OLLI Program Specialist - HigherEdJobs

OLLI Program Specialist

Review: June 5, 2013

(Job #13-51) OLLI Program Specialist, Extended Education Specialist I $3,671--$5,226/month. Appointments are normally made at the beginning of the salary range. This is a full-time, benefited, probationary, 12-month position in the College of eLearning and Extended Education

Position Summary: Under the supervision of the Director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and Extend- ed Education, the OLLI Program Specialist would assist in administrative tasks and the planning and evaluation of courses and programs within the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Duties: The OLLI Program Specialist will be responsible for, but not limited to the following duties:

OLLI Program Support - Faculty Relations and Program Production

• Assist OLLI Director in the development of appropriate OLLI courses based upon community input, campus and grant guidelines;
• Communicate with OLLI faculty regarding instructor agreements and other documents, course proposals and processing class roster for payment;
• Support committees of OLLI volunteer for curriculum development, public relations, and designating subcommittees for short term projects;
• Serve as liaison between volunteer committees and the OLLI Director;
• Coordinate course evaluations and provide evaluations reports for faculty and OLLI Director; and
• Provide classroom supplies and reproduce instructor materials.

Member Services - Communications and Recruitment

• Assist OLLI Director in determining and executing marketing and outreach efforts;
• Work with OLLI Director and graphic specialist to maintain OLLI website and produce course catalogs and promotional materials;
• Provide stellar customer service and membership relations: respond to requests for information, correspond with various constituents through phone, mailings and electronic communications;
• Work with CEEE registration staff to mitigate registration issues and streamline procedures;
• Schedule venues, secure insurance, contracts and risk management forms;
• Produce electronic newsletter for members;
• Review other OLLIs nationwide for 'best practices'; and
• Survey community and OLLI members for continued development of courses.

Program Administration - Data Maintenance and Organization

• Preparation and maintenance of organized spreadsheets for faculty contact addresses, class lists, bulletin and brochure publicity;
• Format course descriptions into correct format for publication;
• Generate and maintain accurate information from the program database;
• Maintain course and program files; and
• Assist OLLI Director in the preparation of various reports.

Minimum Qualifications: Education & Experience: Education equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university, preferably with courses in adult education and curriculum planning. Equivalent to two years of experience in planning classes or programs in a specialized field of area, preferably in higher, extended or adult education.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of the procedures and practices in educational program and curriculum planning; knowledge of the resources of the campus and the surrounding community.

Ability to determine needs for new or revised programs; ability to develop course outlines with instructors; ability to assist instructors in understanding and completing contract arrangements; ability to write promotional materials and to develop a variety of promotional techniques; ability to represent the OLLI program to the community and to develop positive working relationships; ability to manage logistics of providing classes and to maintain cost information and records. Ability to interpret, apply and recommend various policies. Must be able to use independent judgment and demonstrate a positive and professional demeanor in a high-speed, production-oriented environment with frequent deadline pressures and interruptions. Position requires ability to anticipate potential problems and to respond appropriately. A high level of organizational skills and the ability to multi task administrative activities; advanced verbal and electronic communication skills; demonstrated ability to establish and maintain cooperative working environment with older adults, instructors, staff, community members and co-workers; proficiency and competence with multiple computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, Power Point, Adobe Acrobat, Google Docs, list serves and similar web based communication tools, email and internet. Strong attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience teaching or leading groups.

Application Procedure: Applicants should submit a letter of interest, HSU Employment Application, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references to Human Resources, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA, 95521-8299 or via email to careers@humboldt.edu.

Application Deadline: This position is open until filled. First review of applications will be Wednesday, June 5, 2013.

Human Resources
Siemens Hall - Room 211
Arcata, CA 95521-8299
(707) 826-3626
Fax: (707) 826-3625
www.humboldt.edu/jobs
Email: careers@humboldt.edu

It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide complete and accurate employment information. Incorrect or improperly completed applications will not be considered for vacancies. Any reference in this announcement to required periods of experience or education is full-time activity. Part-time experience or education--or activities only part of which are qualifying--will receive proportionate credit. In accordance with applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements, preference may be given to the campus applicants covered by these agreements. However, positions are open to all interested applicants, both on and off campus.

Class Code: 5181

Evidence of required degree(s), certification(s), or license(s) will be required prior to the appointment date. The successful candidate for a position at HSU is required to be fingerprinted through the Humboldt State University Police Department or their local law enforcement agency. The results of the fingerprint process must be received by the university prior to the candidate's appointment. The cost of the fingerprinting is borne by the university.

Publication Date: May 22, 2013

Humboldt State University is committed to achieving the goals of equal opportunity and endeavors to employ faculty and staff of the highest quality reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state. Additional information about Humboldt State University can be found at www.humboldt.edu.

Humboldt State University is an Equal Opportunity/Title IX/ADA Employer. Applications from and nominations of qualified women, minority candidates, covered veterans and disabled persons are particularly encouraged. Humboldt State University hires only individuals authorized to work in the United States.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

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Humboldt State University is committed to achieving the goals of equal opportunity and endeavors to employ faculty and staff of the highest quality reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state. Humboldt State University is an Equal Opportunity/Title IX/ADA Employer. Applications from and nominations of qualified women, minority candidates, Vietnam veterans and disabled persons are particularly encouraged.

Source: http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175755149

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A molecular window on itch

Researchers discover chemical puppet master behind the need to scratch

By Puneet Kollipara

Web edition: May 23, 2013

Long a mystery, the sensation of itch has yielded a clue. The neurons that detect itch rely on a newly identified chemical to send the ?I need to scratch!? message to the brain, according to a study in mice. Remove the molecule, and the mice don?t itch, researchers report in the May 24 Science.

For people, an itch can be annoying or it can be debilitating. But researchers don?t know yet how the brain senses an itch. Treatments for itch often don?t work.

The new study takes a big step forward, says Glenn Giesler Jr., a neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. ?Now we're beginning to understand the mechanisms, and that's got to lead to better treatments.?

Scientists believe that detection of itch starts in neurons with fibers that extend to the skin. Using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, these cells relay their signal to other neurons in a region of the spinal cord called the dorsal horn. Once there, the signal passes from neuron to neuron until it reaches the brain.

To find out how this signaling starts, Mark Hoon and Santosh Mishra of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Md., measured which chemicals the neurons with fibers in the skin produced the most. One of the chemicals that topped the list was a neurotransmitter called Nppb, for natriuretic polypeptide b.

They engineered mice that lack the gene to make Nppb and injected itch-inducing substances under the animals? skin. The animals barely scratched; they must have needed Nppb in the process that sends itch signals to the brain, the researchers surmise.

Hoon and Mishra next turned to the dorsal horn, where neurons must be receiving the Nppb molecules, they figured. When the researchers blocked Nppb receptors in the dorsal horn or used toxins to remove dorsal horn neurons, the mice scratched far less. In mice that still had these neurons, injecting Nppb into their dorsal horns made the animals scratch.

Because mice share many biological similarities with humans, the findings could help scientists understand how people sense itch.

Hoon notes that he and Mishra found Nppb in just a small subset of the neurons that have fibers in the skin, which could mean that only certain sensory neurons are responsible for detecting itch. Others may detect pain or temperature.

However, Hoon cautions that blocking Nppb may not be a good strategy to treat itching. Nppb could play a role in other processes in the body, so blocking the molecule from working may have side effects.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350630/title/A_molecular_window_on_itch

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Studies Cast Doubt on Cancer Drug as Alzheimer's Treatment

Four labs can't replicate finding that showed large-scale clearance of disease-related plaques. Some hope remains for improving memory

By Helen Shen and Nature magazine

Image: Womenshealth.gov

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From Nature magazine

Bexarotene, a cancer drug touted as a potential treatment for Alzheimer?s disease, may not be the blockbuster remedy scientists were hoping for, according to several analyses published in Science on 24 May. Four independent research groups report that they failed to fully replicate striking results published in the journal last year by Gary Landreth, a neuroscientist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and his colleagues.

Landreth's team reported that the drug bexarotene could lower brain concentrations of the ?-amyloid protein that has long been suspected as a key contributor to Alzheimer?s disease, and could even reverse cognitive impairments in diseased mice. But the study garnered particular attention for its claim that the drug could clear 50% of amyloid plaques ? sticky clumps of the protein thought to interfere with brain function ? in as little as 72 hours.

?That attracted a lot of folks to try to replicate these studies,? says Philip Wong, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. ?No drug at the present moment can do things like that.?

None of the follow-up studies published this week replicated the effects of bexarotene on plaques. Two groups did, however, confirm Landreth?s finding that the drug reduced levels of a soluble, free-floating form of ?-amyloid, which can aggregate in plaques.

Not all of the papers examined memory in mice, but one group led by Radosveta Koldamova, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, found that bexarotene treatment led to cognitive improvements.

Sticking points
?It was our expectation other people would be able to repeat this,? says Landreth about the results of the studies. ?Turns out that wasn?t the case, and we fundamentally don?t understand that.? He suggests that the other groups might have used different drug preparations that altered the concentration of bexarotene in the brain or even changed its biological activity.

In a response published alongside the comment articles, Landreth emphasizes that some of the studies affirm two key conclusions of the original paper: the lowering of soluble ?-amyloid levels and the reversal of cognitive deficits. He says that the interest in plaques may even be irrelevant to Alzheimer?s disease. In the past ten years, some neuroscientists have begun to question whether it is plaques or soluble ?-amyloid proteins that are most dangerous to brain health.

As the debate over plaques continues, Koldamova says that the cognitive improvement she and Landreth observed suggests that bexarotene is still very promising. ?Patients don?t go to the doctor because they have plaques. They go because they have memory decline,? she says.

Ethical dilemma
Other researchers say the contradictory results suggest that much more basic research is needed before bexarotene is used to treat Alzheimer's. ?The mechanism of action behind bexarotene has not been proven,? says Kevin Felsenstein, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, and a co-author of one of the dissenting papers. Felsenstein?s group found no evidence that bexarotene lowered levels of soluble or plaque forms of ?-amyloid protein.

Felsenstein worries that interest in Landreth?s original results could lead to misuse of the drug because, unlike many experimental treatments, it is already on the market. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved bexarotene to treat skin cancer.

In August 2012, The New England Journal of Medicine published an article anticipating growing demand for unauthorized prescriptions of bexarotene as an Alzheimer?s treatment and urging physicians to wait for evidence from human clinical trials.

Physicians and researchers may get some answers soon: Landreth?s group has begun an early clinical trial to test the drug in healthy participants.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on May 23, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d9395ba5971c83c3da6d7cb2b018f86e

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Hands-on with Maxwest's $65 7-inch dual-core ICS tablet at CTIA 2013

It's true that cheap affordable Android tablets are a dime a dozen at most trade shows these days, but here at CTIA 2013 we stumbled upon something that caught our eye -- a 7-inch dual-core tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich that costs just $65. The Maxwest TAB-7155DC aka. Ippo Y88 measures 182 x 122 x 10mm (7.16 x 4.8 x 0.39inch), weighs 187g (6.6oz) and comes in several hues (black, white, silver, red, blue and pink).

It features a 7-inch 1024 x 600-pixel capacitive multitouch LCD, an Infotmic IMAPx820 SoC (1GHz dual-core Cortex A5 CPU with Mali 400 GPU), 512MB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, dual VGA cameras (front and back), WiFi b/g/n and 2800mAh battery. The screen isn't covered in glass and there's no sign of any Bluetooth or GPS radios, but then again, what do you expect for $65? You''ll find a power / lock key, DC socket, micro-USB port (with on-the-go support) and mini-HDMI output on the top edge, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker and microSD card slot on the right side. A microphone and speaker round things up in back.

The tablet runs a mostly stock version of ICS (Android 4.1.1, to be specific) and includes the usual assortment of Google apps along with access to the Play Store. Performance is adequate -- not buttery smooth but perfectly usable. Build quality and materials are surprisingly decent for the price (the plastic is color-though), but the display leaves a lot to be desired (viewing angle are poor and the acrylic covering the screen is scratch-prone). Then again, it's only $65, right? Check out the gallery below for our rose-colored hands-on with the expensive tablet.

Gallery: Maxwest 7-inch dual-core ICS tablet hands-on

Filed under: Tablets, Google

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CDK9xArHHVg/

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10 Things to See: A week of top AP photos

Cyclists pedal during the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cesana to Col Du Galbier, Italy, Sunday, May 19, 2013. A superb solo ride up the grueling Col du Galibier enbaled Giovanni Visconti to win a weather-affected 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia Sunday, while favorite Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall lead. Atrocious weather conditions once again altered the race course and heavy snow fell at the finish as Visconti won in a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, 52 seconds, beating Carlos Betancur and Przemyslaw Niemiec by 42 seconds. (AP Photo/Fabio Ferrari)

Cyclists pedal during the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cesana to Col Du Galbier, Italy, Sunday, May 19, 2013. A superb solo ride up the grueling Col du Galibier enbaled Giovanni Visconti to win a weather-affected 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia Sunday, while favorite Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall lead. Atrocious weather conditions once again altered the race course and heavy snow fell at the finish as Visconti won in a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, 52 seconds, beating Carlos Betancur and Przemyslaw Niemiec by 42 seconds. (AP Photo/Fabio Ferrari)

This Tuesday, May 21, 2013 aerial photo shows, from bottom to top, the path Monday's tornado took through Moore, Okla. The huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Kim Johnson Flodin)

In this image from amateur video obtained by a group which calls itself Ugarit News, a rebel runs from an explosion, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Qusair, Syria. The video is consistent with independent AP reporting. Hezbollah was pulled more deeply into Syria's civil war as 28 guerrillas from the Lebanese Shiite militant group were killed and dozens more wounded while fighting rebels, Syria activists said Monday. The intense battle drove rebels from large parts of Qusair, part of a withering government offensive aimed at securing a strategic land corridor from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast. (AP Photo)

Hofstra University students gather near the house where another student and an armed intruder were killed during an overnight house break-in next to the campus, Friday, May 17, 2013, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

Actor Michael Douglas, Luciana Barroso and Matt Damon share a joke at the Behind the Candelabra after party at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)

Here's your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.

This week's collection includes tornado devastation in Oklahoma, fighting in Syria and a scene from the Cannes Film Festival.

___

This gallery contains photos published May 16-23, 2013.

Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://apne.ws/XZy6ny

___

See other recent AP photo galleries:

AP PHOTOS: Devastation, reunion in the wake of Oklahoma tornado: http://apne.ws/10VN2Bk

AP PHOTOS: Images from the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado: http://apne.ws/10VMWJW

AP PHOTOS: College commencements across the nation: http://apne.ws/11dfKfX

AP PHOTOS: Beckham retires ? a look back at his career: http://apne.ws/11f2Y6z

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AP 10 Things To See:

Week 1: http://apne.ws/ZWiCOl

Week 2: http://apne.ws/ZWiJt0

Week 3: http://apne.ws/10USsze

Week 4: http://apne.ws/14Qg5N1

Week 5: http://apne.ws/ZbwW8U

Week 6: http://apne.ws/101TrcA

Week 7: http://apne.ws/XZyYZu

Week 8: http://apne.ws/18ulJSa

Week 9: http://apne.ws/10vr50m

Week 10: http://apne.ws/13z9GDF

Week 11: http://apne.ws/188wrC7

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Follow AP Images on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Images

Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com/

___

This gallery was curated by news producer Barbara Whitaker in New York: https://twitter.com/barbwhitAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-23-AP-10-Things-To-See/id-5aeec2a1814e48cc9a89a161be9308c8

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West Point video allegations add to Pentagon plague of sexual misconduct cases

An Army sergeant who served as a staff adviser for cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point has been accused of secretly videotaping female students as they showered, the latest in a string of sexual-assault or harassment cases plaguing the Department of Defense.

The Army?s Criminal Investigation Division is contacting about a dozen women who may have been filmed while in the bathroom or shower, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The soldier, identified as Sgt. First Class Michael McClendon, faces multiple charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including indecent acts, dereliction in the performance of duty, cruelty, and maltreatment, according to Army spokesman George Wright.

IN PICTURES: Women in the Military

Sgt. McClendon, a veteran of two tours of Iraq, was transferred to Ft. Drum, N.Y., before charges were filed on May 14. According to The New York Times, he served as a tactical commissioned officer at West Point since 2009, where school personnel documents described his position as ?responsible for the health, welfare, and discipline? for a company of roughly 125 cadets.

Time reports that McClendon, of Blakely, Ga., earned more than two-dozen awards, including a Bronze Star, and was a seven-time recipient of the Army?s Good Conduct Medal.

There are roughly 4,500 students at West Point. Women have been accepted to the prestigious military academy since 1976 and make up about 15 percent of the student body.

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Army officials responded quickly after The Times reported the allegations Wednesday. ?The Army is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of our cadets at the Military Academy at West Point ? as well as all soldiers throughout our Army,? Gen. John F. Campbell, the Army vice chief of staff, said Wednesday. ?Once notified of the violation, a full investigation was launched, followed by swift action to correct the problem.?

The Department of Defense has been reeling from a string of sexual misconduct cases. On May 7 Jeffrey Krusinkski, head of the US Air Force sexual assault prevention unit, was charged with sexual battery. A US Army sergeant in Fort Hood, Texas, was accused of abusive sexual contact a few days later.

A Pentagon report released in early May found that the number of sexual assaults reported at military academies soared in recent years, from 25 in the 2008-09 academic year to 65 in 2010-11 and 80 in 2011-12. Reports of unwanted sexual advances also have risen throughout the military, from about 19,000 in 2011 to an estimated 26,000 in 2012, an increase of 37 percent, Reuters reports.

President Obama and members of Congress have spoken out publicly against the sexual-assault cases in recent days. Last week, Mr. Obama met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss the sexual assault cases and Department of Defense report.

Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D) of New York told NBC?s ?Today? program that repeated sexual assaults without accountability, ?allows the culture to continue.? Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Armed Services Committee, says sexual assault should be reported outside the chain of command, directly to a military prosecutor.

Hours before the West Point case was reported, Army Secretary John McHugh and Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, assured a Senate panel that addressing sexual-assault is their top priority.

"These crimes violate virtually everything the Army stands for,? McHugh said. ?They will not be tolerated."

Material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

IN PICTURES: Women in the Military

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/west-point-video-allegations-add-pentagon-plague-sexual-173007885.html

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European banks stop sending money to North Korea: aid groups

By Megha Rajagopalan

BEIJING (Reuters) - European aid groups said their banks in Europe had stopped sending money to North Korea in the wake of U.S. sanctions on Pyongyang's main foreign exchange bank, leaving them scrambling for a solution short of hand-carrying cash into the impoverished country.

Aid groups said if it became impossible to send enough money to operate, donors might withdraw support for their programs.

"This could eventually reduce our ability to carry out projects or even force a complete close down," Mathias Mogge, director of programs for German aid group Welthungerhilfe, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"If all the agencies had to pull out, it would affect millions of people," said Mogge, who has just returned from the reclusive state.

The biggest problem had been the Bank of China's recent decision to shut the account of the North's Foreign Trade Bank, EU officials and non-governmental organizations said. Money to North Korea was routed through China's biggest foreign exchange bank, they said.

Chinese firms doing business in North Korea said they were also finding it difficult because Chinese banks were becoming increasingly reluctant to deal with their North Korean counterparts, whether it was the Foreign Trade Bank or other banks.

Washington imposed sanctions on the Foreign Trade Bank in March after accusing it of helping fund Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons program. The measures prohibit any transactions between U.S. entities or individuals and the bank.

Experts have said Washington's move was designed to make international banks that do business in the United States think twice about dealing with North Korea, in much the same way banks have become wary about having ties with financial institutions in sanctions-hit Iran.

All NGOs, U.N. agencies and embassies in Pyongyang have to use the Foreign Trade Bank, aid workers and other officials have said.

One EU source said there were indications some European embassies in Pyongyang were having similar difficulties with transferring funds. A representative for U.N. agencies in Pyongyang did not have any immediate comment.

U.S. officials have urged the European Union to put sanctions on the bank. EU diplomats have discussed the issue but are worried about the impact.

"We are concerned regarding possible unintended effects of certain sanctions such as the designation of the FTB, in particular with regard to humanitarian assistance, and we are looking into possible means to overcome the unintended effects," said a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

One source familiar with the matter said a possibility being examined by EU officials was to issue a so-called "letter of comfort" which would explicitly say funding was for humanitarian and development use. The idea is this would provide cover for a bank to make a transaction, said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

"CASH RUN" TO CHINA

French NGO Triangle Generation Humanitaire said its French bank would no longer send funds for its operating expenses even though the EU had not yet imposed sanctions, said Anne Trehondart, desk officer in charge of Asia for the group.

"According to the sanctions, it's not forbidden. This makes plain that some banks are just reluctant to transfer money there," said Trehondart, declining to name the French bank.

A representative from another European NGO, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, said he had "little hope" that a recent money transfer would reach North Korea. He declined to name the group's European bank.

The only alternative would be to send an expatriate employee on a "cash run" from China to North Korea - a limited option because Chinese customs only allow foreigners to take a few thousand dollars out of the country at a time, he said.

Most of the limited number of flights to North Korea originate in China.

Six European NGOs have offices in North Korea. American NGOs work in North Korea but none have a permanent office in the country. Aid groups in North Korea work to alleviate poverty and malnutrition as well as the impact of natural disasters.

BANK OF CHINA MOVE A BIG STEP

The Bank of China announced it was shutting the Foreign Trade Bank account earlier this month. It gave no reason for the move.

"So far all our bank accounts with North Korea have been channeled through the Bank of China. This option is closed now for us," said Simone Pott, a spokeswoman for Welthungerhilfe.

Welthungerhilfe said routine transfers amounting to 300,000 euros ($386,300) had been blocked in recent weeks and attempts to use other international banks had also failed because of the U.S. sanctions.

The Bank of China decision was the first significant step taken by a Chinese entity to curb dealings with North Korea following growing international pressure to punish Pyongyang over its banned nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Washington had raised the issue of the Foreign Trade Bank with China, although Beijing has not commented publicly on the matter. Japan has imposed sanctions on the bank and Australia is expected to follow suit.

The latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea don't mention the bank, but say all countries should freeze or block any financial transaction or service that could assist Pyongyang's illicit activities.

China has become increasingly frustrated with North Korea. It agreed to the new U.N. sanctions after Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February.

The U.S. Treasury Department has said it had no intention of hindering aid work in North Korea, although NGOs say this is precisely what is starting to happen.

"We will work through any concerns that arise related to purchases of humanitarian goods, but it is critically important that we isolate FTB for its facilitation of proliferation activities," a Treasury official said, repeating an earlier statement on the matter.

CHINESE FIRMS SCRAMBLE FOR SOLUTION TOO

Chinese companies involved in joint ventures in North Korea said Chinese banks had also become loathe to transfer funds to the country.

China is North Korea's biggest trading partner, with annual trade worth around $6 billion. It is not clear how much trade between China and North Korea gets cleared through North Korean banks versus the use of cash and barter deals along their 1,400 km (875 mile) land border.

A source at Shenyang-based Liaoning Wellhope Agri-Tech Co. Ltd, a mid-sized unlisted producer of livestock feed, said the company had been unable to send payments to North Korea, although its feed mill in the country continued to operate.

"We have stopped payments temporarily and are waiting for a solution," the source said.

The source declined to name the North Korean bank the company used.

A businessman in the Chinese border city of Dandong, which accounts for as much as 80 percent of China's trade with North Korea, said sanctions had made conditions worse.

The unwillingness of Chinese banks to deal with North Korean banks was part of the problem, he said, as were stepped-up checks by Chinese customs on products headed across the border.

Dandong Bank's main branch, which deals with foreign exchange, said it had stopped working with North Korea.

Not much is known about the Foreign Trade Bank, whose assets and investments are a state secret.

"The tricky thing is that the Foreign Trade Bank is the clearinghouse for all foreign transactions, whether they're related to weapons or not, so there's a lot of legitimate business that goes through it," said Andray Abrahamian of the NGO Choson Exchange, which has trained officials from the bank.

"Sanctioning this bank is going to force more and more business underground." ($1 = 0.7766 euros)

(Additional reporting by Emma Batha in LONDON, Huang Yan in BEIJING, David Chance in SEOUL, Ethan Bilby and Adrian Croft in BRUSSELS and Anna Yukhananov in WASHINGTON. Editing by Dean Yates)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/european-banks-stop-sending-money-north-korea-aid-031656069.html

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