April 2003 Archive

UF survey: Florida consumer confidence up with swift war outcome

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Consumer confidence among Floridians surged in April amid optimism over the swift and decisive outcome of war in Iraq, University of Florida economists report.

Filed under Business, Florida, Research on Tuesday, April 29, 2003.

After a half-century hiatus, 82-year-old woman to graduate from UF

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Marguerite Shotwell is a lot like any other senior at the University of Florida. She studies for tests, worries about her grades and looks forward to graduation.
There’s one key difference, though – Shotwell is 82 years old. Her age will earn the octogenarian the designation as oldest graduate ever from UF’s College [...]

Filed under Announcements, InsideUF (Campus) on Tuesday, April 29, 2003.

UF Vision Researchers Use Transgenic Tadpoles To Prove Crucial Protein Moves Inside Eye Cells

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have obtained the first photographic proof that a protein crucial to vision moves inside eye cells in response to light, which may help explain how people and animals can see in a wide range of conditions.

Filed under Research on Tuesday, April 29, 2003.

UF researchers identify new form of dementia

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at the University of Florida believe they have identified a new form of dementia, a disease that develops mostly in elderly people and is characterized by a progressive, generally irreversible loss of mental capabilities.

Filed under Aging, Health, Research on Thursday, April 24, 2003.

UF Scientist Aids Effort To Sequence Genome Of Important Fungus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A newly completed project to sequence the genome of an important fungus will enhance genetic research and aid in the fight against plant-killing fungi, including those that could be used in biological weapons, says a University of Florida scientist who participated in the effort.

Filed under Research on Wednesday, April 23, 2003.

UF Research Shows Larger Tennis Balls Do Not Harm Players

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Larger tennis balls may slow the game and make it more spectator-friendly, but they won’t increase the likelihood of injuries that many athletes fear, according to new University of Florida research.

Filed under Research on Wednesday, April 23, 2003.

At UF, Undergraduates Help Design Newest Smart Weapons

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As high-tech U.S. weaponry continues to win Pentagon praise for its role in the Iraq war, a group of University of Florida students already is at work on the next generation of combat hardware.

Filed under Research on Monday, April 21, 2003.

UF Study: Remaining Childless Does Not Lead To Loneliness In Old Age

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The common belief that remaining childless leads to loneliness or depression in the elderly is contradicted by a new University of Florida study, which instead found similar levels of well-being among parents and people without children in their later years.

Filed under Research on Thursday, April 17, 2003.

On Earth Day, Planned ‘Green Homes’ Also Expected To Earn Some Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To most people, model homes mean oversized bathtubs, fireplaces and lush lawns, but a new take on the concept by University of Florida researchers features some highlights more likely to appeal to the greener side.

Filed under Research on Wednesday, April 16, 2003.

UF Study: ‘Gamblers Fallacy’ Not Criminal Label Results In More Crime

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They shouldn’t bet on it, but convicted crooks do as they commit more crimes under the gambler’s delusion that if they were caught once, they won’t get nabbed again, a new University of Florida study finds.

Filed under Research on Tuesday, April 15, 2003.