blog posts Paper: Four service features impact demand for physicians’ online bookings May 15, 2018 10:15 am Four service-quality proxies (bedside manner, diagnosis accuracy, waiting time and service time) disproportionately affect demand for patient care, said Professor Yuqian Xu Engineers on a roll toward smaller, more efficient radio frequency transformers May 16, 2018 8:00 am 3D rolled-up radio frequency transformers take 10x to 100x less space, perform better when the power transfer ratio increases and have a simpler fabrication process than 2-D transformers Brazilians with less education more likely to report being in poor health May 16, 2018 3:15 pm Illinois professor Flavia Cristina Drumond Andrade led a study of education levels and self-reported health in Brazil Understanding microbiomes: The American Gut Project May 18, 2018 11:15 am Illinois scientists highlight impact of diet in world’s largest citizen-science microbiome project New technique can track drug and gene delivery to cells May 21, 2018 9:45 am Illinois researchers say they now know how to track and map drug and gene delivery vehicles to evaluate which are most effective at infiltrating cells and getting to their targets Using 3D x-rays to measure particle movement inside lithium ion batteries May 21, 2018 11:00 am Lithium ion batteries have come a long way, but performance still can decay over time (e.g., not fully charging after many charge/discharge cycles). Illinois researchers are discovering why Paper: Workload affects operational risk at commercial banks May 22, 2018 5:45 am Under a low-workload scenario, bank employees tend to take performance-enhancing risks. But in a high-workload scenario, employees make more errors due to multitasking Study: Ancient mound builders carefully timed their occupation of coastal Louisiana site May 22, 2018 10:00 am New insights into how Native peoples selected the landforms that supported their villages and earthen mounds – and why these sites were later abandoned 3-D printed sugar scaffolds: A sweet solution for tissue engineering, manufacturing May 23, 2018 3:15 pm The water-soluble, biodegradable glassy sugar structures have multiple applications in biomedical engineering, cancer research and device manufacturing Long-term study shows crop rotation decreases greenhouse gas emissions May 24, 2018 4:00 pm Comparing the corn phase of a corn-soybean rotation to continuous corn showed an average yield benefit of more than 20% and a cumulative reduction in nitrous oxide emissions of approximately 35% Study: Disease-causing stomach bug attacks energy generation in host cells May 30, 2018 12:00 pm A bacterium that contributes to gastritis, ulcers and stomach cancer shuts down energy production within the cells of the stomach lining that serve as a barrier to infection Study: Two ancient populations that diverged in the Americas later ‘reconverged’ May 31, 2018 2:00 pm It was previously thought that the first people in the Americas split into northern, southern branches, and that the southern branch alone gave rise to all ancient populations in Central and South America Study links neighborhood factors, breast cancer rates in African-American women Jun 1, 2018 11:15 am Neighborhood characteristics such as racial composition and poverty rates are associated with increased risks of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses and higher mortality rates among urban black women, a new analysis of recent breast cancer research shows. New algorithm fuses quality and quantity in satellite imagery Jun 4, 2018 8:00 am A new algorithm solves an age-old dilemma plaguing satellite imagery – whether to sacrifice high spatial resolution in the interest of generating images more frequently, or vice versa Study: Larger sample sizes needed to increase reproducibility in neuroscience studies Jun 7, 2018 9:00 am Neuroscientists set standards for task-based fMRI studies – in particular, how many study subjects are needed to ensure reliable findings. New research aims to address this shortfall Paper: Same-sex marriage doesn't have to be a cultural flashpoint Jun 8, 2018 8:45 am "What many people consider ‘traditional marriage,’ with its deep ties to romantic love and personal choice, only became widespread in the last three centuries or so," says Illinois professor Robin Kar ‘History Was Here’: NCSA’s tech helping unlock the mystery of medieval graffiti Jun 11, 2018 3:00 am Post doctoral student Mia Trentin says nearly all enduring medieval graffiti is on religious buildings, which in many cases had the dual advantages of stone construction and good caretaking Tracing a sacred narrative in Nepal Jun 11, 2018 5:00 am Illinois professor's new book is the first critical study of the Svasthanivratakatha New aircraft-scheduling models may ease air travel frustrations Jun 13, 2018 8:00 am Researchers have developed models to help create schedules that are less susceptible to delays and easier to fix once disrupted When emotional memories intrude, focusing on context could help, study finds Jun 14, 2018 1:30 pm Focusing on the contextual details of a triggered negative memory could help redirect focus to the task at hand Book recounts pillaging of rare illustrations from university libraries Jun 19, 2018 10:15 am A library thief decimated the rare-book collections of academic libraries during a 1980 crime spree. Travis McDade's new book tells the story of the thefts and how the thief was caught Long-term estrogen therapy changes microbial activity in the gut, study finds Jun 19, 2018 1:45 pm Long-term therapy with estrogen and bazedoxifene alters the microbial composition and activity in the gut, affecting how estrogen is metabolized, a new study in mice found New tissue-imaging tech could enable real-time diagnostics, map cancer progression Jun 20, 2018 8:30 am Illinois researchers developed a microscope that can image living tissue in real time and molecular detail, allowing them to monitor tumors and their environments as cancer progresses DNA enzyme shuffles cell membranes a thousand times faster than its natural counterpart Jun 21, 2018 10:15 am A new synthetic enzyme, crafted from DNA rather than protein, flips lipid molecules within the cell membrane, triggering a signal pathway that could be harnessed to induce cell death in cancer cells Stable, predictable work schedules elusive for many Illinois workers, paper says Jun 22, 2018 12:00 pm An unpredictable work schedule with irregular shifts has become 'a broader, more normative trend across all occupations in Illinois' Do food pantry environments encourage healthy food choices? New tool can assess Jun 23, 2018 1:30 pm Could improving the consumer nutrition environment of food pantries—placement of items, food choices, freshness, availability of nutritional information, etc.— help people make healthier choices? Study yields a new scale of earthquake understanding Jun 27, 2018 12:45 pm Using nanoscale techniques to study earthquake dynamics, researchers found that, under the right conditions, some rocks dissolve and may cause faults to slip Study reveals how polymers relax after stressful processing Jul 2, 2018 8:15 am The new findings could help improve synthetic materials manufacturing and has applications in biology, mechanical and materials sciences, condensed matter physics New Biomaker Lab first of its kind in biofabrication research, innovation Jul 3, 2018 12:00 pm New Illinois facility to enable scholars from a wide range of disciplines to rapidly transform new ideas into prototypes and characterize these prototypes with state-of-the-art tools Child care providers often lack training, resources to serve children with disabilities Jul 3, 2018 12:45 pm Nearly 70% of the more than 991 child care professionals surveyed indicated that they struggle or have some difficulties caring for infants and toddlers with disabilities High-power electronics keep their cool with new heat-conducting crystals Jul 6, 2018 8:45 am Illinois researchers and colleagues at he University of Texas, Dallas, optimized the crystal-growing process of boron arsenide – a material that effectively dissipates heat in electronic devices First dogs in the Americas arrived from Siberia, disappeared after European contact Jul 6, 2018 8:45 am The continent's first dogs were not domesticated North American wolves, but likely followed their human counterparts over a land bridge that once connected North Asia and the Americas From corn to flake: Health-promoting phenolic acids lost during processing Jul 10, 2018 11:45 am University of Illinois scientists reveal what happens to cancer-fighting phenolic acids in corn when it is processed into cornflakes Products of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism may have anticancer effects, study shows Jul 12, 2018 11:15 am A class of molecules formed when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit cancer’s growth and spread, Illinois researchers report in a new study in mice Study: Protein found to be key component in irregularly excited brain cells Jul 14, 2018 8:45 am Researchers have identified a key protein involved in the irregular brain cell activity seen in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy Geography, CEE professor wins creativity award for research on water Jul 15, 2018 1:45 pm Professor Murugesu Sivapalan recognized for launching a new scientific field, socio-hydrology, to examine the two-way interactions between people and water systems Friendlier fish may be quicker to take the bait Jul 16, 2018 10:45 am 'There’s a reason everyone’s first fish is bluegill. They are social fish... It seemed like their social behavior and their aggression would be super important in terms of angling vulnerability' Chemicals that keep drinking water flowing may also cause fouling Jul 16, 2018 11:15 am Civil and environmental engineering professor Helen Nguyen has found that water-softening additives may increase the risk of pathogen release into drinking water by weakening the grip that bacteria have on pipe interiors. Paper: Email incivility has a ripple effect on households Jul 16, 2018 3:45 pm Study reports negative repercussions of email incivility extend beyond the workplace, and can even negatively affect a domestic partner’s attitude toward their own work Using an electronic device counteracts benefits of taking a break in nature, researchers find Jul 18, 2018 9:15 am Being in nature helps restore your brain’s ability to focus. But if you're also checking social media or answering emails you are not getting the benefits nature offers In rats, perinatal exposure to phthalates impairs brain structure and function Jul 18, 2018 3:15 pm Rats exposed to phthalates had reductions in the size of their medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region that regulates behavior, and showed deficits in cognitive flexibility New model reveals rips in Earth’s mantle layer below southern Tibet Jul 22, 2018 1:45 pm Seismic waves are helping researchers uncover the mysterious subsurface history of the Tibetan Plateau, possibly lending insight to future earthquake activity in the region Pathobiologists explore risk factors linked to chikungunya, dengue outbreaks Jul 24, 2018 9:15 am Analysis of 50 years of data showed population density, proximity to a country already experiencing an outbreak were factors in a country’s own likelihood of experiencing an outbreak Krannert Art Museum’s $10 million campaign supports acquisitions of work by female artists Jul 25, 2018 9:30 am Krannert Art Museum has expanded its collection in recent years with the support of a five-year, $10 million fundraising initiative. The museum has added more works by female artists of the 20th century. Molecular probe illuminates cancer stem cells in live mice Jul 29, 2018 10:15 am The new probe is a small molecule that emits a fluorescent signal only when it reacts with a target enzyme produced in cancer stem cells Study: Student loans hamper wealth accumulation among black, Hispanic adults Jul 30, 2018 1:30 pm Black and Hispanic adults in the study who reported having outstanding student loans when they graduated college had $36,000 less in net worth than their peers at age 30 Study: In darters, male competition drives evolution of flashy fins, bodies Aug 1, 2018 8:45 am A new study of orangethroat darters reveals that the males’ ability to recognize their own and other species drives the evolution of their bright display colors Genomic study ties insect evolution to the ability to detect airborne odors Aug 2, 2018 8:00 am Study from Illinois entomology professor Hugh Robertson and colleagues at UC Davis reveals that all insects have odorant receptors that enable them to detect airborne chemicals Study finds possible connection between U.S. tornado activity, Arctic sea ice Aug 6, 2018 8:30 am The correlation between Arctic ice retreat and jet stream migration may lead to advances in seasonal severe weather prediction Newly sequenced fox genome hints at genetic basis for friendly, aggressive behaviors Aug 6, 2018 2:45 pm 'Finding genomic regions...was beyond any expectations with our previous tools.' With the genome sequenced, they could pinpoint part of a chromosome and even identify specific genes responsible