A silent killer is on the rise among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As high rates of chronic hepatitis B, a leading cause of liver cancer, continue to afflict the burgeoning population, some experts predict a surge in liver cancer for these ethnic groups in the U.S. during the next 20 years.

Liver cancer incidence is unevenly skewed within the American population, as the disease tends to strike people of certain ethnic groups more often. A recent study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology projects that the number of new liver cancer cases among Asian Americans will jump by 134 percent compared to an increase of 28 percent among non-Hispanic whites by 2030.

The main culprit for this disparity is the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Asian Americans, which infects the liver and typically passes from mother to infant during birth, according to Moon Chen, a professor of public health sciences at UC Davis and principal investigator of the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training.

Chen explained that the majority of Asian Americans are first or second generation immigrants from countries where HBV infections are more common than in North America, and where policies to prevent spread of the virus from mothers to children are absent.

In its chronic form, which develops in up to 90 percent of infected newborns, the disease may go unnoticed for many decades until symptoms manifest as liver damage, liver failure or liver cancer. Federal U.S. guidelines recommend screening all pregnant women and giving children a series of shots shortly after birth to provide lifelong protection against the virus.

“If we can emphasize the birth dose to make sure that when infants are born they get vaccinated and that during prenatal care that mothers are also screened for HBV, then that really is the foundation of the prevention efforts,” Chen said.

According to Ada Yue, coordinator for the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program of Santa Clara County, annual rates of mother-to-newborn HBV transmission have dropped sharply in the county since the program began in 1991. The program provides collaborative education and support to ensure infants born to infected mothers receive timely vaccination and follow up screening. Still, only 50 percent of infants born to HBV positive mothers are identified for preventive treatment.

“The problem lies in the physician as lack of knowledge in hepatitis B prevention and lack of compliance in reporting,” Yue said.

“Doctors‘ knowledge about HBV, especially in the Asian community, is pretty poor overall,” said physician Stephanie Chao who, along with Yue, has studied the issue as part of ongoing research at the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University.

Chen and Chao agree that promoting widespread vaccination among Asian Americans is only part of the challenge.

The vaccine by itself will not prevent the disease in people who already have chronic HBV, which affects as many as 1 in 10 Asian Americans compared to 1 in 1000 in the non-Asian U.S. population. However, regular screening for liver damage and cancer can help manage the disease in its early stage, which is why HBV status awareness is crucial for appropriate care to reduce unnecessary death rates from liver cancer.

“The perinatal program should in time reduce the liver cancer burden, but the bigger chunk of people that we deal with is the foreign-born population and [the concern is] how do we get them tested and protected,” Chao said. “The next step to actually reach the majority of the Asian population in the U.S. is to get the word out so that people will go to their doctors and get screened and tested for HBV.“

One strategy that works is providing education and outreach in their native language rather than only in English, Chen said. As part of various outreach efforts, AANCART, a cooperative agreement between UC Davis and the National Cancer Institute, developed a website for health care providers and advocates to quickly find relevant cancer education materials in Asian and Pacific Islander languages.

“We’re very fortunate that we have people at the policy level, at the care level and at the research level who are trying to reduce the burden of this disease,” Chen said.

ELAINE HSIA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Ernesto Sandoval knows his plants. From the Amorphophallus titanium to the Cucumber Tree, the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory is a plethora of plants for Sandoval to study.

What is your occupation?

I am director of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory. Kind of like the head librarian at a library of living plants.

What do you do at the conservatory?

I supervise and manage a cadre of interns, student employees, volunteers and part-time staff. I make a lot of the decisions of what to transplant, propagate and otherwise manipulate as well as when, how and how many.

What is the purpose of having a conservatory?

The conservatory is a very unique teaching and research resource for the campus and beyond. We directly provide plants and other plant related resources for many campus courses especially BIS 2B and 2C and many upper division plant biology classes.

Are you currently doing any research for UC Davis?

My job is primarily to maintain and improve a diverse collection of plants and in the official sense of the word I don’t do any research.

What do you do if you don’t ‘officially‘ do research?

Although I don’t officially do any research, I am always trying to come up with new and improved methods of growing and propagating the plants in our collection, especially those rare plants for which there is little to no published information.

What is the rarest flower or plant that you have in the conservatory?

Hmmm, rarity is a funny thing because twice now I’ve heard of someone from Central America visiting Davis and thinking that the local scrub jays were the most beautiful bird they had ever seen!

But we have the Cucumber Tree (Dendrosicyos socotrana) and the Socotran “Fig“ (Dorstenia gigas) that are both from the Island of Socotra which has been difficult to visit for most of human history.

Probably the rarest “flower” in the conservatory would be the titan arum since it’s actually quite rare in its native habitat of lowland rainforest on the island of Sumatra of Indonesia. Unfortunately lowland areas across the world are continually threatened with unsustainable, ecologically speaking, human activity.

The Amorphophallus titanium, or the titan arum, is a floral giant that takes 15 years to blossom. According to the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory website, there have only been 100 recorded blossoming of the titan arum, and four of them occurred at UCD.

I read that you recently witnessed the blooming of the titan arum, what was that like?

Having witnessed two in two weeks was a lot of fun while at the same time as tiring as having had two babies in two weeks. Well, perhaps a bit less strenuous because this baby takes care of itself most of the time.

What is your favorite plant at the conservatory?

I would have to say the Dorstenia gigas since they are quite beautiful chubby desert adapted plants with beautiful glossy green leaves that turn a nice rusty orange color when they dry down. But you really shouldn’t be asking me to pick the favorite child!

What is the strangest and or longest named plant in your conservatory?

Welwitschia mirabilis. Google the name and you‘ll know what I’m talking about. I drove several hundred miles from Cape Town, South Africa just to see plants in habitat in Central and Northern Namibia!

Side note to reader: Having Googled the Welwitschia, the plant consists of two permanent leaves which never fall off the plant, a stem base, and roots. The leaves that continue to grow off of the Welwitschia become leathery and broad and curl around the plant, making each Welwitschia plant unique.

MEGAN ELLIS can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Barry Bonds. Shawne Merriman. Alex Rodriguez. Marion Jones. The list goes on, and so too does the ethical debate that surrounds athletes and their use of performance enhancing drugs. In the shadows of this ever-evolving controversy, though, lies an ethically similar but contextually different issue: “brain doping.“

Last year, as an April Fools‘ joke, a faux-press release by The National Institutes of Health (NIH) circulated the Internet. It stated that there were new initiatives to combat the use of brain enhancing drugs. The World Anti-Brain Doping Authority (WABDA) was to enforce the set of regulations among scientists.

The release was the work of self-proclaimed “mischievous prankster,” Professor Jonathan Eisen of the UC Davis department of evolution and ecology.

“Originally, the idea just seemed like an absurd joke,” he said. “And the best jokes are ridiculous in hindsight even if they are believable initially. But this one was scooped by reality.

“After I wrote the fake press release, around 20 different scientists and colleagues told me that they actually do take cognitive enhancing drugs,” Eisen said. “Just like students who have to stay up until five in the morning to finish a paper, these scientists are taking drugs to stay up to keep their minds clear while they write grants.“

Eisen’s “brain doping” colleagues were unavailable for comment.

Soon after Eisen’s prank surfaced, coincidently, the journal Nature released the results of an informal online survey conducted of its readers‘ uses of brain enhancing drugs – also known as smart drugs, neuro enhancers, cognitive enhancers and nootropics.

According to the poll, of the 1,400 readers from 60 countries surveyed, one in five said they had used cognitive enhancing drugs for non-medical purposes. For those who chose to use, 62 percent reported using methylphenidate (Ritalin), a drug that treats ADHD; 44 percent reported using modafinil (Provigil), a drug used to improve wakefulness in narcoleptics; those surveyed also reported the use of Adderall, an amphetamine comparable to methylphenidate. The sample was mostly representative of self-identified scientists, academics and journalists, but there was insufficient data to determine the sources of the drugs by the majority of respondents.

“Stimulants like methylphenidate and modafinil induce the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, crucial components to attention and memory function,” said Dr. Michael Minzenberg, UC Davis research psychiatrist. “They inhibit and block the reabsorption and reuptake of these neurotransmitters used by neurons in the brain, so their action persists.“

The side effects associated with the use of methylphenidate, modafinil and amphetamines – anxiety, insomnia, upset stomach, headaches, dizziness and increased blood pressure – vary in severity according to dosage and sensitivity of the individual, Minzenberg said.

Reasonably healthy individuals often use cognitive enhancers for off-label purposes to improve concentration, memory, wakefulness and focus, he said.

UC Davis alumnus Nicholas Seltzer, a researcher at a defense-oriented think tank in Virginia, said, as reported recently by The New Yorker, the use of cognitive enhancers “is like customizing yourself – customizing your brain.” And for people like him, it’s important “to increase mental horsepower.“

“There isn’t any question about it – they made me a much better player,“ said Paul Phillips, who attributed the help of Adderall and Provigil with his more than $2.3 million earnings as a poker player, in an L.A. Times article.

Scientists, journalists, poker players, business professionals – the list goes on, and so too does the ethical debate that surrounds the use of cognitive enhancing drugs.

Hank Greeley, professor of law and bioethics at Stanford, said as evidenced by the discussion and coverage of these issues by the media and in journals, the bar has been set for a need to work toward an ethical consensus.

“Like all ethical issues, sometimes a position emerges, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. “But a knee-jerk reaction to ban all cognitive enhancers is a mistake. First we need to explore the ethical issues concerning safety, fairness and coercion.“

While the logic used to consider the ethics and utility of enhancement in sports and cognition is the same, it’s important not to confuse the two. The contexts of the issues are very different, he added.

“While sports enhancers like anabolic steroids might improve someone’s bench press or ability to swing a bat, cognitive enhancers developed in the future might have the potential to influence achievements in science and perhaps a greater good,” he said.

Questions of safety currently present points of ambiguity.

“We don’t know very much about the long-term health effects associated with Adderall, Ritalin or Provigil in otherwise healthy adults,” said Heather Knapp, Ph.D., UC Davis center for mind and brain, in an e-mail interview.

“There is a big spectrum for the seriousness in using cognitive enhancing drugs, though,” said Adina Roskies, professor of philosophy and the neurosciences at Dartmouth University. “Caffeine is probably the most widely used cognitive enhancer. But no one thinks twice about someone who drinks five cups of coffee.“

“These cognitive enhancers are just the latest addition to the self-efficacy toolbox,” Knapp said. “But I do think that we need to be aware of the fact that they are Schedule II controlled substances that have the potential for dependence, and that their use by healthy individuals is, to a very great extent, unmonitored.“

Matters of fairness are similarly vague.

“Everyday we participate in cognitive enhancement,” Greeley said. “The computer is an amazing cognitive enhancer. Language and the written word are cognitive enhancers. I am a teacher and every day my students engage in cognitive enhancement when they learn.”

Issues of coercion, too, are blurred.

“There are also potential legal issues in play for cognitive enhancements,” Knapp said. “I can imagine a variety of situations in which individuals who feel slighted or misled when cognition-enhancing drugs were used to gain a workplace advantage might attempt to seek legal recourse.“

The prevalence of cognitive enhancers is clear. And while scientists are not yet subject to urine tests, while the “World Anti-Brain Doping Authority” has yet to raid labs for “smart drugs” and while asterisks do not yet appear by the names of authors on published studies, the use of cognitive enhancing drugs among professionals will continue to provoke questions: questions that Professor Greeley believes, for now, can only be answered by the sum of a lawyer’s two favorite words – “it depends.“

DAVID LAVINE can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

090527_fe_stratton.c

Notes:

Make headline italics

Headline: Channeling the chancellor

Layercake: Maril Stratton to play critical role in acquainting new chancellor

By LAUREN STEUSSY

Aggie Staff Writer

The pens on Maril Revette Stratton’s desk are parallel and the pencils are sharpened. Stratton is ready for work.

She walks to her file cabinet, where folders are no doubt labeled alphabetically and chronologically and pulls out a binder with even more labels inside of it. The binder is almost bigger than she is and includes the all the briefing material for UC Davis’ new chancellor, Linda Katehi.

Stratton is the associate chancellor for UC Davis, and it is one of her duties to keep information like this organized, so that when Katehi takes over for Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef this summer, she knows the university, perhaps as well as Stratton does.

But her expertise is Vanderhoef: his agenda, his speeches, his goals. Stratton is the primary counsel for the chancellor. She participates in most of his activities, and afterward assists in various follow-up tasks. And that’s just on the side of her plate of tasks.

“Whenever we collaborate, it’s like I channel his thoughts,” she said.

Coincidentally Vanderhoef came into her office during an interview to deliver some notes he had written for his State of the Campus address – which she has been helping him with, of course.

“Larry, before you leave, I have something for you,” Stratton said. She retrieved a canvas bag from beside her desk, the contents of which included a bag of kettle corn and a jar of cat treats. “I got the cat treats for my cats, but they didn’t like them so I figured yours would. And the popcorn is because it’s just so good!”

Vanderhoef received the popcorn and cat treats with humble appreciation. Though Stratton works under him, she’s more of a sibling, or a best friend.

“It’s important to have people you can depend on,” Vanderhoef said. “I can always count on Maril.”

Before joining the chancellor and provost’s family, Stratton worked in the public communications department, working in various positions up to the assistant vice chancellor of public communications. When the position with the provost and chancellor’s office opened up, Stratton was perfect for the job.

In 2004, Vanderhoef and his office determined that they needed an associate chancellor to assist in the chancellor’s duties and provide a connection to the UC Office of the President. Again, they turned to Stratton.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with her and to call her a friend,” said Cindy Contreras, executive assistant to the president, and someone who works closely with Stratton. “The welfare of the campus is always a priority for Maril and she makes a positive difference in many ways.”

Stratton is known for her hard work with the office of the chancellor, sometimes staying on the fifth floor of Mrak Hall over holidays or weekends, Vanderhoef said.

“[Maril] is perhaps the hardest working person in Mrak Hall,” Vanderhoef said. “She almost always works weekends, she’s in here at 8 every morning, and she’s one of the last to leave at night.”

Stratton received her undergraduate and graduate degree from Michigan State University. She initially entered as an English major, but didn’t like the student teaching. She switched to human ecology, the only major she could finish in the year of college she had left.

Stratton worked as a secretary for the news bureau at Michigan State while also receiving her master’s in journalism.

“During my lunch breaks I’d go to some lecture, report on it and then write an article about it when I got home,” she said. “Then I’d bring it to my boss the next day and ask him, ‘Is this good? Am I learning?’ Eventually a spot opened up in the newsroom and they hired me.”

She worked at several newspapers before moving to California, when a public communications position at UC Davis opened up. Her husband, Patrick, was in the entertainment business at the time, so the move to California suited her family well.

For the past 13 years that Stratton has worked with Vanderhoef, their relationship has deepened in respect and value. Tears form in her eyes as she talks about the time she has spent working with him. It’s clear that she’s going to miss working down the hall from Vanderhoef.

“He’s just such a nice person,” she said. “He’s so generous and I just think so highly of him. I’m glad he’s remaining a teacher here because I really will miss having him around.”

However with a new chancellor comes a new relationship.

Stratton has begun to transition Katehi into the UC Davis family by assisting in introductory phone calls and other interactions with the staff and faculty. Katehi will officially take the role as chancellor on Aug. 17, but before she does that, she must thoroughly know the campus.

While Stratton helps Katehi become acquainted with the campus, the two must also build their own relationship, just as Stratton did with Vanderhoef. When talking about Katehi, Stratton already seems to have a grasp on the qualities that will help her succeed in her years as chancellor. The similarities between Katehi and Vanderhoef will make the transition smooth, Stratton said.

“They both understand very well the nature of public, land-grant universities and they both are listeners who understand that ultimately they need to make decisions,” Stratton said. “Also, they both are just darn nice people – that goes a long way when you’re trying to engage others in implementing a vision.”

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at features@theaggie.orgXXX.

TODAY

Campus Judicial Board Sno-Cones

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MU Patio

CJB and Student Judicial Affairs will be giving out free sno-cones in front of the MU for all who attend. Chill out before finals, and don’t cheat!

East Quad Farmers Market

10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

East Quad

Support local farmers and buy some fresh produce, nuts, flowers and more! Pick up some tasty treats for a fun springtime dinner or a nice afternoon snack.

Take the real food taste test

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ASUCD Coffee House

Stop by and taste some real food!

THURSDAY

Sunaina Maira talk

Noon to 1 p.m.

Art Lounge, MU

At this, the last author reading of the quarter, hear UC Davis Asian American Studies Associate Professor Susaina Maira speak about her book Missing: Youth, Citizenship, and Empire after 9/11. This free event will be followed by a book signing.

Lake Tahoe: Five Decades of Change and the World Water Crisis

4 p.m.

East Conference Room, MU

Dr. Charles Goldman will give this talk, which is sponsored by the John Muir Institute of the Environment.

King Corn movie screening

7:30 p.m.

ASUCD Coffee House

While viewing this movie, enjoy some free popcorn from the Student Farm.

UNITY

8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Freeborn Hall

Dance all night for a good cause with UNITY – the first electronic dance charity in Davis! The event will include up and coming DJs, Go-Go dances, lasers, lighting and giveaways. All proceeds go to the Davis Children’s Hospital. Tickets cost $10 at the Freeborn Hall Box Office, and will be sold today.

FRIDAY

Solar cooking demonstration

Noon to 2 p.m.

West Quad

Learn how food can be cooked with the sun’s power.

Birdstrike!

8 p.m.

123 Science Lecture

Birdstrike Theatre presents its 12th sketch and improv comedy revue. There should be lots of laughter, and all for only $2 presale at the Freeborn Hall Ticket Office or $3 at the door.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie.org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.