The mudslides caused by recent torrential rains in Southern California can be attributed in part to historic errors made back when cattle outnumbered unstable hillsides. “Los Angeles developed as a small cow town in the lowlands, and Sunset Boulevard was nothing more than cow trails to the coast,” said Antony Orme, a professor of geography […]
Author Archives: Jeyling Chou
Green tea inhibits cancer growth
A UCLA study has further confirmed the potential and potency of an anti-cancer agent brewed in a pot. Green tea extract has been shown to selectively inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells, leaving normal cells untouched. An obstacle in cancer treatments is a means of targeting tumor cells without damaging healthy tissue. The […]
Folk medicine goes online
As a teenager, Professor Michael Owen Jones remembers having a particular wart on his finger. Based on the advice of a farmer, he rubbed the wart with a piece of apple, and buried the apple in the ground. Within a week the wart was gone. Professor Anne Gilliland-Swetland recalls a different remedy from her Irish […]
Stem cell lines not ready for humans
Embryonic stem cell lines that have been federally approved for research may be contaminated by the animal cells used to culture them, according to a study released last week. These contaminated stem cell lines, 22 in total, cannot be applied therapeutically because the foreign particles would trigger rejection by the human immune system. The findings, […]
[A closer look] Ashe Center offers pregnancy counseling, services
Ann Brooks says she has developed a pretty good sense of how to help a student considering abortion. Brooks, the nurse manager of Women’s Health Services at the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, does the bulk of pregnancy counseling at the center. Depending on how the student feels, she can make a referral […]
Recent rains splash into El Niño theories
Soggy shoes were traded for short skirts and scarves were swapped for sunglasses. Relentless rains last Wednesday suddenly gave way to sunshine on Thursday, much to the relief of students and their umbrellas. So far this week, the forecast has been clear. Even without another drop of rain this month, rainfall levels this January are […]
Disease poses threat despite aid efforts
The first urgent need is water. Immediately following that is food and shelter. Organizations carrying out relief efforts in South Asia are gravely aware of the supplies they must deliver to the hundreds of thousands of victims affected in the area. Meanwhile, the massive numbers of dead bodies and debris present major public health concerns. […]