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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 2000)
News briefs Viagra test on women fails NEW YORK — Hopes that Via gra would do for women what it does for men were doused in the first big study of the impotence drug in women, according to a study paid for by the drug’s man ufacturer. The study findings, being pre sented Tuesday at the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecol ogy meeting in San Francisco, confirmed smaller preliminary tests that also showed that the pill did not help women with sexual dysfunctions, such as difficulty getting aroused. Viagra, the first pill to treat im potence was an instant splash in 1998 when it was approved in the United States to help men. The pill had more than $1 billion in sales last year, and its manufac turer, Pfizer Inc., hoped to in crease its profits by getting doc tors to prescribe it to women. Astronauts float into space station for repairs CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis’ astronauts floated into the international space station Monday night to re place dying batteries, filling the complex with voices for the first time in a year. American astronaut Susan Helms and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev led the way into the brightly lighted Unity module. James Voss was close behind. “Glad you left the lights on for us,” Voss told Mission Control. The three will move into the space station for good next year. They consider this visit a brief but valuable sneak preview. Fuel problems questioned as factor in plane crash WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Inves tigators on Monday were looking into whether fuel problems caused both engines to fail aboard a charter plane that crashed, killing all 19 people aboard. But the probe was hampered because the cockpit voice recorder was not working at the time. The National Transportation Safety Board investigators searched for clues in the wreck age after Sunday’s crash of the Ex ecutive Airlines twin-engine tur boprop, which was carrying 17 passengers home from a gambling trip to Atlantic City, N.J. The two pilots, who also were killed, had reported to air traffic controllers that they lost both en gines as they made their second approach to the Wilkes Barre/Scranton airport in the rain. Aviation analysts said dual-en gine failures are rare and can indi cate a problem with the fuel sup ply. NTSB member George Black said later that no evidence of con tamination was found in a .pre liminary test of the fuel from a truck in Farmingdale, N.Y., that had refueled the plane. The tests were continuing and would in clude a ground sample from the crash site. The Associated Press Dog paws continued from page 1 “It was a very clean, clean ex traction of the two paws,” he said, adding that the bone ap peared to have been sawed. “It shows that somebody took a lot of time doing this.” Wellington said the LCARA was concerned by the meticu lousness with which the paws were severed. “It follows suit with many of the major serial killers,” he said. On the other hand, Welling ton said the paws were possibly the remains of a dog kept by the pet’s owner as mementos. Though some people keep locks of hair from deceased pets and occasionally have beloved animals stuffed, a person keep ing dismembered body parts for sentimental reasons is far fetched, said Russ Bankel, a Greenhill Human Society offi cial. “This is obviously something we want to keep track of in case it pops up again,” Bankel said of the dismemberment. Bankel said the ritualistic mu tilations of dogs typically target “dogs of power and strength” and usually don’t target shaggy domestic dogs such as Golden Retrievers. “It’s obvious somebody want ed to send some sort of message, but it’s unclear what that mes sage is,” he said. The LCARA is asking anyone with information regarding the paws to call 682-3645. HIV tests continued from page 1 “It would be most satisfying if we went to capacity,” Dochnahl said. “If people who take it are at risk, then the test is most benefi cial.” When the health center offered free HIV testing last year, approxi mately 120 students took the ex amination, which requires a sim ple blood draw, Dochnahl said. The health center’s HIV test can be taken anonymously, with no record of the student’s name, Uni versity HIV counselor Ginger Sands said. The test takes about 20 minutes, with a short counsel ing session before and after the test, and results are available after two weeks. “If for no other purpose, it can establish a peace of mind,” 1 Dochnahl said. The most important aspect of the free testing program is that it j promotes awareness about the risk factors of HIV and other sex ually transmitted diseases, Sands said. “It’s really important to get help,” Sands said. “We want to make students more aware of what the risks are.” Because there is no cure for HIV, prevention is the key, Dochnahl said. Similar to the health center’s pro gram, the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention and the Nation al Association of People With AIDS are hosting the annual National HIV Testing Day on June 27. The purpose of the campaign is to en courage those who are at risk for the virus to learn whether they are infected, NAPWA deputy execu tive director Tony Farmer said. “We have to do a much better job of informing the public of the benefits of testing early,” Farmer said. “People wait until they are extremely sick. Sometimes it gets to a point where medication is not very effective.” The National HIV Testing Day, which is supported by about 10,000 organizations across the country, is aimed at everyone who is at a high risk of contracting the virus, especially minority groups — African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans — and people under the age of 25, who represent the largest portion of those most re cently infected, Farmer said. “Even though we have one day set aside for HIV testing, it’s im portant to remember that testing is something that goes year round,” Farmer said. To make an appointment for the health center’s free HIV tests, call 346-2770. After this term, the test will cost $12. The CDC also has a national AIDS hotline — 1-800-342-2437 — for inquiries about the National HIV Testing Day. Fund raiser continued from page 1 ers of Koala Construction. The Robertses got to know University President Dave Frohnmayer, his wife Lynn and their efforts to fight Fanconi Anemia — a genetic dis ease that typically afflicts young children and causes leukemia, bone marrow failure and other can cers — when they remodeled the Frohnmayers’ southeast Eugene home two years ago. The Frohn mayers have lost two daughters, Kirsten and Katie, to complications from Fanconi Anemia, and the life of their 13-year-old daughter Amy is threatened by the disease. The Robertses wanted to do something to help support the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, a non-profit agency founded by the Frohnmayers in 1989 with the goal of funding research toward a cure or treatment for the disease. So they did what they do best: They built a house. “It was an extremely heart warming project to be a part of,” Linda Roberts said. Their original goal was to raise $50,000 for the fund, but the Robertses, with the help of 84 subcontractors who gave time and materials, will donate $225,000 when the house is sold. “It leaves you with a great sense of pride and accomplishment,” Linda Roberts said. The subcon tractors who worked on the home all received T-shirts with “I helped save the life of a child” printed on them. She said she thought that solic iting donations from subcontrac tors would be the most difficult part of the project, but she was pleased to find that people were more than willing to give. “The community pulled togeth er and wanted to be a part of it,” Linda Roberts said. “Because [Fan coni Anemia] affects children, peo ple are more apt to do something. It hits your heart pretty hard.” The house, which is listed at $725,000, includes such luxury amenities as granite countertops and marble in the master bath room, a media room with Dolby Surround Sound, a DVD player and outdoor speakers shaped like rocks in the front and back yards. “It’s an absolutely wonderful outpouring of community support for the cause,” Dave Frohnmayer said. “It will result in a substantial boost for our research fund.” He said the donation could rep resent one-third or as much as one half of the fund’s annual grant budget. Researchers in more than 30 countries have received grants, averaging $50,000 to $80,000, from the fund. The donation from the sale of the house could result in seven or eight more research grants, Frohnmayer said. At 3265 Riverplace Dr., the house is one of only about a dozen in the Eugene area that ac tually has a view of the Willamette River flowing, he said. Frohnmayer called the setting spectacular and very peaceful. The house is open Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through June 18. Th(X Oregon Humanities Center presents: The 1339-2000 Robert D. Clark Lecture in the Humanities Terry Tempest Williams in a lecture entitled Hieronymus Bosch in North America ‘Tuesday, May 23,2000 7:30 p.m. TJMU ‘Batfroom Terry Tempest Williams is the author of many books, including Refuge—An Unnatural History of Family and Place (Pantheon, 1991) and An Unspoken Hunger (Pan theon, 1994). Her most recent book LEAP, (Pantheon, 2000), is an exploration of Hieronymus Bosch's famous 15th century painting, "The Garden of Earthly Delights." Copies of the book—as well as autographed broadsides produced by the UO Knight Library Press—will be avail able for sale at a book signing and reception immediately following the lecture. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, so early arrival is recom mended. For information or disability accommodations, call the Oregon Humanities Center at 346-3934. N LOW STUDENT AIRFARES ■g co Europe • Africa • Asia • South America | | More Than 100 Departure Cities! | I Eurailpasses • Bus Passes * Study Abroad f sTudenf > universe •com IT’S YOUR WORLD. EXPLORE IT. www.StudentUniverse.com 800-272-9676 O 00 Run your for sale item in the ODE classifiedsfor five days (items under $1,000) ... if you don’t sell it, we’ll run it 5 more days for free!
