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Show The Daily Utah VOLUME 104 NUMBER 105 le ironic THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH'S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1890 Three children infected at Report says tissue grafts tainted with meningitis bacteria caused disease Today Viewpoint: Grand drama. GOP style Timeout: 6 Net surfing, the Mercy Cube way. 8 Sports: The rise of Utah, and the fall of BYU 10 Check out the WAC tourney results in Tuesday's special sports edition of the Chronicle THe Nation Unemployment rises WASHINGTON (AP) -New claims for unemployment benefits increased by 4,000 last week, fueling debate among some economists over whether the job market is weakening. "The initial unemployment claims data continue to indicate a slowdown in the labor market," contended Marilyn Schaja, an economist with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp. in New York. Not so, said economist Samuel D. Kahan of Fuji Securities Inc. in Chicago. Claims tend to jump up in February because of difficulties in adjusting the data for seasonal adjustments, he maintained. The number of Americans e claims for filing The Daily Utah Chronicle 240 Union Building University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Hospital infect- was ed with a rare bacterium, Ochrobactrum a fad Scientists link gene to irregular heartbeat Broadcast of talk show from Union KRISTEN KAMERATH sudden BY Chronicle Staff Writer A research group from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Utah won the race to find the genes responsible for Long QT syndrome. In two articles published in today's issue of the journal Cell, researchers led by Mark Keating, an investigator with the Eccles program in Human Molecular Biology and Genetics, announced their discovery that genes HERG and SCN5A cause mutations in heart function, resulting in irregular heart beats and sudden death. Long QT syndrome is an irregular heart beat. Specifically, the time elapsed between beats "OJ and "T" is a fraction of a second longer than normal. This death in otherwise can cause fainting spells and individuals. healthy Often, the first noticeable symptom of the disease is death, according to Mark Curran and Qjng Wang, researchers from Keating's lab. Cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) cause or contribute to the deaths of 300,000 Americans annually. The discovery of these genes means easier diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals, hopefully reducing the number of deaths due to arrhythmias. HERG and SCN5A encode ion channels in the heart that are involved in the relaxation and contraction of the heart muscle. Mutations in these genes cause malfunctions in the ion channels, either incomplete closing or opening. When the channels do not function prop-se- e stirs controversy over alleged rape BY JAKE T. BREINHOLT Chronicle Staff Writer afternoon Rick Wednesday host, argued that Taylor, victims are mostly to blame for rape their rape. Taylor is a host for the radio station KCNR 1320 AM which visited the University Union while he broadcast his arguments live. "genetics" on page 4 Taylor said that KCNR is the station in Utah that only a to youthful audience. He appeals also said that most of the staff at KCNR is Libertarian and in their 20s. BY GREG CHRISTENSEN Taylor started his sjiow by sayChronicle Staff Writer ing, "God has given me a gift: an article by Heather May in The Students from two classes in Daily Utah Chronicle." The article Taylor was referring the Mechanical Engineering woman was about the to Department participated in the one of at was who allegedly raped University's annual Design Fair the houses. fraternity Thursday afternoon, displaying, Taylor expressed his skepticism explaining, and even marketing about the crime even taking place. their inventions. He said it is a little strange that she "It's an exhibit of what our studid not inform the police of this dents have done this year," Don crime until she had been taken into Brown, one of the fair's supervicustody for possession of alcohol. sors, said. "The groups started with a rough idea Taylor also made fun of something Mormons and did an impersonthey wanted to do or had a need Beavis and Butthead. ation of it." for and worked to develop He proceeded to ridicule the In its third year, the Design Fair featured such projects as a alleged victim and the university, stand snowmobile to saying, "Apparently they don't portable teach Common Sense 101 here at from the to track freezing prevent the U." Taylor claimed that victim the ground, a breathing apparawas at fault for the alleged rape tus designed to increase underand "if she can't handle it, she water snorkeling activity to up to shouldn't leave the ironing board." five times regular duration, and a The victim is at fault for the rape, device Christmas which efficiently monitors the Taylor said, because if women don't want to get raped, they shouldn't for stands level of tree water up 30 get drunk at fraternity parties and to days. The classes, taught by Brown, go upstairs alone. When some of his listeners pointand Professor Samuel Drake, use ed out that the article he was readthe entire quarter to focus on the ing from did not state that the vicproducts' development. tim did either of these things Taylor "The first week they tell you to ignored them. see "design" on page 3 see "radio" on page 2 talk-radi- o talk-radi- o U. engineers put invention t ir i i ' " e A M III 7s"" skills, to test - - tree-wateri- ing up into the 330,000 to see "jobs" on page 4 Have you seen news happen? Coil The Daily Utah Chronicle' and tell us about it: 581-704- 1 U. 1995 the cause of the contamination, Christenson said. which causes meningitis, Chang However, Chang's Jan. 7 CDC report conanthropi, said. firmed the bacterium was not present in Meningitis, an infection of the covering of remaining stock solution. the brain and spinal cord, has major side Unused bottles, labeled "sterile," produced BY MICAH HALVERSON effects, Christcnson said. only Pseudomonas stutzeri, another bacterium, and SUZANNE SOFFE "The side effects range from death to mental Chang said. However, one partially used bottle Chronicle Staff Writers retardation. Other side effects include deafness of solution did have a different strain of the O. and learning disabilities," he said. anthropi bacteria in it. "There are a lot of concerns about this, Meningitis, which affected three University According to a local doctor; who wishes to of Utah patients, probably originated from based on the fact that you have a botde, contaminated saline solution and not during labeled 'sterile' and growing bacteria," "There are a lot ofconcerns about this, Christenson said. processing, John Christcnson, a U. associate said the investigation was hindered professor of pediatrics and infectious disease based on the that you have bottle, Chang the fact that most of the saline solution specialist, said. by ' was gone before the inquiry began. "It is According to investigator Huan Chang of labeled 'sterile and growing bacteria." the federal Centers for Disease Control Christenson very likely that the source was no longer preJohn sent by the time of our investigation," he (CDC), contamination probably occurred while processing or freezing the donor tissue said. remain anonymous, any time an individual has at the U. The Federal Food and Drug Administration continues its investigation of the saline solution However, the CDC was "unable to identify brain surgery, it increases his chances of conthe exact source" of the contamination. manufacturer, Life Technologies Inc. of Grand tracting meningitis. All the three children, ages 4, 7 and 9, underofficials U. that the Isle, New York, according to Chang's report. Originally, suspected went neurosurgical procedures last November saline solution, used to treat cadaver tissue, see "infection" on page 4 first-tim- insurance unemployment totaled a seasonally adjusted 336,000 last week, the Labor reported Department Thursday. It was the first increase in three weeks. "Claims seem to be creep- when they received contaminated tissue FRIDAY, MARCH 10. Ckmiclt Pbttt Craa Laka Sean Berzas and Andy Bailey worked very hard on their invention for the design competition. They appear to have invented a motorcycle. Non-Prof- it Org. Postage Paid Permit No. 1529 Salt Lake City, UT U.S. |