Page 4/The Battalion/Monday, April 18,1983
UT studies bones in space
United Press International
HOUSTON — A University
of Texas research team is trying
to figure out how J;o keep astro
nauts’ bones from dissolving
during long space missions, anti
their findings could help decide
whether people can have space
station careers.
Without counter measures,
longterm weightlessness could
render spaceworkers of the fu
ture unfit for life or work on
Earth — raising the prospect of
an Orwellian division of labor
between space and Earth
workers.
Dr. Victor Schneider, an
associate professor of endocri
nology at UT, said the body has
some mechanism that recog
nizes when bones are less
needed to support the body
against gravity and starts doing
away with important bone
tissue.
“Without gravity, the body
recognizes it needs less bone
mass and goes about estab
lishing a new equilibrium with
less bone mass,” Schneider said.
Studies on Skylab indicated
astronauts lost bone mass at the
rate of one-half percent a
month, and that stress points —
like the heel, the ends of the leg
bones and edges of spinal ver
tebrae — might disappear at 5
percent a month.
Schneider said limited bone
loss rates might not cause prob
lems for at least a year or two,
but the troubling fact is that so
far there is no proven way to
cause adults to recreate lost bone
tissue after their return to Earth.
That means bone tissue lost in
space may be lost forever.
“This would be fine if the
astronaut were to stay in space
forever, but on re-entry to
Earth’s gravity, there is the
potential of immediate fracture
of bones just getting off a
spacecraft,” Schneider said.
The metabolic mystery raises
the prospect of astronauts’ re
turning to Earth in a much
weakened condition. In addi
tion, a person who suffers a
spinal stress fracture on Earth
often loses an inch or inch and a
half in height, Schneider said.
“The indiviual (after long
term flights) could be put in the
position where they would not
have enough bone to sustain
ordinary stresses of life,”
Schneider said.
The best countermeasure, of
course, would be artificial grav
ity on spaceships and stations.
But cost and design problems so
far have kept this out of Amer
ican space plans.
Exercise has been shown on
Skylab missions to be virtually
ineffective in overcoming the
effects of weightlessness in re
ducing bone mass.
Schneider, who in December
began work on a three-year
study to be financed by a
$225,000 grant from NASA, will
be focusing on possible dietary
or drug approaches to the
problem.
Two potential tools are che
micals — diphosphonates and
flourides. Both already are
readily available to physicians.
Diphosphonates are a poten
tial substitute for a normal body
substance called pyrophosphon-
ate, which stops bone resorp
tion.
The important difference is
that diphosphonates can be built
up in the body for longterm be
nefits whereas pyrophosphon-
ates are metabolized too quickly
and do not build up in the sys
tem for later use.
“The basis (for flouride
study) is it is believed flouride is
one of few substances that can
cause new bone growth in an
adult,” Schneider said.
“The premise would be that
either you would give fluoride
before the astronaut went into
space so they would have new
bone and would have more bone
to lose, or you could continue to
give them flouride in space.
“One of the theoretical prob
lems is making new bone in
space without gravity could re
sult in the bone not orienting
properly,” Schneider said.
Schneider’s team plans to
study astronauts before and af
ter shuttle flights, participate in
studies of astronaut health
maintenance in space, study
bed-ridden patients and check
on the impact of exercise.
They also will study post
menopausal Caucasian women
who lose more bone mass than
any other group of people, stu
dies have shown.
Solving the bone resorption
problem might also ease a re
lated health risk for astronauts.
Astronauts who are losing cal
cium from bones into the blood
stream and kidneys run a gr
ter risk of the discomfort of k
ney stones.
ea-
kid-
Judge gets MADD
over drunk drivers
United Press International
McKINNEY — In an attempt
to rehabilitate drunk drivers, a
Collin County judge is sentenc
ing them to work with families
who have lost relatives in alco
hol-related traffic accidents.
In the past month, Court-at-
Law Judge Robert Harkins sent
enced six people to work with
the county’s chapter of Mothers
Against Drunk Drivers.
Donald Johnson of Plano was
the first of the first-time offen
ders to be given the sentence. He
refused to talk about it, but
chapter founder Kelly English
of Melissa, described their early
encounters as “walking on thin
ice.”
\
HEY! OFF CAMPUS STUDENTS
/\9S3
w\o
2
xM'cO ^
IF YOUR LEASE EXPIRES IN MAY
BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR 30 DAYS
WRITTEN NOTICE TO YOUR APARTMENT
MANAGER OF YOUR INTENT TO TERMINATE
YOUR LEASE IN MAY
For tips on how to get your
apartment security deposit back
stop by the Off Campus Center
in Puryear Hall. 845-1741
THE OFF CAMPUS CENTER--Department of Student Affairs
and
Off Campus Aqqies
English said the initial meet
ing was awkward, but that wore
off and chapter members
“didn’t mind having him around
at all.”
“I don’t see how anyone
could get drunk and get in a car
after they’ve worked with these
people,” Harkins said. “I believe
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers
are extremely motivated people,
and this strong sense of commit
ment can be transferred to a
first-time offender.”
MADD was founded by a
California woman whose daugh
ter was killed by a drunk driver.
Since then, chapters have been
pushing for public pressure and
legislation to stop drunk drivers.
The idea for sentencing
drunk drivers convicted in Col
lin County to work with MADD
originated with the chapter.
Spokesmen for MADD chap
ters in Houston and Dallas said
Harkins’ idea is a good one if
offenders are willing to coop
erate.
“We could take some of them,
but they would be screened very
carefully before they came in to
work for our office,” said Milo
Kirk, president of the Dallas
MADD chapter.
Now
you know
United Press International
TIMES BEACH, Mo. — Fed
eral agents have found up to
1,200 stolen rare books in the
Missouri town contaminated by
dioxin which spread throughout
homes in December flooding.
FBI agent Charles Jones said
the books were found covered
with mud, even though they had
been wrapped in plastic and
placed in a storage locker. The
Meramec River flooded the
town in December.
The books are believed to be
part of a collection convicted
thief James Shinn acquired
from some 30 universities, col
leges and seminaries. Shinn, 45,
was sentenced to 20 years in
prison after pleading guilty to
two charges related to transport
ing stolen books.
NO CIVILIAN BAND
CAN MAKE YOU THIS OFFER.
If you’re a musician who’s serious
about performing, you should take a
serious look at the Army.
Army bands offer you an average
of 40 performances a month. In every
thing from concerts to parades.
Army bands also offer you a
chance to travel.
The Army has bands performing
in Japan, Hawaii, Europe and all
across America.
And Army bands offer you the
chance to play with good musicians. Just
to qualify, you have to be able to sight-
read music you’ve never seen before and
demonstrate several other musical skills.
It’s a genuine, right-now, imme
diate opportunity.
Compare it to your civilian offers.
Then write: Army Opportunities, P.O.
Box 300, North Hollywood, CA 91603.
ARMY BAND.
BE ALLYOU CAN BE.
1 X
L.
□
CT?
* * * *
H Imn i]
Around
Executive of the Year chosen
Uni
HOI
lembt
has bh
mistier
mg a n
irespas
nearly
ret i'! cl
I Thc
Friday
ing to
and o
“this ir
Ben Love, chairman of the board of the Texas Con Itio 1
he
Bank - Houston and chairman and chief executive offtj
Texas Bancshares, has been named the Texas A&MColJ
of Business Administration’s “Executive of the Yen'tt* 11012
Love will speak on the future of banking in apj C° ul b
address and awards presentation Friday at lOa.m.infti Dunca
10 of the Academic and Agency Building. thecas
The award is given each year in recognition of out' 24. a
ing achievement and service by an individual executive,1(B UI 11
was selected In t he I lie Inisiness s< Imol's l)evelopmentC^H^ ul
cil, composed of 40 top Texas executives and a five meii| 0 P in10
executive committee selected by the dean of thecolbpPl )ea *
Love is a 1047 business adminstration graduateoi "i 31
University of Texas at Austin. In addition, he is a W 3 * 3111,1 ■
director and presidnet of Houston’s River Oaks
Trust Co. and presently serves on the boards ofdirectoiiB urs '
Cox Communications liu . the El Paso Co., Hughes]® 6 ^
Co., Pan American World Airways Inc., Prolerlnterm;® 61 ^ 11
Corn, and Texas Commerce Bank - Austin. ing set
r hi
his se
meano
Library to sponsor Computer Fai$r^
As a highlight of National Library Week, the Bryanih
and SCORE, Service Corps of Retired Executives,®
sponsoring a Computer Fair Tuesday from 9a.rn.to9p:
the Bryan Library.
Microcomputers, software and other services, tvillti
display. There will be opportunities for hands-on ,,
ences and demonstrations. Applications of computertBP,
nology for small businesses and homes will be empfeB 6 . ‘
Businesses participating in the fair will be Radio 1*1^ ( *
Computer Center, Young Electronics, Micro-Officel® 1 -
nology, A.B.E. Systems Inc., Custom OperatingSysic|4
Inc., Computerland and Sort-Data Oorp.
,ent at:
said
on a S3
B it
le play
“We’
iat nia'
Alpha Zeta to install new officers her
lemon,
The Texas A&M chapter of Alpha Zeta, (the natiowltj
cultural honor society) recently held elections fonts!' l|:s|c;ft5|
officers. The individuals elected were: Robert LastoT
chancellor; Tom Sames, censor; Albert Randall,treaii|
Gloria Sanchez, scribe, and John Jurek, chronicler.
The officers will be installed at the Annual Spring!
quet tonight at 7 p.m. at the Brazos Center. TheM
speaker will be Maj. Kenneth Wolf, formerly of the 11
ment of Agricultural Economics. Tickets are $5.50faj
barbeque dinner. For more information call 84645S|
846-4990.
w
Texas AScM receives Westinghom
grant
f
A check for $20,000 has been presented to Texas 11
University by the Westinghouse Education FoundtE
support the university’s proposal for the “Developti«l
Standard Integrated Circuit Laboratory Chips.”
The payment is the first installment on a $55,OOOpi
T exas A&M from Westinghouse for use in this prof I
payment of $20,000 will be made in 1984andS15,{W*'|
awarded in 1985.
The initial payment was presented to Texas A&W
dent Frank E. Vandiver by J.S. Wyble, vice president k.
Southwestern Region of the W'estinghouseElectricCci]* p^ :
tion in Dallas.
The integrated circuit laboratory chips develop
Texas A&M under this program will be used by unte |
duate students in the university’s electrical engine
program as an introduction to integrated circuitoef
If you have an announcement or item to submitfo’
column, come by The Battalion office in 216Reed)l>
nald or contact Tracey Taylor at 845-2665.
Arson charged
in house-burnin!
<
M
United Press International
KENDLETON — Police
charged a man with arson for
burning down a house where
rats bit his 7-week-old nephew
so severely the child had to
undergo facial plastic surgery.
Robert Lee Williams, 33, was
arrested Friday and charged
with the arson of a one-bedroom
house where four children and
four adults lived.
Kendleton Police Sgt. Clif
ford Thompson said Williams
admitted torching the structure
out of rage after health author
ities condemned it and forced
Williams’ relatives to move else
where.
“He was angry,” Thompson
said. “He was mad because the
house was condemned. But it
was not liveable. It was terrible.
There were rat holes 2 l A inches
wide.”
Thompson said the house
was set on fire shortly after the
family was evicted April 9.
“I sawlotofratscoi
there,” he said.
Authorities learned-
rat-infested house af*
liam’s infant nephew" 3
ted to John Sealy H 3
Galveston on April d"'
pie rat bites. Thompso 11
child had to haveplasifc
“Doctors reconstn 1 '
nose, some parts oflii( ;!
some parts of hishand. |
A hospital spokesw''
doctors would not tall
case because the boy's 1 '-;
before a court. Statf-
Judge Tom Stansbun'
duled a hearinginfe-
Wednesday to decide 1
the boy’s mother. Vs'- :
liams, may regain cii!' 1 '
The baby,
days, remained in
Fort Bend County's C
tection Service.
Thompson said the ^
family moved in
A
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