University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, June 14, 1989
Campus/Area
3
Lyme virus no cause for alarm official says
by Donna Eades Kansan staff writer
Although an unconfirmed case of Lyme disease has been reported in Johnson County, Kansans have no cause for alarm, said Greg Crawford, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
"The key is that not all ticks carry disease," Crawford said. "If you get bitten, it doesn't mean you'll get the disease."
Lyme disease, characterized by a blotchy red rash, joint pain, fatigue, headaches and muscle weakness, is carried by the deer tick.
"At this time it's very unlikely people in this area will contract the disease," said Ann McBride, physician at Watkins Memorial Health Center. "The deer tick is not endemic to this area."
Lyme disease is more prevalent in the Northeast, where it was first reported in 1975, the Pacific Northwest, and the upper Midwest.
There have been no confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Kansas in 1989, she said.
Crawford said that physicians were not required to report the disease, but eight cases were voluntarily reported in 1988. He said most of those infections occurred in other areas of the country.
"If people are concerned, they should be more concern about rocky mountain spotted fever," Crawford said.
In 1988 there were 28 reported cases of rocky mountain spotted fever, also transported by ticks, in Kansas.
Symptoms of that disease include a sudden fever, fatigue, muscle pain, severe headaches and chills.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommends that individuals who will be outdoors in wooded areas use tick repellents and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into boots.
Siberians to be studied KU professor may be first Westerner allowed
by Dick Lipsey
Kansan staff writer
Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost policy has created new research opportunities for a KU scientist.
Michael Crawford, professor of anthropology, left Sunday for his eight trip to the Soviet Union in the last 25 years. But this time he may be the first Westerner to study people in Siberian native villages.
"Previously, the Soviets never allowed us to go into native villages," he said. "This was because of the military installations in areas such as Moscow and Belarus." The Chukhota Peninsula extends into the Bering Sea near Alaska.
Crawford will spend two weeks in the Soviet scientific institute of Akademorgod, near the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
"We will iron out the agreement for the research project. In the past our work involved analyzing blood samples or teaching the Soviets, rather than going into the villages. This time I will see the villages and work out the experimental design," he said.
Crawford will study the "new world syndrome" found among Indians of the American Southwest to determine whether it's prevalent among Soviet native peoples who are genetically related to American Indians.
"Scientific literature argues that American Indians exposed to Western diets, such as those high in refined sugars and carbohydrates, develop a number of conditions," he said.
"These include late onset diabetes, gallbladder cancer and gallstones, and Indians have a much higher incidence of these than the white population," Crawford said. "This is the 'new world syndrome'. Nobody
Scientific literature argues that American Indians exposed to Western diets, such as those high in refined sugars and carbohydrates, develop a number of conditions. This is the 'new world syndrome.' Nobody knows whether it is present in the Siberian native population'.
C
Michael Crawford professor of anthropology
knows whether it is present in the Siberian native population."
Crawford also will spend two weeks at the Soviet primate center at Sukhumi, on the Black Sea coast, doing a follow-up study on lymphatic cancer in a baboon colony. He first met Henk in 1965, when the Soviets began the study.
"They injected a group of baboons with human leukemic cells, and the baboons came down with a primate form of lymphoma. cancer of the lymphatic system was rapidly, and they experienced an epidemic. About 450 animals died.
"All of the animals in the control colony were exposed," said Crawford. "But only some died, and there was a familial pattern. About 55 percent of the variation was based on genetic predisposition.
"This summer, as a follow up, we'll use DNA analysis to determine where on the gene is the locus that controls predisposition. The National Cancer Institute is interested in this."
Crawford speaks Russian, which
he said has given him unique opportunities in the Soviet Union.
"To my knowledge, I'm the only American biological anthropologist fluent in Russian," he said.
Crawford also has observed dramatic changes in the Soviet scientific community as a result of glassost.
Crawford noted some problems in Soviet science.
"In the past most scientific institutions were run by party members, who often had marginal academic credentials. The parachiks are gradually becoming displaced. If the Gorbacheva era can get rid of some of the ideological pursists and incompetents and have real scientists run the institutes, that is not a problem."
"They still have problems with basic equipment," he said. "They don't manufacture much lab equipment in the Soviet Union, and to get it from abroad requires foreign currency, which is distributed in a hierarchy of national offices doing defense work. Genetics doesn't have the clout of physics."
Crawford expressed optimisms about future relations with the Soviets.
"I am hopeful that glasnost will open up more exchange programs with Soviet scientists," he said. "Last fall Rem Sukernik, my Soviet counterpart to Lawrence. It was his first time even to visit a nonsocial country."
Crawford said he expected to receive funding from the National Science Foundation to return to the villages next year for further study. He will study either the Nganasan people of the Taimir Peninsula on the Arctic coast, or the Eskimo and Chukchi people of the Chukhotka Peninsula. The Soviet government has not made its decision.
Local Briefs
HAYDEN TO SPEAK: Kansas Gov. Mike Hayden will speak about leadership and the importance of women in politics to more than 500 Kansas Sunflower Girls State at 3 a.m. tomorrow, in Templin Hall.
He also will talk about the increased number of female legislators and the importance women play in his administration.
Girls State will continue through Saturday.
Summer enrollment barely up
sixth grades who have trouble in reading and math.
The board also decided to allocate $7,296.91 for the purchase and installation of window blinds in three of the elementary schools. Roofs will be replaced at three schools, a total of $33,575.
Although the school of Fine Arts recorded the highest increase of 15.7 percent, enrollment in other areas remained about the same, with an overall increase of less than 1 percent.
In other business, the board decided to allow children of employees at Quail Run Elementary School to attend school there.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING: The Lawrence School Board agreed last night to allocate $99.975 for Chapter 1 services for the 1899-90 school year. The money will supplement $375 per student from the Kansas Chapter 1 section.
Chapter 1 is a program that began in 1978 to help students in first to
School 1989 1988
Allied Health 140 136
Applied English Center 61 74
Architecture and Urban Design 109 130
Business 235 256
Education 408 357
Engineering 340 336
Fine Arts 242 204
Graduate School 2,710 2,568
Journalism 232 200
Law 189 180
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 2,500 2,513
Medicine 832 879
Nursing 55 69
Pharmacy 64 68
Social Welfare 225 248
Special University 190 210
Unknown 15 20
(Some students are enrolled in two schools.)
SOURCE: Educational Services Susan Younger/KANSIAN
Enrollment grows less than 1 percent
by Susan Newburger Kansan staff writer
The Department of Educational Services said preliminary enrollment was 8,411, compared to 8,341 for the previous year, an increase of less than 1 percent.
Seventy more students enrolled in summer school this year at the University of Kansas than last year, first-day figures show.
Of the 17 areas reported by Educational Services, seven had increased enrollment, with increases ranging from 15.7 percent to 0.9 percent.
Enrollment on the Lawrence campus was 7,080, up 109 students from last summer's enrollment.
Don Scheid, associate deine of fine arts, said. "A few classes have closed, primarily studio classes with restricted class sizes. But no problems have been brought to our attention."
Representatives of schools reporting an increase said higher enrollment had not caused problems.
"We can never second guess the enrollment," said Scheid, "All sorts of things affect enrollment. We've learned that in most cases one thing has made a difference."
The School of Fine Arts recorded a 15.7 percent increase in enrollment.
Mike Kautsch, dean of journalism,
said that increased enrollment had
not caused any problems for the
school.
"I have not received the final report, but we seemed to meet the demand for classes," Kautsch said.
"We expect to break 1,000 students this fall. The summer school enrollment was not a surprise." Kautsch said.
The 13.7 percent increase in enrollment is consistent with the growing interest in the school's program, Kautsch said.
Official summer enrollment fig ures will be determined July 28.
Steve Traynor/KANSAN
Michael Crawford, professor of atropolyg
Court accepts plan of reapportionment for House districts
Kansan staff writer
by Sharon Chapman Kanson staff writer
The Kansas Supreme Court approved a House reapportionment plan on Friday, but referred an amendment to the new state census to a lower court.
The action was filed by Douglas, Riley and Leavenworth counties and seven legislators from those counties that were required to be used in the reapportionment plan.
The action also challenges the constitutionality of the census results.
"We allege that the methodology used by the secretary of state is unconstitutional," said Patti Hackney, assistant Douglas County counselor. "It is part of Kansas law that you are counted where you sleep. For most students, this would not be their parents' address."
in the federal census, people are counted where they are, regardless of their legal address.
"We believe that the federal method is constitutional," Hackney said. "The difference between the federal number is unbelievable."
The House is reapportioned every 10 years so that districts and representation will be as equal as possible.
Opponents of the census do not want it used for reapportionment because students are counted at their legal address, which is often not where they live most of the year, and military personnel are counted at the address they used before coming to Kansas.
The number of residents was cut in
both Douglas and Riley counties because students from the University of Kansas and Kansas State University were not counted. Leavenworth County's totals also were cut because of Ft. Leavenworth
State Rep. Jessie Branson, D- Lawrence, estimated that as many as 15,000 students live in her district, which includes most of KUI's resi
Because students and military personnel were not included, Hackney said some districts appear to be twice the size of state estimates, and an important segment of the voting population might be ignored.
The court decided not to consider the census with the reapportionment plan because the state constitution required a decision within 30 days. The court said that more time was needed to evaluate the census issue and moved the action back to the state district court.
There is no time constraint in the lower courts, but legislators hope a decision will be made before the 1980 presidential runoffensus will be used in those elections.
According to the 1986 federal estimates, Douglas County has 72,600 residents. The 1988 state census said the total was only 59,441. The 1980 federal census also showed a higher number of residents in Douglas County than residents. A federal census is conducted every ten years but the estimates are updated every year.
If the 1990 House elections are conducted with the newly reapportioned districts, the plaintiffs will ask the judge to prohibit certification of the results.
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