blog posts Top scientists, engineers choose startups over tech behemoths for reasons other than money Sep 20, 2023 10:30 am 'There’s a common belief that individuals work at startups to get rich when the venture is successful, but we find that employees are aware that startup employment is risky and they choose it for reasons other than future financial payoffs.' Although the air is now cleaner in the U.S., air pollution remains a problem for public health Sep 21, 2023 10:30 am "It’s pretty clear that wildfire smoke is affecting a lot more people on a lot more days than it used to,” says Christopher Tessum, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. Air pollution via wildfire smoke increases suicide risk in rural counties Sep 12, 2023 11:00 am A new paper co-written by Gies College of Business professor David Molitor found that air pollution via drifting wildfire smoke disproportionately elevates the risk of suicide among rural populations in the U.S. Study links epigenetic changes to historic trauma in Alaska Native communities Sep 8, 2023 11:15 am The study found a pattern among Alaska Native participants, in which specific epigenetic differences were observed in those who reported experiencing the most intense symptoms of distress when reflecting on historic losses. Green stormwater infrastructure: A solution for mosquito-borne disease? Aug 9, 2023 1:30 pm The microbial growth from blackberry leaves in aquatic habitats is detrimental to mosquito larval survival. 'It looked to be an organic form of mosquito control,' said professor Brian Allan. They appear to be just as effective as larvicides. Study: People expect others to mirror their own selfishness, generosity Aug 7, 2023 8:45 am Generous people tend to reward generous behavior and selfish individuals often punish generosity and reward selfishness – even when it costs them personally. CAR-T immune therapy attacks ovarian cancer in mice with a single dose Aug 1, 2023 1:15 pm A CAR-T immune therapy effective at attacking late-stage ovarian cancer in mice with a single dose provides evidence that CAR-T therapies could effectively treat solid-tumor cancers. Study: How mother and infant sleep patterns interact during the first two years of life Jul 25, 2023 10:15 am New mothers can expect sleep deprivation in the first few years of baby’s life. A new U of I study looks at maternal and infant sleep patterns, identifying predictors and providing recommendations for instilling healthy habits. Are honey bees, wild bees still in trouble? Jun 29, 2023 11:00 am U of I entomology professor Adam Dolezal, who studies how environmental stressors affect honey bees and wild bees, spoke to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about the current status of bees in the U.S. Conflict in marriage less harmful for kids when dad keeps it constructive Jun 21, 2023 9:30 am 'Fathers using constructive conflict resolution led to more parental involvement, which led to more positive child development. Destructive conflict has the opposite effect on kids,' says family development professor Karen Kramer. Cannabis use lower among Illinois teens living near medical dispensaries Jun 20, 2023 10:00 am 'We need to combat the hysteria that legalizing cannabis is going to have a wild and resounding impact on teens in terms of substance use rates and prevalence,' says social work professor Doug Smith. 'That’s simply not the case.' Healthy sex life during pandemic tied to an array of sexual coping strategies Jun 15, 2023 10:45 am People who found ways to explore their sexuality and use it as a coping mechanism during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had more active and fulfilling sex lives, according to U of I studies. More veterans using marijuana - but not from medical sources Jun 14, 2023 11:00 am Marijuana remains federally illegal, classified as Schedule I by the DEA, so the Veterans Health Administration providers cannot prescribe or recommend marijuana to patients, though they may discuss the drug in a general sense. How much nitrogen does corn get from fertilizer? Less than farmers think Jun 5, 2023 9:00 am Recent studies by U of I researchers show that corn takes up the majority of its nitrogen – about 67% on average – from sources occurring naturally in soil, not from fertilizer. Study tracks social, genetic evolution in Asian colobine primates Jun 1, 2023 12:45 pm A new study reveals that colobines living in colder regions experienced genetic changes and alterations to their ancient social structure that likely enhanced their ability to survive. How love, health, and neighborhood intersect for Black Americans May 12, 2023 12:45 pm People living in better-quality neighborhoods showed lower negative, higher positive affects 10 years later. 'This really speaks to the powerful effect of the community you're in and the amount of stress or support that you get from your neighborhood.' Royal Fever: Will the brand play on for King Charles? May 3, 2023 10:00 am Professor Cele Otnes says the British Royal Family brand consists of at least five types of brands - all likely to be on display during coronation weekend: Family, Global, Heritage, Human, and Luxury. Each aspect offers challenges to the new King. Colleges should reexamine career services for students with disabilities Apr 28, 2023 3:30 pm 'Too often these college students’ career aspirations are negatively shaped by the limiting attitudes of family, campus policies and society to lock in an identified career,' said Professor Chang-kyu Kwon. Bursting bubbles: Tiny yet hazardous Mar 31, 2023 9:15 am Aerosols produced by bubble bursting can impact air pollution, global climate and even the transmission of infectious diseases, and smaller aerosol drops are more easily lifted by winds and can travel much further. How emotional intimacy became politically valued in post-WWII Britain Mar 24, 2023 1:30 pm History professor Teri Chettiar's new book looks at how the intimate emotional life of families took on great political importance in post-WWII Britain, and emotional well-being was seen as a key factor for a stable democracy. Are TV sports networks game-changers for financing collegiate athletics? Mar 20, 2023 1:45 pm A new study finds that revenue from college sports TV networks increased spending by universities’ athletic programs while decreasing subsidization by other campus units. Statistics, history researchers' new model re-evaluates MLB's 'greatest ever' Mar 13, 2023 10:30 am 'Under this model, great all-time statistics requires that an MLB player is both better than their peers and played during a time in which the MLB eligible population is large. ...The model constructs an even playing field that extends across eras.' Study compares third-trimester sound exposures in fetuses, premature infants Mar 1, 2023 11:15 am The analysis reveals profound differences in their exposures to noise, language and the biological sounds of the mother, with implications for the infants’ development, says study leader Brian Monson, a professor of Speech and Hearing Science. Videos, book highlight history of skin in the early modern world Feb 23, 2023 8:45 am History professor Craig Koslofsky said skin color has not always been seen in the same way or played the same role in society. His work soesn't focus solely on skin color, but also on tattooing, scarification, cosmetics and the microanatomy of skin. New climate change model finds nuanced relationship between temperature, conflict Feb 17, 2023 8:45 am A new framework for studying the intersection of climate anomalies and social conflicts finds a strong link between temperature fluctuations and aggregated global conflicts, says Gies College of Business professor Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee. Researchers illuminate gaps in public transportation access, equity Feb 16, 2023 10:30 am Reserachers found that public transit systems offering broad coverage of stops and routes may still underserve the communities that rely on them the most. The study uses the Champaign-Urbana MTD as a case study. Sense of purpose may have significant impact on teens' emotional well-being Feb 13, 2023 11:15 am In a study of more than 200 adolescents, researchers found that those who scored high on purposefulness were more satisfied with their lives and experienced more positive emotions in general. Study links exercise intensity, attentional control in late-adolescent girls Feb 6, 2023 10:30 am Researchers found that girls ages 15-18 who engage in less moderate and vigorous physical activity are slower and less accurate than their peers on a measure of attentional control - they can be more impulsive and more easily distracted. Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds Feb 9, 2023 9:15 am Many of the same social media platforms and websites are popular around the world, but how people use them remains vastly different based on their languages and geography. Paper: New law, regulations may diminish appeal of some retirement accounts Jan 30, 2023 9:45 am A new law and regulations affecting inherited retirement accounts could create hefty taxation issues for some beneficiaries, says Richard Kaplan, an expert on U.S. tax policy and retirement issues. $9.5M funding will help U of I researchers decode influenza-antibody interactions Jan 26, 2023 1:00 pm 'We're optimistic this initiative will help scientists develop new, untested approaches that can reveal how pathogens work and how the human immune system responds to pathogen infection,” said Leslie Vosshall of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Camera-trap study provides photographic evidence of pumas' ecological impact Jan 23, 2023 9:15 am A camera-trap study of two ecosystems – one with pumas and one without – adds to scientists’ understanding of the many ways apex predators influence the abundance, diversity and habits of other animals, including smaller carnivores. Website compiles ocean data from landmark 19th-century scientific voyage Jan 10, 2023 12:45 pm English professor Gillen D’Arcy Wood’s Oceans 1876 project makes a treasure trove of 19th-century marine data accessible to help scientists better understand how our oceans have changed and how to protect them. Teenage girls' self-esteem is a product of past experience Jan 9, 2023 11:30 am 'We all feel the need to fit in socially, but teenagers feel this need more strongly than most. What we don’t understand is why some teenagers feel it more strongly than others,' says doctoral student Haley Skymba. Implicit bias prevents women from obtaining prompt treatment for health problems Dec 20, 2022 10:00 am For some women who experience serious and chronic physical or mental health conditions, one of their most daunting challenges is obtaining the belief and validation of health care providers, family members and friends. Book examines tallgrass prairies' ecological history, effects on Indigenous cultures Dec 14, 2022 11:45 am History professor Robert Morrissey writes about how the ecology of the tallgrass prairie shaped the culture and created unique opportunities for the Indigenous people who lived there. Professor identifies key drivers in decisions to receive COVID-19 vaccine Dec 8, 2022 10:15 am Republicans 'were far more likely to say that they were getting vaccinated than if they thought other Republicans were not going to be vaccinated,' Bowers said. For Democrats, the intentions of other Democrats were less likely to influence their decision. Paper: Neurotic personality trait a key risk factor for stress perception Nov 29, 2022 11:15 am While all of the 'Big Five' personality traits – agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness – are related to experiencing stress, neuroticism showed the strongest link Study: COVID-19 policies harmed minority women's perinatal experiences, magnified inequities Nov 15, 2022 12:00 pm Social Work professors Karen Tabb Dina and Tuyet-Mai Ha Hoang led a study that explored the experiences of women of color who - like them - were pregnant or gave birth during the pandemic. Study shows the power of 'thank you' for couples Nov 14, 2022 11:15 am Study by a professor of human development and community health finds greater levels of perceived gratitude protect couples from common stressors such as ineffective arguing and financial problems, and promote relationship stability. Paper: Social justice storytelling helps librarians advocate for patrons, themselves Nov 2, 2022 12:00 pm Library schools should teach social justice storytelling skills to students so they can advocate for the needs of underserved patrons, says information sciences professor Kate McDowell. Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs Nov 1, 2022 1:45 pm Bats help keep forests growing. Without bats to hold their populations in check, insects that munch on tree do three to nine times more damage than when bats are on the scene, according to a groundbreaking new study from the U of I. Illinois journal highlights new findings on the Black Death's timeline, origin Oct 24, 2022 10:30 am The bacterial cause of the Black Death existed millennia earlier than previously thought and is now known to have caused the First Plague Pandemic, which devastated the 6th century Roman world, says U of I medieval studies expert Carol Symes. Regional public universities increase access, social mobility for nearby residents Oct 20, 2022 9:00 am 'When legislators are thinking about allocating funding for regional public universities, it’s important for them to know just how many benefits they provide to students in the surrounding community,' said economics professor Russell Weinstein. Paper: Established employees need adjustment period with new colleagues Oct 12, 2022 9:30 am Adding new employees to an established work team can have a multitude of consequences for long-standing employees, according to new research co-written by IYihao Liu, a U of I professor of both labor relations and psychology. Peer adversity may cause girls to feel their self-worth is constantly at risk Oct 10, 2022 10:30 am A history of peer adversity sensitizes teen girls to situational threats to their self-esteem and interpersonal needs, cultivating feelings that their self-worth is constantly in jeopardy, a new study found. People who viewed sex as a leisure activity enjoyed more, better sex during the pandemic Oct 13, 2022 10:45 am People who strongly viewed sex as a leisure activity before and during the pandemic used their downtime to engage in more frequent, satisfying and creative sexual activity, according to a study by professor Liza Berdychevsky. New database catalogs police shootings in Illinois to improve accountability Oct 7, 2022 10:45 am An interdisciplinary team of U of I experts has developed a statewide registry on the use of lethal force by police officers in Illinois. It identified more than twice as many police-involved shooting incidents than previously reported. Men's experiences of sexual racism differ in two online dating communities Sep 29, 2022 10:45 am While sexual minority men report that racialized sexual discrimination is rampant on dating apps and websites, Black men reported differing experiences on Grindr and Jack’d, according to a study led by social work professor Ryan Wade. Job-quality indicator points to mixed bag for Illinois workers Sep 19, 2022 2:00 pm A team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor experts has developed a metric for measuring the quality of jobs throughout the state of Illinois. The findings are a mix of positive and negative news for Illinois workers.
