Aug. 24 - COVID’s time-distortion effects; tracking DNA parasites
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Senior wardrobe techs Yen Le, left, and Teresa Marchand work in the costume shop on outfits for the New Swan Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Pericles.” Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
New UCI Minute Video answers your monkeypox questions
In today’s UCI Minute Video, Bernadette Boden-Albala, director of UCI’s Program in Public Health, answers these questions: What is monkeypox and what are the risks of contracting it?
E. Alison Holman, professor of nursing, helped produce new research on previously unstudied time distortion effects of COVID-19. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
COVID-19 pandemic caused time distortion, research shows
A new report by a team of UCI researchers backs up what many people may have experienced anecdotally during the COVID-19 pandemic: significant time distortions. Specifically, researchers found evidence of “temporal disintegration,” a psychological effect common among survivors of trauma, including difficulty in keeping track of days of the week and feeling that time itself is either being sped up or slowed down. Secondary stresses such as daily COVID-19-related media exposure, school closures, lockdowns and financial difficulties were found to be key predictors of distortions in perceived time. The study, recently published online in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, focused on the first six months of the pandemic.
New research helps scientists understanding parasitic genes
So-called “transposons” are parasitic genes that, rather than encode proteins needed for us to function, make proteins solely to copy their own DNA and insert it into other elements. They comprise over half of human DNA, yet are little understood by scientists. But a recent study by UCI biologists offers new insights into these entities, providing knowledge that could one day help in the fight against cancers and aging-related diseases. Almost all species contain transposons and have developed chemical modifications that stop their continued replication. But the percentage of transposons varies widely across genomes. The UCI biologists sought to understand what has caused this variation.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
More than half with omicron unaware of infection, study says
According to a study published this week by researchers at Cedars-Sinai, the majority of people infected with omicron were unaware that they were carrying the COVID-19 variant, thus likely aiding the virus’ rapid spread. Examining infections that occurred after omicron was first detected in November 2021, researchers analyzed 2,479 blood samples from adult employees and patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, finding that 56% of those who tested positive for the virus didn’t know they were infected.
New CDC monkeypox guidelines for schools say risk is low
Schools and child care centers generally do not need to take extra steps to curb the spread of monkeypox, according to new guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Saying risks to children and adolescents are low, the CDC advises that schools can rely on frequent handwashing and cleaning of surfaces to help reduce the risk of potential cases this fall. The agency's new recommendations come as local health departments across the country are issuing their own recommendations for schools as students return to the classroom.
EVENTS
Let’s Learn Summer Book Club – The Barefoot Spirit; How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand
Friday, noon (sponsored by Division of Continuing Education)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
For high school QBs, learning playbook is a new form of summer school
The Washington Post, Aug. 24
Cited: Keiland Cooper, graduate student researcher, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
The lure of fishing, a Federal Reserve chair and Jackson Hole
Marketplace (audio), Aug. 24
Cited: Gary Richardson, professor of economics
How Have Abortion Rights Changed After The Fall Of Roe And Where Are We Headed?
KPCC - AirTalk (audio), Aug. 23
Cited: Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Chancellor’s Professor of law
#UCICONNECTED
Professor Matthias Lehmann’s new book on 19th century Jewish philanthropist Maurice de Hirsch sheds new light on the origins of contemporary anti-Semitism.
Rewriting modern Jewish history
A new book by Matthias B. Lehmann, Teller Family Chair in Jewish History and professor of history, explores the important role of German railroad mogul Baron Maurice de Hirsch in 19th century philanthropy. The Baron: Maurice de Hirsch and the Jewish Nineteenth Century, which was just released by Stanford University Press, restores the long overlooked role of de Hirsch in modern Jewish history while also providing new insight into the origins of contemporary anti-Semitism. Lehmann has taught at UCI since 2012 and is the founding director of UCI’s Center for Jewish Studies.
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