At a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the University was recognized Friday for its excellence in conserving energy. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the University - and six other institutions - the National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Award.
In 1987 the University began the Revolving Energy Conservation Project Account, which funds energy-saving projects and improvements in campus buildings that pay for themselves from the savings they generate.
Bill Verge, University manager of utility systems, said the account has supported 79 projects since its inception and that savings through June 1996 amounted to more than $8 million.
"Reducing energy consumption is an important national priority," said Paul Spradlin, University interim associate vice president for business operations. "The energy conservation efforts at the University are good for the environment and good for business."
Gary Glick, University assistant professor of chemistry, tested 1,680 variations of compounds to find one that was effective in preventing antibodies from destroying DNA, which occurs in some lupus patients.
Glick said that binding between lupus antibodies and DNA is the initial step of several reactions that can lead to kidney damage and sometimes death in lupus patients.
"While these initial compounds may not be drugs themselves, they are valuable leads that may help researchers find more effective anti-DNA inhibitors," Glick said.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Health and will be published in the Oct. 30 journal of the American Chemical Society.
The group previously recommended that babies should sleep on their backs or on their sides, but babies who sleep on their sides are more likely to roll onto their stomachs, which increases their risk of SIDS.
The group said a baby should lay on its back until it is a year old, or until it can roll onto its back without help.
William Jefferies, associate professor in the biotechnology laboratory at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said a blood test would allow patients of families more time to plan for the future and may give drug researchers insights into more effective treatments.
Jefferies said more research will be necessary to determine the usefulness of such a blood test.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Brian Campbell.