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Wednesday, 4 June 2008
1. Malaria: a miracle in the making offers hope to millions worldwide
The Independent [UK]
June 4, 2008
The lives of more than a million children who die each year from malaria could be saved by a new technique for making a drug based on an ancient Chinese herbal remedy first used more than 2,000 years ago.
Scientists said yesterday that the drug will be the first product of a new approach to making pharmaceuticals using "synthetic biology", where genetically engineered microbes with implanted artificial chromosomes, or gene "cassettes", are grown in giant fermenting vats.
The plan is to be able to make enough quantities of the drug in a single fermenter, or bioreactor, within two years to supply the needs of everyone in the world suffering from malaria – up to 500 million people – at a 10th of the cost of existing drugs....
PROFESSOR JAY KEASLING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, said that the low price and widespread availability of the semi-synthetic drug will directly help millions of sufferers, as well as undermining the counterfeit market in artemisinin, which increases the risk of drug resistance as well as doing little to help malaria patients. "We want it to be affordable to people who need it, to be available to people who need it, and we don't want it to be abused," Professor Keasling said during a two-day conference on synthetic biology at the Royal Society in London.
...The research pioneered by the professor was funded with the help of a $42.6m research grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is being taken into industrial production with the help of the French company sanofi aventis, which will build a bioreactor in Europe by 2010....
[Another story on this topic appeared in New Scientist] Full Story
2. Scientists aim to catalogue tropical island from mountaintops to seafloor
Mongabay.com
June 4, 2008
Scientists are launching an effort to catalogue a complete tropical ecosystem, the first time anyone has attempted such an ambitious undertaking. Led by researchers at the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, a U.S.-French team plans to collect DNA "barcodes" for every animal, plant, and fungus on the small island of Moorea in the South Pacific, scouring habitats from coral reefs to high-reaching cloud forests. The island could eventually serve as a model for how ecosystems respond to stresses such as climate change, invasive species, and pollution.
Moorea is part of an archipelago in French Polynesia, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) northwest of Tahiti. Scientists have studied Moorea for decades at two field stations, the BERKELEY-RUN RICHARD B. GUMP SOUTH PACIFIC RESEARCH STATION and France's Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement. Because the island is isolated, relatively few organisms have arrived on Moorea, with only about 5,000 species recorded so far. It's also small, about the size of the city of San Francisco. This compact setting, and its low diversity compared to other Pacific islands, makes Moorea a tractable choice for a comprehensive catalogue, the scientists say....
Leading the effort is an international team that includes scientists from Berkeley, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France, and the Delegation a la Recherche in French Polynesia. With a $5.2 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of California, the researchers will spend three years combing the island and its surrounding waters for every species they can find. Team members already collected almost 2,000 fishes, geckos, marine invertebrates, and insects during a 2006 pilot project to show that they were up to the task....
Understanding tropical ecosystems is especially important because they have some of the highest diversity, said NEIL DAVIES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GUMP STATION AND MBP'S PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR....
Davies hopes that the intensive study of a small island will jumpstart other discoveries in ecology, just as studying simple organisms brought about huge advances in medicine.... Full Story
3. Research examines flight air quality
KGO TV
June 4, 2008
Berkeley, CA (KGO) -- The last time you flew - did the cabin air seem stuffy or dry? New research out of UC BERKELEY suggests there's even more going on in the air on commercial flights than your body perceives. And that may not be good news for the very young, very old, or people with respiratory problems....
"On a plane, of course, if you encounter ozone there's no place to go and there's generally a lack of knowledge that we're even being exposed to the ozone," said WILLIAM NAZAROFF PH.D., UC BERKELEY....
"If you're an elderly person, if you're carrying an infant onboard, or if you have asthma it is something you might think about," said SEEMA BHANGER, UC BERKELEY RESEARCHER....
[Link to video] Full Story
4. Clinton Who?
If Obama's primary campaign is any indication, McCain better be ready
Oakland Tribune
June 4, 2008
In 1922, the year Cliff Williams was born, his home state of Texas passed a law stating, "In no event shall a Negro be eligible to participate in a Democratic Party Primary election."
The fact that Barack Obama — a biracial man with an African father — has amassed enough delegate votes to become the Democratic Party's nominee for president of the United States, is, for Williams, nothing short of a miracle....
CHRIS EDLEY, a senior advisor for the Obama campaign and DEAN OF UC BERKELEY'S BOALT SCHOOL OF LAW, says he is already focused on what comes next in the general election.
Looking past Clinton to McCain, one of Obama's main challenges will be to maintain a movement that has evolved beyond just a campaign and has energized millions of people, spurring them to become involved in the political process.... Full Story
5. Ignoring the caucus states: Hillary's big mistake?
Clinton victorious in only one caucus, but ends up losing there as well
MarketWatch
June 3, 2008
Los Angeles -- When historians write about the 2008 Democratic presidential race years from now, it's likely that armchair quarterbacks won't see Sen. Hillary Clinton's critical mistake as being her misstatement on Bosnia or that her ex-president husband's temper dragged her down....
Clinton's biggest error in judgment is likely to end up being that she didn't pay enough attention to the 14 caucuses held throughout the country since the primary season started. For that was where Sen. Barack Obama secured the nomination, pundits say.
'I don't think she expected Barack Obama...She didn't see anyone who could pick those [caucus votes] up.'...
But caucuses never have played the prominent role they did in this primary season.
"I don't think there's any circumstance where you could say a caucus could make a difference," said Scott Rasmussen, president of the Rasmussen Reports polling firm.
HENRY BRADY, A PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, said Clinton's oversight might have been understandable if she had to be more selective based on funding. The payoff on individual primaries can be greater than a collection of caucuses.
"It was a mistake, but it wasn't a bad bet to make," he said.
"I don't think she expected Barack Obama. I don't think she expected any strong competitor," Brady said. "She didn't see anyone who could pick those [caucus votes] up."... Full Story
6. Sizing Up a McCain-Obama Battle
CBS News Online
June 4, 2008
Although the political world is still awaiting Hillary Clinton’s final exit from the stage, the long drama of who will represent the major parties in November's presidential contest finally - mercifully, some might say - drew to a close Tuesday night. (Full story here.) For the next five months, barring the extremely unexpected, Barack Obama and John McCain will square off day-by-day in one of the most historic elections in modern history....
"Obama has horrible problems with blue collar voters right now," [Republican pollster Whit Ayres] said. "...and a big part of it is cultural. He has come across in recent weeks as a candidate who feels more comfortable at BERKELEY or Harvard than he does anywhere in between. A lot of blue collars voters just don't see him as as patriotic as they are. They don't believe he loves America as much as they do. They want their president to be their country's #1 cheerleader, and they don't see Obama as that guy."... Full Story
7. Op-Ed: How About a Cap-and-Trade Dividend?
Wall Street Journal (*requires registration)
June 4, 2008
The Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill is going nowhere. Even in the unlikely event Congress passes it, President Bush has said he will veto the measure, and there aren't nearly enough votes to override. So the real action commences on Jan. 20, 2009, when a new administration takes over. Barack Obama is on record in favor of cap and trade. And so, significantly, is John McCain.....
So it's a certainty that we'll have a president next year who wants to address global warming by imposing an overall cap on U.S. carbon emissions. The "trade" part of the equation would allow companies finding efficient ways to cut emissions to sell the unused portions of their permits to others....
Our atmosphere belongs to all of us. It seems only reasonable that corporations should have to pay to use it. The citizens of Alaska and Alberta, Canada, get yearly dividends from the oil companies that take away their natural resources. Why shouldn't the same principle apply when industries use the biggest common resource of all?
[Link by subscription only] Full Story
8. More woes to come for US, says top economist
The Age [Australia]
June 5, 2008
A US recession is a foregone conclusion, according to a leading Californian economist. The only question is, how long will it last.
Speaking at the US Consulate General in Melbourne, via video link-up, BARRY EICHENGREEN said that even though conditions had improved, the US economic crisis was far from over.
"It's just an intermission," he said. "I can't predict the depth of the recession ... but I can predict with confidence that this one is going to be a long one."
DR EICHENGREEN, WHO SERVES AS PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, said US house prices had declined by 20% in some areas. He expects them to fall by a further 20%.
Added to that was a jump in commodity prices. Dr Eichengreen said the main topic of conversation in California was the price of petrol and the price of rice. There has even been a "run" on stores that sell rice in bulk, a situation Dr Eichengreen jokingly likened to last year's run on British bank Northern Rock.... Full Story
9. CAW Girds For War
GM kills 2,600 jobs at Ontario truck plant as
Financial Post [Canada]
June 04, 2008
With one swift announcement to shut down Canada's last pickup-truck assembly factory, General Motors Corp. has rocked the manufacturing sector's relationship with organized labour and triggered what could be a monumental fight over the future of auto jobs in Canada.
Just two weeks after hammering out a new, three-year labour agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers, GM said yesterday it will close the plant sometime next year and lay off 2,600 workers....
"It's very troubling news for the union," said HARLEY SHAIKEN, A LABOUR RELATIONS SPECIALIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY. "The union has shown it can be pragmatic. But that is based on a level of trust. This undermines the trust that's critical to a productive relationship."
Mr. Shaiken said GM's move could make future bargaining more acrimonious and less prone to compromise.... Full Story
10. Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer in St. Paul
Study: Heavy construction materials, added pavement brought down 35W bridge
Minnesota Public Radio
June 4, 2008
Rochester, Minn. — HASSAN ASTANEH's analysis of the 35W bridge collapse concludes that MnDOT, the construction company PCI and URS Corporation, the consulting firm that evaluated the bridge, could have prevented the collapse.
ASTANEH IS A PROFESSOR IN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY'S CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT whose work includes studies on the collapse of the World Trade Center for the National Science Foundation. He's been hired as a consultant by one of the lawyers representing some of the victims of the bridge collapse. His paper on the 35W bridge disaster is the keynote address at International Conference on Steel Bridges. Astaneh provided MPR News with an advance copy.
Bent I-35W gusset plateBridges are designed to bear one and a half to two times their intended weight, Astaneh says. That margin is a safety net that accounts for design errors....
PCI ... had loaded 270 tons of construction materials on the bridge on August first. PCI was re-decking parts of the bridge that afternoon. Even if U10 had been designed properly, that construction material should not have been on the bridge, Astaneh says.
"That is absolutely unbelievable, absolutely unheard of. Any bridge engineer would just be completely shocked. We never do that, especially steel bridges. It's like a car, a car has a capacity. It can take only two tons, 10 tons, 20 tons. There is a meaning to this capacity," he says.... Full Story
11. Six fixes for pricey gasoline
Ideas to help people ease the burden of high gas prices are swirling in Washington. Will any of them work?
CNNMoney.com
June 4, 2008
New York (CNNMoney.com) -- With a nationwide average gas price of just about $4 a gallon, lots of people are thinking there must be something the government can do to help....
High gas prices are here to stay, and consumers are just going to have to bear the burden until they figure out how to use less fuel, they say.
"Like the president said, it's an addiction," said LEE SCHIPPER, A VISITING SCHOLAR AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY'S TRANSPORTATION CENTER. "There's going to be a time when going cold turkey hurts."...
"It's only when the price is high that people actually do things" to conserve, said Schipper. "Gas at $2 a gallon underprices the real cost to the environment and the nation." Full Story
12. Social studies: A daily miscellany of information by Michael Kesterton
Globe & Mail [Canada]
June 4, 2008
...Ace Bumblebees
Bumblebees, despite their apparent physical drawbacks, are among the finest fliers of the insect world, according to new research. Bumblebees have been discovered on Mount Everest at more than 5,600 metres above sea level. In scientific tests, several of the bees flew successfully in a flight chamber that recreated the thin air of 9,000 metres above sea level, higher than the 8,848-metre summit of the world's highest mountain. To put the feat into context, the summit of Mount Everest is considered right at the limit of human endurance, says The Independent on Sunday, and if it were just 100 metres higher it would be beyond the reach of climbers. Those venturing above 8,000 metres are said to be entering the "death zone." Researchers expected the high-altitude bumblebees to be flying at lower muscle temperatures, but "we have done a bunch of measurements and they are as hot as lower-altitude bees," says MICHAEL DILLON, A BIOLOGIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY. "... These bees are buzzing around at 44 C. Catch them and they are hot to the touch."... Full Story
13. Better view of the Milky Way
Science News
June 3, 2008
St. Louis — Astronomers are in the midst of a Milky Way makeover. New maps, created using infrared and radio telescopes to peer through the galaxy’s dusty lanes, reveal some disarming information.
One study revises the standard view that four major star-forming arms spiral around the disk-shaped Milky Way. Presenting in St. Louis at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, scientists report that two of the arms are merely faint, minor-league players in the galaxy’s structure....
Observations at radio and infrared wavelengths can penetrate the dust and have for several decades been a mainstay for deciphering the galaxy’s structure. But newer, more sensitive telescopes, especially in the infrared, are now peering through the murk as never before, says Robert Benjamin of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater....
LEO BLITZ OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY says he finds the work intriguing, but would like to see how the star counts match up with radio maps of the same regions.... Full Story
14. Op-Ed: Disability insurance: a financial priority
People suddenly disabled face increased risk of bankruptcy. An insurance policy can help.
Christian Science Monitor
June 2, 2008
Nancy Starnes recalls her motivation to recover after a private-plane accident in 1973 left her with no sensation below her hips....
Few readers may identify with Starnes, unable to forsee a future where disability affects their opportunities to work, care for themselves, or enjoy personal pursuits....
A disability during your working years can leave you deprived of income and the ability to make major payments. Without disability support, a vicious cycle of financial reversals quickly occur. Except for those with a large amount of savings, people who suddenly become disabled are often unable to pay their mortgage, healthcare premiums, credit-card bills, auto loans, utilities, and any pension or college-savings contributions. Those who are disabled are more likely to experience personal bankruptcy and home foreclosure than those who are not.
The immediate goal in managing disability risk is to ensure income replacement and necessary career retraining in the event of a short or long-term disability. Since only 39 percent of Americans have enough savings to cover three months of living expenses, most need to implement a disability finance plan.... Full Story
15. Blog: Notes From Legal Academia
On Transfers, LLMs and Letter Grades
Wall Street Journal Online (*requires registration)
June 4, 2008
School’s out for summer, but grades are still coming back and writing competitions are still in progress. In the meantime, let’s check in on the latest in ivory tower news....
Losing Letter Grades: Stanford law (pictured) has joined its Bay-area neighbor, BERKELEY’S BOALT HALL LAW SCHOOL, as well as Yale law, in scrapping letter-grades in favor of “four levels of achievement” — honors, pass, restricted credit and no credit, reports Inside Higher Ed and Above the Law. (Yale’s four grades are honors, pass, low pass and fail, while Berkeley uses only three levels: pass, honors and high honors.)
“No grading system is perfect,” wrote Stanford Law dean Larry Kramer in an e-mail to students and faculty, “but the consensus is that the reform will have significant pedagogical benefits, including that it encourages greater flexibility and innovation in the classroom and in designing metrics for evaluating student work.”
[Link by subscription only] Full Story
16. Talking to the Author of ‘Stuffed and Starved’
New York Times Online (*requires registration)
June 3, 2008
In looking at food, nutrition, and the perverse phenomenon of overnutrition, many of us have had occasion to notice and cite the fact that worldwide, roughly the same number of people are starving as are overweight.
Which was what made — “Stuffed and Starved” — the title of RAJ PATEL’s new book (and that of his blog) — so compelling. At first glance, Raj is another depressing voice in the chorus. But in traveling the world researching the book, he also found hope in international social movements working to create more democratic, sustainable, and joyful food systems.
I met with Raj the last time he was in New York (he lives in San Francisco) to interview him for Bitten.
MB: First of all, what’s your background?
RP: I’m a mutt — my mother was born in Kenya, my father in Fiji. I grew up in a convenience store in London, surrounded by junk food, cigarettes and magazines. I’m also a fellow at Food First, which is a food think tank, and now a VISITING SCHOLAR AT THE UC BERKELEY CENTER FOR AFRICAN STUDIES. I have degrees from Oxford University, the London School of Economics and Cornell University, and though I’ve worked for the World Bank, W.T.O., and the U.N., I’ve also been tear-gassed on four continents protesting them.
MB: Where did the name “Stuffed and Starved” come from?
RP: The title “Stuffed and Starved” points to one of the greatest contradictions in human history. We live in a world producing more food than ever before,yet a billion people are overweight and nearly a billion starving. The book is a detective story, looking not only at why many people are unable to eat, and many more are eating so badly, but also what can be done here and now,to turn things around.... Full Story
17. Asian Pop: 'Tube Stakes
San Francisco Chronicle Online
June 4, 2008
In a followup to last week's column "Ides of May," Jeff Yang talks to top Asian American YouTube stars about whether the next generation of Asian Americans will dominate the next generation of media. Their response: You betcha....
If you look out at the rapidly morphing world of media today, a remarkably interesting set of parallels exist. We're seeing huge change — the shift to digital platforms and shared, user-created content. There is the opportunity to use these new tools to upend old conventions and power structures. And finally, a particular immigrant community — Asian Americans — has emerged and become the core driver behind the emergence of these new media paradigms.
We're building the infrastructure: According to "America' s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs," a 2007 study released by researchers from Duke University and UC BERKELEY, well over a quarter of all startups founded in Silicon Valley between 1999 and 2005 were launched by Asian immigrants. Over a third of Silicon Valley companies now have Asians as founders or key executives.... Full Story
18. The din of dining
San Francisco Chronicle
June 4, 2008
It was a recent Friday night at Farmer Brown, a fashionable soul food restaurant in downtown San Francisco.
The clang of dishes, the clink of glasses, the roar of voices and the pulsating music seemed to grow louder as I perused the menu. By the time the server came to our table, I felt the sudden urge to order a side of noise with my fried chicken. But the cacophony would have drowned out my sarcasm. Instead, I pointed to the entree I wanted on my menu....
A recent study conducted by UC BERKELEY and Berkeley's Starkey Hearing Research Center found that with background conversations at 65 decibels and higher, people have trouble retaining information when someone is talking to them, says ANASTASIOS SARAMPALIS, A POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR AND RESEARCHER IN THE UNIVERSITY'S AUDITORY LAB IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY.... Full Story