People intimately involved in the Attica uprising 40 years ago met in upstate New York for a special symposium related to the anniversary. Heather Ann Thompson, a history professor at Temple, is working on a book about Attica and participated in a panel discussion during the two-day conference. "Despite the collective heroism and dedication assembled before you, there is a bit of bad news," she said. "We're all here 40 years after this ugly event, and the State of New York still has not apologized for using excessive force."

In recent months, researchers in Philadelphia and beyond have reported success using gene therapy to treat cardiac problems including heart failure, hardened arteries and atrial fibrillation. Although these successes occurred in animal models — with results in humans being inconclusive, researchers believe the field is close to a breakthrough. "I think cardiac gene therapy has great promise," said Steven Houser, director of the Independence Blue Cross Cardiovascular Research Center at Temple's School of Medicine. "I think you'll see lots of things over the next few years."

The conduct in Washington and Philadelphia these days has been prone to explosions and breakdowns, irritating many citizens to the point of alienation. But what if "politics" isn't inherently lousy, but rather a good and necessary activity in a democracy? "I think politics has gotten a bum rap," says Temple political science professor Barbara Ferman. "The last 10 years or so at the national level, with all the polarization going on, politics is seen as the thing that stops us from making any progress."

Mother always said, "Take your vitamins." But the question remains about which is the best way to get the daily recommended amounts every adult needs to stay healthy? "When you isolate a vitamin or mineral in a pill, you’re separating it from the other nutrients it may have reacted with in its naturally occurring state — in food," said Jessica O’Neill, a registered dietician at Temple University Hospital. "So your body may not get all the benefits it would reap if you’d just eaten the food to begin with."