In a Nature study published this week, UBC researchers used temperature preferences of fish and other marine species as a sort of “thermometer” to assess effects of climate change on the worlds oceans between 1970 and 2006.

They found that global fisheries catches were increasingly dominated by warm-water species as a result of fish migrating towards the poles in response to rising ocean temperatures.

NB: An infographic illustrating fish distribution worldwide as a result of climate change is available at http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/?p=91009. Members of the media may download a copy of the graphic at http://ow.ly/kL4NN.

“One way for marine animals to respond to ocean warming is by moving to cooler regions,” says the study’s lead author William Cheung, an assistant professor at UBC’s Fisheries Centre. “As a result, places like New England on the northeast coast of the U.S. saw new species typically found in warmer waters, closer to the tropics.

“Meanwhile in the tropics, climate change meant fewer marine species and reduced catches, with serious implications for food security.”

“We’ve been talking about climate change as if it’s something that’s going to happen in the distant future – our study shows that it has been affecting our fisheries and oceans for decades,” says Daniel Pauly, principal investigator with UBC’s Sea Around Us Project and the study’s co-author. “These global changes have implications for everyone in every part of the planet.”

A summary of the study is available here.

The study, published today in the online journal PLOS ONE, followed 86 women, aged 70- to 80-years-old, who were randomly assigned to participate in weight training classes, outdoor walking classes, or balance and toning classes (such as yoga and pilates) for six months. All participants have mild cognitive impairment, a well-recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

NB: Images and a short video of study participants exercising are available at http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/?p=92027. Members of the media can download the images and video at http://ow.ly/kKXjS. The researchers are only available for phone interviews. 

The researchers tabulated the total costs incurred by each participant in accessing a variety of health care resources.

“We found that those who participated in the cardio or weight training program incurred fewer health care resources – such as doctor visits and lab tests – compared to those in the balance and toning program,” says Jennifer Davis, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study.

The study is the latest in a series of studies that assess the efficacy of different types of training programs on cognitive performance in elderly patients. An earlier study, published in February in the Journal of Aging Research, showed aerobic and weight training also improved cognitive performance in study participants. Those on balance and toning programs did not.

“While balance and toning exercises are good elements of an overall health improvement program, you can’t ‘down-dog’ your way to better brain health,” says Teresa Liu-Ambrose, an Associate Professor in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and a member of the Brain Research Centre at UBC and VCH Research Institute. “The new study also shows that cardio and weight training are more cost-effective for the health care system.”

BACKGROUND | Exercise benefits for the brain

The new studies build on previous research by Prof. Liu-Ambrose, Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity, Mobility, Cognitive Neuroscience and a member of the Centre for Hip Health & Mobility, where she found that once- or twice-weekly weight training may help minimize cognitive decline and impaired mobility in seniors.

Research method

The weight training classes included weighted exercises targeting different muscle groups for a whole-body workout. The aerobic training classes were an outdoor walking program targeted to participants’ age-specific target heart rate. The balance and toning training classes were representative of exercise programs commonly available in the community such as Osteofit, yoga, or Tai Chi.

Other members of the research team include Stirling Bryan (UBC), Carlo Marra (UBC), Devika Sharma (UBC), Alison Chan (UBC), Lynn Beattie (UBC, VCH, and Brain Research Centre), and Peter Graf (UBC and Brain Research Centre).

Funding partners:

This study was supported by a grant from the Pacific Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. Teresa Liu-Ambrose and Jennifer Davis are also supported by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Prof. Liu-Ambrose is also supported by the Canada Research Chairs program.

The Brain Research Centre comprises more than 225 investigators with multidisciplinary expertise in neuroscience research ranging from the test tube, to the bedside, to industrial spin-offs. The Centre is a partnership of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and VCHRI. www.brain.ubc.ca

The UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative programs in the health and life sciences, teaching students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and generates more than $200 million in research funding each year. www.med.ubc.ca.

Vancouver Coastal Health provides a full range of health care services, ranging from hospital treatment to community-based residential, home health, mental health and public health services, to residents of Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond, and in the coastal mountain communities. VCH Research Institute is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health. In academic partnership with the University of British Columbia, VCHRI brings innovation and discovery to patient care. ICORD is a principal research program of VCHRI. www.vch.ca.

May 14 Event  Election night: Political experts, students and community gather to watch the results come in live. Students and staff will be covering the election results and expert analysis on a live blog

Time  7:30 p.m.
Location  Liu Institute for Global Issues
6476 NW Marine Drive
Map  http://www.maps.ubc.ca/?496

UBC experts will be available through a hotline (778.869.2327) and Skype (ubcpolisci). Media are welcome to attend.

Follow the live blog http://www.democracy.arts.ubc.ca/2013/05/09/bc-election-2013/
Follow the hashtag   #UBCelxn

Contact  Rebecca Monnerat, UBC Political Science
Cell: 778.869.2327
Skype ID: ubcpolisci

May 15 Event  Panel debrief of the election and results followed by media availability

Time  10 – 11 a.m.
Location  UBC Robson Square
800 Robson Street
HSBC Hall, Room #C680
Map:  http://goo.gl/maps/gFdxV

Follow the live blog http://www.democracy.arts.ubc.ca/2013/05/09/bc-election-2013/
Follow the hashtag   #UBCelxn

Panelists include:

Max Cameron, Dept. of Political Science

• Key strategic decisions
• Political leadership and political reform
• Political parties and the electorate, including the parties’ stance on the expansion of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline

Werner Antweiler, Sauder School of Business

• B.C. election prediction market

Kathryn Harrison, Dept. of Political Science

• Environmental issues

Richard Johnston, Dept. of Political Science

• Polling and public opinion
• Campaigns
• B.C.’s first provincial Vote Compass 

For more information about both events, visit: http://www.democracy.arts.ubc.ca/2013/05/09/bc-election-2013/

-30-

“Our perception of the world is altered by stress – and we show how significant the mistreatment of our fellow humans impacts us, physiologically,” says lead author and UBC Sauder School of Business Professor Daniel Skarlicki. “This is just a glimpse into the kinds of physical effects workplace stress has on us. Managers really need to foster fair environments for employees.”

The study, to be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, involved a number of experiments. The first had participants recalling fair or unfair workplace events, followed by a test in which they rated how strong a food tasted.

Those who recounted a situation of injustice rated the taste as much as 10 per cent stronger compared to those who recounted an act of fairness.

In a second experiment, participants watched scenes from the UK version of the TV show The Office involving clearly unjust and neutral situations. Participants who viewed the unjust treatment again reported food tasting as much as 10 per cent stronger.

The authors found that experiencing or observing injustice led to feelings of moral disgust, which subsequently related to a stronger sense of taste.

“For example, if patrons see a chef abusing staff, a la Gordon Ramsey, their senses will become heightened, and their food will taste more intense,” says Skarlicki. “I’m not recommending abuse as a form of seasoning, of course – but this study shows just how strongly workplace abuse affects us.”

BACKGROUNDER

The paper, Does injustice affect your sense of taste and smell? The mediating role of moral disgust, was co-authored by Sauder Profs. JoAndrea Hoegg and Karl Aquino, with Prof. Thierry Nadisic of EMLYON Business School.

Video clip of the TV show “The Office,” starring Ricky Gervais, which was used in the study: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deW4TEOHCSU.

– 30 –

Today, after a process that spanned more than five years including two years of probationary play, the UBC Okanagan Heat received the votes necessary from other teams to become members of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA).

The CWUAA is a division of the country’s top league, Canadian Interuniversity Sports, and full membership in the national CIS will be voted on at its June 2-4 annual general meeting

“It is wonderful news for our institution and our athletics program and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to our application – and that’s a big group of people,” says Director of Athletics and Recreation Rob Johnson. “Back in 2007, full membership in Canada West and the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) was one of a number of institutional goals that were set, and it is very gratifying to see it achieved.”

UBC’s Okanagan campus becomes the 14^th member of Canada West, joining UBC’s Vancouver Thunderbird teams and universities from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

UBC Okanagan Heat men’s and women’s volleyball and basketball teams will continue competing in Canada West and the men’s and women’s soccer teams will also start competing in the association in 2014.  The soccer application was submitted in 2012 and was conditionally accepted pending the successful vote on full membership.

UBC President Prof. Stephen Toope says the move to accept Heat teams as full members of CWUAA is extremely gratifying.

“Strong UBC Okanagan Heat teams playing at the highest level invigorates school spirit and brings students, alumni and the community together to cheer them on,” says Prof. Toope. “Seeing the UBC Thunderbirds and Heat compete against each other is a great motivator for both campuses. With great conviction I can say, ‘Go UBC!’”

Deborah Buszard, deputy vice-chancellor and principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus, says the Heat’s full membership in CWUAA is a significant milestone.

“Our UBC Okanagan Heat are now officially recognized amongst the best university teams in the country,” says Buszard. “Our entire campus and the communities of the Okanagan are proud to cheer them on. Heat student athletes are outstanding ambassadors of our campus with their commitment and dedication to athletic competition and scholastic achievement.”

BACKGROUND

Canada West teams vote to approve UBC Okanagan Heat full membership

The process began in December 2007 when Prof. Toope and then-Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Doug Owram submitted a letter of intent to apply to Canada West for membership.

Prior to gaining probationary status in 2010, the first step of the process, the Heat played their final year of men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball in the BC Colleges’ Athletics Association (BCCAA) with both volleyball squads capturing provincial gold in the last collegiate games on their home floor.

Canada West policy requires a minimum three-quarters majority vote to grant full member status. Full member status grants UBC’s Okanagan campus voting rights, and it can also apply to add new sports.

The next and final step for the Heat in this membership process will be confirmation of full membership status at the CIS annual general meeting from June 4 to 7 in Toronto.

Additional quotes:

Ian Cull, associate vice-president students at UBC’s Okanagan campus
“The ability for our UBC student athletes to play at the highest level of competition makes our campus a destination of choice for more and more students,” says Cull. “It is a great thrill going to Heat games and seeing our fans get behind their teams in a big way.”

Steve Manuel, head coach of the Heat women’s volleyball team and national coach of the year
“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” says Manuel. “The perception to athletes, recruits and the community that we are full members will be a benefit to building our programs. This stability gives prospective recruits a solid reason to choose UBC’s Okanagan campus, knowing that they will always be playing against top-tier teams during their university years.”

Canada West will release its basketball and volleyball schedules Monday and Tuesday, June 10 and 11, respectively.

For more information, visit: http://www.canadawest.org/custompages/Releases/2013-14/050913_Membership.pdf

However, the report notes there are significant differences in performance among the different NDP premiers. Also, real median income in B.C. compared with other provinces rose significantly more under the BC Liberals.

The study by associate professor Tsur Somerville compares B.C.’s economic and fiscal performance under the NDP and Liberals against the performance of other provinces.

The report finds that the NDP government under Mike Harcourt controlled debt and expenditures better than the governments led by Glen Clark, Dan Miller, and Ujjal Dosanjh, and both BC Liberal premiers. The Liberals under Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark also outperformed the Clark, Miller and Dosanjh governments, according to his assessment.

When averaged over time, B.C.’s ratio of net debt to GDP and the ratio of government program expenses to GDP were lower under the NDP, when compared to other provinces’ economies since 1991.

“Looking at the last two decades there are periods of both good and bad fiscal management by both parties,” says Somerville.

Other key findings include:

• Total employment growth under the NDP and Liberals was fairly similar.
• Job growth under the NDP was driven by growth in public sector employment.
• Job growth under the Liberals resulted from greater private sector employment growth.
• The Liberals benefited from a more favourable macro-economic environment than the NDP, with dramatically higher commodity price growth and lower interest rates.

Elizabeth Dunn, a UBC psychology professor, and Michael Norton, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School, have built on earlier studies to compile rare global evidence that people around the world experience emotional rewards from using their money to benefit others. New studies in Canada, India and South Africa, and analysis of data from 136 other countries provided new insights for their book.

“We tested this idea in poor countries where many of our participants reported having trouble meeting their basic needs,” said Dunn. “And even in these relatively impoverished areas of the world we find people are happier when they spend money on others rather than themselves.”

Given that it’s rare to find such global evidence, Dunn and Norton believe they may have found a psychologically universal human trait.

“The reward experienced from helping others may be deeply ingrained in human nature and be present in diverse cultural contexts,” said Norton.

Based on the research and findings from related work, Dunn and Norton propose five core principles:

• Buy experiences – like trips, concerts and special meals that inoculate against buyer’s remorse.
• Make it a treat – making daily habits into special indulgences increases satisfaction.
• Buy time – before making a purchase, ask yourself, “How will this change how I use my time?”.
• Pay now, consume later – paying up-front and delaying consumption maximizes the pleasure of anticipation and reduces debt.
• Invest in others – spending money on others provides a bigger happiness boost than spending on oneself.

Presidents and students from universities around the world will be at the University of British Columbia May 8-10 to explore the impact of new technology on learning and research.

Part of the annual meeting and presidential symposium of Universitas 21 (U21), the four-day conference brings together leaders, senior administrators and students from 25 universities in 16 countries on five continents. U21 is a network of research universities for the 21^st century.

“The rapid development of information technology spells new challenges for us, but it also opens intriguing opportunities to better engage students and conduct research in a hyper-connected global community,” says UBC president Stephen Toope. “A forum like U21 allows member universities to discuss these emerging issues.”

For the first time, a concurrent U21 student symposium will take place May 7-8 with 45 students from U21 member universities. Delegates will present the assembled U21 presidents with a joint challenge on May 9 to advance higher learning.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dominic Barton, UBC alumnus and managing director of global business consultancy McKinsey & Co., on Thursday, May 9. Barton will share his insights on leadership and change.

For more information, visit http://ow.ly/kEQxp.

BACKGROUND | U21

About Universitas 21

Universitas 21 is the leading global network of research-intensive universities, working together to foster global citizenship and institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting our students and staff, and wider advocacy for internationalisation.

Collectively, its 24 members enrol over 1.3 million students and employ over 180,000 staff and faculty. Their collective budgets amount to over US$25bn and they have an annual research grant income of over US$6.5bn.

U21 member universities (by country):

Australia

University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales
University of Queensland

Canada

McGill University
University of British Columbia

Chile

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

China

Fudan University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Hong Kong

University of Hong Kong

India

University of Delhi

Ireland

University College Dublin

Japan

Waseda University

Mexico

Tecnológico de Monterrey

New Zealand

University of Auckland

Singapore

National University of Singapore

South Korea

Korea University

Sweden

Lund University

The Netherlands

University of Amsterdam

United Kingdom

University of Birmingham
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Nottingham

The UBC Skatepark, made of concrete and galvanized steel, offers a range of jumps, banks and obstacles for riders of various skill levels, from beginner to expert. Key park features include an open snake-run bowl, a cantilevered quarterpipe, an angled slappy bank, and stair set, complete with handrail and ledge.

Editors: UBC and UNA spokespeople can be at the skatepark from noon-12:45 pm PST today – or are available by phone before and after. Call Basil Waugh 604-219-8077 to schedule interviews. Download high resolution images, video and B-roll here. 

“The UBC Skatepark is an exciting new outdoor space,” said Carole Jolly, UBC Campus and Community Planning’s Director of Transportation. “We have a large number of skateboarders and other action sport enthusiasts on campus and we had a unique opportunity to provide them, and the greater community, with a dynamic new space.”

The skatepark’s most distinctive feature is a stack of large books made of concrete and steel, which riders can shred, grind and jump off and onto. This one-of-a-kind feature reflects UBC’s academic environment and is engraved with a fitting quote: “One must work and dare if one really wants to live,” from Vincent Van Gogh.

To watch a video about the new skatepark, visit youtu.be/3gLUZMWhXsg.

The nearly $500,000 project is a partnership between UBC and the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) – which represents the growing campus population of 18,000 residents. Development of the park included significant consultation with the community and UBC Athletics.

“This project sprang from UBC and the UNA respectfully listening to our constituents,” says Dr. Erica Frank, a UBC professor of public health and UNA board member. “They now have a safe new place to have fun and be active. It’s going to bring a lot of people an awful lot of joy.”

Learn more at: http://transportation.ubc.ca/2013/04/30/ubc-skatepark/

Background:

The UBC Skatepark is located on the Vancouver campus at the intersection of Thunderbird Boulevard and Health Sciences Mall, about five minutes from the UBC bus loop.

Built beside an outdoor basketball court, the UBC Skatepark completes a block of recreation infrastructure, including the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre and UBC Tennis Centre

The UBC Skatepark is the latest of several new completed skateparks in the region. Vancouver has nine or more designated skateboard areas, including last year’s Mount Pleasant Park at 16th and Ontario St. There are more than 120 skateparks across B.C., including some 50 across Metro Vancouver.

UBC is creating a sustainable residential community where more than 18,000 students, staff, faculty and other residents live, work and learn together. UBC provides more student housing than any university in Canada.

The UBC Skatepark has a sustainable stormwater management system that collects and stores rainwater to irrigate nearby plants and help reduce campus erosion. The plants will help treat the water before it returns to UBC’s water system.

– 30 –

UBC’s Summer Institute for Future Legislators is for people of any political stripe who want to be prepared for elected service. It will run from June to August and offer skills development and mentoring on such topics as lawmaking, budgeting, media training, ethics, protocol and balancing political, personal and family life.

“We trust politicians with some of the biggest decisions in our lives, but offer and require surprisingly little training to prepare them for government,” said UBC Political Science Prof. Maxwell Cameron, the director of UBC’s Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (CSDI). “Our goal is to give people the skills they need to be effective elected officials before they enter government – and ultimately, to help more good people go into politics.”

Former government officials from across the political spectrum will share their expertise with participants, including Preston Manning, former Leader of the Official Opposition, former B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt, former cabinet ministers Anne McLellan and Chuck Strahl, and former Speaker of the Ontario Legislature Steve Peters. Veteran political journalists will advise participants on media communications.

[Editors: Cameron, Manning, Harcourt, McLellan and Strahl are available before and after an 11 a.m.-2 p.m. PST meeting at UBC on Monday, April 29.]

Now accepting applications, the non-partisan Summer Institute will begin with Saturday workshops in June and July, followed by a week-long model parliament in August. An online component will enable participants from across Canada to watch, submit questions and interact in real time.

The Institute is the first step toward a proposed Model Parliament for Canada at UBC. To reside in UBC’s CSDI, the proposed academic program is being envisioned as one the world’s first comprehensive training programs for aspiring legislators.

Learn more at http://www.democracy.arts.ubc.ca.

Quotes:

“The Summer Institute will provide intensive hand-on mentoring and training for anyone seeking the experience and training necessary to make a difference at the local, provincial or federal level,” says UBC Prof. Max Cameron. “We’re soliciting applications from a diverse and cross-partisan group of women and men of all ages and backgrounds. The only prerequisite are political aspirations and a readiness to learn from highly experienced practitioners.”

“I am a great believer in political parties,” says Preston Manning, a longtime champion of the Model Parliament concept. “But the modern party has become almost exclusively a marketing tool for fighting elections. They do very little training despite the fact that people are their only real assets. We want to prepare people for government, and to help strengthen our democracy.”

“Most MPs acknowledge arriving in Ottawa feeling largely unprepared for what lays ahead,” says Alison Loat, Executive Director of Samara, a charitable organization that recently conducted exit interviews with MPs. “They recall their initial orientation to Parliament as hurried, slap-dash or altogether absent. The Summer Institute for Future Legislators program has the potential to enable people interested in politics to better understand the many aspects of Parliament and help build better elected leaders.”

BACKGROUNDER

Canada has more than 26,000 elected officials, including 308 MPs, more than 800 provincial and territorial officials, and some 25,000 municipal officials.

UBC Summer Institute for Future Legislators

Women and men of all backgrounds and ages with political aspirations who want to learn from experienced politicians and political watchers are encouraged to apply to the inaugural Institute.

The program costs $475. Students can participate for academic credit with permission of the instructors.

Topics:

• Representative government: the constitution, theories of representation, rule of law, lawmaking, ethics
• Constituency work: knowing your constituency, small office management, work/life balance, ethics
• Communications: political and parliamentary communications, speeches, media relations, social media, ethics
• Parliamentary roles and procedures: caucus, cabinet, committees, opposition, question period, ethics
• Legislation: private member’s bills, house duty, voting on bills, budget estimates and supply bills, policy development, ethics
• Relationships: elected officials and the bureaucracy, judiciary, lobbyists and interest groups, social movements, inter-governmental relations, conflict of interest, ethics

– 30 –

Lane, who grew up in Vernon, is a prolific writer with more than 27 books of poetry to his credit. He has also published a book of short stories, the novel Red Dog, Red Dog set in the Okanagan valley, and What the Stones Remember, a memoir about his battle with addiction. His latest work, The Collected Poems of Patrick Lane, includes 400 poems written during a career spanning more than 50 years.

Lane, 73, will be presented with an honorary doctoral degree during the 3:30 p.m. convocation ceremony on Thursday, June 6.

Burtynsky is known for his uncanny ability to photograph the gritty reality of industrial landscapes in locations from southern Ontario to Italy, Bangladesh, China and Australia. His work is housed in more than 50 major museums.

The photographer’s imagery explores the link between industry and nature, combining the raw elements of mining, quarrying, manufacturing, shipping, oil production and recycling into eloquent, highly expressive visions that find beauty and humanity in the most unlikely of places.

Burtynsky, 58, will receive his honorary doctoral degree at the 8:30 a.m. ceremony on Friday, June 7.

The University awards honorary degrees in recognition of substantial contributions to society at the provincial, national or international levels. All convocation ceremonies take place in the gym at UBC’s Okanagan campus, 3211 Athletics Way, Kelowna.

Recipients of honorary degrees at UBC’s Vancouver campus were announced in March and can be found at: www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2013/03/19/first-nations-advocate-and-eco-activist-among-honorary-degree-recipients

—30—

BACKGROUND

Patrick Lane

Patrick Lane’s writing has appeared in major anthologies used in university classrooms across Canada, including the most recent Oxford Anthology of Canadian Literature in English, and Twentieth Century Poetry and Poetics. He has won numerous literary awards but is most proud of his Governor General’s Award for poetry in 1978, and the inaugural BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.

He has led writing workshops at summer schools across the country and has taught at both the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and at the University of Victoria. He’s been a writer in residence at the universities of Manitoba, Alberta, Ottawa, and Toronto, and at Concordia in Montreal. When not writing poetry, he can be found working in his garden. He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife Lorna Crozier, also an award-winning Canadian poet.

Edward Burtynsky

Photographer Edward Burtynsky has won numerous awards including the Order of Canada in 2006. In 2010 he won the $20,000 Award in Contemporary Art from the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto. He has also received the Technology, Entertainment and Design Prize, The Outreach award at the Rencontres d’Arles summer festival of photography, The Flying Elephant Fellowship, Applied Arts Magazine book award, and the Roloff Beny Book award. Burtynsky was the subject of the internationally acclaimed, award-winning 2006 documentary film, Manufactured Landscapes.

He started taking pictures as a child with a used camera and darkroom equipment his dad purchased. Born in 1955 in St. Catharine’s, Ont., a town dependent on the auto industry, Burtynsky grew up in a heavily industrial, yet picturesque part of the country. He attended Ryerson, where he earned his degree in photography, and studied graphic art at Niagara College.

The project integrates one megawatt hour of stored energy — enough to power an average home for 1,000 hours — into a power grid that supports three major campus facilities.

Initially created in response to the university’s need for emergency back-up power at UBC’s Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility (BDRF), the energy storage system will advance research on integrating renewable-energy sources, like solar and wind, into large power grids.

The smart grid technology will allow the storage of clean power when it is generated and its use in times of peak demand. Most community power grids do not have this capacity.  The technology is also a key requirement for integrating clean-energy sources into the power grid.

“This partnership is an opportunity to use the campus as a living lab, integrating research with operations and developing technologies aimed at solving local, national, and global sustainability challenges at a scalable, commercially viable level,” said Prof. Toope. “Alpha and Corvus’s contributions will power this work and their leadership will light the way for others to follow.”

Alpha, Corvus and UBC researchers will develop the system’s automated control software and study its capacity to provide back up for critical energy demand and to be integrated into the University’s power grid.

Research and data generated by the project will help demonstrate and evaluate scalable clean-energy solutions for cities and communities, and assist UBC in reaching the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 100 percent from 2007 levels by 2050.

The funding is part of UBC’s start an evolution campaign, Canada’s most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, which has raised more than $1 billion to date.

Images available upon request. 

Quotes:

“Alpha has had a long history of working with local universities in supporting research into sustainable power electronics and renewable energy,” said Victor Goncalves, Director of Research & Advanced Development at Alpha. “The Living Lab is a multimillion dollar collaboration on smart grid and energy management that will, one day, greatly benefit industry and consumers alike.”

“This micro smart grid project represents a bold step forward that serves as a blueprint for future smart grid implementation for Corvus, UBC and Alpha,” said Corvus Energy’s CEO Brent Perry. “It will accelerate the realization that the ‘utility of the future’ safely delivers reliable, efficient, CO₂-free energy storage solutions that not only reduce costs but also preserve our planet’s resources. We look forward to working with Alpha and UBC to implement this system locally and to use the knowledge gained to pursue larger projects globally.”

Background: The project

• The system will be deployed at three energy nodes on campus— BRDF, the Kaiser Building and the Networks of Centres of Excellence Building.
• Corvus Energy donated 154 battery modules plus interconnection hardware and battery management software.
• Alpha Technologies provided 450kVA of power supply hardware and centralized management/control software. Information can be downloaded at: www.alpha.ca/livinglab.
• Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy Fund, UBC Building Operations and UBC Faculty of Applied Science provided additional funding.

UBC’s sustainability leadership:

• UBC’s aims to reduce institutional greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 33 per cent by 2015 (below 2007 levels), by 67 per cent by 2020 and to have zero emissions by 2050.
• The energy storage project is one of five UBC projects, valued at $150 million, that will reduce institutional GHG emissions by 33 per cent by 2015.
• UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) opened in 2011 as North America’s “greenest” building, designed to regenerate the environment and advance research, innovation and outreach on urban sustainability challenges.
• UBC’s BDRF opened in 2012 as the first demonstration of its kind in the world of a community-scale heat and power system fuelled by biomass.
• UBC is creating a sustainable residential community where more than 18,000 students, staff, faculty and other residents live, work and learn together. UBC provides more student housing than any university in Canada.
• UBC was the first Canadian university to meet the Kyoto Protocol requirements, received Canada’s first gold STARS rating, and is regularly ranked among the world’s greenest campuses.

For more information:

• www.sustain.ubc.ca
• www.alpha.ca/livinglab
• www.corvus-energy.com/project_profile_UBC_living_lab/
• www.ece.ubc.ca

UBC is among the first Canadian universities to join The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program and one of only 15 institutions in the world participating in the $500 million global education initiative. The Program offers secondary and university education to academically talented students who come from economically disadvantaged communities in Africa so they can lead change in their communities when they return home.

The MasterCard Foundation grant is the largest contribution to student support of UBC’s start an evolution* campaign, the most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian university history.

A video about The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC is available at http://youtu.be/lQl8eLzp2HU. Members of the media can download a copy of the video from Dropbox.

“This transformative grant will help support a new generation of African leaders and will enhance UBC and Canada’s connections with Africa for the future,” says UBC President Stephen Toope. “The UBC community will be enriched by these students’ talent, experience and insights.”

UBC will support The MasterCard Foundation Scholars throughout their education, helping ease the transition to a post-secondary institution in Canada and ensuring they have access to mentorship and academic and social supports.

“The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program will develop next-generation leaders who will have a transformational impact in developing countries,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “McGill University, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto bring tremendous expertise to our vision. The diversity and excellence of their institutions will offer Scholars an extraordinary opportunity for learning and exchange of knowledge.”

The first cohort of Scholars will arrive at UBC this fall. Over the next 10 years, UBC expects to welcome 77 undergraduate and 35 master’s degree students through the Program.

For more information about UBC’s involvement with The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, visit: http://internationalscholars.ubc.ca/mastercardfoundation/

*UBC’s start an evolution campaign is the most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history with a twin goal of raising $1.5 billion and involving 50,000 alumni annually in the life of the university by 2015. For more information, visit startanevolution.ubc.ca.

BACKGROUND

About The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program offers secondary and university education to academically talented students who come from economically disadvantaged communities in Africa. Students receive a comprehensive set of supports throughout their education – education relevant to growth sectors in Africa, mentoring, opportunities for community service, and internships and jobs through a network of employers in Africa – so they can successfully transition into the workforce and lead change in their communities when they return home. To learn more about The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, visit www.mastercardfdnscholars.org.

For further information about The MasterCard Foundation and the Program, please contact:

Toni Tiemens, The MasterCard Foundation, +1-647-837-5787
ttiemens@mastercardfdn.org

Jessica Howe, beSPEAK Communications, +1-416-844-3903
jhowe@bespeakcommunications.com

Editors Note: Upcoming Event

Roundtable Discussion: On April 22nd, 2013, the Presidents of The MasterCard Foundation, McGill University, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto will be participating in a Roundtable discussion on Education Partnerships between Canada and Africa hosted by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa. For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15039&lan=eng.

-30-

Published in the Association for Psychological Science journal Psychological Science, the study advances our understanding of how the human brain processes different kinds of pain.

“Pain exists in many forms, including the distress that people feel when exposed to thoughts of existential uncertainty and death,” says lead author Daniel Randles, UBC Dept. of Psychology. “Our study suggests these anxieties may be processed as ‘pain’ by the brain – but Tylenol seems to inhibit the signal telling the brain that something is wrong.”

The study builds on recent American research that found acetaminophen – the generic form of Tylenol – can successfully reduce the non-physical pain of being ostracized from friends. The UBC team sought to determine whether the drug had similar effects on other unpleasant experiences – in this case, existential dread.

In the study, participants took acetaminophen or a placebo while performing tasks designed to evoke this kind of anxiety – including writing about death or watching a surreal David Lynch video – and then assign fines to different types of crimes, including public rioting and prostitution.

Compared to a placebo group, the researchers found the people taking acetaminophen were significantly more lenient in judging the acts of the criminals and rioters – and better able to cope with troubling ideas. The results suggest that participants’ existential suffering was “treated” by the headache drug.

“That a drug used primarily to alleviate headaches may also numb people to the worry of thoughts of their deaths, or to the uneasiness of watching a surrealist film – is a surprising and very interesting finding,” says Randles, a PhD candidate who authored the study with Prof. Steve Heine and Nathan Santos. 

Backgrounder

While the findings suggest that acetaminophen can help to reduce anxiety, the researchers caution that further research – and clinical trials – must occur before acetaminophen should be considered a safe or effective treatment for anxiety.

The study, The Common Pain of Surrealism and Death: Acetaminophen Reduces Compensatory Affirmation Following Meaning Threats, is available by request.

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One of only six double-barrier reefs in the world and home to nearly 200 threatened species, Danajon Bank is an evolutionary birthplace of fish and other species found all over the Pacific ocean. Currently, 500,000 people depend on it as a source of food and income. As a result, the region is coming under increasing human pressures, including overfishing.

“Project Seahorse has helped establish dozens of small marine protected areas in Danajon Bank over the past two decades,” says Amanda Vincent, Project Seahorse Director and Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at UBC. “But the world needs to see the state of this ‘centre of the centre’ of marine biodiversity and help establish a marine reserve for the region.”

The team from Expedition: Danajon Bank today unveiled first photographic proof of the region’s biodiversity and destruction. The expedition was a partnership with the International League of Conservation Photographers.

NB: Photos from the expedition are available at www.projectseahorse.org/danajon-bank-photos. 

“I have photographed marine ecosystems all over the world and the Danajon Bank is one of most memorable and complex I have ever seen,” says Thomas P. Peschak, expedition photographer and winner of multiple BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Press Photo awards.

“Amid the vast stretches of badly damaged habitat, you can see an incredible array of species still surviving,” says Peschak. “It gives you an idea of how vibrant and full of life the Danajon Bank once was, and how vibrant it could again be – with the right protection.”

Photos from the expedition will be exhibited at aquariums in Chicago, London, Hong Kong and Manila, and in a planned travelling exhibit for smaller communities in the region. Visit danajon-bank.tumblr.com for photos and blogs from the expedition. Follow @projectseahorse and @ilcp on Twitter for future updates.

BACKGROUND | EXPEDITION: DANAJON BANK

Additional quote:

Nicholas Hill, expedition scientist, Project Seahorse and the Zoological Society of London

“The challenge, here and all over the world, is striking the balance between human need and ecological protection. We’ve made conservation gains, but it’s not enough. If we don’t scale up protections soon, it really could be too late to save the reef. And if the reef disappears, the communities that depend on it will struggle to survive.”

Funding and partners

Expedition: Danajon Bank benefits from the generosity of major sponsors Interface and Guylian Belgian Chocolate as well as from conservation partnerships with Zoological Society of London and John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago.

The expedition team also includes world-renowned photographers Luciano Candisani, Claudio Contreras Koob, and Michael Ready. Project Seahorse co-founders Amanda Vincent (UBC), Heather Koldewey (ZSL) and Nicholas Hill (ZSL) are scientific advisors.

Project Seahorse
Project Seahorse is an award-winning marine conservation group based at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Zoological Society of London. Project Seahorse works to protect seahorses in order to support ocean conservation more broadly, generating cutting-edge research and using it to inform highly effective conservation interventions. Project Seahorse benefits from a marine conservation partnership with Guylian Belgian Chocolate and John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago. For more information, visit seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca or www.startanevolution.ca/projectseahorse.

International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)

iLCP’s mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography. The non-profit’s programs are built on the participation and contributions of its 100+ Fellows, an elite group of the world’s top wildlife and nature photographers who, in addition to displaying remarkable photographic skills, have each demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation efforts around the globe.  iLCP’s Conservation Photography Expeditions have been covered by National Geographic (most recently as the cover story of the August 2011 issue), Outside Online, American Photo, The Guardian, ABC Nightline, Huffington Post, Tree Hugger, and numerous blogs that cater to people who care about the world we live in and the conservation challenges it faces. For more information, visit www.ilcp.com.

The International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), a UBC-VCH research centre, will share the funds with the Rick Hansen Institute, which coordinates and assists spinal cord injury researchers around the world.

The collaboration, called the Blusson Integrated Cures Partnership, will leverage the strengths of each organization to identify new treatments for spinal cord injury (SCI), and study the use of existing treatments for other neurological disorders, injuries and diseases for SCI. The partnership is named for the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, which houses both entities.

“ICORD’s scientists and clinicians have been working on many fronts in the quest to treat spinal cord injury, such as stimulating the re-growth of nerve fibres in the damaged cord, or re-training spared or re-grown nerve fibres through rehabilitation,” said Dr. Gavin Stuart, Dean of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Health.

“We are grateful for this new infusion of support and look forward to working closely with the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute on the most effective allocation of funds, and the most promising strategies, for bringing our discoveries to patients.”

One of the goals for the partnership will be creating an international network of SCI researchers for pursuing laboratory research and clinical trials, and facilitating participation of people with SCI in clinical trials related to their condition.

“The funding will also work to inform, empower and include people with SCI to be champions and active participants in our efforts to create a world without paralysis and spinal cord injury,” Rick Hansen said.

Yet the same doctors indicated that they were likely to start prescribing these drugs, consistent with previous research that shows prescribing behaviour is influenced by pharmaceutical promotion.

The study, which had doctors fill out questionnaires about each promoted medicine following sales visits, was published online today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. It shows that sales representatives failed to provide any information about common or serious side effects and the type of patients who should not use the medicine in 59 per cent of the promotions. In Vancouver and Montreal, no potential harms were mentioned for 66 per cent of promoted medicines.

“Laws in all three countries require sales representatives to provide information on harm as well as benefits,” says lead author Barbara Mintzes of the University of British Columbia. “But no one is monitoring these visits and there are next to no sanctions for misleading or inaccurate promotion.”

Serious risks were mentioned in only six percent of the promotions, even though 57 per cent of the medications involved in these visits came with US Food and Drug Administration “black box” or Health Canada boxed warnings – the strongest drug warning that can be issued by both countries.

“We are very concerned that doctors and patients are left in the dark and patient safety may be compromised,” says Mintzes, an expert on drug advertising in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.

Doctors in Toulouse were more likely to be told of a harmful effect in a promotional visit, compared to doctors in Canada and the U.S., according to the study. Researchers suggested that this may reflect stricter regulatory standards for promotion of medicines in France.

NB: Figures showing the study’s key findings are available at http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/?p=86511.

BACKGROUND | DRUG SALES VISITS LACK DETAILS

About the study

The UBC-led study is the most comprehensive to date of the quality of pharmaceutical sales representative promotions to family physicians.

Researchers recruited physicians to participate using random samples from lists of primary care physicians at four sites – Vancouver, Montreal, Sacramento and Toulouse. Among 704 eligible physicians contacted, 255 (36 per cent) chose to participate. Information was collected on 1,692 drug promotions at sales visits between May 2009 to June 2010.

Doctors were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the information provided for each promoted medicine following each visit they received from pharmaceutical sales representatives. Sales representatives regularly visit doctors’ offices to promote medicines by providing information, free samples and in some cases food and invitations to events. The study focused on how often information was provided about drug safety.

The team includes researchers from UBC, York University, University of Montreal, University of California, Davis and the University of Toulouse.

Third-party comment

Dr. Tom Perry, an internal medicine and clinical pharmacology specialist at the UBC Hospital in Vancouver, who is not part of the study, expressed concern about the findings:

“Doctors learn relatively little about drugs in medical school, and much of their exposure to pharmacology after graduation may be in the form of advertising. If they are unaware of the potential harms from drugs they prescribe, patients inevitably suffer the consequences.”

Perry also called for much stricter control of drug advertising in Canada.

Dr. Perry can be reached by pager 604.707.1427 or e-mail tperryjr@shaw.ca. 

“The pricing of medicines is now a game of negotiation, similar to buying a car at a dealership,” says Steve Morgan, an expert in health policy at the University of British Columbia. “There’s a list price equivalent to a manufacturer’s suggested retail price; and then there’s secret deals that everyone negotiates from there.”

In a study published today in the April issue of the journal Health Affairs, researchers interviewed policymakers from nine developed countries and analyzed practices for securing confidential manufacturers’ rebates.

They confirmed that almost all countries are now routinely negotiating rebates from drug companies as a condition of coverage under their health care systems. Manufacturers are promoting these rebates because the associated confidentiality clause ensures deals struck in one country don’t set precedent in others.

Countries with multi-payer health care systems, including the U.S. and Canada, have less bargaining power in these negotiations. Meanwhile, despite its relatively small population, New Zealand leverages its universal public drug plan to negotiate rebates for all covered medicines.

After “Obama Care” expands health insurance to all Americans in 2014, Canada may be the country least capable of effectively managing this new pricing regime, says Morgan, an associate professor in the School of Population and Public Health.

Canada is the only country in the world with universal coverage for medical and hospital care but not for prescription drugs. Individual provinces and insurers negotiate drug prices independently – although some provinces are working cooperatively to lower prices.

“The Canadian system is fundamentally flawed,” says Morgan. “Ironically, the smaller provinces and uninsured Canadians will end up paying the highest out-of-pocket costs for their medicines.”

BACKGROUND

About the study
Researchers conducted interviews with pharmaceutical policy makers from Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among these countries, Canada has the second highest level of spending on medicines and the second highest prices for top-selling drugs, behind the United States.

The researchers then held a face-to-face meeting with policy makers from all the participating countries to discuss lessons learned and to refine recommendations regarding best practices. Based on these discussions, Morgan and his colleagues suggest that policy makers follow three principles in developing a new pricing strategy: pragmatism, discipline and transparency.

Pragmatism: Most countries that have tried performance-based rebate schemes found them difficult to enforce. Governments should strive to keep pharmaceutical rebates relatively simple.

Discipline: Well-designed decision-making systems are required to ensure that drug plans don’t lose control in negotiations with manufacturers.

Transparency: Process transparency is essential because the negotiated price will always remain secret under the new pricing paradigm. Currently, most provinces negotiate rebates from drug manufacturers but few disclose information about the existence, nature, or scale of those rebates.

“We found that patients whose physicians adhered to the recommended screening or vaccination practices were significantly more likely to also undergo screening or vaccination compared with patients of non-compliant physicians,” said Dr. Erica Frank of UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.

Dr. Frank worked with three Israeli researchers and their findings are published in the April 8 edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Researchers looked at the screening and vaccination practices of 1,488 physicians and their almost 1.9 million adult patients in Israel’s largest health care organization, Clalit Health Services (CHS). Practices included mammography, blood pressure measurement, colorectal screening, annual influenza vaccinations and others.

Dr. Frank noted that 49 per cent of patients of physicians who received a flu shot also received the vaccine compared with 43 per cent of patients whose physicians did not receive the vaccine.

The study also highlighted that doctors could improve their personal screening and vaccination practices.

“While physicians’ health habits are generally exemplary, doctors could improve some of their personal screening and vaccination practices, which should improve the health practices of their patients.” Dr. Frank said.

The researchers recommended that hospitals and medical schools develop programs for physician health promotion in order to encourage a healthy doctor-healthy patient relationship.

Nia Lewis, a Canada Heart and Stroke Foundation funded post-doctoral research fellow with the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the Okanagan campus, completed the study recently published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

Lewis studied patients with normal blood pressure who took the drug prazosin, commonly used to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. The drug treats other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety or prostate problems, but shows potential negative effects.

Investigators found 11 of 12 participants who took the medication experienced temporary dizziness or lightheadedness upon standing.

“We were able to determine that, because prazosin shuts down a pathway that is critical to regulate blood pressure, the capacity to safely control blood flow to the brain was also reduced to a level that could induce fainting,” says Lewis.

Part of the research show that the actions of the sympathetic nervous system that would normally prevent the big drop in blood pressure on standing, and consequently prevents an unnecessary fall in brain blood flow, is prevented by the drug, which has sympathetic receptor-blocking properties. The physiological response can prove dangerous for those patients with normal blood pressure who use prazosin for treating other ailments.

The senior author Philip Ainslie, co-director of the new Centre for Heart Lung and Vascular Health and Canada Research Chair in Cerebrovascular Function in Health and Disease, says Lewis’s project plays an important role in understanding the mechanisms involved in human brain blood flow regulation during periods of low blood pressure.

BACKGROUND

The randomized controlled study, entitled Initial orthostatic hypotension and cerebral blood flow regulation: effect of a1-adrenorreceptor activity, was conducted on eight male and four female patients, average age 25, with normal blood pressure, using both placebo and the blood pressure drug.

The research team included Ainslie of UBC; Greg Atkinson of Teesside University of the UK; Helen Jones of Liverpool John Moores University; and Emily J.M. Grant and Samuel J.E. Lucas of the University of Otago, New Zealand.