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Study: Access to parks linked with greater physical activity for some, but not all, residents
Access to parks linked with greater physical activity for some, but not all, residents
What does research tell us about the advice in the new US nutrition guidelines?
Dr. Sharon M. Donovan is a professor of nutritional sciences and the Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health, whose work centers on childhood obesity prevention and optimizing health throughout the lifespan. Donovan, who was a co-creator of the previous federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans released in 2020, spoke with News Bureau research […]
Study: Expedited breakthrough drug approvals linked to higher safety risks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in operations management finds that drugs approved under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Breakthrough Therapy Designation” — a program designed to expedite promising drug treatments to patients — are associated with a significantly higher number of serious adverse events after […]
What’s behind the surge in redrawing legislative maps?
What accounts for the number of partisan gerrymandering efforts midway through the 10-year census cycle? Brian J. Gaines is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Honorable W. Russell Arrington Professor in State Politics at the U of I System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Gaines, who as […]
Grasshopper wing structure inspires design of gliding robot wings
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A collaboration between Princeton University engineers and entomologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign began with the researchers chasing grasshoppers in a hot parking lot. Their eventual focus on the hindwings of one species of grasshopper, Schistocerca americana, the American grasshopper, is inspiring a new approach to untethered gliding flight. The scientists […]
Medications could help the aging brain cope with surgery, memory impairment
Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest.
What’s the state of the research landscape?
Academic research is a public good that reflects American values, says University of Illinois science policy expert Kelvin Droegemeier.
At 250 years after Jane Austen’s birth, why do her novels remain so popular?
This week marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth — she was born Dec. 16, 1775 — and fans of her novels have been celebrating with tea parties, brunches and balls. Her novels — including “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma” — enjoy immense popularity. They are the subject of numerous academic […]
What can we learn about our country’s origins from ‘The American Revolution’ documentary?
Filmmaker Ken Burns’ new documentary — a six-part series on the American Revolution — aired on PBS in November and is now streaming. The documentary describes the American Revolution as “a war for independence, a war of conquest, a civil war and a world war,” and it aims to provide “an expansive, evenhanded look at […]
Illinois announces first dual-credit initiative, bringing courses directly to high school students
The Learning Accelerator initiative offers the university’s popular general education courses to high school students across Illinois in the form of dual credit — at no cost to those students.
Book prepares K-12 leaders for the next public health crisis
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a new book, a team of experts in educational policy, epidemiology and public health chronicles the challenges faced by educators, public health authorities and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers a guide to some of the lessons learned as K-12 schools weathered that crisis. One key message: Collaboration between […]
What should consumers know about the current health care debate?
Those who wish to overturn the Affordable Care Act have struggled for years to replace it. If Congress fails to pass a better plan or extend ACA subsidies, insurance premiums will skyrocket for millions of Americans next year. The alternative, a proposal to expand health savings accounts, is even more problematic, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign health and kinesiology professor emeritus Thomas O’Rourke.