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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1998)
Frontiers Monday • February Researcher digs up new way to examine rock art Program to ease health carep By Jill Reed Science writer Sometimes it takes an artist’s eye to see how science can open a win dow to history. Carolyn Boyd, an archeology graduate student at Texas A&M Uni versity, has developed a new way to justify explanations of rock art left by early civilizations. Boyd refined her research style while she recorded and studied 5,000-year-old cave drawings found along the Pecos River in South Texas. She used hand sketches, pho tographs and written descriptions to record the large panels of rock art. In the lab, Boyd viewed each mo tif in its proper context by repro ducing each panel in full detail us ing graphics and notes taken from the field. Boyd then compared the pat terns and variations of motifs among the different rock art panels. She said that early humans pro duced this cave art as a way to un derstand their place in the world, to communicate with the spiritual realm, and to display traditions, rit uals and spiritual journeys meant to unify the group. “We must recognize that there is a difference between art for art’s sake and art for life’s sake,’’ Boyd said. Boyd compared motifs she com monly found in the murals to liter ature about the region’s myths, folk lore and belief systems. She was able to support her in terpretations of the rock art using “We must recognize that there is a difference between art for art’s sake and art for life’s sake.” Carolyn Boyd Archeology graduate student physical archeological evidence. “These planned compositions were entire panels that were meant to be seen and understood as an en tire unit as opposed to just random motifs,” Boyd said, “and they con tain a huge quantity of information that was necessary for survival in this type of society. “The entire group became in volved as some individuals pre pared the paint, some built scaf folding, and others assisted in pro ducing the panels. “There is a lot more involved in this so-called art than what anyone ever thought,” Boyd said. Boyd and colleagues are starting a non-profit institute that will record, catalog and exhibit rock art for the public. The Cultural Communications Systems Institute will be a cultural data bank that collects literature and films about music, dance and early art forms around the world, Boyd said. The foundation will sponsor traveling exhibits for museums and will produce a virtual classroom to teach students who would not nor mally have access to such activities. Boyd said that the foundation would also arrange lectures for archeologists to speak about their research, and provide cooperative education opportunities for high school students and workshops where artisans display their native crafts. Boyd said that they want to in crease public awareness and in volvement in studying ancient rock art as a link to ancient history. “It is an opportunity for re searchers to have, in one location, the opportunity to compare re search from around the world,” Boyd said. Scientists plan to raise knockout cows, pigs for medical research 1 AUSTIN (AP) — More barnyard celebrities could come in the form of cloned pigs and cows whose disease causing genes can be removed or knocked out to create animals that are more useful to humans. Texas A&M University researchers are trying to take the next step in cloning by creating animals referred to as knockouts. Years ago, knockout mice were engineered for lab studies of various genetic effects. Now, researchers at Texas A&M want to use that same knowledge on pigs, cows and other domestic animals. It has been har der on do mestic animals, however. “It could be next week or it could be six months from now, but there’s no question we’ll get there,” Jorge Piedrahita, a veterinary medicine specialist at Texas A&M, told the Austin American-Statesman. Piedrahita is working on cloning knockout livestock with Mark Westhusin. He has been researching cloning since long before the world was shocked with the sheep Dolly, the first clone of an adult mammal. Westhusin’s former employer, Houston-based Grana da Corp., 10 years ago introduced seven cloned calves on a ranch near College Station. Now a veterinary medicine scientist at Texas A&M, Westhusin is collaborating with Piedrahita at the van guard of Texas research on cloning. Seven cloned calves were introduced on a ranch near College Station ten years ago. ^ _ Scientists last month announced that they had de veloped a technique for cloning genetically cus tomized calves able to produce medicines for hu mans in their milk. Several Texas Holstein bull clones were born from die project. So far; the Texas A&M sciendsts are trailing the field’s leaders who have turned from copying superior breeds of cows to altering animal ge netics for production of drugs for people. But Piedrahita recently brought a pig fetus to term with a human gene in its DNA. It is not a clone, but a first step in a new way of making pig or gans suitable for human trans plant if recent concerns about their carrying germs to people can be resolved. More dian 4,000 potential transplant recipients who die each year in the United States from a shortage of available human organs. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said last month the House would legislate a permanent ban on cloning humans in the United States. The next step for Piedrahita is a knockout pig — re moving a gene in pig DNA that makes an enzyme that covers pig organs. The enzyme triggers attacks from the human immune system. By Brian Vastag Special to The Battalion For people suffering from depression and other stress-related problems, finding the right kind of health care may not be easy. Psychological problems are often stigmatized, appointments maybe difficult to arrange, and often people do not realize they are suffering from such problems. An early detection program de veloped by two Texas A&M Univer sity professors and funded by Scott & White clinics seeks to remedy this situation. By screening for mental health problems during primary care visits, the program aims to increase recovery rates and decrease health care costs. “Our concern is that a large number of patients with psycho logical problems are going un treated,” said Mary Meagher, the Texas A&M psychology professor who designed the program. "Al though 75 percent of the patients with these stress-related illnesses have contact with a primary care doctor, only about 15 percent seek out mental health treatment.” Under the locally tested pilot program, willing pa tients fill out questionnaires when they visit their doc tor. The questionnaire screens for the most common psychological problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and problem drinking. Patients flagged by the process receive a provision al diagnosis and, if their symptoms are severe enough, a referral to a mental health specialist. “The question we want to answer is, ‘How do we help regular people with mental health problems?”’ said Rachel Bramson, professor of family and com munity medicine at Texas A&M andMe; ner on the program. “Mental heal’ easy to miss.” When patients do not recognize psych lems, they often make repeat visits to the tor complaining of physical problems. In these cases doctors have a hard;:;! down the problem, Bramson said. But when the early detection prograir mental health malady, then the real pro: headaches and sio! gets addressed. ‘A lot of thoser : lems evaporateai health problems!- Bramson said. Meagher sees: of the program. First, the pro: dressed beforeii.: living. Secondly, Mead providing patient | priate mental heahi duce unnecessary [I visits. Cutting dots sary doctor visitsrJ ,S . tS ' , nr less tangible, but?:-. th- ifit i; overall hea The third ben _ important. “By integrating mental health care as ry care, the stigmatization of mental illne said Meagher. “Mental health careisn mented and isolated, but just a partofyo Additional funding for the ongoingpr started in February 1997, comes from the! Psychology, the George Bush School of Ga Public Service and the College of Medicine If Meagher and Bramson receive fed they plan to expand the program to rural: >rld | Foodfbr thought ‘ | HACCP sets standards for U.S.m By Wendy Lawrence Special to The Battalion In an effort to make their prod ucts safer for the consumer, meat and poultry plants worldwide have turned to the International Meat and Poultry Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAC CP) Alliance atTexas A&M Univer sity for guidance, training and food safety information. First used in the U.S. space pro gram, HACCP is a scientific process created to prevent con sumers from receiving meat and poultry contaminated with bacte ria such as salmonella or e. coli. Under HACCP meat and poul try plant inspectors continually monitor key areas in the plant, called “critical control points,” throughout the entire manufac turing process. The presence of bacteria at these points alerts inspectors to unsanitary conditions that must be brought under control and pre vents contaminated foods from leaving the plant. As of January 26, 1998, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) required all meat and poultry plants with over 500 em ployees to adhere to HACCP stan dards. By January 2000, all plants in the United States must adopt the HACCP system. Recognizing a need for uni form HACCP training guidelines for all meat and poultry plants, Texas A&M’s Center for Food Safe ty formed the HACCP Alliance in March 1994 under the supervision of the USDA’s Food Safety and In spection Service. “The HACCP Alliance’s goal is to reduce the incidence of food- borne illness,” the Alliance’s ex ecutive director, Dr. Kerri Harris said. “Meat and poultry plants staying in business is dependent on producing the safest product possible. All the plants I’ve worked with are willing to take the steps necessary to produce the safest food possible.” The HACCP Alliance offers ac credited HACCP training courses to meat and poultry plant em ployees and readies them to go out and train others on their own. It also uses information provided by the USDA to pro duce uniform HACC1 and provides technic search support to poultry plants adopti Dr. Leon Russell,all pit fressor of veterinaii and a member ofthePl fiance Board ofDirec that wfiile the HACOl issues guidelines! sonnel, it is up to eachij plant to implement! matter sntisl'actonj inspectors^ J “It’s likesettingupl it," Russell said."It'stJ watch your speedomf’ police can still stopyfc you a ticket.” Over 12 countriesacj of the HACCP j United States, membtj meat and poultry u ni versifies, profession^ tions, government! vale industry, laboratoncj ucational foundations. Besides extensive I courses, the HACCPAlij contains a HACCPdaW able over the Internet ail CP/food safety librarv. *3.95 pager airtime Aerial phones sold here Discount Paj>in}« System ‘Service Free Activation I ‘Accessories i Tiffany Inbody, Editor in Chief Helen Clancy, News Editor Brad Graeber, Visual Arts Editor Robert Smith, City Editor Matt Weber, Night News Editor Jeremy Furtick, Sports Editor James Francis, Aggielife Editor Mandy Cater, Opinion Editor Ryan Rogers, Photo Editor Chris Huffines, Radio Producer Sarah Goldston, Radio Producer Dusty Moer, Web Editor News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in tbe Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: batt@unix.tamu.edu; Website: http://battalion.tamu.edu Advertising Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national dis play advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845- 0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions^ part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. Mail sub scriptions are $60 per school year, $30 for the fall or spring semes ter and $17.50 for the summer. To charge by Visa, MasteiCard, Discover, or American Express, call 845-2611. The Battadon (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) atTexas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1111. pfjlcMt'g# K, * HonlTo-A firowinft 1 Hey Ags! Don’t forget about the grouing tradition, Replant Ulareh 7, Lake Somerville Sign-ups are available in Koldus IZ7 at the Fish- aides desk and on oar web page at http://stuaet.tanin.edu/ st u or gs/replant Scuba Lessons Free Discover Scuba Every Thursday Night Spring Break Trips: I Cozumel March 16th - 22nd $795 Flower Gardens March 16th - 18th $395 Classes: Feb. 16th Feb. 20th Mar.. 6th ■Paradise - ^„ ir , JSScuba Pool Texas Ave. Kroger Shopping Center It s Time Again Ags!!! Spring Business ddl St- ‘*f it. ddlJI m cp • «J February 16-19 Schedule of Events: 16 th : 17 th : Evening Reception @ The Hilton, 7 p.m. Company Booths; Evening Reception @ Pebble Creek Country Club. 7 p.m. Company Booths; Evening Reception @ Briarcrest Country Club, 7 p.m. Company Booths Dress in business attire when speaking with companies at their booths ■& Prepare and bring resumes. Resume help? Contact the Career Center: 84m ik Inquire about the appropriate attire for receptions when purchasing tickets m reception Have questions on how to get the most out of Career Fairs? Attend the CareeA Networking Seminar on February 12. at 7 p.m.. in Wehner 159. http://wehner.tamu.edu/BSC Companies attending the Career Fair and their corresponding #| will be posted in the Battalion each day of the Career Fair.