A Sampling of Clips for 
May 18, 2005

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

Mexican and South American Drug Cartels
Growing Tons of Marijuana Inside US Borders
NPR, Weekend All Things Considered, May 14- A rural, mountainous county in central California that's best known for hiking and fly-fishing is gaining a new reputation as a top marijuana producer. Last year, close to 200,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $800 million were seized in Tulare County, some of it in remote sections of Sequoia National Park. Authorities believe Mexican drug cartels are behind much of the illegal drug cultivation. (Quote by Peter H. Smith a political science professor at UCSD.) More

Women Need to Recognize Cardiovascular Disease Signs
Copley News Service, May 18- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in American women, killing 1 in 2.5. Breast cancer, on the other hand, still the most feared disease by many women according to the American Heart Association, kills 1 in 30. In fact, cardiovascular disease claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined -- about a half a million a year. (Quote by Dr. Denise Barnard, cardiologist and director of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Program at UCSD.) More

Filibuster Protects the Majority - of Voters
San Diego Union/Tribune, Opinion, May 18-Republican Senate leader Bill Frist has proposed the so-called nuclear option: eliminating the filibuster by which a minority of senators can stall a vote on a judicial nomination until 60 senators agree to stop debate. The filibuster may be imperfect. It may even from time to time obstruct the business of legislating and approving the president's nominations. But it is the best tool we have for ensuring that the majority of voters is not ignored by an unrepresentative majority of senators. (Opinion by Matthew Soberg Shugart, a professor of political science at the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD.) More

Did David Conquer The Edomites?
Archaeology Odyssey, May/June 2005-When archaeologists recently performed radiocarbon tests on materials from the ancient Edomite site of Khirbat en-Nahas, a copper-smelting facility 30 miles south of the Dead Sea in Jordan, the results were startling: The hoard of charcoal, scarabs, arrowheads and metal artifacts dated to the 11th century B.C. - more than two centuries earlier than many scholars date the rise of the kingdom of Edom. (The International team of archaeologists are led by Thomas E. Levy of UCSD and Mohammad Najjar of the Jordanian Department of Antiquities.) More

Envoys: Tsunami Relief Aids U.S. Image
San Diego Union/Tribune, May 18-The United States is held in higher esteem in Southeast Asian nations, including predominantly Islamic countries, following American tsunami relief efforts in January, U.S. diplomats to the region said Monday. (Mentions UCSD.) More

Promising Therapy May Stem Mental Decline of Alzheimer's
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18-Tests done on a small group of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease nearly two years after they received injections of nerve-growth factor deep into their brains show a reduction in the rate of mental decline and increased activity in key regions, according to a study published April 24. (Quote by Dr. Mark Tuszynski, the principal investigator for the study and a professor of neuroscience at UCSD.) More

Artificial Disc Offers New Option for Back Pain
News-Medical.Net, May 18- UCSD surgeon William Taylor, M.D., is one of only a few surgeons nationwide trained to replace diseased discs with implanted artificial discs. The artificial disc manufactured by DePuy Spine is made of metal and a movable high-density plastic center that, once implanted, is designed to help align the spine and preserve its ability to move. More

Scientists Unveil Online Earthquake Forecast for California
Casper Star-Tribune, May 18-California residents wondering if tomorrow's forecast will be sunny now can find out if there's also a chance of afternoon tremors. (Quote by Duncan Agnew of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD.) More