Category: Research

The latest rash of extreme makeover shows like “The Swan,” complete with ruthless plastic surgery, has probably reinforced the belief that you need to look a certain way to succeed in life. But a recent study by Kevin Kniffin, an honorary fellow in the anthropology department at UW-Madison, says otherwise.

There�s nothing quite like going into the deep freeze to learn more about planet Earth.

That�s where Jihong Cole-Dai, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at South Dakota State University, and graduate students Drew Budner and Dave Ferris will find themselves when they head to Antarctica in December.

The South Pole field team, will consist of the three SDSU researchers and two drilling engineers from the University of Wisconsin

Electrical conditions similar to those found on some Wisconsin farms may affect the immune systems of cows, but it’s still unclear if it hampers their ability to fight disease, a UW-Madison researcher found.

MADISON, Wis. — What’s more important to a manufacturing company: time or money?

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Quick Response Manufacturing, ruthlessly cutting down the time it takes to get products developed and produced is seen as the best way to reduce costs and end up with more � you guessed it � money.

UW-Madison researchers try to piece together data to determine they could have predicted that the storm would gain strength before landfall.

While pleasurable experiences may lift your spirits, the ones that leave you with a sense of purpose and meaningful relationships may do even more: protect the body against ill health.

When researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Princeton University interviewed a group of older women and assessed their emotional and physical well-being, or levels of optimal health, they found that the people who were purposefully engaged in life tended to have better levels of physical functioning.

Honored: Myra Marx Ferree, professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison: the Jessie Bernard Award, which recognizes contributions to the sociology of women and gender. (Subscription required.)

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Florida braces for hurricane double whammy

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10:58� 13� August� 04
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NewScientist.com news service
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An infrared satellite image taken at 1015 BST on Friday shows Hurricane Charley between Cuba and Florida (Image: NOAA)

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Hurricane Charley has passed Cuba, where it brought coastal flooding, torrential rain and tornadoes. It remains on track for the US state of Florida, where tropical storm Bonnie dumped more than 15 centimetres of rain in parts of the state on Thursday. Bonnie was later downgraded to a tropical depression.

UW-Madison hurricane expert Derrick Herndon is quoted.

LONDON, Aug. 11 – British regulators on Wednesday issued the country’s first license to use cloning techniques to generate a human embryo to produce stem cells that might be used for the treatment of disease.

Jesse Alswager could barely reach the microphones because he’s only 7.

He seems much too young to be involved in politics, let alone presidential politics.

LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) — First lady Laura Bush, defending her husband’s policy on embryonic stem cell research, accuses proponents of overstating the potential for medical breakthroughs and says it is “ridiculous” for John Kerry to claim the president has banned the research.

OXFORD, England – Construction had barely begun in February on a research laboratory at Oxford University – one scheduled to experiment with animals – when the string of violent incidents began.

Kerry renewed a previous pledge to reverse Bush administration policies on stem cells if he should win the White House and said he would increase funding for stem cell research by federal agencies.

Growth hormones and a last-minute relocation helped coax UW-Madison’s Titan Arum III into finally unfurling its stinky bloom Thursday, and hundreds were on hand throughout the day to see and smell it.

The U-W Madison is lending a hand in the efforts of Homeland Security. It’s working with other universities around the country looking at the potential risks and economic impacts of terrorist activities on the United States. Vicki BierÃ? is one of the researchers. She tells WIBA News it’s not just the cost of re-building they’ll be looking at but also whatÃ? have the costsÃ? been for September 11th for the economy…and what other types of terrorist events can we envision and what consequences will those have on the economy.Ã?  Researchers will also look at what “landmarks” are most at risk for terrorism, although Bier admits it would be impossible to protect all of them. The studies are funded by a three-grant from the U-S Department of Homeland Security.

What follows is a small taste of a voluminous set of records obtained by Isthmus through an open records request. The paper asked only for the primate experiments classified by the university as being the most highly invasion. In response, the UW released records from 43 experiments.

Americans who build homes in the woods may be speeding the decline of many native bird species, according to a research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Forest Service.

The Titan Arum III, dubbed “Little Stinker,” remains stubbornly benign after 20 days.

A seven-year study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that male prisoners who had multiple counseling sessions before and after their release were more likely to report using condoms during sex than inmates who had only one pre-release counseling session

A UW-Madison study found road building in northern Wisconsin doubled over 60 years. Researchers say this disrupts native plant life, and they tried to find out how much and how fast invasive species could take over. (2nd item.)

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say they think they know the reason for so-called maternal aggression in animals.

Every road or subdivision we build, and even where we put a child’s jungle gym and whether we use bark chips or crushed rock for walkways, can affect the risk of getting or spreading infectious diseases.

Mouse mothers become fearless when levels of a particular hormone drop, reveals a new study. This gives mothers the courage to ferociously attack any would-be assailants to their offspring.

Stem cell research was back in the news with a vengeance last week. The Bush Administration announced plans to speed up work on approved cell lines, while Democrats revealed that Ron Reagan Jr. will address their national convention on the promise of stem cell research (see p. 473). A conservative senator held a hearing to showcase the virtues of adult stem cells, which are ethically less troublesome than embryonic cells. All this activity suggests that the issue will be visible in the fall election despite the lack of any planned votes in Congress.

Backers of stem cell research in Wisconsin say the push at Tuesday’s Domocratic National Convention to lift restrictions on federal funding could bring economic and scientific benefits to the state.

Ron Reagan told Democratic delegates Tuesday that voters face a choice between “the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology” on the matter of embryonic stem cell research.

Nearly 350 people gathered at the hotel for a conference of the International Association for Relationship Research. They are psychologists, sociologists, communications scientists and researchers into human development.

More than 1,800 fisheries scientists from 30 countries will gather in Madison next month to share the latest research, technology, and management techniques for the conservation, development and sustainable use of fisheries

Stem cell research was back in the news with a vengeance last week. The Bush Administration announced plans to speed up work on approved cell lines, while Democrats revealed that Ron Reagan Jr. will address their national convention on the promise of stem cell research.