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Medical News: Glucose-hungry Music: Acclaimed faculty composer J" Washington People: Abumrad tumors more resistant to treatment Kennedy to present concert April 9 w takes circuitous route to medicine 8 April 7, 2006 Volume 30 No. 28 ^V^shington University in StLouis John Major to deliver 145th Commencement address BY ANDY CLENDENNEN the world's great countries, and he has an . Major was born in 1970s, before securing election to Parlia- extremely important perspective on inter- 1943 and grew up in ment for Huntingdon in 1979. The Right Honorable Sir John Major, national issues. I am just delighted that he Brixton, south London. In Parliament, Major served in the gov- former prime minister of Great Britain has accepted our invitation to speak this He attended the Rutlish ernment for 16 years, 10 of which were in and Northern Ireland and a leading year at our most important academic Grammar School but left the Cabinet. Commenting on his rapid rise authority on the changing global landscape, event." at 16 to help support his through the ranks to prime minister, Major has been selected to give the 2006 Com- Commencement will mark Major's sec- family. He had a variety noted that he had only once done a govern- mencement address, according to Chancel- ond visit to campus. On April 20,2005, he of jobs before joining ment job for more than a year: he was chief lor Mark S. Wrighton. was a keynote speaker at an Olin School of Standard Chartered Bank secretary to the treasury from 1987-89. The University's 145th Commencement Business conference exploring the interna- Major (1965-1979), rising to the His one-year positions were junior whip will begin at 8:30 a.m. May 19 in Brookings tional business environment. rank of bank executive. in 1983; senior whip in 1984; parliamentary Quadrangle. Major's talk is titled "The Major was appointed prime minister on Major became interested in politics as a secretary 1985; and minister of state for so- Changing World." Nov. 28,1990, and re-elected when the teen, joining the Young Conservatives, and cial security and the disabled 1986. "We are fortunate to have an interna- Conservative Party won an unprecedented in 1968, won his first election to a local au- In July 1989, he was appointed secretary tional leader as this year's Commencement fourth term in office at the general election thority, the Lambeth Borough Council. He of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Af- speaker," Wrighton said. "Sir John led one of of April 1992. stood for the British Parliament twice in the See Major, Page 6 Researchers study effects of adolescent weight loss BY JIM DRYDEN that can bring them to the atten- tion of a physician. If fatty liver School of Medicine researchers goes untreated and risk factors are studying how fatty liver are not controlled, a small per- disease affects sugar and fat meta- centage of young people may bolism in overweight adolescents progress to liver scarring or even and how losing weight affects the liver failure. condition. Fatty liver disease is thought In the past 30 years, the num- to affect about 20 percent of the ber of overweight children has population in the developed doubled in the United States, and world, but like type 2 diabetes, it overweight children are at in- has been uncommon in young creased risk for the problem. people until recendy. In fatty liver "The prevalence of fatty liver disease, fat ac- disease is increasing in children cumulates in because of the marked increase in liver cells. A childhood obesity," said Samuel patient is diag- Klein, M.D., the Danforth Profes- nosed with Bp59"~<*29" sor of Medicine and Nutritional fatty liver when Science, director of the Center for there is more -.-•.-' H Human Nutrition and chief of Honoring Ibby A student chats with (from right) Justin X. Carroll, assistant vice chancellor for than 5 percent the Division of Geriatrics and students and director of residential life, and William H. Danforth, Life Trustee and chancellor emeri- fat in the liver. I K Nutritional Sciences at the School tus, at a tree-planting ceremony April 4. Students from the William Greenleaf Eliot College Council In children Klein of Medicine. "We are evaluating planted a Katsura tree (foreground, left) in honor of Elizabeth "Ibby" Gray Danforth in front of Eliza- and adoles- how excess fat in the liver impairs beth Gray Danforth House on the South 40. The tree replaces one that blew over a couple of years cents, fatty liver is most common liver function and can contribute ago. Andrew O'Connell, a junior resident adviser in William Greenleaf Eliot Residential College, and in those who are overweight, but to high blood sugar and abnor- A.J. Singletary, president of the council and a Danforth Scholar, each delivered remarks at the cere- it also can occur in young people mal blood lipids." mony, which was attended by several staff and students. "When you had the chance to meet with with diabetes or, less commonly, Klein and his colleagues are (Ibby), you not only knew you were in the presence of great person, but she made you leave feeling with other conditions. studying children ages 13-17. that you were a great person yourself," Singletary says. "I like to think that this tree will symbolize Those with fatty liver disease Participants in the study cannot these same characteristics to students, providing a bright greeting or a haven for reflection. Just as may have an enlarged liver or ele- have diabetes or weigh more than this tree shall continue to grow in our residential college, the legacy of Elizabeth Danforth will con- vations in liver enzymes. Most do 300 pounds; liver disease and a tinue to grow and benefit our University community well into the future." not have obvious symptoms, but history of excessive alcohol use some may complain of fatigue, also make a person ineligible. malaise or vague abdominal pain See Liver, Page 6 Pollinators especially needed in areas Truman Scholarship goes of high plant diversity, biologists say BY TONY FITZPATRICK gions of high diversity may be in- plants and compared them with creased competition between the control plants that were pollinat- to Arts & Sciences junior Mother Nature could use a few plants — there are more plant ed naturally. Vamosi, Knight and BY NEIL SCHOENHERR nancial aid at more good pollinators, espe- species vying for the services of their colleagues created a database some premier cially in species-rich biodiversity pollinators. of more than 1,000 worldwide Arts 8c Sciences junior Laura graduate insti- hotspots, according to a recent Also, when there are a lot of pollination experiments. Kleinman has been awarded tutions, along study in the Proceedings of the species around, plants become "If pollinators are doing a a 2006 Harry S. Truman Scho- with leader- National Academy of Science. more separated from other indi- good job, you wouldn't expect a larship. ship training, Tiffany Knight, Ph.D., assistant viduals of the same species, caus- treatment effect," Knight said. Each scholarship provides career and professor of biology in Arts 8c Sci- ing pollinators to have to fly long "But for some of our plants, we $30,000 — $3,000 for the stu- graduate- ences, Jana Vamosi, Ph.D., post- distances to deliver pollen. When saw a huge treatment effect. We dent's senior year and $27,000 school coun- doctoral associate at the Universi- pollinators do arrive, they may saw that a lot of the plants are in- for two or three years of gradu- Kleinman seling and ty of Calgary, and their collabora- deliver lots of unusable pollen credibly pollen-limited. ate study. The program is open special intern- tors have performed an exhaustive from other plant species. "Biodiversity hotspots, such as to juniors interested in public- ship opportunities within the global analysis of more than 1,000 Knight and her colleagues tropical rainforests, are a global service careers. federal government. pollination studies that included found this pattern to be especially resource — they are home to Truman Scholars are selected Kleinman said she is honored 166 different plant species. true for species that rely heavily many of the known plants used based on academic perform- to have been awarded such a They found that, in areas on pollinators for reproduction for medicine and may be a source ance, leadership and dedication prestigious scholarship. where there is a great deal of plant — those that require out-crossing for future cures, and they absorb to public service. "I feel privileged to become diversity, plants suffer lower polli- — and for trees, in relation to huge amounts of carbon dioxide Seventy-five scholars were part of a community of such ex- nation and reproductive success. herbs or shrubs, because individ- and generate volumes of clean selected this year from 598 can- ceptional students," she said. For some plant species, this re- uals of the same species tend to oxygen. didates, who were nominated by "The kids I met when I inter- duction in fruit and seed produc- be separated by large distances "Our research suggests that 311 universities.