Unlocking the secrets of the Amazon River Nov 22, 2016 9:15 am1077 views Next week, we’ll be in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, near the frontier town of Tefé, to conduct research on the river. Team finds new way to attach lipids to proteins, streamlining drug development Nov 21, 2016 2:00 pm665 views A new study reveals an efficient means of attaching lipids (fat molecules) to peptides (the building blocks of proteins). This can improve the molecules’ drug-delivery capabilities. Six Illinois faculty members elected AAAS Fellows Nov 21, 2016 10:00 am2216 views Six University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty members have been elected 2016 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Jianjun Cheng, Brian T. Cunningham, Kevin T. Pitts, Bruce L. Rhoads, Chad M. Rienstra and Josep Torrellas. Eight Illinois researchers rank among world’s most influential Nov 18, 2016 9:15 am6841 views Eight University of Illinois researchers have been named to the Thomson Reuters / Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list for 2016. The list identifies scientists “whose research has had significant global impact within their respective fields of study." Scientists tweak photosynthesis to boost crop yield Nov 17, 2016 1:00 pm6684 views Researchers report that they can increase plant productivity by boosting levels of three proteins involved in photosynthesis. This confirms a hypothesis some in the scientific community once doubted was possible. Symbols of Service Nov 17, 2016 11:00 am489 views The Symbols of Service exhibit at the University of Illinois Library tells the stories behind the tattoos of student veterans. Does one-party rule mean all Trump promises become reality? Nov 16, 2016 12:00 pm1192 views Donald Trump may not get everything he wants from Congress, despite its Republican majorities, says Illinois political science professor Tracy Sulkin. For First Nations peoples, effects of European contact are recorded in the genome Nov 15, 2016 10:00 am948 views A study of the genomes of 25 individuals who lived 1,000 to 6,000 years ago on the north coast of present-day British Columbia, and 25 of their descendants who still live in the region today, opens a new window on the catastrophic consequences of European colonization for indigenous peoples in that part of the world. Yoga practice linked to lower stress, better cognitive performance in older adults Nov 15, 2016 8:30 am874 views Older adults who practiced hatha yoga for 8 weeks were better able to manage stress and performed better on cognitive tests than peers in a stretching and weight-training program, researchers report. How could so many be so wrong predicting the presidential election? Nov 11, 2016 1:00 pm1070 views Illinois political scientist Brian Gaines, an expert on polling and public opinion, spoke about what might have happened and the challenges of getting it right. Solo exhibition at Krannert Art Museum focuses on images of the Niger Delta Nov 11, 2016 9:15 am1135 views Krannert Art Museum is hosting a solo exhibition of artist Zina Saro-Wiwa’s work, primarily photography and video, showing images of the Niger Delta and its culture. Illinois printmaker pursues new medium through artist residency Nov 10, 2016 10:45 am394 views University of Illinois art professor Emmy Lingscheit created a pack of coyotes, made of vitreous china, during a Kohler Arts/Industry residency. The coyote sculptures are on display through Nov. 20 at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. One piece will be included in the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition at Krannert Art Museum, opening Nov. 17. Licorice compound interferes with sex hormones in mouse ovary, study finds Nov 9, 2016 12:00 pm598 views A study of mouse reproductive tissues finds that exposure to isoliquiritigenin, a compound found in licorice, disrupts steroid sex hormone production in the ovary, researchers report. Klaus Schulten, pioneer in biophysics and computational biology, has died Nov 4, 2016 8:30 am2397 views University of Illinois physics professor Klaus Schulten, an innovator in the use of computational methods to study the chemical and biological processes driving living cells, died Monday, Oct. 31, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. He was 69. Money in politics focus of Cline Symposium, featuring director of watchdog OpenSecrets.org Nov 3, 2016 1:15 pm261 views Money in U.S. politics will be the theme of a U. of I. symposium starting Friday, Nov. 11, with the director of the watchdog website OpenSecrets.org giving the keynote. The Cornfield Death March Nov 3, 2016 10:15 am2074 views My students and I are standing at the edge of a 73-acre cornfield. Covered in mud and sweat, we are dreading the task ahead. We are hunting the western corn rootworm, a menace to corn growers everywhere. Krannert Art Museum show will bring together medieval manuscripts owned by the U. of I. Nov 3, 2016 9:00 am1308 views Medieval manuscripts will be displayed at Krannert Art Museum in an exhibition that will show how books were used and valued in the Middle Ages and since. How has the definition of ‘effective leadership’ changed? Nov 2, 2016 3:30 pm2769 views David Rosch, a professor of agriculture education and an expert on leadership, spoke recently about popular perceptions of good leadership and how those standards have changed. The art and science of Mammoth Hot Springs Nov 1, 2016 2:00 pm1953 views A new book by geology professor Bruce Fouke and photographer Tom Murphy brings together art and science in the study of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Box office opening for 2017 Ebert Film Festival passes Oct 31, 2016 10:15 am645 views Passes for the 19th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, or "Ebertfest," coming April 19-23, 2017, will go on sale Nov. 1. The passes cover all 12 or more screenings during the five-day event at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign. Krannert Art Museum renovations transform galleries Oct 28, 2016 8:45 am398 views Four galleries at Krannert Art Museum that hadn’t changed in more than 50 years have been renovated. Time-lapse cell imaging reveals dynamic activity Oct 26, 2016 12:30 pm1426 views Living cells are miniature worlds bustling with activity. A new advanced imaging method can track cells over long periods of time using only light – no dye or chemicals required – to reveal dynamics and provide insight into how cells function, develop and interact. Expert on parent-delivered language interventions to give annual Goldstick Lecture Oct 24, 2016 10:45 am417 views Leonard Abbeduto, an expert on language development in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, will give the annual Goldstick Family Lecture in the Study of Communication Disorders at the University of Illinois. Four years later, what effect has expanded video gambling had on Illinois? Oct 24, 2016 9:30 am2076 views Giveaways to gambling interests in Illinois have robbed state coffers of billions of dollars, says John W. Kindt, an emeritus professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois. Choreographer Tere O’Connor to give the Center for Advanced Study Annual Lecture Oct 21, 2016 3:15 pm410 views Choreographer and Illinois dance professor Tere O’Connor will talk about his approach to choreography when he gives the Center for Advanced Study Annual Lecture on Oct. 25. What should we know about the white working class? Oct 20, 2016 11:30 am591 views Descriptions of the white working-class often paint a one-dimensional picture, whereas the reality is more complex, says Illinois sociology professor Monica McDermott, the author of “Working-Class White.” Illinois architecture students documenting historic modern home Oct 20, 2016 8:45 am1044 views Armed with tape measures and sketch pads, University of Illinois architecture students are documenting a historic modernist home in the Chicago suburbs. The back story of the NY Times attorney and U of I grad whose letter went viral Oct 19, 2016 2:45 pm4844 views A U. of I. journalism alumnus who is now the newsroom attorney for The New York Times got some unexpected online attention last week. The focus of that attention was his response to an open letter from Donald Trump’s attorney, demanding the paper retract and apologize for a story. McCraw’s brief letter to the attorney, published on the Times site, went viral on social media and shot to the top of the paper's most-read content. In an interview, he talks about the letter, his job and what he learned at Illinois. Historian finds a frail humanity in personal accounts of life under Nazi occupation Oct 17, 2016 10:45 am2701 views World War II in Europe was an assault on civilians even more than a clash of arms. Civilians were uprooted, enslaved and massacred under a long Nazi occupation. So how did these civilians come to grips with the cruelty and violence all around them? University of Illinois history professor Peter Fritzsche “listened in” on their wartime talk by way of diaries, letters and other first-person accounts and describes what he found in a new book. Youth Literature Festival authors, artists to visit 90 Illinois schools Oct 17, 2016 10:30 am380 views About 90 local schools will welcome award-winning authors and book illustrators as part of the University of Illinois’ 2016 Youth Literature Festival. Pet burials blur the line between human and animal rites Oct 13, 2016 9:30 am810 views A new book by anthropology professor Jane Desmond explores humans’ complex relationships with other animals. Poet Janice Harrington’s new work reflects on life and art of painter Horace Pippin Oct 12, 2016 9:00 am908 views Poet Janice Harrington found inspiration for her latest book of poetry in the life and art of Horace Pippin. Her book is a critique of the perception of African-American folk art as primitive and a reflection on how Pippin’s experiences shaped his art. Poetry inspired by painting Oct 12, 2016 8:45 am344 views Poet Janice Harrington wrote her poem "Domino Players, 1943" based on a painting by African-American artist Horace Pippin. Livestock donation programs reduce poverty, improve food security and nutrition Oct 11, 2016 9:00 am1249 views Research from U. of I. agricultural economists Peter Goldsmith and Alex Winter-Nelson found that the direct donation of livestock to impoverished communities in rural Africa had numerous positive effects ranging from a reduction in poverty to an increase in gender empowerment. Adults with disabilities on Medicaid wait list most likely to have unmet service needs Oct 6, 2016 1:30 pm1291 views 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 by University of Illinois researchers found. Delinquent youths with PTSD need individualized treatment, studies suggest Oct 6, 2016 8:15 am613 views Juvenile offenders who have a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder are at 67 percent greater risk of entering substance abuse treatment within seven years, a new study led by a University of Illinois scholar found. Preschoolers form body images – but parents are unaware, study says Oct 5, 2016 8:45 am2942 views Preschoolers may express awareness about body-image issues – but their parents may miss opportunities to promote positive body-image formation in their children because parents believe them to be too young to have these concerns, new research suggests. Sculpture of Thoreau’s cabin looks at artifice of objects Oct 5, 2016 8:30 am934 views University of Illinois art professor Conrad Bakker's interest in Henry David Thoreau, and in the artificiality of objects, led him to create a sculpture of Thoreau's cabin. Distracted much? New research may help explain why Oct 5, 2016 8:15 am2379 views A new study offers evidence that one’s motivation is just as important for sustained attention to a task as is the ease with which the task is done. What’s in a name? For young Chinese consumers and foreign brands, it’s about culture mixing Oct 3, 2016 9:15 am1446 views 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. What makes political distrust such a problem? Oct 3, 2016 9:15 am1799 views The polarization and dysfunction in Congress has spread in recent years to the voting public, says professor Thomas Rudolph, but it’s more about simply disliking political opponents than differences over ideology. Review finds little evidence that brain-training games yield real-world benefits Oct 3, 2016 12:15 am997 views A systematic review of the scientific studies cited by brain-training companies as evidence that their products improve cognition in daily life finds no convincing evidence to support those claims. While people tend to improve on the specific tasks they practice, the researchers report, the conclusion that computerized brain-training programs yield broader cognitive benefits or improve real-world outcomes for their users is premature at best. Geologic imaging technique measures strength of Earth’s outer shell Sep 29, 2016 1:00 pm1273 views 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, according to a new study by geologists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Adelaide in Australia. Brazilian musicians to showcase different styles of music from their country Sep 28, 2016 5:00 pm498 views Two Brazilian musicians who play different instruments and represent two distinct regional musical styles will perform together for the first time on the University of Illinois campus. Backstage at an American musical Sep 28, 2016 1:15 pm1368 views Lighting-design students from the University of Illinois theatre department get a backstage look at the technical aspects of the musical "Hamilton." Study links nutrition to brain health and cognitive aging Sep 28, 2016 9:00 am1082 views A new study of older adults finds an association between higher blood levels of phosphatidylcholine, a source of the dietary nutrient choline, and the ability to regulate attention to manage competing tasks. The study also identified a brain structure that appears to play a role in this association. Illinois religion professor looks at Jewish theology of protest in new book Sep 23, 2016 10:00 am1067 views A new book, “Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism,” by University of Illinois religion professor Dov Weiss, is the first comprehensive academic look at the Jewish tradition of protes. How will LGBT issues affect the 2016 election? An interview with Robin Fretwell Wilson Sep 22, 2016 10:15 am666 views Although Americans overwhelmingly support nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, no state has enacted significant new legislation protecting them against discrimination in housing, hiring and public accommodations since 2008, says Robin Fretwell Wilson, the Roger and Stephany Joslin Professor of Law and the director of the Program in Family Law and Policy at the University of Illinois College of Law. Krannert Art Museum assembling major exhibition on Swahili arts Sep 22, 2016 10:15 am514 views An exhibition to open at Krannert Art Museum in fall 2017, “World on the Horizon: Swahili Arts Across the Indian Ocean,” will be an unprecedented look at the arts of the Swahili coast of Africa. Reproductions of Irish cultural icons on display at Spurlock Museum Sep 20, 2016 9:15 am1042 views High-quality reproductions of medieval Irish metalwork – acquired by the University of Illinois 100 years ago – are the centerpiece of a new exhibit at Spurlock Museum of World Cultures.