News Archive
Wednesday, November 14 2018
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Quality of sellers critical to growth, revenues for online platforms
Online shopping platforms have changed the way we shop for everything from household items to holiday gifts. The success of an online platforms depends on its ability to pair buyers and sellers and remove low-quality sellers, according to new Iowa State University research.
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Engineers use game theory to quantify threats of cyberattacks on power grid
Iowa State's Manimaran Govindarasu and Sourabh Bhattacharya are turning to game theory to help quantify threats of cyberattacks on the power grid. They're also developing cybersecurity tools that could help protect the grid and could be adapted to other cyber-physical infrastructure such as oil, natural gas and transportation systems. Their research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
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Change Agent: Austin Stewart
Austin Stewart’s passion for building and supporting community, and how art weaves through it all, has led him across America – including his pilgrimage with a monk 13 years ago. Today, the assistant professor of art and visual culture splits his time between teaching digital media in Iowa State’s College of Design and revamping a former feed mill and warehouse on Ames’ west side.
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Weightlifting is good for your heart and it doesn’t take much
Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent, according to a new Iowa State University study. Spending more than an hour in the weight room did not yield any additional benefit, the researchers found. The results show benefits of strength training are independent of running, walking or other aerobic activity.
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Singing may reduce stress, improve motor function for people with Parkinson’s disease
Singing may provide benefits beyond improving respiratory and swallow control in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to new data from Iowa State University researchers. The results from the pilot study revealed improvements in mood and motor symptoms, as well as reduced physiological indicators of stress. Researchers say the improvements among singing participants are similar to benefits of taking medication.
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‘Smart shrinkage’ in small towns driven by strong social infrastructure, ISU research shows
As small Iowa towns continue to lose population, a strong social infrastructure – rather than economic or physical factors – determines whether residents report greater quality of life, according to new research out of Iowa State University.
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Engineers develop ‘bury-and-forget’ sensors, data networks for better soil, water quality
Iowa State's Jonathan Claussen is leading a team of engineers developing a system of low-cost, "bury-and-forget" soil sensors connected to a remote, wireless, data-collection network. Data collected by the system will help the engineers build better models of the interactions of fertilizer, soil and crops. Those models could help farmers reduce their use of fertilizer, which can run off fields and contribute to harmful algae blooms.
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Iowa State University veterinarians trying to improve safety and efficiency in development of new drugs
Iowa State University veterinary researchers are working with the Food and Drug Administration to advance an innovative in vitro model to study the oral absorption of therapeutic drugs without requiring testing on live animals. The work could lead to more efficient and safer development of new therapies for human and animal medicine.
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Marketing’s influence on innovation enhances profits
Firms are constantly developing new products and services to stay competitive in a global marketplace. Iowa State researchers say creating a product that sells and doesn’t flop takes the right combination of innovation and marketing. Their latest study found firms with high levels of marketing capabilities enhanced profits.
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Playing video games to cope with anxiety may increase risk for addiction
Understanding a person's motivation to play video games may be key to identifying some of the causes of gaming disorder. Iowa State University researchers found people who use video games as a coping mechanism for anxiety are more likely to have symptoms of gaming disorder, and higher levels of stress increased their risk for addiction.
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Checkmate: How plant protein Feronia protects against bacterial attackers
When bacterial pathogens invade a plant, a game of chess plays out inside the cells of the plant as the pathogen tries to hijack the genetic pathways that govern the plant’s disease response. In a newly published study, researchers at Iowa State University describe the tactics the pathogens and the plants use in this high-stakes standoff.
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Researchers studying Marshalltown tornado’s impact on renter, immigrant households
A disaster researcher at Iowa State University is examining how the tornado that hit Marshalltown this summer affected housing and different types of households – particularly immigrant households and renters – in order to understand what can be done in the future to address disaster recovery needs in the United States.
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Unlimited spending on television political ads fails to deliver votes
There is a reason it may seem as if every television ad right now is a political one. Millions of dollars are spent to reach voters through this one medium, but does it pay off on Election Day? According to a new Iowa State University study of political advertising for the 2016 Iowa caucuses, the candidates who spent more on TV ads generally received more support on caucus night, but this does not suggest a candidate can buy an election.
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Researchers develop, test new system for making biorenewable chemicals
The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting development of a new system for producing biobased chemicals that's based on the idea of "bioprivileged molecules." Researchers at the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State University introduced the idea last year, saying such molecules have new and valuable properties that aren't possible from petrochemicals.
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No, we’re not all working for a bunch of psychopaths
Reports of corporate scandals and misdeeds would seem to support the headlines suggesting that many CEOs are psychopaths. But a new study from Iowa State University and University of Alabama researchers found such claims to be overblown. Contrary to public perception, they say the relationship between leadership and psychopathy is weak.
Postcard from Campus: Cardinal & Gold Fall
Iowa State's campus looks stunning as it transitions to fall.