Feb. 14 - Anteater love stories, COVID case decline continues
Section 1
For Valentine’s Day, the UCI community was asked to share how they met their sweethearts on campus. Thank you to all who shared Anteater Love Stories! #UCILove
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
UCI’s COVID-19 cases continue downward trend
Last week, UCI recorded 101 confirmed and probable cases. There were 204 the week prior and 327 the week before that. The campus test positivity rate is under 1%, at 0.97%. During the peak of the pandemic, it was over 17%.
Mega events guidance to be updated
Effective Wednesday (Feb. 15), the mega events guidance from the California Department of Public Health is reverting back numbers from before the omicron surge. Indoor events will allow for up to 1,000 people, and outdoor events are recommended for up to 10,000 people. Proof of vaccination or a negative test will still be required to attend an event. Masking requirements remain in effect until further notice.
UCI study links air pollution to premature menopause
A type of air pollution known as fine particulate matter can cause loss of ovarian function, according to research by Ulrike Luderer, professor of environmental and occupational health and corresponding author of a study published in the journal Particle and Fiber Toxicology. Premature ovarian failure, often called premature menopause, is associated with an increased risk of negative health outcomes, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Campus astrophysicists discover how galaxies can exist without dark matter
Conventional celestial wisdom contends that dark matter must exist in galaxies because, without its gravitational effects, things like the motion of a galaxy’s stars cannot be explained. However, astrophysicists from UCI and Pomona College report in a new Nature Astronomy study that bigger galaxies can strip smaller galaxies of their dark matter when the star systems collide.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Why COVID-19 vaccines are a ‘freaking miracle’
Two years into the pandemic, it’s easy to lament all that has come to pass. The devastating losses. The upending of what we regarded as normal ways of life. The sheer relentlessness of it all. But let’s stop for a moment and consider something else that may have escaped you: You have witnessed — and you are a beneficiary of — a freaking miracle: the development, testing, manufacturing and global distribution of COVID vaccines.
EVENTS
Author Discussion with Deborah Lipstadt, Wednesday, noon (sponsored by UCI Libraries)
Toward Climate and Environmental Justice in Indigenous Communities: The Role of STEM Research, Community Engagement, and Education
Wednesday, noon (sponsored by School of Social Sciences)
Let’s Talk AfroLatinidad: Writing as an Act of Liberation
Wednesday, 4 p.m. (sponsored by Latinx Resource Center)
Painting Night
Wednesday, 5 p.m. (sponsored by ASUCI)
“The Truth about Dietary Supplements” Author Mahtab Jafari and Chef Jessica Van Roo
Wednesday, 5 p.m. (sponsored by Illuminations: The Chancellor's Arts & Culture Initiative)
Beall Center Art + Ecology Series: Carolina Caycedo
Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Illuminations: The Chancellor’s Arts & Culture Initiative)
Anteater Wellness Wednesday: New Year, New Healthy You!
Wednesday, 7 p.m. (sponsored by School of Medicine Alumni Chapter)
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.
How likely is an L.A. COVID spike after the Super Bowl?
KTLA5, Feb. 11
Cited: Andrew Noymer, epidemiologist and associate professor of public health
What’s behind Republican anger at the NFL? Shifting views on race
Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11
Cited: Michael Tesler, professor of political science
Does My Child Have COVID-19 or the Stomach Flu?
Parents, Feb. 11
Cited: José Mayorga, executive director, UCI Health Family Health Centers and assistant clinical professor of family medicine, School of Medicine
#UCICONNECTED
Heart on the brain: Out of love for her family, Ninaz Valisharifabad studies how the heart and brain function together.
#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.