By Amber Ainsworth  Free naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, is now available from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. Naloxone is used to reverse an opioid overdose. It does not have any impact on a person who does not have opioids in their system, making it a good antidote to have in case someone may be overdosing. The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Wayne State University Center for Behavioral Health and Justice and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to get the vending machine.  

The Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates – in the hope of cooling off the economy – to slow inflation. You have noticed that prices are going up. Gasoline at the pump, fruits and vegetables at the supermarket, and more or less all other products, suddenly cost more money. That is inflation. Experts provide context for the factors that drive prices up. Alan Reinstein, CPA, George R. Husband professor of accounting at Wayne State University, identifies a factor specific to the United States: deficit spending. “For an extended period of time, Reinstein observes, “under both Democratic and Republican administrations,” the government has spent far more money than it has taken in taxes. “The Federal Reserve increases the money supply to fuel deficit spending, feeding inflation,” Reinstein adds. Because, by definition, “inflation occurs when too much money chases too few goods, thus raising prices,” the increasing money supply generates inflation.  

Sitting atop a hill overlooking Italy’s capital, the American Academy plays host to a range of artists, composers, writers and scholars who gather in this distinctly Italian setting aimed at stimulating creativity and collaboration. Elena Past, a professor of Italian at Wayne State University, is among the artists and scholars working in fellowship at the American Academy. “It’s about creating community amongst the fellows – giving you a chance to talk about your work, your progress, to talk through problems, but also simply to deepen the relationships you have with the people around you,” she said. Past, a recipient of the Rome Prize scholarship, is writing a book and came to study the film stock of Italian cinema. “I’m thinking about analog and technologies – the materials that make the 20th century legible and memorable to us,” Past said.  

Wayne County and Wayne State University have finalized an agreement to partner in the operation of the county’s Office of the Medical Examiner for a five-year period, which was unanimously approved by the Wayne County Commission. The agreement anticipates the transfer of the oversight of the office from the University of Michigan to WSU on Oct. 1, subject to the terms of a mutually agreeable operating agreement. “This is good news for Wayne County,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. “Wayne State University has a great reputation, but equally as important is that this is an institution with longstanding ties to our community. They care about the people they serve in Wayne County because to them this is personal, and that’s so important for a relationship like this to work.” “The university, through its School of Medicine and our other health sciences programs, will provide state-of-the-art forensics services, public health research and education,” said Wael Sakr, dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine and former chair of the department of pathology. “As part of the agreement, Wayne State commits to launching an aggressive program of retention and recruitment of forensic pathologists and associated professionals, and to initiate planning for a forensic pathology fellowship program. We look forward to providing this critical service to the residents of Wayne County.”  

From Amazon to Google and Starbucks, workers at more and more major companies are seeking union representation, some more successfully than others. After workers at Buffalo Starbucks locations voted to unionize in December 2021, a wave of union interest spread in Michigan and around the country. According to the National Labor Relations Board, union petitions were up 57% in the first half of the fiscal year from Oct. 1 to March 31. Marick Masters, a professor at Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business, has written extensively on labor issues and says that despite the measurable uptick, union membership in our state is still nowhere near what it used to be. “In 1960, 50% of workers in Michigan were unionized,” he said. It’s currently around 15%, when the private and public sector are combined. “So this is perhaps a tipping point, but it’s too early to tell whether or not this represents a sea-change in union success, either in Detroit, statewide, or nationally,” Masters said. He believes the COVID-19 pandemic was a huge catalyst for the recent wave of union interest. “There’s no doubt that the workers across the nation at Starbucks saw this as an opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it as quickly as possible. And I think that’s one of the reasons why they’ve had success,” he said.  

The Great Lakes Water Authority is contracting with Wayne State University to do research at its Waterworks Park treatment plant in Detroit. Inside the facility, there’s a 12,000-to-1 scale model of the water treatment system. It’s large enough for people to work inside and “mimics the operations of this huge full-scale drinking water plant,” said Carol Miller, a civil engineering professor and the director of Wayne State's Healthy Urban Waters Program. The university will use the model to find new ways the plant can convert river water into drinking water. Miller says there are many steps that river water goes through before it gets to your kitchen faucet. Researchers are looking at how impurities are removed in various steps in the process and to better understand how to handle new and emerging contamination threats. “The idea here is that you definitely don’t want to mess with the actual full-scale operating system that is working to deliver drinking water for our region until you’ve tested something out,” Miller said. Our group has been looking very closely at the group of contaminants that are just generally called PFAS compounds. Also, pharmaceuticals and personal care products.” Another key area for the project is workforce development to train people for jobs in the water utility industry. The pilot plant allows them to educate potential employees and students on the operation of the full-scale water treatment plant.  

It’s not news that mass shootings are common in the U.S. This past fourth of July, at least 10 people were killed in different mass shootings in Illinois, Indiana, New York and elsewhere. These tragedies occurred in the wake of the federal government finally passing gun control legislation. But many, including President Joe Biden, don’t believe the bill went far enough, which leaves questions about more needs to be done to prevent mass shootings. Stephanie Hartwell, dean of Wayne State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a professor of sociology, joins in a conversation about the implications of gun control measures. Harwell said fostering trust between people is one of the most crucial values in order to keep each other protected and safe against gun violence. “I’m always amazed at how wonderful human beings are,” she said. “...but losing that trust, and not being able to trust human beings, it impacts everything.”

Wayne State University president M. Roy Wilson joins Chuck Stokes in a conversation about his memoir, “The Plum Tree Blossoms Even in Winter.” (Full video now interview available).  

Elizabeth Stoycheff, associate professor of communication, wrote an article for The Conversation about the tendency of website browser cookies to make people more cautious online. Cookies are online surveillance tools, and the commercial and government entities that use them would prefer people not read those notifications too closely, she writes, as people who do read the notifications carefully will find that they have the option to say no to some or all cookies. “The problem is, without careful attention those notifications become an annoyance and a subtle reminder that your online activity can be tracked,” Stoycheff writes. “As a researcher who studies online surveillance, I’ve found that failing to read the notifications thoroughly can lead to negative emotions and affect what people do online.” Styofcheff explains what cookies are, how they work, how they affect you, and potential solutions for users.  

Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatrist at Wayne State University, wrote an article for The Conversation outlining how fireworks can trigger PTSD. For some combat veterans, the Fourth of July is not a time to celebrate the independence of the country they love, he writes. Instead, the holiday is a terrifying ordeal because the noise of fireworks – loud, sudden, and reminiscent of war – rocks their nervous system. “This reaction is not unique to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Also affected are millions of others, including civilians, refugees, and first responders,” Javanbakht writes. “As a psychiatrist who specialize in trauma and PTSD, I urge you not to overdo an act which causes so much suffering for so many of your fellow Americans.”

It’s no question that fishing is a revered summer pastime of many Michiganders, and this season has been no exception. The Detroit River is a favorite spot for many anglers, but the high level of pollutants in the water poses a big health concern for those who consume their catch. In response, a group called the Riverwalkers has established a strong presence on the Detroit River to help combat this issue and educate anglers on safe fishing practices. The program is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Wayne State University, with the main goal of educating anglers about the pollutants that exist in popularly caught fish in the Detroit Rivers. Along with the education initiative run by state and local health officials, Wayne State University students and faculty play a large role in testing fish that are caught in the Detroit River to determine the types of and levels of toxins that are present in different fish. Education efforts also include improvements to the signage along the river under the guidance of Donna Kashian, professor and director of environmental science at Wayne State.   

By Matthew Rozsa      The famous British writer Samuel Johnson once criticized a political opponent’s self-described patriotism by memorably pointing out that “patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Although Johnson lived before the advent of psychology and modern brain science, his observation has been at least partially vindicated by experts in subsequent centuries. This does not mean there is anything wrong with celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks, good movies and learning about the founding fathers. Feeling good about one’s nation and your place in It is patriotism. But these days, many conflate patriotism with its more extreme cousin nationalism, which is predicated on superiority and competitiveness. You cannot be merely proud, but you must be proud of your nation’s dominance – which means that you think in terms of winners and losers, friends and enemies. Nationalism, because of its inherently tribal nature, can be dangerous if the sentiment is used improperly. To be clear, these sentiments do not only fuel nationalism. Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatrist from Wayne State University, further elaborated on the downsides of nationalism in a 2019 article from The Conversation. “Tribalism is the biological loophole that many politicians have banked on for a long time: tapping into our fears and tribal instincts,” Javanbakht wrote. “Some examples are Nazism, the Ku Klux Klan, religious wars and the Dark Ages. The typical pattern is to give the other humans a different label, and say they are going to harm us or our resources, and to turn the other group into a concept.”      

Teena Chopra, professor of medicine and co-director of Wayne State University’s Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases, is piloting a program that will educate Detroit’s youth on the significance and history of vaccines. The two-year program will be funded by a Detroit Medical Center grant of $60,000. The program will be targeted toward educating high school students during the summer to become ambassadors who return to the school to promote vaccines and educate their peers about the history and benefits of vaccines, and how vaccinations are effective in protecting communities. “This is an incredible opportunity for Detroit youth who will be empowered to serve as Vaccine Ambassadors for the city. They will gain insight into the history of vaccines and will be trained on their communication skills,” said Chopra.  

A little over 93% of Wayne State University Law School 2021 graduates were placed in long-term, full time bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions. The Wayne Law class of 2021 had a 7.7% increase in employment rate compared to the Wayne Law class of 2020, which had an employment rate of 85.9%. For 2021 graduates, Wayne Law was in the top 20 of all U.S. law schools in employment outcomes. Wayne Law faculty and staff are proud of the graduates’ work and accomplishments. “It is wonderful to see Wayne Law shine nationally for the outstanding employment of its graduates,” said assistant dean of career and professional development Lisa Fadler. “These exceptional employment results reflect the legal community’s recognition of the quality of Wayne Law’s graduates and academic program.” 

Wayne State University has received a $584,114 contract to develop a collaborative research project with the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) to create a workforce and laboratory center of the future. The three-year long project will focus on developing the existing Waterworks Park Pilot Plant facility to perform applied research, testing and evaluation, and workforce development for new and emerging technologies. Carol J. Miller, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of Healthy Urban Waters at Wayne State will lead the project, along with co-lead Yongli Wager, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Wayne State. They and the full support team will provide important knowledge that will help GLWA proactively respond to different water treatment scenarios and emerging water quality concerns. The educational and workforce development programs that also comprise this project will help to address the critical shortage of technicians and engineers for water utilities nationwide. “Our work with GLWA will initiate with a strategic plan to optimize benefits to the GLWA user community, treatment plant operators, the utility industry and the water ecosystem,” said Miller. “In addition, we are working to maximize economic benefits to the community, as well as include workforce training and job opportunities. On the research side, there are several focus areas including verification of scale-up processes, in-plant learning tools and process optimization considering treatment variables including coagulant and disinfectant materials. This training is critical for evaluating water treatment processes and developing scenario-based proactive responses to different water treatment and emerging water quality concerns.”  

Michigan’s first monkeypox case has been confirmed. The state health department says the patient is in isolation and poses no threat to the public. Wayne State University infectious disease professor Dr. Teena Chopra explained that the virus is transmitted in the form of close bodily contact. More than 5,000 cases have been confirmed in countries across the globe. The CDC reports that there are more than 350 confirmed cases in 27 states. “It has been around for some time, but in the U.S. we haven’t seen an outbreak of this magnitude in a very long time and we are seeing this because of travel and escape of the virus through somebody who traveled from West Africa,” Chopra said. Dr. Chopra says vaccines are available.  

By Lily Bohlke  A new study found an association between what researchers are calling the biological age of sperm and reproductive success. While age is a major factor for women thinking of becoming pregnant, it is not often considered in male reproductive health, because men continually produce sperm throughout their lives. Dr. Rick Pilsner, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University School of Medicine who led the study, said chronological aging – or the normal passage of time – does not always capture the aging process of the sperm. “Chronological age does not take into account the intrinsic [makeup of] your genes and how they function,” Pilsner explained. “As well as external factors such as environmental exposures, smoking, diet.” Pilsner reported initial findings showed a new measure, referred to as a “sperm epigenetic clock,” could be a way to predict biological fitness of a person’s sperm, and thus could be useful in predicting reproductive success. 

By Hannah Seo   Water doesn’t have to come in eight 8-ounce glasses daily. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and various beverages, are viable sources of hydration. With a summer of record-breaking heat upon us, hydration is more important than ever. Taking in liquids is crucial, but hydration can go beyond simply drinking water. There are plenty of things besides plain water that will keep you hydrated, experts say, including food and drinks that appeal to you. “We think that we need to drink a lot of water all the time because we hear that all the time,” said Tamara Hew-Butler, a sports medicine scientist at Wayne State University who specializes in fluid balance. “You gotta drink your eight glasses – hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.” But any food or drink that has fluid content will be hydrating, she said: “Your body doesn’t care where hydration comes from, it just needs fluid.”   

By Britany Affolter-Caine  Britany Affolter-Caine, executive director of Michigan’s University Research Corridor, writes that business leaders from across the state are increasingly urging state officials to expand investment in Michigan’s universities – especially the state’s top research universities – so highly educated college graduates are available to keep up with Michigan companies’ growing demand for workers. She notes that the University Research Corridor, which includes Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, each year grant nearly 12,000 degrees in high-tech areas, as well as nearly 13,000 degrees in high-demand areas such as business, computer science and engineering, and nearly 2,500 medical degrees. “The three URC institutions already enroll more than 139,000 students, and they have the capacity to enroll and graduate even more so business leaders have the employees they need. But they cannot do so on their own,” Affolter-Caine writes. “To meet this challenge, the state must invest more in higher education and students. The URC supports the substantial increases in higher education funding for the fiscal year 2022-23 proposed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Senate. It also supports a much-expanded financial aid program that would put students first by providing up to $6,000 a year towards a four-year degree and $3,000 towards a two-year degree at Michigan institutions…” She notes that neither step would reverse the past two decades of disinvestment in higher education that has been the trend in Michigan, but “they would help a lot.”  

By Krista Mahr  The Biden administration rolled out a strategy to expand vaccination against the monkeypox virus to a greater number of at-risk individuals, as cases of the rare disease continue to climb and outbreaks in major cities across the country worsen. City public health departments reported that demand for the vaccine is still outstripping supply, raising concerns that the administration will struggle to keep up. To date, the CDC has confirmed 306 cases of monkeypox in 28 states and other jurisdictions. California, New York, Florida and Illinois have the highest concentration of cases. The disease, which is largely circulating now among men who have sex with men, causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, but patients can receive antivirals, and all of them have recovered so far. Many epidemiologists and public health advocates say the current case count is understated, driven by difficulties in getting tests to labs and clinicians’ lack of familiarity with a disease that is relatively rare in the U.S. In order to confirm a monkeypox case, clinicians must submit a sample to a laboratory in the CDC’s Laboratory Response Network, which can become complicated in big states, rural areas or where medical staff lacks training. “We haven’t had any cases yet in Michigan, but we are all – including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – aware that we are vastly undertesting,” said Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, an assistant professor of infectious disease at Wayne State University. “The process for testing has been somewhat unclear and a bit cumbersome,” she said, adding that the state health department is actively working on improving that. “Information needs to go out both to providers and to the community.”