11

Survey Finds Shoplifting And Employee Theft Cost Retailers Billions

Published: November 26 1997

GAINESVILLE — The nation’s retailers lost an estimated $25.7 billion last year from employee theft, shoplifting, administrative error and vendor fraud, according to the seventh annual National Retail Security Survey. The survey of retail security executives by researchers at the University of Florida was released today.

Americans Ring In The Holiday Season With Still More Credit Card Debt

Published: November 26 1997

GAINESVILLE — With the busiest shopping day of the year upon them, millions of American shoppers will be reaching for their credit cards to spread a little holiday cheer and a lot of post-holiday debt.

UF Economists: Consumer Confidence Experiences First Drop In Months

Published: November 25 1997

GAINESVILLE — Even though Florida’s consumer confidence fell in November for the first time in seven months, its relative strength bodes well for lucrative holiday sales, University of Florida economists report.

UF Helps Animals Get Leftover Treats From Theme Parks and Restaurants

Published: November 25 1997

GAINESVILLE — You’ve eaten your Thanksgiving dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and scraped the leftovers into Fido’s dish. That’s easy for one family, but what do you do if you’re, say, Walt Disney World and you have 35 tons of leftovers to get rid of — every day of the year?

UF Survey: Shoppers Say Stores Jump The Gun With Christmas Displays

Published: November 24 1997

GAINESVILLE — If it seemed like the plastic light-up Santa Claus in the toy aisle was dangerously close to rubbing elbows with the Fourth of July Uncle Sam cutout over in lawn and garden, join the crowd: Most people think retailers are putting up their Christmas displays earlier than ever, according to a recent University of Florida survey.

Rice Industry and Consumers Can Reap Benefits Of Adding Silicon To Soils

Published: November 21 1997

BELLE GLADE—Instead of using expensive pesticides to control crop diseases, South Florida rice growers can save thousands of dollars in production costs and boost yields simply by adding some silicon to the soil.

Students With Drinking Problems Think They Can’t Cope, UF Research Shows

Published: November 20 1997

GAINESVILLE—College students who feel unable to cope with bad moods are much more likely than their peers to become problem drinkers, a new University of Florida study indicates.

UF/UC Researchers Design Fusion Reactor To Power The Future

Published: November 20 1997

GAINESVILLE — Researchers at the University of Florida and University of California, Irvine, have designed a fusion reactor that will produce electricity twice as efficiently as a traditional coal-burning power plant and, unlike nuclear power plants, will involve no radioactive fuels or byproducts.

El Niño Forecasting Model Could Save Millions In Energy Costs

Published: November 18 1997

GAINESVILLE — A computerized forecasting model designed to predict more accurately the financial impact of El Niño weather patterns could save millions of dollars in energy costs in affected countries, including the United States, says a University of Florida professor who helped create the model.

Can Trees And Bushes Help Stop Terrorist Acts? UF Students Say Yes

Published: November 14 1997

GAINESVILLE — A group of University of Florida students is helping the Department of Defense see if such seemingly unlikely things as landscaping and street design can help protect a military installation in the midst of a tourist mecca from a terrorist bomb blast.

Old Tourist Attraction Gets New Life As Botanical Garden With Help From UF

Published: November 12 1997

VERO BEACH—There was a time when people came to Florida to see botanical wonders rather than those made by man.

Americans’ Lack Of Shame Nothing To Be Proud Of, Says UF Professor

Published: November 10 1997

GAINESVILLE — What led people as recently as the 1960s to hang their heads — divorce, children born out of wedlock, failure to pay off debts — has given way to shame 90s style: wearing furs, smoking in public, eating red meat and failing to recycle, a University of Florida professor writes in a new book.

UF Researchers Seeking To Make Building Materials More Earth-Friendly

Published: November 6 1997

GAINESVILLE — Roofing shingles, gypsum board and concrete blocks could join newsprint, milk jugs and aluminum cans in the recycling bin and may help the construction industry save money in the process, say researchers at the University of Florida.

Shands Program Provides Support To Children With Life-Threatening Asthma

Published: November 5 1997

GAINESVILLE—A program that identifies children and young adults with life-threatening asthma and teaches the correct response to an attack has better controlled asthma attacks in 77 percent of patients, said researchers at the University of Florida Health Science Center.

Genetically Altered Cotton Is Cheaper And More Earth-Friendly

Published: November 4 1997

GAINESVILLE – A genetically altered variety of cotton being field tested this season by University of Florida researchers requires less herbicide, which should mean reduced environmental damage, lower production costs for growers and cheaper prices on cotton goods for consumers.