A night at Birmingham Art Crawl downtown. From Amber Pierce.
•
A day for a picnic at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham. From Lefty Daniels.
•
Animation test sequence: Birmingham, no place like it. From Scott Thigpen. (Read a book excerpt from Scott.)
•
Birmingham mayor William Bell extends an invitation to Pope Francis. From WIAT-42.
•
Looking ahead to the Vulcan Run and the Mercedes Marathon. From Run Birmingham.
•
British soul/jazz group the Filthy Six performs “Mr. Morris” Ol Elegante studios in Homewood. From Spectra Sonic Sound Sessions.
•
Highlight reel for Jonathan Etheridge, point guard for Ramsay High School in Birmingham. From Street Light Recruiting.
•
The 2014 On the Set Summer Film Camp at the Medical Forum. From Stratosfilm Productions.
•
The Rt. Rev. Dr. James Tengatenga addresses the congregation at St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church on Southside. From the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.
•
Rev. Christine Perry on “One Power and One Presence.” From Unity of Birmingham.
UAB scientists announced Thursday a breakthrough in the fight against one of America’s deadliest diseases.
After more than a decade of research, the Comprehensive Diabetes Center has found that hypertension medication verapamil reverses the onset of diabetes in mice. UAB will begin human trials in 2015.
Dr. Anath Shalev, the center’s director, said in a UAB report, “We have previously shown that verapamil can prevent diabetes and even reverse the disease in mouse models and reduce TXNIP in human islet beta cells, suggesting that it may have beneficial effects in humans as well.”
Dr. Anath Shalev
Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin to control blood sugar. When blood sugar levels increase, so does production of the protein TXNIP which kills beta cells, thwarts insulin production and fosters the progression of diabetes.
UAB’s research has found that verapamil lowers TXNIP levels in mice, eradicating diabetes in the process.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has given a 3-year, $2.1 million grant to UAB for human trials.
Video: How verapamil saves pancreatic beta cells and
cures diabetes in mice
The Frozen Tide faces Arkansas tonight and Saturday in Pelham.
The 10th season of Alabama club hockey is going strong, with only one loss among its opening nine games. Tonight and Saturday, the Frozen Tide faces Arkansas (11-5-0) in its first SECHC matches of the season.
The Razorbacks have been playing since September, already having defeated new West Division provisional member Auburn in two early games.
Faceoff is at 8 tonight and 1 p.m. Saturday on home ice at the Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road [map]. Tickets are $5 at the door.
The nation’s oldest Veterans Day parade will hit the streets of downtown Birmingham next week. In addition, the National Veterans Day celebration will have other events around town.
Sunday: The Veterans Day Tribute takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park near Liberty Park [map]. Free.
Monday: The National Veterans Award Dinner and Dance takes place at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Birmingham, 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., downtown [map]. This year’s honoree is Bob Dole, former Senator and World War II vet who was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. $30.
Tuesday, Veterans Day:
8:30 a.m. — Memorial service honoring veterans who have died in the last year. Cathedral Church of the Advent, 2017 Sixth Ave. N., downtown [map]. Free.
1:30 p.m. — Parade through downtown (see route map below).
6:30 p.m. — Got Your Six Gala at Good People Brewing Company, 114 14th St. S., next to Regions Field [map]. Montgomery blues singer Kip Traylor performs. $25, proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Family Foundation, an Alabama nonprofit organization providing financial assistance to families of wounded and deceased soldiers.