A Sampling of Clips for 
March 12, 2003

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

U.S. requires scientists to give FBI fingerprints
San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 12 – Starting today, thousands of established scientists must turn over their fingerprints and personal information to the FBI for background checks -- a new requirement for researchers who work with anthrax and other potential bioterror agents. But some scientists and academic leaders say the unprecedented restrictions threaten to poison the atmosphere of scientific openness that has made the United States pre-eminent in many areas of research, including bioterror defense. (Quotes Robert Dynes, chancellor of University of California, San Diego).
* No link available online.

Drug may offer alternative to a smallpox vaccine
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 11 – In a study suggesting a possible alternative for people who can't tolerate smallpox vaccine, researchers said a new antiviral drug taken before or after exposure to a lethal smallpox-like infection reduced death rates in mice. The compound is an oral version of cidofovir, the intravenous anti-viral drug developed by Karl Hostetler, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego. Not yet available for human use, the drug faces much more work, including animal studies, human-safety trials, and dosing studies.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB104743061470115100,00.html

Similar articles appeared in:
Health Central, Mar. 11
http://www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512188

ScienceDaily, Mar. 12
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030312071859.htm

Fewer Emergency Room Visits for Asthma Patients
Doctor’s Guide, Mar. 12 – Patients with asthma who make frequent use of inhaled corticosteroids and visit allergy specialists regularly spend less time in emergency rooms, researchers reported. Michael Schatz, M.D, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, said emergency department use decreased as patients increased their use of inhaled steroids, but an even greater decrease in emergency room visits was seen when patients achieved optimal inhaled corticosteroid therapy.
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256CE
60066DC6C?OpenDocument&id=48DDE4A73E09A969852568880078C249&c
=Asthma&count=10

Colorectal Cancer: A Potential Killer That Can Be Beaten
Yahoo News, Mar. 12 – Through regular screening by a medical professional, the vast majority of deaths caused by colorectal cancer, the second-leading cancer killer in the United States, could be prevented. Because March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, 50 organizations have joined forces to spread the message that screening measures -- plus a healthy lifestyle -- can help stop this killer in its tracks. (Quotes Dr. Michael Bouvet, a surgical oncologist at the Rebecca and John Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center).
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=97&ncid=751&e=11
&u=/hsn/20030312/hl_hsn/colorectal_cancer__a_potential_killer_that_can_
be_beaten

Nuvasive tools advance spinal fusion surgeries
San Diego Union-Tribune, Mar. 11 – Nuvasive Inc., a San Diego based company that works with spinal fusion surgery technology, makes the procedure less invasive, leaving patients with less scarring, less time in the hospital and less time home recuperating. Dr. William Taylor, a University of California, San Diego neurosurgeon, assured that spinal fusion no longer necessitated a person be filleted on the operating table in order to reach the spine by using a Nuvasive product called XLIF.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/tue/business/news
_mz1b11nuvasv.html

Deployment blues
San Diego Union-Tribune, Mar. 11 – Capt. Dennis Amundson, the president of the San Diego Pulmonary Society and chairman of the local American Lung Association's annual gala on April 5th, was deployed to Kuwait City. University of California, San Diego's Dr. Peter Wagner, honorary chairman of the event, is stepping in to help take over some of Amundson's duties.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/tue/metro/news_1m
11bell.html

News briefs from Southern California
Associated Press State and Local Wire, Mar. 11 – Lawyers for University of California, San Diego law professor, Anthony Valladolid argue that four county supervisors and their chiefs of staff violated state law by communicating via e-mails, office conferences and conversations to form a consensus on a new district map. The lawsuit began Monday in Superior Court and is expected to continue into next week.
* No link available online.

Lessons of the Shadow Bowl
San Diego Union-Tribune, Mar. 9 – On Super Bowl weekend, San Diego became a national test case for regional preparedness in the event of a major terrorist attack. San Diego Regional Network for Homeland Security (RNHS), wove an elaborate electronic network across the region, linking universities, high tech corporations, medical facilities and law enforcement. An array of partners signed on, from government, industry, and nonprofit organizations, with SDSU and University of California, San Diego playing a joint leadership role.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/louv/20030309-9999_mz1e9louv.html