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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1983)
M pi page 8/The Battalion/Friday, March 11, 1983 local Warped by Scott McCullar Muscle-eating acid found United Press International BOSTON — Medical resear chers said Thursday they have isolated an element in the hu man defense system that causes the body to devour its own mus cle protein and may explain why patients “waste away” so rapidly during prolonged illness. Understanding the mechan ism will allow doctors to inter vene in the disease-fighting pro cess when it jeopardizes the pa tient’s life, they said. In two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Boston researchers said they found that a type of amino acid called a peptide, which circulates in the blood of healthy individuals, is released three to five times as fast in sick people. The substance stimulates tbe breakdown of muscle protein to supply other amino acids neces sary for energy, healing and maintaining vital organ func tions. The doctors said the re sponse is important for survival but said prolonged mobilization of amino acids causes tbe system to consume the muscle protein so fast the patient is left weak and susceptible to other diseases and infections. The studies wer^e conducted by the Harvard Medical School and the Tufts School of Medi cine. Dr. George Clowes Jr. of the Harvard Medical School and New England Deaconess Hos pital, who headed the research, said he had always marveled that people “go to pieces” , faster when they’re sick than with nor mal starvation. , Clowes said he would not necessarily intervene in the heal ing process, but the knowledge of how the mechanism works gives doctors the option to take action — such as stepped-up in travenous feeding — when appropriate. “We no longer have to just stand by and watch a patient waste away,” he said. The studies also showed how the system activates additional protein synthesis necessary for healing and defense against in fection. The researchers said they iso lated a substance active in the immune response that results in accelerated protein synthesis. The substance, leukocytic pyrogen, is known to signal the brain of infection and cause fev er. It also triggers the synthesis of prostaglandin, a hormone associated with pain that could be responsible for muscle aches that accompany a fever, the re searchers wrote. They said fever appears to be beneficial and seems to reduce mortality in certain bacterial in fections. But a prolonged fever causes dangerous weight loss and reduces the body’s ability to fight infection, they said. Survivalist’s surrender negotiated United Press International SHAWANO, Wis. — The Wisconsin leader of the para military anti-tax group Posse Comitatus is negotiating the sur render of survivalist Gordon Kahl, a Posse member wanted for the shooting deaths of two U.S. marshals. Shawano County Sheriff James Knope and Rodney Taubel, a chief deputy U.S. mar shal, promised to guarantee Kahl’s safety in a 2 '/t-hour meet ing Wednesday with James Wickstrom, head of the Wiscon sin branch of Posse Comitatus. Wickstrom said he does not know where Kahl, 63, is hiding but claimed he was not in Wis consin. Federal authorities re portedly believe he is in the Dakotas or Montana. The surrender plan was announced — but no details were revealed — at a news con ference in the Tigerton Dells Tavern in Tigerton Dells, the Posse’s Wisconsin headquarters. The compound is guarded by armed Posse members. A NEW CLASS IN STUDENT LIVIN • compact, efficient space • 3 minutes from campus • security/covered parking • washer/dryer in every unit • CHANCE FOR FREE TRIP TO EUROPE* (* subject to total occupancy) 846 8960 GUN SHOW Saturday & Sunday, Marcli 12-13, 1983 at THE BRAZOS CENTER GUNS — GOLD — SILVER — JEWELRY — WESTERN ARTIFACTS & ART 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. General Admission $ 2 50 For information contact fiontliern States Arms Collectors P.O. Box 265 Rosebud, Texas 76570 817-583-7597 SPRING BREAK CLEARANCE SALE at MUSICIANS' WORLD Guitars by: • Epiphone • Ibanez • Martin • Sigma • Washburn • Martin D-18 with-case reg. ^ISS 00 Now • Yamaha FG335 case extra reg. *245°° Sale $ 169 45 UP TO 30% OFF RETAIL PRICES WHILE SUPPLY LAST!! nijtlCIHNS lAilJF-fl.il WOODSTONE CENTER 907D Harvey Rd. NO LAY-A-WAYS — NO TRADES ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED SALE ENDS 3/19/83 693-8898 New Area Code for Southeast Texas Pepe’s Mexican Food For the fun of it! Come out and enjoy the zesty taste of our Mexican Food - for the fun of it! 3312 S. College Bryan Open Daily 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. 107 Dominik College Station Open Daily 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p. Post Oak Mall Open 11 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Unprecedented growth in Houston and surrounding areas will make it necessary to assign 180 Southeast Texas cities a new telephone area code. The new area code becomes ef fective March 19, 1983. Approximately 90,000 customers currently in the 713 area code will be served in the new 409 calling area (see map inside). Houston and twenty-nine other nearby cities will retain the 713 designation. No changes in seven-digit local numbers are planned for customers in either the 713 or 409 calling areas | as a result of this change. General Telephone