Press Release:

Madonna University faculty members, Jessica Zarate, Jodi Lynn Barta and Wilson Muse, have
received a grant through the National Institute of Justice, to further their forensic science
research. This grant comes as a result to the work that Zarate has already accomplished in
regards to the Zar-Pro lifting strip.
Zar-Pro is a fluorescent lifting strip used for preserving bloody and proteinaceous impression
evidence. This new technology will eliminate many of the obstacles that arise with bloody
impression evidence.
Typically, to collect latent fingerprints left at a scene, a forensic scientist or police officer dusts
the impression with a powder then lifts it with a tape, Zarate said. But the process is not so
simple when blood is introduced to the print.
With the Zar-Pro, bloody impressions can be taken, even with substrates of all porosities, and
background pattern and colors.
We hope to develop a spray that offers a simple, timely, cost effective and non-toxic method to
aid in the detection of bloody impression evidence while fluorogenically enhancing, and
preserving bloody and other proteinaceous impressions, as well as vital DNA evidence, Muse
said.
Before the Zar-Pro, objects with bloody impressions had to be physically removed and brought
back to the lab to be processed using chemical enhancement techniques, Zarate said. But
difficulty can arise when the print is attached to a large, bulky, or immovable object.
The methods developed during this project will enable forensic scientists to recover the
fingerprint and the DNA from both the victims blood and any skin cells that may have been left
behind by the perpetrator, Muse said.
Zarate received an education from Ferris State University, with a bachelor of education and
human services degree in criminal justice, coupled with a minor in forensic science, and a
bachelor of science in biology with a minor in chemistry from Madonna University. She went on
to receive a masters in forensic science from National University with a specialization in
criminal investigations.
With funding from a Midwest Forensic Science Research Center Grant, and in collaboration with
the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division, in 2009, Zarate was able to research and
authorize the Zar-Pro lifting strip.
Zarate has established and patented her technique. The Zar-Pro lifting strips are now being used
by law enforcement agencies in the United States and internationally.

This is the first major research grant for Madonna, said Sister Rose Marie Kujawa, president of
Madonna University. I believe it is a testament to the depth of our facultys experience in
forensic science, as well as our state-of-the-art science labs. The results of this research have the
potential to significantly enhance how crime scene evidence is collected, and thats exciting.

Personal Profile:
Each year, thousands of youth receive services through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Many are
granted their wish to meet their idol, often a famous athlete or pop star. But most are not granted
the opportunity to attend a ceremony where celebrities are not a rare occurrence.
Kellie Lorrain, 20, who is diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) was awarded this
opportunity. In February, 2014, she and her family will attend the 56th Grammy Awards.
The Grammys are held each year, at the beginning of award season, to recognize achievements
in music over the past year.
Im so excited for this opportunity, Lorrain said. This is something that I have always wanted
to do, and now that it is actually happening, well, its a dream come true, really. I feel so
blessed.
While the actual details of the wish have been kept secret from Lorrain, she has met her Wish
volunteers from the Michigan Chapter.
As a volunteer, we do a variety of work, whether that be helping to grant a wish, simple office
work, helping with fundraisers, or being an event staff member, said Lisa Wickham, one of the
volunteers on Lorrains case. But all in all, our main goal is to make the wish possible for the
child.
Having been with the Michigan Chapter for three years, Wickham has aided many children
within the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is very fulfilled with each case that she has worked
with.
Although I dont know whats exactly planned with my Make-A-Wish, I hope, or, well I know,
itll be awesome, Lorrain said. I mean, how could it not? I get to go to the Grammys, get all
dressed up, and be within feet of famous people.
We keep the wishes a secret from the child until a few days before the actual event, for a total
surprise, said Katherine Vaghn, another volunteer on Lorrains case.
Ive kept my Make-A-Wish a secret for some time now, because I wasnt completely sure if it
was actually going to happen, but now that it is, I cant wait. It feels so good that I can now
finally share this news with people.
Lorrain is hardly the first person that has been afforded the opportunity to attend this award
show, but it will no doubt be the last.
Music is a huge part of my life; I love all kinds of music, especially country, Lorrain said. I
really hope Hunter Hayes wins for Best Country Solo Performance.

FDA banning of trans fats article:

On Thursday Nov 7, 2013 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a first steps toward
potentially eliminating trans fats, also known as hydrogenated oils, from most consumer food
products. Trans fats exist in most preprocessed foods and in margarine.
The FDA has ruled hydrogenated oils unsafe for the consumer. Consequentially, trans fats are no
longer allowed on the Grass List, a long list of food additives that are automatically approved
and considered safe. Now that hydrogenated oils have been taken off the list, they have to be
proven safe in order to be used within food products.
Since these oils have been taken off the list, manufacturers will have to prove that they are safe
for the consumer, said Laura Kull, a professor at Madonna University of Biological and Health
Science. Restaurants and other food manufacturers will have to remove the trans fats from their
foods, which will take a long time to achieve the same taste as previous. These manufactures
will have to prove that their additives are safe for the consumer.
While many trans fats exist in processed foods, they are most common in deserts, microwave
popcorn, frozen pizzas, as well as some coffee creamers and margarine.
Consuming large amounts of trans fats can have serious consequences on the body, Candy
Philbrick said, a Registered Dietitian. It can cause an increased risk for heart disease and lead
to high levels of bad cholesterol [LDL cholesterol].
Trans fats can also weaken blood vessels and arteries, where plaque can grow, which is the cause
of many heart attacks, said Cathy Dragisity, branch infusion manager for Coram Specialty
Infusion Services.
And while there are naturally occurring trans fats in some meat and dairy products, their
significance is so limited, that there is no known effect that they have on the body.
The banning of trans fats has been a long time coming. In the early nineties, labels were added
to food packages in order to tell a consumer when trans fats existed in foods. Yet, if a food
contained less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, it was considered having no trans fat all together.
Im not exactly sure why the FDA has decided now to ban trans fats, but it is something that has
been coming for a long time, for sure, Kull said. This is a big step in the right direction, and a
big public health issue that has needed to happen for some time now.

Editorial:

With our world progressing further into a more technologically advanced society, it seems that
environmental issues are pushed farther back to the wayside. And in Michigan, we are no
strangers to the unorthodox weather that has occurred in recent years. But with global warming
becoming a hotter trend, there are some questions that need to be asked: Is global warming a
man-made or natural occurrence? Is there something that I can do to help lessen this crisis?
But what seems to be the most common query circulating is: What solutions is our government
finding? The burden of finding a solution should not be solely placed on non-profits and
organizations that are desperate for a cure.
So, really, what can our government do?
In order to have a No Regrets Global Warming Policy, GlobalWarming.org said that this sort of
policy can only exist if it, reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere,
alleviates, prevents or reduces harmful activity associated with global warming, or providing
greater capacity for dealing with crisis related with global warming without imposing significant
cost or diverting economic activity.
Okay, well now you might be thinking, Thats nice, but was does that really mean? The
answer is simple; reducing carbon emissions is the first step. By expanding our use of renewable
energy and by transforming our energy system to one that is cleaner and less dependent on coal
and other fossil fuels, our climate will improve dramatically, researchers at ucsusa.org said.
Tropical deforestation is another step further in reducing carbon emissions, ucsusa.org said. The
numbers are staggeringtropical deforestation accounts for 15 percent of the words heattrapping emissions, which ultimately adds up to more than the total emissions of every car, truck,
plane, ship, and train on Earth.
In relation, Michigan is no stranger to complying with the reduction of their carbon emissions
in fact, Michigan is already headed in the right direction.
Between 2005 and 2011, Michigans carbon emissions had dropped a whopping 13 percent, due
in large part to decreasing electricity demand and a shift away from coal-fired energy sources,
insights.wri.org said. This growing trend is likely to continue, considering that many of
Michigans coal plants are retiring. However, coal is still widely used, encompassing more than
half of in-state generation in 2011, while natural gas and other renewable resources comprised
only 12 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
It is clear that there are many solutions for this growing crisis. But it is only how we choose to
act upon them that will generate a cure.