World pays high price for overfishing, studies say
Reuters, Agence France Presse, CBC, CTV and the Vancouver Sun reported that decades of overfishing have deprived the food industry of billions of dollars in revenue and the world of fish that could have helped feed undernourished countries.
The research, led by Rashid Sumaila, an economist at UBC and the director of the Fisheries Centre, indicates that fisheries contribute between $225 billion and $240 billion to the world economy annually. If fishing practices were more sustainable that amount would be up to $36 billion higher, according to four papers published in the Journal of Bioeconomics.
“Maintaining healthy fisheries makes good economic sense, while overfishing is clearly bad business,” said Sumaila.
Study finds too much testosterone a problem for young male CEO
A new study by UBC researchers found that testosterone-fuelled chief executive officers were linked to the highest rate of dropped deals and hostile takeover bids in negotiations.
“We find a strong association between male CEOs being young and their withdrawal rate of initiated mergers and acquisitions,” said Maurice Levi, a professor in UBC’s Sauder School of Business.
Higher levels of hormones meant the executives lacked patience and co-operation, suggested the study that was picked up by the Daily Telegraph, a Wall Street Journal blog, the Financial Post, CTV and many others.
Discovery of gene mutations may be key vs. ovarian cancer
B.C. researchers have discovered that removing fallopian tubes as part of hysterectomies and tubal ligation could cut deaths from ovarian cancer by half.
In a related development, scientists have found gene mutations that may cause an estimated 10 per cent of ovarian cancers. This could help them develop new treatments and better understand which women are at high risk for the disease.
David Huntsman of UBC found the mutations only in certain types of ovarian cancer. The new research was described by USA Today, the Globe and Mail, the Chicago Sun-Tribune and others.
Canada’s universities make the grade globally
Nine Canadian universities nabbed spots in this year’s Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings. Canada was the fifth-best performingA country.
The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, the Vancouver Sun and others reported on the rankings: University of Toronto placed 17th overall, followed by UBC at 30th and McGill at 35th. Other Canadian universities to rank were McMaster (93rd), Alberta (127nd), Victoria (130th), l’Université de Montréal (138th), Dalhousie (193rd) and Simon Fraser (199th).
“It’s very positive for us to be seen in the top tier of universities internationally,” said UBC president Stephen Toope.
Injection centres help addicts quit
United Press International and the Vancouver Courier described research by the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and UBC that suggests that addicts who use supervised injection centers are more likely than others to quit drugs.
“Many people benefit from supervised injection facilities, which have been shown to increase addiction treatment, reduce rates of crime and incidence of HIV, prevent drug overdoses, and now help people who use drugs quit injecting,” said study researcher Dr. Julio Montaner.
UBC’s Okanagan campus marks record enrolment
The Vancouver Sun, CBC and the Province reported enrolment of first-year students at UBC’s Okanagan campus is up by 22 per cent this year.
“About 25 per cent of our first year class are coming from outside the province,” said Doug Owram, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UBC’s Okanagan campus. “And about two thirds of our class are from outside the Okanagan valley. We’ve really become a destination university.”
