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.

Could these artificial kidneys end the need for dialysis? | Nature

Similarly, Ira Kurtz, a nephrologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, is working with the U.S. Kidney Research Corporation in Roseville, California, on a suitcase-sized device that could be placed on a desk at work or beside the bed while a person sleeps; future iterations might be small enough to be wearable or even implantable. His device uses levels of filtration as well as other actions to more closely replicate the function of a biological kidney without relying on living cells.

FDA sets new guidelines on mammograms | NBC News

The new rules will require mammogram providers nationwide to notify women if they have dense breast tissue and recommend that they consult with a doctor about whether they need additional screening. … Dr. Anne Hoyt, the co-medical director for breast imaging at UCLA, called it “a step in the right direction.” “Sometimes women that have breast cancers that are present, those breast cancers are not seen on the mammogram because they are hidden by breast density,” she said.

Evacuation, flood fears heightened | Los Angeles Times

In high-elevation areas, the biggest threat from the storm will probably be structural damage as rain makes the snowpack even heavier, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said during a briefing. … “There really will be significant melting of the snowpack — which is substantial at those elevations — as heavy rain falls into it,” Swain said. “But really, the main flood threat is coming from the fact that the storm is just going to bring a significant amount of rainfall in its own right.” (Swain was also quoted by the Washington Post.)  

Understanding gun violence restraining orders | LAist KPCC-FM

“Say family members identify someone as having serious mental struggles and is potentially suicidal. They could go to a court and seek to have the judge issue an order temporarily taking away someone’s firearms,” said UCLA’s Adam Winker.

The problem with arresting victims of human trafficking | San Francisco Chronicle

According to a study by UCLA School of Law researchers, nearly 1 in 3 “loitering with intent” charges from 2017 to 2019 in Los Angeles were rejected due to a lack of sufficient evidence. 

No, hospitals don’t benefit from COVID-19 deaths | Associated Press

And despite what the social media posts claim, the enhanced COVID-19 payments aren’t based on whether the patient lives or dies, experts said. “This is a stupid lie that apparently, like a zombie, refuses to die,” Gerald Kominski, a senior fellow [at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research], wrote in an email. “The most common lie about this fact is that every COVID hospitalization (i.e., including on-Medicare) meant more payment (FALSE) and hospitals only got paid more if the patient died (FALSE).”

Dispelling myths about doctors’ incentives to vaccinate kids | Reuters Fact Check

Nadereh Pourat, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, noted that insurance companies use financial incentives or penalties to promote important preventive care. Examples she has seen included promoting chlamydia screening or checking for cavities in young children, she said in an email. “The hope is to get providers used to routinely providing evidence-based care,” but not to continue providing the incentive forever, Pourat said.

Seniors with anxiety frequently don’t get help | California Healthline

“I cannot think of any danger in identifying anxiety in older adults, especially because doing so has no harm and we can do things to reduce it,” said Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a psychology professor at UCLA.

Surprising health benefits of sunlight | The Healthy

Inflammation in the body is a concern, especially systemic inflammation. “Sunlight has anti-inflammatory effects on the body, which may help reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and asthma,” says Kien Vuu, M.D., a performance and longevity expert who is also an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA.