A Sampling of Clips for August 9, 2011

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

Pfizer, UCSD  Collaborating on early Drug Discovery
San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 8–– new drug research collaboration between pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the University of California San Diego could deliver up to $50 million to local scientists over the next five years, speed the delivery of promising therapies to patients and help refill the fast-depleting pipeline of the world’s largest drugmaker.
The partnership, which was announced Monday, aims to speed the movement of experimental drugs from the basic science laboratory into mid-stage human trials, through a space known in the industry as the “valley of death.” More

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San Diego Public Art
San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 9–– The Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems Laboratory differs in two ways from the other engineering buildings at UCSD:
– On the inside it houses a six-story-tall earthquake simulator.
– On the outside it flashes the vices and virtues around the top of the building, in seven-foot-tall neon letters.
Each virtue is superimposed on a vice, and the two blink at different rates. So, for example, one corner of the building will light up with FAITH, followed a few moments later by LUST, and finally both light up together, which in a kind of moral calculus of typography, looks like FAUST. More

Catching Obesity From Friends May Not Be So Easy
New York Times, Aug. 9 -- Does obesity spread like a virus through networks of friends and friends of friends? Do smoking, loneliness, happiness, depression and illegal drug use also proliferate through social networks?
Over the past few years, a series of highly publicized studies by two researchers have concluded that these behaviors can be literally contagious — passed from person to person. And there was an important public health corollary, the researchers said: It should be possible to curb a behavior like obesity by focusing on small groups of people who would then influence their networks.  (Features research by UC San Diego sociology professor James Fowler) More

Want To Boost Your Workout? Eat Chocolate
KPBS, Aug. 8­­–– The history of chocolate goes back thousands of years.  There's evidence that shows the Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs worshiped cacao beans, which are used to make chocolate. They drank a beverage made from cacao that was thought to be medicinal and was often given to warriors to provide muscle strength.
Dr. Francisco Villarreal is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and also considers himself a chocolate expert. More

UCSD’s Cardiovascular Center Opens after Delay
La Jolla Light, Aug. 8––The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) certified the center for patient care after initially delaying it while the staff repaired problems with the water system and in the emergency room. It will be several weeks before ER service can begin, officials said.
The first inpatients transferred from other UCSD facilities on July 31, according to a UCSD press release. More

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Suffocated by Stuff: Hoarders
Rancho Bernardo Patch, Aug. 8––The A&E show Hoarders often makes its mark on Monday nights in much the same way any day’s popular topic boasts its presence: It’ll be trending on Twitter.
Follow the #hoarders trending topic and you’ll see paroxysms of disgust, a smattering of sympathy and promises of a renewed commitment to cleanliness by teenage dirty clothes-pilers nationwide.
But often buried in the discussion online and onscreen are the intricacies of a condition with counterintuitive ties to a disorder typically associated with strict cleanliness. (Features interview with UC San Diego professor  of psychiatry Catherine Ayers) More

Why Do Robots Creep People Out?
Voice of San Diego, Aug. 8––That's what researchers at UCSD are trying to figure out as robots and human-ish characters are being used more and more to teach and assist people.
Hey robots, here's a start: Stop showing up in the middle of the night at my bedside trying to feast on my brain. More

Jewel Ball Turns 65 With Sapphire
Patch.com , Aug. 8––The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club lobby, pool, patio, and four tennis courts were transformed by Las Patronas, a dedicated group of volunteers, into a magical "underwater" venue for this year's 65th annual Jewel Ball.
Among those in attendance were Colleen and Augusto Angelucci, Dianne and Jim Bashor, Lee Clark and Dr. Jerry Pikolysky, Jeanne and Bill Larson, Lise Wilson and Steve Strauss, Erin and Keith Wyer, and Emma and Leo Zuckerman. (Mentions UC San Diego’S Shiley Eye Center) More

For Piece of the Action, UCSD Hypes the Chargers
The San Diego Reader, Aug. 8––It may seem like a strange alliance to some, but state-run UCSD Health System, the hospital giant expected to gross some $900 million this year, is helping to market the San Diego Chargers to women in exchange for a piece of the financial action.
"The San Diego Chargers and UC San Diego Health System have teamed up to create the Lightning Ladies, the Official Chargers Fan Club designed and created with the female fan in mind," says the Chargers' website. More

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