UB in the News

An article in Nature about a controversial study on the evolution of languages and the debate over whether languages share universal grammatical features quotes Matthew Dryer, professor of linguistics.

SmartPlanet, a CBS Interactive website, reports that UB chemist Sarbajit Banerjee is leading a research team that is developing materials that could one be used as coatings on windows that reflect heat from the sun only on hot days. Articles also appeared in a few gadget- and science-related websites.

An article in England's The Telegraph reports a UB study of older women found that those who had the highest levels of vitamin D were nearly 60 percent less likely to contract age-related macular degeneration, and quotes Amy Millen, assistant professor in the School of Public Health and Health Professions and lead author on the study. The research, which was described in a news release sent to media outlets on Monday, has received wide coverage, with article also appearing in news outlets that include CBC News in Canada, ABC News, Baltimore Sun, Web MD, MedPage Today and Marie Claire.

Dan Ryan, director of off-campus student services, is quoted in an article on Fox Business News about what college students and their parents need to consider before moving off campus.

An editorial in the Buffalo News about passage of the state budget on April 1 suggests that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers still have more work to do, including passage of UB 2020. "Unless the plan to increase the university's autonomy, grow its student body and increase its spinoff development potential gets some real backing soon, it is more on track to become UB 2040," the editorial says.

A story on NPR's "Morning Edition" reports on a computer translator developed by Rohini Srihari, associate professor of computer science and engineering, that translates Urdu -- the language of Pakistan and of many Muslims in India -- that is a mix of Hindi and Persian, and uses Arabic script.

An article in USA Today reports on research conducted by Sarah-Jeanne Salvy, assistant professor of pediatrics, that found that when overweight children feel left out or ostracized, they tend to eat more and exercise less. She said the take-home message for parents is to help their children find ways other than eating to deal with rejection and peer adversity.

An article on MSNBC about the detection of plutonium in soil near the troubled nuclear reactor facility in Japan quoted UB professor of neurology and nuclear medicine Alan Lockwood as saying about the radioactive contaminant, "If you inhale it, it's there and it stays there forever."

An article on PsychCentral reported on the research by John Welte, senior research scientist for the Research Institute on Additions, that gambling problems may be more common than drinking.

A Buffalo News editorial urges Western New York lawmakers to "keep up the pressure" in Albany to pass the UB 2020 bill, calling the measure "very much alive, judging by comments from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the leaders of the two legislative chambers."