Syndicated to: Wisc.edu
New battery technology helps stimulate nerves
October 3, 2005With the help of new silicon-based compounds, scientists - and patients - are getting a significant new charge out of the tiny lithium batteries used in implantable devices to help treat nervous system and other disorders. Read More
WiCell receives $16 million NIH grant to create national stem cell bank
October 3, 2005The WiCell Research Institute has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the federal government's first and only National Stem Cell Bank (NSCB), it was announced today at a news conference in Madison. Read More
Night time is the right time for art
October 3, 2005Hot glass, fake grass and combat class will come together for a night of eclectic, artistic adventure at UW–Madison's "Arts Night Out!" on Saturday, Oct. 8. Artists, performers and organizations from across campus invite people to experience the arts, from traditional to cutting edge, and at no charge. Read More
Finding rewrites the evolutionary history of the origin of potatoes
October 3, 2005Humans have cultivated potatoes for millennia, but there has been great controversy about the ubiquitous vegetable's origins. This week, writing in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, a team led by a USDA potato taxonomist stationed at UW–Madison has for the first time demonstrated a single origin in southern Peru for the cultivated potato. Read More
Nanoscale research receives big boost
September 30, 2005The National Science Foundation has awarded the UW–Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) nearly $14.8 million over the next six years to continue its leading-edge research on the interfaces of materials at the nanoscale. Read More
UW-Madison, Medical College of Wisconsin to lead $16 million children’s health initiative
September 29, 2005A consortium of community organizations and academic institutions in Wisconsin will participate in the largest long-term study of the environment's effects on human health and development ever conducted in the United States. The goal of the long-term study is to improve the health and well-being of children. Read More
Researchers: Deep sleep short-circuits brain’s grid of connectivity
September 29, 2005In the human brain, cells talk to one another through the routine exchange of electrical signals. But when people fall into a deep sleep, the higher regions of the brain - regions that during waking hours are a bustling grid of neural dialogue - apparently lose their ability to communicate effectively, causing consciousness to fade. Read More
Exploring the ‘social ecology of productive classrooms’
September 28, 2005Jeffrey Lewis, a professor of human ecology, has devoted his research to discovering why Read More
Research identifies cost-effective delinquency prevention programs
September 28, 2005A new report released by UW–Madison and the UW Extension synthesizes the latest research on what works in preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency. Read More
Pulitzer winner Leonard Pitts, Jr. to give Nafziger Lecture
September 28, 2005Syndicated Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., winner of the '2004 Pulitzer Prize' for commentary, will deliver the Ralph O. and Monona H. Nafziger Lecture at UW–Madison on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Read More
Professor introduces Madison to Cajun music
September 28, 2005Five years ago, Cajun culture - "Cajun" is a corruption of "Acadian" - grabbed hold of Karen Holden. A professor of consumer science and public affairs at UW–Madison and associate director of its La Follette School of Public Affairs, she is a nationally known expert on Social Security, pensions and their relationship to the timing of retirement. Somehow she also manages to find time to rehearse and perform with the Madison band Cajun Strangers. Read More
Chancellor Wiley launches effort to review workplace policies
September 28, 2005After a summer of controversy over university personnel matters, UW–Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley said the campus community needs to do a better job of protecting those who report wrongdoing and re-evaluate a number of workplace policies. Read More
Statement from Chancellor John Wiley on Assembly Bill 499
September 28, 2005The failure of the Wisconsin State Senate to amend Assembly Bill 499, which effectively criminalizes a promising area of biomedical research, sends a frightening message to Wisconsin's research community. Scientists in many fields view this with alarm. Read More
Researchers studying ramifications of equine influenza in dogs
September 26, 2005A paper published in Science today (Sept. 26) describes the recent emergence of equine influenza virus, first recognized in racing greyhounds in January 2004, as a pathogen in dogs. During the past year, cases of the virus have been reported in pet dogs in Florida and New York, which raises concern that the virus is spreading. Read More
Marine toxins show promise as cancer drugs
September 26, 2005Vibrantly colored creatures from the depths of the South Pacific Ocean harbor toxins that potentially can act as powerful anti-cancer drugs, according to research findings from University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemists and their Italian colleagues. Read More
Can pomegranates prevent prostate cancer?
September 26, 2005The juice of the pomegranate, say researchers at University of Wisconsin Medical School, shows major promise to combat prostate cancer - the most common invasive cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. Read More
Steingass Report review and actions taken by UW System, UW–Madison
September 22, 2005Since November 2004, UW–Madison has been involved in a protracted and painful personnel matter that has been difficult on the individuals, the university and UW System. UW System President Kevin Reilly and UW–Madison Provost Peter Spear have reviewed the independent report by Susan Steingass, accepted the conclusions as presented, and have based our decisions upon those conclusions. Read More
Chancellor John Wiley’s public response to the Steingass report
September 22, 2005Open letter from Chancellor John Wiley: 'Paul Barrows was a longtime colleague and friend. He had a long record of achievement. I had no interest in ruining his career, and encouraged him to find a job elsewhere. As he searched, I continued to approve use of sick leave. While I requested medical verification in January, I was not diligent in following up to obtain documentation until June. That was a mistake, and I needed to be more attentive. I certainly will be in the future.' Read More
Analysis: Differences between the sexes largely exaggerated
September 21, 2005Aiming to dispel misplaced - and widely prevalent - stereotypes about the differences between men and women, a scientist has finally confirmed what many have intuitively known for years: psychologically, at least, the two sexes are basically the same. Read More
Position to help sound alarm on campus IT security
September 20, 2005A new position at UW–Madison will focus on raising campus awareness about the rising tide of hacking, phishing, viruses and other cyber-threats to personal privacy and financial security. Read More