Nov. 4 - Building microgrid communities; custom drugs for Parkinson’s patients
Section 1
An anonymous talent transferred a medley of maintenance covers into an art project. Photo by Ian Parker
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
UCI’s Advanced Power and Energy Program has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and SoCal Edison to develop energy-efficient microgrid communities.
UCI program helping to pioneer microgrid residential communities
The Advanced Power and Energy Program at UCI is working with the Department of Energy, Southern California Edison, SunPower, KB Home and Schneider Electric to develop, deploy and test two microgrid communities in Menifee. A microgrid is a self-supporting energy system that serves a specific geographic area with one or more sources of energy that power the community along with the utility grid. The two communities of 192 homes will have separate microgrids that can be connected when shared resources are determined to benefit both. The goal of the project is to enhance residential energy reliability, resiliency and efficiency as well as leverage flexible loads based on an electric microgrid architecture of connected communities.
Thanks to a customized drug regimen at UCI Health, Parkinson's patient Ana Maria Grinovero is walking again. Photo by Jared Novakovich
Individually customized treatment shows promise for Parkinson’s patients
While visiting Spain in 2019, Ana Maria Grinovero, then 74, noticed her left leg was shaking while driving. The trembling continued when she returned home. Soon, her doctor diagnosed her with Parkinson’s disease, which progressed rapidly. Grinovero had to quit her job, sell her house and move in with her son, who lived in a nearby Miami neighborhood. She was in a wheelchair when she first met with Dr. Nicolás Phielipp, a specialist with the UCI Health Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program, in January 2021. But thanks to a customized drug regimen overseen by Phielipp, Grinovero is walking unaided and traveling again.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Friday fun fact
Continuing to climb: UC undergraduate alumni earnings continue to grow, doubling between two and nine years after graduation to more than 2.5 times by year 15.
Is it time to make daylight saving time permanent?
At 2 a.m. on Sunday, the U.S. will set its clocks back an hour as daylight saving time comes to an end. The idea of complete darkness arriving relatively early in the evening until early March isn’t exactly popular with many Americans, and media outlets including The Orange County Register are raising the question of whether it's finally time to stop adjusting our clocks back and forth each year. There’s no indication that such a change is likely to occur soon, although Mexico just passed legislation that is expected to end the practice this year. Until then, a study published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that forcing yourself to smile in the days following the time change can help your body handle the stress. "The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress," says Sarah Pressman, a UCI professor of psychological science, “you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment. Not only will it help you 'grin and bear it' psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well."
EVENTS
Virtual Open House
Tuesday, 11 a.m. (sponsored by UCI Graduate Division)
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.
‘This Is Our March 2020’: Children’s Hospitals Are Overwhelmed by R.S.V.
The New York Times, Nov. 1
Cited: Dr. Coleen Cunningham, chair of pediatrics
7 Things About RSV You Need Know, According to Doctors
Eat This, Not That!, Nov. 4
Cited: Bernadette Boden-Albala, director and founding dean of Program in Public Health
Suellen Hopfer, University of California Irvine – Social Media Strategies to Educate Young Adults on Vaccines
The Academic Minute (audio), Nov. 4
Guest: Suellen Hopfer, assistant professor of health, society and behavior
#UCICONNECTED
UCI’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute encourages education and social connection for (mostly) seniors.
Daily Pilot takes a trip with UCI’s OLLI program
UCI’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is an organization of committed and curious lifelong learners who want to continue enhancing their lives through shared educational activities. There’s no age requirement to join the group, but it’s mostly made up of folks older than 60. Aside from one paid employee, OLLI, which is affiliated with the Division of Continuing Education, is made up strictly of volunteers who generally meet off-campus. Daily Pilot columnist Patrice Apodoca recently spent the day with OLLI and came away convinced that it provides a much-needed outlet for creative minds looking for more stimulating social activity in today’s often isolating world.
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