The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 10, 1987, Image 3
Thursday, December 10,1987/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local Laboratory process developed at A&M may become AIDS test From Staff and Wire Reports A laboratory process devel oped at Texas A&M could be come a test to determine which people exposed to AIDS actually would develop the deadly dis ease, an A&M researcher said Wednesday. The procedure was developed by Dr. Luther Lindner of A&M’s Pathology and Laboratory Medi cine Department and Stephen R. Wechter, a former research assis tant in the department. The laboratory process has de tected acquired immune defi ciency syndrome. “The research started about three and a half years ago,” Lindner said. “However, it has been sitting in limbo for a year or two." Wechter acquired sole patent rights from A&M and is continu ing work on the process at a pri vate firm in Houston. Lindner and A&M will get a jercentage of royalties from any income associated with the pat ent. "Since any further research will be conducted by a private Whenever fice ’ I knot ntly-de at seems for some > releases ipell Son 1 ressed It ackard — to the ne in the d dressed loved ie errors, i on the ir weekh legacy iding Ka il ner and ; ago, Lee perhaps on of fel- city desk ter along ir, Lydh bereft of for long - with the jinensch- f it were enate his urnalisi 1 nnist f«< Judge: Firms using insurance to pay damages do not avoid punishment AUSTIN (AP) — Corporations do not unfairly avoid punishment by carrying insurance coverage that s punitive damages for them in ility lawsuits, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. The 3rd Court of Appeals re jected arguments that such insur ance coverage allows companies to shift the burden” and cause higher premiums for “innocent members of society who purchase insurance.” The decisions evolved from two liability cases in which insurance companies contested whether they had to pay the punitive damages awarded against their policyholders. ninate re test: should averall il pop- iber of l staff re effort to • theclas- 01 MINP C." 11 s 3^ “If we’re right, it (a new laboratory procedure) is going to make an explosive impact in the AIDS field.” Stephen R. Wechter, former Texas A&M research assistant firm, it probably won’t bring in any other research money into A&M,” Lindner said. The new test is promising, but needs additional research to con firm early results, Lindner said. “Certainly, it has the potential for providing a useful test,” he said. Lindner said the process ap pears to show whether a person exposed to the AIDS virus will develop a full-blown case of AIDS. The process could develop into an alternative to current testing procedures, he said. Whether such a new proce dure actually would be any better or definitely show who will get AIDS has not yet been deter mined, Lindner added. “The first thing it is aimed at is developing a test,” he said. “Whether other things will come out of it remains to be seen,” he said.“More testing is going to have to be done before we know how reliable it is. Wechter shares Lindner’s be lief that additional research is needed, but Wechter is con vinced they are on the threshold of an important development. “If we’re right, it is going to make an explosive impact in the AIDS field,” Wechter said. The process is based on Lindner and Wechter’s studies of a disease similar to AIDS that oc curs naturally in monkeys. The monkey’s symptoms matched human AIDS symptoms closely except for the presence of the AIDS-related human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus, which was missing from the monkeys. “We’re obviously detecting something other than HTLV III,” Wechter said. “It may be a new virus,” Wechter said. “It may be a prod uct of the disease. “We just don’t know at this point.” Lindner said identifying the unknown factor should be one of the major aims of future re search. Whatever “it” is, it appears to provide reliable information about AIDS in humans. In double-blind laboratory tests, Lindner and Wechter were able to detect AIDS in samples from people with no other posi tive signs and track the disease’s progress from their test samples. Wechter says additional re search eventually could make their process a starting point for a three-pronged attack on AIDS —a vaccine to help prevent the disease, a screening tool and a drug to treat the disease after in fection. Cisneros will explain shared power system in U.S. to Gorbachev SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Mayor Henry Cisneros said Wednesday he will tell Soviet leader Mikhail Gorba chev how American cities, unlike their Soviet counterparts, share power with the national govern ment. Cisneros, past president of the National League of Cities, said he is one of five leaders nationwide asked by Vice President George Bush to at tend a breakfast today at the Soviet Embassy. Cisneros is in his fourth term as mayor of the nation’s ninth largest city. “I basically will give a description of how local government fits into the big picture and how we build our country,” Cisneros said. “Local gov ernment is the level that provides education. “Local government is the one that provides the infrastructure for ports, docks, airports and streets. “To a country that is a centralized country, as the Soviet Union is — centrally planned, centrally pro grammed — I suspect this idea of decentralized political responsibility out across the country would be in teresting and important.” He said his presentation is ex pected to last about five minutes and that he will return to San Antonio this afternoon. Cisneros said he welcomed Bush’s invitation as a bipartisian effort getting t quainted with the United States. “I want to share with our guests my belief that American cities are wonderful institutions that reflect our diversity and strength,” he said. “In America, we have learned that it is this very diversity- wherein our strength lies. “Even though we do have some problems, our cities are living proof of the success of the American way of life.” Cisneros said he has read about Gorbachev and respects the Soviet leader for attempting to change So viet lifestyle. “Indeed, one would have to say he is one of the most capable people on the scene today and I look forward to meeting him and making a short assessment of my own of his attrib utes,” he said. The White House said the guest list today will include Cisneros; Bush; Secretary of State George Shultz; former Rep. Cooper Evans of Iowa; Gov. John Sununu of New Hampshire; high school principal Robert Brooks, who has a strong Russian program in his school, and Dr. Mary Good. Cisneros did not immediately know much more about Brooks or Good. Cisneros’ presentation to Gor bachev comes at a time when he has made it clear he does not want to seek higher office. Punitive damages, in addition to damages for actual losses, can be or dered as a punishment and deter rent. In one of the cases, jurors ordered Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. Inc. to pay $750,000 in punitive damages to a football player who was not noti fied of the limitations of a Rawlings football helmet. The other case in volved $1 million in punitive dam ages resulting from injuries caused by a defective scaffold. Insurance companies “argue that allowing (the corporations) to insure themselves against an award of puni tive damages thwarts the principal purposes behind punitive damages — punishment and deterrence,” Jus tice Jimmy Carroll said in the 3rd Court’s unanimous opinion. He said a 1962 decision by an other court seems to support the in surance companies’ argument. That opinion said “insurance against criminal fines or penalties would be void as violative of public policy.” But the 3rd Court said, “We find no public policy against allowing in surance coverage against punitive damages.” Confronted by the question of whether it is fair to make all insur ance purchasers help cover the cost of punitive damages, Carroll said, “It is important to note that inability to obtain such coverage will inevi tably be passed on to the consumers of its products, who are also inno cent.” Carroll also said “less well-estab lished” corporations could be put out of business if they cannot get in surance against punitive damages. “The instigating event may arise from only a single incident of gross negligence on the part of an agent,” he said. “A fine line separates con duct that justifies imposition of pu nitive damages from conduct tn does not.” Krenek approved as editor of Battalion for Spring '88 at Sue Krenek was officially ap pointed as Spring 1988 editor of The Battalion by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Don ald McDonald Monday. Krenek, 20, a senior journalism major from Deer Park, was nomi nated by the Student Publications Board Nov. 24. Nominations by the board are subject to the approval of the provost before they become offi cial. “All three of the candidates ap pear to be very well prepared and highly qualified, and I am sure that the decision was a difficult one,” Mc Donald wrote in a memo approving the recommendation of Krenek. Krenek has worked as a Battalion opinion page editor, copy editor, as sistant news editor, news editor and part-time staff writer. She also is working for the Aggieland as a copy editor and design assistant. Krenek and the rest of the Spring 1988 Battalion staff took over the paper’s operations Sunday. H%»BOOKStore) 11 Books & Get Bonus Money!! ONLY AT THE Texas Aggie Bookstore If you haven’t yet decided to go late to make your reservation at the collegians #1 ski brel STEAMBOAT WINTER SKI BREAK INCLUSIONS-. • De\uxe hoteV or condominium lodging lor 5 or 7 nights. • Lift tickets tor A or 5 days. • Wiid mountain evening Gondoia Welcome Party with entertainment and beverages. • Wiid week Wiountain Chicken Barbecue. • Wiid week Ski Race with vaiuabie prizes. • ’Year iong membership in the American Ski Association. • Aii taxes and tips tor inciuded package teatures. TfSa . JANUARY 3-8 OR 3-AO, 1988 TOLL FR| 201 Dominik Northgate sunchase . tours Never a dull moment. Put tfiis in their stocking and watch their eves light up. DuraSoft Colors Gift Certificate This Christmas give someone with brown eyes something they Ve never had before—the chance to have blue eyes. With DuraSoft Colors con tact lenses brown eyes can become blue, green, hazel, aqua or new sapphire. So, give DuraSoft Colors gift, certificates this year for vision correc tion or just for fun. DimSojt: Colors Gift Certificate. Copyright © 1987 Wesley-lessen. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Try some on at no obligation OFF Call for Appt. 764-0669 Post Oak Mall (Near Sears) on complete fit for ALL contact lenses until Jan. 1 OPEN MOST WEEK NIGHTS ’TIL 9 Dr. Kathryn Yorke Dr. James Mathis Optometrists Call Battalion Classified 845-2611