UCLA in the News lists selected mentions of UCLA in the world’s news media. Some articles may require registration or a subscription. See more UCLA in the News.

Helping the paralyzed walk with electrical stimulation | USA Today

The idea of using a stimulator isn’t brand new, said Dr. Daniel Lu, a neurosurgeon at UCLA Health in Los Angeles, where scientists have been using stimulators on paralyzed patients for a decade. But the Swiss team’s work is “exciting in the sense that it is moving more toward reality.” (Also: STAT; UCLA’s Reggie Edgerton is quoted.)

How progressives can take back the Constitution | Atlantic

(Commentary co-written by UCLA’s Joseph Fishkin) America’s slow-burning crisis of economic and political inequality poses a profound challenge to our constitutional system. Today, as in the 1930s, an immediate crisis — then the Depression, now the economic devastation wrought by a pandemic — has laid bare the depth of the challenge. Too much economic and political power is concentrated in too few hands.

COVID infection may give long-lasting antibody boost | HealthDay News

“This study tells us that people have antibodies that hang around after COVID-19, but it doesn’t tell us anything about immunity, as we don’t know what level of natural antibodies is needed for protection,” said Dr. Otto Yang. He is an immunologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine who reviewed the findings. “People can and do get reinfected when they have natural COVID-19 antibodies.”

Who wage theft impacts the most | Modesto Bee

Many employers take advantage of a worker’s immigration status and use it against them as a form of intimidation, said Victor Narro, project director at the UCLA Labor Center, where he focuses on immigrant rights and low-wage workers. “The problem is, undocumented workers are already working under the fear of deportation,” Narro said. “But it’s kind of a double layer of exploitation, because by already working in these industries — whether you have legal status or not — you will be vulnerable to wage theft.”

Risks of COVID infection during pregnancy | Forbes

Most pregnant women exposed to COVID-19 experience mild to no symptoms, but more severe pregnancy complications are associated with symptomatic unvaccinated patients. Yalda Ashfar, an obstetrician at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, warns, “This should shake us and really be a call to action … Vaccination is the clear action item to improve health for pregnant women and their babies.”

Population growing in areas most vulnerable to wildfires | The Conversation

(Commentary co-written by UCLA’s Park Williams) The view from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Southern California can be beautiful — pine forests and chaparral spill across an often rugged landscape. But as more people build homes in this area, where development gets into wild land, they’re facing some of the highest risks for wildfires in the country.

If you’ve had COVID, when are you no longer infectious?  | KPCC-FM

“Rapid antigen tests are going to do a good job of being able to determine whether or not you are potentially still infectious. And if you get a positive test after Day Five, you should isolate until you get a negative rapid antigen test,” said UCLA’s Anne Rimoin (approx. 0:30 mark).

States beginning to lift indoor mask mandates | Newsweek

In an email to Newsweek, Christina Ramirez, professor of biostatistics at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said: “The trend of a 2-to-4-week lag in mortality versus cases is typical in most countries. It is looking like the U.S. is past the peak, and yes, it is significant.”

New home-ownership model hits L.A.  | Los Angeles Times

The particular features of [tenancy-in-common] — the shared ownership structure, for example, and the lack of fixed-rate financing options for them — also mean they aren’t swamped with buyer-interest the way most California homes are these days. If newly built TICs prove reasonably profitable for developers, and the model takes off, it could have a “substantial impact” on improving housing affordability, UCLA professor Paavo Monkkonen said.

Tiny tweaks for a heart-healthy home | Good Housekeeping

You know by now to buy loads of vegetables in every color of the rainbow. On top of that, fill your pantry and fridge with healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, fish, and nuts. “They’re anti-inflammatory,” explains Kien Vuu, MD, assistant professor of health sciences at UCLA and author of “Thrive State,” and they even help reduce “bad” cholesterol levels.