UC Science Today

This week on Science Today. It’s been over a year since the city of Berkeley, California implemented a ‘soda tax’ and a team of UC Berkeley public health researchers took the opportunity to see how it has impacted consumption. Kris Madsen of the School of Public Health says they found a 21 percent drop in the consumption of soda and other sugary beverages in the Berkeley’s low-income neighborhoods, which is an encouraging sign in the fight against obesity, especially in areas hit hard by the consequences of obesity and diabetes.

"It’s the kind of evidence that we really want because what we’re trying to find are tools that can change people’s behaviors. Education alone has not been effective but if this is a really effective tool, then it’s a tool we need to use."

And on the subject of tools, UC San Francisco physicians are using holograms, or 3D images formed by the inference of light beams from a laser, in about 20 percent of their CT colonography cases. Dr. Judy Yee says the goal is to appeal to patients to prevent disease.

"But also, to make it easier for the radiologists who interpret these studies to make it engaging and easier and as accurate, if not more accurate."

Speaking of accurate studies, it’s been over 40 years since atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography predicted how the earth’s climate would change by 2010. And while his accurate model continued to show further warming, Ramanathan says we can still ‘bend the curve’ in this chart if we take collective measures now.

"We have the science and we have the technology. This is where the intitiatives taken in California could shine a brightest light possible on this problem … to mitigate climate change by using solar fuel cells and waste gas can provide like a beacon for the nation and for the planet to follow."

Learn more about these and other research findings at the University of California. Subscribe to Science Today on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also find us on Soundcloud and Facebook. I’m Larissa Branin, thanks for tuning in.

Subscribe to Science Today:

iTunes: apple.co/1TQBewD

Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/science-today

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucsciencetoday

Stories mentioned in this roundup:

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/soda_tax

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/future_holograms

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/bend_curve

This week on Science Today. It’s been over a year since the city of Berkeley, California implemented a ‘soda tax’ and a team of UC Berkeley public health researchers took the opportunity to see how it has impacted consumption. Kris Madsen of the School of Public Health says they found a 21 percent drop in the consumption of soda and other sugary beverages in the Berkeley’s low-income neighborhoods, which is an encouraging sign in the fight against obesity, especially in areas hit hard by the consequences of obesity and diabetes.

"It’s the kind of evidence that we really want because what we’re trying to find are tools that can change people’s behaviors. Education alone has not been effective but if this is a really effective tool, then it’s a tool we need to use."

And on the subject of tools, UC San Francisco physicians are using holograms, or 3D images formed by the inference of light beams from a laser, in about 20 percent of their CT colonography cases. Dr. Judy Yee says the goal is to appeal to patients to prevent disease.

"But also, to make it easier for the radiologists who interpret these studies to make it engaging and easier and as accurate, if not more accurate."

Speaking of accurate studies, it’s been over 40 years since atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography predicted how the earth’s climate would change by 2010. And while his accurate model continued to show further warming, Ramanathan says we can still ‘bend the curve’ in this chart if we take collective measures now.

"We have the science and we have the technology. This is where the intitiatives taken in California could shine a brightest light possible on this problem … to mitigate climate change by using solar fuel cells and waste gas can provide like a beacon for the nation and for the planet to follow."

Learn more about these and other research findings at the University of California. Subscribe to Science Today on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also find us on Soundcloud and Facebook. I’m Larissa Branin, thanks for tuning in.

Subscribe to Science Today:

iTunes: apple.co/1TQBewD

Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/science-today

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucsciencetoday

Stories mentioned in this roundup:

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/soda_tax

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/future_holograms

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/bend_curve

You’ve most probably seen holograms in the media and in the movies – these are 3D images formed by the interference of light beams from a laser. Now, imagine it being applied to internal organs to detect disease, specifically in the colon. At the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Judy Yee is doing just that for about 20 percent of her CT colonography cases.

"I was first introduced to it by EchoPixel and was able to combine my knowledge of colonic pathology and disease and what I know about CT colonography to work with them, to develop sort of the next step in where to go with CT colonography."

The goal is to make this a study that’s appealing to patients to prevent disease.

"But also to make it easier for the radiologists who interpret these studies, to make it engaging and easier and as accurate, if not more accurate."

Over a year after the city of Berkeley, California implemented a ‘soda tax’, a team of researchers have reported a 21 percent drop in the consumption of soda and other sugary beverages in Berkeley’s low-income neighborhoods. Study author Kris Madsen of the University of California, Berkley’s School of Public Health, says this is an encouraging sign in the fight against obesity.

"The initial results in Berkeley certainly suggest that soda taxes do exactly what we’re hoping they’ll do – and that’s reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. And it’s the kind of evidence that we really want because what we’re trying to find are tools that can change people’s behaviors. Education alone has not been effective. But if this is a really effective tool, then it’s a tool we need to use."

Madsen adds that it was also encouraging to note the substantial decline was reported in low-income communities because they often bear the brunt of the health consequences of obesity and diabetes. For Science Today, I’m Larissa Branin.

Over a year after the city of Berkeley, California implemented a ‘soda tax’, a team of researchers have reported a 21 percent drop in the consumption of soda and other sugary beverages in Berkeley’s low-income neighborhoods. Study author Kris Madsen of the University of California, Berkley’s School of Public Health, says this is an encouraging sign in the fight against obesity.

"The initial results in Berkeley certainly suggest that soda taxes do exactly what we’re hoping they’ll do – and that’s reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. And it’s the kind of evidence that we really want because what we’re trying to find are tools that can change people’s behaviors. Education alone has not been effective. But if this is a really effective tool, then it’s a tool we need to use."

Madsen adds that it was also encouraging to note the substantial decline was reported in low-income communities because they often bear the brunt of the health consequences of obesity and diabetes. For Science Today, I’m Larissa Branin.

You’ve most probably seen holograms in the media and in the movies – these are 3D images formed by the interference of light beams from a laser. Now, imagine it being applied to internal organs to detect disease, specifically in the colon. At the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Judy Yee is doing just that for about 20 percent of her CT colonography cases.

"I was first introduced to it by EchoPixel and was able to combine my knowledge of colonic pathology and disease and what I know about CT colonography to work with them, to develop sort of the next step in where to go with CT colonography."

The goal is to make this a study that’s appealing to patients to prevent disease.

"But also to make it easier for the radiologists who interpret these studies, to make it engaging and easier and as accurate, if not more accurate."

An older generation antibiotic that’s currently used in animals to reduce bacterial infections was found to block contemporary strains of Zika virus in human tissue in the lab. We met up with Dr. Lenore Pereira of UC San Francisco, who joined forces with colleagues at UC Berkeley to make this discovery.

"What’s interesting about this drug, it’s called Duramycin, it’s a small molecule inhibitor and it works directly against the virus envelope – it doesn’t work against the cell, so it’s very specific for Zika virus, Dengue, Ebola. We are thrilled about the finding."

And over at the Livermore Lab, computer scientists are excited their software-based network security tool is overcoming some of the limitations of commercial-based products. It’s called Network Mapping System, or NeMS and as Domingo Colon explains, it gives administrators and security personnel a better way to constantly assess what a user’s environment looks like.

"It provides them a pretty immediate feedback to figure out who’s doing what and is this a problem? Sometimes you need that immediacy and to determine from that information is it something that you need to take action on?"

Meanwhile, materials scientists at UC Riverside describe how their work with nanocrystalline metals can be used beyond automotive and transportation applications.

"Including things like biomedical implants. If we can make things like stents and facial implants out of lightweight materials like magnesium, the magnesium will also dissolve in the body over time and the implant may not have to be removed."

To hear these and other segments about the latest University of California research, subscribe to Science Today on iTunes or follow us on Soundcloud. Thanks for listening, I’m Larissa Branin.

Subscribe to Science Today:

iTunes: apple.co/1TQBewD

Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/science-today

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucsciencetoday

Stories mentioned in this roundup:

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/zika_antibiotic

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/nems_tool

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/metal_nanostructure

An older generation antibiotic that’s currently used in animals to reduce bacterial infections was found to block contemporary strains of Zika virus in human tissue in the lab. We met up with Dr. Lenore Pereira of UC San Francisco, who joined forces with colleagues at UC Berkeley to make this discovery.

"What’s interesting about this drug, it’s called Duramycin, it’s a small molecule inhibitor and it works directly against the virus envelope – it doesn’t work against the cell, so it’s very specific for Zika virus, Dengue, Ebola. We are thrilled about the finding."

And over at the Livermore Lab, computer scientists are excited their software-based network security tool is overcoming some of the limitations of commercial-based products. It’s called Network Mapping System, or NeMS and as Domingo Colon explains, it gives administrators and security personnel a better way to constantly assess what a user’s environment looks like.

"It provides them a pretty immediate feedback to figure out who’s doing what and is this a problem? Sometimes you need that immediacy and to determine from that information is it something that you need to take action on?"

Meanwhile, materials scientists at UC Riverside describe how their work with nanocrystalline metals can be used beyond automotive and transportation applications.

"Including things like biomedical implants. If we can make things like stents and facial implants out of lightweight materials like magnesium, the magnesium will also dissolve in the body over time and the implant may not have to be removed."

To hear these and other segments about the latest University of California research, subscribe to Science Today on iTunes or follow us on Soundcloud. Thanks for listening, I’m Larissa Branin.

Subscribe to Science Today:

iTunes: apple.co/1TQBewD

Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/science-today

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucsciencetoday

Stories mentioned in this roundup:

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/zika_antibiotic

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/nems_tool

https://soundcloud.com/sciencetoday/metal_nanostructure

Nanocrystalline metals and alloys have been the subject of considerable research in recent years because of advances in computational materials science and the fact it’s properties can create lighter and stronger metals for automobiles. Materials scientist and mechanical engineer Suveen Mathaudhu of the University of California, Riverside, says nanocrystalline metals can be used beyond automotive and transportation applications.

"Nanocrystalline metals can be used for a variety of different applications, including things like biomedical implants. If we can make things like stents and facial implants out of lightweight materials like magnesium, the magnesium will also dissolve in the body over time and the implant may not have to be removed."

It can also be used for electrical conduction.

"To be able to design wires and cables that can conduct energy in more efficient ways. There’s quite a variety of things that can be done using nanostructured metals and alloys that will open up once these materials are mature enough."

Nanocrystalline metals and alloys have been the subject of considerable research in recent years because of advances in computational materials science and the fact it’s properties can create lighter and stronger metals for automobiles. Materials scientist and mechanical engineer Suveen Mathaudhu of the University of California, Riverside, says nanocrystalline metals can be used beyond automotive and transportation applications.

"Nanocrystalline metals can be used for a variety of different applications, including things like biomedical implants. If we can make things like stents and facial implants out of lightweight materials like magnesium, the magnesium will also dissolve in the body over time and the implant may not have to be removed."

It can also be used for electrical conduction.

"To be able to design wires and cables that can conduct energy in more efficient ways. There’s quite a variety of things that can be done using nanostructured metals and alloys that will open up once these materials are mature enough."