Science & Technology

Researchers have developed a new technique to study blood cell behavior in small blood vessels,highlighting its efficacy for determining how blood cells regulate blood pressure,and ways in which the process may be altered by diet and disease.The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard University,including William Ristenpart,who is now a professor in the departments of food science and technology and chemical engineering and material science at UC Davis.

Dr.Bob Rice,a professor in the environmental toxicology department,has a knack for growing things.He specializes in culturing and studyingepidermal cells,bringing us closer to an understanding of skin cancer and other diseases. When did you start working at UC Davis? Gosh, [almost] 20years ago… 1989,around Labor Day.

Today “Poverty and Obesity—The Challenge in Accessing Healthy Foods Among The Poorest“ Diana Cassady Mee Room,Memorial Union,noon to1p.m. Sponsored by Campus Community Relations,Public Health Sciences

Scientists erase bad memories from brains of mice Scientists have discovered a treatmentthat erasestraumatic memories from the brains of mice. According to the study,scientistsmanipulated thebrains to overproduce an enzymethat could erase certain memories while keeping others intact.

The UC Davis Cancer Center recently announced the launch of the new Cancer Care Network geared to provide quality treatment to patients in community-based areas in Northern and Central California. Planning for the network began in2000when UC Davis joined with two local California health care organizations in Merced and Marysville to develop cancer programs,said Scott Christensen,UC Davis associate professor of hematology and oncology and the future medical director of the new network.

Leslie Lyons is no crazy cat lady,although cats are her main focus here at UC Davis.She researches everything feline– from their genes to the little pieces of fur they may leave behind at the scene of a crime. Recently,Lyons and other UC Davis veterinarians assisted in engineering a glow-in-the-dark cloned cat.If that’s not enough to make you purr,her interview withThe California Aggie just might.

Geologists unearth‘dinosaur dance floor‘ Along the Arizona-Utah state line,geologists have found a three-fourths-acre site withprehistoric animal tracks so densely packed together,they’re referring to it as a “dinosaur dance floor.“

Today “Linking Plant Genetic Variation to Foliage-and Litter-Based Arthropod Communities“ Greg Crutsinger 122Briggs,12:10to1p.m. Sponsored by the entomology department

You might want to consider your brain before knocking back another drink,and not just for fear of a hangover. According to a study by researchers at UC Davis,Wellesley College and Boston University,the more alcohol people consume,the more their brain volume decreases.

New tests for Downsyndromehave no known risks of miscarriage Scientists have developed a new,non-invasive technique to test for Downsyndrome that differsfrom the traditional tests that may cause miscarriages.The new procedure onlyrequires a blood sample from the pregnant woman.

UC Davis is one of two schools in the country with a nematology department.What’s a nematode,you ask? ProfessorValerie Williamsoncan not only tell youthat a nematode is amicroscopic worm,she can also tellyou its DNA sequencing and the massive impact it has on the agricultural worldtoday.Williamson is a professor of nematology,focusing her research on plant parasitic nematodes– the cause of over$50million of plant damage in the U.S.The California Aggiesat down with her to chat about nematodes,her researchand even her taste in produce.

Although the mosquito season comes to a close as thechill of winterapproaches,fly season is in full swing as autumn’s temperatures ideally foster their abundant breeding. “This time of year is perfect for flies to reproduce,” said UC Davis entomologist Lynn Kimsey,who heads the department of entomology. “And Davis is the perfect place.“