Agriculture

Apologies may fuel settlement of legal disputes, study says

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Apologies may be good for more than just the soul, according to research by a University of Illinois professor of law and of psychology. Jennifer Robbennolt says her studies show that apologies can potentially help resolve legal disputes ranging from injury cases to wrongful firings, giving wounded parties a sense of justice […]

Expert viewpoints

Will produce prices rise following Florida freeze, Chilean earthquake?

Fresh produce supplies took a hit this winter amid a lingering freeze in Florida and a devastating earthquake that slowed exports from Chile. Crop sciences professor John Masiunas examines the implications for U.S. consumers in an interview with News Bureau Business & Law Editor Jan Dennis. How might produce supplies in the U.S. be affected […]

Social sciences Sheldon H. Jacobson, right, a professor of computer science at Illinois, says legislation banning cell phone use while driving has more of an impact in densely populated urban areas that have a higher number of licensed drivers. Matthew J. Robbins, left, was one of two students who conducted the study with Jacobson.

Sheldon H. Jacobson, right, a professor of computer science at Illinois, says legislation banning cell phone use while driving has more of an impact in densely populated urban areas that have a higher number of licensed drivers. Matthew J. Robbins, left, was one of two students who conducted the study with Jacobson.

Study: Cell-phone bans while driving have more impact in dense, urban areas

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A new study analyzing the impact of hand-held cell phone legislation on driving safety concludes that usage-ban laws had more of an impact in densely populated urban areas with a higher number of licensed drivers than in rural areas where there are fewer licensed drivers, according to a University of Illinois researcher. […]

Agriculture Joseph Spencer, an insect behaviorist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, and his colleague found that the western corn rootworm will lay its eggs on Miscanthus and that the rootworm larvae can survive on Miscanthus rhizomes.

Joseph Spencer, an insect behaviorist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, and his colleague found that the western corn rootworm will lay its eggs on Miscanthus and that the rootworm larvae can survive on Miscanthus rhizomes.

Miscanthus, a biofuels crop, can host western corn rootworm

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The western corn rootworm beetle, a pest that feasts on corn roots and corn silk and costs growers more than $1 billion annually in the U.S., also can survive on the perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus, a potential biofuels crop that would likely be grown alongside corn, researchers report. Rootworm beetle larvae […]

Life sciences Physically active individuals have an increased sense of accomplishment, or situation-specific self-confidence, which in turn results in reduced depression and reduced fatigue, said Edward McAuley, a professor of kinesiology and community health at Illinois and lead author on the study.

Physically active individuals have an increased sense of accomplishment, or situation-specific self-confidence, which in turn results in reduced depression and reduced fatigue, said Edward McAuley, a professor of kinesiology and community health at Illinois and lead author on the study.

Mastery of physical goals lessens disease-related depression and fatigue

CHAMPAIGN, lll. – Physical activity is known to reduce depression and fatigue in people struggling with chronic illness. A new study indicates that this effect may stem from an individual’s sense of mastery over – or belief in his or her ability to achieve – certain physical goals. The study appears in the journal Psychosomatic […]

Expert viewpoints

What are the implications for agriculture under a proposed climate bill?

Congress is considering a climate bill that would set the nation’s first-ever mandatory limits on heat-trapping gases in an effort to curb global warming. Agricultural economist Madhu Khanna, an expert on environmental policy, discusses the potential consequences for the nation’s farmers in an interview with News Bureau Business & Law Editor Jan Dennis. What are […]

Expert viewpoints

Does the recent peanut scare indicate a need for stricter guidelines?

Peanuts have been much in the news lately because of illnesses and even deaths traced to contaminated peanut products from a plant in Georgia. Robin Orr, the director of programming for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program as well as the Family Nutrition Program at the University of Illinois, discussed food safety in general, […]

Education

E-Learning can have positive effect on classroom learning, scholar says

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Traditional classroom teaching in higher education could learn a thing or two from online teaching, otherwise known as e-learning, according to a University of Illinois professor who studies computer-mediated communication, information exchange and the Internet. Caroline Haythornthwaite, a professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, says that the value […]

Campus life

Gallery offers first comprehensive U.S. look at Japanese architect’s work

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The first comprehensive U.S. exhibition of the work of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will be exhibited Oct. 10 through Nov. 15 at I space, the Chicago gallery of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Material Immaterial: The Architecture of Kengo Kuma” will feature photographic displays, full-scale artifacts, a multimedia presentation and a […]

Expert viewpoints Madhu Khanna is a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois.

As more corn is used for ethanol, how will we make up for lost food production?

Media reports on two studies published in the journal Science in February indicated that biofuels being produced today could actually contribute to an increase – rather than a decrease – in global greenhouse-gas emissions. Other experts are concerned about long-range social and economic consequences that may result when farmers shift from production of crops for […]

Agriculture

Tomato-broccoli together shown to be effective against prostate cancer

A new UI study shows that tomatoes and broccoli – two vegetables known for their cancer-fighting qualities – are better at shrinking prostate tumors when both are part of the daily diet than when they’re eaten alone. “When tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, we see an additive effect. We think it’s because different bioactive […]

Agriculture Life sciences

Chickens may help aid in early detection of ovarian cancer

Understanding and treatment of human ovarian cancer, known as the silent killer, may be a step closer thanks to some chickens at the UI. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in women and unlike other cancers, its rate of mortality has not been reduced. “That’s because ovarian cancer is usually not […]

Agriculture

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