Universities develop a more sustainable future

(University College London) Experts from the worlds of law, geography, economics, health and planning will meet at UCL on Friday, Sept. 19 to examine the ways in which today’ s universities can become locally-rooted champions for global sustainability, reaching out to the wider community to help bring about lasting change. The symposium, called: "The Sustainable University: Relating Ecological Thinking, Learning and Research, " will feature a keynote speech by Professor Michael M’ Gonigle, co-founder of Greenpeace International.

Children who are concerned about parents arguing are prone to school problems

(Society for Research in Child Development) A new study charted how children's concerns about their parents' relationship may increase their vulnerability to later adjustment problems. Children who worry a lot about conflict between their parents were found to have school problems because of difficulty focusing and sustaining attention. These attention problems were noted by teachers in the year that the concern was reported and one year later. The findings have implications for mental health programs among children dealing with parental discord.

LSUHSC awarded grant to address nursing shortage

(Louisiana State University Health Science Center) LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing has been awarded a $100, 000 grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide scholarships to individuals under-represented in nursing or from disadvantaged backgrounds in an accelerated nursing degree program. The funding will support ten scholarships in LSUHSC's Career Alternative RN Education, or CARE, Program, expanding enrollment and the number of fully qualified nurses prepared to practice.

Britney is back. No, really

BRITNEY Spears' improving health and popularity have prompted her record label to rush-release a new album in a dramatic turnaround of fortunes.

15 years later: Landmark hearing study follows up on farm youth

(Marshfield Clinic) A landmark study conducted by Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation 15 years ago found that an educational intervention improved hearing protection use among farm youth.Now, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has awarded a $954, 000 grant to MCRF to study the same group of Wisconsin youth to see whether the increase in hearing protection use continued into adulthood and whether it helped preserve hearing.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Film News: Design creatures worthy of its bigger budget -- Having won an Oscar for their work on "Pan's Labyrinth, " professional partners David Marti and Montse Ribe had more time and money for "Hellboy II." They also had more collaborators and less work to do.

Frost/ Nixon

Film News: Persuade Langella to use wig and makeup -- "Finding a happy middle ground was probably one of the most difficult things, " says star Frank Langella's makeup artist, David Anderson.

The Duchess

Film News: Be faithful to an 18th-century fashion icon -- Regency aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, subject of Saul Dibb's period drama "The Duchess, " is widely recognized as one of the first true influencers of fashion, her giant plumed wigs and sprayed-on gowns sparking copycat trends across 18th-century Britain.

Defiance

Film News: Find the right forest for its trees -- In "Defiance, " the Bielski brothers fight the Nazis from the Belarusian forests. Helmer Edward Zwick wanted the forest to be a central character in the film, since it's of paramount importance to the survival of the resistance fighters.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Film News: Blur the line between practical makeup and CGI -- To present Brad Pitt as a 6-year-old pipsqueak with the wrinkled skin of a septuagenarian, age makeups creator Greg Cannom and his team sculpted a series of head casts from young to old, which were then scanned for digital rendering.

Cloverfield

Film News: Simulate mass destruction on an intimate scale -- "Cloverfield" updated the monster movie with CG effects and a DIY sensibility, but when production designer Martin Whist had to design a destroyed apartment for a climactic scene, he found no substitute for old-fashioned demolition.

Changeling

Film News: Dress Jolie without sacrificing historical accuracy -- Working on roughly 3, 000 background costumes for "Changeling, " costume designer Deborah Hopper relied on historical photographs and a strong network of costume houses and vintage stores to provide her with suitable raiments.

Local pros reduce real-life risks

Film News: Problematic locations confront foreign filmmakers -- As filmmakers embrace compelling, globally themed stories, productions must penetrate parts of the world where "film friendly" is a novel concept.

Films merge old hammers, new pixels

Film News: Art directors collaborate with vfx supervisors -- Ten years ago, digital visual effects meant that a film could have an imaginary but almost realistic-looking creature dancing down the middle of the street. Today, the street itself may very well be computer-generated and nobody would know the difference.

Hollywood swag on the decline

Film News: Golden Globes to host a lighter gift of grab -- The economy is a real drag on swag. It's definitely the time of year for freebies, with at least six Golden Globes gifting suites scheduled over the weekend.