Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Thursday, November 16, 1989
3
Parkinson's drug helps stop shakes
By Melanie Matthes Kansan staff writer
A new drug called Deprenyl may now be administered to control the tremors and shakes of Parkinson's disease victims, according to the preliminary findings of an ongoing study using patients and staff at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
"Deprenyl represents a whole new way of treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease," said William Koller, principal investigator of the study. "It is the first treatment that works on the mechanics of the disease, not just the symptoms."
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disease that affects nearly 500,000 Americans and usually begins in mid-life. It is characterized by shakes and tremors, rigidity and loss of balance. There is no known cure and current treatment includes levodopa therapy, which only works temporarily and can cause side effects such as involuntary movement and hallucinations.
Unlike levodopa therapy, Deprenyl has almost no side effects, Koller said.
These preliminary findings will be published in the Nov. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
southern England. "These results would suggest that most people with Parkinson's disease should be on Depenryll," Koller said.
Depennyl has not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration but is available to newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients through their physician, he said.
The Med Center has participated in the clinical trial of the new drug since 1987 and has contributed one of the largest groups of patients to the study.
The $10 million study, which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, has used 600 patients from 28 study sites in the United States and Canada. Koller said. The Med Center has contributed 44 patients to the study. The study will continue until 1992.
"The people I play golf with don't give me any handicap," he said.
Sam Hill, a 73-year-old Baldwin City resident, was the first patient to take part in the study at the Med Center. He said he had taken Deprenyl for two and one-half years and immediately noticed an increase in shakes and tremors when he stopped taking the medication for a short period.
Hill said he became involved in the study when his wife noticed that his hand shook while he was eating a sandwich. Med Center physicians diagnosed him as having Parkinson's disease and asked if he would like to take part in the study.
Hill takes four pills a day and visits his physician once every three months, he said.
Terry Grute of Lawrence, left, and deliveryman David Julazadeh prepare packages for the first day of business.
New company runs errands with style
By Steve Buckner
Kansan staff writer
By combining high tech with high touch, as he is fond of saying, Paul Gray is aiming to make life easier for Lawrence residents.
Gray, a jazz musician turned entrepreneur, and partner David Fonseca of Solutions Group Inc., 111 Riverfront Road, are launching their latest venture today an errand-running company called Room Service.
"We're not trying to do something new. We're just trying to make things convenient with style and class," Gray said. "Service businesses are what's happening today. On the West Coast, people are delivering groceries, grocery shopping and delivering prepared food.
and delivering prepared "I think no one, however, is doing what we're doing on the comprehensive basis that we're doing it."
the company. Gray said that the qualities that make Room Service comprehensive are its services and method of business. A person can order a wide selection of grocery items, he said, that are available from the company's warehouse. The cost of the groceries is comparable to a convenience store's prices, Gray said, and a $2 delivery charge is assessed for each order, regardless of the number of items
purchased.
purchased.
Some of the services offered by the company include laundry, dry cleaning, shoe shining and video rentals, he said.
selling and marketing for Nancy Crisp, director of marketing for Room Service, said the company also would conduct seasonal errands.
We're not trying to do something new. We're just trying to make things convenient with style and class. Service businesses are what's happening today. On the West Coast, people are delivering groceries.'
W
Paul Gray
"We'll be offering gift buying and gift wrapping," she said. "We will consider an 'elf service' to put together things needing assembly. And we'll even offer a gift-binding service."
Gray said the delivery of the goods or services would be scheduled by the customer. Room Service can respond within an hour, he said, or by appointment, depending on the customer's needs. Also, the delivery drivers wear tuxedos.
"We're trying to produce old-fashioned services," Gray said.
the high-tech aspect of the operation starts when Room Service receives a phone call. The company, through its other operations, has a data base of everyone in Lawrence, he said. When a caller gives his phone number, the dispatcher will be able to retrieve the caller's name and address, and check inventory, Gray said.
The warehouse also is automated, he said. An expedition will stick the groceries, Gray said, and use a bar code on the sack to print a statement for the customer. This technology was generated from another company of the Solutions Group.
company The company, which is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, is targeting a wide section of customers, including students, couples who commute to work, single parents and the elderly. He said the company conducted a year and a half of market research before opening.
"We're excited with such a good response," Gray said of the marketing research. "We've had lots of calls. Our ultimate goal is to work the bugs out and take it to larger cities."
He said Room Service had hired 25 students and had a total of 40 employees. The employees that showed promise, Gray said, would have an opportunity to become managers if the company franchised.
West Lawrence addresses have new ZIP
Kansan staff writer
By Anita Meyer
Kensan staff writer
Melissa Young didn't realize she had been using the incorrect ZIP code for her address until she found a green card in her mailbox reminding her that her ZIP code had changed from 6004 to 60049.
"I had been told when I moved in that I could address my letters with 60644 or 60649," she said. "I thought they were interchangeable."
Young, Winnetka, Il., junior, who lives in Trailridge apartments, 2500 W. Sixth St., received one of about 14,000 cards sent to Lawrence residents within the last few days, reminding them of a change in ZIP codes, said Bill Lawrence, superintendent of postal operations.
He said the new division line was Iowa Street. Every residence west of Iowa and south of 15th street will be 66047, while those north of 15th will be 66049.
Lawrence said new ZIP code divisions actually went into effect in July. He said the
cards were sent out to remind people of the change.
"We changed ZIP codes for several reasons" he said. "First of all, I don't think anyone thought the town of Lawrence would expand west as much as it has. There were not enough numbers in existing ZIPs to account for the increase in our growth."
Coneyl Bowman, secretary to the postmaster, said she didn't think the new ZIP codes had caused customers many problems.
ones.
Lawrence said the new codes mixed with the old codes was not causing delivery problems yet, but the mail would get delayed when the Lawrence postal system was automated.
"We are trying to get more people to use the new ones," she said. "We try to tell people to change it the next time they order checks or when they write home. Most people have been pretty good about using the new ones."
"If something was addressed to you at 6044, and you lived in 6044, it would be sent
Annette Stenner/KANSAN
to 66044 and would have to be reworked." Lawrence estimated the city postal system would be in a smaller year.
He said that both private citizens and businesses had made efforts to use the new
codes.
"About 60 to 70 percent have already switched over," he said. "The businesses especially have been careful to switch codes. Individual customers have been great."
Prosecution rests case in William trial
By Jim Petterson Kansan staff writer
Prosecution attorneys for the trial of John William rated their case yesterday after two witnesses; testified that William admitted killing Richard Settlemyle, 9, Lawrence.
Phill Rutledge, one of the witnesses, said he met William in the fall of 1968 when he was working at the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen, at the First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St., where needy and homeless people can get food.
On July 17, 1988, Rutledge visited William in the Douglas County jail.
"I did more listening than talking," Rutledge said. "He was noodling and looking down and he said, 'I don't know why I did it.'"
Rutledge testified that William told him that he didn't realize what he had done until he found himself burying the boy's body parts.
William is charged with premeditated murder and aggravated kidnapping or, in the alternative, felony murder in the death of Settlemyre.
Settlemyre's mutilated body was discovered July 14, 1988, floating in the Kansas River 600 yards north of the Kansas Turnpike bridge.
"William said he didn't understand why he had done this to the little boy," Deathe said. "He said he cut Richard's throat and knew he didn't suffer because his throat was cut."
Deathe was on duty at the Douglas County jail July 15, 1988, when William asked to speak with him because he wanted to get something off his chest.
something of an affair.
"He said when he killed the boy he had seen his mother's face laughing at him," Deathe testified.
The subject of William's mother came up in testimony several times. Defense attorneys have said that William claimed his mother had tried to kill him when he was young.
Defense attorneys questioned witnesses extensively about William's mannerisms, ability to communicate and whether William seemed strange or bizarre.
Ed Colllister Jr., and Margie Wakefield-Green, defense attorneys, maintain that William intellectually functions at the level of an 8- or 9-year-old and have indicated that they may rely on a defense of insanity.
After the prosecution rested, Collister entered motions to drop the charge of felony murder due to insufficient evidence to determine that William was not legally sane at the time of the crime.
james Paddock, Douglas County district court judge, denied the motions.
college. He got
Kathleen Gottlieb, a speech pathologist,
testified for the defense that William
communicates at the level of a 9-year-old.
She testified that William probably only understood "bits and pieces" of the Miranda rights officers read to him. The Miranda rights are read to suspects before they are arrested.
During cross-examination from Jim Flory, Douglas County district attorney, Gottlieb said that she didn't know for sure that William didn't understand the rights because she didn't specifically question William about them.
Defense attorneys also presented testimony from several Lawrence residents who had known William before his arrest. Wakefield-Green extensively questioned the witnesses about William's alleged frequent bizarre or abnormal behavior.
WHAT DO THEY BELIEVE?
WHO ARE THE BAHA I'S
WHAT DOES THE BAHA'I FAITH STAND FOR?
FOR THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE THERE WILL BE AN INFORMAL MEETING
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18th,
REGIONALIST ROOM KANSAS UNION