Study shows new hope for commercially attractive lithium extraction from spent batteries
A new study shows that lithium — a critical element used in rechargeable batteries and susceptible to supply chain disruption — can be recovered from battery waste using an electrochemically driven recovery process. The method has been tested on commonly used types of lithium-containing batteries and demonstrates economic viability with the potential to simplify operations, minimize costs and increase the sustainability and attractiveness of the recovery process for commercial use.
Study: A cellular protein, FGD3, boosts breast cancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A naturally occurring protein that tends to be expressed at higher levels in breast cancer cells boosts the effectiveness of some anticancer agents, including doxorubicin, one of the most widely used chemotherapies, and a preclinical drug known as ErSO, researchers report. The protein, FGD3, contributes to the rupture of cancer cells disrupted […]
Lyric Theatre’s production of “Anastasia: The Musical” tells story of loss, survival and reinvention
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Lyric Theatre’s production of “Anastasia: The Musical” is a story with romance and mystery, an appealing score and several big dance numbers. It also is a story of loss, survival and reinvention. The musical opened on Nov. 11 and will be performed Nov. 13-15 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. […]
Social identification with a team boosts fans’ social well-being
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sport fans all know that rosy feeling of happiness when we hang out with others who support our favorite team. A new study conducted with sport consumers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom suggests that organizations that want to enhance their supporters’ health and well-being can achieve that by bolstering their […]
What does the current fight over dispersal of food stamps tell us about food as a political weapon?
Millions of Americans may not receive federal food assistance this month. The Trump administration initially said it would not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown, which began in October. After two federal judges said the refusal to provide the benefits is unlawful, the administration said it will provide partial payments only, […]
Digital divides harmed the nonprofit sector during the COVID-19 pandemic
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Many humanitarian organizations in the U.S. experienced multiple digital divides that disrupted routine operations and compromised their services to vulnerable refugee populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges not only elevated refugees’ health risks, they also jeopardized the nonprofit sector’s organizational resilience, researchers say in a new study. Communication professor Minkyung Kim […]
Book looks at treasure trove of scientific data from 19th-century HMS Challenger voyage
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The voyage of the HMS Challenger in the 1870s was a sprawling 3-1/2-year expedition to explore the world’s oceans. The scientists aboard the vessel collected 100,000 specimens of sea creatures, discovered 5,000 new species, mapped the ocean floors and took hundreds of measurements of sea temperature and chemistry that formed the basis […]
Illinois professor’s New Yorker story, set in his hometown, examines racial, class struggles
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — David Wright Faladé examines race, class and gender through the eyes of a young college woman spending time in her small Texas hometown in his new short story, “Amarillo Boulevard,” which was published in Oct. 6 issue of The New Yorker. Faladé, an English professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, writes […]
Study: Generative AI could be transformative in mental health care
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New work by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scholar harnesses the power of generative artificial intelligence, using it in tandem with measurement-based care and access-to-care models in a simulated case study, creating a novel framework that promotes personalized mental health treatment, addresses common access barriers and improves outcomes for diverse individuals. Social […]
What are the benefits of seeing drought through a social lens?
Much of the Midwest is experiencing drought due to very dry weather in the late summer and early fall. Half of the state of Illinois is in a severe drought, and portions of Central Illinois are in an extreme drought, affecting farmers’ yields, particularly for soybeans. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign information sciences professor Dong Wang […]
Behind the Scenes
Building a living laboratory on a lake
DECATUR, Ill. – After more than a year of planning, our team is finally ready to launch a new phase of research. We’ve designed and built two small “islands” of wetland plants that will float on Lake Decatur. These living laboratories will help us investigate how floating wetlands may affect nutrient levels and sediment dynamics […]
Monitoring stress from the surface of the body
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Today, my laboratory looks more like a scene from a sci-fi film than a psychology research space. Wires snake across tables, sensors lay carefully arranged on trays, and a bucket of ice water sits in the corner, quietly waiting its turn. This work is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s department […]
Illinois in the News
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How ‘woke’ went from an expression in Black culture to a conservative criticism
Los Angeles Times (Sept. 30) — African American studies professor emeritus Gerald McWorter says “woke” was about having a voice after hundreds of years of Black suffering going back to the African slave trade.
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There’s A New Key Cause Contributing To Divorce And Breakups In The US
IFLScience (Sudbury, England, Sept. 30) — Communication professor Emily Van Duyn discovered that mis/disinformation “plays a key role” in romantic relationships coming to an end.
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Pending home sales are up, but most owners are locked in to old mortgage rates
Marketplace (Los Angeles, Sept. 29) — Finance professor Julia Fonseca says roughly 80% of borrowers are in the same boat: If they bought the same house today, they’d pay way more.
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