A 2004 Wayne State University study is referenced in a story about "hot flash pajamas," sleepwear designed for women experiencing symptoms of menopause. The pajamas are made of CoolMax, a polyester fabric used in workout clothes, finely milled to make it light and soft, like cotton flannel. Dr. Robert R. Freedman, a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at WSU, and Timothy A. Roehrs, a sleep researcher at Wayne State, conducted a study which looked at the sleep quality of 31 women ages 46-51, 12 of them experiencing an average of five hot flashes per night. Sometimes the flashes woke them up, but more often it was the other way around. "They awakened first and then they flashed," Freedman said. "Perhaps their waking up is what triggered the flash."

Wayne State's Transportation Research Group is given credit in this Associated Press story for conducting research showing 94 percent of front seat passengers use seat belts. This is the fifth straight year the percentage has increased.

Law professor Peter Henning is quoted in this article about the death of Enron Founder Ken Lay, and its legal ramification's. Henning said that if a defendant dies during appeal "we act as if nothing happened to him criminally." He also said everything associated with the case is extinguished, leaving the defendant as if he had never been indicted or convicted. "The finality principle reasons that the state should not label one as guilty until he has exhausted his opportunity to appeal. The punishment principle asserts that the state should not punish a dead person or his estate," Henning said.

"Oz," a children's theater production based on the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," will hold its final performances 10:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, at the Hilberry Theatre. Prices and contact information were provided. A photo of Keara Woods, who plays the lead role, was also shown.

A poll commissioned by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities showed that 62 percent of Americans are against a system that would allow the government to track the academic, financial-aid and enrollment information of individual students. According to the poll, 33 percent support the system and 4 percent are unsure. Following an earlier attempt last year to establish a national student unit-record tracking system, Congress passed a measure barring the U.S Education Department from creating any such system.

Citing a study by the Transportation Research Group at Wayne State , this editorial points up the "good news" that 94 percent of drivers and front-seat passengers in Michigan wear seat belts. The editorial also urges drivers to be sure young children are properly buckled up.

Wayne State 's women's basketball team has recruited Livonia Ladywood alum Bethany Jury, as well as two other top recruits, for the 2006-07 season. Jury, a 6-foot-3 center, is coming off two injury plagued seasons at Oakland University . At Ladywood, she received All-Observer honors. The other recruits include Brooke Bowers, a 5-foot-4 guard who finished her career as the all-time leading scorer at her high school in Ohio, and Rebecca Meyer, a 6-foot-2 center who helped Brighton win back to back league titles.

The Wayne State University Athletic Program, in conjunction with WMGC-FM radio, responded recently to a request for donations of baseball equipment from the mother of a soldier serving in Iraq. The request came in a somewhat round-about manner from the mother of the soldier via the radio airwaves on Jim Harper's morning show. WSU Athletic Director Rob Fournier responded with an offer to provide bats, balls, gloves, bases, T-shirts, caps and more. "I can't think of a group that gives more to others than our armed forces," Fournier observed. "For us to acknowledge that effort and sacrifice is important…. If baseball can bring back some enjoyable memories from home, we are proud to be a small part of that." A photo of Fournier and the soldier, Chris Crocker, with the donated WSU equipment and apparel accompanies the story.

Dr. Israel Hendler, Wayne State School of Medicine, was the lead investigator for a study which showed that pregnancy complications in obese women with asthma may come primarily as a result of the obesity. Hendler and a multi-center team studied about 1,700 asthmatic women and more than 800 pregnant women without asthma in the "control" group. Nearly 30.7 percent of the asthmatic women who participated in the study were obese, compared to 25.5 percent in the "control" group. Regardless of asthma, obese women were 60 percent more likely to undergo cesarean delivery, 70 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure and more than four times more likely to develop pregnancy related diabetes. The researchers have concluded that further study is recommended on the effects of weight gain and weight reduction on the course of asthma during pregnancy.

In this article about several companies in Michigan that are hiring, Tom Naughton, associate chair of the management area in the School of Business Administration, is quoted about the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan's economy. Currently Comcast, Rock Financial/Quicken Loans, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital and Plante & Moran LLP are among businesses with job openings. While Michigan has lost 88,000 manufacturing jobs between 2001 and 2003, there is a growing need for people to fill jobs in banking, technology, accounting, marketing and sales. "We put too much emphasis on the auto industry and don't think about other jobs," Naughton said.

Segments from an interview with Fred Pearson, director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, were aired during evening news broadcasts. Pearson discussed the North Korean missile incident.

The city of Dearborn faces a $3.15 million loss on the sale of an abandoned Montgomery Ward's site, which Mayor Michael Guido pushed the purchase of last year. The property was purchased from a group that included Talal Chahine, a political backer of the mayor who is now wanted by the federal government for tax evasion. John Dolan, WSU law professor, points out that the federal government is really in the driver's seat: they've prevented anyone from dealing with that property without getting the government into the negotiations.

Peter Henning, Wayne State law professor, was quoted several times on the legal ramifications of Enron founder Ken Lay's death prior to his prison term. Not only will the entire case be erased from the records, the government has no means to collect on its $43.5 million forfeiture claim against Lay's estate. Henning said it's hard to believe, but case law on this point is crystal clear. "The idea is that you can't punish a dead person. It's not fair," he said. "Lay didn't get a chance to go in front of a court of appeals, which he had an absolute legal right to do." Henning also said the prosecutors would not be able to contest the situation. Henning posted an item on White Collar Crime Prof Blog that says when a defendant dies before an appellate review of a criminal conviction the death abates the entire criminal proceeding. Citing a recent appellate court decision, he wrote, "The appeal does not just appear, and the case is not merely dismissed. Instead, everything associated with the case is extinguished, leaving the defendant as if he had never been indicted or convicted." Although the decision came out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, all the federal courts agree on it, Henning added. He also said the Securities and Exchange Commission is now free to pursue their civil case against Lay, which was stayed pending the criminal case. "The SEC will seek an order of disgorgement against the estate," Henning said. According to Henning Enron shareholders also can pursue their class-action suit against Lay's estate, because his death doesn't directly impact civil lawsuits.

Wayne State is mentioned in this article as being one of the institutions that the Michigan Economic Development Corp. says the state of Michigan has invested $178 million into for the growing Life Sciences Corridor. This corridor also mentions the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids . The focus of the article is on the economic boom created by stem cell research, and the Michigan medical community's inability to take part due to the legislative ban on using human embryos for medical research.

In this article about the potential failure of a three-way alliance between GM, Renault and Nissan, professor Peter Henning of the Law School, offers an expert viewpoint. "This could be a little bit like a second marriage where you really want it to work," he said. "That doesn't make it work. It's the triumph of hope over rationality." Henning also said any significant alliance or equity link would be overly complicated and could fail. GM is dragged down by massive legacy costs including health care and pensions, while Nissan and Renault do not have the scale from which GM could benefit, he said.

Wayne State was mentioned in this article about the American Family Association of Michigan's lawsuit against Michigan State University for offering health benefits to domestic partners of state workers. The AFA filed the lawsuit claiming that MSU is violating the 2004 amendment to the state constitution that bans same-sex marriage. Shortly after the amendment was passed, Gov. Jennifer Granholm took the advice of Attorney General Mike Cox and terminated domestic partner benefits. Cox also advised Wayne State , the University of Michigan and the city of Kalamazoo to terminate their benefits programs for same-sex couples. Other state schools that provide benefits to gay couples are Eastern Michigan, Northern Michigan, Central Michigan, Saginaw Valley and Oakland Universities .

Michelle Franzen Martin, editor of Wayne State magazine, won an award for excellence in feature writing from APEX 2006, the annual awards program for publication excellence. Martin received the award for her article on WSU's role in the resurgence of midtown Detroit .

A photo shows four of the guests at the WSU Law School 's reunion for the classes of 1956 and 1981. The Law School wordmark is printed in the column beside the photo.

Professor Fred Pearson, director of Wayne State's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, commented about Michigan's gubernatorial candidates in the upcoming 2006 election. Pearson offered insight into each candidate's background and their political perspectives on current issues.

Charles Hyde, Wayne State history professor, provided flash video narration for this Free Press story about the Packard Motor Car Co. plant on East Grand Boulevard , which was abandoned by Packard 50 years ago this summer.