UB in the News

An article in Scotland's Daily Record about the health benefits of having a pet reports that in 1999, UB conducted a study of 48 stockbrokers with high blood pressure, and found that when subjected to challenges designed to increase their stress, the stockbrokers with pets experienced a smaller rise in blood pressure than their pet-less counterparts.

An editorial and opinion column in today's Buffalo News supports Assemblyman Mark Schroeder's criticism of Speaker Sheldon Silver for blocking a bill that would free up restrictions and allow UB and other SUNY campuses to become stronger economic engines in their regions. The editorial notes Silver "seems devoted to nothing greater than maintaining the disastrous status quo" and calls the bill "good for upstate." A related column in The Buffalo News and a story on WNED-AM also look at the issue.

An article on AbouTime, a New Zealand magazine, about the psychology behind being a fan quotes Shira Gabriel, associate professor of psychology, who says celebrity worship can benefit people's self-esteem. "Because people form bonds in their mind with their favorite celebrities, they are able to assimilate the celebrity's characteristics in themselves and feel better about themselves when they think about that celebrity," she said.

The Dear Pharmacist column in Tulsa World looks at "The Liberation Treatment" for multiple sclerosis and reports that researchers at UB found that people with MS have about 2 ½ times higher incidence of a narrowing of the veins leading to the brain, which some scientists believe may be a cause of the disease.

A story released by ANI news service and carried by Digital Communities reports on a study that shows China's cyberculture is growing rapidly but that growth does not guarantee political freedom. Junhao Hong, professor of communication, is quoted in the story. The story appeared on Yahoo! News India.

An article in the April issue of Cosmopolitan magazine about habits that contribute to a successful relationship reports that a UB study found that couples who mirrored each other's levels of drinking and smoking stayed close as time went by, while abstainers paired with smokers and/or drinkers eventually split.

Research conducted by Zhen Yan, professor of physiology and biophysics, is featured in an article in the May issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. The article interviews her on some of the benefits of stress, and notes that studies in her lab show that short zaps of stress can improve memory and learning. "Often, people need a little jolt -- like a deadline or an audience -- to perform better," she said. The article, which is based on a news release on Yan's research that was distributed in July 2009, is not available online. Good Housekeeping magazine, which is published 13 times a year, has an annual circulation of 59.8 million.

An article in the Times of India reports on a UB study that has shown that low vitamin D levels may be associated with more advanced physical disability and cognitive impairment in persons with multiple sclerosis. Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, associate professor of neurology and first author of the study, is quoted in the article.

James E. Campbell, professor and chair of political science, is quoted in a CNN Money story about what's to blame for high unemployment numbers. "Every administration tries to put a positive light on whatever problems they face, especially when it comes to the economy," said Campbell. The article also appeared on Yahoo Finance.

TIME magazine has named to its 2010 list TIME 100 of people who most affect the world UB alumnus Robin Li, who founded Baidu, the dominant computer search tool in China and one that has the most Internet users on the planet.