Weekend, March 15-17, 2013 - The Daily Cardinal

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This week in fake news... Confusion at the Vatican and awkward dinner revelations

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

Men’s basketball prepares for Big Ten tournament +SPORTS, page 8

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Weekend, March 15-17, 2013

UW scientists advance stem cell research Study could be step toward curing Parkinson’s disease For the first time, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers successfully implanted stem cells generated from skin cells into the region of a monkey’s brain that was affected by Parkinson’s disease, according to a study released Thursday. UW-Madison neuroscience professor Su-Chun Zhang, the lead researcher on the project, extracted cells from three monkeys’ skin and turned them into stem cells, which are cells that have not yet been differentiated to fit a specific purpose in the body.

In his research Zhang changed the Induced Pluripotent Stem cells, derived from non-embryonic cells, into the dopamine-creating cells and implanted in an area of the monkeys’ brains that contained a lesion causing Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which results from the death of dopamine-creating cells. It causes behavioral and cognitive problems, including shaking, dementia and slow movement, and currently has no cure. One of the major setbacks in previous stem cell research was immune rejection, which occurs when a patient’s body rejects stem cells because they come from another source. This research marks an important step in solving the issue, Zhang said, because his research created stem cells

from the monkey’s own body, which prevents immune rejection. Zhang said the implanted stem cells integrated so well into the monkeys’ brains that they were virtually indistinguishable from normal cells. Researchers hope to apply the same idea from this study to treat other diseases, according to Zhang. He added they hope to use the procedure in human clinics, after further documented success. Moving forward, Zhang said his team will continue to monitor the monkeys to ensure no side effects develop from the surgeries and to see if the integrated cells help diminish or cure the effects of Parkinson’s. “I think it’s quite unique for UW to lead this part,” Zhang said. “So I feel really honored to do this kind of work here.” —Sam Cusick

On campus

Czech your taste buds

WUD Global Connections and International Student Services hosts their fourth Taste of Cultures Thursday, featuring the cuisine of the Czech Republic. + Photo by Nithin Charlly

Ward, WISPIRG continue to spar over staff funding contracts By Cheyenne Langkamp the daily cardinal

University of WisconsinMadison Chancellor David Ward said in a statement Thursday he has not signed contracts to fully fund a campus organization because the request does not adhere to UW System policies.

“Without our voice we lose our power.” James Lanser/the daily cardinal

HR project team leader Bob Lavigna presented an update on the redesign at three public forums on campus this week.

Human Resources design forums see large turnout Three human resources design forums earlier in the week brought large crowds from the campus community to hear updates on the plan’s implementation, which will begin July 1. HR design team leader Bob Lavigna said he expected large turnouts because there has been continual interest in the project since its release last fall from campus stakeholders. According to Lavigna, many forum attendees asked how the change will affect them directly, but he said the team will be in a “better

position” to answer these questions as they continue work on the plan. “Everyone is quite interested in what this new system is going to look like and how they will be able to continue to learn about it and become engaged in the process,” Lavigna said. The project team will take input from the forums to a recently created committee consisting of representatives from all shared governance groups, including labor and non-represented classified employ-

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Emily Ten Eyck board chair WISPIRG

Last year Ward refused to sign contracts allowing student segregated fees to fund the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group’s

non-university staff positions despite receiving a recommendation from the Student Services Finance Committee, the student government body that oversees the allocation of these funds, to grant the contracts. In the statement, Ward cited UW System policy F50, which says non-university staff positions can only be funded through the Campus Services Fund. According to Ward, this fund is “outwardfacing,” meaning the student government needs to identify the need for staff services and then request contract approval. This differs from the process WISPIRG took in applying for the contract from the General Student Services Fund that is allocated through SSFC. Ward approved the remainder of the group’s budget at

$55,571.17. “I believe WISPIRG can continue to operate effectively on campus, as many WISPIRG members have shared with me its successes over the past year,” Ward said in the statement. The statement also said Ward will continue to govern student funding under this interpretation of the F50 policy. However, WISPIRG Board Chair Emily Ten Eyck said Ward is going against students’ wishes by refusing to sign the contract, citing a recent petition to “Save WISPIRG” that garnered signatures from more than 10 percent of the student body. “It’s such an easy issue to mobilize students around because without our voice we lose our power,” Ten Eyck said.

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Wisconsin Film Festival tickets to go on sale Saturday Tickets for the Wisconsin Film Festival, the largest campus-based film festival in the country, will go on sale Saturday. The festival will provide audiences with eight consecutive days of documentaries, comedies, classics and films from around Wisconsin, beginning April 11. The renowned “Wisconsin’s Own” films, which will be

shown at the festival, are created by filmmakers with ties to the Badger state. Even closer to campus, the film “56 Up” features University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering professor Nick Hitchon as one of its subjects. The festival will kick off with the Crystal Ball benefit Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hilldale Shopping Center.

Food, drinks and sneak previews to this year’s films will be provided. Tickets for the benefit are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets for the festival can be purchased on the film festival website or at Union South for $8 or $5 with a student ID. During the festival, regular tickets will cost $10 or $5 with a student ID.

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


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