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Hidden order found in cuprates may help explain superconductivity
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Like the delicate form of an icicle defying gravity during a spring thaw, patterns emerge in nature when forces compete. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a hidden pattern in cuprate (copper-containing) superconductors that may help explain high-temperature superconductivity. Superconductivity, the complete loss of electrical resistance in some […]
Out-of-balance ecosystems play role in demise of amphibian populations
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – During the last decade, Val Beasley of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine has led a team wanting to know why the world’s amphibian populations have been dwindling or riddled with limb deformities. Evidence from his and other teams points to increasing numbers of common parasites as an important cause. […]
Run for your popcorn: Mutant insects expected to take over Illinois campus
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The world’s latest most-feared technological nightmare comes true Feb. 28, but only for about six hours. Genetically engineered insects will be running amok – though just on the big screen – during the 21st annual Insect Fear Film Festival at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The festival is an evening of […]
Etching holes in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers creates better beam
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a way to significantly improve the performance of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers by drilling holes in their surfaces. Faster and cheaper long-haul optical communication systems, as well as photonic integrated circuits, could be the result. Low-cost VCSELs are currently used in data communication […]
Engineering Open House highlights ingenuity
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Wild and wacky Rube Goldberg machines, robots fighting for possession of wooden blocks, and more than 120 fun-filled exhibits are among the attractions awaiting visitors to the 84th annual Engineering Open House at the University of Illinois. The event, organized by students in the Engineering Council at Illinois, will take place from […]
Two-drug approach might shorten painful labor, reduce Caesarean sections
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The nationwide rise in induced labor and Caesarean deliveries could be eased by an experimental dual drug approach that not only safely jump-starts labor but also remodels the cervix to allow for speedy natural delivery, scientists report. A combination of RU 486 (mifepristone) and relaxin successfully hastened labor and promoted healthy delivery […]
Molecular level discovery could play role in development of new antibiotics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Chemists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have uncovered the molecular activity of an enzyme responsible for naturally turning a small protein into a potent antibiotic known as a lantibiotic. The finding is described in the Jan. 30 issue of the journal Science. The research details how the enzyme performs two […]
Puzzling height of polar clouds linked to solar radiation
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Scientists have discovered why polar mesospheric clouds over the South Pole are nearly two miles higher than those over the North Pole. A variation in solar radiation – a result of Earth’s elliptical orbit – is responsible, they say. In the Jan. 29 online version of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, scientists […]
New algorithm speeds simulations of complex fluids
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Computer simulations play an essential role in the study of complex fluids – liquids that contain particles of different sizes. Such liquids have numerous applications, which depend on a fundamental understanding of their behavior. But the two main techniques for the atomistic simulation of liquids – the molecular dynamics technique and the […]
Grocery stores find security in locally produced beef
Knowing where, how and by whom your steak dinner was raised recently has become a more pressing question for Americans. Several independent grocery stores in Chicago have found a locally produced beef marketed under the label Illinois Crown Beef that they say they can sell to their customers with confidence because they know where it […]
Sediment samples suggest how plants would fare in hotter, drier future
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Sediment samples dating back thousands of years and taken from under the deep water of West Olaf Lake in Minnesota have revealed an unexpected climate indicator that can be factored into future projections. In the Jan. 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the University of […]
Keck Foundation to fund interdisciplinary research in brain disease, damage
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A pioneering interdisciplinary research initiative that will combine neuroscience, chemistry and materials science in an effort to find new treatments for brain diseases and damage is being launched at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a $1.2 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. The grant supports a project called Neural […]