University of Florida News

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Rip currents appear to persist for weeks or even months at the same places along the shore, although they become dangerously strong only under certain conditions, according to new research by University of Florida coastal engineers.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They’re barely big enough to see and they feel like grit, but some new species of snails discovered by a University of Florida scientist may be able to provide some big clues about the water we use.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A sharp dip in retail sales and falling optimism about the U.S. economy pushed the Florida Consumer Confidence Index into a three-point slide in September, University of Florida economists said Tuesday.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Thoughts of massage might conjure up images of an indulgence enjoyed by those fortunate enough to frequent a spa or by the athletic elite. But a little scientific scrutiny is showing it not only kneads away stress and soothes sore muscles — it can ease pain, tension and fatigue for those suffering from several medical conditions, including cancer and low-back problems.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When an asthma attack strikes, leaving a child breathless and wheezing, many parents have to scramble to plug in the device that supplies medication to ease the respiratory disease’s symptoms.

TAMPA, Fla. — Freshwater mussels in at least one west Central Florida lake — and perhaps several others — may contain elevated amounts of radioactive radium, apparently the result of maintaining the lake’s levels with water from the Floridan Aquifer, according to a University of Florida lake specialist and a state water official.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Many calcium supplements contain small but detectable levels of lead, needlessly boosting consumers’ exposure to the toxic heavy metal, according to a University of Florida study published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To learn how genes control development of corn and other cereal grains — the source of about 90 percent of the world’s food supply — University of Florida researchers have initiated a five-year study with the aid of a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When doctors prescribe a drug, they indicate what strength should be taken and how often. But when it comes to using DNA to try to treat diseases, scientists have yet to standardize the way they measure a dose of gene therapy medicine.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at the University of Florida have uncovered several links between beef consumption and factors such as education level, age and family size.