News Archive
Wednesday, October 18 2017
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ISU researchers awarded National Science Foundation grant to study “shrink-smart” communities in Iowa
Iowa State University researchers have received a one-year, $100,000 National Science Foundation planning grant to study “shrink-smart” communities in Iowa and develop tools to help all small and shrinking communities plan for population loss and mitigate its negative effects. The Iowa State project — “A Data-Driven Framework for Smart Decision-Making in Small and Shrinking Communities” — will combine data science with design and social science methodologies and community engagement processes to create an innovative, interdisciplinary research framework that can be a model for future projects.
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"Food Evolution" documentary and discussion set for Oct. 30 at Iowa State
The documentary, "Food Evolution," which wrestles with the emotions and evidence surrounding one of the most heated arguments of our time — GMOs and food — will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Alison Van Eenennaam, University of California, Davis — who appears in the film — will provide brief opening remarks and lead a discussion following the 90-minute film. It is free and open to the public.
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You would not ask a firefighter to perform open-heart surgery
The concept of “collective intelligence” is simple – it asserts that if a team performs well on one task, it will repeat that success on other projects, regardless of the scope or focus of the work. While it sounds good in theory, it doesn’t work that way in reality, according to an Iowa State University researcher.
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‘Maker theater’ puts the spotlight on geometry and literacy
Third graders at Edwards Elementary School combined lessons in literacy and geometry to stage a theater with sets and scripts developed with the help of Iowa State University students. Geometry and literacy were not the only lessons students gained from the experience.
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Iowa State astronomer says star dust helps explain mysterious dimming star
Iowa State's Massimo Marengo is part of a team of astronomers working to understand the mysterious dimming of Tabby's Star. The star was found by citizen scientists who noticed unprecedented dips in the star's brightness. The unusual dimming led to a lot of potential explanations, including speculation that alien megastructures built to harvest the star’s energy were passing in front of the star. The astronomers report that space dust orbiting the star is the likely cause of the star's long-term dimming.
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Fertilizers adjust nitrogen cycle of prairie plants, according to Iowa State University study
Excess nitrogen can change the composition of tallgrass prairies, granting an advantage to plants that flower earlier in the growing season over plants that flower later, according to new research from an Iowa State University scientist. The findings have implications for wildlife and pollinating insects that use prairie plants for habitat.
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MSNBC’s Ali Velshi to present Manatt-Phelps lecture on Oct. 18
MSNBC anchor and business correspondent Ali Velshi will discuss the impact of the Trump administration’s domestic and international policy shifts when he presents the fall 2017 Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science.
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Iowa State University researcher finds further evidence that fats and oils help to unlock full nutritional benefits of veggies
Some dressing with your greens may help you absorb more nutrients, according to a study from an Iowa State University scientist. The research found enhanced absorption of multiple fat-soluble vitamins in addition to beta-carotene and three other carotenoids. The study appeared recently in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the results may ease the guilt of countless dieters who fret about adding dressing to their salads.
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Iowa State architecture professor on international team of scholars working to conserve Rome's Flaminio Stadium
Thomas Leslie, Iowa State Morrill Professor and Pickard Chilton Professor in Architecture, is on an international team of scholars awarded a Getty Foundation grant to pave the way for conserving a threatened, mid-century architectural masterpiece. The Flaminio Stadium was designed and constructed by Pier Luigi Nervi and his son Antonio for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
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Change Agent: Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, aerospace engineering lecturer, NASA veteran
Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, a 1998 Iowa State graduate, is back on campus after working as a NASA flight director. He's passing on some of the lessons he learned at NASA while helping students with senior design projects related to space and courses in lab techniques and computer applications.
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Researchers demonstrate engineering approach to combine drugs, control parasitic worms
Iowa State University's Santosh Pandey helped lead a project that demonstrates an engineering technology used in cell studies can also be used for drug testing on parasitic roundworms used as a model whole organism. In this case, the technology quickly developed a cocktail of four drugs that was effective in paralyzing the roundworms. The discovery is reported in the journal Science Advances.
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Iowa State University project: Prairie strips yield big environmental benefits
The ISU Prairie STRIPS project has found the strategic use of native prairie plants among agricultural fields yields a wide range of environmental benefits, including erosion and runoff reduction and increased wildlife habitat. The findings, published this week, draw on 10 years of data and cover dozens of environmental metrics.
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High-intensity workouts send the wrong message, says Iowa State professor
As high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, has grown in popularity, so has the debate over whether it is an effective public health solution. An Iowa State University professor of kinesiology says the workouts are not sustainable for the majority of people who are trying to lose weight and move more.
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Bovine embryo transfer helps ISU veterinarians improve herd genetics
Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine offers students and current veterinarians opportunities to get hands-on experience with bovine embryo transfer, a growing practice that helps cattle producers pass on desirable genetics to more calves. But it requires a trained eye.
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School, health and behavior suffer when children have TV, video games in bedroom
A new Iowa State University study is one of the first to demonstrate the consequences of allowing children to have a TV or video game system in their bedroom. Researchers found children spent less time reading, sleeping or participating in other activities when they could go in their room and watch TV or play video games. As a result, they did not do as well in school and were at greater risk for obesity and video game addiction.
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80th anniversary of massacre time for remembrance and recognition of solidarity
October marks the 80th anniversary of the 1937 Haitian massacre, which killed an estimated 20,000 Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. Megan Jeanette Myers says the anniversary is a time for reflection and recognition. The ISU assistant professor is a co-founder of Border of Lights, an organization that provides support to border communities and commemorates the lives lost in the massacre.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: Iowa State University ag experts available for comment on 2017 harvest
ISU agricultural experts explain the grain markets, agronomic conditions and weather trends that will shape this year’s harvest. All four experts are available to news media for interviews.
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Midlife depression may stem from tension with mothers and siblings, Iowa State study finds
Relationships with our mothers and siblings continue to have an effect on our well-being, particularly at midlife. A new study led by Iowa State University researcher Megan Gilligan found that tension with our mothers and siblings, similar to our spouses, is associated with symptoms of depression.
Follow Team PrISUm across Australia
Catch up with Team PrISUm at the World Solar Challenge, a solar race across the Australian Outback. Updates from the College of Engineering are here. You can track the team's progress (No. 9 of the Cruiser Class) here.