Cornell University News Service Releases

January, 2003

Index to all months

For the full text of any story, click on the headline. Electronic queries may be made to cunews@cornell.edu.

Weill Cornell team unlocks a key piece of neurotransmission puzzle
New York, NY (January 27, 2003) -- Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have revealed a missing link in the fundamental yet little understood process of neurotransmission, the process by which signals are carried from one brain cell to another. The new finding, which is detailed in the current issue of "Nature", highlights a crucial mechanism that may be common to many signaling processes in cells. Process of Neurotransmission

Next step in decoding human genome to be described by Ludwig Institute geneticist Feb. 12
Andrew Simpson, a senior geneticist with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in São Paulo, Brazil, will discuss the challenges that remain in decoding the human genome in a lecture at Cornell University on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m. in Room G-10 of the Biotechnology Building. His lecture, titled "Transcriptomics: The Link Between Sequencing the Human Genome and Human Biology," is free and open to the public. It is the third in a series of lectures sponsored by the Cornell/Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Partnership. (January 30, 2003)

Mouse genetic model for neurodegenerative brain diseases
Some mice with a genetic mutation for mahogany-colored coats also develop spongiform degeneration of brain tissue, similar to mad cow disease. Because of this oddity, the mice could be valuable animal models for human disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, according to geneticists at Cornell and Stanford universities. The surprising discovery in a mouse strain known to geneticists since the 1960s is reported in the latest issue of the journal Science (Jan. 31, 2003) by Teresa M. Gunn, Gregory S. Barsh and their collaborators as "Spongiform Degeneration in mahoganoid Mutant Mice." (January 30, 2003)

Microchip allows optical observation of single molecules
Using a novel technique, supported largely by off-the-shelf instruments, scientists at Cornell University have for the first time optically isolated individual biological molecules in naturally occurring molecular concentrations and watched their complex behavior as they interact with a protein. The technique, made possible by the ability of nanofabrication to produce a microchip with light-impeding holes with a diameter one-tenth of the wavelength of light, could promise a new method of DNA sequencing by which the genetic code can be "read" from a single DNA molecule. (January 29, 2003)

Janet Reno '60 will speak as Rhodes Class of '56 professor
Former United States Attorney General Janet Reno will be on the Cornell University campus Feb. 3 through Feb. 14 as a Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor. Reno will deliver two free and open public lectures during her stay on campus. The first, titled "Truth and How We Seek It," is Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Statler Auditorium. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Reno will then deliver the Bernard S. Yudowitz Lecture in Myron Taylor Hall at Cornell Law School, Wednesday, Feb. 12, on the topic "Collaboration Between Law and Public Health." The lecture is at 4:15 p.m. in the Stein Mancuso '73 Amphitheater (room G90). (January 29, 2003)

Pharmaceutical Policy and Health grant
A new initiative -- Consumers, Pharmaceutical Policy and Health -- is under way in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management (PAM) at Cornell University, thanks to a Merck Company Foundation pharmaceutical policy grant. The renewable grant of $200,000 a year for three years involves at least eight faculty members and is allowing PAM, which is in the College of Human Ecology, to undertake research projects and develop graduate course content on pharmaceutical policy. The department also will issue a series of pharmaceutical policy working papers, sponsor seminars on pharmaceutical policy and offer fellowships, research assistantships and internships to graduate students. (January 29, 2003)

Civil rights crusader Ozell Sutton is annual Martin Luther King Jr. speaker Feb. 3
Ozell Sutton, who has been cited four times by Ebony magazine as among the "100 Most Influential African American Leaders," will deliver the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture at Cornell University, Monday, Feb. 3. The talk by Sutton, the director of the Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice in the Southeast Region, is free and open to the public. It will be in the Anabel Taylor Hall Chapel at 4:45 p.m. A reception will follow the lecture. Sutton's visit is sponsored by Cornell United Religious Work (CURW). (January 27, 2003)

Trustees approve plan for 5 percent endowed tuition increase
The Cornell University Board of Trustees approved a set of planning parameters for the 2003-04 budget that calls for a 5 percent tuition increase for most endowed Ithaca students at its meeting in New York City Friday, Jan. 24. The 5 percent increase sets tuition for Cornell's endowed undergraduate and Graduate School students at $28,630 for the 2003-04 academic year. Currently, the tuition is $27,270. (January 27, 2003)

A new wrinkle in the Botox fad: Botox may cause new wrinkles
New York, NY (January 23, 2003) -- Can use of Botox cause new facial wrinkles? Is laser hair removal safe for those with darker skin? What are some alternatives to plastic surgery? From skin safety to anti-aging procedures, dermatologists at Weill Cornell Medical Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answer these questions and more, providing expert advice on a range of cosmetic skin treatments.For patients receiving Botox injections to remove facial wrinkles, skin adjacent to the treatment area may become more wrinkled, says Dr. David S. Becker, Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant Attending Physician of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Productivity linked to workplace emotions, says new Weill Cornell book
New York, NY (January 22, 2003) -- Love it or hate it, emotional issues are prevalent in the workplace, says a new book by a Weill Cornell mental health expert. And many mental health problems from depression to drug abuse show up at work. Left untreated, these problems cost businesses billions of dollars every year in lost productivity.ĘThe new book, "Mental Health and Productivity in the Workplace: A Handbook for Organizations and Clinicians," offers the business world a sophisticated mental health perspective on organizational and occupational concerns, in non-technical language. The book also describes the various forms of workplace problems, including recognition and management of their symptoms, and how to provide cost-effective quality care and prevention.

New drug Levitra shows promise in treatment of erectile dysfunction
New York, NY (January 22, 2003)--A new drug shows promising results in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), reports the December issue of The Journal of Andrology. A study investigator, Dr. John P. Mulhall, Director of the Sexual Medicine Program at Weill Cornell Medical Center of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, anticipates that the new drug will increase awareness of ED and its ability to be effectively treated.The Journal of Andrology is the official publication of the American Society of Andrology, and is overseen and edited by Weill Cornell Medical College and The Population Council at Rockefeller University.

New agricultural biotechnology publication Available
GENEVA, NY -- If you are looking for a thoughtful, balanced publication that answers fundamental questions about why genetically engineered food crops are developed, whether they are safe for humans and the environment, and how they affect the global food system, read "Agricultural Biotechnology: Informing the Dialogue"-the newest publication from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). "The purpose of the publication is to help the public become more knowledgeable about the issues surrounding biotechnology, and develop a common understanding of its benefits and risks," said Anthony Shelton, Cornell professor of entomology, and chief architect of the publication. (January 23, 2003)

Task force to look at issues confronting Asian and Asian-American student communities
Susan Murphy, Cornell University vice president for student and academic affairs, has announced that a task force has been formed to address issues confronting Cornell's Asian and Asian-American student community. Murphy said the task force was established in response to the need for a campuswide approach to address campus climate, services and program issues as they relate to Cornell's Asian and Asian-American community. She noted that students of Asian descent comprise the largest single community of color at Cornell, at 14 percent of the total student body, 16 percent of all undergraduates and 55 percent of all international students. Any improvement in the well-being for this community will likely improve the campus climate for the university at large, she said. (January 22, 2003)

With 90.8 inches, Syracuse, N.Y., leads Northeast snowfall sweepstakes, says Cornell's regional climate center
N.Y. -- The race for the title of the Northeast's snowiest city this winter is heating up. With 90.8 inches of snow through Jan. 20 (33.2 inches above normal), Syracuse, N.Y., is in the lead, according to Keith Eggleston, senior climatologist at Cornell University's Northeast Regional Climate Center. Behind Syracuse is Erie, Pa., with 88.4 inches of snow so far this season (36.8 inches above normal). But this is far behind Erie's record snowfall of 110.8 inches set between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20, 1977-78. (January 21, 2003)

Astrophysicist Robert Brown to head NAIC, Arecibo
A noted astrophysicist and observatory administrator, widely experienced in international collaboration, has been chosen to direct the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), whose main facility is the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the world's largest, and most sensitive, single-dish radio telescope. He is Robert L. Brown, currently deputy director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), headquartered in Charlottesville, Va. NAIC, managed by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF), was created as a national center for radio science in 1971. The 1,000-foot-diameter (305 meters) Arecibo telescope was completed in 1963 at the initiative of Cornell electrical engineering professor William E. Gordon. NAIC and Arecibo provide access to state-of-the-art observing for scientists in radio astronomy, solar system radar and atmospheric studies, and the observatory has the unique capability for solar system and ionosphere (the atmosphere's ionized upper layers) radar remote sensing. (January 21, 2003)

Cornell to open nation's first dedicated wrestling center
You have cheered baseball in a ballpark, watched football in a stadium and enjoyed basketball in a gymnasium. Now, for the first time in the United States, wrestling has its own house. Cornell University's Friedman Wrestling Center, the first arena in the nation built solely for the sport, hosts its first official match when Cornell's Big Red varsity team meets the Ohio State University Buckeyes Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. The match will be preceded by an opening ceremony at 1:45 p.m. at which Cornell President Hunter Rawlings will introduce Stephen Friedman, who is an adviser to President George W. Bush. (January 20, 2003)

Canadian consul general will speak Jan. 23
Pamela Wallin, Canadian consul general in New York City, will speak on the topic "The Media and Diplomacy: Influencing Public Perceptions of Canada-U.S. Relations" on the Cornell University campus Thursday, Jan. 23. Wallin's talk will be in Kaufman Auditorium of Goldwin Smith Hall from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and it will include a question-and-answer period. The talk is free and open to the Cornell community, and it is sponsored by the Canadians at Cornell Club (CACC). (January 20, 2003)

Downtown forum, Feb. 4, focuses on Cornell/community questions, answers
Representatives from more than a dozen Cornell University programs, offices and initiatives will be available under one downtown Ithaca roof Feb. 4 to take questions about the roles their organizations play in and around Tompkins County. The Cornell-community forum will take place in the Women's Community Building, 100 W. Seneca St. in downtown Ithaca, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend. (January 20, 2003)

Cornell trustees to meet in New York City Jan. 23-25
The Cornell University Board of Trustees will hold its first meetings of 2003 at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, Jan. 23 through 25. The full board will meet from 9 to 11:45 a.m. and from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. The first hour of the afternoon meeting will be open to the public. The rest of those meetings and a meeting Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9 to 11 a.m., will be closed. The meetings will be in the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Education Center, 1300 York Ave. Among topics of discussion will be a report from President Hunter Rawlings and a report on the Land Grant Study conducted over the past year. The board is expected to approve 2003-04 tuition rates for the endowed colleges. (January 17, 2003)

MBA students to analyze pricey Superbowl ads
Following Super Bowl Sunday this Jan. 26, Douglas Stayman and his marketing students at Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management will huddle to discuss what's behind the game plans of this year's biggest advertisers. The post-game analysis has become a tradition at the Johnson School, says Stayman, an expert on advertising patterns. Each year during the week following the game he guides a discussion in which students determine whether the companies that invested in Super Bowl spots made good business and marketing decisions, and whether the ads were effective. (January 15, 2003)

NYC firemen come to Ithaca to say thanks Jan. 16-17
Two firefighters from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) will give six presentations in the Ithaca area Thursday and Friday, Jan. 16 and 17, as part of a statewide tour to give thanks to communities who supported rescue efforts in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The program will include video and artifacts from Ground Zero. (January 14, 2003)

Test identifies children who are unreliable witnesses
Hundreds of thousands of young children are interviewed as eyewitnesses every year in the United States, but their testimony sometimes can be swayed by their interviewers. Now a new test developed at Cornell University can reliably identify children who have a tendency to change their testimony in response to leading questions or negative feedback. The test, which consists of watching a video and then responding to suggestive questioning, is scientifically reliable for children who are at least 4-and-a-half years of age, says Stephen J. Ceci, the Helen L. Carr Professor of Developmental Psychology in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell. The test assesses several aspects of suggestibility as well as individual differences among children. (January 14, 2003)

Annual Martin L. King Jr. Day celebration at GIAC is Jan. 20
A community program to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), 318 N. Albany St., on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program is free and open to all. This ninth annual event will begin with a luncheon, a keynote speech and performances by local choirs. The keynote speaker this year is Larry Shinagawa, associate professor and director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity at Ithaca College. Workshops will follow the luncheon, including children's workshops presented by Cornell University's Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and GIAC, storytelling by Jacqueline Scott and a music workshop by Tom Sieling. In addition, there will be a joint Elder-Youth Speakout this year and a workshop by Leslie Schultz and Tammy Baker, titled "Alternatives to Violence." The program will conclude with dessert and additional performances by local choirs. (January 13, 2003)

Daniel Mendelsohn wins George Jean Nathan Award
Daniel Mendelsohn, an author, journalist and professor of classics at Princeton University, is winner of the 2001-02 George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism. The $10,000 prize, administered by the Cornell University Department of English, is one of the most generous and distinguished in the American theater. Mendelsohn was selected by a committee consisting of the chairs of the English departments of Cornell, Princeton and Yale universities, assisted by experts on the theater from those universities. Mendelsohn received the award based on three in-depth articles he authored for The New York Review of Books. (January 10, 2003)

New york Weill Cornell discovers anti-cancer drug tamoxifen boosts fertility in breast cancer patients
New York, NY (January 9, 2002) - The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center has discovered that the wonder drug tamoxifen can help breast cancer patients have babies - even after they experience fertility loss associated with chemotherapy. A preliminary study published in the current issue of "Human Reproduction" is the first to describe how an in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy resulted from the use of tamoxifen as an ovarian stimulant.In the study -- co-authored by Dr. Kutluk Oktay and Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, Director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility -- research found that a short, carefully timed course of tamoxifen boosted patients' ability to produce eggs. Every woman participating in the study produced one or more embryos, which were then either frozen or immediately implanted in their womb. One patient who had two fresh embryos transferred has already given birth to twins.

Cornell's 2002 total research spending rose by 12 percent, with Ithaca campus outlays rising by 10 percent
Cornell University's total research spending in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2002, rose by more than 12 percent compared with a year earlier, with expenditures at the university's Ithaca campus increasing by more than 10 percent. Research spending at the New York City campus, Weill Cornell Medical College, was up by nearly 18 percent over fiscal 2001. In releasing the latest research figures, Charles R. Fay, Cornell's vice provost for research administration, noted that the spending figures represent all research dollars spent, including those awarded by federal, state and private sources. He noted that Cornell made "a substantial increase in investments in budgeted research" -- a category supported by general university resources -- which was up by nearly 78 percent, to more than $24.3 million, compared with a year earlier at Weill Cornell Medical College and by about 9 percent, to more than $81 million, at the Ithaca campus. (January 10, 2003)

Health innovators Drs. Henry J. Heimlich and Robert C. Hsiung will speak during Health Awareness Week
N.Y. -- Two featured events during Cornell University's 22nd Health Awareness Week, Jan. 27-31, on campus, will be public lectures by noted health professionals Dr. Henry J. Heimlich and Dr. Robert C. Hsiung. Hsiung, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Chicago and an online health-information innovator, will give the Distinguished Health Professional Lecture Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Room G10 of the Biotechnology Building. (January 10, 2003)

Saving American history: Mann Library receives federal grant to preserve agricultural literature
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded $538,450 to the Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University for the fourth phase of a long-term preservation project, called the National Preservation Program for Agricultural Literature. This project will keep historically significant agricultural books and documents from being lost to natural decay. (January 9, 2003)

Supermodel and eating disorders expert speak Jan. 28
An international supermodel and an expert on eating disorders will lecture together at Cornell University Tuesday, Jan. 28, on the subject of normal/abnormal eating behavior and body image issues. Their appearance is part of the 22nd Health Awareness Week on campus, Jan. 27-31. Model Magali Amadei and Claire Mysko of the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association will speak in Uris Hall auditorium at 7 p.m. Their talk, free and open to the public, is sponsored by Cornell Fitness Centers, Cornell Community Centers, the Cornell Healthy Eating Program, Panhellenic Association, InterFraternity Council and Multicultural Greek Letter Council. (January 9, 2003)

Health Awareness Week will be bigger and better, Jan. 27-31
Health Awareness Week is making a grand return to Cornell University during the week of Jan. 27. The 22nd annual edition of campuswide health-related presentations and educational activities -- and fun -- will be the largest and most eventful in the university's history. Featuring programs on fitness, exercise, diet, nutrition, wellness, sexual health, public health, occupational health and mental health, Health Awareness Week 2003, Jan. 27-31, is being presented by Cornell Fitness Centers and is open to the general public. All are encouraged to attend. (January 8, 2003)

Americans support maintaining civil liberties
When the Patriot Act passed Congress weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, federal law-enforcement officials received more power to eavesdrop on telephone calls, secretly monitor e-mail communication and find out what library-card holders have been reading. Now a majority of Americans are claiming that these new government powers infringe upon civil liberties, according to a national survey conducted by Cornell University's Department of Communication. More than 60 percent of Americans oppose tapping phone lines and wireless phone connections as part of the war on terrorism, the survey found. Nearly 60 percent oppose monitoring e-mail, and the same percentage oppose outlawing constitutionally protected actions, even if some consider these actions "un-American." (January 8, 2003)

A universe of violent change and mysterious life forms
Are we alone in the universe? How did we get here? How has the universe changed since the big bang? A new book by Daniel R. Altschuler, director of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, makes a big bang itself as it creatively attempts to answer some of these questions while covering topics ranging from astronomy to physics, and paleontology to geology. In the book, Children of the Stars: Our Origin, Evolution and Destiny (Cambridge University Press, 2002), Altschuler contends, "It is not enough for scientists alone to understand the workings of nature. It is important that every citizen understands. ... My book is an effort to remedy this situation." (January 6, 2003)