The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 01, 1998, Image 2

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    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
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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
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