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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1981)
Rational THE BATTALION Page 13 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1981 ^Fireflies ‘light’ the way to new heart treatment United Press International ITHACA, N.Y. (UPI) — jellies — those winged, noc- imal creatures which glow ith a luminescent light — have used people for ages. They io have successfully repelled ds and other predators for ars with their revolting taste. Now, researchers at Cornell iversity say the chemical re- nsible for the insect’s awful te may someday he used as a g to treat certain heart con- Eisner, who worked on the project with chemistry profes sor Jerrold Meinwald, said firef lies are so distasteful to birds, jumping spiders, mice and other predators, that those animals regurgitated the firefly immediately if they swallowed it accidentally. males fly to the ‘femmes fatales,’ and promptly are eaten by them.” It’s what happens next that could be the key to future medical research, the scientists said. Itions. This is an example of how tally unapplied initial dis- iveries in science can lead to iforeseen benefits,” biologist lomas Eisner said. Prior to Cornell’s revelation, itural “cardiotonic” agents — sneficial substances for the eart muscle — were believed exist only in certain plants id in toads used in ancient hinese medicine. Fireflies are the only inverte- ates known to have such a bstance. The firefly’s defense mechan ism is so efiective, the scientists said, that when they mixed just a trace of the chemical into mealworm larvae — considered a gourmet treat for birds — it still was rejected. Once ingested, the defensive chemical is retained and the cannibalistic females become as unappetizing as the lightning bugs, which naturally produce the chemicals known as “bufa- dienolides.” But Eisner and Meinwald discovered that the unpalatable fireflies are pursued actively by females of another firefly spe cies that lack the badtasting chemical. Those bufadienolides are presently being studied by re searchers and pharmaceutical companies for their medicinal value. “These ‘have-not’ females lure the males who have the de fensive chemical by imitating the flashings of the ‘have’ females,” Eisner said. “Attracted to the signals, the Eisner said the chemical ex tract might be used as alterna tives to chemicals or drugs already in use, many of which produce undesirable side effects. He also said it had a potential use in agriculture as a pesticide. Racial balance in question e Einxl igh court rejects case f condemned Texas man lack United Press International WASHINGTON — The Sup- e Court Tuesday refused to 1st p into the peculiar case of a con ned man in Texas, who acting his own trial attorney, had ied he was innocent by reason insanity. The justices left intact a ruling holding the conviction and ath sentence of confessed killer imuel Christopher Hawkins. Hawkins was convicted and tenced to death for killing onda Keyes, 12, in February 6 during a kidnapping and :empted rape. He insisted he was insane and iject to “uncontrollable sex ;es.” In his appeal to the Supreme Court — hand-printed in black n on notebook paper — Haw- s challenged whether police id obtained his confession volun- The criminal appeals court ini tially had reversed Hawkins’ con viction and ordered a retrial based on the ACLU’s questions about his mental competence to repre sent himself. However, the court later reconsidered, and at the urgings of both the state and Haw kins, set aside its decision. Haw kins had urged the court to act on .his own appeal, not the ACLU’s. The legal rights group also argued the trial court should have explicitly warned Hawkins of the problem of trying to represent himself at the same time he was basing his defense on insanity. The state argued that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals deci sion upholding Hawkins’ convic tion should be left intact. * * * | TIRED OF COOKING $ * * * 6* I WASHING DISHES? I * * * * He made no challenge of his ck of professional legal counsel but that issue was raised in a |end-of-the-court papers filed by American Civil Liberties ; “He is a psychotic man whose ness totally prevents him from bsting and from accepting help Sany authority,” one psychiatrist loted by the ACLU said. “His gjection of attorneys is a direct pression of his paranoia, j The ACLU argued Hawkins is llitled to a hearing and psychiat- lit analysis to determine whether It was mentally competent to laive his right to an attorney. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -* * * * Then dine at the MSG each * -x- * evening. How can anyone * prepare a meal for as little * as $2.19 plus tax? You will | find the answer at the MSG * from 4 pm. to 7 p.m. evening. “QUALITY FIRST” each * * vL* vL* «£* -sL* 'si'* xA* •A' >A^ vA^ vA>* «A^ vh* vA* vL* «A^ * 4^ 'T* *T' "T* "T' Simply Great Mexican Food. THE WEDNESDAY SPECIAL MONTEREY DINNER OQ/REG- $4.85 FIESTA. DINNER d* «x OO / reg. 90* €7 «7/ $4.45 ENCHTLADA DINNER vz T O/ REG - «pO«JL«7/ $3.65 THE BATT DOES IT DAILY Monday through Friday — ^ MEXICAN ^-K^RESTAGRANTS 1816 Texas Ave. • 823-8930 907 Highway 30 • 693-2484 High court hears busing case United Press International WASHINGTON — The Sup reme Court agreed Tuesday to de cide an important school desegre gation question focusing on Cali fornia’s Proposition 1, which limits the use of busing and pupil reassignment to achieve racial ba lance. The justices said they will hear an appeal filed on behalf of minor ity students in Los Angeles by the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging a state appeals court ruling that declared the ballot me asure constitutional. At the same time, the court agreed to take up a similar case concerning the constitutionality of a Washington State ballot initia tive that bans busing for school desegregation. The Los Angeles controversy dates back to 1970, when a Califor nia Superior Court ordered the Board of Education to develop a plan for desegregating its schools. The California Supreme Court up held the decision. Limited desegregation did not begin until September 1978. By the fall of 1979, the Los Angeles school board decided it wanted to discontinue the plan, “due in large part to unprecedented losses of white students,” and proposed an “all-voluntary desegregation plan.” Proposition 1 declares no state court may impose a plan for pupil reassignment “except to remedy a specific violation... that would also constitute a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.” The original 1970 ruling against the school board was not expressly based on 14th Amendment viola tions, so passage of the proposition threw the desegregation case into legal limbo. In July 1980, a state court judge ruled school officials had specific ally violated the 14th Amend ment. But a California appeals court modified that ruling by allowing the board to exclude “naturally desegregated schools” from mandatory reassignments. In December 1980, the appeals court upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 1. Appealing to the Supreme Court, the ACLU said: “Preceded by blatant, overt legislation open ly discriminatory against Califor nia’s minorities. Proposition 1 is but the latest in a series of efforts by the majority of the state to dis criminate against racial minor ities.” >00000! >00000000 TTe AS If you’re talking bicycles,o and Miyata’s not part ofo ie8 your vocabulary . . . come learn the language. o CYCLES, ETC. X 403 University Prescriptions Filled Glasses Repaired 216 N. MAIN 1 voocoooocoocoo; SOSO BRYAN Mon.-Fri. Sat. 822-6105 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 8 a.m.-l p.m. Dennis Ivey's Lake view Club The Very Best In Country-Western Music and Dancing' Thursday “lYickle Beer Night!” ( Cover Lone Star Draft Beer SC a cup $2.00 Person or $1.00 a pitcher (We also serve Lone Star Longnecks!) Music by Dennis Ivey and “The Waymen” Tickets for Joe Stampley (Oct. 24) Now On Sale! Saturday DENNIS IVEY and “The Waymen Cover $3.00 Person For Reservations Call 823-0660 1S-YEAR-OLDN — WE ADMIT MINORS! 3 Miles North of Bryan on Tabor Road YESTERDAYS “A Fine; entertaiiiiHexit establishment'” BILLIARDS — BACK- CiAMMOA OAJRT8 — MIXED DIt IVext to Kjnby’s HOUSE DRESS CODE — A&M Travel Service, Inc The most professional, most experienced travel consultants in the area gives you hometown service with computerized speed Let us plan your trips for business and for fun. A&M Travel Service became the largest travel consultants in Brazos County by giving the best service. Now we offer our clients SABRE, a space age computerized service which provides instant availabilities on 495 domestic and foreign airlines and instant space reservations. A&M Travel confirms your reservations as you request them. With the use of our computer terminal, you can get custom travel service every step of the way. SABRE can confirm every detail of your trip. And has instant recall of your favorite departure times, seat preference, etc. A&M Travel has more travel consultants and more travel experience than any other agent in the area. We deliver tickets to the campus (or elsewhere in the community) and we follow through on the details. There’s no need to call back or wait for a call to confirm your reservations. For your next trip, call A&M Travel. We ll book your reservations and confirm them. All in one call. A&M Travel Service, Inc. Owned by Keith Langford ’39 (Houston) and Diane Stribling (President and Agency Manager) 111 University Drive (in the RepublicBank A&M Building) College Station / 846-8881 We support the Aggies with an annual donation for a 12th Man Scholarship