The Battalion Monday • May 4,19j HIV strikes more than immune system HDTV to leave man with blank screens By Jill Reed Science writer Texas A&M University researchers are searching for a cure for HIY but in the meantime, awareness pro grams educate students about the physical and psychological aspects of the disease. Virologists study vaccine devel opment, and social psychologists study HIV-related illnesses and pub lic access to healthcare. The health education program at A.E Beutel Health Center offers coun seling services to students affected by HIV and other sexual health issues. Hie exact number of cases in the Brazos County area is unknown, and it is difficult to estimate. Between 1994 and 1997, the Texas Department of Health reported 28 new cases of HIV infection in Brazos County, but the number is an esti mate because a case is recorded where it is diagnosed not where the individual lives. Margaret Griffith, a coordinator for the health education program, said that for every known HIV-infec tion in Brazos County, another 10 un diagnosed cases exist. Campus surveys show that stu dents believe they are not at risk, but A&M has a higher rate of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections than the state average, and these diseases are spread the same way as HIV Griffith said. Daniel Fowler, a coordinator for the Health Services of the Brazos Val ley, said health services only interacts with those who have no health in surance, whereas most college stu dents use private health care in their hometown. In the last year and a half, 95 percent of newly diagnosed cases were women between the ages of 14 and 24. New laws that require HIV-anti- body tests for all pregnant women re ceiving prenatal care might explain the high diagnosis rates in this age group. Griffith said no one is exempt from being infected, and anyone can be at risk if they have had unprotect ed sex of any kind. Pam Morales, an assistant profes sor in the Department of Education al Psychology, works with both phys ical and psychological aspects of the virus in the counseling psychology program. Smoking, bad eating habits, stress and no exercise will lower immune system efficiency, which can allow HIV to have a greater effect on the body, she said. Ellen Collisson, a professor in vi rology and a veterinary pathobiolo- gist, studies Feline Immunodeficien cy Virus as a model for HIV There are generally three stages of immunodeficiency viral infection, Collisson said. “In the medical community, we need better support systems for women. » Pam Morales assistant professor, Department of Educational Psychology There is an acute stage — a mild, flu-like infection, an asymptomatic stage — no signs of illness and an suppressed immunity stage—recur ring illnesses and infections that would otherwise not harm the body. Morales said that HIV progression is different in women than in men. Both genders suffer flu-like symp toms such as night sweats and high fevers, but each gender is susceptible to separate diseases once the virus suppresses the immune system. Illnesses such as pre-cancerous pap smears, cervical cancer, uterine cancer and heavy menses are com mon for women with immune sup pression, while men become sensi tive to Kaposi’s sarcoma. The psychological effects are as different for men and women as the symptomatic diseases. Although men are more likely to worry about finances, women usual ly focus on their children or mourn because they cannot have children. Many women do not know about programs that are available for their families, such as housing programs, social security, health insurance, food banks, food stamps and Medic aid for doctors and prescriptions. “In the medical community, we need better support systems for women,” Morales said. The public is not concerned with U.S. government funding cuts for HIV-research programs because new drugs can halt progression of the dis ease, Morales said. However, these drugs cannot help everyone, and the drugs are so ex pensive that the poorer communities are dying because they cannot afford treatment. Shuttle returns, neuroscience research continues CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Space shuttle Columbia and its crew returned to Earth on Sun day, ending two weeks of lab work that advanced brain research despite unexpected animal casu alties. And the experiments were far from over. Within an hour, the crew was hustled off to medical tests that were expected to go on for days. Six of the seven astronauts left on stretch ers; doctors wanted them reclining to preserve their weightless state. At the same time, NASA rushed to unload the animals so scientists could begin dissecting the few dozen surviving baby rats, as well as the nearly 2,000 fish, snails, crickets and older ro dents that flew. Most of the young rats died in or bit, victims of maternal neglect. It was a race against gravity: the sooner the as tronauts and animals could be examined, the greater the likelihood of observing space-in duced changes in the nervous system. ‘Tin sitting here like a little kid with ants in my pants," said Gay Holstein, a Mount Sinai School of Medicine researcher whose rats flew on Columbia. “I can’t wait to get going on my experiment.” To everyone’s relief, Columbia landed right on time at the Kennedy Space Center, where about 200 researchers waited with scalpels. Commander Richard Searfoss had only two functioning hydraulic power units for most of the hourlong descent. The cooling system for the third unit failed to work Saturday; Searfoss turned that unit on just minutes before touch down so it would not overheat. As soon as Columbia rolled to a safe stop, Mis sion Control congratulated the astronauts for “a historic mission that elevated neuroscience re search to record heights.” Among the space firsts achieved during the 16-day Neurolab flight: first direct nerve record ings, first joint recording of sleep and breathing, first embalming of animals and first surgery on animals meant to survive. “The data obtained are really a precious re source that will help us to unlock some of the mys teries of the brain,” said NASA program scientist Maiy Anne Frey. “I wish I could tell you the results right now... but much remains to be done.” Only the rodent researchers knew for sure what they were getting back. The astronauts kept close watch on the 170 rodents that rocketed into orbit with them on April 17, especially when the baby rats started dy ing. The surrogate mother rats could not or would not nurse the young animals in space. Al though 55 of the 96 baby rats died prematurely, researchers hoped they still could achieve their primary objectives. ATLANTA (AP) — When televi sion broadcasters begin dressing up their programming in the new high-definition format, perhaps as early as this fall, cable systems will have to cooperate or it is going to be “can’t see TV.” Cable TV executives say local ca ble systems will be ready to pipe the sharper pictures and CD-like sound into viewers’ homes. Still, just how to handle the next generation of television is much on the minds of cable executives gathering Sunday in Atlanta for their annual convention. The dilemma is twofold: Whether broadcast ers will have guar antees that cable ^ will carry their signals; and how the signal will be delivered into cus tomers’ digital TV sets. TCI, Time Warner, Cox, Comcast and other cable companies, who own the local sys tems, say they will use set-top boxes that broadcasters are pushing to give cable customers with digital sets ac cess to broadcasters’ high-definition and other digital channels. A greater problem, however, is the carriage guarantee. Broadcasters are agitating for the government to force local cable sys tems to carry the advanced digital channels as they now carry the ana log ones. The Federal Communica tions Commission is expected to take up the matter in June. The cable industry opposes gov ernment requirements, preferring voluntary carriage agreements. During the transition to digital, lo cal TV stations will be allowed to have two channels, one for digital, the oth er for the current analog TV system. Most cable systems lack the chan nel space to carry both digital and analog signals, but upgrades already are uiider way to provide systems! space to carry both. If the FCC ordered a blanketm mitment for cable to carryd broadcast signals, cable sysij without open channels on theri terns would have to drop cat)]t| networks to make room, cables utives say. That, said Decker Anstroml tional Cable Television Assof tion president, is unaccepta “As a matter of policy,” hesaidj will never accept that every bra cast signal takes priority'oveij cable network," "A time will come whentlii whole discussionisl tirely acadea ® because Ss techno| and shell-j space] pabilia will be] ing roughl| same in my op| ion, as definition I vision begins to i throughout our society," saiii| Hindery, president of cabled Tele-Communications Inc. But were the government!:| quire mandatory carriage! new signals before that happi 1 tindery said, that “wouldbel of the greatest displacemen!i| high-quality (cable) progran — one of the rudest thingsll ever, ever imagine for consul in this country.” “We’ve got to reach ourcustoi one way or the other. Wereteni concerned there will be a road! in reaching viewers,” said Ml Pauker, vice president of FoxTVlj tions Inc. While cable and broadcas: duke it out over mandating!! riage of digital channels, d companies are working to geti set-top boxes for customers' buy digital sets. www.collegestudent.com Free Classifieds Online Personals Course Evaluations Housing Finder Roommate Search And More.. Stop by and check out our site. Our online magazine Shag Mag is offering $50 for the best article submission of the week. It’s the students’ best resource! Kaplan: The difference between having dreams and fulfilling them. There’s simply no question about it. When you take the LSAT, GMAT, GRE, MCAT, CPA, or TOEFL, no one can prepare you better than Kaplan. With 60 years of proven success getting students into the schools of their choice, we’re the chosen leader in test prep. Just ask anyone who’s taken Kaplan. 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