Today's News Headlines – Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
University of Minnesota News Service

 
FEATURED ARTICLES

Oxford is next in U student's journey
The University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus has its third Rhodes Scholar in five years, joining two other 2006 scholars with Minnesota connections. Senior Diana Fu, a talented poet, writer of short stories and pianist who spent a year in China researching how migration to cities affected rural women, will begin her studies at Oxford University in England next fall.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5742118.html
(CLA and University News Service contributed to this story.)
 
Two Minnesota schools boast Rhodes Scholars
Two international students attending college in Minnesota have been named Rhodes Scholars. Diana Fu, a senior at the University of Minnesota, and Keon West, a senior at Macalester College, were awarded the prestigious scholarships to study at Oxford University in England.
KARE 11 TV
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=111787
(Seven additional articles available through Google News.)
(CLA and University News Service contributed to this story.)
 
Rhodes Scholars have local ties
Three students with Twin Cities connections recently won prestigious Rhodes Scholarships. Diana Xuan Fu, an honors student in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, was named a 2006 Rhodes Scholar.
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13237423.htm
(CLA and University News Service contributed to this story.)
 
Rhode Scholars
Two more Minnesota students earn a top honor. Diana Fu from the University of Minnesota and Keon West, a student at Macalester College, have been named Rhode Scholars.
KMSP-TV CH 9 (FOX) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/23/2005, 5:00 AM
KSTP-TV CH 5 (ABC) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/23/2005, 6:00 AM
KAAL-TV CH 6 (ABC) Rochester/Mason City/Austin            
11/23/2005, 6:00 AM
(CLA and University News Service contributed to this story.)
 
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
 
Cancer radiation: It can increase fracture risk
Radiation treatment for pelvic-area cancer can increase women's risks of breaking a hip later on, a University of Minnesota study found. … Doctors should offer women who have received radiation for pelvic-area cancer bone-density scans and treatment that might protect them from fractures -- including calcium, medication and weight-bearing exercise, said Dr. Nancy Baxter of the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, the study's lead author.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5742723.html
(This story originated in the AHC.)

Study shows radiation therapy for pelvic cancers increases risk for fractures in older women
A University of Minnesota Cancer Center study indicates that older women who receive radiation therapy for treatment of pelvic cancers have an increased risk of hip and other pelvic fractures later in life. Researchers encourage such women to talk with their physicians about their risks and preventive measures, including having their bone density levels checked.
Innovations Report
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/studies/report-52067.html
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
Radiation Dangers Among Older Women
Radiation is often an effective way to treat various cancers, but a new study shows it is not without risk, especially among older women. Researchers from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis found radiation in the pelvic region can increase a woman's risk for hip fracture -- a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=12577
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
33% who enter CSU don't finish
For decades, getting more students into college has been the top priority of America's higher education leaders. ... For instance, the main campuses of Penn State and the University of Minnesota have comparable price tags, student SAT scores, and percentages of students from poor backgrounds.
The Coloradoan
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051123/CSUZONE01/511230312/1002

Getting Skittish About Skype
It's the kind of notoriety that comes with a $2.6 billion buyout.  ... A growing number of schools ban the technology, including Oxford University, the University of Texas, and the University of Minnesota.
Business Week
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_48/b3961092.htm?chan=sb

The prairie gardener: Had your apple today? Thanks to U of M breeders
Thanksgiving Day - to be celebrated across the country Thursday - is not a date we normally associate with apples. ... The University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm began apple breeding more than a century ago.
Centre Daily Times
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/13238324.htm
(One additional article available through Google News.)

Crookston plans community center
Crookston residents have been talking about building a community center for as long as Mayor Don Osborne remembers. ... The committee is also looking to draw other entities, which could include the school and park districts, the Blue Line Club and the University of Minnesota-Crookston, into the project.
Grand Folks Herald
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/living/13238351.htm

Mason to receive offer from Gophers this week
The University of Minnesota has decided it wants Glen Mason to continue as its football coach. The question now is whether the sides agree on what it should cost.
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/13237574.htm

Truth & Rumors: Nov. 22, 2005
Look for the University of Minnesota within two weeks to make football coach Glen Mason a five-year contract offer worth nearly $1.5 million a season. If Mason declines, don't be surprised if Minnesota buys out the final year of his contract, which would be for next season.
-- St. Paul Pioneer Press
Sports Illustrated
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/sioncampus/11/22/truthandrumors/

Mason is deserving of reasonable raise from U
By the time you read this, Glen Mason might be mulling a contract offer from the University of Minnesota. If the offer is indeed made today, it would be an intriguing way to mark a bizarre anniversary.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/150/5742927.html

Mason's contract
Glen Mason will get a contract extension offer from the University of Minnesota coming up in the next week.
ESPNEWS (---) National            
11/22/2005, 1:00 PM
 
Machine becomes doctor's hands in delicate surgery
Top-40 radio hits emanate from the background of the dim operating room. The song is Weezer's "Beverly Hills," the comeback hit from the quartet popular in the early '90s. ... Several other hospitals serving Minnesota patients use the da Vinci, including the Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview; and those in Duluth; Fargo, N.D.; and St. Paul.
St. Cloud Times
http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?Web/page.mv+1+local+820066

Turnaround time short for Browns
... David Mandelbaum, a member of the Vikings ownership group, revealed a plan during halftime of Monday night's game for a $2.5 million gift to the University of Wisconsin Eye Research Institute to support a joint research initiative with scientists at the University of Minnesota.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/5742643.html
(Two additional articles available through Google News.)

UW-Madison Eye Research Institute: Research Initiative Enhances Minnesota-Wisconsin Partnerships
Some of the plays in the stands at Lambeau Field were just as thrilling as those on the turf when Minnesota Vikings ownership partner and New Jersey attorney and businessman David Mandelbaum revealed a plan for a $2.5 million gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Eye Research Institute to support a joint research initiative with scientists at the University of Minnesota.
Wisconsin Business
http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=49383

Donation
During halftime Viking Co-owner David Mandelbaum announced a 2.5 million dollar donation to the University of Wisconsin. It will be for the Madison Eye Research Institute in a joint research initiative with University of Minnesota Scientists.
WCCO-TV CH 4 (CBS) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/22/2005, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM

Pivotal ON-Q(R) Study Re-Started at University of Minnesota After Tulane Study Terminated Prematurely; Researchers Will Investigate Promise of Antimicrobial Benefits of ON-Q
I-Flow Corporation (NASDAQ:IFLO) announced today that the Company has partnered with the University of Minnesota (U of MN) to conduct an animal study to evaluate the promise of antimicrobial benefits of ON-Q(R).
Genetic Engineering News
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=
1112662XSL_NEWSML_TO_NEWSML_WEB.xml

Scientists seek lynx sighting reports
Canada lynx researchers have set up a toll-free number and e-mail address to gather public reports of lynx sightings from northern Minnesota. Scientists believe the request to the public will turn up additional areas in which lynx are quietly living, chasing their primary food source, snowshoe hare. ... With support from the DNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey, researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) have placed radio collars on 30 lynx and located seven dens as part of an ongoing study of the cats.
East Central Post Review
http://www.ecmpostreview.com/2005/November/22lynx.html

Capitol Notebook: DNR hydrologist/civil engineer Obi Sium to challenge Rep. Betty McCollum
The $137.6 billion appropriations bill providing federal funding for roads, transit, and housing is on its way to President Bush’s desk for his signature, according to Sen. Mark Dayton’s office. … The Central Corridor is the 11-mile link that connects St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the University of Minnesota.
Hometown Source
http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2005/November/22notebook.html

Researchers find animal antibiotics in vegetables
Antibiotics given to livestock can end up in vegetables and pose a health threat to consumers, according to a study looking at the use of animal manure as a fertilizer. The University of Minnesota study will add to the level of public concern about the food the eat.
NutraIngredients
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=64069-antibiotics-organic-manure
(One additional article available through Google News.)
 
Early birthdays
Research at the University of Minnesota says that babies born early in the year have higher antibodies levels to fight ear infections.
WCCO-TV CH 4 (CBS) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/22/2005, 10:00 PM
11/23/2005, 5:30 AM, 6:00 AM
 
Grain marketing: why is 'pulling the trigger' so tough?
Knowing when to "pull the trigger" is important whether you're marketing grain or hunting trophy deer. ... The results of a 2003 Texas A&M survey of commodity marketing clubs conducted by University of Minnesota Extension educators show that Minnesota producers enrolled in structured marketing clubs achieved impressive improvement in net farm income.
Swift County Monitor
http://www.swiftcountymonitor.com/Main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=17013

U FACULTY, STAFF OR STUDENTS IN THE NEWS

Radiation May Increase Risk of Broken Hips
Radiation treatment for pelvic-area cancer can increase women's risks of breaking a hip later on, a study found. … Nancy Baxter of the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, the study's lead author, said doctors should offer women who have received radiation for pelvic-area cancer bone-density scans and treatment that might protect them from fractures.
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/22/AR2005112202020.html
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
Pelvic radiation tied to women's hip fracture risk
Radiation treatment for pelvic-area cancer can increase women's risks of breaking a hip later on, a study found. ...  Dr. Nancy Baxter of the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, the study's lead author, said it is unclear whether the findings would apply to younger women or to men, whose bones tend to be denser than women's.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-afractures23
nov23,0,5816984.story?coll=sfla-news-health
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
Older Women Who Receive Pelvic Radiation at Risk for Pelvic Fracture
Older women who received radiation therapy for cervical, rectal or anal cancer have a substantially increased risk for pelvic fractures, including hip fractures, which lead to death for women almost as often as breast cancer.  ... Nancy Baxter, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues conducted a study to determine if women who undergo pelvic irradiation for pelvic malignancies (anal, cervical, or rectal cancers) have a higher rate of pelvic fracture than women with pelvic malignancies who do not undergo irradiation.
Senior Journal
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Health/5-11-22-PelvicRadiationRisk.htm
(One additional article available through Google News.)
(This story originated in the AHC.)

Pelvic Radiotherapy Increases Risk of Bone Fracture
Older women who undergo pelvic radiation to treat cervical, anal or rectal cancer have an increased risk of pelvic fracture, new study results indicate.  ... To assess the risk, a team led by Dr. Nancy N. Baxter from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis linked data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry to Medicare claims data.  
CancerPage
http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=9087
(Five additional article available through Google News.)
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
Radiation Therapy Raises Hip Fracture Risk
Radiation therapy to treat cervical and rectal cancer in older women greatly increases the risk of pelvic fractures as these women go on with their lives, new research shows. ... "For some of these cancers, radiation really is the best way to treat them," said Dr. Nancy Baxter, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center in Minneapolis. "Radiation is proven effective. It's just what we do for survivors."
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/11/22/hscout529271.html
(68 additional articles available through Google News.)
(This story originated in the AHC.)

Radiation Therapy Increases Hip and Other Pelvic Fracture Risk
Radiation therapy for cervical, rectal, or anal cancer boosts the risk of hip and other pelvic fractures for women as they grow older, researchers here reported. One implication of the finding is that primary-care doctors treating older women should be aware that previous radiation therapy might predispose their patients to hip and other pelvic fractures, said Nancy Baxter, M.D., a colorectal surgeon at the University of Minnesota here.
MedPage
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/tb/2199
(This story originated in the AHC.)
 
Carmakers
Alfred Marcus, Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, says that car parts come from everywhere. Some say that cars made by the United Auto Workers are truly American. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Nissan are the future of the American according to Marcus.
WCCO-TV CH 4 (CBS) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/22/2005, 10:00 PM
(CSOM and University News Service contributed to this story.)

Americans gobbling up turkey
Despite government warnings and the growing discussion in the media about the potential for a bird flu pandemic, few Americans appear concerned enough to cut turkey from the Thanksgiving menu. ... It "is a good sign that, to date, people have understood and distinguished between somebody becoming infected in Asia [and what is happening in the U.S.]," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota's school of public health.
Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0511230200
nov23,1,1378248.story?coll=chi-business-hed
(AHC contributed to this article.)
 
Flu outbreaks leave few clues
... Michael Osterholm, a government flu adviser from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, still sees big dangers. "There have been many, many mutations with this virus ... and it only continues to march around the world" instead of abating, he said.
Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/2005/health/0511/23/A15-391339.htm
(AHC contributed to this article.)
 
KARE plans to change show from talk to 'advertainment'
Next spring, KARE, Channel 11, will revamp its chatty mid-morning talk show "Today," and put much of that happy talk up for sale. ... "I am aghast," said University of Minnesota media ethics professor Jane Kirtley, who at first thought a reporter was kidding about the new format. "This is the logical extension of the whole pernicious practice of infomercials.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/459/5742884.html
(One additional article available through Google News.)
 
No charges in goal post death of Eastern Washington student
No charges will be filed in the death of a University of Minnesota-Morris student from Eastern Washington who died after being hit by a goal post during a celebration after a football game, authorities said.
KGW TV
http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8E257R80.html

Minnesota in Brief
No charges will be filed in the death of a University of Minnesota-Morris student who died after being struck by a goal post during a celebration after a football game, authorities said Tuesday.
In-Forum
http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8E21OQG0
(16 additional articles available through Google News.)
 
No charges in goal-post death
The Stevens County attorney announced Tuesday he wouldn't file criminal charges in the death of University of Minnesota-Morris junior Rick Rose, who died when a goal post hit his head after the school's football game Oct. 22.
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13237430.htm

Goalpost death on Morris campus ruled an accident
No criminal charges will be filed in the case of a University of Minnesota, Morris student who died last month after he and a crowd of people pulled down a football goalpost.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5742849.html

Goalpost death
No criminal charges in the goal post death of a University of Minnesota morris student.
KSTP-TV CH 5 (ABC) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/22/2005, 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM
11/23/2005, 5:00 AM, 5:30 AM, 6:00 AM
KAAL-TV CH 6 (ABC) Rochester/Mason City/Austin            
11/22/2005, 10:00 PM
11/23/2005, 6:00 AM
KIMT-TV CH 3 (CBS) Rochester/Mason City/Austin            
11/23/2005, 5:30 AM
 
Defibrillator use: A life-and-death issue
... Dr. Barry Maron, an expert from the University of Minnesota, said Kasprzak's training is right: Using a defibrillator on someone who is breathing can cause heart problems.
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051123/NEWS06/511230325/1008/NEWS

Use of prescribed sleeping pills is up
Sleeping pills - rechristened as sleep medications - are becoming increasingly accepted and a prescribed drug for young adults and even children. ... "We have this idea that there is a pill for every ill," said Jon Schommer, a professor at the University of Minnesota's College of Pharmacy.
Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/
2005/11/23/build/health/90-sleeping-pills.inc

The Truth Is in the Book and in the Wounds
Let’s start with a landmark book, The Great Zapruder Film Hoax, edited my McKnight Professor James Fetzer of the University of Minnesota at Duluth.
Online Journal
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_244.shtml

SCSU To Close Only Indoor Smoking Facility Left
Students at St. Cloud State University have told smokers to butt out. ... St. Cloud State and Minnesota State University-Mankato are the only four-year state institutions that still offer smoking rooms. Katherine Lust, the principal investigator of the University of Minnesota and Boynton Health Service's 2005 CORE survey on tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, said 29.7 percent of the students surveyed at 17 two-year and four-year state institutions had used tobacco in the past 30 days.
WCCO 4 TV
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_326172314.html
(Four additional articles available through Google News.)
 
Nation’s Top Scientists Talk Turf
Leading turf research confirms that healthy turfgrass provides a wide range of environmental benefits including preventing soil erosion, minimizing runoff, filtering surface water and conserving rainfall.  ... The 14 experts presenting papers covered a wide range of turfgrass location scenarios, providing insight into how we can use real-world data and models to help us better understand and refine best management practices for maintaining productive and healthy turf,” said Brian Horgan, Ph.D., assistant professor of horticulture science, University of Minnesota.
Grounds Maintenance
http://grounds-mag.com/news/scientists_turf_112205/

Wireless web
A University of Minnesota physics professor says using wireless web is like listening to FM radio.  John Broadhurst, physics professor, U of M, says people shouldn't be concerned about the health effects of wireless technology.
WCCO-TV CH 4 (CBS) Minneapolis/St. Paul            
11/22/2005, 6:00 PM
 
COLUMNS, COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS

Opinion: Fair and equal
Results have been released for the Essex County Disparity Study and the numbers are revealing. They indicate that businesses owned by blacks, women and other minorities are not getting a fair shake when applying for contracts with the county. ... The study, conducted by the Roy Wilkens Center for Human Relations at the University of Minnesota, analyzed 26,056 contracts from the years 2002 through 2004.
Nutley Journal
http://www.localsource.com/articles/2005/11/22/nutley_journal
/news/opinion/doc43834279c7b64458935786.txt
(Three additional articles available through Google News.)
 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Maple Grove Hospital
Gov. Tim Pawlenty should call a special session to approve the Maple Grove Hospital. Both the Riverside Campus and the University Campus of the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, were full near the end of last week [Nov. 12], and the emergency departments at the hospital had to divert patients to other hospitals. This situation is going to get worse each winter until another hospital is created in the Twin Cities.
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/stories/106/5736795.html

CURRENT NEWS RELEASES AND RADIO FEATURES

University of Minnesota Moment, Wednesday, Nov. 23 -- “Health Insurance, Open Enrollment”
Health insurance is one of the most important benefits employees receive. In most cases, now is the time to reassess your options as Open Enrollment is available nationwide. University of Minnesota assistant professor of finance Stephen Parente says that health insurance costs keep going up.
Listen to the feature at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/archives/urelate/radio/Health_Insurance.mp3
Visit the U of M Moment blog at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/urelate/radio/

U of M student named 2006 Rhodes Scholar
http://www.ur.umn.edu/unsreleases/find.php?ID=2608

U of M's Pete Snustad elected fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
http://www.ur.umn.edu/unsreleases/find.php?ID=2607