THE INdependent student newspaper at the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXVV Issue 51
wednesday , feb . 24, 2010 nikki taylor
sorority fashion codes
bearcats head to indianapolis
African-American history professor works to break down racial barriers. page 3
The Fashion Dungjen sheds light on the dark closets of sisterhood. page 4
Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike will try to increase their draft stock at the 2010 NFL Combine. page 6
Veteran health focus of new grant JAMES SPRAGUE the news record
University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center researchers were awarded grants worth more than $4 million to further research of diseases that afflict veterans. Six of the 11 funding applications submitted by the VA were accepted. The funding will be distributed to each recipient over the course of three to five years. The overall goal of VA research is to lessen the physical and psychological pain of veterans, said Michael O’Rourke, assistant director for veterans’ health policy for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Normally, the VA funds up to 30 percent of submitted applications per year. The approval rate of more than 50 percent for the UC/VA grants surprised the researchers, said Dan Hassett, a molecular genetics professor at UC and a recipient of funding. “[It’s] a staggering number,” Hassett said. The Merit Review Grants were awarded to fund research in areas such as from infectious diseases, biochemistry and cancer. Researchers were required to submit an application, be screened by the VA to determine eligibility and then apply for the grant, Hassett said. briefs rwanda documentary when
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26
where MainStreet Cinema The award-winning documentary about the 1994 Rwandan civil war, “My Neighbor, My Killer,” will be playing as a selection for the Human Rights International Film 2010 series. Filmmaker Anne Aghion captures stories of those who allegedly murdered others during the war as they confront the deceased’s kin in public tribunals. E-mail Jennifer Rush at rushje@mail.uc.edu for more information.
The grant awards for the UC/VA research effort is a big step towards improving health care for veterans, O’Rourke said. “This is one of the ways to attract and retain quality researchers in the VA health system,” O’Rourke said. Researchers will use the funding to study cellular development in cancer, strokes and cardiac diseases, to find how they occur and to develop preventative measures or cures. Hassett’s area of study is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Approximately 40 percent of veterans have some type of the disease, he said. Any new findings or developments from the research would also be shared with the medical community at large, Hassett said. “It is definitely a great feather in the cap for not only the researchers, but the state and the city as well,” he said. Dustin Mann, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, is pleased with awards. “I think with the conflicts we face today as Americans and the hardships that the military face, the government has not forgotten about their sacrifices and is doing a good job taking care of [veterans],” said Mann, who helped with military exercises Japan. “I am glad to see research here in the Cincinnati area and would hope they continue this trend.”
Justin tepe | THE NEWS RECORD
CARE BACK HOME Researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center received a grant worth more than $4 million to research illnesses and diseases, which commonly affect veterans. The money from the grant will be distributed to six UC and VA researchers throughout three to five years.
Patterson opens race discussion taylor dungjen the news record
The University of Cincinnati wants to start an university-wide conversation about race. “We can talk about our bodily functions and sexual activity all day long,” said Valerie Hardcastle, dean of McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. But when it comes to race relations, mum’s the word. In an effort to draw attention to the subject, a cross-university collaboration among the sociology, Africana studies and history departments brought Orlando Patterson, a Harvard University professor and New York Times op-ed contributor, to campus. Patterson’s Monday, Feb. 22, lecture “The Paradox of Race in Obama’s America” keyed in on race relations in the public sphere and the private sector. In the public sphere, Patterson said, African Americans have been fully accepted. Privately, however, race relations have deteriorated, especially as they improved publicly. America is more segregated now and “real, deep friendships are lacking,” Patterson said. “How you can have segregation in a nation that elected a black president boggles my imagination,” Patterson said. Segregation in the private sphere exists especially in housing, Patterson said. People of like races typically want to live with people of the same race. Cities with the greatest segregation, he said, exist in large, liberal-minded cities like New York City and Boston. Segregation is also prevalent in Cincinnati, even though it is not a liberal heartland, Patterson said. Patterson’s lecture is the first of what university officials hope will become “a long-line of conversations.” “Hopefully we can start having uncomfortable conversations on our campus,” Hardcastle said.
fundraiser: haiti alive when
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27
where
Tangeman University Center Great Hall, Room 465
Artists gather for a one-night event to support donation efforts for children in Haiti. All proceeds go to help the rebuilding of schools. Talents include the featured speaker, Jean-Robert Cadet, as well as Myriam Chancy, Cincinnati Black Theatre Company and Janet Pressley, among others. General admission for students is $10 and for others is $25. Table reservations are required. For more information, call Sharon Doering at 513-633-8798. index
1 News 3 Spotlight 4 Opinion 5 Classifieds 6 Sports
“How you can have segregation in a nation that elected a black president boggles my imagination.”
weather forecast
WEDNESDAY
Justin tepe | THE NEWS RECORD
34° 26°
THURSDAY
—orlando patterson,
orlando patterson The University of Cincinnati hosted a guest speaker Monday, Feb. 22, to discuss topics related to race that are often left out of conversations.
harvard university professor
Broken heart syndrome recognized in US
Doctors seeing more cases of cardiovascular damage caused by stress 32 /24 FRIDAY
36 /23 SATURDAY
38 /26 SUNDAY
40 /27
Ashley Morgan the news record
University of Cincinnati cardiologists are seeing more cases of broken heart syndrome, a cardiovascular illness. Broken heart syndrome is also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It was first recognized in Japan in the early 1990s, yet the first cases in the United States surfaced in 2003. “It is becoming more common and showing up in more and more reports,” said Imran Arif, a UC cardiologist and assistant professor of cardiology. Approximately 90 percent of the patients are women between 30 and 60 years of age. After the patient’s electrocardiogram results come in, doctors can determine if the heart’s arteries caused the symptoms or the heart muscle itself. “You can tell it’s broken heart syndrome because you can see the visible signs of a weak heart muscle,” Arif said. Doctors at University Hospital have seen many cases — up to one or two a month, said
Jack Rubinstein, another UC cardiologist and cardiology assistant professor. It is a condition in which intense emotional or physical stress weakens the heart muscle. Emotional stress can also trigger other physical ailments such as stroke, seizure, difficulty breathing and significant bleeding. Patients with broken heart syndrome might believe they are having a heart attack. Their symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, congestive heart failure, and low blood pressure, Arif said. “There are a lot of theories, but no one has pinpointed the exact reasoning behind broken heart syndrome,” Rubinstein said. The heart muscle weakens when the body experiences sudden emotional stress like the death of a loved one, bad financial news, car accidents and the use of or withdrawal of drugs, Rubinstein said. However, there are some cases that have no definite stressor. The effects of adrenaline on the heart are not entirely known, but there are signs of decreased blood flow to the heart. That, paired with restrictions on the arteries,
are the first physical symptoms of broken heart syndrome. It can be treated with medicine. Patients normally recover within three to four weeks and, unlike most heart conditions, the effects are temporary and completely reversible, Arif said.
courtesy of uc academic health center
dr. irman arif University Hospital doctors confirm reports of broken heart syndrome, a cardiovascular illness that is the result of emotional stress.
online @ www.newsrecord.org uc vs. west virginia Go online to check out a slideshow of Tuesday night’s women’s basketball game against the Mountaineers.
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tnr poll Have you ever experienced physical conditions due to a "broken heart?”
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