Noted: In the 1990s, researchers found that flies use these genes to build their limbs. In an influential paper, Neil Shubin of the University of Chicago, Sean Carroll of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cliff Tabin of Harvard University speculated that flies and vertebrates — and other animals with appendages — inherited this network of genes from a common ancestor.
Category: Research
Popular statin shows promise for treating fragile X syndrome
Lovastatin is already approved for use in children with high cholesterol, so if proven effective for fragile X, it could quickly be prescribed for people with the syndrome, says Xinyu Zhao, Jenni and Kyle Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Researchers recruit Wisconsinites to contribute to massive biomedical database
The UW-Madison, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Marshfield Clinic are spearheading a statewide effort to help the NIH build a national biomedical database of unprecedented depth and scope.
How did solar energy get so cheap? UW prof probes history of technology
Greg Nemet, a professor with UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, has written a new book on the global policy and market forces that combined to make solar electricity one of the cheapest forms of energy.
Wisconsin has cut mercury pollution of its lakes. Climate change puts those gains at risk.
It is mid-March and two researchers trudge on snowshoes through feet of snow on a wooded trail, dragging a small plastic sled full of equipment.
More research labs are retiring monkeys when studies finish
More research labs are retiring primates to sanctuaries like Primates Inc., a 17-acre (7-hectare) rural compound in central Wisconsin, where they can live their remaining years, according to the sanctuaries and researchers. For some monkeys, it’s their first time hanging out in the fresh air.
More Research Labs Are Retiring Monkeys When Studies Finish
“Just to see them look around in amazement. You know it was all very calm and peaceful,” said Amy Kerwin, who worked for 15 years to get the Westfield, Wisconsin, sanctuary off the ground after being employed in a University of Wisconsin research lab.
Climate change causes ‘roller coaster’ mercury levels in Wisconsin fish
Watras and Rubsam walk onto frozen Little Rock Lake in Vilas County near their base at the University of Wisconsin’s Trout Lake Station. They are scientists for UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology and the state Department of Natural Resources.
Technique pulls interstellar magnetic fields within easy reach
A new, more accessible and much cheaper approach to surveying the topology and strength of interstellar magnetic fields — which weave through space in our galaxy and beyond, representing one of the most potent forces in nature — has been developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Telecoms Providers Are Bracing for the Impact of Climate Change
Meanwhile, a 2018 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that more than 4,000 fiber optic cabling will be submerged underwater.
In wake of Trump’s fetal tissue clampdown, scientists strain to adjust
Megan Sykes, an immunologist at Columbia University, has spent years using human fetal tissue to develop a mouse with a humanlike immune system, which mimics how type 1 diabetes develops in humans. The tissue is donated after elective abortions, and the mice are testbeds for potential diabetes treatments.
Study on Barriers for Student Internships
A new report out of the University of Wisconsin at Madison shows that students have trouble pursuing internships because they’re preoccupied with work or had too heavy of a course load.
1984 Barneveld tornado: Deadly Wisconsin storm killed 9, injured 200
Barneveld became part of a landmark study of tornado debris by University of Wisconsin-Madison meteorology professor Charles Anderson. In the days following Barneveld’s tornado, Anderson and his students placed ads in newspapers, conducted a ground survey and a mail and phone campaign seeking information on the fallout of debris.
The Reason Why So Many American Families Are in Debt
In their paper published in the journal Pediatrics in 2016, they wrote that high mortgage and student loan debt didn’t have the same negative impact on parents’ and kids’ well-being as credit card or medical bill debt, says lead author Lawrence M. Berger, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty and professor and doctoral program chair in the School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Reaching end game’: New paper on climate change raises alarm
Quoted: Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told USA Today the technology for a carbon-free economic system is already in place.
Climate Change Causes ‘Roller Coaster’ Mercury Levels In Wisconsin Fish
Watras and Rubsam walk onto frozen Little Rock Lake in Vilas County near their base at the University of Wisconsin’s Trout Lake Station. They are scientists for UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology and the state Department of Natural Resources.
Could Wisconsin be the ‘Silicon Valley of Water’? UW campuses trying to make it happen
Could Wisconsin establish itself as the “Silicon Valley of Water”? That’s what the University of Wisconsin System is trying to do with the launch of a Freshwater Collaborative that will bring together its 13 campuses into a first-of-its-kind research hub focused on water topics.
Alice Goffman’s First Book Made Her a Star. It Wasn’t Enough to Get Her Tenure.
Alice Goffman wrote one of the most widely read sociology books in recent memory. But On the Run, her account of young black men caught up in the criminal-justice system, became entangled in ethical controversies. Now her academic career appears to be foundering.
Bacteria continues to close Madison beaches as summer kicks off
Noted: Part of the problem is that phosphorus emitted from cow manure and fertilizers used on farms is leaking into Madison’s lakes, according to the UW-Madison Center for Limnology.
‘The Silicon Valley of freshwater’: UW System aims high, but is the money there?
Leaders from across the University of Wisconsin System announced a statewide initiative to connect every UW campus in focusing on freshwater resources.
What to know about the F5 tornado that destroyed 90% of a Wisconsin town in 1984
Noted: Barneveld became part of a landmark study of tornado debris by University of Wisconsin-Madison meteorology professor Charles Anderson. In the days following Barneveld’s tornado, Anderson and his students placed ads in newspapers, conducted a ground survey and a mail and phone campaign seeking information on the fallout of debris.
Everyone’s got a climate plan. So where’s the carbon tax?
Quoted: But other green technologies have achieved lower costs and more widespread adoption precisely because of the relatively free movement of ideas, people and production, as University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Gregory F. Nemet notes in his new book, “How Solar Energy Became Cheap.”
Meet the ‘Slothbot’, that’s monitoring the environment very, very slowly
“The life of a sloth is pretty slow-moving and there’s not a lot of excitement on a day-to-day level,” says Jonathan Pauli, an associate professor in the forest & wildlife ecology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who consulted with the Georgia Tech team on the project.
Trump Administration Sharply Curtails Fetal Tissue Medical Research
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the federal government would sharply curtail federal spending on medical research that uses tissue from aborted fetuses, mainly by ending fetal-tissue research within the National Institutes of Health.
Trump administration restricts fetal tissue research in win for anti-abortion groups
The Trump administration on Wednesday said it would bar scientists at federal agencies from pursuing research using fetal tissue and add new hurdles for researchers on college campuses to renew funding for research using the materials. It also said it would drop a contract with the University of California, San Francisco, to research HIV infection using the tissue.
UW-Madison researchers’ study highlights voices of immigrant parents, students in public schools
A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison are analyzing data to better understand the challenges faced by Latinx and Hmong immigrant parents in Dane County school districts.
Pushed by anti-abortion groups, HHS restricts fetal tissue research
The Trump administration Wednesday imposed new restrictions on federal use of fetal tissue obtained from abortions, barring government scientists at NIH from doing such research, and canceling an existing HIV research contract with the University of California, San Francisco.
“There is no evidence that the use of donated tissue from fetal remains has any effect on whether women choose abortions, and no evidence that decades of research using donated tissue has ever led to an increase in the number of abortions,” said Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin.
Trump’s HHS Bans Government Scientists From Fetal Tissue Research
WASHINGTON — Government scientists must stop research that uses human fetal tissue, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday in a series of new restrictions.
“It is a clear indication that this administration values symbolic statements over research aimed at saving lives,” Alta Charo, a bioethics professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, wrote to BuzzFeed News in an email Wednesday. “Indeed, in one of the greatest ironies, this tissue might be used for research on the Zika virus that can cause devastating birth defects, so a policy aimed at symbolically valuing fetal life may end up devaluing the lives of actual children.”
How trees are like nature’s air conditioners
“Once you have a certain critical mass of canopy, then each tree becomes more important when it comes to cooling temperatures. That has serious implications for how we design our cities and plan our neighbourhoods,” said Ziter, who did the research while completing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Slothbot’ monitors the environment very, very slowly
“The life of a sloth is pretty slow-moving and there’s not a lot of excitement on a day-to-day level,” says Jonathan Pauli, an associate professor in the forest & wildlife ecology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who consulted with the Georgia Tech team on the project.
Researchers study Lake Michigan’s vanishing shoreline
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are studying erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline as part of an ongoing study regarding bluff erosion.
UniverCity projects highlight opportunity
As University of Wisconsin seniors look to wrap up their final projects to graduate within the scope of the UniverCity Alliance with Green County, officials are considering how the different viewpoints can help bolster development in their municipalities.
UW researchers make robot’s hands work together, a breakthrough crucial to multiple tasks
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new way of mimicking the complex coordination between our two arms and hands, a development that could one day help robots defuse bombs and allow nurses to care for patients thousands of miles away.
Science On Tap Minocqua Looks At The Human Genome
A researcher says the study of the human genome is just beginning to revolutionize our lives. Professor Jason Fletcher of the LaFollette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison is a health economist and Director for the Center for Demography and Health and Aging. He will be the next speaker in the “Science On Tap” series at the Minocqua Brewing Company. He will be addressing some of the social implications surrounding the genomics revolution.
Where are binge and heavy drinking most common around Wisconsin?
The article was reported in collaboration with Wisconsin Public Radio for its “High Tolerance” series, which explores the state’s complicated relationship with alcohol.
Encountering backyard bloodsuckers? The Tick App tracks that
The app is part of a behavioral study being carried out by researchers at UW-Madison and Columbia University in New York who are seeking to better understand where and how people encounter ticks. They’re particularly interested in finding out what activities people are doing (and where they’re doing them) when they encounter black-legged (or deer) ticks (Ixodes scapularis), which often carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
The Secret To Safe Swimming: Traffic Lights?
For many Wisconsinites, summer means swimming in the region’s freshwater lakes. But in some places, it can also mean danger — especially from rip currents.
People With Depression May Face A Higher Risk Of Chronic Illnesses, A New Study Suggests
Stress reduction techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, getting some exercise into your routine, and optimizing your sleep at night can help, the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says. Turmeric, fresh produce, and probiotics are also considered anti-inflammatory foods, as Annakeara Stinson previously wrote for Bustle.
The Secret To Safe Swimming: Traffic Lights?
Yuli Liu, a PhD candidate in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, helped develop the device.
Chronic ozone exposure overlaps with injured arteries
Wang’s study—which includes researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Madison—has policy implications for the US, where the Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 lowered the federal health standards for ozone.
Wisconsin’s Middle Class Sees Growth But Lags Pre-Recession Levels
Quoted: “We used to expect the middle class to grow. That was kind of a given. And we’ve had nearly 20 years where it hasn’t,” said Laura Dresser, associate director of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, a progressive policy institute on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus.
Lawmakers put off bid call for study on school funding
The funding formula stemmed from a 2003 study of the school-funding process by a pair of college professors — Larry Picus of the University of Southern California and Allan Odden of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tick app developed at UW Madison
It’s called the “Tick App” and it was designed by researchers at UW-Madison to help gather information about where certain ticks may be across the state.
Can Yellowstone Forests Recover From Frequent Fires?
How resilient are Yellowstone forests when it comes to frequent fires? Kelly April Tyrrell of the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides this look at how researchers are addressing the issue.In August 2016, areas of Yellowstone National Park that burned in 1988 burned again. Shortly after, in October 2016, ecologist Monica Turner and her team of graduate students visited the park to begin to assess the landscape.
Donna Edwards: What Congress can do to save our national parks
In a recent study, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin documented significant temperature increases and lower precipitation levels that threaten the biodiversity and ecosystems of the parks: Glacier National Park — loss of greenery, melting glaciers; Yellowstone, the world’s first national park — devastation of whitebark pine forests.
From astronomy to zoology, UW-Madison science talks inform public
Wednesday Nite @ the Lab, which started in February 2006, allows the public to hear campus scientists — and occasionally researchers from other universities — share their expertise.
Lemon Or Lime, Which Citrus Fruit Is Best For Health?
“This can easily bulk up the stool, reduce constipation, and eliminate excess gas and bloat. With about 3g of fiber in each fruit, it represents about 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber,” lead researcher Sherry Tanumihardjo from the University of Wisconsin- Madison said in the review study.
Do you know why women are more stressed than men? We tell you
As per a study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute on Aging, women in their midlife are more stressed as compared to both men and women of other age groups.
After two deaths near Port Washington’s beaches, light signals have been installed to warn about rip currents
Noted: The INFOS website was developed by Chin Wu, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, after the death of 15-year-old Tyler Buczek in 2012.
Never thought of science as beautiful? Check out a dozen of the coolest images from UW-Madison
It was summer on the Pacific coast and Ani Michaud, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was standing at a small fish tank in the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, peering through a camera’s viewfinder.
Without DNA repairing genes, ancient yeasts have accumulated many mutations
Without these safeguards, you would think that an organism would have little chance to evolve or thrive. But researchers from Vanderbilt University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered an ancient lineage of yeasts that are doing just that.
Survey: Public Workers Struggle With Out-Of-Pocket Health Costs
A report by the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs found nearly one-third of the more than 2,000 people surveyed reported skipping a test or treatment due to costs.
Survey: Public Workers Struggle With Out-Of-Pocket Health Costs
The complexity and cost of health care is a concern for people across the country. Having insurance helps, but a survey of public employees in Wisconsin finds many don’t understand their policies and most would have a hard time coming up with money for a medical emergency.
Changes Underway In Moving Medical Inventions To Customers
Officials from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Found say changes are underway that could help the public bring medical inventions to the marketplace. The ideas were outlined at a recent startup and technology forum in Milwaukee.
Madison-area stem cell clinics part of ‘gray market’ under increased scrutiny
Alta Charo, a UW-Madison law and bioethics professor, said patients might not realize that stem cell injections from umbilical cord tissue are different from bone marrow transplants — which are approved and have been performed for decades — and experimental therapies using embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells, for which clinical trials are in early stages or have not begun.
Madison-area stem cell clinics part of “gray market” under increased scrutiny
Dr. Tim Kamp, director of UW-Madison’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, said patients should be aware that the (stem cell) injections carry risks with no proven benefit, as the treatments haven’t been subject to rigorous clinical trials required before federal approval.
How climate change may affect the future of Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley
The declining lake trends ice are one way to show Wisconsin residents the different influences and economic effects climate change can have on a community, said John Magnuson, aquatic ecologist and emeritus director of the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “We are losing winter as we knew it,” Magnuson said. “We are degrading our sense of place.”
The Swaddle | Stressed Parents Make Unhealthy Food Choices for Children
Quoted: “Stress makes us choose more energy-dense foods, more comfort food,” says Myoungock Jang, one of the researchers and a University of Wisconsin–Madison nursing professor, in the press release. “When young kids are exposed to this kind of food environment, that influences the eating patterns they are learning.”
Resilience of Yellowstone’s Forests Tested by Unprecedented Fire
“We saw these areas where everything was combusted and we hadn’t seen that previously,” says Turner, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has closely studied Yellowstone’s response to fire since 1988. “That was surprising.”
UW Madison study shows headgear doesn’t prevent concussions for soccer players
Researchers from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health worked with more than 2,700 players from 88 high schools around the Midwest. They found that players who wore headgear were just as likely to get a concussion as those who did not.