blog posts Expert: State of Illinois’ middle class shrinking May 22, 2017 10:00 am A new report from a University of Illinois expert in urban development and local economies found that the share of middle-income households in the state of Illinois has fallen steadily from nearly 60 percent in 1970 to below 50 percent in the current, post-Great Recession period. Should federal regulatory agencies require admissions of guilt? May 22, 2017 10:00 am According to a new paper co-written by a pair of University of Illinois law professors, even though the federal watchdogs rely heavily on “No admit-No deny” settlements as an enforcement tool, the failure of regulatory bodies to require admissions of guilt can trigger claims of “rigged justice” and calls for greater accountability from the public. Cowbird moms choosy when selecting foster parents for their young May 23, 2017 10:00 am Despite their reputation as uncaring, absentee moms, cowbird mothers are capable of making sophisticated choices among potential nests in order to give their offspring a better chance of thriving, a new study shows. Paper: DNA may have only modest impact on sexual assault arrests May 24, 2017 10:00 am Crime labs’ DNA testing may influence arrests in just a small number of sexual assault cases, suggests a new study led by University of Illinois social work senior research specialist Theodore P. Cross. What's in my milk? Truth v. myth May 25, 2017 10:00 am What are the facts about milk, and what claims are based on faulty information or misunderstanding? Join us for a Twitter chat on June 22 from noon to 1 p.m. CT with ACES expert Dr. Jim Drackley. Chemical array draws out malignant cells to guide individualized cancer treatment May 26, 2017 10:00 am Professor Kristopher Kilian led a research team that developed a chemical array to culture metastatic cancer cells so that different treatments can be tested on them. Blue and purple corn: Not just for tortilla chips anymore May 26, 2017 10:00 am Current sources of natural dyes are expensive and hard to come by. Now, a large University of Illinois project is filling the gap with colored corn. Study: Street gangs, crime serve as deviant leisure activities for youths May 29, 2017 10:00 am Study suggests gang membership, criminal acts often serve as deviant leisure activities, fulfilling young people’s needs for excitement, belonging and social support. New paper explores promise, pitfalls of Trump as ‘deal-maker-in-chief’ May 31, 2017 9:00 am Legal scholar, contract law expert Robin Kar argues that President Trump’s model of executive leadership doesn’t augur well for his ability to serve as president Too much of a good thing: Developing safe level guidelines for bioactives May 31, 2017 4:00 pm Research has shown the potential health benefits of bioactive nutrients, which are found in foods like fruits, vegetables, tea, and cocoa. But can there be too much of a good thing? Herbs, spices on vegetables may increase their appeal to men, young adults Jun 2, 2017 10:45 am People who seldom ate vegetables at lunch were 1.5 times more likely to select a seasoned vegetable than its unseasoned counterpart Survey finds farmers feel responsibility to protect land and waters Jun 2, 2017 11:00 am Farmers are often blamed for using water-polluting fertilizer, but a PRI study found a strong majority of Illinois farmers believe they are doing their part to protect the environment Metal-ion catalysts and hydrogen peroxide could green up plastics production Jun 5, 2017 11:30 am Illinois professor David Flaherty and graduate student Daniel Bregante are working on a greener way to produce plastic and resin precursors that are derived from fossil fuels Increased number of female engineers in managerial roles brings unintended consequences Jun 5, 2017 4:00 pm Moving female engineers into managerial roles to foster diversity may create an “intraoccupational segregation” that appears to lead to negative consequences. Genetic study shakes up the elephant family tree Jun 6, 2017 8:30 am A new study reconfigures the elephant family tree, placing a giant extinct elephant closer to the African forest elephant than to the Asian elephant, which was once thought to be its closest living relative Researchers unveil new spin on future of transistors with novel design Jun 6, 2017 11:45 am Illinois professor Jean-Pierre Leburton, colleagues designed a computing system made solely from carbon that might one day replace the silicon transistors that power today’s electronic devices. Illinois paleontologist discovers world’s oldest fossil mushroom Jun 7, 2017 10:15 am Illinois Natural History Survey paleontologist who discovered the mushroom when digitizing a collection of fossils from razil: 'The fact that this mushroom was preserved at all is just astonishing.' Illinois to help protect renewable energy sources - electric vehicles, solar cells, appliance Jun 12, 2017 10:00 am The project leverages the expertise of the Coordinated Sciences Lab, Information Trust Institute to protect against threats to new energy sources susceptible cyberattacks Fracturing social networks among business elites empower shareholder activism Jun 12, 2017 10:00 am Activist investors have become increasingly successful in agitating for change in publicly held companies Bird gets worm, makes history Jun 19, 2017 8:00 am No one has ever recorded a grebe of any species - whose legs are nearly useless out of the water - foraging on land. Researchers sample a DC swamp to study a spineless creature Jun 19, 2017 9:30 am By checking water samples for DNA, researchers found evidence that a tiny, blind, endangered crustacean still inhabits some groundwater habitats in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. Studies link nutrient, academic achievement in pre-adolescent children Jun 20, 2017 9:30 am Researchers can look into your eyes to determine whether you’re getting your lutein (or, eating your greens). Kids with higher lutein levels in the eye tend to do better on cognition tests Quantified: Corn better used as food than biofuel Jun 20, 2017 10:15 am Whether corn is better utilized as food or as a biofuel has persisted since ethanol came into use. A new Illinois study crunches the numbers Illinois researchers build Dropbox-like storage, analytical system for scientific data Jun 20, 2017 10:30 am 'We have developed a cloud architecture that makes it easy for scientists to not only upload their data, but also curate and manage the data, as well as get real-time search results.' Chasing the world's most powerful thunderstorms Jun 21, 2017 12:00 pm Illinois to lead $30 million atmospheric study in Argentina; seeks to understand the initiation and development of thunderstorms Research suggests sexual appeals in ads don’t sell brands, products Jun 22, 2017 11:00 am 'We found that people remember ads with sexual appeals more than those without, but that effect doesn’t extend to the brands or products that are featured in the ads' Pro-Americanism, anti-Americanism, and the complexities between Jun 26, 2017 10:00 am The book offers a sample of views on America from around the world. It represents a wide spectrum of opinions and exposes views that are often surprising deviations from popular belief. Study identifies key player in heart enlargement Jun 27, 2017 12:30 pm The heart enlarges in response to growing demands from exercise or heart disease. A new study identifies a key molecular player in this process. Paper: New mothers abused by partners at greater risk of suicidal thoughts Jun 30, 2017 1:00 pm New mothers who are in abusive relationships are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, a new study suggests. Quick test finds signs of sepsis in a single drop of blood Jul 3, 2017 9:00 am Researchers from U of I and Carle Foundation Hospital completed a clinical study of the device - the first to provide point-of-care measurement of the immune system’s response Handshaking viewed more positively by Westerners than by East Asians Jul 5, 2017 10:30 am Psychology professor Sanda Dolcos, graduate student Yuta Katsumi and colleagues found that Western men, in particular, value handshakes – but only with other men. Engineers find way to evaluate green roofs Jul 5, 2017 10:30 am New research is helping to simultaneously evaluate the performance of green roofs and communicate their findings with urban planners, policymakers and the public Announcing the Cancer Center at Illinois Jul 6, 2017 9:00 am The Cancer Center at Illinois will bring together more than 90 faculty members from across campus, plus graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to pursue cancer-related research Survey reveals widespread bias in astronomy and planetary science Jul 10, 2017 10:30 am “Those who study workplace climate ... have been saying these things for a long time. To my knowledge, however, this is the first time that anyone has looked at this in the sciences.” “Big Muddy” Missouri River needs a plan like the Mississippi's Jul 11, 2017 11:45 am A Missouri River plan to address flooding and naviation 'is essential to address the current waterway infrastructure restoration issues.' Researchers develop dynamic templates critical to printable electronics technology Jul 13, 2017 8:15 am When it comes to efficiency, sometimes it helps to look to Mother Nature for advice – even in technology as advanced as printable, flexible electronics. Brief interactions spur lasting waves of gene activity in the brain Jul 17, 2017 9:45 am A five-minute encounter with an outsider spurs a cascade of changes in gene activity in the brain that can last for hours, researchers report in a study of stickleback fish. D.O.E. funds major bioenergy research center at Illinois Jul 17, 2017 10:15 am "Our Center’s holistic approach will generate new products directly from biomass, reducing our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels and making us more secure.” Study: Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids Jul 18, 2017 10:15 am A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits Massive simulation shows HIV capsid interacting with its environment Jul 19, 2017 9:45 am The 64-million-atom simulation offers new insights into how the virus senses its environment and completes its infective cycle. Study: Supreme Court decision complicates prosecuting child abusers Jul 19, 2017 12:00 pm A Supreme Court decision that limits the types of statements that can be admitted as evidence unless the victim testifies in court discourages prosecutors from trying some child maltreatment cases An artificial oxygenation simulator aims to train surgeons for life and death situations Jul 19, 2017 12:00 pm Researcher Pramod Chembrammel: 'The simulator allows doctors to train for the surgery, which has never been possible before.' Political ideology and social norms can play a role in donation decisions Jul 20, 2017 3:00 pm New research considers how common perceptions of liberals’ generosity can be harnessed for increasing donations among individuals with a more conservative political bent Illinois information sciences professor edits book about trigger warnings Jul 21, 2017 10:30 am The use of trigger warnings is one of the most controversial topics in higher education in recent years. Professor Emily Knox's book takes one of the first scholarly looks at the issue. Strength of tectonic plates may explain shape of Tibetan Plateau, study finds Jul 24, 2017 9:00 am The unique geology of the Tibetan Plateau might be controlled by the variable strength of the tectonic plates whose collision prompted its uplift Lutein may counter cognitive aging, study finds Jul 24, 2017 1:45 pm Spinach and kale are favorites of those looking to stay physically fit, but they also could keep consumers cognitively fit, according to a new study from U of I researchers Physical activity could combat fatigue, cognitive decline in cancer survivors Jul 25, 2017 9:15 am A new study indicates that cancer patients and survivors have a ready weapon against fatigue and “chemo brain”: a brisk walk Cognitive cross-training enhances learning, study finds Jul 25, 2017 10:15 am 'The beneficial effects of cognitive training can be significantly enhanced with the addition of physical fitness training and noninvasive brain stimulation.' Illinois’ ocean may provide the means for a fresh, locally-raised seafood market Jul 26, 2017 12:15 pm Ancient sea-water aquifers could be tapped to make Illinois an environmentally-sustainable and economically-viable location for production of marine fish Research: Food banks respond to hunger needs in rural America Jul 27, 2017 12:15 pm Economist Craig Gundersen’s recent research on the subject sheds some light on hunger-relief efforts in rural America.