A Sampling of Clips for Dec. 15, 2010

* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office

The Incredible Jet Lag Pill That Slows Down
Your Body Clock to Help You Catch Up on Sleep
Daily Mail, U.K., Dec. 14 -- A jet leg pill that could relieve millions of long-haul passengers from sleepless nights and mid-afternoon drowsiness is one step closer, scientists say. Lead scientist Dr Steve Kay, of UC San Diego, said: 'Theoretically, longdaysin or a compound like it could be used to correct sleep disorders such as the genetic disorder Familial Advanced Sleep syndrome, which is characterized by a clock that’s running too fast. More

Similar story on
ABC Radio, Australia
The Scientist

Marine Snail's Shell Enhances Bioluminescent Glow
Reuters, Dec. 14 -- The animal kingdom is full of creatures that make themselves look bigger to ward off predators, but marine scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have found a tiny sea snail that puts on its own light show in apparent self-defense. More

Similar stories in
BBC News
San Diego Daily Transcript

How to Stop Black Carbon
Scientific American, Dec. 15 -- Could a network of cell phones improve air pollution monitoring? That's the hope of Nithya Ramanathan, an assistant research professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles. She's part of a team that has developed a system that relies on cell phones to report concentrations of black carbon, a particle produced by burning fossil fuels and biofuels like wood and dung. (Quotes V. "Ram" Ramanathan, an atmospheric scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who is Nithya’s father) More

The Oceans' SOS
The Miami Herald, Opinion, Dec. 14 -- The ocean is our global heat reservoir and one of two major carbon dioxide sinks. If you agree that humans are trapping heat and carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere - and 53 years of rigorous observations at Scripps and other research institutions show that we are - then the ocean must be at the very center of the climate discussion. But it rarely is. (Written by Tony Haymet, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Andrew Dickson, a Scripps professor) More

Similar stories in
The Kansas City Star
The Sacramento Bee

New Cellular 'Bones' Revealed
U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 14 -- Scientists may have uncovered a new type of skeleton in cells’ closets. Cells harbor several newly discovered types of filaments, Jim Wilhelm of UC San Diego reported December 12 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology. These filaments, formed from strings of metabolic proteins, could give researchers clues about how the cell’s internal skeleton evolved. More

Cutting Soot Counteracts Warming in California
Science, Dec. 14 -- New data show that air-pollution regulations in California for trucks running on diesel fuel over 2 decades have cut levels of black carbon, the main component of soot, in half. And while California continues to warm like the rest of the planet, models suggest that cut may also have cut into the warming of the state's climate in an unexpectedly big way, preventing temperatures from climbing even higher. (Quotes atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography) More

Orthorexia: An Unhealthy Obsession With Healthy Eating
U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 14 -- At the beginning, the goal seems innocent, smart even: a vow to eat more whole grains, or more fruits and vegetables. But healthy eating can turn rigid and confining, wiping out whole categories of food one by one—first anything with additives, perhaps, then maybe nonorganic produce, and then another and another. It can become decidedly unhealthy. (Quotes Joy Jacobs, a clinical psychologist with the UC San Diego School of Medicine) More

Little-used Drug Can Minimize Stroke Damage
San Diego Union-Tribune, Dec. 14 -- Dr. Justin Zivin is a professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego. As a physician-scientist, he performed some of the earliest experiments that showed tPA could be used to treat stroke patients. Over the past 30 years, he has conducted extensive research in acute stroke therapy, both basic science studies and for clinical trials. Zivin is co-author of a book, “tPA for Stroke: The Story of a Controversial Drug” that examines the history of tPA, why it isn’t used more widely and why it should be. More

MDs Await FDA Rulings on Gastric Band, Diet Drug
San Diego Union-Tribune, Dec. 14 -- Local doctors who specialize in treating obesity say they’re thrilled that two new weight-loss tools could be approved by federal regulators in the coming months. (Quotes Dr. Alan Wittgrove, director of metabolic surgery at the UC San Diego Center for the Treatment of Obesity) More

Ethical Concerns Over Whooping Cough Vaccine
KPBS, Dec. 15 -- Last April, vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur launched a Facebook campaign to get 50,000 fans for a page it called “Sounds of Pertussis.” The company promised to donate $5,000 to the March of Dimes once the goal was met. (Quotes Michael Kalichman, professor of pathology and director of the UC San Diego Research Ethics Program) More

Brown Named to Key UCSD Research Spot
La Jolla Light, Dec. 14 -- Sandra Ann Brown, professor of psychology and psychiatry, assumed the post of vice chancellor for Research at UC San Diego on Dec. 8, following approval by the University of California’s Board of Regents. More

UCSD Fraternity Helps Local Families in Need
La Jolla Light, Dec. 14 -- Members of UC San Diego’s service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, have been working on “Operation Santa,” an annual fundraising effort dedicated to helping families in need all over San Diego County. More

* Subscribe with In the News and receive our clips automatically