blog posts ‘Sleeper effect’ accounts for durability of weak messages from credible sources Sep 13, 2016 8:00 am The least convincing arguments can reverberate in the public consciousness over time – provided they’re delivered by a credible source, according to research from professor Dolores Albarracin. Designer enzyme conquers sulfite reduction, a bottleneck in environmental cleanup Sep 14, 2018 3:00 pm Chemistry professor Yi Lu, left, and graduate student Evan Mirts have designed a new synthetic enzyme that reduces the compound sulfite to sulfide – a notoriously complex multistep chemical reaction that has eluded chemists for years. Culturally adapted exercise program helps Hispanic elders be more active Sep 14, 2020 10:30 am 'Many Hispanics have low expectations about how healthy they will be as they grow older, which can further diminish their motivation to remain active,' says study co-author and professor of social work Rosalba Hernandez. Surgical probe seeks out where cancer ends and healthy tissue begins Sep 15, 2015 4:45 pm A new surgical tool uses light to make sure surgeons removing cancerous tumors 'got it all' Illinois researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots Sep 16, 2019 2:15 pm Illinois researchers are bringing the field of mechanical engineering one step closer to autonomous biobots. Ultrathin self-healing polymers create new, sustainable water-resistant coatings Sep 17, 2021 7:45 pm Illinois researchers have developed a new ultrathin waterproof coating with self-healing abilities that may help steam power plants run more efficiently in the future. Paper: School shootings affect school quality, housing value Sep 21, 2018 10:00 am 'Not a lot of good things happen to property values in the aftermath of a school shooting, and that effect persists, lasting for at least three years,' says graduate researcher Juan Sebastian Munoz Researcher receives $2.9 million grant to study environmental influences on child health Sep 22, 2016 9:15 am U. of I. comparative biosciences professor Susan Schantz is the lead on the grant to Illinois and the University of California, San Francisco. DNA sensor quickly determines whether viruses are infectious Sep 22, 2021 11:00 am A new sensor can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether it’s infectious – an important distinction for containing viral spread. Click beetles inspire design of self-righting robots Sep 25, 2017 9:00 am The beetles have a unique hinge-like mechanism between their heads and abdomens that allows them to flip into the air and back onto their feet when they are knocked over Illinois religion professor looks at Jewish theology of protest in new book Sep 26, 2016 9:00 am Professor Dov Weiss writes about rabbinic texts of the 6th and 7th centuries in which rabbis protested and debated against God. Personalized promotion a potential 'win-win' for retailers and consumers Sep 26, 2019 10:45 am “Personalized promotion” is a potentially lucrative opportunity for retailers that also pays the additional dividend of enhancing customer satisfaction, says new Illinois research. Economics of waste reduction Sep 26, 2019 8:30 am Don Fullerton of Gies Business received a $1.3 million grant to develop ways to encourage businesses and consumers to work together to reduce waste. Women seeking credibility in health care feel ‘on trial’ Sep 27, 2023 4:00 pm Women whose health problems have been dismissed in the past said they struggle when interacting with physicians who make them feel illegitimate as they pursue diagnoses and treatment. Geologic imaging technique measures strength of Earth’s outer shell Sep 29, 2016 3:45 pm An advanced imaging technique used to map Earth’s outer shell also can provide a measure of strength, finding weak spots and magma upwellings that could point to volcanic or earthquake activity, Hopis have made their mark in the world of running, author says Oct 1, 2018 3:00 pm To be Hopi is to run. 'That’s who we are and that’s what we do,' says author and director of the American Indian Studies Program at Illinois, Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert New, highly stable catalyst may help turn water into fuel Oct 1, 2018 8:45 am An Illinois research team developed a new material that helps split water molecules for hydrogen fuel production Study finds rising ozone a hidden threat to corn Oct 1, 2019 8:45 am A new study reveals genetic differences that influence how corn responds to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone. Illinois-led team puts cows and microbes to work to reduce greenhouse gases Oct 2, 2023 11:00 am U of I researchers are leading a project to reduce methane production resulting from rumen fermentation in beef and dairy cattle. The 3-year, $3.2-million project is part of the Greener Cattle Initiative, led by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. What’s in a name? For young Chinese consumers and foreign brands, it’s about culture mixing Oct 3, 2016 9:30 am Younger, more cosmopolitan Chinese consumers tend to favor brand translations that keep both the sound and the meaning of the original name, says U. of I. business professor and branding expert Carlos J. Torelli. Researchers repurpose failed cancer drug into printable semiconductor Oct 3, 2019 8:45 am Illinois researchers have repurposed a failed cancer drug into a new type of organic semiconductor for use in transistors and chemical sensors. To kick-start creativity, offer money, not plaudits, study finds Oct 4, 2017 12:15 pm How to reward creative types for turning in fresh, inventive work? With a plaque or a party recognizing their achievement, or with cold, hard cash? New study says it’s all about the money, honey. Preschoolers form body images – but parents are unaware, study says Oct 5, 2016 9:15 am Young children develop body image much earlier than parents believe, so parents may miss opportunities to promote positive body-image formation in their children Are we at a tipping point with weed control? Oct 5, 2017 9:30 am If farmers could no longer control weeds with existing herbicides, Americans would quickly notice a spike in their grocery bills Adults with disabilities on Medicaid wait list most likely to have unmet service needs Oct 6, 2016 2:15 pm Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Illinois’ Medicaid wait list who are minorities, in poor health or unable to speak are more likely to have unmet service needs, a new study found. Illinois’ Gropp featured twice in DOE’s top 40 scientific milestones of past 40 years Oct 6, 2017 9:45 am Two papers coauthored by Bill Gropp, director of Illinois' NCSA were named in a select group of papers that have "changed the face of science" 'Autonomous help-seeking' on the job pays dividends for workers Oct 6, 2021 8:45 am 'Metaphorically, what distinguishes (autonomous vs. dependent) help-seeking is the difference between asking someone to teach you how to fish versus just asking them for fish,' said Professor Yihao Liu. Urban forestry project ties residential nature to health care spending Oct 10, 2016 4:45 pm Research explores how urban forestry affects health care spending, builds an online modeling to estimate their communities’ potential rate of return on their investments in parks and other natural elements. Study: Online positive psychology exercises improve quality of life in hemodialysis patients Oct 10, 2018 9:30 am Hemodialysis patients who participated in an internet-based positive psychology program for five weeks significantly improved their depressive symptoms and ability to cope with their disease Some plants grow bigger – and meaner – when clipped, study finds Oct 11, 2017 8:45 am Some plants behave like the mythical monster Hydra: Cut off their heads and they grow back, bigger and better than before. They also augment their defensive chemistry Health care, research failing to adapt to U.S.’s growing multiracial population Oct 12, 2015 12:00 pm Professor Karen Tabb Dina's two recent studies explored issues of racial identity and its impact on health care access and utilization among nearly 8,000 U.S. young people. Effects of epilepsy on neural activity in mice fluctuate with reproductive cycle Oct 12, 2018 11:30 am Researchers found that neurons regulating hormone release have different activity in mice with epilepsy, and that those differences fluctuate with the reproductive cycle Study identifies benefits when wildlife, livestock share territory Oct 15, 2018 5:00 am Entomology professor Brian Allan and his colleagues at Bard College found that livestock and wildlife in central Kenya sometimes benefit from sharing territory New book studies friction between religion and family law Oct 15, 2018 9:15 am A spate of Supreme Court decisions has caused a sense of unease among religious people, says Robin Fretwell Wilson, editor of the book 'The Contested Place of Religion in Family Law' New book explores chasing the American dream in rural trailer parks Oct 16, 2017 12:45 pm How the American housing dream in rural trailer parks is often just that—a dream— that is rarely realized by those working poor families who call these parks home Researchers creating advanced autopilot to mimic 'Sully Factor' Oct 16, 2019 9:45 am With colleagues at Georgia Institute of Technology, Illinois researchers are creating an advanced autopilot to evaluate unforeseen circumstances, take the best course of action, land the plane safely. Management zone maps of little use to corn growers, study finds Oct 16, 2023 10:30 am Contrary to common assumptions, crop-plot responses to the same inputs vary significantly from year to year. The most unpredictable factor – the weather – seemed to have the biggest impact on how the crops responded to these inputs. Mass killings happen randomly, yet rate has remained steady, study finds Oct 18, 2017 10:45 am One of the things we were hoping to do is give people some clarity. If they hear about an event, they can look at that event in proper context...” Illinois sportfish recovery a result of 1972 Clean Water Act, scientists report Oct 18, 2017 11:15 am Populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish and other sportfish are at the highest levels recorded in more than a century in the Illinois River, according to a new report Illinois scientist named Packard Fellow Oct 18, 2017 12:45 pm 'Her work is advancing our understanding of materials at the atomic scale, and she is a great inspiration and asset to our department.' Beckman researcher examines how caregiving impacts brain development Oct 18, 2018 4:15 pm 'There is tremendous plasticity in the brain in the first years of life, and that brain development is shaped, in part, by the infant’s repeated experiences with parents and other primary caregivers' Researchers explore gene interactions in influenza to help improve vaccine accuracy Oct 18, 2022 11:00 am 'Every year we try and pick which of the many different co-circulating flu strains to target with the next year's vaccine ...So it's really important to understand the evolution of the virus so that we can better predict the specific pathways it'll take.' Alaskan boreal forest fires release more carbon than the trees can absorb Oct 19, 2015 10:45 am So many forest fires are occurring in Alaska's Yukon Flats that the area has become a net exporter of carbon to the atmosphere. Co-worker interventions can moderate customer sexual harassment in service industry Oct 19, 2021 8:30 am There’s been a lot of focus on sexual harassment that comes from within an organization, but much less on sexual harassment that comes from outside - from people who aren’t subject to the company’s rules and regulations. Scientists look beyond the individual brain to study the collective mind Oct 21, 2021 11:30 am U. of I. psychology professor Aron Barbey and his colleagues maintain that human cognition is a collective endeavor. Krannert Art Museum concert series to celebrate anniversaries of progressive music groups Oct 22, 2015 2:45 pm Krannert Art Museum will celebrate the contribution of Chicago musicians to progressive jazz music with upcoming performances in its Sudden Sound Concert Series. Optimizing airplanes' winglets for more efficient flight Oct 23, 2018 8:45 am 'We were able to systematically explore the space of possible designs, and ultimately obtain designs that may seem unusual, and that we could never have predicted by relying on mere intuition' Stemlike cells at tumor perimeter promote new blood vessels to feed tumor growth Oct 25, 2017 2:30 pm The finding illustrates cancer’s robustness in response to stresses, and points to new considerations for assessing tumors and developing treatments Does conservation funding really help keep our planet more biodiverse? Oct 25, 2017 3:00 pm Environmental policy researcher Daniel Miller says this is the first global study to test whether countries that spend more on conservation actually achieve better conservation results Fire-spawned forest fungi hide out in other organisms, study finds Oct 25, 2019 8:45 am Scientists have long argued about where, how these fungi survive, sometimes for decades, between fires. A new study finds that some hide out in the tissues of mosses and lichens.