blog posts Latin dance may be a step toward better working memory for older Latinos Jun 10, 2022 8:00 am Latino adults who participated in a health intervention that provided Latin dance lessons showed significant improvements in their working memory, according to a new Illinois study. Cholesterol metabolite induces production of cancer-promoting vesicles Jun 11, 2021 8:30 am Molecular and integrative physiology professor Erik Nelson and his colleagues found that a byproduct of cholesterol metabolism causes some immune cells to spew out cancer-promoting signals. Puerto Rico’s anti-corruption laws promoted fraud by outsourcing government services Jun 14, 2024 10:00 am Study finds fraud and corruption in Puerto Rico flourished under its anti-corruption laws, which heightened the opportunities for malfeasance by promoting the outsourcing of government services to private corporations. Professor Joseph Lyding wins Foresight Institute's Feynman Prize Jun 15, 2015 3:00 pm Professor Joseph W. Lyding received the Foresight Institute Feynman Prize, a premier honor for his research and development in the field of nanotechnology. Simulated sea slug gets addicted to drug Jun 16, 2020 8:00 am Researchers simulated a sea slug brain in a computer model and gave it access to food and an intoxicating drug as part of a long-term project to create a working model of the brain, starting with the simplest circuits and gradually adding complexity. Great Barrier Reef coral study provides correction factor to global climate records Jun 18, 2019 1:00 pm By combining high-resolution microscopic techniques and geochemical modeling, researchers are using the formational history of Porites coral skeletons to fine-tune the records used to make global climate predictions. 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 Control over work-life boundaries creates crucial buffer to manage after-hours work stress Jun 24, 2020 3:45 pm Workers with greater boundary control over their work and personal lives were better at creating a stress buffer, according to Illinois researchers. Researchers report breakthrough in quest for renewable carbon-based fuels Jun 24, 2021 3:45 pm Researchers report that small quantities of useful molecules such as hydrocarbons are produced when carbon dioxide and water react in the presence of light and a silver nanoparticle catalyst. With online games, high school students learn how to rein in disease outbreaks Jun 27, 2016 12:30 pm High school students investigate Ebola-like outbreaks and administer vaccines through Outbreak!, a new summer course at Illinois that uses online games to encourage critical thinking about fighting infectious diseases. Air pollution via wildfire smoke takes toll on labor markets Jun 27, 2023 11:30 am A new paper analyzes how air pollution via the effects of drifting wildfire smoke impacts the U.S. labor market. Protein ‘big bang’ reveals molecular makeup for medicine, bioengineering Jul 2, 2021 9:00 am A new study from Illinois researchers maps the evolutionary history of protein domains over 3.8 billion years. 'This could help identify, for example, why structural variations and genomic recombinations occur often in SARS-CoV-2.' 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. People with student loan debt oppose Obama’s tuition-free college plan, study finds Jul 6, 2016 1:15 pm In online comments, a significant number of people opposed the plan because it lacks measures to help them and the millions of other borrowers currently mired in student loan debt. 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 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 Young people who use marijuana likely to switch to alcohol at 21 Jul 7, 2015 11:15 am It’s no surprise that alcohol consumption rises dramatically in people just over the age of 21, the minimum legal age to drink. But a new survey reveals an equally dramatic drop in marijuana use at that age. Routine screenings prevent cervical cancer in elderly women Jul 7, 2016 9:00 am A new U. of I. study confirms a link between routine Pap smear screenings and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer in women over age 65. “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.' 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 Perinatal depression screenings may not detect women having suicidal thoughts, study finds Jul 16, 2019 9:00 am Perinatal depression screenings may overlook a significant proportion of women who are having suicidal thoughts, according to a new study led by social work professor Karen M. Tabb. Spirituality, financial security essential to Latinos’ positive aging Jul 17, 2020 1:00 pm Financial security and spirituality are essential to positive aging in Latino older adults, and programs designed for this population should prioritize these elements, a new study indicates. The environmental lessons of COVID-19 Jul 19, 2021 10:15 am The Global Carbon Project estimated that, due to worldwide COVID-19 restrictions, carbon dioxide emissions dropped by 2.4 billion tons, or 7 percent, in 2020 - an unprecedented decline. The physiological consequences of workplace incivility Jul 20, 2021 10:45 am Study explores how workplace dynamics can affect an individual’s ability to respond to an uncivil act in a way that de-escalates conflict and downregulates stress responses. A night in grizzly country Jul 21, 2016 1:00 pm "(The students) had to learn a few new skills, like how to hang food from a bear pole. Some also had to adjust emotionally to the idea of sleeping in the middle of grizzly country." For anemonefish, male-to-female sex change happens first in the brain Jul 23, 2019 9:30 am The findings, reported in the journal Hormones and Behavior, describe the first known example of an animal undergoing a sex change in the brain before it occurs in the sex organs, the researchers said. Lone Star ticks in Illinois can carry, transmit Heartland virus Jul 23, 2020 9:00 am Researchers have confirmed that Heartland virus, an emerging pathogen with potentially dire consequences for those infected, is present in Lone Star ticks in two Illinois counties hundreds of miles apart. Understanding how mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can treat tinnitus Jul 24, 2019 11:45 am Husain’s group used MRI to scan the changes in the brain structure and function, and added a follow-up period to confirm whether beneficial behavioral changes would persist. Sweet-taste perception changes as children develop Jul 31, 2020 3:45 pm While adults prefer levels of sweetness similar to typical soft drinks, children and adolescents are less sensitive to the taste and prefer concentrations that are 50% sweeter. One year of observations from the Dark Energy Survey Aug 3, 2017 10:30 am The data, processed by Illinois' NCSA, verify the theory that 26% of the universe is in the form of mysterious dark matter and that space is filled with an also-unseen dark energy Lizard blizzard survivors tell story of natural selection Aug 3, 2017 3:45 pm “I think this is a really strong and clear story about biological responses to extreme weather events.” Study offers insight into underlying causes of seizure disorder in babies Aug 3, 2021 8:00 am Researchers discovered that genetic mutations associated with the disease impair a pathway that is involved in building new synapses in the hippocampus, a brain region essential to learning and memory. Sampling sewer water for COVID-19 in the community Aug 4, 2021 12:00 pm Previous work on sewage monitoring has shown that high-resolution sampling can provide an indication of infection a few days before other types of COVID tests return positive results, which could provide an important early warning tool. Berry wine, minus the alcohol, may offer help for those with diabetes Aug 5, 2016 11:30 am Food scientists at Illinois have found that fermenting blueberries and blackberries - already considered 'diabetes superfoods' - may improve their antidiabetic potential even more. Scientific models use weather data to predict state’s West Nile Virus infection rates Aug 9, 2016 8:00 am Researchers from Illinois have created forecasting models for each of the nine climate areas of Illinois to predict mosquito infection rates on a weekly basis. Mosquitoes transmit WNV to humans. Printing flattens polymers, improving electrical and optical properties Aug 9, 2019 11:30 am Researchers have found a way to use polymer printing to stretch and flatten twisted molecules so that they conduct electricity better. Researchers turn off backscattering, aim to improve optical data transmission Aug 12, 2019 9:00 am Researchers confirmed that backscattered light waves can be suppressed to reduce data loss in optical communications systems. In product design, imagining end user’s feelings leads to more original outcomes Aug 15, 2019 11:30 am When creating products, companies should focus on how the product makes the consumer feel rather than utility, says Profressor Ravi Mehta. Slowing dangerous bacteria may be more effective than killing them, researchers report Aug 17, 2017 9:45 am Illinois researchers have discovered a mechanism that allows bacteria of the same species to communicate when their survival is threatened Novel nanoparticle-based approach detects and treats oral plaque without drugs Aug 17, 2018 2:15 pm Illinois researchers have recently devised a practical nanotechnology-based method for detecting and treating the harmful bacteria that cause plaque and lead to tooth decay Nutrient-rich human waste poised to sustain agriculture, improve economies Aug 20, 2021 1:30 pm 'Whatever comes in through food and drink must come out in our urine, feces and sweat. Knowing that, we can estimate how much (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) is in a population’s bodily waste if we know their diet,' says professor Jeremy Guest. Illinois artist Ben Grosser's solo show imagines 'Software for Less' Aug 24, 2021 1:45 pm A solo exhibition of work by artist Ben Grosser at arebyte Gallery in London considers what software might look like if its underlying philosophy was not the creation of more, but less. New technique gives polyurethane waste a second life Aug 26, 2019 8:30 am A team at the University of Illinois has developed a method to break down polyurethane waste and turn it into other useful products. Register: Illinois' second annual Health Communication online conference Aug 28, 2017 3:45 pm The conference will showcase research on the relationships between technology, electronically mediated communication and healthcare. Registration and call for presenters now open For now, Illinois’ imperiled eastern massasauga rattlesnakes retain genetic diversity Aug 28, 2018 8:00 am A long-term study of these snakes reveals that – despite their alarming decline in numbers – they have retained a surprising amount of genetic diversity Illinois entomologist Berenbaum earns British Ecological Society's highest honor Aug 29, 2017 4:00 pm May Berenbaum was honored for her research focusing on chemical interactions between insects and plants, including the detoxification of natural and synthetic chemicals Researchers address dairy processing's environmental, sustainability issues Sep 1, 2021 12:15 pm A team of Illinois researchers found an economical and sustainable method to process excess dairy whey – one of the food manufacturing industry’s largest polluters. As an act of self-disclosure, workplace creativity can be risky business Sep 4, 2019 10:30 am Business professor Jack Goncalo finds that being creative in the workplace is potentially fraught with peril because creativity itself is deeply personal. Study finds brain network organization connects nutrition to intelligence Sep 7, 2017 12:30 pm Illinois professor Aron Barbey led a study that found the functional network organization in the brain mediates the relationship between nutrition and intelligence. Bringing cells to life … and to Minecraft: $30 million NSF grant to support whole-cell modeling Sep 7, 2023 11:00 am With cutting-edge imaging and simulation tools, the center will study healthy and diseased cells; accelerate research into gene expression, metabolism, and division; and share science with communities of all ages through a partnership with the popular computer game Minecraft.