04

UF survey: Florida consumer confidence up with swift war outcome

Published: April 29 2003

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.

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

Published: April 29 2003

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

Published: April 29 2003

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.

UF researchers identify new form of dementia

Published: April 24 2003

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.

UF Scientist Aids Effort To Sequence Genome Of Important Fungus

Published: April 23 2003

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.

At UF, Undergraduates Help Design Newest Smart Weapons

Published: April 21 2003

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.

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

Published: April 17 2003

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.

UF launches first major university effort at becoming carbon neutral

Published: April 14 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To help alleviate its impact on global warming, the University of Florida is taking the lead among major universities nationwide by becoming the first to craft a plan for the net elimination of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

UF Research: Suburban Backyard Woods Benefit From Controlled Burns

Published: April 9 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Controlled burns intended to restore forest ecosystems that once depended on natural fires may be just as effective in suburban backyards as they are on large open tracts of land, according to a new University of Florida study.

UF scientists to test testosterone on Parkinson's symptoms in men

Published: April 8 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers will study whether giving testosterone to men with Parkinson's disease who have low levels of the hormone will curb some symptoms of the disease.

United States Late To Recognize Brutal Dictators And Regimes

Published: April 8 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The American public’s image of bad guys around the world is shaped by the nature of the United States’ diplomatic relations with their governments far more than by their evil deeds, says a University of Florida researcher and author of a new book.

Massive Study Reveals Calcium Antagonists Aid High Blood Pressure Control In Heart Disease Patients

Published: April 2 2003

CHICAGO — A massive study aimed at settling the long-standing debate over the usefulness of calcium antagonists for treating high blood pressure has shown the drugs are part of a safe and effective regimen for patients who don’t respond to standard medicines – or who stop taking them because of bothersome side effects, University of Florida researchers report.

Researchers use gene therapy in mouse models of fatal childhood disease to stop brain degeneration

Published: April 1 2003

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Scientists from the University of Florida and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have used gene therapy to hinder destruction of brain tissue in mouse models of Canavan disease, a rare genetic disorder that is fatal in children.

UF Research Shows Larger Tennis Balls Do Not Harm Players

Published: April 23 2003

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.

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

Published: April 16 2003

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.

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

Published: April 15 2003

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.