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(03/25/91 10:00am)
Veterinary School student Lindsey Schreiber's typical day doesn't begin in a classroom. It starts in a lion's cage. Or in a bear pit. Schreiber is receiving hands-on training handling and treating snakes, llamas, elephants and alligators through a six-week Vet School internship program at the Philadelphia Zoo. "I think it is neat to work with exotic animals and not animals from a pet shop," he said. The Vet School is only eight blocks from the zoo, making it the only veterinary school in the country near a major zoo. "No other zoo and vet school relationship is so close," said Zoo Veterinarian Wilbur Amend, who also teaches classes at the University. During their internships, Vet School students have the opportunity to work with all the animals at the zoo, including dangerous and exotic species, treating them for illness or administering preventative medicine. Typical duties include making morning rounds to check up on the animals and giving them antibiotic and immunization shots. "The intership is six weeks long to allow students the opportunity to work with the bulk of the animals," said Amend. The zoo currently has approximately 500 species and a total of 1,700 animals. But working with the wide array of animals can present unique problems. "It can be frustrating because the animals are not tame and something simple performed on a dog becomes complicated on an animal like a giraffe," said Zoo Animal Health Director Keith Hinshaw. And according to Amend, no more than two students are interned at a time because of the problems the wild animals pose. "We don't have a large staff, and a one-to-one relationship is necessary," he said. "There is danger. This is not a cat-dog situation." Zoo veterinarian Keith Hinshaw said it is more difficult to diagnose illnesses in wild animals than in domesticated ones. He said animals instinctively try to hide their illnesses since a show of weakness in the wild would make them the target of predators. As a result, the veterinarians generally only learn of an animal's illness when it becomes serious. · The rotating internships continue from September to May. The interns must be fourth-year students who are interested in zoo animals or wildlife. To apply for the internships, students must submit a description of their backgrounds and goals, a transcript and letters of recommendation. The students who participate in the program are not always interested in practicing zoo medicine and do not have to aspire to become zoo veterinarians. Some students are looking for experience that will be useful when they go into private practice for themselves. Schreiber said the program has been extremely helpful. "I think it is a great opportunity to see a lot of species of animals and gain experience on exotic animals," said Schreiber, who plans to open a private practice but is interested in a variety of species. "The program reinforces that pets are animals and need to be treated with respect," he added. The zoo has provided internships for University students since 1974. This year, eight University students took part in the program. The zoo also hosts students from other schools, but the bulk of the interns are University students. Purdue University student Sondra Glitch is also taking advantage of the zoo's program. "I came here because they do have an established program so you can do more and learn more," she said. Across the country, there is an increased interest in training programs for zoo veterinarians. Eventually, many University students who participate in the program become zoo veterinarians. According to Amend, about 15 University graduates who took part in the program are working at zoos across the country. The Philadelphia Zoo only employs two veterinarians and one resident. "The interest outranks positions available," said Amend. The zoo also provides one-month summer internships for undergraduates who are pooled from across the country, and a two-year resident program for graduates from any vet school. Zoo pathologist and University graduate Vivian Pierce also provides two-week pathology internships for University students. The Philadelphia Zoo has the longest, continual pathology records in the world, according to Pierce. Veterinary pathology examines why animals die and what makes them live healthier lives. "It is the opportunity for students to see the anatomy of exotic species," said Pierce. In addition to running internships for University students, the zoo also provides courses and lectures. Both zoo veterinarians are faculty members of the University as well. Three courses -- diseases of reptiles, caged and zoo birds, and zoo animal medicine -- are taught by the adjunct faculty from the zoo each year. The zoo also provides lectures on such topics as restraint and handling of animals. In return, the zoo calls upon faculty from the Vet School to provide basic care like dentistry and pediatrics for the zoo animals. Also, according to Amend, the zoo hopes to have an extensive research relationship with the University if funds are available in the future, but added that proposed budget cuts could restrict integration between the University and the zoo. Although the opportunities for students to work with exotic animals at the nearby zoo are extensive, the Vet School's location will become even a greater asset in the near future. The New Jersey State Aquarium in Camden, which will be managed by the Philadelphia Zoo, is scheduled to open next Spring. University students will have the opportunity to work closely with aquatic life in Camden, which is only 15 minutes away. "We have in mind a teaching program there," said Amend. Currently, University students study aquatic life at a center in Massachusetts. But once the aquarium is completed, Amend says aquatic studies at the University will evolve into a larger program with a more intense curriculum. "A major zoo, aquarium and vet school so close to each other can make a program that is second to none." said Amend.
(03/22/91 10:00am)
When the University announced its budget cutbacks on Wednesday, researchers at the University had little to lose. With the University receiving nearly $220 million from outside sponsors for research, only a few areas could be affected by the cuts. And the University went after them. The Research Foundation, established six years ago to encourage the research of new fields in broad spectrum of disciplines throughout the University, will have its funding frozen at this year's level of $1.1 million. The University had planned to increase the foundation to $1.3 million this year and double the current amount in five years. In addition, the planning and construction of the Social Science Institute, which the University included in its five-year plan, will be indefinitely postponed as a direct response to Governor Robert Casey's proposed cut in state funding to the University. Although the funding freeze seems severe, researchers at the University receive the majority of their funds from sources outside the University. Last year the University received $219,749,286 from outside sponsors for research. Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman said the budget cuts in general would not effect the amount of research funding the University receives in the short-term. But he stressed that if the cuts continue into the long-term future, the University's national research funding could decrease. Continued cuts would mean fewer new research facilities and new faculty, the two main ingredients needed to remain competitive in research sponsorship, Cooperman said. One way the administration tries to spark research at the University is through the Research Foundation. According to its statement of purpose, the foundation supports researchers for work in areas that are traditionally underfunded. "The Research Foundation allows people to get funding for projects which are little more adventurous, and researchers can go out in different directions," said Cooperman. "Although the funding is small, it is very useful." Cooperman added that the funding for such projects is hard to receive nationally because the research is new and not established. The foundation supports two types of grants, Type A grants, which are funded between $500 and $5,000, and Type B grants, which are funded between $5,000 and $50,000. And research for the humanities, which has traditionally lacked funding, was once again shunned. The Social Sciences Research Center was planned as a place to bring interdisciplinary social scientists together. "We want to create an organization to provide funding for a variety of programs in the social sciences, including sponsoring speakers and scholars at the center and funding graduate students," said Cooperman. Director of Urban Studies and History Professor Michael Katz said the center would be used for faculty seminars and would sponsor and develop new initiatives in the social sciences. Katz said the construction of the center was to begin next year.
(03/20/91 10:00am)
A Wistar Institute assistant professor received a $175,000 grant earlier this month for his research in cancer and genetic engineering. The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust awarded Assistant Professor Frank Rauscher a two-year grant for his proposal entitled "Biochemical Analysis of the Wilms' Tumor Gene Product." Rauscher will research the specific gene that may cause a type of kidney cancer in young children. Wilms' Tumor is a genetic cancer that causes a very common pediatric tumor in the kidneys. Children afflicted by the disease lack part of one chromosome. Scientists have hypothesized that the defective chromosomes lack a gene that supresses the cancer from forming. According to Rauscher, researchers believe they have identified the supressor gene. His research will examine how the gene supresses the cancer and why some children lose the gene. "The gene is akin to a quarterback in the nucleus that tells the other players what to do," said Rauscher. "Once you loose it, there is chaos." Wilms' Tumor occurs in one in every 10,000 births and is treated through surgery. Currently, the cancerous kidney must be removed to rid the children of the cancer, but researchers hope to eventually find a cure. Rauscher said that once the function of the gene is found, genetic engineering can be used to repair the defect. In addition, recognizing the defect or loss of the gene in children can be used as a diagnostic tool. Another genetic childhood cancer related to Wilms' Tumor is retinoblastoma, a cancer which forms a tumor in the eye. Researchers are also in the process of locating a similar gene which supresses lung cancer. Coming to the Wistar Institute just last year, Rauscher said he was excited about the research opportunities he has encountered. "I am very excited," said Rauscher. "I came in May, and I already have money to get my research going." The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is the third largest private foundation in Philadelphia and awards $5 million annually for public service programs in the Delaware Valley Region.
(03/05/91 10:00am)
According to Medicine Professor Paul Stolley, a popular painkiller found in such drugs as Tylenol may be linked with kidney disease. In a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, Stolley claims that acetaminophen, the painkiller found in Tylenol, should be researched as a cause of kidney disease. Still, Stolley insists he is not attempting to cause a scare for Tylenol users. "I don't want to raise an alarm," Stolley said last week. "I just want to raise some questions that need to be investigated." Officials at Johnson and Johnson, the company which makes Tylenol, did not return several calls seeking comment last week. Acetaminophen is closely related to phenacetin, another painkiller which was taken off the U.S. market in 1982 for its link to kidney disease. Stolley said the Tylenol painkiller is chemically similar to phenacetin and should be examined. When the deadly phenacetin is broken down by the body, it produces two byproducts, including acetaminophen. In his editorial Stolley said either phenacetin itself or one of its byproducts is toxic. Acetaminophen may be the toxic byproduct and should be researched, he said. "I am just calling for more research on the painkiller because of its link to phenacetin," Stolley said. Currently, no one at the University, including Stolley, is researching the Tylenol drug, and there aren't any plans for research in the future. Stolley said the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine asked him to write the editorial because he had published some information about the drug in the past. About 10 years ago, Stolley completed a small-scale study on acetaminophen when the drug was not commonly used, but the study was too small to prove any link to kidney disease. Only one national study has proved the link of kidney disease to acetaminophen. Published in 1989, the report found that adults who took the drug daily have a three times higher risk of developing kidney disease than non-frequent users. Currently, $300 million are spent annually on the painkiller acetaminophen.
(03/05/91 10:00am)
Researchers from the University have located several genes that play a key role in the development of bones -- information which could be a vital link to curing bone disease. Researchers announced last week that they had mapped the chromosomal locations of several genes that are responsible for the formation and regeneration of bone in human beings. "It is really one step in a very exciting series of investigations begun by others," said Pediatrics Professor Michael Zasloff, one of the bone researchers. "The genes that have been mapped are involved in the expression of proteins that are believed to start up the whole program of bone growth in man." Zasloff added that finding the chromosomal locations of the bone-forming genes is important since the gene-forming proteins may eventually be used to repair bones in the form of medication. "The research is exciting because the proteins have extraordinary potential as drugs," Zasloff said. "We imagine that it may even be possible to build portions of human skeleton by introducing pure proteins." "These tools are landmarks we can use for mapping various diseases in the formation of bone," said Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery Frederick Kaplan, the other leader of the study team. "We have the potential to shed light on disease in bone growth." According to Zasloff, once the chromosomal location is identified, researchers will be able to associate defects with these genes. Some researchers believe that particular genes may be responsible for rearrangements of chromosones and genetic defects. The localization of the genes may make it possible to focus on some genetic diseases and find a cure specific to that gene. Zasloff speculated that in the future, new bone diseases may appear due to mutations in the genes, adding that the research could then be a valuable crutch to finding a cure. But there are also several bone diseases now existing that researchers are trying to cure. The research team was originally organized to promote research of a particular bone disease, Fibrodystalsia Ossificans Progressiva -- an extremely rare disease in which tissues surrounding the muscles of a child form bone and eventually, the entire body is practically incased in bone. All the researchers contacted this week agreed that their findings are only one step in the continual investigation of bone disease and genetics. "We play a small part in a process that began years ago," Kaplan said. "We were fortunate to work with pioneeers." According to Zasloff, the bone proteins were discovered by Marshall Urist, director of the University of California at Los Angeles Bone Research Laboratory, in 1982. "I think that the predictions about this family of protiens will play an important role in human development, and over the next several years, we will see and hear of presence with increasing frequency," Zasloff said. Yet, both Zasloff and Kaplan will not take credit for discovering the location of the genes. Both researchers point to Jeffrey Tabas, lead author of the investigation and fourth-year Medical student, saying he deserves the credit. "The credit does not belong to me it belongs to Jeff," Kaplan added. Tabas did not return several phone messages placed at his room over the past week.
(02/27/91 10:00am)
A state-wide program to help small businesses, managed by the University since 1979, may have financial troubles ahead because of state cutbacks. But although program directors say the center has had success in helping small Pennsylvania companies, it could fall victim to large-scale cuts in the Pennsylvania budget. Governor Robert Casey has proposed cutting the program's state funding in half. "We've found that the firms we deal with outperform other small businesses," said Gregory Higgins, the program's state director. "Their increases in sales is 50 percent higher than other small businesses and their employment rate is three times as high." The center provides 90,000 hours of consulting time to small firms and organizes 300 workshops on management. The entire state-wide organization receives about $3.3 million each year from the state, and an additional $6.7 million from federal and university funding. The University receives a total of $1.4 million for its three programs which include free general consultation for small businesses, free legal consultation and help with exporting products. In addition, the state office for the program, which is located at Wharton's Entrepreneurial Center, receives an annual budget of $356,200. The effects of cuts in state funding are compounded because the state dollars are matched by federal and university dollars. If the program loses state money, it will also lose corresponding federal and university money. The 50-percent reduction would result in an $850,000 loss from state funding and a total reduction of $3,400,000. "Reduce our program by half and we'll see half as many businesses -- instead of 8,000 businesses we'll see 4,000 businesses" said Higgins. "In smaller universities the program will close entirely." The center has been operating at Wharton since 1979. Although 16 colleges in Pennsylvania participate in the program, the University manages it and receives the most funding. Other local schools involved in the program include LaSalle and Temple universities. Besides the small businesses that would be refused consultations and the universities that would have to eliminate their programs, some Wharton MBA students would also be affected. According to the organizer of the center's Wharton's MBA consultant program, 23 Wharton students act as business consultants. The cuts could reduce the amount of MBA students receiving valuable experience in the workplace. "We would be much more limited in the services we could offer," organizer David Thornburgh said. The University and Lehigh University are the only schools in the Small Business Development Center that exclusively use students as consultants. According to Thornburg, the consultants, most of whom are graduate students, are well qualified. For every consultant hired, 15 more are turned away, he said. To qualify for the position, most students need extensive business experience as entrepreneurs, consultants, accountants, or need to have worked in medium to large size companies. "They are the best . . . students at Wharton," said Thornburgh.
(02/26/91 10:00am)
Most people measure the damage of war in terms of loss of life, injuries and the financial costs. But the Persian Gulf war is threatening to cause "cultural casualties" as well. Iraq and Kuwait are part of what was once known as Mesopotamia, which is considered by archeologists to be the "cradle of civilization." Tucked away amid the region's cities and buried beneath the desert sands are remnants of early civilization. As archeologists, including many from the University Museum, watch news of the war, they said this week that they worry the bombing raids and the ongoing ground battle may damage or destroy ancient artifacts. "Iraq is the core focus of Near Eastern archeologists," said University Museum consultant Theresa Howard-Carter, who is also chief advisor to the Kuwait Museum in Kuwait. Scattered across the flat lands of Iraq, tall archeological sites, called "mounds," stand next to modern cities. These huge mounds are the remains of ancient cities that once flourished as far back as 3000 B.C. Because Iraq is flat, experts said the military will likely take advantage of the high mounds for defense, thereby making the archeological sites obvious targets for the allied forces. "The top of mounds are the only places you can see anything from," Howard-Carter, who once lived in Iraq, said yesterday. "I could see 100 mounds from our house, and every one of them represents an ancient settlement." According to Associate Art History Professor Holly Pittman, nine mounds in Iraq have military installations on them and Ur, a rich ancient site and the supposed birthplace of Abraham, is in the middle of a major military installation. In addition to the ancient mounds, the Antiquities Museum in Baghdad, which houses some of the Near East's most treasured artifacts, is threatened by bombing. According to Richard Zettler, the acting curator of the Near East Section of the University Museum, some artifacts in Baghdad may have been damaged already. The Baghdad Antiquities Museum is located near Baghdad's main television transmitter and close to a bridge spanning the Tigris River. Experts said that both sites have been bombed during the war. Zettler said many contradictory reports have been circulating about the museum in Baghdad. "We heard the museum had been hit," Zettler said. "But two reporters in Baghdad said the museum had not been damaged." Zettler said the Baghdad museum's director recently announced that the museum had been damaged but is intact. Many of the movable objects were put in basement storage to save them from bombing, but many objects are too big to move or are built right into the wall of the museum, he said. Besides the destruction of ancient sites, archeologists worry about artifacts in Kuwait which have been looted by the Iraqis. "Within two to three weeks of the invasion, the Iraqis emptied the [Kuwait] museum of its contents and presumably took them back to Baghdad," said Howard-Carter, who left Kuwait Aug. 2. "But I heard that part of the Islamic collection was offered in auction in London," she added. The Kuwait museum opened in 1982 and consists of four buildings. Its primary collection, the Islamic antiquities, and other stored collections that had not yet been displayed were reportedly taken by Iraq. "Nothing else is left," said Howard-Carter. Only 114 objects of the 20,000 in the Islamic Antiquities survived because they were on display in Leningrad. On the battlefields of Kuwait and Iraq, the contributions University Museum archeologists have made to the study of the ancient Middle East may also be destroyed. In the past, University Museum archeologists have been leading contributors to the Baghdad museum. From the 1890's until the 1950's, University Museum archeologists excavated many sites throughout Iraq, and many of the artifacts from the digs are currently housed in Baghdad. For the first time in 40 years, the University Museum returned to the region last spring, joining a collaboration with the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University to study al-Hibe, a site in Iraq. But the research was stopped when the war broke out. All University Museum research in the Near East has been stopped, and in the future, American research in the Near East may be at a great risk, officials said. In the war's aftermath, it may be difficult for archeologists to work in the region when and if their research continues. "It will be difficult to go out and look around in the desert for things because it is mined," said Howard-Carter, who hopes to return to Kuwait if her help is needed. Officials said that many researchers from the University are distraught over the destruction of the artifacts they study. "Everyone is very upset by the potential losses of cultural heritage of Iraq," Zettler said. "We are asking the wrong questions when we tell the government to conduct war but not to hurt the artifacts." Zettler added that he feels the U.S. government is trying to avoid "cultural casualties." In the past, Saddam Hussein has gone to great lengths to preserve the ancient history of Iraq, experts said. According to an article written by University graduate student Tammi Schneider in The Orlando Sentinel, Saddam has gone as far as starting reconstruction of the Palace of Babylon in an attempt to make Iraq a historic tourist attraction.
(02/26/91 10:00am)
Saddam Hussein's decision to torch Kuwaiti oil fields has already begun to cause environmental, as well as health, problems in the Middle East, according to University science professors. But the severity of environmental damage is still unknown, they said. In the future, scientists will have to struggle with how to extinguish the fires burning in the desert while dealing with the local environmental problems the fires have caused. The thick black cloud from the 200 burning oil wells in Kuwait is beginning to spread across the Middle East, the scientists said. In Bahrain, an island off the coast of Saudi Arabia, residents are worried about the possibility of health problems resulting from the deathly black cloud that has blown over their island, according to published reports. Geology Professor Ian Harker, who specializes in studying the atmosphere, said the cloud could be dangerous. "I imagine that it is quite a threat of respiratory disease if the smoke comes down low enough," Harker said. "Burning oil, especially without refining, can be quite toxic." Weather conditions will largely determine how damaging the fires are. Experts said the effects may not be too devastating because the black clouds have not risen high enough into the atmosphere to spread out over the world. "It will do damage to local Iran and Bahrain, but I will be very surprised if its effects appear much farther away," said Harker. Harker said if the winds blow the clouds over Iran and the Indian Ocean, rain will wash the smoke out of the atmosphere. Other experts agreed. "My understanding is that the oil is not going to get up to the highest part of atmosphere and it won't be carried world-wide," said Jack Kay, an atmospheric chemist at Drexel University. "It will be washed out in the next rain." But George Palladin, vice chairperson of the University's Chemistry Department, said the precipitation may pose other problems. "What happens is the sulfur oxides will help to create acid rain," Palladino said. "I expect that it will be confined to the Middle East and Asia." Palladino added the dramatic effects of the burning oil depend on how much oil is burned and how long it burns. Still, extinguishing more than 200 fires is the most difficult problem, experts said. The scientists said it could take several weeks to put out the fires. "In Kuwait, the fires could go on for a month or so," Harker said. Harker said oil fires are usually put out by explosions, but in this case the ground has grown increasingly hot and the fires are harder to approach. "Extremely hot blowing out may not work," said Harker. "The oil may hit the hot rock and ignite in another fire." Harker also said firefighters will need a great deal of water to cool down the rocks before they are "blown out." But, he added, there is a shortage of water since the pipes have been blown up in bombing raids. According to the Associated Press, firefighting experts say it normally takes four to five days to extinguish one fire but are unable to estimate how long it would take to extinguish all the desert fires. Experts said allied soldiers will not be able to get close to the fires because the ground is "awful hot."
(02/15/91 10:00am)
People from all over the Delaware Valley will now be able to take their best friends to give blood with the convenience of having a blood bank practically in their backyard. No longer will dogs and their owners have to trek to West Philadelphia to give blood. According to Oakley, the new VHUP mobile will travel to breeding kennels or kennel-clubs across the Delaware Valley. The van will have all the modern conveniences of a stabilized blood bank, including an exam table, cooling unit, micro hematocrit, centrofuge, hemoglobinometer, gram scales, and a collection unit. Although the major donation has been pledged, VHUP officials are currently choosing the van that will best suit its patients. "We're hoping to have it on the road by the summer," Oakley said. "We have enough funding for the vehicle, but we need more funding for equipment." And while the van may be a convenience to many dogs, there are still several restrictions on which canines can donate blood -- no puppies or petite canines are allowed. VHUP officials said that every dog that gives blood must be at least one year old and weigh more than 50 pounds. In addition, the dogs must be in good health and on no medication besides heart-worm preventatives. Officials said they just hope people will remember the canines in need when contemplating having their dog become a donor.
(02/15/91 10:00am)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has chosen embattled Anatomy Professor Adrian Morrison for its Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, which will be presented to him Sunday in Washington, D.C. The award is given annually to people "whose exemplary actions, often taken at significant personal risk, have served to foster scientific freedom and responsibility." The American Anti-Vivisection Society, another organization that opposes medical research involving surgery on live animals, plans to picket and hand out fliers protesting the choice of Morrison during the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C., this week. Morrison has been the target of animal activist groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, for his controversial research on cats in sleep research. Officials from the AAVS said in a news release that Morrison does not deserve the award because he worked to "squelch" an animal rights course being taught at the University. "There is a conspicuous irony in the decision for the AAAS to honor Adrian Morrison as an advocate for the principle of academic freedom, when he has shown himself willing to suppress it so blantantly," said AAVS Executive Director Bernard Unti. The American Anti-Vivisection Society said that in November 1989, Morrison worked to cancel an animal rights course being taught at the University. Morrison declined to comment on the accusation but said that the AAVS's story is inaccurate. Morrison has no authority to cancel a course being taught at the University. Only the dean of a school can order a class canceled. Many University officials were pleased that Morrison will receive the prestigious award. "I think it is a well-deserved recognition for the stand he has taken for the use of animals in biomedical research," Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman said yesterday. Morrison himself said he was proud to receive the award. "I am pleased because it is from the largest scientific organization in the world to my knowledge," Morrison said yesterday. "It makes a statement about the importance of biomedical research and the need for responsible use of animals in research." Morrison has also received three other awards in recent years. He was the recipient of the MERIT award, a National Institues of Mental Health long-term grant for recognition of continued accomplishments.
(02/14/91 10:00am)
A Veterinary School researcher was severely sanctioned yesterday for "lapses of judgement" in an experiment that accidentally exposed students and staff to lambs carrying a leukemia-causing virus. The sanctions were handed down by Vet School Dean Edwin Andrews despite the fact that investigators ruled yesterday that no misconduct occurred in the experiment. In a three-page statement released yesterday, the researcher, Microbiology Professor Jorge Ferrer, called the decision unfair and said he plans to file a grievance. He said the school is not allowed to impose sanctions since investigators found no misconduct. But Provost Michael Aiken said yesterday that, although Ferrer is not found guilty of misconduct, the charges were not "unfounded" and sanctions can be imposed. In April, Ferrer failed to separate 14 lambs innoculated with the HTLV-1 virus, known to cause cancer, from the rest of a healthy flock at the University's New Bolton Center, located in Chester County. The investigative committee ruled yesterday, after a seven-and-a-half month investigation, that Ferrer was principally responsible for allowing the infected lambs back into the healthy flock, where about 30 New Bolton staff members and students and a group of about 100 preschoolers came into contact with them. The committee, made up of Vet School officials, found that while the preschoolers, staff and students were in no danger of contracting the disease from the incident, Ferrer was still guilty of "lapses of judgment and poor communication." Even though the committee found no violations, Vet School Dean Andrews decided that Ferrer should still be punished for his actions. The sanctions, which will continue until June 1992, prevent Ferrer from conducting animal research and from conducting or supervising studies of the leukemia-causing virus. In addition, Ferrer's laboratory will be monitored on a periodic, unannounced basis, and Ferrer must complete a course on the handling of biohazardous agents within the next two years. "The sanctions are a result of the lapse of judgement unrelated to misconduct," Andrews said yesterday. "It is not an issue of conduct, but an issue of judgement." Ferrer called the sanctions unfair and said that they will cripple his research. "Because of their nature, these punitive sanctions will most likely destroy a research program which, as judged by leading scientists in the field, has made fundamental contributions to leukemia and retro-virus research for more than 25 years," Ferrer said in the statement. Ferrer also noted that federal and private funds may be lost. Since the April incident, the University has tested all the students and staff involved. Officials also offered to test the preschoolers, and one family asked to have their child tested. All the tests were negative. Two sheep showed traces of the virus after undergoing follow-up tests in October, but later re-tests gave inconclusive results. The sheep will continue to be tested in the future. The HTLV-1 virus used in the research causes a relatively rare form of cancer. People infected may test positive for the virus, but only one in several hundred contract leukemia, which takes 20 to 30 years to develop. HTLV-1, which is related to the AIDS virus, can only be transmitted through sexual contact, blood transfusions, intravenous drug use and breast milk. The students and staff came into contact with the sheep only during routine procedures. "Back in June, we predicted that some of the sheep might have become infected," Medical School viral specialist James Hoxie said in the Vet School's release. "We do not consider that the people are now at any increased risk." Ferrer said in an interview yesterday that he believes he is not the only one at fault for the incident. "The Office of Environmental Health and Safety approved facilities that don't comply with safety levels in the [safety] guide distributed by the University to the faculty," said Ferrer yesterday. "The report of the preliminary investigation committee . . . refers to the fact that an independent error in judgement by another party also contributed to the problem." Ferrer also said since no misconduct was found, his reputation should be protected. "It is also clear that the University administration is entitled to impose sanctions only if the formal investigation committee finds the charges of misconduct," Ferrer said, citing the University's Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Research. The guide states: "If the report of the formal investigation committee finds the charges to be unfounded, the matter shall be dropped and the concerned parties shall be informed." It also says that "the dean and the Provost have the responsibility to take an active role to repair any damage done to the reputation of the respondent. . . " Even through University policy allows only three months for investigation -- and can receive an extension of four months -- Ferrer has been under investigation since June for an incident that occurred in April. But Andrews explained that the delay was caused by "a matter of having the right people in the right place at the right time to get the investigation done." Andrews added that the investigation took over seven months because the investigators were not on campus over summer break. According to Vice Provost for research Barry Cooperman, the University procedures concerning misconduct may soon be revised.
(02/11/91 10:00am)
Over the past 10 years, the University has upgraded its research facilities only once -- with the construction of the Clinical Research Building. At the same time, many other schools, especially state schools, have updated their facilities at a rapid pace. As a result, the University is losing a competitive advantage in applying for research grants. Since 1978, the University's national rank in the amount of overall funding it receives has dropped 10 places. In the most recent report from the National Science Foundation on University research funding, the University has fallen from ninth place to 19th place in only 10 years. University officials said last week this fall is directly related to a lack of facilities and a static number of research faculty. Although there are no plans to increase faculty, University officials are looking to the construction of the proposed Institute for Advanced Science and Technology to turn around the University's funding dilemma. The Institute, to be built on a site now occupied by Smith Hall, will house laboratories for science and engineering departments. "We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington last week. "The new facility is not a frill, but central to maintaining a major research university." And Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Anthony Merrit said he thinks the recent advancements the University has made and is making will help change the downward trend. "We think we have repaired that in the last two years," Merrit said. Although rankings have fallen, total funding dollars at the University have steadily increased. Between 1978 and 1988, the University's funding grew from $76,493,000 to $159,218,000, a 108 percent increase. In 1990 University faculty submitted proposals worth $388 million and 58 percent of the those proposals were funded. Nationally, only 24.1 percent of research proposals are funded. But funding in other universities has grown more rapidly. As the University's rankings fell, other colleges, mostly state schools, moved ahead. These schools include Pennsylvania State University, two Texas state schools and several University of California schools. These universities use part of the money they receive to build major new facilities which attract quality faculty and research grants. "The quality of facilities contributes to the quality of the faculty," said David Morse, Managing Director of the University's Institute for Higher Education. When the University chose not to spend its money on facilities, funding declined. As a result, the University was caught in a Catch-22 situation -- it had to spend money to bring in money. Engineering Dean Farrington emphasized that research is in trouble without new facilities. "I think we lag behind with the facilities and equipment that are necessary for an outstanding performance in the engineering fields," said Farrington. "We have no closet space left to renovate." Farrington said science and engineering research cannot make any progress without new facilities, and the current situation is "desperate." Not only has the University not seen any new research space, but the number of faculty members in the research fields has not increased either. According to Merrit, to increase funding the University must increase the amount of competitive faculty. The faculty already at the University are extremely competitive, he said, but the University needs more members to vie for top research funds. Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman said 65 percent of the University's 1,800 faculty receive outside funding. Farrington said increasing faculty does have returns. In the last few years the Engineering School has seen only a "slight" increase in faculty, but research income has grown significantly. Although the University does not receive much state funding, it remains in better standing with the federal government, from which it receives 72 percent of its research funding. In 1989, the University received 464 grants worth $97 million from the National Institutes of Health, and ranked 10th on its list. Most private universities receive more federal aid than state sponsored schools. John Hopkins University, a private school, received the most funding from NIH, while only ranking 12th in all funding received. Currently receiving the most research funding, Stanford University rose from fifth to first place in the 10-year span. Stanford's funding for research had a 215 percent increase, leaping from $88,198,000 to $277,504,000. According to National Science Foundation spokesperson Marian Moulton, funding depends on the specific departments at a university, not a university as a whole. The stronger the faculty, the stronger its chance of receiving research funding. NIH looks for basic criteria in all research proposals, including the significance, originality and methodology of the project as well as the success rate, qualifications and experience of the researcher.
(02/06/91 10:00am)
Researchers at the University and across the nation say they are facing an increasingly desperate situation as the amount of federal funding for research seems to be swiftly slipping away. Although the federal government continues to increase the research budget for the National Institutes of Health, the federal agency which doles out the most money to universities, these increases have not kept up with demand. Experts say fewer research grants are available, forcing researchers to spend less time on science and more time finding money. "Scientists are excited about projects, but frustrated about the amount of money available for research," said Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman. The researchers are "intellectually alive" but can't act on it because "there is not enough money to go around." University scientists this month agreed with Leon Lederman, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, who recently published a report in Science magazine entitled "Science: The End of The Frontier?" stating that U.S. researchers face a desperate funding situation. "For the individual researcher it is hard," University Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Anthony Merrit said this week. "They have to run fast just to stay in place." Officials said that as much as half of some researchers' time is dedicated to writing proposals to receive funding instead of actually working on the research. And several experts said the best graduate students are turning away from what they see as a grim future in research, and experienced researchers are ready to throw in the towel. Last year, the NIH funded the least amount of new grants in a decade. Only 4,848 new grants of 20,281 proposals received sponsorship. In 1975, the NIH funded 61 percent of all grant proposals that passed a screening process. By 1980, this percentage had fallen to 42. By 1985, NIH was only able to fund 37 percent and last year, this fell to 24 percent. Even though NIH's budget has grown from $3.4 billion to $8.3 billion in the last decade, the cost of completing a typical research project has grown just as fast, from $97,800 to $193,900. This rise is due to an increase in the number of people in research writing proposals and in the costs of equipment and facilities. "A lot of good research proposals out there are not being funded," said David Morse, the University's head of federal relations. Morse said he feels the quality of the research has grown, but there has not been a significant increase in money. Researchers are watching their competitors in Germany and Japan receive the funding they need to challenge themselves with research based on American ideas. "The easy research is done," said Sponsored Programs head Merrit. "More demanding and interesting research is needed." According to Economics Professor Edwin Mansfield, the government should spend more money for research since it is important to society in general and not just a university. "I think that there are studies that show that there are societal benefits from academic research," Mansfield. The economics professor added that he found in a study for the National Science Foundation that the introduction of a large percentage of new products and procedures to the market today "would have been delayed considerably in the current research situation." Another contributing factor to the decreasing funds available for new grants is the amount of money already guaranteed to long term projects. In 1989 NIH spent 75 percent of its available funds on continuing research grants. This figure is up from 69 percent in the early 1980's. In addition, the length of the grants has increased from 3.4 years in 1985 to a present length of 4.3 years. The money is therefore tied up for a longer period of time. Still, Congress seems to be paying a great deal of attention to research funding. In its budget for the Fiscal Year 1991, Congress gave NIH nearly $1 billion more than the administration had requested, and put the pressure on NIH to re-organize its budget. Recently, NIH has implemented a new plan to increase the number of research grants that it awards per year. NIH's goal is to award 5,788 new grants this year, and to eventually increase the number of new grants given each year to 6000. Last year, NIH sponsored 4,777 new grants. NIH is also planning to reduce the length of the average grant to 4 years. But without a guaranteed budget increase, NIH could soon bury itself in debt. The Institutes need a seven to nine percent budget increase next year to fund 6000 new grants. Under the new budget, the total amount of NIH grants would grow to 23,400 in 1995 consuming $6.1 billion, instead of the present $4.5 billion. The total budget for the NIH would climb to $10.6 billion. Many researchers are worried about the new plan and claim that scientific quality is at stake if costs must be cut to fund 6000 new grants. If grants were to be rewarded to the lowest bidder, not the researcher with the best scientific merit, the research at private universities where overhead is high will be threatened. But the Chronicle of Higher Education reported last month that NIH officials are reassuring that grant awards will be based only on cost when the quality of two researchers and their proposals are equal. He insists that cuts will be made through case-by-case studies instead of across the board.
(02/01/91 10:00am)
Madison might have been a little nervous yesterday, but she never showed it. She waited patiently and then, for the first time, she donated blood. "She is only doing her dog Samaritan duty," said Maddie's owner and second year Veterinary student Heather Clauser. Three years ago, Blood Bank Coordinator Donna Oakley pioneered this voluntary out-patient blood donor clinic at the hospital. Today, the University has the only large-scale donor program in the country for dogs. The hospital performs three to five transfusions each day on dogs and depends on the bank for 90 percent of its blood. About 500 dogs have contributed blood to the bank over the three years, some of them many times. Any dog that gives to the bank is entitled to free blood for transfusions if they ever need it. In addition, all dogs are rewarded with a little star on their forehead for donating blood -- a benefit Maddie seemed to enjoy. Maddie's owner said she was not worried taking her furry friend to the blood bank because the dogs are at virtually no risk. In addition, if the dog, the owner or the nurses are feeling any type of "stress," the donation appointment will be cancelled for the day, according to Oakley. Once everyone has given their consent, the dog lies on his side while two nurses and his owner hold him still. Most of the time the dogs are very cooperative, and if they aren't, the procedure is stopped. "They only feel a pinch when the needle goes through the skin," staff nurse Ali Culp said yesterday. "Otherwise, they don't feel any pain." After only five minutes, the dogs are finished and relax with a free, fresh bowl of water and food. "I suppose that the water and food are comparable to the food and orange juice humans receive after giving blood," Oakley said yesterday. They are then sent home and told to avoid strenuous exercise. "This program works because of the basic concept behind it," Oakley said. "It is people and their pets helping other people and their pets." To be eligible for the program, a dog must be healthy and between the ages of one and 10 years old, weigh a minimum of 50 pounds, current on all vaccinations, and presently not on any medication other than a heartworm preventative. Frequent donors must also wait six weeks between donations. The hospital performs a complete blood count and heartworm check on all dogs before they can give blood. Becoming a permanent member of the blood bank is the main advantage to any owner considering bringing their dog to give blood. The animals receive a donor card with their number on it, and if they are ever in need of blood, they can receive it at the hospital free of charge. Occasionally, the hospital holds blood drives to increase the donor population but workers say a mobile unit would make many more donations possible. "We would have a lot more donors if we could go out into the community," said Oakley, saying she hopes to have a blood mobile in the near future. Another goal of the Veterinary Transfusion Medicine Program is to eventually expand the number of donors to be able to supply private practices. The program is also working to develop an effective curriculum in transfusion medicine for veterinary students, to provide a state-of-the-art blood center for animals, and to improve research in clinical and basic aspects of transfusion medicine. Besides dogs, cats and farm animals have blood banks at the University, but all the donors are in-patient and kept for the purpose of donating blood. For more information for owners considering volunteering their dogs, write to Donna Oakley, AHT, Head Nurse, Blood Bank Coordinator, Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3850 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6010.
(01/31/91 10:00am)
The amount of money spent on medical research demonstrates the importance the scientific community places on human life, but some scientists think that environmental, not medical, research will be the key to sustaining human life in the future. Associate Biology Professor Arthur Dunham is one of those who thinks funding for environmental research is too low. Last year, the University received over $200 million in grants for research. From this amount, the Medical School received almost $42 million for research, but environmental research projects received only about $1 million. "Humans need to recognize that the greatest threats aren't medical, but ecological problems," Dunham said. "Environmental threats coupled with economical problems they may create are far more serious than any medical threats." Dunham says the earth is undergoing a change in climate, but the rate of this change is a mystery. The question of what will happen to the population under a new climate remains unanswered. "Climate change is complex," says Dunham, who specializes in global warming and the expansion of deserts. His main goal is to understand ecological systems well enough to predict what will happen when and if global warming occurs. If desertification -- the spreading of deserts as a result of global warming -- becomes widespread in the U.S., mid-west grain production would decrease and could eventually stop. The so-called bread basket of the west is a major food source for the world and makes up a large part of our national economy. "The collapse of that part of the U.S. agriculture would make the S&L; bailout look trivial," says Dunham. "The impact of global warming depends on how warm it will get, and we just don't know." Dunham said the world has grown warmer in the last decade. Although the change is small, he said, it is likely to continue. Other scenarios of environmental disaster include melting of the polar ice caps, which would cause ocean levels to rise and all major cities on the East Coast to become totally or partially submerged in water. Professor Dunham also stressed that small scale changes might seem of little significance now, but could eventually change the weather patterns, as well as human existence. During the last ice age the sea levels rose approximately 150 meters because of a simple change in the Gulf Stream. "Tens of years, not hundreds could change our environment," says Dunham. "These problems can happen over a decade and humans cannot produce the mass technology needed to respond to or divert the rapid rate of change with the research funding available." The economic consequences would be of incredible magnitude, Dunham said. He added that he feels people in the future will regret spending so little on environmental research today. Design of the Environment Professor Arthur Johnson, who researches acid rain, said he agrees environmental research is important but says the funding available is increasing. As environmental awareness has risen over the past decade, so has the amount of money available for research of acid rain, carbon dioxide in the environment, and global warming. Johnson said he did not know if science is ready to predict the human consequences caused by environmental changes. Unlike Dunham, he said he does not feel more money is needed for environmental research, as opposed to medical. But Anatomy Department Chairperson Eliot Stellar said that more money is needed in environmental research. He added, however, that he feels all research deserves more funding. "We cannot do everything," Stellar cautioned. "We have to make choices that will advance humanity and human understanding the furthest."
(01/24/91 10:00am)
Animal rights activist Michael Winikoff is expected to withdraw an appeal of his June conviction today, ending the year-long legal battle surrounding his theft of two rats from a University psychology laboratory last January. Winikoff, a resident of Washington D.C. and an activist in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said last night that he decided to drop the appeal after concluding that he could not get a fair trial in Philadelphia. "In Philadelphia, the University dominates the city, including legal affairs," Winikoff said. "If it was any other city, the University would be on trial." Winikoff's lawyer, Bernard Siegel, said yesterday that the animal rights activist will officially withdraw the appeal for a jury trial this morning at a Center City courthouse. The judge is then expected to reinstate the original verdict of a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge. Siegel said he did not know why Winikoff decided to withdraw the appeal, but emphasized that his client would probably not run the risk of a harsher sentence if convicted again. In June, Municipal Court Judge Lydia Kirkland sentenced Winikoff to 100 hours of community service at any organization that does not deal with animals, and to pay the University a $60 restitution fine -- $30 per rat. Under city laws, all defendants are entitled to a new trial by jury if they wish to appeal the decision of a Municipal Court judge. Winikoff had said last September that he was confident that he would have better chances with a jury than he had with Kirkland. According to his lawyer, Winikoff could have faced a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment and a $1000 fine at the appeals trial. Winikoff stole the rats while he was posing as a lab technician. He claimed that the animals were being neglected after receiving brain surgery. Winikoff said last night that the University has a bad track record of animal abuse. At the time of the original sentencing, Winikoff was an employee of PETA, a Washington D.C.-based animal rights group. Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, could not be reached for comment, but a PETA spokesperson said Winikoff should be praised for his actions.
(01/23/91 10:00am)
A University investigation into a professor's conduct in an incident in which 30 Veterinary School students and staff members may have been exposed to a fatal virus is four months overdue, according to University research policies. University administrators said this week that the probe into the professor's actions is continuing, but University research policies call for investigations of alleged research misconduct to take no longer than 90 days. Officials began their review of the incident over seven months ago. A spokesperson for Vet School Dean Edwin Andrews said no information can be released about the investigation. Andrews could not be reached for comment on the reasons for the delay or on the stage of the investigation. Microbiology Professor Jorge Ferrer's research has been suspended since the middle of June, when University officials discovered that Vet School students and staff came into contact with 14 lambs that Ferrer had inoculated with a virus which can cause leukemia. Ferrer failed to separate the lambs, which were part of his research experiment, from the rest of the flock at the University's New Bolton Center in Chester County. University and federal regulations stipulate that animals inoculated during research be separated from the rest of the flock. Although under investigation for seven months, Ferrer declined to comment, saying a University confidentiality rule prevents him from discussing the incident before a report is released. Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman also declined to release any information about the report, but said the school is continuing to test those exposed to the virus. The virus can be latent for up to 30 years. He added that investigations of this type tend to take a long time. The Vet School students and staff came into contact with the lambs during routine operations, including tail bobbing and castration that were to be performed on healthy animals. But Cooperman said that the risk to the students and staff is "extremely minimal." Exposure to the virus occurs only through blood-to-blood transmission, sexual intercourse or breast-feeding from an infected mother to the child. The procedures conducted on the sheep involved very little blood and national experts said this summer that the risk of exposure is very low. All 30 students and staff tested negative for the virus in August. In addition, about 100 pre-school children and their chaperones visited the flock last spring. However, because their contact with the sheep was restricted to petting, experts said the risk to the children was virtually non-existent. The results of a test for one pre-schooler in August were negative. Only one in every 600 people infected with the virus actually develops the deadly leukemia.
(11/30/90 10:00am)
Proclaiming "if we kill susceptable criminals, we won't stop crime in this country," Senior Law School Fellow David Rudovsky argued against the death penalty before 150 students in a debate yesterday afternoon at the Law School. But during the hour-long debate, former Assistant Attorney General Richard Willard, his opponent for the debate, spent much of time claiming that society still needs of the death penalty. "The theory that society becomes more decent as it evolves has been disproven in the twentieth century," Willard said. The debate, sponsored by the University chapter of the Federalist Society, was organized to show "alternative viewpoints not often brought out in the law school," according to the chapter's president. Past debates have included flag burning and the first amendment. Addressing three main points, Rudovsky provided a strong argument against the death penalty that many students said they agreed with. Rudovsky questioned the unusefulness of the death penalty, saying it does not deter further crimes. He used the example of New York where more police officers were killed when the death penalty was in effect than when it was abolished, to support his point. He went on to call retribution unjustifiable because criminals are arbitrarily chosen to go to death row. "I suspect the debate over capital punishment will continue because it provides an outlate for our failing justice system," Rudovsky said. The debate was structured to allow each speaker approximately 20 minutes to detail their position. During Willard's address, he discounted claims that constitutional amendment forbidding cruel and unusual punishment prevents the death penalty. Willard, who served as assistant attorney general in the civil division from 1983 to 1988, said the original intent of the nation's founding fathers was to prevent torture adding that they would consider death a fair punishment for some of the crimes committed in today's society. He also called for mandatory sentencing for specific crimes, including murders of police officer, first-degree murder, and murder by inmates sentenced to life. Following the speeches, students were able to question Willard and Rudosky on their positions and some said they arguments made by the two were pursuasive. "Professor Rudovsky disuaded me," College junior Liza Herzog said. "I came in here pro-capital punishent, but after hearing his strong argument, the I may have changed my mind." "I agree with Rudovsky, he laid out a better argument, but I wasn't happy with the arguments either way," said Marit Anderson, a first-year law student. Staff Writer Riz Shavelle contributed to this story.
(11/16/90 10:00am)
Intuitons opened its fall production, The Balcony, last night with strong and solid performances from its leading actors despite the puzzling effect of Jean Genet's psychological play. The show, which played at Houston Hall Auditorium in front of an audience watching comfortably from couches and beds, relied on the strength of its actors to create the atmosphere of a brothel in the midst of a revolution. But the three-and-a-half hour production is draining, leaving the audience with many questions and not a lot of answers. Still, the play does provide brief bouts of comic relief and a short intermission to help break the tense atmosphere and keep the audience awake. College senior Brad Krumholz opened the play with a particularly impressive performance of The Bishop -- a customer in the brothel's fantasy world -- by making his character believable with a wide array of emotions. Playing Irma, the madame of the brothel, College sophomore Alanna Medlock is an integral part of the production, tying many of the disjointed scenes together and unifying the themes of sexual fantasy, politics, and morals. Other noteworthy performances include College junior Vlad Tepes' portrayal of The Judge, College freshman Jonathan Barnard's depiction of The General, College senior Larry Bogad's performance as The Chief of Police, and College junior Christopher Campbell, playing The Envoy. In addition, the fantasy of a brothel is enhanced with moving scenery and innovative lighting. Genet's work, with a great help from the actors, definitely stretches the audience's imagination to its limit. Still, the length of the production leaves the audience guessing when the show will ever end. While the play was lengthy, the performances make it a play to both enjoy and remember. The Balcony will run through Saturday and again from November 29 through December 1 with shows beginning at 8 p.m. each night at Houston Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $5 and are available on Locust Walk and at the door.
(11/15/90 10:00am)
Touting its fall show as a "weird as hell" experience, Intuitons opens The Balcony tonight in Houston Hall Auditorium. Written by Jean Genet, The Balcony centers around the themes of sexual fantasy, politics and revolution, showing how the three operate to maintain a social structure. College senior Colin Campbell, director of The Balcony, said yesterday that the play is both "theatrically stupendous and fascinating" adding that it doesn't try to preach any lessons to audience members. "It is a political play without any politics and a moral play without any morals," Campbell said. "It presents a horribly bleak and depressing view of how unjustly political and social structures are perpetuated in a society, and yet, at the same time, offers no moral condemnation." He added that Genet's literature plays off psychological themes. "Jean Genet, by infecting us with evil, acts as a catharsis," Campbell said. "Ten years of his literature is the equivalent of a psychoanalytic cure." The Balcony takes place in a brothel, focusing on people who come in and are able to play any role of their fantasy in which they choose. As the play progresses, the brothel, named "The Grand Balcony," becomes almost a theater in which clients become actors and Irma -- the madame -- furnishes the props, costumes, and supporting actors. At the same time, however, a revolution is occuring outside and the rebels are closing in on the brothel. According to the director, the mobile set plays an integral role in this production, with lights and walls moving in order to fit into each other and create new spaces. Wharton freshman Kevin Crump, who plays the Executioner, said students will enjoy the off-beat play. "It is the type of play that you come to see, you enjoy it, and its profound effect is a lasting one," he said. Intuitons is known for tackling unusual and sometimes challenging productions. According to the Campbell, the group's official purpose is "to produce plays that are either top avant garde or too classical to be produced by other groups." The Balcony opens 8 p.m. tonight in Houston Hall Auditorium and will run through Saturday and again November 29 through December 1. Tickets are on sale on Locust Walk and available at the door for $5.
