Hey, UMN, hope you enjoy these digest news tidbits. Enjoy your Tuesday folks.

Stem Cell Natural Killer Cells Fight Cancer 

Local TV station Fox 9 ran a clip Monday about a University of Minnesota researcher that discovered human stem cell natural killer cells are more effective in killing human leukemia in test rats than other treatments. The story did not cite how many test rats were used or how much more effective the human natural killer cells from the embryonic stem cells were at killing the cancer.

Tough balance between out-of-state funding, and in-state-availability

A column in Monday’s Washington Post hashed out the reason why state universities take on so many out-of-state students: funding. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University, was quoted saying that the larger amount of tuition out-of-state college students pay is because as state funding is cut, the more expensive out-of-state tuition is “subsidizing the in-state student” tuition. This means that less state residents can attend state their home institutions.

Congrats, don’t touch me

Many colleges are foregoing handshakes at commencements due to the possibility of passing the H1N1 virus along with the traditional congratulatory gesture, according to an article in Tuesday’s Chicago Tribune. Colleges such as University of Michigan and University of Illinois in Chicago are not going to have handshakes during their ceremonies, but Loyola University Chicago — where one student has been diagnosed with H1N1 — will have handshakes (and hand sanitizer) at their graduations.