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.
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