LOCAL/STATE

The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 14, 2002 - 3A

RESEARCH
Researchers
* develop custom-
made ligaments
Researchers from Tufts Universi-
ty announced Monday that they
have developed a strategy to create
human knee ligaments from adult
stem cells.
The biologically engineered liga-
ments will aid in repairing ruptured
anterior cruciate ligaments injuries
one of the most common knee
injuries.
The ACL product can be custom-
engineered from a patient's or
donor's adult stem cells, which can
be readily obtained from bone mar-
row.
"The technology for this tissue
repair and ligament growth could
fundamentally change the way we
treat this very common injury," said
Tufts doctoral candidate Greg Alt-
man.
"And since the ACL has poor
healing capabilities, our new liga-
ment tissue could significantly
reduce the recovery time to just
weeks -rather than months - for
professional athletes and sports
enthusiasts compared with current
surgery practices," Altman added.
Menstrual cycle
r loss related to
excess excercise
A research study at Penn State
University shows lapses in the men-
strual cycle of athletic women are
likely to be caused by an energy
imbalance from increasing exercise
without increasing food intake.
The condition, known as athletic
amenorrhea, was examined in a
study of menstrual cycles in mon-
keys which were trained to use
treadmills.
Monkeys with irregular menstrual
cycles who increased their food
consumption most rapidly and con-
sumed the most additional food,
resumed ovulation within as little as
12 to 16 days while those who
increased their caloric intake more
slowly, took almost two months to
resume ovulation.
"A growing proportion of women
are susceptible to losing their men-
strual cycle when exercising strenu-
ously," says Nancy Williams,
assistant professor of kinesiology
and physiology at Penn State.
Williams warned that serious
health problems could arise if irreg-
ular menstrual cycles remain
untreate d.
"If women go six to 12 months
without having a menstrual cycle,
they could show bone loss. Bone
densities in some long distance run-
ners who have gone for a prolonged
,time period without having normal
menstrual cycles can be very low,"
she said.
Cocaine vaccine
helps addicts
r beat addiction
A cocaine vaccine in develop-
ment at Yale is being designed to
block the euphoria drug abusers
experience.
The vaccine works by binding the
cocaine to antibodies on entering
the bloodstream, preventing- uptake

of cocaine across the blood-brain
barrier and dulling or even eliminat-
ing the euphoric rush.
Of eight patients who received
the vaccine, one received one dose
and the others received three to four
doses.
During the six months of follow-
up screening, six of the eight
patients reported only one or two
uses of cocaine. The remaining two
patients used cocaine on a regular
basis during the six months.
Thomas Kosten, professor of psy-
chiatry at Yale School of Medicine,
said the vaccine probably only will
be effective for those drug abusers
who are self-motivated to stop using
cocaine since the effect of the vac-
cine can be hindered by taking
higher amounts of cocaine,
"The vaccine may be able to pre-
vent a cocaine slip from turning
into a full scale binge and relapse to
dependence," Kosten said.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Kylene Kiang.

Queer Visibility Week raises many issues

By Karen Schwartz
Daily Staff Reporter
RC sophomore Adam Rosenwasser said Queer Visibility Week is
about equality, issues and impact.
He said he wants people to realize the implications of their words
and actions and said he hopes Queer Visibility Week will raise aware-
ness and bring about lessons that students and community members
will take with them into the rest of the year.
"Saying something as simple as 'that's so gay' can really offend
someone, so people need to be aware ... I think that's a lesson people
need to learn all the time - to be aware of others," he said.
Rosenwasser said he also believes there should be more partici-
pation by people within the gay community as well as those out-
side of it.
"More people should be taking the time to read the fliers and say
'Hey, this is something I don't know much about. Maybe I should go
learn something about it,"' he said. "I think (this week) does a good
job of getting the fact out that there are LGBT people on this campus,
that it's not exclusively a heterosexual environment."
The week is also a chance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
individuals to connect and network, providing them a base they might
not otherwise have had, LSA freshman Hana Zwiebel said.
She added that she hopes the week has an impact as an outlet for
students who want to find out about LGBT issues outside of stereo-

types.
While Queer Visibility Week is a chance for the LGBT community
to be visible to the greater University community and let people who
have not yet discovered it know the community exists, RC sophomore
Erik Glenn said it also important for the week to have programming
for allies.
He said he feels it is important for allies to know they are welcome
at the week's events, and that it is critical to include allies in LGBT
programming who also play a role in the LGBT community.
"I also think it's important to create spaces to invite people who
want to become allies to ask the tough questions - to ask the ques-
tions they always wanted to ask and not be chastised for never having
received the info."
"I have some friends who are supportive of their LGBT friends but
don't go to events because they think it's not their place," Zwiebel
said.
Zwiebel added that Queer Visibility Week has had a lasting impact
on her.
"I don't know about people who aren't LGBT, but at least for me,
now I know that there's support there and that there are other people
with similar identities and experiences to share."
Glenn said he hopes LGBT programming has at least a small effect
on everyone, and that it creates a safe space for LGBT people on
campus.
"We definitely want to reach as many people as we can, but I do

want to acknowledge that there might be people that just don't want to
get it, and that's fine" he said. "It isn't so much necessary that people
know everything about every part of our community but it is impor-
tant that we keep doing the work to make it available for people and
that efforts are being made on many different fronts to put it out
there."
The purpose of the week is not to force people into believing what
he believes, Glenn added, but rather to provide exposure and assure
that "everyone has a right to a seat at the table;' within the campus
community.
LSA freshman Jess Schwartz said that as an LGBT ally she has
recently noticed more discussion taking place about LGBT issues.
She said her poetry class got into a debate about love and homosexual
love.
"I wonder, if it wasn't (for) Queer Visibility Week, how many peo-
ple would have taken that into consideration or been comfortable
enough to raise it in class discussion," she said.
Schwartz added she thinks this week impacts people regardless of
their sexual preferences, and everyone can gain something from its
existence.
"I think it could be personal, like if you have a friend who's gay,
then it'll definitely have a big impact because maybe your friend will
come out to you and then you can be more honest about things,"
Schwartz said. "Or it could be something less personal, like sparking
a discussion in class just because people are thinking about it more."

Valentine's Day rush

Students spend free time, study
time in local 24-hour store aisles

By Shabina S. Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter

Tired of hanging out at Scorekeeper's
Sports Bar? Sick of waiting in line outside
The Necto? University students have
found a new way to spend their Saturday
x nights. Midnight Meijer runs to Michi-
- gan's largest superstore chain have
become the weekly hotspot for many stu-
dents.
Meijer Sales Associate Shaunt Uzuni-
jian said he has definitely noticed an
increase in the number of students that
shop on weekends.
"Of all the students that shop at Meijer,
I'd say about 75 percent come on Saturday
:.t . + and Sunday," Uzunijian said.
LSA freshman Marcus Chiu said he
g o feels Meijer's popularity has a lot to do
with convenience.
"Midnight is the best time to shop
because you're done studying and eating
and everything," he said.
LSA freshman Katie Soupham agreed.
"It's like a Saturday night and you don't
feel like going out, and Meijer is open. We
ALYSSA WOOD/Daily go to Meijer to hang out," she said.
LSA junior Susie Swisher arranges a dozen roses at the Some diehard Meijer fans who don't
University Flower Shop located in Nichols Arcade. have cars say transportation is not a prob-
lem.
U'celebrLa tes 5 00th
heart tanrsplant

"We have time and there's nothing to do
on the weekends, so we just take a taxi
here," said LSA freshman Christine Ryu,
who also admitted to taking the bus on
several occasions. For others, nighttime is
the only time they have access to trans-
portation.
"Not only does Meijer have everything,
but midnight is the best time to borrow a
car," said Engineering senior Rebi Vargh-
ese.
Open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year,
Meijer's business hours attract many stu-
dents that run on a University clock and
are bored with Ann Arbor's limited night
life choices.
Other grocery stores also stay open 24
hours a day. Kroger Manager Jefferson
Smith said Kroger selects certain stores to
operate around the clock based on how
many people actually shop in the store at
night.
"It depends on how much business
(these stores) generate. Also, if there's not
enough people to monitor what's going on,
shoplifting becomes a problem," he said.
But Meijer's hours are not the only edge
it holds over the competition.
"It's 24 hours. It's cheap. Plus, Meijer is
bigger than Kroger's, which is only worth
it if you have a (Kroger Plus) card," which

"It's 24 hours. It's
cheap."
- Marcus Chiu
LSA freshman
is a card that grants its holders discounts
on certain items, Chiu said.
LSA sophomore Caroline Cozza said
price is one of the main reasons she has
switched from Hiller's to Meijer.
"It's less expensive and it's open
(later)," she said.
Some students also use Meijer as a con-
structive study break.
"Since we're not going out tonight, we
might as well be productive and get all
this shopping out of the way," said LSA
sophomore Andreas Penna.
Razia Khan, a Meijer employee who
works the checkout lanes, said she sees
lots of students come in on weekends, late
at night.
"It's probably because some people are
studying late and some people get off
work late. I just say, hi, have a nice day,
and check I.D.s when they try to buy alco-
hol," she said.


By Daniel Kim
Daily Staff Reporter

Bonnie Besonson is spending this
year's Valentine's Day in the University
Hospital, where she will go through
physical therapy and receive a regimen
of medication. Nonetheless, she said this
is still the best Valentine's Day she has
ever had in her life because she received
a very special gift.
Late last week, the 61-year-old for-
mer elementary school teacher from
Grand Blanc underwent a heart trans-
plant surgery, marking her the 500th
person to receive a heart transplant at
the University Hospital.
"I've got the ultimate heart. You can't
do any better than this;' said Besonson.
"I have never had any surgery before in
my life. I feel fine now, though. I am
getting stronger every day."
Besonson's heart problem, which
was diagnosed six years ago, is called
idiopathic cardiomyopathy. It is a heart
disorder with unknown cause that
results in a weakened heart muscle
condition, which then results in ineffi-
cient blood pumping.
The University Heart Transplant
Program, which was launched in
1984, is in the top ten in the nation
among about 140 similar programs,
said Dr. Francis Pagani, the director
of the program at the University.
Pagani performed the surgery on
Besonson.
Besonson's transplant "wasn't much
different from many other ones. Its
complication was normal for a heart
transplant and there was nothing really
unusual," Pagani said.
Heart transplants are given to infants

"I've got the
ultimate heart."
- Bonnie Besonson
Heart transplant patient
as old as a day and to patients in their
70s. Currently, there .are about 70
patients at the University and more
than 4,000 in the nation who are wait-
ing for hearts. Pagani added the
demand for heart is still much greater
than the supply. Only about 2,000 of
the 4,000 on the nationwide list have
hearts to receive.
Most of the hearts that are trans-
planted at the University are from an
organization called Transplantation
Society of Michigan.
"We hope we can use this occasion
to attract attention to the importance of
organ donation," Pagani said ii a writ-
ten statement.
"If people would write on the back
of their licensees that they would
become donors, it would be wonder for
the program," said Besonson.
After a full recovery, she wishes to
travel with her husband.
"I am hoping that I can lead a more
normal life that I wasn't able to lead
for the last six years. I wasn't able to
do more than a flight of stairs. I wasn't
able to fly. I wasn't able to do any kind
of exercise because I had shortness of
breath," Besonson said.
As for the Valentines Day, she has
only one more wish.
"Anything I am hoping for (today) is
some chocolate pudding in this hospi-
tal," Besonson said.

THE CALENDAR
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
EVENTS ies, noon - 1:00 p.m., U V-Day Dance; Sponsored SERVICES
1636 International Insti- by Alpha Iota Omicron, Campus information
"24/7 Tightrope: Work tute, School of Social 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m., Centers, 764-INFO,
and Personal Life Bal- Work Building Michigan Union info@umich.edu, or
: h TaxWorkshop;Spon-"rn www.umich.edu~info
ance": Sponsored by the Tx _orshp Spn UMagnets for Prevention * Q AFF_ Walk_ 76:')AI K_


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