blog posts Top stories for 2017: Researchers build robotic 'bat' that flies like the real thing Dec 26, 2017 4:00 pm Bats' wing flexibility and complex wing kinematics posed significant technological challenges for robot modelling, design, and control Environmental greenness may not improve student test scores, study finds Jan 4, 2019 9:15 am An Illinois research team found in a study of Chicago public school students that urban greenery was not associated with higher math and reading test scores Data-driven global climate model provides projections for urban environments Jan 4, 2021 8:00 am A new climate model that makes projections specific to urban areas predicts that by the end of this century, average warming across global cities will increase by 1.9 degrees Celsius to 4.4 C, depending on the rate of emissions. Does our place in society influence how we respond to COVID-19 protocol? Jan 5, 2022 10:45 am A new study explores how social capital influences choices regarding COVID-19 mitigation compliance. Professor Lav Varshney talks about what they learned. Skin-deep resilience: Hidden physical health costs for minority youth overcoming adversity Jan 5, 2024 10:45 am 'Early adolescents with high executive function who were residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods seemed to be doing really well with indices of behavioral adjustment over time, but their planful, regulated efforts may be taking a toll on their body.' Counseling, antidepressants change personality (for the better), team reports Jan 6, 2017 1:00 pm A review of 207 studies involving more than 20,000 people found that those who engaged in therapeutic interventions were, on average, significantly less neurotic and a bit more extraverted after the interventions Redirected flood waters lead to unintended consequences Jan 7, 2016 12:15 pm Climate scientists predict a continued pattern of extreme rainfall events in the upper Mississippi River region. New book tackles challenges of strategic brand management in global markets Jan 8, 2018 4:30 pm Book co-written by a U of I business professor explores strategic brand management in a way that’s scalable from the individual entrepreneur to the multinational corporation Many Midwestern retailers sell mislabeled invasive vines Jan 8, 2018 9:30 am Gardeners hoping to plant American bittersweet – a native vine that produces orange berries in the fall and is used for wreaths – may be unwittingly buying an invasive bittersweet instead Researchers diversify drug development options with new metal catalyst Jan 9, 2019 10:30 am Illinois researchers have developed a new manganese-based catalyst that can change the structure of druglike molecules to make new drugs, advancing the pace and efficiency of drug development Illinois, Mayo team up to improve identification of seizure-causing brain regions Jan 10, 2018 11:15 am Their new approach has the potential to decrease the time of an epilepsy procedure from days or weeks to just a couple of hours Paper: Courts check presidential powers over immigration policy Jan 11, 2019 9:15 am Research indicates presidential powers over immigration have been hamstrung by the courts. Plaintiffs have won all or part of 89% of rulings in cases considering immigration orders that affect employment relationships Does a 'fake news' label help audiences identify false information? Jan 11, 2023 9:45 am News organizations’ labeling false or misleading information as 'fake news' may be backfiring – undermining public trust while doing little to improve audiences’ ability to recognize genuine stories. Midwest had the warmest, wettest December on record Jan 12, 2016 12:15 pm In a year when many state records were broken, 2015 ended with historically warm temperatures and well above-normal precipitation, leading to the warmest and wettest December on record for the Midwest The secret Hollywood studio that shaped the nuclear age Jan 14, 2019 2:30 pm The story of Lookout Mountain Laboratory was largely unknown because it was run largely in secret, as a unit of the U.S. Air Force. Two U of I professors spent 10 years piecing it together for a new book, website Researchers gain control over internal structure of self-assembled composite materials Jan 15, 2020 2:00 pm Researchers developed a new templating system to help control the quality and unique properties of a special class of inorganic composite materials. Beckman research advances understanding of how readers process language Jan 16, 2019 10:30 am The findings could lead to new teaching methods for struggling readers or second language learners Paper: Atypical cases set bad precedent in federal civil litigation Jan 19, 2016 1:45 pm Limiting the exchange of information in lawsuits to save time and money will negatively affect typical, run-of-the-mill cases, says Suja A. Thomas, an Illinois law professor and expert in civil procedure. Tiny electronic implants monitor brain injury, then melt away Jan 19, 2016 9:30 am A new class of small, thin electronic sensors can monitor temperature and pressure within the skull – crucial health parameters after a brain injury or surgery – then melt away when they are no longer needed Aftermath of a distressing event is more memorable than the lead-up, study suggests Jan 19, 2024 12:15 pm Clarifying the relationship between trauma and memory can improve how we evaluate eyewitness testimonies, inform therapies to treat PTSD, and help clinicians combat memory decline in brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. New study examines mortality costs of air pollution in US Jan 21, 2020 10:00 am Illinois researchers estimated the mortality costs associated with air pollution in the U.S. using a machine learning-based method to estimate the life-years lost and cost associated with air pollution exposure. Feeling groovy: Neurons integrate better with muscle grown on grooved platforms Jan 22, 2019 12:00 pm Growing muscle tissue on grooved platforms helps neurons more effectively integrate with the muscle, a requirement for engineering muscle in the lab that responds, functions like muscle in the body Rising temperatures may safeguard crop nutrition as climate changes Jan 22, 2019 1:30 pm Rising carbon dioxide levels decrease the amount of iron and zinc in seed by about 8 to 9 percent, but increased temperatures had the opposite effect Crop achilles' heel costs farmers 10 percent of potential yield Jan 23, 2017 4:00 pm Scientists assumed leaves at the top of a plant would be the best at turning higher levels of light into carbohydrates through photosynthesis, but research shows that's not the case in C4 plants like corn. Tool to map gene’s ‘social network’ reveals function, interactions, drug efficacy Jan 23, 2017 9:00 am Professor Jian Peng developed a tool to map a gene’s 'social network,' which could help researchers better understand its function and interactions, provide insights into disease and treatment Conservation efforts help some rare birds more than others Jan 23, 2019 8:30 am Land conservation programs in Illinois appear to have helped some rare birds increase their populations to historic levels, but other species with wider geographic ranges haven't fared as well Designing a puncture-free tire Jan 23, 2020 11:15 am Finding a design that balances puncture-free strength with the elasticity needed for a comfortable, shock-free ride like conventional pneumatic tires is the key. Researchers expand microchip capability with new 3D inductor technology Jan 23, 2020 1:45 pm A team of engineers has boosted the performance of its 3D inductor technology by adding as much as three orders of magnitudes more induction to meet the performance demands of modern electronic devices. Overweight dogs respond well to high-protein, high-fiber diet Jan 24, 2022 10:15 am A study of overweight dogs fed a reduced calorie, high-protein, high-fiber diet for 24 weeks found that the dogs’ body composition and inflammatory markers changed over time, much like the positive changes seen in humans on similar diets. Tiny exports signal big shifts in cancer tissue, researchers find Jan 25, 2017 3:15 pm Microscopic shifts in metabolism and increases in tiny transport vesicles out of tumor cells preface larger changes to the tumor environment and could prepare the way for cancerous cells to spread and metastasize Artist uses location, weather and other data to create sculptural landscapes Jan 25, 2017 9:30 am Illinois Art & Design professor Stephen Cartwright creates sculptural landscapes from data he collects about himself and his environment. Only half of youths involved in problem behaviors graduate on time Jan 25, 2018 8:30 am Addressing middle school students’ problems with bullying, fighting and attendance may be critical to ensuring they graduate high school on time Probe can measure both cell stiffness and traction, researchers report Jan 25, 2023 2:15 pm The 'magnetic microrobot' probes gave precise information about both tissue stiffness and traction, revealing for the first time that while malignant tumors may become stiffer in response to surrounding tissues, cancer cells do not alter their tractions. Product recall decisions need balance to prevent overreacting Jan 29, 2018 10:15 am The timely detection of potential medical device recalls could both reduce the cost of and improve the effectiveness of health care delivery Researchers shed light on how influenza evades immune systems Jan 29, 2018 11:00 am According to new research at Illinois, certain mutations in the genome of influenza A may help counteract the weakening effects of other mutations Feline Leukemia Virus opens doors to secondary diseases Jan 30, 2017 12:15 pm Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an agent that spreads easily between cats and has potentially lethal effects, causing a variety of secondary diseases that range from secondary infections to cancer. Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception Feb 2, 2024 8:30 am Foodborne illness outbreaks spanning multiple states bring swift financial losses, increased media attention and a public-relations hit, says Maria Kalaitzandonakes, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics. National politics shape the impacts of park law enforcement Feb 3, 2016 1:15 pm An Illinois researcher examined the results of a multi-million dollar EU aid project in West Africa and found that a country’s national governance quality can affect the livelihoods of families who rely on resources from national parks Book examines Pope’s environmental encyclical, how religion can address climate change Feb 3, 2020 12:00 pm Robert McKim, a professor emeritus of religion, edited a book looking at how religion might respond to climate change. “Laudato Si’ and the Environment” is a response to Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical of 2015. Optimistic people have healthier hearts Feb 4, 2015 11:30 am Optimists are twice as likely to be in ideal cardiovascular health, according to a new study led by Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois. Germanic languages and lit professor receives Humboldt Foundation research prize Feb 4, 2019 9:00 am Mara Wade is internationally known for her emblem research, research on European aristocratic and festival culture, gender research and research on the urban culture of Nuremberg Illinois receives grant to help study community college transfer students Feb 5, 2016 10:45 am One issue the researchers will examine is “transfer shock,” a term that refers to the decline in grade point average that many community college students experience after matriculating to four-year institutions. Illini professor, students join cloud-seeding project in Idaho Feb 6, 2017 9:30 am The team is part of SNOWIE (Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds – the Idaho Experiment), a project that scientists hope will teach them more about how to put more snow on the ground. Illinois researchers contribute to publicly accessible agronomy database Feb 7, 2018 9:45 am Comprising data from five years and 30 field research sites in the Midwest, it has been called one of the most comprehensive agricultural datasets ever to be published Homeownership a ‘dream deferred’ for millennial generation Feb 8, 2016 11:00 am More than 85 percent of the millennial generation believe that owning a home makes more financial sense than renting. But millennials still face significant hurdles in their quest for homeownership. Study tracks emerging contaminants from landfill to treatment plant to application Feb 8, 2024 10:45 am 'Once in landfills, the stuff moves into the leachate... We’re just moving them from one environmental compartment to the next without addressing the problem. We never get rid of them; we’re just shifting them back and forth.' Dual-function nanorod LEDs could make multifunctional displays Feb 10, 2017 9:45 am Cellphones and other devices could soon be controlled with touchless gestures and charge themselves using ambient light, thanks to new LED arrays that can both emit and detect light. Experts call for national research integrity advisory board Feb 11, 2019 10:30 am It’s been proposed before, but so far no one has heeded the call for an official advisory board to support ethical behavior in research institutions Patient education with mental health component cuts cardiovascular disease risks Feb 11, 2021 9:45 am People who participated in a health education program that included both mental and physical health information significantly reduced their risks of cardiovascular disease and sustained those health benefits up to six months later. Drug-delivering capsules could sustain transplant insulin-producing cells for diabetics Feb 12, 2018 10:30 am A drug-carrying microsphere within a cell-bearing microcapsule could be the key to transplanting insulin-secreting pig pancreas cells into human patients