Tag Research
Tool may diagnose heart disease
A quick and painless technique recently developed by UW–Madison researchers could help clinicians identify signs of coronary heart disease (CHD), a condition that claims the lives of 2,000 Americans every day.
Too few use effective methods to quit smoking
According to "How Smokers Are Quitting," the third in a series of action papers based on interviews with Wisconsin smokers, nearly one-half of Wisconsin smokers tried to quit last year, and more than 70 percent have tried sometime in their lifetime. Although new methods for quitting double or triple their chances for success, most smokers are still trying to quit "cold turkey."
Unrequited love is bad for your heart
During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat a maximum of 2.5 billion times, says UW–Madison cardiovascular physiologist Richard Moss. Does that mean that falling in love — an activity that increases the rate at which the heart beats — could shorten your life?
Enabling academic achievement
How well a student learns academic skills depends on attitudes and behaviors affecting participation, according to Stephen Elliott, an educational psychologist, and James DiPerna, a researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
Estrogen and bladder disorder
An inflammatory disorder of the bladder that affects 750,000 Americans, 90 percent of whom are women, has baffled doctors for years. New findings from veterinary surgeon Dale Bjorling suggest that estrogen could be a key factor.
Dean of lichens publishes book on state plants
Ninety-year-old emeritus professor of botany John Thomson, recognized as a world authority on Arctic lichens, has completed a new book, Lichens of Wisconsin.
Technique preserves sexual function for men with prostate cancer
A new surgical technique shows promise for preserving sexual function in men who would have been permanently impotent after conventional prostate surgery.
Gene targeting technique extended to stem cells
The technique that helped revolutionize modern biology by making the mouse a crucible of genetic manipulation and a window to human disease has been extended to human embryonic stem (ES) cells.
Meditation produces positive changes in the brain
In a small but highly provocative study, a UW–Madison research team has found, for the first time, that a short program in "mindfulness meditation" produced lasting positive changes in both the brain and the function of the immune system.
Brain images reveal effects of antidepressants
The experiences of millions of people have proved that antidepressants work, but only with the advent of sophisticated imaging technology have scientists begun to learn exactly how the medications affect brain structures and circuits to bring relief from depression.
Accounting students win national competition
A team of UW–Madison accounting students has won a national case competition sponsored by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
UW-Madison experiments lost aboard space shuttle
Along with the seven crewmembers aboard the space shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated upon re-entry Saturday, Feb. 1, were two experiments led by UW–Madison's Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics. Both projects investigated the biological changes of plants in a weightless environment.
Saffran audio test
Embedded in page – user activates clip Link triggers popup window and autoplay synthesis.wav…
Latest new-age, health supplements: Garlic, kale and beets?
With so many people using over- the-counter herbal supplements as a means to promote health, one UW–Madison researcher is wondering why we don't hunt for health-promoting properties among the ordinary plants we grow for food.
Scientists solve puzzle of how influenza builds its infectious seeds
By solving a long-standing puzzle about how the influenza virus assembles its genetic contents into infectious particles that enable the virus to spread from cell to cell, scientists have opened a new gateway to a better understanding of one of the world's most virulent diseases.
Study shows preschool can prevent child abuse
According to a new study by researchers at UW–Madison, educational intervention programs for young children that also involve the parents help cut the rate at which enrolled children will be abused or neglected by their caregivers. The findings, published in the current issue of the journal Child Development, provide new evidence that preschool programs can impact not just school readiness, but long-term family outcomes.
Researchers track clarity of Wisconsin lakes from space
Assisted by hundreds of volunteers around the state, UW researchers and their partners have developed a method of assessing the water quality of Wisconsin's lakes from space. Using images captured 438 miles above the earth, they have completed the first satellite-based inventory of the clarity of the largest 8,000 lakes in the state.
Ongoing study checks in on ‘Happy Days’ cohort
For 45 years, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study has provided policy makers and social-science researchers with an unparalleled look at how education, career and family affect adult life. Now, as those one-time high school seniors ÷ known as the "Happy Days" cohort after the popular television sitcom about Milwaukee's class of 1957 ÷ become senior citizens, a new survey will seek to understand more specifically how a person's entire life influences, and can improve, the aging process.
International Institute, Borders Books partner on book series
Beginning this month, the International Institute and Borders Books will partner on an international book series, entitled "The World Beyond Our Borders." The six-month series will feature UW–Madison faculty discussing their recent books on a variety of international subjects.
Technique improves yogurt’s consistency
Tearing off the foil lid from a cup of yogurt sometimes reveals more than you want to eat — a pool of murky liquid floating above the fruitful treat. New manufacturing techniques developed by CALS food scientist John Lucey could keep this watery substance — called surface whey — beneath the surface without adding extra ingredients.