Darlene E. and James “Jim” B. (1969 B.S., 1972 M.A., 1974 Ph.D.) McCord believe in the power of character and commitment. These qualities are what inspired the two to form the McCord Foundation, which has made a generous gift of $75,000 for the new P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse. They’re also the guiding principles by which the couple lives.

“This contribution is about Iowa’s women rowers,” says Darlene McCord. “It’s about their commitment to rowing, to the team, to the University. We value this kind of dedication, and we wanted to make a gift in recognition of it.”

It’s no surprise that the McCords would want to recognize such perseverance and hard work. The same values helped them establish McCord Research, an Iowa-based corporation that researches and develops high-quality products for wound and skin care. Darlene McCord — a biochemist with a Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley who specializes in the chemistry of skin-product formulation — is the company’s senior researcher, and Jim McCord is the director of business development. Prior to this, Jim McCord was dean at East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles Southwest College.

Together, the McCords are members of The Presidents Club, which recognizes the UI’s highest-level contributors, and they have used their professional success to give back generously to others — including Iowa’s women rowers. “Whether you’re a scientist or an athlete, you must persevere to reach that goal line,” says Darlene McCord. “You have to reach for something deep inside of you and keep striving. We hope this gift will help these young women do that.”

Jim McCord admits that before meeting with Head Coach Mandi Kowal, neither he nor his wife knew much about the rowing team’s pressing need for a new facility. Now, they understand just what a difference their gift — which will name a dock at the new boathouse — will make for these UI athletes.

“We hope this will give the coach a way to attract and retain a new generation of women rowers,” says Jim McCord. “It’s amazing that Coach Kowal has done as well as she has, given the resources she’s had to work with in the past.”

Darlene McCord agrees: “It’s all about the coach and her players — and their amazing level of teamwork. We hope our foundation’s gift will tell these athletes: ‘We support you. We respect you. You represent the UI with dignity and pride — and that deserves recognition.’”

Thanks to the vision and generosity of contributors like the McCords, current and future generations of UI women rowers will be able to show their Iowa pride on the water — and in the boathouse.

Lymphedema is the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue, causing swelling. Lymphedema can develop when lymphatic vessels are missing or impaired; or when lymph nodes removed, such as during surgery for cancer. It may develop as a result of surgery, radiation, infection or trauma. Lymphedema may be caused by the weight of a fat apron, the excessive pressure congesting the lymph and blood vessels of the lower abdomen. Patients will note swelling, darkened skin, hardening and thickened abdominal tissue, dryness, fissures, itching, pain, and development of warty growths or ‘papillomatosis’. They may note development of ulcers in the skin folds and in traumatized areas: and inability to get ulcers in the damaged skin to heal. In our clinic, we see a number of morbidly obese patients with lymphedema. They all report dry, itchy, scaly, painful skin. Clinically, they present with indurated, congested skin, with varying degrees of peau ‘de orange and papillomatosis. This firm, but delicate skin is prone to injury and ulceration, particularly in the creases and around the papillomas. We have found success with the consistent use of Olivamine containing skin care products. The line of products we use contain Olivamine, a blend of ingredients including antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and methylsulfonylmethane. These ingredients help to nourish skin with everything it needs to atttain and maintain health. These products soothe the pain and itching, promotes healthy skin at the edge of wounds and ulcerations, thus promoting a healthy epithelial edge for improved wound healing. We will continue to utilize Olivaminecontaining skin care products in our clinic to promote healthy skin, to reduce the risk of sores and ulcerations, and improve quality of life.

Symptoms associated with radiation dermatitis are a result of tissue breakdown involving a decline in both collagen and glycosaminoglycans, as well as from changes in their chemical structure and 3-dimensional organization.  The transdermal delivery of certain amino acids has been shown to restore collagen synthesis and deposition, while thickening the epidermal skin layer.  Selected amino acids have been shown to inhibit the genotoxicity of reactive oxygen species in dermal and epidermal skin cells during radiotherapy.  In particular, N-acetyl-l- cysteine (NAC) exhibits significant protective effects on skin, including the extracellular inhibition of mutagenic agents from exogenous sources such as irradiation.

NAC modulates reactive metabolic pathways, protects normal DNA and nuclear enzymes, and prevents the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts.  The amino acid exerts its effects via its potent antioxidative properties, as well as its unique ability to sequester nitric oxide (NO) and reverse TNFα toxicity in human cells.  NO production was found to be significantly increased in cancer patients, especially in individuals being treated for breast cancer.  Breast cancer patients are known to exhibit increased levels of both nitrate and nitrite, which may be in response to the inflammation characteristic of breast tumor growth.  Since radiotherapy further increases NO activity and induces inflammation, the topical application of amino acids such as NAC should be considered.  NAC reacts directly with NO to reduce the increased NO generation while reversing harmful glutathione depletion.

Darlene McCord

Darlene McCord, Ph.D.

www.olivamine.com

Many commonly used baby skin care products contain potentially very harmful ingredients.  Baby skin care products containing dyes (artificial color) should be avoided as many of these artificial colors are known sensitizers and may result in dermatitis and allergic reactions.  As this may become a health concern, dyes in products should be avoided.  Fortunately, they are not life threatening.  However, many of these products contain additional chemicals that may be life-threatening and must be unequivocally avoided. Three commonly used baby skin care chemicals that must be avoided are talc, propylene glycol and glycerin.

Talc
is a common ingredient of the most popular baby powders in use.  In a survey conducted by Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Il, 47% of the respondents used baby powder (talc).    Another study of baby powder usage found that 69% of parents routinely applied baby powder to their newborns’ skin.  In this study parents used the baby powder because they believed that the powder killed bacteria and yeast and prevented diaper rash, neither of which is a valid action of baby powder.  Fewer than 500 of the respondents were aware that aspiration or ingestion of powder (talc) was a health hazard  .  
    Baby powder use has been associated with morbidity and mortality due to inhalation .  In a review of talc related infant deaths, it was found that of the 25 cases reviewed, fatality occurred in 20%   of these reported cases.  Based upon the potential hazard of talc use, baby powders containing talc should be discouraged for infants. Darlene McCord

Darlene McCord