LOCAL/S TATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 27, 2000 -- 3A
""""ESEARCH
' scientists
stop spread of
prostate cancer
*University scientists have discov-
ered a way to prevent metastatic
prostate cancer from spreading to
other organs.
The team, lead by Donna Livant,
an assistant professor of cellular
biology at the Medical School, per-
formed many experiments on rats
that document the ability to block
cancer cells' invasive activity as
well as stop the growth and disper-
sal of tumors by a peptide deriva-
The results, published in the jour-
nal Cancer Research, explain that
this improvement is made by the
development of a new cancer-
inhibiting peptide. Scientists created
the peptide by changing one amino
acid in a short sequence of the com-
mon blood protein fibronectin.
This new peptide derivative,
hich scientists named PHSCN, was
d on human and rat prostate can-
cer cell lines in culture and was
found to be a powerful cell invasion
inhibitor.
Reset will now focus on why the
peptide is so effective. The
University currently holds several
patents on the PHSCN peptide relat-
ed to the diagnosis and treatment of
cancer.
rof. develops
atabase using
atomic quantums
Computers have typically stored
and: retrieved data in bits and bytes,
but that might all change as
University researchers have created
a database using atomic quantum
phases instead.
The research, led by physics Prof.
ilip Bucksbaum, was funded by
the National Science Foundation and
published in an issue of the journal
Science.
In, this experiment, a computer
randomly assigned data to one quan-
tum state in a single cesium atom,
which they were able to store by
using an intense laser light to invert
the quantum wave for that particular
Iantum state.
Researchers speculate that this
concept may lead to a quantum com-
puter system, but are unsure for the
present due to the new nature of the
concept.
Low copper levels
stabilize maturity
of bodily tumors
researchers at the University
were,able to determine that by keep-
ing body copper levels low, cancer
tumors are unable to grow.
George Brewer, a human genetics
professor, and Sofia Merajver, a
molecular genetics researcher and
oncologist at the University's
Comprehensive Cancer Center, have
provided the first evidence that mul-
tiple types of cancer can be treated
!targeting copper as a "common
ominator" of angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis is the process by
which tumors foster the growth of
blood vessels, allowing them to
e nd beyond its initial tiny cluster
of cells.
,i, v copper levels were found to
;alloi. normal body copper-reaction
functions while at the same time
starving tumors of the copper they
d for angiogenesis.
The study, which was originally
tested on lab mice, has completed
the first phase of testing on humans.
-Iuman subjects that suffer from var-
Iou$ cancers and have exhausted all
other conventional treatment meth-
ods were given doses of
tetrathiomolybdate, a compound
used to lower copper levels.
The researchers I ope to move on
to the second phase of the testing
r~in the year by the use of 100
test subjects with less-advanced
cancer.
The current results were published
in this month's issue of the journal
Clinical Cancer Research.
- Compiled by Daily Staff
Reporter Lindsey Alpert.
He--'or societies oin lari at '
By Lindsey Alpert
Daily Staff Reporter
David Lu applied for a scholarship for college.
He didn't receive it, but what he did get could be
worth even more: a life-long membership to the
Delta Epsilon Iota honor society.
"I became a member last year when I applied for
a scholarship," Lu said. "There were a few of us on
campus and the national chapter contacted us earli-
er this year about starting a chapter on campus." -
Four months later, Delta Epsilon Iota is closer to
joining the near dozen other honor societies on
campus.
Honor societies on campus encompass all fields
of study from aerospace engineering to pre-health
societies. Societies choose members based on cer-
tain criteria including cumulative grade point aver-
ages, grade point averages in certain academic
units, community service and class ranking.
Each society has specific goals such as service,
career or leadership.
The Golden Key National Honor Society, which
attracts 600 to 700 members each year, is open to
juniors and seniors, in all schools, with a 3.75
cumulative GPA or higher. The society is partnered
with many businesses such as Dow Chemical
Company, General Mills and Ford Motor Co.
"There are about 20 businesses that we are affil-
iated with," Golden Key President Elizabeth
Holden said. "We form a sort of partnership where
they give us promotional things and they gain a
pool of qualified applicants."
Another campus-based honor society is Sigma
Iota Rho, a national honor society for international
studies. This society is open to students that take
classes in political science, history, international
economy or business, literature or various other
areas that deal with international studies. "Sigma
Iota Rho recognizes people with scholastic
achievement," Chapter Adviser Lili Kivisto said.
"It's an honor to have it listed on your transcript."
Sigma Iota Rho, which inducts 30 to 40 students
every year, requires applicants to have received a
3.6 GPA in five international relation classes as
juniors or a 3.5 in seven international relation class-
es as seniors, as well as a cumulative 3.3 GPA.
Many of the societies send out letters to potential
members that fit their criteria, but applications need
to be picked up and filled out for other societies.
"We mailed out about 6,000 application packets
to the top 15 percent of each class or those people
that have a 3.3 GPA or higher," Lu said. "The soci-
ety is by invitation only and if you receive an invi-
tation, youjust need to pay the club dues to become
a member."
Most societies have a one-time, life-long mem-
bership dues ranging from about S25 to S65. Some
provide membership certificates, special job
opportunities and recognition on transcripts.
Although membership to an honor society may
impress potential employers and graduate school
admissions officers, they might not guarantee
acceptance or a job offer.
"Generally we like to see participation in campus
activities and an honor society usually means
excellence in academics,' said Katie Horne, direc-
tor of admissions at the Medical School. "But;
good grades mean about the same thing, so an
honor society is just a short-cut way of telling us
that the student has good grades."
PriceWaterhouseCoopers' recruitment represen-
tative Becky Beyer agreed that honor societies cdhi
help in finding a job. "We definitely, as recruiters,
look for things like 'that," Beyer said. "But it is not
necessary or a pre-requisite for an interview or, a
placement in the company."
PriceWaterhouseCoopers was the largest
University hirer last year, placing 79 graduates
from all schools in positions with the company.
"We generally look for people that are
involved in activities in their major and honor
societies might pull a little bit more weight than
other activities," Beyer said. "But it's not the be
all and end all"
Ice ice baby 1
Ce' O1m1~s suicide at
Officer comitsuidea
MotorCity blackjack table'
DETROIT (AP) - An off-duty sub-
urban police officer fatally shot himself
yesterday while playing blackjack in the
high-stakes gambling area of the
MotorCity Casino, police said.
The man was playing a S100-mini-
mum game in a VIP room when he shot
himself about 4 p.m., Detroit police
Inspector William Rice said. No one
else was injured.
"He lost a hand and then he pulled out
a weapon and shot himself" Rice said.
The man was in his 30s or 40s, Rice
said. Police were withholding his iden-
tity until his relatives could be notified.
Oak Park police Lt. Jeffrey Brackett
confirmed that the man was an Oak
Park officer but declined further com-
ment.
"We're very disturbed about this,"
said MotorCity Casino spokesperson
Jack Barthwell. "It's a terrible thing to
have happen any plat
It is illegal to brin
casino, Barthwell sai
The casino does
detectors, he said, bu
our security precautio
need to be taken."
Police said theyv
how much money t
gambling and wheth
the casino alone.
"We're still tryingt
ting history and whe
he's been here before
MotorCity's h
fourth floor featuresS
and blackjack tablesU
of S 100 to S500. Th
while police investiga
rest of the casino re
people continued to g
The National Co
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
icicles adorn the roof of the Buhr Park Ice Rink yesterday as temperatures
remained below freezing throughout the day.
Deprtment of State
ce-ro anids'ates ' "co d
MSU recruit in
LANSING (AP) - Michigan State University officials
declined to say yesterday what action they may take now that
one of their top football recruits must stand trial for rape.;
All-State receiver Eric Knott was allowed to play football
last season at Detroit Henry Ford High School despite being
charged in August with raping a 13-year-old girl.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior announced at a news con-
Terence Monday that he planned to play at MSU in the fall.
He added that he plans to sign with the university next:
Wednesday.
An MSU spokesperson declined to say yesterday what
options the university is considering.
"By NCAA rules, he's still a recruitable student athlete. WeI
can't discuss anything about him until some kind of letter of
intent is signed," Sports Information Director John
Lewandowski said.
The university could wait to offer Knott a scholarship until
after the 18-year-old stands trial. His trial is scheduled to start
March 15.
It also could withdraw its offer or go ahead and accept his
letter of intent.
The Detroit News reported yesterday that Knott was 1
ce." Gambling, citing various studies, says
g a gun inside the one in five pathological gamblers
d. attempts suicide. A 1998 Harvard
not have metal Medical School study estimated that
ut "we will review 1.6 percent of the adults in the United:
ons and see if steps States and Canada had experienced
pathological gambling at some point in
were investigating their life.
he man had been But it often is difficult to determine a
er he had come to specific reason why someone kills him-
self, said Carol O'Hare, executive:
to compile his bet- director of the Nevada Council on
ther or not in fact Problem Gambling.
,"Rice said. "Short of someone leaving a note!
igh-roller-friendly that 'The reason I killed myself is ...
S 100 slot machines there's a lot of armchair detective work
with minimum bets to determine what chain of events
at area was closed caused someone to do that," O'Hare
ited, Rice said. The said. "Frequently, what you have is
emained open and things playing together. Many times
amble. you have drinking problems or marital
uncil on Problem problems."
Ctedfor rapeA
arraigned in August on charges of first-degree criminal
sexual conduct. He was released on $5,000 bond and
allowed to finish his senior football season, the newspaper
said.
Henry Ford coach Mike Marshall said he had heard "a mil-
lion different stories" about the rape "way back in the sum-
mer" but did not report them to school officials.
"It was a lot of'He said, she said' kind of thing, and I want-
cd (Knott) to be able to go through his senior year without
that kind of distraction," Marshall said.
Marshall said he visited the family of the victim,
"I told them if they needed help or advice we would hel
them out," he said. 7
The girl's mother said Tuesday she hoped more people,
would ask about her daughter's side of the story.
"I heard he had a press conference and was on TV" thes
woman said of Knott. "Somebody needs to look at the other.
side, see what our whole family has been through over this.
Henry Ford athletic director Maurice Menefee said he
was shocked to hear that felony charges have been pend--4
ing against Knott since summer and angry that he is
hearing about them now.
4
DETROIT (AP) - The secretary of
state's office is shredding all of the cam-
paign-finance records of candidates for
state office filed during the 1994 elec-
tion.
Among the campaign-finance records
are those of Secretary of State Candice
Miller, who said she would prefer to keep
them around. But in a practice repeated
since 1976, when a law requiring the
state to destroy most campaign-finance
records after five years was passed,
Miller's office has begun destroying the
financial history of the 1994 election.
"Our legal staff tells me that the
Department of State does not have the
luxury of ignoring mandatory provisions
of law," Miller spokesperson Liz Boyd
said.
Websites listing 1994 contributions to
candidates for the Legislature, secretarv
of state and attorney general, and politi-
cal action committees, have been deleted.
The destruction of paper records "is
imminent," Boyd said.
The law also applies to countywide
offices, municipal mayors and city coun-
cils. Records for judges or state board
members, who serve terms longer than
five years, are kept one year longer than
the length of their terms.
None of the other 15 largest states in
the U.S. destroy their campaign-finance
records, the Detroit Free Press reported
yesterday Some archive the records per-
manently.
"It is the most ridiculous law" said
Karen Holcomb-Merrill, Michigan
director of the citizen watchdog group
Common Cause. "We are very much
opposed to wiping out history every five
"It s te most
ridiculous Iaw."
- Karen Holcomb-Merrill
Common Cause Michigan director
years."
In 1987, Michigan State Police inves-
tigating a bribery charge against a state
legislator were forced to ask Common
Cause for assistance. The legislator's
campaign-finance records were no
longer available from the secretary of
state's office. Common Cause, however,
keeps a collection of the records.
Holcomb-Merrill said the lack of such
state-archived records prevents the public
from keeping track of the connection
between money and legislation in poli-
tics
A bill requiring the secretary of state's
office to keep campaign-finance records
for 15 years passed in the state House last
April on a 106-0 vote. The bill is current-
ly sitting in the state Senate's
Government Operations Committee,
chaired by state Sen. Thaddeus McCotter
(R-Livonia).
"I think the basis for campaign
finance is full disclosure and full
accessibility, and you can't have full
accessibility if the records are
destroyed after an inadequate amount
of time:' said state Rep. Scott
Shackleton (R-Sault Ste. Marie), who
introduced the House bill.
Shackleton's bill requires the state to
keep records of campaigns that received
at least 550,000 in contributions for 15
years.
. .............
I
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
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