AIDS talk

The observations of Michel Foucault, noted Twentieth Century French philosopher, regarding modern power relations and orders of discourse, form the framework utilized to analyze and interpret the power struggles of AIDS activists and their opponents--the religious and radical right, and the administrative agencies of the 'Liberal' welfare State. Supported by the tools of sociolinguistic inquiry, the analysis highlights the success of a safer sex campaign in Houston, Texas to illustrate the dynamics of cultural and political change by means of discursive transformations initiated by the gay micro-culture. The KS/AIDS Foundation, allied with both the biomedical community and gay entertainment spheres, was successful in conveying biomedical cautions that resulted in altered personal behavior and modified public attitudes by using linguistic conventions consonant with the discourse of the Houston gay micro-culture. The transformation of discursive practices transgressed not only the Houston gay micro-culture's boundaries, but the city boundaries of Houston as well. In addition to cultural and political change, moderate and confrontational gay activists also sought to change the cognitive boundaries surrounding 'the gold standard' for clinical research trials.^ From a Foucauldian perspective, the same-sex community evolved from the subordinated Other to a position of power in a period of five years. Transformations in discursive practices and power relations are exemplified by the changing definitions employed by AIDS policy-makers, the public validation of community-based research and the establishment of parallel track drug studies. Finally, transformations in discursive practices surrounding the issues of HIV antibody testing are interpreted using Foucault's six points of power relations. The Montrose Clinic provides the case study for this investigation. The clinic turned the technical rationalities of the State against itself to achieve its own ends and those of the gay micro-culture--anonymous testing with pre and post test counseling. AIDS Talk portrays a dramatic transformation in discursive practices and power relations that transcends the historical moment to provide a model for future activists. Volume 2 contains copies of fugitive primary source materials largely unavailable elsewhere. Original documents are archived in the Harris County Medical Archives in the Houston Academy of Medicine located in the Texas Medical Center Library, Houston, Texas. ^

Project Alpha: A culturally appropriate approach to adolescent male sex education

In the United States today, adolescents face unacceptably high rates of mortality and morbidity due to the contraction of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy. In view of these rates, there is a need for applied preventive interventions to delay adolescent sexual behavior until adulthood. Project Alpha was a school-adopted, quasi-experimental program for adolescent male students attending Sharpstown High School in Houston, Texas. This intervention used student newsletters to provide specific role-model stories on community and student role models who have changed attitudes or improved efficacy to abstain from sexual behavior until adulthood. It was hypothesized that teenagers exposed to the intervention would show improvements in knowledge, beliefs, avoidance skills, perceived norms, intentions and self-efficacy to delay sexual behavior compared to no-treatment reference teenagers in the same school.^ In total, the Project Alpha program had a significant effect on student knowledge, beliefs (towards abstinence and having sex with multiple partners), perceived risk (HIV/STD testing), self-efficacy (could avoid sex with attractive girl who wants to have sex), perceived social norms (friends believing in sexual abstinence) and sexual intentions. However, no significant intervention effects were found in student's beliefs (that it was OK to have sex with girlfriend), perceived risk of HIV/STD, self-efficacy (to avoid sex with girlfriend) and social norms (friends believe it is OK to have sex with a girlfriend and multiple partners in the same month). ^

Are there age-, strain-, and sex-differences in the prolonged exposure to methylphenidate?

Repeated treatment with psychostimulants produces behavioral sensitization that results in increased locomotor responses so that lower drug doses are required to obtain the same effect and cross-sensitization with other stimulants. Methylphenidate (MPD; Ritalin) is most frequently prescribed to treat children having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a syndrome with onset in childhood characterized by high levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Little is known of the consequences involving the long-term use of MPD as treatment for ADHD. This study investigates if there are age, genetic/strain, and sex differences in the prolonged exposure to MPD and cross-sensitization with amphetamine. The objective is to determine whether (a) early exposure to MPD in adolescent rats increases their sensitivity to the drug when they are adult rats, (b) there are strain and sex differences in the response to MPD, and (c) treatment with MPD in adolescent and adult Wistar-Kyoto (WKY), spontaneously hyperactive/hypertensive rat (SHR), and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat results in cross-sensitization with amphetamine. The hypotheses are that (1) early exposure to MPD in adolescent rats increases their sensitivity to the drug when they reach adulthood, and that this hypersensitivity is dose-, strain-, and sex-dependent and (2) adult rats treated with MPD as adolescents will show a greater cross-sensitization to amphetamine than those adult rats treated with saline as adolescents, and that this cross-sensitization is dose-, strain-, and sex-dependent. The study consists of recording and evaluating locomotor activity of female and male WKY, SHR, and SD rats before and after acute and repeated MPD administration when these rats are young and as adults follows by an amphetamine treatment. Results showed that repeated treatment with MPD elicited behavioral sensitization and cross-sensitization with amphetamine in these animals. The study also found that strain and sex play a crucial role in the differentiated sensitivity to the acute and chronic effects of MPD. The development of behavioral sensitization and cross-sensitization are also dependent on the dose of MPD and the age of the rat. ^

HEMATOCRIT AND HEMOGLOBIN, ATP AND DPG CONCENTRATIONS IN ANDEAN MAN: VARIABILITY BY SEX, AGE, VILLAGE, ALTITUDE, WEIGHT, SMOKING HABITS AND GENETIC CONSTITUTION

The Departmento de Arica in northern Chile was chosen as the investigation site for a study of the role of certain hematologic and glycolytic variables in the physiological and genetic adaptation to hypoxia.^ The population studied comprised 876 individuals, residents of seven villages at three altitudes: coast (0-500m), sierra (2,500-3,500m) and altiplano (> 4,000m). There was an equal number of males and females ranging in ages from six to 90 years. Although predominantly Aymara, those of mixed or Spanish origin were also examined. The specimens were collected in heparinized vacutainers precipitated with cold trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and immediately frozen to -196(DEGREES)C. Six variables were measured. Three were hematologic: hemoglobin, hematocrit and mean cell hemoglobin concentration. The three others were glycolytic: erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the percentage of phosphates (DPG + ATP) in the form of DPG.^ Hemoglobin and hematocrit were measured on site. The DPG and ATP content was assayed in specimens which had been frozen at -196(DEGREES)C and transported to Houston. Structured interviews on site provided information as to lifestyle and family pedigrees.^ The following results were obtained: (1) The actual village, rather than the altitude, of examination accounted for the greatest proportion of the variance in all variables. In the coast, a large difference in levels of ionic lithium in the drinking water exists. The chemical environment of food and drink is postulated to account, in part, for the importance of geographic location in explaining the observed variance. (2) Measurements of individuals from the two extreme altitudes, coast and altiplano, did not exhibit the same relationship with age and body mass. The hematologic variables were significantly related to both age and body build in the coast. The glycolytic variables were significantly related to age and body mass in the altiplano. (3) The environment modified male values more than female values in all variables. The two sexes responded quite differently to age and changes in body mass as well. The question of differing adaptability of the two sexes is discussed. (4) Environmental factors explained a significantly higher proportion of total variability in the altiplano than in the coast for hemoglobin, hematocrit and DPG. Most of the ATP variability at both altitudes is explained by genetic factors. ^