Research
November 29, 2011
$2M grant could make early earthquake warning a reality in the Northwest
A grant to the University of Washington from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation could pave the way for a system to provide a warning seconds to minutes in advance of a major offshore earthquake in the Northwest.
November 28, 2011
40 percent of youths attempting suicide make first attempt before high school
UW researchers found that suicidal behavior begins sooner than previously thought and is linked to higher scores of depression at the time of the attempts.
November 22, 2011
Wars lasting legacy is a culture of violence — see video
Daniel Hoffman, a UW associate professor of anthropology, describes his new book “The War Machines” about lasting violence from civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia. He says that the same could be true in other war-torn regions, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Big step forward for safety of bionic contact lenses
Bionic eye steps closer to reality.
November 18, 2011
Analyzing massive datasets is subject of major international conference
Seattle is host this week to the major international meeting about high-performance computing, giving UW scientists and computer specialists an opportunity to see over the horizon at developments that will influence how research is conducted for years to come.
What bacteria don't know can hurt them
Bacteria living in clusters warn each other to enter a self-protective mode when nutrients are low. This state shields them from antibiotics. Interfering with the starvation alert super-charged the infection-fighting power of antibiotics.
November 17, 2011
UW engineers help team with nano discovery
Nano discovery could lead to lower-power memory in the future
November 16, 2011
Pushing the envelope on paper-based diagnostics
Paul Yager, chair of the Bioengineering Department at the University of Washington, leads several subcontractors in two major grants totaling up to $26 million pushing the envelope on paper-based diagnostics. Their hope is that in two to three years, people miles from a lab will be able to cough, spit or urinate on a piece of paper, upload the image on a cell phone and get lab-quality results for a range of illnesses.
LGBT seniors face harder old age, national study finds
Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to a new study by researchers in the School of Social Work
November 15, 2011
Early, intensive therapy for type 1 diabetes prevented kidney disease in long-term study
Years later participants reap the benefits of good blood sugar control in reducing slow-progressing complications. This finding comes from more than two decades of research on preventing life-shortening consequences of type 1 diabetes.
November 14, 2011
Lightning network helps get a handle on volcanoes
A UW-based alert system using real-time data on lightning flashes around the world is helping to keep tabs on erupting volcanoes.
November 9, 2011
Carbon mitigation strategy uses wood for buildings first, bioenergy second
Pacific Northwest trees grown and harvested sustainably can both remove existing carbon dioxide from the air and help keep the gas from entering the atmosphere in the first place. Thats provided wood is used primarily for such things as building materials, instead of cement and steel, and secondarily that wood wastes are used for biofuels.
November 7, 2011
Paper uncovers power of Foldit gamers strategies
Studying gamers who use Foldit helps researchers study the power of their strategies
Biological futures initiative aims to bring larger ethical issues into non-medical science
After he created the Center for Biological Futures at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Roger Brent joined forces with the UW to “generate better thinking and scholarship about the impact that increases in biological capability are having and will have on human affairs.” The result is an initiative, “Biological Futures in a Globalized World.”
Soldiers phone in for help with substance use
The Warrior Check-Up study provides free, confidential help to active-duty service members experiencing problems with alcohol and drug use but who arent already in treatment
November 2, 2011
Study shows new medication effectively treats underlying cause of cystic fibrosis
A final stage clinical trial of ivacaftor (VX-770) shows significantly improved lung function in subset of cystic fibrosis patients, as reported Nov. 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Pediatrician Dr. Bonnie W. Ramsey of Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the UW led the study.
'Chronicling Trauma': New book explores intersection of journalism, fiction, traumatic violence
Writers often turn from journalism to fiction when news stories cant drill deep enough, cant convey complex psychology. Communications Professor Doug Underwood writes about it in his new book, “Chronicling Trauma: Journalists and Writers on Violence and Loss.”
Wavechasers condemn gummy bears to crushing ocean depths
Follow the serious science – and the development of novel “Will it crush?” segments inspired by the YouTube hit “Will it blend?” – as University of Washington Wavechasers work in the South Pacific near Samoa.
October 31, 2011
Modern genetics answers age-old question on Garrods fourth inborn error of metabolism
Fifty years after participating in studies of pentosuria, an inherited disorder once mistaken for diabetes, 15 families again welcomed medical geneticists into their lives. Their willingness to have their DNA analyzed with genomics technologies has solved a 100-year mystery
Children of deployed military at greater risk of engaging in violent behavior
Adolescent boys with at least one parent in the military are at elevated risk of engaging in school-based physical fighting, carrying a weapon and joining a gang, according to researchers at the University of Washingtons School of Public Health.
Washington Poll: Liquor initiative leads, road tolls measure too close to call
A state ballot initiative that would privatize liquor sales leads by a significant margin in the new statewide Washington Poll, but an initiative on project-specific road tolls is too close to call.
October 26, 2011
Studies indicate charter schools performing well in reading, math
A new analysis from the Center on Reinventing Public Education, at UW Bothell, shows evidence that charter elementary schools outperform traditional public schools in math and reading, and that charter middle schools excel in math as well.
October 25, 2011
Linking of mutations in 12 genes to ovarian cancers may lead to more effective prevention
More patients with ovarian carcinoma carry cancer-predisposing mutations, and in more genes, than previously thought. Relying on family history as an indication for testing would have missed one-fifth of the cases. The study used a quick, accurate genome sequencing method that could become a single test to screen for a broad range of cancers.
October 21, 2011
Housing, health care contribute most to rising costs of living in Washington
It costs 8 percent more on average than it did two years ago for Washington residents to make ends meet, according to a new report from a UW research group.
October 19, 2011
Spiral arms indicate possible planets in a star's gas-and-dust disk — with video
A new image of a gas-and-dust disk around a sun-like star is the first that scientists, including a UW astronomer, have seen that displays structures that could hint at the presence of still-unseen planets around the star.
Fiery volcano offers geologic glimpse into land that time forgot — with video
The first scientists to witness exploding rock and molten lava from a deep sea volcano, seen during a 2009 expedition, also collected boninite, a rare lava that accompanies the formation of Earths subduction zones. Current subduction zones are continually evolving but most formed 5 million to 200 million years ago.
October 13, 2011
Differences in jet lag severity could be rooted in how circadian clock sets itself
Researchers have found hints that differing molecular processes in one area of the brain might play a significant role in the differences of jet lag severity between long-distance west-to-east travel and east-to-west travel.
Improving the physics of grocery store display cases to save energy
Aeronautical engineers are devising ways to boost the efficiency of open-air refrigerated cases, which are increasingly common in supermarkets. Results could lower the energy use of existing cases by up to 15 percent — potentially saving $100 million in electricity costs each year.
October 12, 2011
College students limit technology use during crunch time
A new University of Washington study found college students – only weeks away from final exams and in the library – tend to pare use of electronics. Its their way to manage technology that permeates their lives.
October 11, 2011
Learning to not be afraid: UW psychologists treat PTSD with drug known to enhance learning
Lori Zoellner, director of UWs Center for Anxiety & Traumatic Stress, has a new study aimed to make PTSD treatment more efficient.
October 10, 2011
Chronic dialysis for kidney disease patients now initiated substantially earlier, UW-Group Health-led study finds
Researchers from Washington state and California found that over a ten-year period, from 1997 to 2007, patients are starting dialysis approximately five months earlier on average.
Research shows how life might have survived ‘snowball Earth
New research indicates that simple life in the form of photosynthetic algae could have survived a “snowball Earth” event, living in a narrow body of water with characteristics similar to todays Red Sea.
October 7, 2011
Babies show sense of fairness, altruism as early as 15 months
A new study by a UW psychologist presents the first evidence that a basic sense of fairness and altruism appears in infancy
October 6, 2011
Turning slash piles into soil benefit
Students of the University of Washington have teamed up on a startup that promises to turn slash piles of forest refuse into biochar, a commodity for sale to landscapers, farmers and gardeners.
October 4, 2011
Sixteen regions of the genetic code newly discovered to influence lung function
The discovery of 16 additional sections of the human genome that influence lung function brings the total known variants to 26. These findings in the genetic code hold promise for future screenings and treatment of lung disease.
Epidemiologist notes oral health challenges in Asia at Dentistrys annual Research Day
Dr. Waranuch Pitiphat of Thailands Khon Kaen University urged UW dental students to consider global oral health research. At the poster presentation after her talk, Peter Yamamura won the annual dental student research competition.
Hormonal contraception use doubles HIV risk, according to UW study in Lancet
A UW-led study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases shows a troubling link between hormonal contraception and HIV. The study is getting widespread press coverage because of the popularity of injectable birth control like Depo-Provera in parts of Africa hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic.
October 3, 2011
Community effort brings lasting drop in smoking, delinquency, drug use
Tenth graders in towns using Communities That Care, a prevent system developed by UW School of Social Work researchers, were less likely to have tried drinking or smoking and showed less delinquent behavior.
September 28, 2011
Genome map of advanced, lethal prostate cancers reveals 'hypermutations'
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the UW scientists have conducted the first comprehensive assessment of DNA errors that drive advanced prostate cancer.
Making justice known: Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal
Seventeen years ago, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly members of the Tutsi tribe, were massacred in only 100 days. Now, as remaining court judgments are rendered, “Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal” presents a record of what has been done with an interactive website that brings together video interviews with judges, lawyers, interpreters, investigators and other personnel.
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