Media coverage of top UCI stories: Nov. 7, 2007

1. Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2007
Carona takes paid leave
UCI MENTIONED:     Mark Petracca, a UC Irvine political science professor, said Carona’s leave just pushed the problem back two months. “Sixty days doesn’t buy us anything here,” he said. “Carona still gets paid, and it’s having him say ‘I need more time to Christmas shop. Oh, and by the way, pay me. I’ve got a lot of gifts to buy so give me some extra time.’”

First Paragraph:     Hours after sheriff’s deputies called for their boss to step down, Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona announced Tuesday he would take a paid leave to focus on the felony charges facing him.

2. The Orange County Register, Nov. 6, 2007
Sheriff Carona to step aside
UCI MENTIONED:     “This is not a good thing for the Republican Party,” said Mark Petracca, a UC Irvine political science professor. “There is no way you can spin this into glad tidings, especially since you can’t make it go away.”

First Paragraph:     Sheriff Mike Carona will take a two-month paid leave in a surprising move meant to silence critics calling for his ouster while preserving his job for the long term.

3. The Guardian (London), Nov. 7, 2007
Gehry sued over leaky university building
UCI MENTIONED:     Two of Gehry’s earlier university projects have run into difficulties. A 1986 engineering building for the University of California at Irvine has been torn down because it leaked. A building for the management school of Case Western Reserve University in Ohio cost more than double the original estimate.

First Paragraph:     It was supposed to be a geek palace for some of the brightest people on the planet. Dissonant angles, sloping floors, an exterior that suggested some sort of implosion - these were just the sort of challenges that inspire the great brains sheltered therein.

4. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 6, 2007
MIT sues Frank Gehry over problems with Stata Center design (blog)
UCI MENTIONED:     Mr. Gehry’s critics have long said that his vision surpassed both the technology available to build what he drew and the size of his clients’ bank accounts. His 1986 computer-science and engineering complex at the University of California at Irvine leaked so badly that the university tore in down in January, even though it was one of the most highly praised campus buildings of its decade. And his building for Case Western University’s Weatherhead School of Management cost more than double what the university had expected (The Chronicle, January 6, 2001).

First Paragraph:     The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has quietly filed a lawsuit against Frank Gehry, the high-profile architect, alleging that flaws in his design for MIT’s huge Ray and Maria Stata Center (right) caused leaks that cost more than $1.5-million to fix.

5. Central Valley Business Times (Stockton, Calif.), Nov. 7, 2007
Study: When California businesses move, most stay in the state
UCI MENTIONED:     “These patterns suggest that businesses are moving in search of cheaper real estate, rather than for differently skilled or cheaper labor,” says PPIC research fellow Jed Kolko who co-authored the report with PPIC senior fellow and UC Irvine professor David Neumark.

First Paragraph:     When California businesses relocate, most stay within California rather than move to another state, according to a new study by the Public Policy Institute of California.

6. The San Luis Obispo Tribune (Calif.), Nov. 7, 2007
Dog gone gourmet (Originally published by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
UCI MENTIONED:     Our dogs may benefit from studies aimed at humans. A series of studies by Norton Milgram, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Toronto, and Carl Cotman, a neurochemist with the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia at the University of California, Irvine, have studied older beagles as models of human aging. They’ve found that antioxidant supplements such as vitamins E and C may slow cognitive decline in older dogs.

First Paragraph:     If you really want to start a heated debate up at the dog park, don’t bring up Iraq or the presidential election: Ask the dog owners what kind of dog food they use.

7. The Orange County Register, Oct. 30, 2007
Face to face with Virginia Madsen (blog)
UCI MENTIONED:     Advice and comments from dermatologist Christopher Zachary, M.D., F.R.C.P., chairman of the UCI Department of Dermatology: If Virginia Madsen were a patient of mine, I would hand her a mirror and ask her to highlight for me a few key areas of concern. I have to say that she has obviously looked after her skin, is a natural beauty, and I might advise her to do absolutely nothing.

First Paragraph:     In this regular “Face to Face” feature, the Register invites readers and local cosmetic doctors (see below) to discuss what they see in the changing faces of celebrities.

8. The Orange County Register, Nov. 7, 2007
Smartlipo revenue surges, attracts criticism (blog)
UCI MENTIONED:     Christopher Zachary, M.D., chairman of the Department of Dermatology at UC-Irvine, has nothing but criticism for the company’s Smartlipo machine: “I am delighted to see one my favorite laser manufacturing companies, Cynosure, doing so well financially with sales up by 70 percent. However, investors should understand that this is based on the growing popularity of the Smartlipo device, which for my money is a 5 second wonder. I have seen much of the ‘science’ behind this, and I am unimpressed. And for the life of me, I can’t see how this device is going to impact anyone’s practice, except to be able to use it for marketing purposes. And another thing, it’s not very ‘smart’. Indeed it is entirely unselective.”

First Paragraph:     Quarterly revenues were up 70 percent to $31.5 million at Cynosure Inc., the maker of the newly popular Smartlipo laser liposuction devices, which are in use at several Orange County locations.

9. ComputerWorld, Nov. 7, 2007
Tube could hop on music-sharing train
UCI MENTIONED:     The project, London Undersound, would let commuters download and upload tracks to each other via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, said Johanna Brewer, a doctoral student in informatics at the University of California at Irvine, who is currently doing research in London.

First Paragraph:     Three computer scientists are hoping to turn the London Underground into a thriving network for sharing music unencumbered by copyright.

10. Inside Line, Nov. 7, 2007
Toyota delivers first plug-in hybrids to California universities
UCI MENTIONED:     Toyota is holding a ceremony at its headquarters in Torrance on Friday at which representatives from the universities and the California Air Resources Board will speak. The prototypes, called PHEVs, will be handed over to the Advanced Power and Energy Program at Irvine and the Institute of Transportation Studies at Berkeley.

First Paragraph:     Toyota Motor Sales USA is handing over two plug-in electric hybrid prototypes to programs at the University of California in Irvine and Berkeley this week. The prototypes are modified Priuses that have two battery packs rather than one, for a longer cruising range on the electric motor without a need to revert to the internal-combustion engine.

11. Daily Pilot, Nov. 6, 2007
Group investigating UCI adds four new members
UCI MENTIONED:     The independent task force investigating anti- Semitism at UC Irvine announced four new members Tuesday. Rev. Jim Belcher of the Redeemer’s Church in Newport Beach, Rabbi Mordecai Kieffer of Temple Beth Emet in Anaheim, Rabbi Abba Perelmuter of Shul by the Shore in Long Beach and Rabbi Mark Miller of Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach will join the other concerned citizens who have been looking at UCI since the spring.

Second Paragraph:     Task force members were originally appointed by the Hillel Foundation of Orange County to investigate anti-Semitic incidents at the university. Over the summer the Jewish-advocacy association quietly broke ties with the group, citing a change in their mission statement. The task force continued to press on with the investigation and is actively interviewing members of the community, UCI faculty and students. The task force will release its findings by the end of the year, officials said.

12. Daily Pilot, Nov. 6, 2007
PETA nominates UC Irvine for vegetarian-friendly menu
UCI MENTIONED:     “We’ve really stepped up our program over the last two years,” said Jackie Vanderwiel, UCI Dining spokeswoman. Restaurants on campus offer an assortment of vegetarian options.

First Paragraph:     People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ youth organization recently nominated UC Irvine for the first time as one of the most vegetarian-friendly colleges in the country.

13. Daybreak OC, Nov. 7, 2007
Celebrating diversity
FULL TEXT:     At UC Irvine, the school is celebrating diversity this week with its 25th annual Rainbow Festival and Conference. The event includes panel discussions, workshops and a two-day cultural fair that will showcase ethnic artifacts, artwork, food and dance. This year’s theme is “Global Citizens: Celebrating U.” One UC Irvine student says the program is eye opening. [Nicole Aquilina:] “It does make people more aware that there are hate crimes.”

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