A Sampling of Clips for 
February 08, 2006

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

Unhappiness with War in Iraq Draws
Dozens of Veterans to Congressional Races
The New York Times, Feb. 7 -- A large and possibly unprecedented number of former soldiers, sailors, Air Force personnel and Marines are running for Congress this year amid unhappiness with the war in Iraq. About 40 of the candidates are Republicans, while at least 55 are Democrats. By one count, at least 11 veterans of the Iraq war or Afghanistan are hoping to get elected to the House or Senate, all but one of them Democrats. (Quotes Gary Jacobson, a congressional scholar at UCSD.) More

Million-Dollar Murray
The New Yorker, Feb. 6 -- Murray Barr was a bear of a man, an ex-marine, six feet tall and heavyset, and when he fell down-which he did nearly every day-it could take two or three grown men to pick him up. He had straight black hair and olive skin. On the street, they called him Smokey. He was missing most of his teeth. He had a wonderful smile. People loved Murray. His chosen drink was vodka. (Cites a study by the UCSD Medical Center) More

Vitamin D Needed to Cut Cancer Risk
Toronto Fashion-Monitor, Feb. 8 -- Taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily appears to lower an individual's risk of developing certain cancers - including colon, breast, and ovarian cancer - by up to 50 percent. Taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 daily appears to lower an individual's risk of developing certain cancers - including colon, breast, and ovarian cancer - by up to 50 percent, according to cancer prevention specialists at the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD. (Also quotes Cedric F. Garland of UCSD, co-author of the study). More

Can UC Be Great
and Public at the Same Time?
Sacramento Bee, Feb. 8 -- Every few years, the question comes back: Can the University of California continue to compete with the world's best research universities - and often outrank them - but, as a tax-supported institution, cope with the kind of political forces and demands that rarely constrain the privates? (Cites UCSD as one of UC's research universities.) More

UCI Misled Regulators
on Transplants, Review Says
Los Angeles Times, Feb. 8 -- A review commissioned by the University of California confirmed allegations that officials at UCI Medical Center had misled regulators about the hospital's now-shuttered liver transplant program, according to a document released Tuesday. The university released a 1½-page summary of the findings, but would not release the report, citing attorney-client privilege. The investigation was conducted by Los Angeles attorney James T. Duff, a former federal prosecutor. (Mentions UCSD) More

Similar story in:
The San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists Sequence
Complete Genome of Wooly Mammoth
YubaNet, Feb. 7 - Scientists have reported the sequence of the complete mitochondrial genome (16,842 base pairs) of a woolly mammoth -- extracted from permafrost-preserved remains from the Pleistocene epoch, a period of time usually dated from between 1.6-1.9 million to about 10,000 years before present. Their study demonstrates that the woolly mammoth and the Asian elephant are a sister species that diverged soon after their common ancestor split from the lineage of the African elephant. (Cites role of UCSD in collaborative research).
More

Sustainability' Studied at Chico Conference
Central Valley Business Times, Feb. 7 -- Efforts, ideas and products to let local communities, residents and businesses become more self-sustaining will be discussed and demonstrated at a conference and exposition set for California State University, Chico, in early March. (One guest speaker will be Matthew St. Clair, sustainability director at UCSD). More

College Starts Early in the Barrio
Voice of San Diego, Feb. 8 -- Barrio Logan College Institute teaches eight-year-olds how to get into college. The mission of the institute is simply stated, yet not simply achieved: prepare kids from low-income and minority areas for college by introducing the notion of higher education at an early age.The concept behind the organization came from a public-service entrepreneur who felt such students needed a way to push past obstacles blocking their access to higher education. To achieve this, the institute focuses its efforts on after-school enrichment programs, parent involvement and mentoring. (Mentions UCSD's Preuss School.) More

Matter of Course
San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 8 -- In popular vernacular, the human brain is "gray matter" - the 100 billion or so nerve cell bodies that form the basis and biology of our minds, and give the brain its characteristic pinkish-gray hue. But white matters, too. "White matter" is myelin, a pale lipid or fat that envelopes the trillions of fibrous axons connecting neuron to neuron, making the brain a singular, functioning whole. While gray matter is typically credited with defining who we are, white matter tends to be described as mere "insulation." A professor of neurology at UCLA begs to differ. (Quotes Frank Haist, a project scientist in psychiatry at UCSD.) More

Business Schools International
Conference Under Way in Rancho Bernardo
North County Times, Feb. 7 -- Business school deans from around the world are gathered in Rancho Bernardo, looking for ways to make what they teach more meaningful in a world turning its focus to globalization. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a nonprofit trade organization and accreditation agency for business schools, hosted the conference, which is being attended by about 300 people. (Quotes Bob Sullivan, dean of UCSD's Rady School of Management.) More

Graduating Up the Corporate Ladder
San Diego Business Journal, Feb. 7 -- A group of Ivy League transplants like to joke that it was the ocean breeze that landed them in San Diego, but these scientists-turned-business executives admit it was more than warm sand and swaying palms that enticed them. Those looking to be successful biotech executives, experts say, must have both science and business training. (Quotes Clark Jordan, assistant dean of UCSD's Rady School of Management.) More

Energy Drinks Give You a Buzz Kill
TV 10 News, Feb. 7 -- Energy beverages are a mixture of caffeine, taurine, vitamins and amino acids. But these drinks are not as healthy as you might think. Experts say that people with heart or blood pressure problems could get into trouble if they drink these or combine them with other caffeinated beverages such as colas or coffee. (Quotes UCSD toxicologist Dr. Richard Clark.) More