LOCAL/S TATE The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 12, 1998 - 3 RESEARCH S Future role of phannacists may be more active Due to recent trends in the health are industry, future pharmacists are likely to play a more active role in the treatment of patients, seeing patients at doctors' offices and making house calls rather than working at a drug store. In response to these trends, the University's College of Pharmacy and other schools around the nation are changing their courses and require- ments to prepare future pharmacists for their new roles. A new approach to health care - harmaceutical care - will enable pharmacists to work more closely with patients and doctors by discussing pre- scriptions and prescription changes with them, instead of just filling out a form. This role change is attributed in part to the explosion of the pharmaceutical industry in recent years, which has left both physicians and patients relying more on pharmacists' knowledge of these new products. Changes in the health-care system have also contributed to the change of the pharmacist's role. As organizations become more concerned with profit maximization, pharmacists have become responsible for providing patients with more cost-effective products. New technology peeds diagnosis of heart disease University electrical engineering and computer science Prof. Matthew O'Donnell has developed new technol- ogy that could make diagnosing heart disease faster, cheaper and more accu- rate. O'Donnell's technology combines 64 ultrasound nodes into one array, which is inserted into a patient's coro- nary arteries to make a real-time video of blood flow. While ultrasound catheterization technology has been around for several years, O'Donnell's multi-sensor device is more effective than previous ultra- sound sensors. The new array can measure several heart functions, including tissue elas- ticity, and vastly improves physicians' bility to assess the effectiveness of various heart treatments. Taste, smell disorders curable People who have taste and related smell disorders don't necessarily have to simply put up with their condition, said Jonathan Ship, an associate profes- sor at the School of Dentistry and 'director of hospital dentistry. Dentists within the University Jlealth Systems, as well as a handful of other specialty clinics around the coun- try, have experience treating patients with such disorders, and are often able ;to help them regain these senses. Many taste and smell disorders can be diagnosed and treated. In many 'cases, this can restore the patient's abil- ity to taste or smell. *U' prof. studies make-up of jails + Two-thirds of the juvenile justice ;system in Michigan is made up of iinority teen-age males according to a study by Rosemary Sarri, a social work professor emeritus. "The disproportionate processing of minority persons by both the juvenile #nd the adult criminal justice systems is a matter of increasing national con- cern," Sarri said. "But little concrete action has been taken to reverse this pattern of minority overrepresentaion in the justice system." The study looked at 1,734 teen boys committed to state public facilities in 1991-1994. - Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Sam Stavis. Students relieve stress with mini-courses By Amelia Levin For the Daily Amidst the monotony of classes and school- work, non-credit mini-courses provide students with a stress-relieving and enlightening alternative to their usual studies. Although the courses have been offered for the past several years, the University Activities Center is offering "fresher" selections this year, said LSA junior Jill Kleiman, UAC's coordinator of the mini-course program. "I replaced some of the older, less popular courses such as palm and tarot card reading with new ones like nutrition and yoga," Kleiman said. In addition to these new courses, students have signed up for courses in massage, ballroom danc- ing, CPR, yoga, meditation, sign language, bil- liards and bartending. "I've worked at the Michigan Union Ticket Office for three years now, and bartending has always been everyone's favorite mini-course," said LSA junior Meighan Denomme. Registration for the mini-courses concluded yesterday with overflowing sign-up sheets. "I changed the way the program was designed for years, and since all the courses are pretty much sold out, it seems as if we're doing something right," Kleiman said. Aside from bartending, massage and ballroom dancing were the most popular selections among students this year. "I took ballroom dancing last year and I loved it," said UAC Programming Coordinator Kelly Karpinski. "Everyone was really enthusiastic about the course. Plus, it was fun watching others make fools of themselves." Despite praises by former mini-course partici- pants, some students said they are concerned that the courses will conflict with their busy schedules. "Before I started the ballroom dancing class, I worried about how it would fit into my schedule," said Karpinski, an LSA junior. "But I soon found out that it didn't interfere at all because it barely required a commitment, and no one is going to punish you if you miss a class.' The cost of the courses ranges from $30-60, and all proceeds fund UAC programming and instruc- tor recruitment. This semester, many veteran mini- course instructors returned to teach. UAC also recruited new instructors from com- munity organizations such as the American Red Cross in Ypsilanti amd the campu Scr cs4M Students with Disabilities. "People seem to enjoy the instrn d Engineering senior Lyel 1-aynes. ceC~iccaru UAC. "We try to find comnitm y members it a skilled in their area and who will aso proide dd tional educational enrichment tr the tuden Enrolled students said they eagerx aw iit h beginning of classes Feb. 16. "I'm looking forward to the bartendmg cla said L SA first-year studen Andr \ Pccrles. I think it will take some of the stress I ha c otVl t his semester, and the skills I'll learn will he good u have later on." Haynes said that despite the mnonsitenc o course offerings from semester to semestcr. \C provides many benefits to the University community The leaning tower Website helps students find rides, new apartments By Joshua Rosenblatt Daily Staff Reporter Two people who wanted to make life a little easier for college students did what any young entrepreneurs would do in the '90s - they made their own Website. "Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for college students," said Jeff Tannenbaum, co-creator of College Friends and Impact Technologies, Ltd., the site's sponsoring company. "Anything that can be handled through the Internet will eventually be available (on the Website)." The company's Website, which can be used by college students whno apply for access privileges, provides four free services to students. Students can access RideNE"T, a list- ing of students offering rides to cam- puses across the country; Realty Bytes, a national listing of students looking to sublet their apartments or houses; Baer Cares, an advice ser- vice; and As The World Sterns, an online editorial site featuring com- mentaries on issues affecting college students. "I think it'll be good for students," said LSA sophomore Ozell Xiante. "Students have to pay for books, classes, and so many other things ... anything that will save money is good." "Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for,, college students." efTnebLl11 - Jef-f Tannensbaum Co-creator of College Friends and Impact Technologies LtL While nearly 2,000 students at Pennsylvania State University use the site, its founders said they hope to attract students from the University of Michigan as well as from other cam- puses to the site. "I think that the Internet ride board is a great idea," said Penn State student and Campus Friends user Mike Stern. "It does work ... I don't see any reason that this service would not be useful at other schools." "The basic gist is that it is a college student-only service," Tannenbaum said. Tannenbaum said the site offers stu- dents the peace of mind and built-in security of having a service closed to anyone other than college students. "Just recently around here, there was a rapist who was pretending to be interested in subletting (apart- ments)," Stern said. "College Friends seems like it would be a lot safer to advertise in." To become a College Friends user, students must have an e-mail address ending in .edu, which proves their affiliation with a college or tmiversj ty. "We knew it was an excellent idea, said Brett Cohen, co-creator of the site. "You figure ifthere's a way you can link students together by using the Intern I, it's a great idea." The company has members fiom more than 60 colleges and uni\ersities nationwide, and it is aiming high for the future. "We want to be a name that is knowt6 on every campus across the couwntry, Tannenbaum said. The company has hired several interns to market the online servico at PSU and they are looking to do so at campuses nationwide. Tannenbaum said he hopes the expansion of the site wvilli attract advertisers who are looking to targct the college market. Because access to the site is free, the company solely relies on advertisers for funding. "I want to release more and ni* free services," Tannenbaum sai. "Unless other kids post notices, this won't work." EMILY NATHAN/Daily A student looks at a student architecture model yesterday displayed in the Art and Architecture Building's Slusser Gallery. 'U' health study ranks 11th In nation Labor group to lobby g1i: Study recognized by the American Heart Association By William Nash Daily Staff Reporter A University researcher's study link- ing hopelessness and the progression of atherosclerosis recently received recog- nition by the American Heart Association as one of the top 11 research advances of 1997. "I was really pleased to see these results," said Susan Everson, an assis- tant research scientist in the department of epidemiology. "It's important and nice to see this type of research getting attention." Everson, who discovered that her study had received national recogni- tion while she was browsing the AHA Website, said the in-depth study is especially important because it is one of the first reports on the connection between atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries, and psychological factors. The four-year study found that 942 Finnish men with a high level of hope- lessness - a feeling of despair, failure or having an uncertain future - had a 20-percent increase of atherosclerosis in their carotid arteries. "This is the same magnitude of increase that we see between pack-a- day and non-smokers," Everson said. George Kaplan, the study's co- author, said biological and social fac- tors of the men studied may have affect- ed the results of the study. "We were surprised by the strength of the relationship," said Kaplan said. "But we don't know the exact implica- tions." Psychiatry Prof. Randy Neese said it is difficult to know what factors impact atherosclerosis. "There is no sure mechanism," Neese said. "It could well be health factors and not necessarily the mood itself, or possibly some third factor." Nesse said that although the experiment raises interesting ques- tions, more research and experi- ments must be conducted to find out why there is a correlation between hopelessness and the progression of atherosclerosis. "The implications are that we could treat mood disorders to slow the pro- gression," Nesse said. Everson said she wants to look more deeply into the study's findings, includ- ing studying a group of 800 women. The original study only featured Caucasian males. Studying women could prove the link applies to more than men, and it would also allow Everson to compare the two findings, she said. "We will be able to look for associa- tions to see if the finding are similar and if they hold true for women," Everson said. Also among the top advances was a study on depression that focused on the likelihood of depressed patients to fol- low a doctor's advice. A complete list- ing of the top 11 advances is available on AHA's Website at http://wwwamhrt.org. LANSING, Mich. (AP) -A coalition of labor and advo- cacy groups will try to persuade Gov. John Engler to make changes to a new job service setup that relies on the Internet and private companies. The Coalition for Effective Michigan Employment Services, announced yesterday, contends the new system keeps many job seekers from finding work. And the speaker of the Michigan House said yesterday that Engler's plan could cost the state hundreds of millions of dol- lars, and lead to a tax increase for businesses. State officials said the coalition was not well-informed about the changes, and that federal funding was not in danger because the state would prevail in a court case against the U.S. Department of Labor. The Michigan Jobs Commission reworked its services for job seekers last week, relying on computers, the Internet and private contractors to help people who are looking for work. People looking for work now go to offices staffed by pri- vate companies, where they type their resumes into an Internet database. Employers must also put job listings there, and can search through resumes for workers. In the past, job seekers were screened by state workers, who then matched them with employers. The coalition against the changes includes the Michigan State AFL,-CIO. the Michigan League of Human Services and several other groups. Gary Gershon, a spokesperson for the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, said the old system had not been too effective. "But I don't believe the answer is to destroy the system that's as tried and true as any and replace it with one that's speculative," he said. Louis Renya, an unemployed Sagina resident, said the new system had kept him from finding work. Renya said bein a i veteran had helped him with employers before, but th jev system offered no such advantage He also said relying h computers limits the number of employers who will post jgh, on the system. "What about the small business that doesn't have lntez4t access?" he said. "What about the mom-and-pop busit e4 that doesn't have computers? Not everybody have corn - ers." Renya said he had not gone to one of the new centerBut had looked on the database for work and not found anythi. Jim Tobin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Commission, said the outcome might have been different Renya visited the office. He also said people in the offices would help any wkor veteran, migrant or one who didn't speak English, get their resume on the system. "If we had someone come in who spoke Vietnamesc, would find someone who speaks Vietnamese and we w,(l get their resume in the system:' Tobin said. Officials for the state and the U.S. Department of Labr had argued for months over the changes, which took effdt last week after Gov. John Engler issued an exccutive orLr making some of the changes state law. After the state decided to go ahead without the depaf- ment's approval, Labor officials announced they would wit hold $15.7 million in funds. The state sued, saying the dispute centers around wheth can use non-union, private employees to deliver job servic TLE QALLND NR What's happening in Ann Arbor today GROUP MEETINGS U Circle K, 763-1755, Michigan Union, Anderson Room, 7 p.m. U Graduate and Professional Mishneh Torah Chug, 769-0500, Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 9-10:30 a.m. U Hellenic Student Association Mass Meeting, Michigan Union, Pond Room, 8 p.m. U Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, 647-6857, East Hall, Room 1360, 7 p.m. Natural Science Building, Auditorium, 7 p.m. Q "Genocide in Iraq," Sponsored by Solidarity and American-Arab Discrimination Committee, Michigan Union, Michigan Union, 7 p.m. U "Myths, Stias and Racist Beliefs about African American Athletes," Sponsored by Office of the Associate Provost for Academic and Multicultural Affairs, Kinesiolo y Building/CCRB, Room 375, 4-6 p.m. Qi "Our' Tste of Coffee: Prospects and U "Teach In on Iraq," Sponsored by American Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee, Michigan League, Michigan Room, 7 p.m. U "Volunteers in Action Hillel Dinner for the Homeless," Sponsored by Hillel, First United Methodist Church, State St.across from Frieze Building, 3-7 p.m. SERVICES Q Campus Information Centers, 763- I or t .. 1 I mow arm o. 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