science wire

Neurons from stem cells could replace mice in botulinum test
Using lab-grown human neurons, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have devised an effective assay for detecting botulinum neurotoxin, the agent widely used to cosmetically smooth the wrinkles of age and, increasingly, for an array of medical disorders ranging from muscle spasticity to loss of bladder control.

Roundabouts emerging as the ideal intersection between driver safety and efficiency
They've become the subject of myriad YouTube "how-to" videos. Entire department of transportation websites explain how to navigate them.

How does the compassionate brain, measured in the lab, predict what occurs in real life?
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are launching a new series of studies to understand how laboratory measures of virtuous qualities such as compassion relate to their behavior in the real world. Richard J. Davidson , founder of the UW's Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) , at the Waisman Center, has received a three-year, $1.7 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to develop laboratory and real-world measures of virtuous qualities such as altruism and compassion.

The Waisman Center: Decades later, what would Harry think?
Last fall, the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison bid successfully for the same National Institutes of Health core grant that the late Harry Waisman first won 45 years ago. Harry Waisman, left, with colleagues C.S. Reiquam and Nathan J. Smith, examine pathology microscope slides in a research lab.

Suomi remembered for problem-solving ability, drive
Verner Suomi's career — even his life — may not have been as long and illustrious had he not been an inveterate problem solver.

Satellite renamed to honor UW-Madison space pioneer
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have renamed their newest Earth-observing satellite after Verner Suomi, a longtime UW-Madison professor who often is called the father of satellite meteorology.

Insomnia is a major health problem
Insomnia is a serious medical condition that should be treated with evidence-based medicine because it is linked to depression, diabetes, hypertension, drug abuse and even death, according to a review of recent research co-authored by a leading University of Wisconsin-Madison sleep researcher. "This review underscores the fact that insomnia needs to be taken seriously, and that health care providers should routinely ask their patients how they are sleeping," says Ruth Benca , director of the Wisconsin Sleep laboratory and clinic.

With $3.5 million, UW-led consortium will address national freight issues
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) , a consortium led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

New approach to combat intractable bacterial infections
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Study pinpoints Ritalin’s influence
MADISON -Millions of individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are helped by methylphenidate, the stimulant better known as Ritalin. Now researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have pinpointed the area of the brain in which Ritalin does its work. "These drugs are highly effective at controlling the symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder for the great majority of patients," says Craig Berridge , a UW psychology professor.

Sensor that may explain working memory
In many cases, a delay occurs between the time you are presented information and the time you respond with an action or decision. Most of us call it a thought, while some scientists call it working memory. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers believe they now understand on the cellular level how working memory holds a piece of information - or thoughts linger.

Study debunks myths about gender and math performance
A major study of recent international data on school mathematics performance casts doubt on some common assumptions about gender and math achievement — in particular, the idea that girls and women have less ability due to a difference in biology. "We tested some recently proposed hypotheses that try to explain a supposed gender gap in math performance and found they were not supported by the data," says Janet Mertz , senior author of the study and a professor of oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research may yield more compact antennas for military use
While tall, bulky antennas seem like relics in an era of sleek, modern smartphones, they're still an unfortunate necessity for American soldiers.

For Midwesterners, more boxcars mean cleaner air
Shifting a fraction of truck-borne freight onto trains would have an outsized impact on air quality in the Midwest, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

100 years of discovery: Celebrating South Pole research
To mark the centennial of Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole, the IceCube Research Center is hosting an evening of exploration and learning on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 6:30-8:30 at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. A hose caries hot water to the top of an Antarctic drill tower as part of the IceCube project.

Snow in the Rockies, dry summers in the Southwest?
New simulations of summer rains in the arid American Southwest show that they are influenced by the previous winter's snowpack in the Rocky Mountains. Summer rains, called "monsoons," are the predominant source of rain in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, says Michael Notaro , a climate scientist who is associate director at the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Pioneering molecular biologist, formerly at UW-Madison, passes away
Masayasu Nomura, a molecular biologist who studied the structure that forms proteins inside cells at University of Wisconsin-Madison between 1963 and 1984, passed away on Nov.

Global winds could explain record rains, tornadoes
Two talks at a scientific conference this week will propose a common root for an enormous deluge in western Tennessee in May 2010, and a historic outbreak of tornadoes centered on Alabama in April 2011.

David Krakauer nurtures scientific collaboration
David Krakauer, the new director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, discusses his thoughts on "transcience" and scientific collaboration.

Discovery building marks first anniversary with Gold LEED
When the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery celebrates its first birthday this Friday, Dec. 2 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, visitors can learn a new "first" about the building while taking a behind-the-scenes "green" tour or sharing locally sourced cake with Bucky.

Ancient environment found to drive marine biodiversity
Much of our knowledge about past life has come from the fossil record — but how accurately does that reflect the true history and drivers of biodiversity on Earth? "It's a question that goes back a long way to the time of Darwin, who looked at the fossil record and tried to understand what it tells us about the history of life," says Shanan Peters , an assistant professor of geoscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Hydrogen peroxide provides clues to immunity, wound healing, tumor biology
Hydrogen peroxide isn't just that bottled colorless liquid in the back of the medicine cabinet that's used occasionally for cleaning scraped knees and cut fingers. It's also a natural chemical in the body that rallies at wound sites, jump-starting immune cells into a series of events. A burst of hydrogen peroxide causes neutrophils, the immune system's first responders, to rush to the wound to fight microorganisms, remove damaged tissue and then start the inflammation process.

Implanted neurons, grown in the lab, take charge of brain circuitry
Among the many hurdles to be cleared before human embryonic stem cells can achieve their therapeutic potential is determining whether or not transplanted cells can functionally integrate into target organs or tissues. Writing today (Monday, Nov. 21) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , a team of Wisconsin scientists reports that neurons, forged in the lab from blank slate human embryonic stem cells and implanted into the brains of mice, can successfully fuse with the brain's wiring and both send and receive signals.

Helping computers make faster decisions
Industrial and systems engineering professor Jeff Linderoth is working on a way to help computers make yes/no decisions faster by enhancing the standard algorithm computers use to solve a class of problems called integer programs.

Forums set to hear research compliance experiences
The Faculty Senate's Research, Safety and Compliance Oversight Committee will hold a series of forums to hear from faculty and staff on their experiences with research oversight.

Satellite technology enables rapid, accurate mapping of forest harvest in upper Midwest
Mutlu Ozdogan, assistant professor of forest and wildlife ecology at the UW–Madison, processes images from the Landsat satellite to reveal changes in forest composition over time.

Monkey mothers key to reproductive success of sons
If you are a male human, nothing puts a damper on romantic success like having your mother in tow. If you are a male northern muriqui monkey, however, mom's presence may be your best bet to find and successfully mate with just the right girl at the right time. In a study of wild primates, reported this week (Nov.

UW study will explore anemia
To say a pregnant woman is eating for two leaves out a few guests at the table — trillions of them, according to Christopher Coe, a University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology professor.

UW-Madison home to weather-predicting supercomputer
A new supercomputer designed to run weather prediction models is now the most powerful computer of its kind on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, where researchers will help make those models more accurate. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration approached UW-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center with a $1 million grant to design and install the Supercomputer for Satellite Simulations and Data Assimilation Studies (known as S4).

Increased use of bikes for commuting offers economic, health benefits
Cutting out short auto trips and replacing them with mass transit and active transport would yield major health benefits, according to a study just published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant helps sustain DARE to completion
Whenever she appears on a popular statewide Wisconsin Public Radio offering, Joan Houston Hall can sense the hunger people have for regional sayings and their meanings.

Study evaluates bat deaths near wind turbines
It's something of an ecological murder mystery — countless numbers of bats are turning up dead near wind farms. But what is killing them? A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison links on-the-ground sleuthing and clinical diagnostic techniques to sketch a better picture of how the bats are dying.

Microscope will give UW researchers powerful view of molecular structures
A successful campus-wide partnership will bring to the University of Wisconsin–Madison a powerful new electron microscope equipped to produce high-resolution, three-dimensional images of a wide range of biological samples. “It fills a prominent gap in our capabilities on campus,” said Marisa Otegui , a UW–Madison botany professor who must travel to Boulder, Colo., to peer at samples in her study of proteins used by plant cells for sensing and communication.

Fungus causes deadly bat disease: last doubts removed
Scientists have proven that the fungus Geomyces destructans causes white-nose syndrome, a fast-spreading and highly lethal disease of bats.

Wisconsin poverty measure informs anti-poverty conference
A researcher with the Wisconsin Poverty Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) is sharing project findings at an upcoming antipoverty summit.

Book by UW–Madison professor explores new media ethics
A new book on media ethics by University of Wisconsin–Madison professor Stephen J. A. Ward explores the leading issues in global, online media.

Slide show: Northwoods partners
The complex interplay between the earth's climate on global and local levels drives University of Wisconsin-Madison atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Ankur Desai's research.

Moynihan examines Hurricane Katrina, red tape
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Gamoran testifies before House subcommittee Oct. 12
Adam Gamoran , director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will testify before the House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education on Wednesday, Oct.

Medical foods for PKU diet enter phase II clinical trials
Mealtimes aren't quite as enjoyable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) as they are for the rest of us.

Research explores virus movement in Madison groundwater
According to the conventional wisdom, drinking water taken from a deep aquifer protected by a semi-permeable layer of rock should be protected from many contaminants, including viruses. But the discovery of virus particles in many deep Madison water wells since 2003 has raised one key question: How do viruses, which should not survive more than two years underground, reach more than 700 feet deep, and penetrate this semi-permeable "aquitard?" In presentations to the Geological Society of America (Oct.

Decade of effort yields diabetes susceptibility gene
Ten years of meticulous mouse breeding, screening and record-keeping have finally paid off for Alan Attie and his lab members. The University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers' efforts, published today (Oct. 6) at in the journal PLoS Genetics , pinpointed a gene that confers diabetes susceptibility in obese mice.

New ‘microgrid’ test beds will foster state industry opportunities
Partner universities in the new Center for Renewable Energy Systems (CRES) are developing complementary facilities in Milwaukee and Madison to help corporate partners explore applications in the fast-growing microgrid industry, CRES leaders announced today (Oct.

Krakauer chosen to lead Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
David Krakauer may have lofty plans for the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, but he believes that is exactly why he was chosen to be its first director.

Nebraska chancellor introduces his university
On the verge of the University of Nebraska's Big Ten debut in the much-publicized game at Camp Randall Stadium, Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman has sent the following message introducing his camp

Stuff ‘n’ food: Can collectible toys overcome fascination with fast food?
Every parent seems to know what McDonald's knows: Food and toys outsell food alone. But could toys be used to promote the sale of healthy food as well as calorie-rich fast food? When Anna McAlister and T. Bettina Cornwell posed that question to two groups of preschoolers, they found a surprising answer: Yes.

UW–Madison botanist plucks new flower from Isle Royale
One of the world's newest sunflower species, discovered by a University of Wisconsin–Madison botanist, has carved out a very small but safe niche on an island in Lake Superior.

Wisconsin engineer, entrepreneur move ‘green’ diesel engine closer to market
A University of Wisconsin–Madison engineer is collaborating with a Wisconsin entrepreneur to produce a diesel engine that could be a quieter, more efficient power source for a variety of household and industrial applications, including lawn equipment and electric generators.

Chancellor’s memo to lawmakers regarding proposed fetal tissue ban
Here is the text of a memo sent by UW-Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward to all members of the state Legislature regarding a bill that would ban the acquisition and use of fetal tissue in scientific research: Wisconsin Assembly Bill 214/Senate Bill 172 would ban the acquisition and utilization of “fetal body parts,” defined as materials derived from an induced abortion, for research and transplantation.

Wisconsinites have mixed views on ethanol
A majority of Wisconsinites support the use of ethanol blends if it keeps dollars and jobs in the United States and reduces air pollution, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

Critical similarity between two types of do-it-all stem cells
Ever since human induced pluripotent stem cells were first derived in 2007, scientists have wondered whether they were functionally equivalent to embryonic stem cells, which are sourced in early stage embryos. Both cell types have the ability to differentiate into any cell in the body, but their origins — in embryonic and adult tissue — suggest that they are not identical.

NSF renews, expands mission of UW-Madison materials research center
With $18 million over six years, the National Science Foundation is expanding the mission of one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's most prolific and prestigious interdisciplinary research centers.

In cell culture, like real estate, the neighborhood matters
Ever since scientists first began growing human cells in lab dishes in 1952, they have focused on improving the chemical soup that feeds the cells and helps regulate their growth.

New study will explore impact of exercise on pulmonary hypertension
For sufferers of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), maintaining healthy heart function isn't as simple as going for a jog every morning. Patients need to do all they can to slow damage to their heart, and exercise can improve potentially improve their quality of life. On the other hand, the demands of pumping blood into stiff, large arteries and narrowed small arteries means that many PAH patients bear an increased risk of overexertion, which makes prescribing the correct amount of physical activity difficult.

Irrigation impacts on global carbon uptake
Globally, irrigation increases agricultural productivity by an amount roughly equivalent to the entire agricultural output of the U.S., according to a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study. That adds up to a sizeable impact on carbon uptake from the atmosphere. It also means that water shortages — already forecasted to be a big problem as the world warms — could contribute to yet more warming through a positive feedback loop.

Human gait could soon power portable electronics
If the vision of Tom Krupenkin and J. Ashley Taylor comes to fruition, one day soon your cellphone — or just about any other portable electronic device — could be powered by simply taking a walk.

500 years ago, yeast’s epic journey gave rise to lager beer
In the 15th century, when Europeans first began moving people and goods across the Atlantic, a microscopic stowaway somehow made its way to the caves and monasteries of Bavaria. The stowaway, a yeast that may have been transported from a distant shore on a piece of wood or in the stomach of a fruit fly, was destined for great things.

Poverty and national parks: Decade-long study finds surprising relationship
If so many poor people live around national parks in developing countries, does that mean that these parks are contributing to their poverty?

Sweet insight: Discovery could speed drug development
The surface of cells and many biologically active molecules are studded with sugar structures that are not used to store energy, but rather are involved in communication, immunity and inflammation. In a similar manner, sugars attached to drugs can enhance, change or neutralize their effects, says Jon Thorson , a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.

UW-Madison expert: Cancer rates show it’s time for a global asbestos ban
Media Inquiries news [a] uwhealth (p) org Related Information Department of Population Health Sciences Community and Public Health Stay Connected Follow UWSMPH on Twitter

UW team part of IBM ’cognitive’ computing chip project
Media Inquiries news [a] uwhealth (p) org Related Information Department of Psychiatry Stay Connected Follow UWSMPH on Twitter Follow UWSMPH on Facebook Madison, Wiscon

Climate change could drive native fish out of Wisconsin waters
The cisco, a key forage fish found in Wisconsin's deepest and coldest bodies of water, could become a climate change casualty and disappear from most of the Wisconsin lakes it now inhabits by the year 2100, according to a new study.

DOE awards UW-Madison spinoff $1.5 million for dual-fuel engine optimization
A spinoff company created by two University of Wisconsin-Madison Engine Research Center (ERC) faculty members was awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Surgeon to be next UW-Madison vet research dean
Longtime professor Dale Bjorling has been named associate dean for research and graduate training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

New neutrino detection experiment in China up and running
Deep under a hillside near Hong Kong, a pair of new antineutrino detectors are warming up for some serious physics. Twin detectors recently installed in the first of three experimental halls in the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment are now recording interactions of elementary particles called antineutrinos that are produced by powerful reactors at the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group power plant located about 55 kilometers from Hong Kong.

Expert available to media on flexible electronics
A new development in the field of flexible electronics could allow hospitals to monitor patient vital signs without bulky cables or uncomfortable electrodes.

High-tech instrument makers abound among UW-Madison spinoffs
As scientists and engineers explore the unknown, they frequently end up building the cutting-edge equipment and instruments they need, and high-tech instrument makers that have emerged from UW-Madiso