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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1998)
Page 2 • Tuesday, December 1, 1998 ampus Battalioi BY R. DELUNA Research: Protein reduces risk of canc BY ANDREA BROCKMAN The Battalion A team of researchers from Texas A&M, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found Alpha-phetoprotein, produced by the fe tus during pregnancy, reduces the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer among women who have had a full-term preg nancy under the age of 30. The researchers analyzed blood serum from almost 600 pregnant women who were patients at California’s Kaiser Perma- nente clinics during the 1950s and 1960s. Over the 30-year-follow-up period, 225 of the women developed breast cancer. Barbara Richardson, a researcher in the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&M, said their findings support the theory that the women who did not develop breast can cer had high levels of Alpha-phetoprotein in their blood during pregnancy. Richardson said Alpha-phetoprotein is a growth regulator produced by the fetus that travels through the placenta into the woman’s blood. In a young woman, high levels of Alpha-phetoprotein can halt growth and production of breast-cancer cells. “However, for women who have their first pregnancy after age 30, high levels of Alpha-phetoprotein can promote breast cancer cell growth,” Richardson said. “And in the study group, if the first preg nancy occurred between age 38 and 40, the risk for breast cancer appeared to in crease almost four times.” Researchers speculate that the older a- woman is before her breasts mature from pregnancy, the more time the breast cells Kwanzaa encourages importance ofcommmi have to develop genetic defects lead to breast cancer. Early prep pears to short-circuit this effectani fer long-term protection frombrej “Many women are unable to has or have careers and want to son said. “Our goal is to discovera:! preventing breast cancer no mattf \ woman chooses to have a family.’ Richardson and her colleagues their research in the Oct. ISissueti 1 ican Journal of Epidemiology. Richardson said the researcliiii and far from over. "We would like to illuminate nism by which Alpha-phetopre breast cancer cell growth,” shesaie currently studying the hoi morn 21 ; trogen and progesterone in thea:B ve t0 the bl samples to see if they effect thep::;||i-] ie Bryan-' of bed and br Hwd as well tow n for a Me: outhern h charm of < manners fl/v/mt ScmcE ByGmZg & Co. BY NON) SRIDHARA The Battalion f Ta 5tctc of THiSf SlCYd-USTS oi-l CfcAPUS awe. Me restw for PEDgtSTRANJS! ITS Tirtf T . ysMEffliNte ABwrjn. Kwanzaa is an African- American spiritual holiday cre ated by Dr. Maulana Ron Karen- ga on Dec. 26, 1996. Karenga came up with the holiday after observing that many communi ty-based groups were using var ious theories and plans as a so cial approach to assist African-Americans in the Civil Rights-movement era. Each day of Kwanzaa en compasses a principle, and candles are lit to commemorate each day. The first of these principles, Umoja, serves for people to strive to maintain unity in all groups they are a part of such as family, com munity, nation and race. The second, Kujichagulia, serves for people to find them selves and be an individual with an individual voice. The third day reflects on Ujima which focuses on build ing and maintaining a commu nity and lending a helping hand to a person when they are in need. This is followed by Ujamaa which centers on the community building and main taining African-American busi nesses in order to profit to gether as a community. Next is Nia which serves to restore the people to traditional greatness. The next to the last day is Kuumba which focuses on en couraging people to live every day of their life to the fullest in order to leave the community a better place than when one entered it. The final day, Imani, recognizes all leaders and peo ple in a community and en courages people to believe in role models such as parents and teachers. TYaditionally, day of Kwanzaa thelt minister calls thei gether and greets ta the family has respi Kwanzaa celebrationis dally begun. Aseriesti takes place eachdayl zaa with respect toil principles.These m elude a candle lightingj or song,and a s A large feast is I eludes food, music,! a closing prayer toe the celebrations. Pradhan Continued from Page 1 “From my first day here, TAMU wel comed me with a unified hostility and noth ing has changed,” Pradhan said. “But more importantly, TAMU’s deafening silence (even for my recent ACM Fellowship award) ulti mately made it a pointless fight.” In October, a six-member committee of faculty members ruled the-charges in the University system audit were enough to con sider termination of Pradhan. Jim Ashlock, the deputy director of Uni versity Relations, said Pradhan’s guilty plea will not alter his relationship with the University and his termination is sched uled for June 30, 1999. West said Pradhan plans to continue to teach at Texas A&M University, upon recom mendation of the CAFRT. Pradhan accepted the COE Endowed Chair Professor of the Computer Science De partment in 1992. As the endowed chair, Pradhan was given unbridled discretion over the endowment funds for the department. Prior to coming to Texas A&M in 1992, Prad han was a professor in the Department of Elec trical and Computer Engineering at the Uni versity of Massachusetts from 1983 to 1992. He served as an associate professor at the Oakland University School of Engi neering from 1978 to 1982. He was an as sociate professor in the summer of 1979 at the University of Stanford. Flood Continued from Page I Margaret Griffith, health education coordinator at A.P. Beutel Health Cen ter, said if sewage water was involved in the flooding, there could be a num ber of health-related problems. “There could be all kinds of health problems associated with something like this — E. coli for one,” she said. “Any types of fecal hepatitiso be transmitted.” Griffith said, however,thi died properly, the situations able to be taken care of effecii “I don’t think it’s causef alarm,” she said. “My advise^ be don’t handle it (the can avoid it. If you mustf| anything that has been I dirty water] wash thon soap and water.” Golden Triangle Residents Fulfill your Speech and Writing Skills requirements in only 13 days! Attend the Lamar University-Orange Winter Mini-Session December 16-January 12; X-mas week off ENGL 1301 & 1302 (A&M’s ENGL 104 & 203) SPCH 1315 (SCOM 203) Also Nutrition, Child Psych, Soc. Gerontology For information call Karen Priest at 1-800-884-7750 x3358 |§l Battalion 105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY MANDY CATER GRAEBER Editor in chief News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M Univeisity in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: battiunix.tamu.edu; Website: http://battal- , ion.tamu.edu Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply spon- soiship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classi fied advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678. Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies 25<t. Mail sub scriptions are $60 per school year, $30 for the fall or spring semester, $17.50 for the summer and $10 per month. To charge by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call 845-2611. Thc Bxnum (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M Univeisity. Periodicals Postage Paid at College Station,IK 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building,Texas A&M Univeisity, College Station, IK 77843-1 111. The Dansby He ,of Historic Pla' Harvesting and snaring the Good Presenting Wf Professor and Chair Department of Black Studies errainalion) Cali f ornia S(ate UmmUf, Long Beach & Creator of Kwanzaa and Nguz.o Saba ii m mi mm & mm Presented bv MSC STUDENT PROGRAMS 4 Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. We request three (3) working days prior to (he event to enable us to assist you to the best of our abilities. EconoPhone Virtual prepaid calling card . I a DALLAS WINTER CONFERENCE 1999 Take a break this Christmas! Join hundreds of College students at the Sheraton Park Central and focus on F/ie God Who is: For more information: Carita Chen 764-9248 Campus Crusade for Christ 696-8289 Dwc@RedRiverRegion.com or www.RedRiverRegion.com/dwc AVAILABLE ONLY ON THE WEB! 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