Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1983)
Wednesday, August 31, 1983AThe Battaiion/Page 3B - Shuttle is site of testing Astronauts will sort cells Sinking teacher morale marks start of classes United Press International |CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. ■ Two astronauts will use a chine aboard the shuttle Jhallenger this week to sepa- | rite living cells in space for the P'sttime in experiments that meday could lead to im- loved treatment for diabetes other ailments. Guion Bluford and Dale iardner, set for launch with Jree others Aug. 30, will try |t(l separate specific hormone- Boducing cells from batches I oicells from a human kidney, t pituitary glands and a dog Bincreas. The idea is to demonstrate Jat a process known as elec- (ophoresis can take advan- jjage of the weightlessness of fbital (light to select out the ared cells with greater pur- [and in larger amounts than be accomplished on hth. Doctors would like to use plants of such cells in hu- lansto produce hormones to Jrrect a variety of ailments, ■ne promising technique lasts limal would be to implant insulin- producing islet cells from a pancreas into diabetics. Dr. David W. Scharp of Washington University in St. Louis said islet cells implanted in four dogs appeared to cure them of diabetes. But he said there are many problems in volved with such a technique in humans and he cautioned against the expectation that the shuttle experiment will lead to a diabetes cure in the near future. “Obviously, that’s our final goal,” he said. The cell separation machine is the same unit that flew on three previous shuttle flights and separated proteins with more than four times the purity of that achieved on Earth and in quantities grea ter than 700 times that obtained on the ground. The electrophoresis machine w as developed by the McDonnell Douglas Corp., and the company plans to use it to start producing large amounts of a protein this win ter for use by the Ortho Phar maceutical Co. in human test ing. The companies decline to identify the protein for com petitive reasons. David Richman, deputy manager of the program for McDonnell Douglas, said the cell separation experiments will be laying the groundwork for practical applications that are farther in the future. “The possibility of implant ing cells is now being investi gated at universities through out the country,” he said. “We’re happy to be starting with some research in support of this kind of work.” Dr. Wesley Hymer of Penn sylvania State University is in charge of the cells from the pituitary gland, one of the body’s master hormone- producing glands. Hymer is particularly in terested in growth hormone. Not only is it important for the development of children, but it promotes muscle growth, breaks down fats and en hances carbohydrate metabol ism and promotes long bone growth in adults. The pituitary also produces five other major hormones, each coming from a different type pituitary cell. The object of the shuttle ex periment is to sort all of the various hormone-producing cells so they are collected in different sample containers. Hymer said weightlessness may or may not improve the cell separation compared to what can be achieved on Earth. Only partial separation was obtained using the machine on the ground. Once they get the cells back, Hymer and his associates will grow the cells in the labora tory to make sure space pro cessing didn’t affect their abil ity to make hormones. Dr. Dennis Morrison of the Johnson Space Center is working with the kidney cells and he also will attempt to have the machine sort out cells that produce different hor- United Press International AUSTIN — Three million Texas children began classes this week amid tight local school budgets and sinking teacher morale tempered by a “reserved optimism” that a long-awaited pay raise will materialize before the year ends. A state financial crunch and the Legislature’s unwillingness to raise taxes resulted in status quo salaries this year for Texas school teachers. They receive an average of $17,582 a year. The economic crisis also meant local school districts re ceived few new dollars from the state, forcing many districts to hold the line on operating ex penses and to cut back on prog rams. “There will be some districts that are hurting, that are having significant financial problems and will be faced with the situa tions of even reducing services in some areas,” said David Thompson of the Texas Asso ciation of School Boards. “I don’t think we’re going to have that many districts that are verging on bankruptcy, but I do think we’ll see a lot more cau tious approach to finance.” Thompson said those districts that were raising taxes were keeping the boosts within 8 per cent since increases above that amount are subject to an elec tion. “That 8 percent is a boundary they will not cross, and that kind of caution is well placed,” he said. Because of the tight budgets, school districts also were provid ing only modest supplements to base teacher salaries financed by the state. Few districts were able to offer more than a 2 or 3 per cent local raise, according to the Texas Education Agency. Teachers were optimistic at the beginning of 1983 when Gov. Mark White promised them a 24 percent pay raise, but the optimism waned when the Legislature — particularly the House leadership — refused to approve a tax increase to finance the raises. The disappointment was tem pered by optimism among some teachers who hoped a new gubernatorial committee would complete its evaluation of Texas’ educational system in time for the Legislature to meet in special session this school year to approve raises. “I think there’s no question teachers feel bad about pay raises,” said Brad Ritter, a spokesman for the state’s largest teacher group, the Texas State Teachers Association. “But in light of the work the Select Committee on Public Education is doing, there’s also a reserved optimism that some thing meaningful will happen to us before Christmas. I don’t think it’s all gloom and doom.” Intern survives in D.C. by Stephanie Smith 1 United Press International Washington — Each slimmer at the nation’s capital, |rdes of eager, ambitious col ie students make their pil- ages to Capitol Hill to pay I rfr dues to a future occupa- jtibn. ■ Joining them the last two isumniers, I quickly realized I not only paying my dues, also paying for housing, ■asportation and food. I work frozen pB I C ame from Denton, Texas, b3w [where I am a journalism student iiiilvMw 0 nh Texas State University, || lie an intern for a United Pr is International investigat ive reporter. UPI pays me with in- ent intoluable experience, but land- [dsand merchants do not con- er it a fair exchange for their HUH i I t reduced [for free. lability..! y-wide. >r aboia iterpnses. of Seal? otingsoBj ■e. Aboui ducts, sell for S' 1 ] ector L tions are I ? as mud ed with 1' | most ml e typical* cecutiveii ly to it -netnbci 5 ' conic urban, hi. >at out 0 eople- rn appto t ovens- Iso m ngle)" »s and Hi For this reason, I sometimes Ich myself thinking longingly soup kitchens. Some interns to induction centers for Sun jong Moon’s Unification lurch for free meals. The impanying “Moonie” rhe- tork is not intolerable in the face of starvation. have not resorted to such ' measures vet, but sometimes “pilfer” saltines from the Senate cafeteria. Being here in the midst of Debategate, I have learned “pilferring” or “pur loining” is OK at the capital. In Texas, we call it stealing. On the job, I read internal government audits about waste of taxpayer dollars, such as the Pentagon’s payment of $ 100 for a nickel aircraft part. I have learned other things about Washington, too. Walking to work in the morn ing, the first thing 1 see on the east steps below the Capitol dome is “Tacky Jesus,” a white- robed, long-haired, plastic man- nequin with white styrofoam doves perched on its shoulders. In its arms is a stuffed lamb. Two more sheep with detach able heads are at each side. For more effect, religious music is piped out through a portable stereo behind the scene. Moving right along, I see a choir, which is dressed like re fugees from the senior prom in polyester gowns and tuxedos, has set up speakers and mic rophones on the massive steps leading to the House chambers. They do not sing well, but they sing loud. No one is stop ping to listen to them, but they do not seem to mind. They are elated to be here. They are singing at the steps of the Capitol. The folks back home will be proud. On the Capitol grounds, a network newsman is on his 21st take. His makeup is streaking and melting from the broiling sun. He is posed on a stool like a soap box preacher so a camera man can get a shot of the Capitol dome over his left shoulder. Screens and lamps are artis tically set up so the harsh, unflat tering light of the sun will not make him look like a drag queen in full makeup, but someone the “Neilson family” can trust with the news. Beyond the treacherous re volving doors, where homicidal young tourists play merry-go- round, a security officer waits to frisk my bag lunch for hidden weapons. While I wait for an elevator, a group of congressmen rushing to the House floor for a vote mows me down. None of them was on the floor for the debate, but all will try to make it for the vote. One day, a fellow intern sat at the edge of her House gallery SHOW YOUR FOLKS HOW SMART YOU ARE SAVE ON LONG DISTANCE CALLS Save Up To 20 To 50% For More Information CALL STAR TEL CALL 779-2830 seat eagerly anticipating a he ated debate about the MX mis sile. She was excited, she said, to be able to witness Congress in action. There were only three con gressmen on the floor. There were more congressmen in the chambers the day they discussed the Republican-Democrat base ball game. The congressmen were so ex cited about the game one, Rep. Silvio Conte, D-Mass., even sang “Take Me Out To The Ball- game” before Speaker Tip O’Neill interrupted to remind him of the House rules. But there comes a time when the often bewildering and sav- ings-depleting experience of in terning at Capitol Hill pays. If I chain myself to the typew riter for the next few years, I am told, I might get promoted to a job in this crazy place. Maybe I’ll even have my own intern. THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS THE 1983 INTERVIEWING SEMINAR 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 31 Rudder Tower 601 THE INTERVIEW PROCESS "PLACEMENT OFFICE PROCEDURES "INTERVIEW TIPS FOR WOMEN IT IS TIME, THINK ABOUT YOUR CAREER!! SPONSORED BY DATA PROCESSING MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 1313 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, Texas C< r nS f 0 voi* e News, Sports, Culture and Entertainment Everyday Houston Chronicle Subscriptions Discount Price to AGGIE Students, Faculty & Staff Fall Semester Home Delivery Aug. 29—Dec. 16 $14.00 Aug. 29—Dec. 31 $16.00 CALL 693-2323 or 693-7815 Houston Chronicle