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Friday, September 29, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
Twisted Metal
Ron Gleason of Lawrence, left, works on the Jayhawk Puzzle. The puzzle is a mechanical perception puzzle created by Scott Kaiser, Lawrence, freshman. It is made of red and blue hanger wire.
Julie James/KANSAN
Above, Gleason prepares to hang the puzzle from a two-ring ladder. The puzzle is sold by the Jayhawk Puzzle Corporation for $7.50 at the Kansas Unlorl and at Jayhawk Spirit.
Venom could cure shakes of elderly
By Melanie Matthes
Kansan staff writer
Two University of Kansas Medical Center professors are conducting research with an animal that is beautiful to see but deadly to touch.
The cone snail, which uses a toxic venom to capture its prey, abounds in Southern California and the Philippines, said Stanley Nelson, professor of anatomy and cell biology at the college.
The snail's venom, however, has become important in the field of medicine, he said.
One of the toxins in the snail's venom causes severe shaking and loss of balance when injected in the brains of laboratory rats, Nelson said. For this reason the venom is called the "shaker venom."
Fred Samson, professor of physiology, said that the study of the toxin's effect on rats would provide researchers with a model of the toxin's effect on humans.
Samson said this toxin could be similar to a toxin found in the brains of elderly people. Because the toxin causes shaking and a loss of balance in rats, the study found that the toxin and the causes of shaking and falling of elderly people.
"It will be a model of how you move and where you are in space." he said.
There are no other studies of the effects of this venom on the nervous system, Nelson said.
Samson said that the venom was important to medicine because it was the only substance known to affect certain areas of the brain that control movement.
If the venom's effect on the brain can be fully understood researchers may be able to develop medication to control the elderly people's shaking and falling, he said.
"The important part of all this is that it can be used as a tool to see how the nervous system works," Nelson said.
KU group calls for more aid for homeless
By Chris Evans
Kansan staff writer
Karin Denes, president of KU Students Against Hunger, met yesterday with City Commissioner Mike Rundle to discuss possibilities for expansion of programs for Lawrence's hungry and homeless.
Denes said she would speak before the Lawrence City Commission Tuesday on behalf of her organization. The group has collected 1,500 signatures from students who attended a class about financing for local food banks and soup kitchens.
A petition circulated by KU Students Against Hunger reported that the five food banks and soup kitchens in Lawrence serve an average of 450 to 500 families each month. The petition stated that those signed believed in the city's initiative to reevaluate the city's budget for the next fiscal year and advocate for the problems of hunger and homelessness.
Not all of the petitions have been collected, so the number of signatures could be more than 1,500, Denes said.
"We're not expecting any big piece of legislation," she said. "It's to show that the students at KU are concerned about the community and not just about the KU campus."
Yesterday, Rundle said he told Denes that she would be more than signatures to get the commission's attention.
"If she wants us to say that we're all opposed to hunger, we'll give her aquick response," he said. "But if she wants us to do something, she'll have to be a little more concrete."
"It would be very helpful if she could provide information as to the extent of the problem."
Denes said she would suggest that the mayor establish a task force to investigate some of the problems in Lawrence and to identify possible solutions. A similar volunteer task force exists in Kansas City, Mo.
In addition, Denes said she would like to see a government incentive for employers who hire homeless workers.
Rundle said he thought such programs would be better than some existing programs.
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