Author: Jo Louise Seltzer

For the first time, the venerable international Explorers Club will present its prestigious Lowell Thomas awards in St. Louis at a gala dinner on October 15.  The awards, established in honor of the journalist and broadcaster who made Lawrence of Arabia famous, have been given in New York since their establishment in 1980.

The St. Louis chapter of the Explorers Club, working closely with St. Louis Academy of Science, is sponsoring the event.  Titled “Exploring the World’s Greatest Mysteries,” the festivities will take place from October 14-16.  The awards dinner and a scientific symposium are open to the public.

“Considering the nearby discovery of Cahokia Mounds, and St. Louis’ role as home base for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the city is a fitting location for our first awards dinner outside of New York, “ said Lorie Karnath, president of the Explorers Club and Rolex Watch, USA.

Members of the Explorers Club, founded in 1904 by illustrious explorers of the time, have accomplished a number of ‘firsts.’  Among them are firsts to both north and south poles, first to the summit of Mount Everest, and first to the surface of the moon.

Continue reading Prestigious Lowell Thomas awards will be presented for first time in St. Louis

Diarrhea kills nearly two million children under the age of five each year.  It is the world’s second leading cause of death in this age group.  Most of the affected children live in developing countries, and have limited access to clean water and modern medical facilities.

“When children in this country develop severe diarrhea and become lethargic, their parents can take them to the emergency room for IV fluids,” explains Pete Ruminski, executive director of Saint Louis University’s Center for World Health and Medicine.  “Even if the diarrhea isn’t severe enough for hospitalization, pediatricians routinely replenish fluid and electrolytes with Gatorade or its equivalent dissolved in clean water.”

Diarrhea can have many causes.  Cholera often accompanies major disasters.  Infection by amoeba, viruses such as rotavirus, and parasites like giardia all result in the cramping and loss of water and electrolytes in this potentially lethal syndrome.  The bacterial E. coli epidemic that has recently sickened thousands of Europeans has diarrhea as one of its manifestations.

Except for opiates, the main drug available to treat the symptoms of diarrhea is Immodium.  Immodium keeps the large intestine from contracting, but is not recommended for use in young children.

Continue reading Former Pfizer researchers work together to fight diarrhea in developing nations

Phil Needleman relishes his new role as Interim President and CBO of the Saint Louis Science Center.

“What’s good about an interim president is that it means change,” he exults.  “It is the death of ‘the way we’ve always done it.'”

Having just finished another stint as interim head of an institution—nearly two years at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center– he knows whereof he speaks.

According to Sam Fiorello, COO of the Danforth Center, he left that research institute in better shape than when he came.

Needleman has lost none of his gusto for anything to do with science since he first came to St. Louis in 1964 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at Washington University Medical School.  His enthusiasm—always conveyed with a wide smile and his St. Louis-tempered Brooklyn accent—has shaped the environment of in all of his workplaces.

He spent 25 years at Washington U, leaving his position as Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology to become Chief Scientist at Monsanto.  The move to industry was prompted by what he felt was a unique opportunity to follow his research all the way from basic science through development and eventual marketing of a drug.

Continue reading Scientist thrives on challenge and change

Meet baby Sophie from the Saint Louis Zoo.

Just three months old, this fluffy little Coquerel’s sifaka lemur spends her day riding piggyback on mom Almirena.  She is still nursing, but is beginning to reach out and show some curiosity about the food her parents and brother Titus (age 15 months) enjoy.  Watch Sophie and Mom interact.

Continue reading Zoo’s conservation efforts in Madagascar include welcoming a baby lemur

Archie the corpse flower’s blossom is dying in the UMSL greenhouse.  But Betty, a companion corpse flower is growing fast, and should reach her spectacular and smelly full bloom in the not too distant future.

The corpse flower, titan arum, is the largest flower of its type in the world.  Technically, it is an unbranched inflorescence, meaning that within the flower structure are many male and female flowers.  Native to the equatorial rain forest of Sumatra, it is spectacular in all senses of the word.

Continue reading Rebirth for the corpse flower