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The making of Inside the Meltdown by Frontline Producer, Michael Kirk of WGBH, Boston.
Sample Postings: 6 of the most recent entries ordered by date
[ Sunday, April 30, 2006 14:42 PDT ]
Time to tend the Garden
Section:
Campus
Summary:
“Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw” Henry David Thoreau.
In Davis, the sun is out, the moon is full, the earth is moist and it is time to turn some dirt. That is exactly what a local scout troup and a youth baseball team was doing at the pool and diamond near City Hall this morning. While the tools or uniforms were different, the result was the same—good fun and instruction for a group of kids. leaders and coaches.
George Schultz is reported have used gardening life style metaphor for the business of managing an effective and health life style.
Main:
In any event, one does not need to a card carrying member of the Green Party to enjoy feeding, watering and nursing plants to bear fruit, folage or flowers.
More:
Diet, Nutrition & Health: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
[ Friday, April 28, 2006 16:29 PDT ]
Passions for Science in Davis
Section:
Science and Technology
Summary:
Friday tends to be Science and Technology Day in Davis and on the West Campus. West Campus is the Tupper Building and the Library of the UCD School of Medicine, the School of Veteranary Medicine and the Genomics and Medical Science Facility.
Main:
Today the focus was on translational lab research, clinical research and medical disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment:
* The first lecture was by the PI at the newly opened Institute for Stem Cell Reseach at the UCDMC in Sacramento. The subject was the use of stem cell tissue cultures and the harvesting of primative myocytes for using in experimental animal models. The emphasis was on those myocytes with characteristics that marked them as probable artial pacers.
* The second by the Director of the UCSF Dysplasia Clinic on the immunology and histopathology of HPV infection of the cervix. The cervical stroma of patients with HPV associated CIN have significant numbers of lymphoid germinal centers and dendritic cells, as well as macrophages. Factors that may contribute to an altered immunological status and recognition of self response is postulated.
* The third was by an exercise physiologist exployed by Merck as a clinical research coordinator and manager who spoke to group of post graduated students in excercise biology about his career path, life style choices and the basis skill set requirements of his job.
Together, the presentations shared common themes. Committment to science as professession. personal passion. and good communication skills.
More:
Calendar: • News: • Science and Technology: • Natural Sciences: • Biology: • Molecular Biology: • Genomics: • UCDavis: • Athletics: • Exercise Physiology: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
[ Thursday, April 27, 2006 14:20 PDT ]
White House Frequent Flyer Miles
Section:
Politics
Summary:
Recently, the roving White House has been in the move and in the news: Recently, The President has welcomed a new Chief of Staff, hosted the President of China, announced a new Press Secretary, visited the California Heartlands, met with party leaders and is heading for Lousiana. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State has bead yet another visit to Iraq and confronted the Iranians on their apparent intentions regarding Nuclear Weapons research, development and development.
Main:
Future energy strategies, tactics, development, policy, planning, technology and costs are all on the public’s mind. Most agree that 3% real annual economic growth is not possible without a 1.5% annual increase in energy. Nuclear is increasingly being viewed as the clean alterative to coal fired steam powered electrical generating plants. More than 100 nuclear power plans in the U.S. produce 20% of the nation’s electrical energy.
More:
Calendar: • Energy: • Political Watch: • Science and Technology: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
[ Wednesday, April 26, 2006 15:03 PDT ]
The 0.005% Global Warming C02 tipping point.
Section:
Commentary
Summary:
In Davis, California where many homes continue to sell in the million dollar range, $3.00 a gallon gasoline for the new eight cylinder SUV is not a budget buster. Nor are gaslines a focus of conversation at the local barber shops and early morning breakfast counters frequented by the “tools in the pickup truck” guys that service the community. A few campus folks, and the usual conspiratorialists, appear to agree with today’s nytimes columnists that polluted air from China and Global Warming fueled by Texas oil barons are major and immediate concerns for Californian, particularly those Greens and frightened suburban soccer mom that are anticipated to register and vote in the November 2006 general election. Frankly, few locals know or care about deforestation
and the yellow duststorms in China.
Both appear to be part of the Butterfly Wing Theory of Ecology.
Main:
That Theory holds that everything in the world connected. Every action has an extended effect. And the thermodynamics of entopy explains how complex system, like climate, works. Therefore, small actions like the beating wings of flying bugs and 0.005% increases in atmospheric CO2 as measured over 40 years by Charles Keeling on the north slope of Mauna Loa, have profound effects on other natural events.
Howerer, the residents of Davis do not seem worried about the real significance and lasting importance of a $50 processing fee being added to the puchase or sale of their $1,000,000 home or rental property. Symbolism and perception are another matter.
Meanwhile, feel good, wear a smile, take a walk, plant your garden and ride a bike.
More:
Calendar: • Earth Sciences:: • Energy: • News: • Hot Spot: • Science and Technology: • Physical Sciences: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 14:47 PDT ]
Swimming, Public Health & Polio: The 2006 Pulitzer Prize for History
Section:
Book Reviews
Summary:
David Oshinsky, and academic Historian at the University of Texas has reviewed the story of the childhood viral illness, infectious poliomyelitis. It is a narrative that is set in the early 1950’s in the early years of the post war Baby Boomer Generation. Veterans of that era recall that every village and hamlet in the country knew of the disease, the local March of Dimes campaigns, and the newsreels at the Saturday matinee depicting kids our age in Iron Lungs and in physical rehabilitation at a Sister Kinney, of Minnesota, facility. Today, we know that polio still occurs in the third world, largely among unimmunized populations.
Main:
In the small town of Redmond, Deschutes County, Oregon we all knew kids with paralysis and atrophy of one of more limbs. One case of infantile paralysis could close the public pool for the summer, because of the fear of fecal contamination, and fire the competition to see which team could collect and contribute the most dimes displayed on two parallel strips of tape on each curb of the town’s main street. The summer epidemic of 1952 resulted in 3,000 deaths.
Massive immunizations of the early Salk vaccine using an inactivated virus shot was underway by the mid 50s. The oral trivalent PV Sabin sugar cube later became the standard.
Ironically, swimming was part of many rehabilitatation programs. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the vigorous participants having been an unusual adult victim in 1921.
Thus, the story of Sister Kinney and the March of Dimes Campaigns are ones that illustrate the power and speed of public fund raising and targeted research in infectious disease producing rapid dividends.
More:
Calendar: • Exercise and Health: • Science and Technology: • Swimming: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
[ Monday, April 24, 2006 15:20 PDT ]
Sports, News and Campus Life: A View from the Heartland
Section:
FrontPage
Summary:
Water is topic #1 in Davis
On Sunday’s New shows, Governor Schwartzenegger sounded pure green as he warned of massive floods when some of the thousands of miles of California Great Central sandbag reenforced levees are breached, particular then the pending Global Warming “tipping point” is reached.
But, today the Aggie frontpage is about campus athletics, coaches and swimming. It would appear that many UCDavis coaches, on a comparative UC system and local cost of living basis are underpaid, under supported and are without the job security of many of their tenured academic and privileged admininstrative peers.
Minor sports like lacrosse and swimming seem to be particularly effected. All of the team coaches have advanced degrees including law , math , philosophy and economics. They also teach very popular exercise and physical skills classes. Others are recognized international experts in athletic performance enhancement drugs, sports policy, administration and exercise physiology and training.
Main:
So, what is the message here?
Well, clearly the Governor and the President are fitness folk. Much of their apparent differences is media news cycle driven. At the end of the day, the Army Corp of Engineers and other Federal and State agencies will receive federal funds for more than cosmetic levee work. Meanwhile many steakholders will weigh in.
Allowing the valley’s Sierra fed rivers and streams to “natural overflow” their pristine banks and flood towns, trailer parks , Interstate Highways, International Airports, Rail road beds, schools and producting farmland of tomatoes and alfalfa is not a rational or acceptable alternative. Not one Earthday booth on the UCDavis campus was advocating the abandonment of the Valley to the whims of Mother Nature. The weekly Monday breakfast meeting of a group of retired ladies in Davis had it about right. “We elected those folks to keep us safe and our homes dry”
Meanwhile, the President is off to Southern California to visit President Ford, make a speech on Guest Workers and tamper proof status cards and to raise funds for Republican candidates.
That leaves the UCDavis coaches with some creative challenges to fund programs that benefits a cadre of outstanding student athletes.
Athletics, like academic research is increasingly working creatively with for profit companies and beyond the traditional ticket/studentfees/parent/alumni/patron network model for sponsorship and support. For example, live and streamed Video, newsfeeds and podCasting is now on the Internet. Many are free, others are sent to subscribers around the world. It is the way the world is moving
Now there is a network model for minor sports program distribution to think about—- Come Hell or High Water. Some will wait and cross that bridge or ford that river when they come to it. “How highs the water Moma?” Where is Johnnie Cash when we really need him?
More:
Cal Water History: • Calendar: • Monday: • Earth Sciences:: • Exercise and Health: • Media Watch: • News: • Ink Blot: • Political Watch: • Swimming: • UCDavis: • Athletics: • Exercise Physiology: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:
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