LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 15, 1998 - 3A
Study measures
distance from
arth to moon
he moon is 15 billior. inches away.
said astronomy Prof. Richard Teske.
is new estimate is accurate within an
;nch.
Teske wrote about a study in which
stronomers from Germany, France
nd the United States joined together to
articipate in the possibly ground-
reaking research.
The purpose of obtaining the mea-
urement of the distance between Earth
the moon is to determine whether
stein's theory of relativity is accu-
ate, Teske said. The theory uses this
easurement to determine the force of
7ravity.
The result of this experiment will
ffect how scientists compile equations
r express the force of gravity in the
suture, Teske said.
In the experiment, four mirrors were
laced on the moon, facing Earth. Five
ers on Earth were pointed directly at
mirrors and reflected off of them in
'pace.
the one-inch bullet of light travels to
he moon in 2.6 seconds, Teske said.
e speed of light, which is constant, is
multiplied by 2.6 seconds to determine
he distance from Earth to the moon,
hich is 15 billion inches.
So far, the study supports Einstein's
heory of relativity, taking into account
one-inch margin of error. Teske said
re research that would shoot a laser
ulse similar to a bullet of light that
easures less than one inch may reveal
that another theory could be more
applicable.
Treatment helps
decrease ulcers
A University study, recently pub-
ed in the American Journal of
Gastroenterology revealed that a treat-
ment.to kill H. pylori bacteria drastical-
ly helped patients with peptic ulcer dis-
ease.
the study,' led by Dr. A. Mark
Fredrick, an assistant professor of
internal medicine, divided the subjects
into two groups. One group was given
medication to kill the H. pylori bacteria
and eliminated any antisecretorv main-
nece therapy. The second group con-
tinued the common course of treat-
ntent, which is antisecretory mainte-
nance therapy.
The result was a dramatic benefit for
those who underwent H. pylon eradi-
cation. They had fewer ulcers and fewer
symptoms. These patients no longer
had to spend an excessive amount of
money for antisecretory treatments.
One year later, those who had under-
*e H. pylori eradication treatment
experienced a 22-percent drop in ulcer
reoccurrence.
Some doctors say this new treatment
could be a short and safe regimen and
could lead to a low-cost cure for
patients that are afflicted by peptic
ulcer disease.
Method relieves
rgery effects
A University study revealed that
there is a way to reduce the atrial fibril-
lation that 40 percent of patients expe-
rience after heart surgery.
irial fibrillation is a rapid and
iftgular heartbeat in the upper cham-
'ets-of the heart, which occurs for days
;fter the operation.
A cardiac drug called amiodarone,
ninistered by doctors several days
ore the operation, occurs decreases
atrial fibrillation by 50 percent.
In the study, 64 patients were given
amiodarone for seven days prior to
surgery while random patients received
a placebo. The results were amazing,
University doctors said. Twenty five
percent of patients with the treatment
had atrial fibrillation compared to 53
percent of those who took the placebo.
The study was conducted by seven
earchers, including Dr. Fred
Moriardy, at University Hospitals.
"The next step is to determine if simi-
,lar benefits can be achieved when the
medication is administered in an acceler-
ated dose over a shorter period of time,"
Moriardy said in a written statement.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Stephanie Hepburn.
Study finds political apathy increasing
By Nika Schulte
and Carly Southworth
iDaily Staff Reporters
Not only is this year's crop of first-
year students the largest entering class
in the history of the University, they
also may be the least politically inter-
ested.
An annual study conducted by the
University of California at Los Angeles
reported that the more than one and a
half million of the country's first-year
university and college students exhibit
the least amount of enthusiasm in poli-
tics since the survey was first conduct-
ed 32 years ago.
According to the survey -- admin-
istered during first-year college stu-
dent orientation programs - only 27
percent of the nation's first-vear stu-
dents believe that keeping tabs on
politics is important - a decline
from the almost 60 percent average in
1966.
Linda Sax. director of the
Cooperative Institutional Research
Program Freshman Survey at UCLA,
said the results of the questionnaire are
important because they indicate a large
change in the United States.
"We've been watching this trend for
quite a while. It is at its lowest level right
now" Sax said. "The two main reasons
the information is important is because it
is a follow-up to how and why there is
change. Also, we can track the changing
nature of students and America."
The University's Ann Arbor,
Dearborn and Flitlo i eations are anion
the 665 universities that participated.
The debate on the existence of politi-
cal involvement on campus has reached
the University, and students have mixed
opinions on the issue.
LSA first-year student John Siddall
is part of the remaining 73 percent who
said he does not care about politics.
"(Politics) isn't very exciting to me,"
Siddall said. "There's not much I can
really change. I'm one voice lost in a
million."
Some University students said lack
of time is also a main constraint on their
political activity.
Engineering first-year student Jason
Riback said he does not have enough
time to keep up with politics.
"Because I'm studying and involved
in a fraternity, there's no time (for poli-
tics):,' Riback said.
But he believes his involveiment in
politics w ill grow as graduation
approaches.
"By then I'll be preparing to go out
on m On i. Right now, it's my parents
that are the ones that are working and
naking the decisions," Riback said.
Political science Prof. Hanes Walton,
Jr. said he believes many students will
find politics to be more important as
they prepare to graduate.
"Practical realities will force (stu-
dents) into government," Walton
said. "As younger people get into the
real world and start searching for
personal security, they will immedi-
arely recognize how% important gov-
erinent is.
Some first-year students already have
discovered the significance of polities.
"I am very interested (in politics). In
taet, I just begged my way into an Intro
to American polities class," said LSA
first-year student Katie Abrams.
lIvei though she could not vote,
Abrams followed last year's presidential
election in a high school class.
Walton said that while high school
classes are useful in teaching principles,
they do not teach students how the gov-
ernment interacts with the economy and
the real world.
"It is not obvious and clear to young
people until (they) hit the real world,"
Walton said.
I
Health initiative will foster
research cooperation
By Heather Wiggin
Daily Staff Reporter
The final pieces are falling together for a new University
initiative that will foster collaboration between researchers
from various health care disciplines.
The multi-disciplinary Health Services Research
Initiative will make it easier for researchers across campus
to convene oii research projects, and will support individual
researchers, said health management and policy Prof. John
Wheeler, the initiative's director.
"Some of the money might support small, start-up grants
across the University," Wheeler said. "A lot of it will be to
provide resources that everybody can use."
Research funded by the initiative will cover topics such as
health care organization and quality, as well as interaction t
between health care providers and patients.
"The initiative will enhance patient satisfaction. clinical_
competitiveness and our national leadership position," said
Gilbert Onenn, executive vice president for medical affairs.
First approved by former University Provost J. Bernard
Machen, the initiative will receive $1.5 million over three
years from the Office of the Provost.
"This goes back to before when Nancy Cantor was
provost," said Paul Courant, associate provost for academic
and budgetary affairs. "It's an initiative that is a substantial
amount of money, but for a limited amount of time."
The Health Sciences Council - a collection of
University deans from health-oriented colleges will
oversee the initiative.
"We have confidence in that group to make decisions:.
Courant said. "We expect to see interesting and important
work."
The purpose of the initiative is to bring together
researchers from different disciplines. Courant said.
State lawmakers
returnl to Capita
"The initiative is an outstanding example of collaboration
research at the U of M," Courant said. "That is the strength
of this kind of program."
Wheeler has talked to University staff members in differ-
ent areas of health service to find out how the initiative can
help them achieve their goals.
"Ultimately, the measure of success is that researchers
will be able to do more than they were without the initia-
tive" Wheeler said.
By creating the initiative, Dental Prof. Amid Ismail said,
researchers can form coalitions of expertise and create a
new agenda to improve overall health care.
"This University has an enormous amount of expertise,"
Ismail said. "By combining forces, we can be a power cen-
ter for the nation."
The structure of the initiative will make it a "mechanism"
that will enhance the grouping of people and ideas, Ismail
said. The initiative should "address issues that people are
really concerned about to find systems of care that are bet-
ter," lie said.
Frank Ascione, associate professor of pharmacy adminis-
tration, said the initiative could get researchers from the
College of Pharmacy and the School of Dentistry working
together on an issue related to their respective fields.
"We all have different expertise and different perspec-
tives," Ascione said. "I think the whole intent behind it is
to try to get groups that have been working individually to
work together."
Ascione said he hopes the initiative will "develop an
incentive to encourage people to work together more."
Collaboration will make research and higher education
both more effective and less expensive, Ascione said. "I
think it's an example of the University trying to plan for the
future
WRITE FOR
THE DAILY.
COME TO
milies in Harrison A
air Shores have suf-
d beaches and the MEETIN
property value,"
*e bills would elim- g.
50 percent of all
otes of 101-0 and TUESDAY AT
vith minor Senate
ills. They now go to
t : Pd.Ml
EMILY NATHANO/Daily
Eastern Michigan University Prof. Michael Harris speaks on Arab-Israeli ten-
sions at a forum hosted by U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor).
Rivershosts forum
on1 forign cnlc
By Mike Spahn
Daily Staff Reporter
Tempers and emotions flared last
night during a forum hosted by Rep.
Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) on the
Arab-Israeli conflict.
A panel of professors spoke to the
audience, which included people of
various ethnicities, ages and opin-
ions, followed by a Q&A period that,
at times, became heated.
Eastern Michigan University Prof.
Michael Harris, an Israeli native, said
that despite what many people
believe, the conflict affects more than
just the Arabs and Israelis.
"This is not an Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. It's much broader than that,"
Harris said.
Rivers agreed that many
Americans do not have a realistic
view of the conflict.
"Most Americans ... don't under-
stand the situation over there because
that's not what they're looking for on
the news," Rivers said.
The discussion grew intense when
audience members began to question
human rights and other issues from
both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
Bill Thomson, a psychology pro-
fessor at the University of Michigan-
Dearborn, stirred emotions when he
read the story of an imprisoned col-
lege student who currently is being
tortured by Israeli police. Thomson
said his concern was with the accep-
tance of such treatment. which is
legal in Israel.
"The institutionalization of discrimi-
natory practices such as these in Israel
is what concerns me," Thomson said.
Each of the panelists agreed that
there are certain basic issues that
must be resolved before Israelis and
Arabs can achieve lasting peace.
"To the Palestinians, peace is a
necessity'said Mary Sikely, a political
science associate professor at Wayne
State University, who moved to the
United States from Palestine 20 years
ago. "Resurrecting the process of
peace is essential to all parties."
Harris said recent movements
toward peace. including the 1993
Oslo Accords, w ill have no effect
until a level of trust is established
between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Will there be trust built between
the two (parties)?" Harris said.
"Because otherwise, the technicali-
ties (of the agreements) don't mean
anything.'
Political science Prof. A.F.K.
Organski spoke about how the situation
has changed during the last five years.
"Up until (former Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak) Rabin, (former
Israeli Prime Minister Simon) Peres
and (Palestinian Liberation
Organization leader Yasser) Arafat, the
accepted position was the extreme,"
Organski said. "Now, the moderates
have left the extremes behind. The
extremes lost control of the policy."
Organski said the United States
has not been successful in its recent
foreign policy efforts.
"We aren't doing so well in areas
(where) we have a tremendous
amount of influence and a tremen-
dous amount of power." he said.
Rivers said a change is needed.
"We should put our support and
our money into programs that will
alleviate the poverty so many people
live in," Rivers said.
Also speaking at the forun was
Islamic history Prof. Michael
Bonner, who called the conflict a
"painful confrontation of rights" and
agreed with the other panelists in
saying "confrontations must be
resolved before we can have peace."
LANSING (AP)-- State lawmakers
met yesterday for their first 1998 ses-
sion, voting on bills that would reduce
pollution in Michigan lakes.
But the real legislative work isn't
expected to start until after Gov. John
Engler gives his State of the State
address Jan. 29.
The two-bill lake pollution package
sets up a stricter procedure for sewage
treatment plants to report and repair
problems caused when untreated
sewage is discharged during heavy rain-
falls, said sponsor . Rep. William
Callahan (D-St. Clair Shores).
It also would give homeowners a
year and commercial and industrial
property owners five years to remove
storm water connections such as down
spouts and roof top gutters from sani-
tary sewer systems.
Callahan's district includes
Metropolitan Beach at Metro Park,
which has closed numerous times in
recent years when bacteria made swim-
ming unsafe.
"For too long far
Township and St. Cl
fered through close
threat of declining
Callahan said. "Thes
inate 30 percent to
sewage overflows."
The House on v
100-1 concurred w
changes to the two bi
h}r ir ir n fn hi
the governor Tor is signature anu couIU
take effect this summer.
Callahan said thousands of people in
communities operating combined sys-
tems would be affected when the bills
take effect. He estimated the average
cost to each homeowner to reroute
downspouts at S50 to S90.
Rerouting downspouts isn't practical
in all communities, said Rep. Andrew
Richner, who voted against that bill.
The Grosse Pointe Park Republican
said some neighborhoods in his district
have little room between houses to reroute
rain water. He thinks the concept is fine,
but should not be a statewide mandate.
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