A Sampling of Clips for 
February 10, 2006

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

Sperm Whales Use Engines As 'Dinner Bells'
New York Times, Feb. 10 -- Sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska are likely using the sounds of fishing boat engines as underwater dinner bells to hone in on longlines hung with valuable sablefish, scientists said. The engines make loud, erratic bubbling noises as fishermen maneuver their boats while winching up hundreds of bottom-dwelling sablefish. ''That's the whales' cue,'' said Jan Straley, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast who since 2002 has helped lead an ongoing study of the whales' behavior. The study has helped researchers devise low-cost ways for fishermen to hoodwink the highly intelligent cetaceans. (Quotes Aaron Thode, an associate researcher at UCSD, who is also leading the study.) More

Preventing Toxic Side Effects
of Inflammatory Disease Therapy
Innovations Report (Germany), Feb. 10 -- Researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine have developed a mouse model that could help scientists develop better drugs to fight autoimmune and inflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. (Researchers include Mark H. Ginsberg, David M. Rose, Kenneth Kaushansky, Chloé C. Féral, Jaewon Han, Norma Fox and Gregg J. Silverman.) More

ISU Senior
Travels World to Conduct Research
Indiana Statesman, Feb. 10 -- Indiana State University senior Jared Kluesner has come a long way from the days when childhood curiosity led him to examine individual rocks he found at his dad's construction sites. After deciding two years ago to major in geology, Kluesner has taken part in four significant research projects, at least two of which involved international teams of scientists. His mentor, Tony Rathburn came to ISU in 2001 and serves as a research associate scientist with Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Through his experience with Scripps and continued involvement with the famed institution based at UCSD he has introduced several students from landlocked Indiana to the field of oceanography. Scripps has played a role in all of Kluesner's research. More

Commentary: Why Many Muslims Are Angry
San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 10 -- It is relatively easy to understand why many Muslims around the world have found the satirical illustrations of the Prophet Muhammad in various European and a few American newspapers outrageous and hurtful. The defamatory drawings portray Muhammad, Muslims' most revered prophet, as a terrorist and an advocator of violence. He is depicted, in one instance, as the prophet of rage wearing a headdress shaped like a bomb and, in another instance, standing on clouds refusing future suicide bombers entry to paradise for running short of virgins. (Commentary by Babak Rahimi, an assistant professor of Islamic studies at UCSD.) More

UCSD Research Center to Host
Scientific Symposium on Celiac Disease
Medical News Today (U.K.), Feb. 10 -- A scientific symposium on celiac disease, "Genetic and Immune Mechanisms in Celiac Disease," will be held at UCSD's School of Medicine today. The symposium, hosted by UCSD's newly established William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease, will be held at the university's Center for Molecular Genetics. Geared for researchers, the symposium will include introductory remarks and an overview of the pathogenesis of celiac disease by Martin F. Kagnoff, M.D., professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at UCSD School of Medicine, and director of the Warren Research Center. More

Not-So-Heavy Metal Meets Golf
San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 10 -- When the late Ely Callaway tried to explain the mysteries of golf to uninitiated souls, he said most folks played the game for the physical and emotional gratification of a well-struck shot. Providing that psychic reward, he said, was what motivated Callaway and other club makers to innovate as drivers evolved from tough apple wood to American hickory, steel, aluminum and titanium. Now a startup company hopes to extend the evolution of golf's technical innovation by introducing golf clubs made with nanotechnology, an emerging field that focuses on making devices and materials at the molecular level. (Quotes UCSD's Ken Vecchio, a professor of engineering and materials science and a scientific adviser for the company.) More