Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio established for pig diets in Illinois study
URBANA, Ill. – In pig diets, the amount of digestible calcium has a direct impact on phosphorus digestibility and the overall growth performance of the animals. With more calcium, phosphorus digestibility and feed intake decrease, leading to lower-weight pigs.
Become a citizen scientist for pollinators with University of Illinois
URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension is calling all lovers of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that keep our crops and gardens growing to join scientists in tracking their distribution and habitat use across the state, from the comfort of your home, school, or community garden.
Donovan named to 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
URBANA, Ill. – Sharon Donovan, a professor of nutrition and the Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health at the University of Illinois, has been appointed to the USDA’s 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S.
Toxic byproducts of Agent Orange continue to pollute Vietnam environment, study says
URBANA, Ill. – During the Vietnam War, United States aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, on the country’s rain forests, wetlands, and croplands. Agent Orange defoliated the thick jungle vegetation concealing Viet Cong fighters and destroyed a portion of the country’s food crops, but it was primarily the dioxin contaminant that harmed so many Vietnamese and U.S. military personnel.
When temperatures drop, Siberian Miscanthus plants surpass main bioenergy variety
URBANA, Ill. – Photosynthesis drives yields, but in cold conditions, this process that turns sunlight into biomass takes a hit. Miscanthus is a popular, sustainable, perennial feedstock for bioenergy production that thrives on marginal land in temperate regions.
Federal legalization of same-sex marriage improved life satisfaction, reduced emotional distress for individuals, study shows
URBANA, Ill. – Until the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015 provided federal recognition of same-sex marriage in the United States, individual state laws varied. Some states were clear on whether or not they would recognize the marriages of same-sex couples, and others were in an uncertain flux, in some instances legalizing, then backpedaling on the decision days later. Some married couples thus faced uncertainty about whether their union would continue to be legally valid.
Davis recognized for contributions to weed science
URBANA, Ill. – The Weed Science Society of America last week recognized Adam Davis, head and professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, with a Fellow award, the society’s highest honor. The award recognizes Davis’s outstanding contributions to the field of weed science, particularly his use of ecological and quantitative principles to inform effective weed management.
Explore ACES set for March 8
URBANA, Ill. – Tour greenhouses, stick your hand inside of a cow, simulate the aging process, explore invasive species of the Great Lakes, learn how ice cream arrives in your bowl, and why popcorn pops at Explore ACES on March 8! This one-day, interactive event is located on the campus of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois.
Major gift elevates U of I work in sustainability
URBANA, Ill. — Sustainability leadership, research, education, and practices will remain at the forefront of University of Illinois priorities, thanks in part to significant endowments from Stuart L. and Nancy J. Levenick of Naples, Florida.
Mr. Levenick, a U of I alumnus who captained the 1975 Illini football team and received a B.S. in forestry in 1976, and his wife have designated this major endowment in two parts:
Mouse study reveals how chronic stress promotes breast cancer stem cells, identifies vitamin C as effective therapy
URBANA, Ill. – Cancer: The word alone evokes dread, anxiety, and fear. Accordingly, many women living with the disease and undergoing treatment experience chronic stress and depression. Scientists have demonstrated, in studies with rodents and humans, that stress can exacerbate cancer’s progression, but it wasn’t clear how.
A new study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, establishes that the stress hormone epinephrine sets off a cascade of biochemical reactions that favor breast cancer growth and spread.