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Instead of getting his team fired up with movies or fire and brimstone, Larry Kindbom, football coach at Washington University in St. Louis, solicits motivational letters from successful people in all walks of life. He has received responses from people such as former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, Vice President Al Gore, Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher, sportscaster Bob Costas and a host of other notables.

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Nearly every federal policy directed toward Native Americans since the time of America's discovery has been a policy of either annihilation or assimilation. For this reason, Native Americans have not been fully recognized as vibrant, valued and productive, says Dana Klar, J.D., founding and interim director of the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

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A practicum that focused on alternative energy use led MBA students to the jatropha plant, a hardy shrub with seeds that produce an oil that can power basic generators. The students' articulated the potential for economic stability that jatropha offers African villages.

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The Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has been awarded a $156 million, four-year grant to use the powerful tools of DNA sequencing to unlock the secrets of cancer and other human diseases.

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If Democrats want to expand their House and Senate majorities, they need to protect new members who were elected from Republican-leaning districts while showing they can govern by passing a limited popular agenda, suggests Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Costas Azariadis, professor of economics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, comments on the passing of Milton Friedman, a path-breaking conservative economist who passed away today at age 94.

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Research performed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis sheds light on the mechanisms that contribute to liver disease in alpha-1-AT deficiency patients. Using an experimental mouse model of the disorder, the researchers investigated the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on liver injury.

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In an effort to close the gap between organ supply and demand, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, the University of Michigan and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons are studying ways to reimburse living donors for some of their out-of-pocket expenses when they choose to donate an organ.

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A study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed that in women whose initial breast biopsies revealed certain rare, yet benign breast conditions, more extensive follow-up surgical biopsies found cancer up to 25% of the time. Most of the cancers were invasive, meaning the tumors had penetrated normal breast tissue and would require treatment.

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A simple points system may soon help guide treatment of elderly heart failure patients. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that by counting how many of seven easy-to-obtain health factors a patient has, physicians can estimate the patient's risk of dying.

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To prevent rejection, nearly 70 percent of kidney transplant patients get short-term drug therapy during surgery. In the first direct comparison of the two drugs most commonly given to block acute rejection, a study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that one - anti-thymocyte globulin - is superior.

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Studies of a rare genetic condition that increases cancer risk have unveiled a potential treatment for metabolic syndrome, a common disorder that afflicts as many as one in every four American adults and puts them at sharply increased risk of type 2 diabetes and clogged arteries.

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The idea that dying people hang on to life in order to celebrate one more birthday or holiday has no firm scientific basis, according to behavioral medicine researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. There's no evidence that the time of death can be postponed through force of will or hastened by loss of the desire to live, researchers concluded.

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All those holiday parties and office gatherings laden with scrumptious food and drink don't have to mean the end of your weight loss plan. It's still possible to enjoy the bounty and not feel deprived of your favorite holiday dishes, says Connie Diekman, director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

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When college students return home for their winter break, it can be an adjustment for the entire family. While parents may have preconceived ideas about how the family will spend the holidays, students are anxious to try out their newfound independence.

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December is the month when most people scramble to find gifts for their friends, their family, and sometimes, themselves, especially when they notice that something they've wanted is now on "sale." According to a business professor at Washington University in St. Louis, most people have an easier time justifying an indulgent purchase when there is the promise of saving money, especially when it is in the form of an unexpected discount or rebate.

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Finding the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list can be a difficult task. It can be especially tough for parents of young children. Toys are the obvious choice, but with so many out there, how do parents choose the right ones for their children, and is it possible for toys to have some educational benefit as well?

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With the holiday season fast approaching, Americans are grappling more than ever with what's appropriate when it comes to rewarding service providers with tips, gifts and other token gratuities, suggests Leonard Green, a psychology professor who studies tipping behavior at Washington University in St. Louis.

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While it's known as "the season to be jolly," the holidays can be a time of stress, conflict, and pressure for many people. Don't dismay. There are strategies for coping with the emotional stresses and strains of the holiday season, says Randy Larsen, a psychologist who studies happiness and coping techniques.

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The Financial Times ranks the Washington University in St. Louis-Fudan University Executive MBA-Shanghai program eighth in the world and first in Mainland China. This is the first time that the Olin School Business and Fudan University's School of Management's venture has been ranked by the FT.

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Business schools are the last of the graduate professional schools to enroll an equal number of men and women. The Olin School of Business is pioneering the way for women to increase their numbers in MBA programs thanks to an onslaught of outreach tactics.

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Scientists have identified a naturally occurring enzyme that can break down a key component of the brain plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. The finding may provide researchers with new opportunities to understand what goes wrong in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and could one day help them seek new therapies.

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Scientists investigating an important DNA-repair enzyme now have a better picture of the final steps of a process that glues together, or ligates, the ends of DNA strands to restore the double helix.

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Orthopaedic surgery researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified yet another reason not to smoke. Studying rotator cuff injury in rats, the research team found exposure to nicotine delays tendon-to-bone healing, suggesting this could cause failure of rotator cuff repair following surgery in human patients.

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A pediatric ophthalmologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and St. Louis Children's Hospital conducts specialized testing and vision correction (refractive) surgery, on children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and neurobehavioral disorders such as autism.

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Heart surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have helped usher in a new era in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. Using radiofrequency devices "” rather than a scalpel "” they've greatly shortened the surgery and made it significantly easier to perform.

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The pharmaceutical industry could be wasting more than $50 billion a year in manufacturing expenses"“costs that could translate in to lower prices or greater research and development - according to findings of the largest study ever of pharmaceutical manufacturing and the F.D.A. monitoring policies.

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On Sept. 29-Oct. 1, leading scholars from Washington University in St. Louis will join former Nuremberg prosecutors and distinguished experts on international criminal justice to examine the legacy of the Nazi war trials and their impact on international law, the judicial system and world peace. The event, scheduled on the WUSTL campus, marks the 60th anniversary of the Nuremberg judgment.

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The flow of copper in the brain has a previously unrecognized role in cell death, learning and memory, according to research. The researchers' findings suggest that copper and its transporter, a protein called Atp7a, are vital to human thinking. They speculate that variations in the genes coding for Atp7a, as well as other proteins of copper homeostasis, could partially account for differences in thinking among individuals.

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An approach proven to cure a rat model of type 1 or juvenile-onset diabetes also works in a rat model of type 2 or adult-onset diabetes, according to a new report from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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A long-term study of the elderly has revealed that their average rate of weight loss doubles in the year before symptoms of Alzheimer's-type dementia first become detectable. The finding may be useful to researchers seeking to detect and treat Alzheimer's before it causes irreversible damage.

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Neurosurgeons at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are renewing calls for a ban on use of all-terrain vehicles by children under age 16 after a 10-year review of injuries caused by the vehicles.

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An experimental anti-cancer regimen combined a diuretic, a Parkinson's disease medication and a drug ordinarily used to reverse the effect of sedatives. The unusual mixture inhibited the growth of aggressive prostate tumors in laboratory mice in research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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To date about two dozen people around the world have received hand transplants. Thomas Tung, M.D., conducts research within this relatively unorthodox realm of surgery, investigating the use of therapy that could potentially allow the body to accept donor tissue without the use of immunosuppressive medication.

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To speed healing at sites of injury, doctors would like to hasten the formation of new blood vessels. One approach is to "mobilize" patients' blood vessel-forming (angiogenic) cells. Recently, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrated that a drug called AMD3100 can mobilize angiogenic cells in a matter of hours.

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In the battle against bullying, school officials and parents usually focus on the behavior of the bully, but to get to the root of the problem, they also must look at the physical structure of the school, says a professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

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A new St. Louis-based company will use a novel technology to rapidly screen thousands of drugs for their effectiveness against two of the biggest health threats in the United States "” diabetes and cancer.

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Granting options doesn't align managers interests with that of shareholders, Washington University finance professors say. The practice of backdating should come as a surprise.

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A Washington University pediatrician at St. Louis Children's Hospital has found that performing MRI scans on pre-term infants' brains assists dramatically in predicting the babies' future developmental outcomes.

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The sniffles. A runny nose. A cough. That's right "” the cold season is upon us. But before you head off to your doctor demanding antibiotics to lessen your symptoms, be aware that those drugs don't always work and can have serious side effects, say two physicians at Washington University in St. Louis.

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The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, home to one of the nation's finest university art collections, will open new facilities October 25. The building is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, who taught at the university from 1956 to 1963.

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As children begin practices for fall sports in the sweltering heat, it's important to take steps to prevent heat exhaustion. Children and teenagers adjust more slowly than adults to changes in environmental heat, produce more heat with activity than adults and sweat less. They also may not think to rest or drink enough fluids when playing sports or exercising.

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Educating your child's immune system is an important part of preventing disease and an important part of preparing for the upcoming school year. By following a regular vaccination schedule you can educate your child's immune system, thereby maximizing the learning opportunities for reading, writing and arithmetic.

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When investors buy stock at inflated prices, they can sue the company for any losses. Unfortunately, securities litigation isn't paying off for shareholders - even when they win. Instead, large institutional investors and lawyers rake in the money and existing shareholders end up losing out.

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Expectant mothers may someday get a personalized menu of foods to eat during pregnancy to complement their genetic makeup as a result of new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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Attempts to cool the brain to reduce injury from stroke and other head trauma may face a significant obstacle: current cooling devices can't penetrate very deeply into the brain. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a method for calculating brain temperature that may be used to improve brain cooling techniques.

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In contrast to claims that children are being overmedicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that a high percentage of kids with ADHD are not receiving treatment. In fact, almost half of the children who might benefit from ADHD drugs were not getting them.

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Swollen bellies, orange hair, listlessness and dull eyes "” these are the traits of child malnutrition in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and where roughly one of every three children is chronically malnourished. To try to change that statistic, Patricia Wolff, associate clinical professor of pediatrics, founded Meds & Food for Kids.

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The heart is an energy-hungry organ and defects in its energy metabolism contribute to heart disease. According to research published by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, high blood pressure leading to hypertrophy causes heart muscle to switch to a low fat metabolism, which can be detrimental.

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Managers often assume workers learn more and help each other when they are put into groups composed of people with a variety of expertise. But does this always happen? Recent research suggests that it may not ... at least not always.