LA JOLLA NEWS NUGGETS

Falkiewicz wins La Jolla Half Marathon

The La Jolla Half Marathon, an annual 13-mile run from the Del Mar Fairgrounds to The Cove, which doubles as a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club, was won on Sunday, April 22, by Andrew Falkiewicz. The 29-year-old Coronado High graduate beat all comers by more than a minute to finish in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 35 seconds.

The women’s champion, Patricia Miessner, an Eastlake High School sophomore, finished in 1:23:43, which would have made her sixth in the men’s field.

The race drew 4,000 entrants.

More Salk trouble: genetic researcher suspended

The Salk Institute of Biological Studies has suspended genetic researcher Inder Verma, one of the world’s most respected cancer scientists.

In a statement, the Salk said that it had recently learned of “unspecified allegations” against Verma, and that an investigation was underway by an outside party. Neither the Salk nor Verma would disclose the nature of the allegations.

However, the suspension comes less than four months after Verma was placed on temporary leave as editor of the medical journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. That leave, Verma told the Union-Tribune, was related to lawsuits filed against Salk in July 2017 by Salk professors Katherine Jones, Beverly Emerson and Vicky Lundblad, who claimed that Salk systemically discriminates against women in terms of salary, promotions and opportunities to compete for large private lawsuits.

Traffic board likes Village Shuttle, bikes policy

At the April meeting of La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board (T&T), La Jolla resident Dan Allen reported on the first meeting of an ad-hoc working group formed to discuss a potential shuttle bus from La Jolla to the Mid-Coast Trolley — which SANDAG is expected to launch in 2021 — or rerouting the Route 30 bus.

Allen said the group, which includes T&T chair Dave Abrams, Tom Brady, Erik Gantzel and Glen Rasmussen, discussed possible shuttle origin and destination points, alternatives to The 30, options for park-and-ride and the concept of an internal Village shuttle.

Allen also received permission to recruit members of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association and La Jolla Town Council to the group, so that it could offer comments and questions as a uniform entity to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus planners.

“It will always astonish the people downtown when La Jolla speaks with one voice,” Allen said.

Also at T&T, requests for temporary street closures for the fifth annual La Jolla Presbyterian Church Fall Festival (Draper Avenue between Kline and Prospect streets), and for the 19th End of Summer Fire Run (portions of Prospect Street and La Jolla Boulevard) were both unanimously approved.

And the board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution about dockless bikes and motorized scooters — introduced at the Town Council meeting on April 12 — to “create a working group of volunteers from our community groups to provide a coordinated set of recommendations to the City.”

“The crux of this resolution is to encourage the City to address the issue, but to do it wisely and reasonably, to ameliorate the negative impacts,” Abrams said. “The crux is to have them placed in organized places instead of willy-nilly on the sidewalks.”

Vitamin D deficiency ups diabetes risk: UCSD

An epidemiological study conducted in part by researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine suggests that a vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of developing diabetes. The findings are reported in the April 19, 2018 online issue of PLOS One.

Study co-author Cedric Garland, adjunct professor in the UC San Diego School of Medicine, said people with extremely low Vitamin D levels had up to a five times at greater risk of developing diabetes than people with normal levels.

The scientists studied 903 healthy adults — mean age: 74, with no indications of either pre-diabetes or diabetes — during clinic visits from 1997 to 1999, then followed the participants through 2009.

“Further research is needed on whether high 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels might prevent type 2 diabetes or the transition from pre-diabetes to diabetes,” said Garland. “But this paper and past research indicate there is a strong association.”

To reach 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml, Garland said would require dietary supplements of 3,000 to 5,000 international units (IU) per day, less with the addition of moderate daily sun exposure with minimal clothing (approximately 10-15 minutes per day outdoors at noon).

The National Institutes of Health’s average daily recommended allowance of vitamin D is currently 400 IU for children up to 1 year; 600 IU for ages 1 to 70 years (less for pregnant or breastfeeding women) and 800 IU for persons over 70,

Fair hiring

The County Fair, running June 1-July 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, says it’s looking “for outgoing and enthusiastic candidates” to become ambassadors, guest services reps, info booth reps, midway ticket sellers, exhibits workers, ticket takers, ticket sellers, parking directors, parking Cashiers, facility workers, EMTs, traffic controllers, shuttle drivers, tram drivers and both armed and unarmed security guards.

To apply, attend the job fair, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Follow the signs on Jimmy Durante Boulevard to the special parking lot for job-fair visitors. Applicants can also apply online (sdfair.com/jobs) but are expected to attend the job fair.

Scripps prof unscripted in D.G. Wills talk

Scripps Institution of Oceanography emeritus professor Jeremy B.C. Jackson and journalist Steve Chapple will discuss their new book, “Breakpoint: Reckoning with America’s Environmental Crisis,” 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at D.G. Wills Bookstore, 7461 Girard Ave.

Jackson and Chapple traveled the length of the Mississippi River interviewing farmers, fishermen, scientists and policymakers to better understand the mounting environmental problems currently ravaging the United States.