Research
May 3, 2012
Human brain evolution tied to partial gene copy that blocks original
A brain-development gene incompletely duplicated about time of the transition of pre-human to more human-like beings.
Increasing speed of Greenland glaciers gives new insight for rising sea level

Changes in the speed that ice travels in more than 200 outlet glaciers indicates that Greenland’s contribution to rising sea level in the 21st century might be significantly less than the upper limits some scientists thought possible, a new study shows.
May 2, 2012
Handful of heavyweight trees per acre are forest champs

Big trees three or more feet in diameter accounted for nearly half the biomass measured at a Yosemite National Park site, yet represented only 1 percent of the trees growing there.
May 1, 2012
Researchers determine Vitamin D blood level for reducing major medical risks in older adults
How much Vitamin D do older adults need to stay healthy? The level may be lower than many think.
April 26, 2012
Scientists identify potential biomarker to help diagnose autism
Very high levels of porphyrins in a young child’s urine might be predictive of autism risk, a UW and Battelle study suggests.
Cells in blood vessel found to cling more tightly in regions of rapid flow

The cells that line the pipes leading to the heart pull more tightly together in areas of fast-flowing blood. The cells’ mechanical response to their environment could aid understanding of heart disease.
April 23, 2012
Robots fighting wars could be blamed for mistakes on the battlefield
Humans apply a moderate amount of morality and other human characteristics to robots that are equipped with social capabilities and are capable of harming humans, according to UW psychologists.
April 20, 2012
Payment innovation cuts depression time in half
When 25 percent of the payments to community health clinics were based on quality of care, patients received better care and had better depression outcomes.
April 19, 2012
Girls born in 2009 will have shorter lives than their mothers in hundreds of U.S. counties
Lifespan gap between counties grows. Life expectancies for black Americans improve greatly.
April 13, 2012
History Channels Titanic documentary features UW engineers
A History Channel documentary on the Titanic airing Sunday includes materials testing in the UW’s Structural Research Laboratory. UW faculty and staff participated in the testing.
April 12, 2012
Get your HuskyFest on April 19-21

The first-ever HuskyFest, a part of UW’s 150th anniversary celebration, is almost here. Events kick off at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 19.
April 11, 2012
Space weather forecast: Sunspotty, with an increasing chance of solar storms

Electrical engineering professor John Sahr gives his read on the increase in solar activity, and how it relates to his research.
April 10, 2012
Newfangled space-propulsion technology could help clean up Earth orbit

A magnetized ion plasma system devised by a UW researcher to propel spacecraft at ultra-high speeds could be adapted to clean up dead satellites and other debris crowded in Earth orbit.
April 9, 2012
Wearable artificial kidney to be tested for safety and effectiveness in collaboration with FDA
The battery-powered wearable artificial kidney weighs about 10 pounds and is worn in a waist belt. Dr. Victor Gura from UCLA invented the device to provide greater freedom to dialysis patients.
April 5, 2012
Children perceive humanoid robot as emotional, moral being
Robot nannies could diminish child care worries for parents of young children, but UW psychologists warn that this could impoverish kids’ emotional and social growth.
April 4, 2012
Autism mutations, scattered across genes, merge into network of interactions
New findings on the molecular biology of autism spectrum disorders are reported today in Nature.
April 2, 2012
Single-session ablation relieves misery of cancer that has spread to the bones
Technological advances make radiofrequency instruments a stronger complement to radiation therapy in treating spinal and pelvic tumors.
March 30, 2012
Restoring credibility and the joy of discovery to science
In several journal editorials and testimony before the National Academy of Sciences, a UW professor presents opinions on reforming scientific enterprise.
March 28, 2012
Fossil raindrop impressions imply greenhouse gases loaded early atmosphere
Evidence from fossilized raindrop impressions from 2.7 billion years ago indicates that an abundance of greenhouse gases most likely caused the warm temperatures on ancient Earth.
March 27, 2012
Testosterone low, but responsive to competition, in Amazonian tribe — with slideshow
UW anthropologists report that Tsimane men have less baseline testosterone compared with U.S. men, but show the same increase in testosterone following a soccer game.
News Digest: Effective charter schools, annual 'Trash-In'
Similarities of effective charter schools studied || UW “Trash-In” set April 11
March 26, 2012
Tiny reader makes fast, cheap DNA sequencing feasible
Researchers have devised a nanoscale sensor to electronically read the sequence of a single DNA molecule, a technique that is fast and inexpensive and could make DNA sequencing widely available.
March 23, 2012
Embryonic stem cells shift metabolism in a cancer-like way upon implanting in the uterus
This change may release fuel and materials for the rapid growth of the early embryo and the formation of layers that will later become organs.
Emotionally supportive teachers lower risk for alcohol use in middle schoolers
Middle school students who felt more emotional support from teachers reported a delay in alcohol and other illicit substance initiation.
March 22, 2012
Geologists discover new class of landform – on Mars

An odd, previously unseen landform could provide a window into the geological history of Mars, according to new research by University of Washington geologists.
March 20, 2012
Web tool, phone app pinpoint tsunami dangers, quick getaway routes

A new online portal and smartphone app lets Washington and Oregon residents enter the addresses of their homes, schools, workplaces or kids’ day care centers to check if they’re in harm’s way should a tsunami hit. The tool, being publicized on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the Tohoku tsunami, was developed by researchers at the Applied Physics Laboratory.
March 19, 2012
Pediatricians' pain-medication judgments affected by unconscious racial bias, says UW study
Pediatricians who showed an unconscious preference for European Americans tended to prescribe better pain-management for white patients than they did for African-American patients, new UW research shows.
D.C. cherry trees: Blooms won’t wait in warming world, UW research finds

Cherry trees in full bloom in our nation’s capital could be as much as four weeks earlier by 2080 depending on how much warming occurs. So says an analysis conducted at the University of Washington that relied on the UW’s own cherry trees as one test of a computer model used in the project.
March 14, 2012
Some mammals used highly complex teeth to compete with dinosaurs
New research shows that at least one group of small mammals, the multituberculates, actually flourished in the last 20 million years of dinosaurs reign and survived their extinction.
Loss of appetite deciphered in brain cell circuit
UW scientists traced a brain circuit that mediates the loss of appetite in mice. They also discovered potential therapeutic targets.
March 12, 2012
Bellingham roadway with recycled toilets is world's first official 'Greenroad'

Greenroads, a rating system developed at the University of Washington to promote sustainable roadway construction, awarded its first official certification to a Bellingham project that incorporates porcelain from recycled toilets.
March 8, 2012
Study shows benefit of gun cabinets in homes in Alaskan villages
Installing a gun cabinet dramatically reduces unlocked guns and ammunition in the home, according to a study in rural Alaska villages.
March 6, 2012
One year later: Japan quake, tsunami a cautionary tale for Pacific Northwest

On the one-year anniversary of Japan’s great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, UW scientists said the devastating event has some important lessons for the Pacific Northwest – most notably, that a similar event will happen here, and this region is much less prepared than Japan.
UW played major role in telling story of Japan quake

From Seattle to Japan, University of Washington faculty had an important role in providing information about the aftermath of the March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.
March 4, 2012
Lower Duwamish Waterway health study to inform EPAs final cleanup plan for Superfund site
Environmental health researchers will assess the effects of the proposed cleanup on people who use or live on South Seattle’s polluted Duwamish River.
February 29, 2012
Are budget cuts to health departments putting our health at risk?
Researchers are seeking to improve public health outcomes at a time of diminished funding and program reductions.
Chinas urbanization unlikely to lead to fast growth of middle class: UW geographer
Chinas growing cities are considered a boon for the consumer goods market, but a UW geographer presents evidence that new city dwellers will unlikely have much disposable income.
February 27, 2012
New book details archaeological excavations on San Juan Island
“Is it a House?” details years of archaeological excavations at English Camp on San Juan Island, facing the Gulf of Georgia, conducted by Burke Museum Director Julie Stein and her students over many years.
February 22, 2012
AAAS Notebook: Faculty views range across natural world, human health, more
Last weeks American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver, BC, included 11 speakers from the University of Washington on topics including marine protected areas, the myth of black progress, womens reproductive health and how undergraduates learn best.
February 21, 2012
Design eye for the science guy: Drop-in clinic helps scientists communicate data

The Design Help Desk offers scientists a chance to meet with a student who can help them create more effective figures, tables and graphs. This visual equivalent of a Writing Help Desk is also a study on how to teach data visualization.
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