Ethanol as Effective as Gasoline
Researchers at UC Berkeley have released new findings demonstrating that putting ethanol in an automobile’s fuel tank saves oil and that burning ethanol is no worse for the environment than burning gasoline.
Published this week in the journal Science, the researchers hope their findings will help in the ongoing debate over whether ethanol is a good substitute for gasoline. The study weighs these findings against other work claiming that it takes more energy to grow the corn used to make ethanol than the amount of energy produced by burning it as fuel.
Researcher Dan Kammen, who spearheaded the study, indicated that results showed that ethanol produces 10 to 15 percent less greenhouse gases than gasoline and that more ethanol could be produced efficiently if synthesized from woody, fibrous plants rather than corn.
Regents Approve New Heart Center
UCSD has received approval from the UC Board of Regents to improve patient services by establishing a new cardiovascular center and expanding critical-care services at Thornton Hospital.
The project will create the new center at UCSD’s east-campus medical complex and will establish patient-care and teaching activities in both heart and vascular disease treatment and stroke management.
Emergency care, however, will continue to be provided at UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest.
The UCSD Cardiovascular Center Board has raised almost $30 million for the construction of the new addition, which will be named after San Diego residents Richard and Maria Sulpizio in recognition of their $10 million donation.
In total, the project will cost about $136.5 million and will be funded through a combination of hospital reserves, loans and philanthropy. Construction is expected to be complete by December 2009.
Health Institute Encourages Minorities
The National Institutes of Health have granted UCSD $1.29 million to develop a program that will increase minority students’ interest in clinical research and health careers.
The new program will be based at UCSD’s School of Medicine and will send medical professionals to local high schools and bring students to hospitals and clinics. The program will integrate itself with high school programs already designed to boost student interest in clinical research. It will begin in spring with about 50 high school students.
Along with attending lectures, students will participate in field trips during each year of the program to UCSD Medical Center. Selected students will also receive summer internships with the UCSD faculty members taking part in the program.
Freshmen Drink Less, Serve More
Results from a Higher Education Research Institute study featuring UCLA freshmen found that interest and involvement in community service have spiked among first-years and that drinking has hit an all-time low among entering college students.
HERI Director John Pryor indicated that two out of three college freshman reported believing it is essential or very important to help those who are in difficulty, the highest percentage recorded in 25 years, and that interest in community service has spiked in the wake of recent natural disasters.
Survey results have also indicated that college drinking has continued its decline since reaching an all-time high in 1982.
