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For visual evidence of just how bad the global financial crisis has become, visit the Web site of the University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development. If you dare. The page has a meticulously detailed timeline of events leading up to the economic collapse, and it highlights news reports of every struggling investment bank, failed mortgage company, missed-earnings warning, lousy housing report, cut dividend, and various other portents of impending financial doom. And that's just up to December 2007, before things really got bad.

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Social workers play a vital role in improving the quality of nursing home residents' lives. But qualifications of nursing home social workers vary wildly in part because of low federal standards and inconsistent state laws, the first national study on nursing home social workers reveals. Only half of nursing home social workers have a degree in social work, and 20 percent do not have a four-year degree, a University of Iowa survey of 1,071 nursing home social service directors shows.

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A division of the bond trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald has announced a plan to start a real-money movie box office futures exchange. The University of Iowa's Iowa Electronic Markets has been operating a similar real-money box office market since 1995, and its coordinator thinks traders on Cantor's proposed market will have their work cut out in finding a way to make money.

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Men consistently outperform women on spatial tasks, including mental rotation, which is the ability to identify how a 3-D object would appear if rotated in space. A University of Iowa study shows a connection between this sex-linked ability and the structure of the parietal lobe, the brain region that controls this type of skill.

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A study shows that a calcium-sensing enzyme already known to play a role in irregular heartbeats and other critical functions contributes to arrhythmia in an extremely rare disease called Timothy syndrome and that inhibiting the enzyme prevents arrhythmia. The findings could help with developing treatments for people with this syndrome and in the general population.

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Researchers have discovered a direct link between disruption of a critical cellular housekeeping process and fatty liver disease, a condition that causes fat to accumulate in the liver. The findings might open new avenues for understanding and perhaps treating the condition.

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As the Iowa Supreme Court prepares to hear a case that could clear the way for gay marriage in Iowa, a poll shows nearly sixty percent of voters in the state favor some type of legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Iowa. In the random, statewide poll of 586 voters, University of Iowa political scientists found that 28 percent of Iowans support same-sex marriage. Another 30 percent support civil unions, not gay marriage. About one in three oppose both.

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VIDA Diagnostics Inc., a University of Iowa Research Foundation licensee and UI Technology Innovation Center business incubator tenant, announced today that its primary product, Pulmonary Workstation 2.0 (PW2) has obtained FDA 510(k) clearance for sale.

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The holiday shopping season kicks off next week, and many retailers are already slashing prices to generate sales during what they expect to be a dismal sales month leading up to Christmas. But University of Iowa marketing professor John Murry thinks it might be a mistake for many of those businesses to cut prices, particularly if they have high-end images.

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University of Iowa students developed a hand-held water sanitizing device that could save lives. A creative cafeteria worker developed a compost project to divert food waste from dumpsters. And a surprising substance is the source of one-fifth of the fuel consumed in the UI's Main Power Plant: oat hulls. These and other intriguing story ideas are detailed in a sustainability tip sheet for reporters.

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A new study co-authored by University of Law professor Katherine Porter found that federal bankruptcy reforms that took effect in 2005 have not protected low-income people nor forced well-off people to pay their debts, as the law intended.

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An international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment.

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Pushing and punching. Spreading rumors and name-calling. Whether it's physical or verbal, bullying has no place at school or in cyberspace. Parents can help children not be bullied or be bulliers, but first it is important to understand why bullying occurs.

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Essential to good health, vitamin D requires activation to function properly in the body. Until recently, this activation was thought to occur primarily in the kidneys. A study finds it can occur in lung airway cells and links the vitamin D produced in the lung airway cells to activation of infection-fighting genes.

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Like something from a horror movie, the swarm of bacteria ripples toward their prey, devours it and moves on. Researchers are studying this behavior in M. xanthus because, despite this deadly trait, M. xanthus is harmless to humans and might one day be used beneficially to destroy harmful bacteria on surfaces or in human infections.

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Younger voters could secure Barack Obama's seat in the Oval Office, but a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today shows they're less likely to make it to the polls and paying less attention to the election than older voters are.

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University of Iowa graduate student Alok Shah spends many hours in the lab studying the genetic causes of developmental defects and cystic fibrosis. In his free time, he takes part in what he calls a "wonderful nerd-fest" at "LabSpaces," a social-networking site aimed at individuals with a specific interest or career focus, such as biomedical research.

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There's new evidence that a significant number of exons created from so-called "junk" DNA seem to play a role in gene regulation. Exons are building blocks for protein-coding genes in higher organisms, and the findings increase understanding of how humans differ from other animals.

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Tung Yin, a University of Iowa law professor and national security law expert, writes that that trying to extract information from captured soldiers detained as prisoners of war by offering them positive inducements is illegal and a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

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People are paying close attention to the presidential campaigns, but nearly 42 percent of registered voters nationwide could not correctly identify Barack Obama's religion, a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today shows.

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Opponents of affirmative action point to stigma as a reason for dismantling the policy, but a new University of Iowa study counters that argument. Researchers surveyed 610 students at seven public law schools, and results indicate that minorities at affirmative action schools feel just as good about their qualifications and about how others treat them as minorities at non-affirmative-action schools do.

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Researchers have found, in a previously identified gene, a variation that likely contributes to one in five cases of isolated cleft lip. It is the first time a genetic variant has been associated with cleft lip alone, rather than both cleft lip and palate.

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We can learn from our mistakes, but how willing are we to talk about them? And what happens when those making mistakes are physicians, who are often expected to be infallible? A new study provides some insights.

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In a first, researchers at the University of Iowa and the University of Missouri have developed a pig model for cystic fibrosis (CF) that appears to closely mimic the disease in human infants. This new model should improve understanding of the disease and may also speed discovery of new treatments.

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Researchers have developed a new imaging approach that helps identify poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, a rare form of thyroid cancer that is typically hard to diagnose. The study also raises the possibility of extending the use of radioiodine therapy to thyroid cancers where the gland cannot be surgically removed.

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Leaders of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the University of Iowa and the UI Foundation today announced a $25 million gift commitment from the Eagles that will establish the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center in the new UI Institute for Biomedical Discovery (UIIBD).

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Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

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Intellectual property law has become a legal mess that many analysts say is holding back the U.S. economy, but two University of Iowa law professors hope their new book can clarify the law and encourage economic innovation.

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Democrat Barack Obama is leading Republican John McCain in the battleground state of Iowa among both registered and likely voters, according to a new University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today. Among registered voters, Obama holds a 48 percent to 42.9 percent lead when "leaners" are factored in. Among those judged as "likely registered voters," Obama's lead is 49.5 percent to 43.1 percent, with 7.4 percent undecided.

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Whether a family attends religious services has as much of an impact on a teen's grade point average as whether the student's parents earned a college degree, a University of Iowa study indicates. Researchers found that on average, students whose parents received a four-year college degree average a GPA .12 higher than those whose parents only completed a high school education. Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA .144 higher than those who never attend.

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University of Iowa Political Scientist David Redlawsk plans to turn a scheduling conflict into a unique learning opportunity for his students by teaching the first week of classes remotely from the Democratic National Convention.

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John Edwards' admission that he had an affair in 2006 and then lied about it has prompted Hillary Clinton's forces to suggest that if Edwards had been forced out of the race sooner, she -- not Barack Obama -- would have won the Iowa Caucuses and thus, presumably, the nomination. A University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll conducted the night of the Iowa Caucuses suggests the opposite: that the absence of Edwards would have helped Obama.

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New Orleans artists are reluctant to credit Hurricane Katrina as a source of inspiration. But after the disaster -- which marks its third anniversary Aug. 29 -- many New Orleans musicians experienced their most productive months in decades and scaled new creative peaks, a University of Iowa professor asserts.

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A University of Iowa study suggests that Americans expect women to reach their peak performance as leaders at age 43, four years before men's perceived peak at age 47. They also believe women's contributions at work start to decline at 59.7, compared to age 61.3 for men, according to the nationally representative online survey of 1,996 adults.

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A University of Iowa international development expert is proposing a new method of holding the World Bank accountable when its development projects damage communities in developing countries.

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Researchers have uncovered a brain pathway that shuts down seizures. The study, by scientists at the University of Iowa and the VA Iowa City Health Care System, shows that an acid-activated ion channel in the brain reacts to a drop in pH) in a way that shuts down seizure activity.

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The legal profession's efforts to promote diversity are working to get women lawyers in the law firm door, but once they're in, they remain less likely to be promoted to partner, a new study by a University of Iowa sociologist shows.

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Researchers have shown for the first time that an anti-depressant and a form of talk therapy each can prevent or delay the onset of depression in people who have had acute stroke.

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A new study by a University of Iowa business researcher casts doubt on long-held beliefs about the social benefits of home ownership as a way of strengthening families and improving the lives of children, and finds that a federal policy of encouraging home ownership helped lead to the current real estate crisis.

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Sixty years ago St. Louis was a thriving city with a population of almost a million. These days fewer than 300,000 people call The Gateway City home. With decrepit Victorian homes and boarded-up factories in abundance, some would say it's a pathetic picture of decay and abandonment. "Mapping Decline," Colin Gordon argues that discriminatory housing policies, a collapse of the city's tax base, and shortsighted urban renewal policies are behind the decline.

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An estimated 50 international scholars will come to the University of Iowa May 18-20 to take part in the Ninth Biennial Henry B. & Jocelyn Wallace National Research Symposium on Talent Development, sponsored by the Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development in the UI College of Education.

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New research by University of Iowa business professor Greg Stewart confirms that a firm, solid handshake is an important part of a successful job interview, while a dead fish can end the interview before it even begins.

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Beyond the bliss of a wedding day lies a load of tribulations for newlyweds. In their rookie year as parents, many will face a significant drop in marital satisfaction. And nearly one-third of newlyweds are physically aggressive. That's according to two studies led by Erika Lawrence, assistant professor of psychology in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

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The best way for companies to avoid becoming takeover targets is to engage in regular stock buy-backs on the open market, according to research by a University of Iowa business professor.

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Whether a young man's mother earned a college degree and whether she worked outside the home while he was growing up seems to have an effect years later when he considers his ideal wife, according to a study by University of Iowa sociologist Christine Whelan.

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Researchers have succeeded in wiping out established biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) by hijacking one of the bacteria's own regulatory systems. Although the discovery is not ready for clinical application, the findings offer insight into a dispersal mechanism for staph biofilms and might help identify therapeutic targets.

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Sexualization of 'tween girls - those between the ages of 8 and 12 -- in pop culture and advertising is a growing problem fueled by marketers' efforts to create cradle-to-grave consumers, a University of Iowa journalism professor argues in her new book.

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For families who provide care to Alzheimer's patients, stress and isolation can be a burden that's hard to carry. A University of Iowa researcher is conducting an Internet-based study to see if writing about their thoughts and feelings about care-giving can be a strategy to help those family caregivers reduce their stress.

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A recent University of Iowa study reveals a biological link between pain and fatigue and may help explain why more women than men are diagnosed with chronic pain and fatigue conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

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In 2008, an estimated 6,300 Iowans will die from cancer and 16,000 new cancers will be diagnosed, according to a report released this month by the State Health Registry of Iowa, based at the University of Iowa. The report includes a focus on non-Hodgkin lymphoma.