wire, a white Sharpie, and this tutorial.

11. Peg Board Yarn Holder

Via knitsforlife.com

Are you a knitter or crocheter? A peg board make for easy and artful yarn storage. Check out this post for details.

12. Color Block Mason Jars

Via girllovesglam.com

Chalkboard paint and mason jars won’t be going out of style in January 2014. Try this colorful variation to decorate your office odds and ends, as done here.

13. Etched Glass Kitchen Containers

Via marthastewart.com

But if you’re over the whole chalkboard thing, try etched glass instead. These instructions explain how to make glass kitchen containers for keeping your pantry sorted.

14. Wrapping Paper Holder

Via bettercraftideas.blogspot.com

Wrapping paper in disarray after the holidays? Use an wooden stool to organize it, as done here.

15. Earring Rack

Via morningcreativity.com

Simply secure chicken wire to the interior of an empty frame to make a lovely and functional earring rack. This tutorial shows you how.

16. Salt Dough Magnets

Organize your life with these handy little magnets made from flour, salt, and water. Use them to keep track of the dishes, your to-do lists, etc. Check out this recipe.

17. Colorful Hook Hanger

Via living.msn.com

Find a precut wooden base and screw in a jumble of differently colored perfect hooks. Store scarves, purses, keys, etc. by the door. Here are the details.

18. Scarf Hanger

Via gimmesomestyleblog.com

Use a sturdy wooden hanger and shower curtain rings to organize all your scarves. Follow this simple tutorial.

19. Cord Organizer

Via ourthriftyideas.com

Decorate some empty toilet paper rolls with washi tape and use them keep your cords untangled, as done here.

20. Knob Necklace Organizer

Via familyfoodandtravel.com

Screw a variety of door knobs onto a wooden board to make this necklace organizer.

21. Pen Holder

Via creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com

Simply stick a bunch of empty toilet paper rolls inside a decorated shoe box to keep your pen stash neatly organized. As done here.

22. Kitchen Shutter Door Organizer

Via creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com

Spray paint an old shutter door, and use it to hang your kitchen goods. Check out these directions.

Rare Discovery by U of M Undergrads

A University of Maryland astronomy class did not realize what they had discovered in class.  They have made the rare find of a pair of asteroids that orbit and eclipse one another.  There have been less than 100 asteroids identified of this type in the main asteroid belt.  You can learn more below and at UofM.


Students in a University of Maryland undergraduate astronomy class have made a rare discovery that wowed professional astronomers: a previously unstudied asteroid is actually a pair of asteroids that orbit and regularly eclipse one another.
 
Fewer than 100 asteroids of this type have been identified in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, said Melissa Hayes-Gehrke, who teaches the hands-on class for non-astronomy majors in which eight students made the find in the fall semester 2013.

The students' discovery that 3905 Doppler is an eclipsing binary asteroid will be presented in a poster session Jan. 7 at the meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Md., and published in April in the Minor Planet Bulletin.

"This is a fantastic discovery," said UMD Astronomy Professor Drake Deming, who was not involved with the class. "A binary asteroid with such an unusual lightcurve is pretty rare. It provides an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the physical properties and orbital evolution of these objects."

"Actually contributing to the scientific community and seeing established scientists getting legitimately excited about our findings is a very good feeling," said Terence Basile, a junior from Beltsville, Md., majoring in cell biology.

One of hundreds of thousands of pieces of cosmic debris in our solar system's main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, 3905 Doppler was discovered in 1984, but over the coming decades it attracted scant attention. In September 2013, Hayes-Gehrke's students picked it and two other asteroids from an astronomy journal's list of asteroids worth observing because they were well positioned in the autumn sky and were scientific enigmas.

Student teams studying 3905 Doppler met over four nights in October 2013. Each four-person team observed and photographed the asteroid, using a privately owned telescope in Nerpio, Spain, which they accessed and controlled over the Internet. Their main task was to photograph changes in the intensity of each asteroid's reflected light and turn those images into a lightcurve.

A lightcurve is a graph of a celestial object's brightness over time. Variations in brightness are often due to the object's shape, with spherical objects like planets yielding lightcurves that do not vary, and asymmetrical objects like asteroids producing peaks and valleys as the amount of reflected light varies. By measuring the time between maximum light intensities, planetologists can tell how fast an asteroid is rotating. Most asteroids complete a rotation in a few hours to a day.

"When we looked at the images we didn't realize we had anything special, because the brightness difference is not something you can see with your eyes," Hayes-Gehrke said. But when the two teams studying 3905 Doppler used a computer program to chart its lightcurve, they found the asteroid's light occasionally faded to nearly nothing.

"It was incredibly frustrating," said Alec Bartek, a senior physics major from Brookeville, Md. "For some reason our light curve didn't look right."

It was as though the rotating rock had suddenly gone dark – and Hayes-Gehrke suspected that's exactly what was happening. She thought 3905 Doppler was actually two asteroids orbiting one another. When one of the two asteroids blocked the telescope's view of its companion, the result was an asteroid eclipse – and a sharp dip in the light curve.

An amateur astronomer in Italy who was viewing 3905 Doppler at about the same time shared his data with the students. Observations by the Italian, Lorenzo Franco, confirmed the lightcurve came from a binary asteroid.

"Even then I was not fully aware of how special the discovery was," said sophomore economics major Brady Bent of Arbutus, Md. "I thought it just meant we would have to do more work. As we continued to analyze our data, other professors in the Astronomy Department came over to view our work. At this point I understood just how rare our find was."

The two asteroids are probably roughly potato-shaped and pocked with impact craters made by strikes from other space debris, Hayes-Gehrke said. The smaller one is about three-quarters the length of the larger one. They orbit each other end to end. Each orbit takes 51 hours – an unusually long time and one the student researchers can't explain. Now that the students have shown how unusual the asteroid is, it's likely that other astronomers will study it.

"Picking the asteroid was luck," Hayes-Gehrke said. So was the fact that the students' camera happened to record an eclipse. But then the students used the same problem-solving techniques a professional astronomer would use to explain an unexpected finding.

"That's the whole point of the class," Hayes-Gehrke said. "I'm hoping they'll keep in mind, when they read about scientific results, that it's not a cut-and-dried process, but the scientist probably had to go through some kind of struggle to get results."

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!

A Delicious Christmas Treat

Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households.  However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat.  Check out this great recipe below.  This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.


I come from a generously-sized family, the sort that prompted wide eyes and under-the-breath counting from strangers who glimpsed our brood at the library or grocery store. I'll spare you the counting and say that I have five brothers and two sisters, so eight of us, plus parents, and now assorted spouses and in-laws. Christmas is an all-day affair for us, with stockings and enough presents to necessitate an intermission about halfway through unwrapping. But as we've grown up and gotten married, things have shifted; last year we did Christmas in the evening, instead of in the morning, and every holiday now has a marked absence of a sibling (or two) celebrating with someone else's family.

But there is one inviolable tradition that still binds our Christmases together, and that is my mother's cinnamon rolls.
 

My mother's cinnamon rolls are warm and yeasty, prepared ahead of time but baked Christmas morning, enticing people out of bed (since we're now mostly too old to spring out of bed at 4:30am, or camp under the tree). My brothers anticipate them eagerly and devour them instantly.

On Christmas I leave the roll duties to my mother, since, you know, tradition. But I love her recipe and use it too, especially when we have overnight guests, since these rolls are so easy to make ahead and bake off in a few minutes. This recipe makes two dozen rolls, and I like to make a full batch but freeze half of them for impromptu brunches.

I do add my own twists; I like to go beyond cinnamon and add a few extra spices for aroma and taste. Star anise, cardamom, coriander — they add a little something special.

These cinnamon rolls are sweet, spicy, and decadent, and they can satisfy those who want a crunchy sugar glaze on the bottom and creamy icing on top. All it takes (all it ever takes, really) is a little extra butter and a little extra sugar. These are not a breakfast for those on a diet; these are not to be made every weekend. But when you're making cinnamon rolls, in my opinion it's best to go all out — they're a generous treat for family mornings, a tradition from my family to yours. Par-baked cinnamon rolls about to go back in the oven.

Spicy Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 24 rolls For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup milk, lightly warmed
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

For the filling:
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds or powder
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft

For the icing:
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more as desired

To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly bubbly. With a whisk or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat in the sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is very thick.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and warm, or switch to the dough hook and knead in the stand mixer. Knead for about 5 minutes in the mixer, or 7 minutes by hand, until the dough is taut and smooth.

Wipe out the bowl and spray lightly with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning it to make sure it's coated in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled — about 2 hours.

For the filling, grind the spices in a spice grinder until fine and mix with the brown sugar. (If you want to skip the extra spices or use powdered cinnamon instead of whole, substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons cinnamon for all the spices.) Cream the butter with the spices and sugar in a mixer or with hand beaters.

Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans. On a floured surface roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 14 inches by 24 inches. When the dough is rolled out, slather it thickly with the creamed butter and sugar, making sure to spread it nearly to the edges. Roll up along the long side, stretching and pulling the dough into a taut and tight roll. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 24 individual rolls.

Divide the rolls among the prepared pans and let rise in a warm place until the rolls double in size — about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.


Make-Ahead Instructions: To make the rolls ahead of time, follow the recipe up until baking. Par-bake the rolls for just 10 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool, then freeze them in their pans or in freezer bags. To finish baking, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake in the morning at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve warm.

For the icing, beat the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and sugar together, adding more powdered sugar as necessary to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle over hot rolls with a fork. Serve warm.
Christmas Cookies and Pies are famous in many households.  However, having warm cinnamon rolls could also be a great Christmas treat.  Check out this great recipe below.  This recipe is delicious and super easy to make for a lot of people.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.

Women in Engineering

The Women in Engineering Program at the University of Maryland has received an award from the NerdScholar Favorite Women in Engineering Programs.   These top programs give great resources and opportunities for female engineers.  In Fall 2013, 30% of the people enrolled in the U of M Engineering programs were female.  Keep reading and go to UMD for more information.


The A. James Clark School of Engineering's Women in Engineering (WIE) Program at the University of Maryland has been featured as one of NerdScholar's Favorite Women in Engineering Programs, a list of programs that provide unique resources and opportunities for female engineers.

According to NerdScholar, men earn the overwhelming majority of degrees in engineering (82 percent) from the top 50 academic institutions that award them. Furthermore, total enrollment of women in engineering programs dropped from 19.8 percent in 1999 to 17.9 percent in 2009. NerdScholar's list of women in engineering programs features schools, such as UMD, that are tackling this problem head on and can serve as inspiration for other programs hoping to close the gender gap.

WIE's efforts, along with the university's push for diversity and inclusion, have resulted in a steady increase in the enrollment of female engineers over the past decade. As of fall 2013, 29.4 percent of UMD's first-year engineering students are women, placing the university well above the national average.

As quoted by NerdScholar, WIE's director Paige Smith says, "Diversity and the inclusion of women are critical to the field of engineering. Diversity inspires creativity, which in turn drives innovative design. Inclusion ensures that all people have a seat at the table. At the University of Maryland, we send a clear message to prospective engineering students that engineering is not only an exciting career, but one that is critical for improving lives and the world around us."

UMD's Women in Engineering Program was established in January 1995 through a grant from the Sloan Foundation. WIE is actively involved in the recruitment of women to the Clark School and holds an annual DREAM Conference designed to show high school students the innovations and opportunities engineering has to offer. WIE offers scholarships, fellowships, and volunteer opportunities. WIE students are also able to participate in a living-learning community, which allows them to live and connect with each other in a setting conducive to study groups, networking, and social activities.