blog posts Grant funds computer simulation to train social work students, clinicians Oct 27, 2015 10:00 am A federal grant will fund one new course and support training for clinicians at area agencies in conducting early interventions with people who abuse substances. Bacterial hole puncher could be new broad-spectrum antibiotic Oct 27, 2015 3:15 pm A new class of spiral polypeptides developed at the University of Illinois targets one thing no bacterium can live without: an outer membrane. People with MS may be more physically fit than tests indicate Oct 29, 2015 10:30 am Professor Lara Pilutti found that conventional methods of testing physical fitness in people with multiple sclerosis may underestimate their cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength. Wimps or warriors? Honey bee larvae absorb the social culture of the hive Oct 29, 2015 11:15 am Even as larvae, honey bees are tuned in to the social culture of the hive, becoming more or less aggressive depending on who raises them Illinois composer chosen for Copland House residency Oct 30, 2015 10:30 am Professor Carlos Carrillo will spend about six weeks next summer at the New York home where composer Aaron Copland lived and worked, now a National Historic Landmark. Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night, study finds Nov 2, 2015 8:30 am The study found that cowbird juveniles leave the host parents at dusk and spend their nights in nearby fields, returning just after daybreak. Pineapple genome offers insight into photosynthesis in drought-tolerant plants Nov 2, 2015 10:15 am “Drought is responsible for the majority of global crop loss, so understanding the mechanisms that plants have evolved to survive water stress is vital for engineering drought tolerance in crop species.” 3-D cow app will help veterinary students learn anatomy Nov 3, 2015 10:15 am A veterinary medicine design team created an app that allows users to see a cow’s internal organs and systems in 3-D when a device is pointed at 'Dr. Moolittle.' Illinois to lead NSF Midwest Big Data Hub Nov 3, 2015 3:15 pm To accelerate advancements in the rapidly emerging field of big data analysis, the National Science Foundation is establishing four regional Big Data Hubs. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will lead the Midwest Hub. Links between hunger and health: Doctors should screen patients for food insecurity Nov 4, 2015 10:45 am “Health care professionals should recognize the possibility that food insecurity may be one determinant, among others, of a patient’s health challenges,” Illinois economist Craig Gundersen said. Supervolcanoes likely triggered externally, study finds Nov 4, 2015 12:45 pm Supervolcanoes are likely triggered externally when the rock around them cracks or collapses, according to a study led by Illinois geologist Patricia Gregg. Ground-level ozone reduces maize and soybean yields Nov 5, 2015 2:00 pm Over the last 30 years, ozone emissions have reduced soybean and corn yields by 5 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Drugs with multiple targets show promise against myotonic dystrophy type 1 Nov 9, 2015 11:30 am Researchers have added new capabilities to an experimental drug agent that previously defeated only one of DM1’s many modes of action. Their retooled compounds interrupt the disease’s pathology in three ways. $4.3 million awarded for center focusing on self-healing materials Nov 10, 2015 12:30 pm The center will build upon research into autonomous materials conducted by the Autonomous Materials Systems Group at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Nanopores could take the salt out of seawater Nov 10, 2015 1:45 pm "These materials are efficient in terms of energy usage and fouling, which are issues that have plagued desalination technology for a long time.” - Professor Narayana Aluru Machine learning could solve riddles of galaxy formation Nov 11, 2015 11:15 am A new machine-learning simulation system developed at Illinois promises cosmologists an expanded suite of galaxy models – a necessary first step to developing insights into the formation of the universe. Prints flocked with gunpowder highlight gun violence on college campuses Nov 11, 2015 3:00 pm “It sounds like the phrase, ‘Run, Hide, Fight,’ could come from an infantry manual. It sounds old-timey, in a call-to-arms kind of way. The (Civil War military) costume points that out.” - Art professor Guen Montgomery Scarcity, not abundance, enhances consumer creativity, study says Nov 16, 2015 10:45 am "What we found is that abundant resources may have a negative effect on creativity. When you have fewer resources, you use them more creatively.” Legislators' prior union experience correlates with voting pro-labor Nov 16, 2015 10:45 am A legislator’s experience with unionization earlier in life is positively related to voting in favor of pro-worker legislation once he or she holds elected office, according to a paper from an Illinois labor expert who studies unions and politics. Does climate change result in civil unrest? Nov 18, 2015 8:30 am A Minute With...™ Peter Nardulli, political scientist Research using CO₂ keeps even small fry invasive carp at bay Nov 19, 2015 10:00 am Bubbling high concentrations of carbon dioxide into water is a deterrent to invasive Asian carp adults. Now researchers know the gas makes even the tiniest juveniles feel woozy and swim away. Children from chaotic homes benefit from time in child care Nov 19, 2015 10:15 am Regularly attending child care may have numerous developmental benefits for children who live in chaotic, disorganized home environments, suggests a new study. Export of wood pellets from US to EU more environmentally friendly than coal Nov 20, 2015 10:30 am An Illinois study found that harvesting wood pellets in the U.S. and exporting them to the EU was more environmentally friendly than burning coal in the EU to generate electricity. Leatherback sea turtles choose nest sites carefully, study finds Nov 24, 2015 10:00 am A new study offers fresh insights into the nesting choices of leatherback sea turtles and will help efforts to prevent the extinction of this globally endangered giant of the sea Student documentaries provide views on inequality Dec 2, 2015 11:15 am A series of video and audio projects by University of Illinois students examines how those students feel about racism, sexism and wealth inequality. Students work on project to revitalize downtown through riverfront development Dec 2, 2015 11:15 am Several dozen U of I students working with Danville, Illinois, to look at how it could develop the riverfront as a public space connected to the city’s downtown area. Distracted dining? Steer clear of it! Dec 2, 2015 11:30 am A new University of Illinois study reveals that distracted dining may be as dangerous to your health as distracted driving is to your safety on the highway. Researchers resolve structure of a key component of bacterial decision-making Dec 8, 2015 9:15 am Bacterial chemotaxis, the process by which a bacterium changes direction in response to environmental cues, involves a complex array of chemical receptors Nanostructured metal coatings let the light through for electrical devices Dec 8, 2015 11:15 am A new anti-reflection coating lets light through without hampering the flow of electricity, a step that could increase efficiency in such devices. Portable device can quickly determine the extent of an eye injury Dec 9, 2015 9:00 am An engineer and an ophthalmologist are working together to develop a portable sensor that can quickly and inexpensively determine whether an eye injury is mild or severe. What the true story of the Essex - the inspiration for 'Moby-Dick' - teaches us today Dec 10, 2015 9:30 am A Minute With...™ Jamie Jones, who is writing a book on the literature, art and culture surrounding the whaling industry Study reports childhood family breakups harder on girls’ health Dec 14, 2015 8:30 am A childhood family breakup can have long-term negative consequences for the children. Illinois research looks at overall health, depression, and smoking as a health-related behavior and finds that, for girls, all three are worse. Is the Every Student Succeeds Act an improvement over No Child Left Behind? Dec 14, 2015 11:00 am A Minute With...™ Lizanne DeStefano, professor emerita of educational psychology Study: Emotion processing in the brain changes with tinnitus severity Dec 14, 2015 2:15 pm Speech and hearing science professor Fatima Husain and her colleagues found a relationship between tinnitus severity and emotion processing in the brain. Five Illinois faculty awarded NEH Fellowships Dec 15, 2015 2:30 pm Five University of Illinois faculty members have been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships for 2016 – the second year in a row that the Urbana campus has garnered more of these awards than any single institution. 'Star Wars' and the coming of age of special effects Dec 15, 2015 7:15 pm A Minute With...™ Julie Turnock, a professor of media and cinema studies Blog: Expedition to the highest lake in the world Dec 16, 2015 7:45 pm Early in 2016, a team will climb Ojos del Salado, the tallest active volcano in the world. Near the end of the trek, the team will veer off the summit path to visit something seen nowhere else on Earth at this altitude: liquid water. Study: Childhood concussions impair brain function Dec 18, 2015 10:45 am A new study finds that pre-adolescent children who have sustained sports-related concussions have impaired brain function two years following injury. Program that helps children cope after disasters could benefit refugees Dec 21, 2015 5:00 am Journey of Hope, a school-based psychosocial intervention co-developed by social work professor Tara Powell to help young victims of Hurricane Katrina, is being adapted to help young Syrian refugees. Old drugs, new tricks: medications approved for other uses also have antibiotic action Dec 22, 2015 9:45 am A number of drugs already approved to treat parasitic infections, cancers, infertility and other conditions also show promise as antibiotic agents against staph and tuberculosis infections, according to a new study by University of Illinois chemists and collaborators. Geologic formation could hold clues to melting glacier floodwaters Dec 23, 2015 11:00 am Geologists investigating an unusual landform in southern Illinois expected to find seismic origins, but instead found the aftermath of rushing floodwaters from melting Midwestern glaciers after the last ice age. Is fusion energy around the corner? Dec 31, 2015 2:00 pm A Minute With...™ U. of I. nuclear engineer Daniel Andruczyk Blog: Expedition to the highest lake in the world. The Why Jan 6, 2016 9:30 am "For us, this is an extreme environment. But for the microbes, this is home.” – Manfredo Seufferheld Researchers Develop Powerful Fashion-Optimized Image Search Tool Jan 6, 2016 1:45 pm Researchers at the Advanced Digital Sciences Center have commercialized FashionMatch, a fashion-optimized tool that analyzes apparel in an image to instantly find visually similar items and where to purchase them. Study: Year-round distribution of Earned Income Tax Credit has significant benefits Jan 7, 2016 12:15 pm Spacing it out Earned Income Tax Credit payments over the course of the year can result in significantly lower borrowing, more stable finances and less financial stress for low- and moderate-income families. 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. Study: Second-generation biofuels can reduce emissions Jan 11, 2016 4:30 pm Plant biology professor Evan DeLucia and co-authors found that the renewable fuel standard’s greater emphasis on second-generation biofuel can reduce emissions greatly despite economic considerations. 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 Making the invisible visible: Color-changing indicators highlight microscopic damage Jan 13, 2016 10:00 am Illinois professor Nancy Sottos and postdoctoral researcher Wenle Li led a team that developed color-changing indicators to highlight microscopic cracks in structural materials. Consumer perception of organic foods affected by food type, where they’re sold Jan 13, 2016 3:30 pm Foods with the USDA organic label are not perceived uniformly across food types or retail outlets, though the requirements for carrying the label are the same across products and stores.