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.

Megalodons were likely warm-blooded | Popular Science

Most fish are cold-blooded, which means that they rely on the temperature outside of their body to regulate their internal temperatures However, some sharks are surprisingly warm-blooded, storing the heat that is generated by their muscles the way many mammals do. A study published June 26 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that their evolutionary ancestors — the mighty megalodon — also share this endothermic nature. (UCLA’s Robert Eagle, Aradhna Tripati and Robert Flores were quoted. Also: Discover Magazine, Earth.com, Forbes and Scienmag.)

Making contraception free for low-income, uninsured women  | CNN

The reasons for not using contraception vary, but a new report emphasizes the importance of making it affordable — particularly for uninsured women who receive care through Title X, a federal grant program that offers family planning services for low-income individuals on a sliding scale. … “When we just take cost off the table, we see that the decisions women are making are changing a lot,” said Martha Bailey, an economics professor at the University of California Los Angeles and lead author of the research. “It’s a straightforward policy lever to allow women to get their desired contraceptive method — which we think should also reduce a lot of undesired pregnancies that may have ended in abortion.”

1 in 5 LGBT high school students experience hunger | Los Angeles Blade

A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds 20% of LGBT high school students — an estimated 371,000 youth — experienced hunger last month because there was not enough food at home. … “It is essential that the needs of LGBT youth are centered in conversations about food insecurity and interventions targeted to the community are developed,” said lead author Moriah L. Macklin, research data analyst at the [institute].

Landmark study shows higher suicide risk for trans people | New York Times

Based on their search tools, the researchers found that approximately .06 percent of the Danish population was transgender. In contrast, the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, has estimated, using survey data, that the number of people who self-identify as transgender in the United States is 10 times higher than that.

Potential indicator of response to immunotherapy | Medical Xpress

Scientists at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified potential new biomarkers that could indicate how someone diagnosed with metastatic melanoma will respond to immunotherapy treatment. … “Based upon our data, increased presence of B cells and CXCL13 protein in the tumor after immunotherapy treatment may be predictive biomarkers for durable immunotherapy response in melanoma patients and may be avenues to enhance the response rate to immunotherapy in patients diagnosed with melanoma,” said co-senior author of the paper [UCLA’s] Willy Hugo. (UCLA’s Dr. Melissa Lechner was also quoted. Also: Scienmag.)

Geologists use artificial intelligence to predict landslides | Phys.org

A new technique developed by UCLA geologists that uses artificial intelligence to better predict where and why landslides may occur could bolster efforts to protect lives and property in some of the world’s most disaster-prone areas. … “DNNs will deliver a percentage likelihood of a landslide that may be accurate, but we are unable to figure out why and which specific variables were most important in causing the landslide,” said Kevin Shao, a doctoral student in Earth, planetary and space sciences and co–first author of the journal paper. (UCLA’s Khalid Youssef, Seulgi Moon and Louis Bouchard were also quoted.)

What the Sussex’s deal says about current Hollywood | Los Angeles Times

“I do think these deals are going to be fewer and farther apart because there’s a lot of belt-tightening right now,” said Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s former global head of original content, who now teaches at UCLA. Daniels estimates the number of new signings of so-called overall deals will drop significantly next year.

A tick bit me. What do I do now? | Washington Post

Waiting for a characteristic rash can delay recognition of an infection. A study from UCLA found that a third of Black patients diagnosed with Lyme disease were already at an advanced stage with complications such as meningitis — as opposed to about 1 in 10 White patients.