Newsroom Stories

Photo courtesy Dept. of Transportation”Urban Sprawl and Transportation Policy” is the topic of a Weidenbaum Center “St. Louis Series” forum to be held from 8 a.m. until noon May 7 in Room 300, Arts & Sciences Laboratory Sciences Building at Washington University in St. Louis.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) bills itself as an organization of 184 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty. While the IMF’s objectives are laudable, a study just published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution provides compelling evidence that IMF intervention actually has a substantial negative impact on at least one important indicator of a country’s long-term economic vigor – the level of foreign direct investment in that country by private investors.

WUSTL scientists say the present-day Missouri River is narrower and more prone to flooding because of extensive damming of the river.The oldest data available on the Missouri River – from the logs of Lewis and Clark – show that water flow on the river today is far more variable than it was 200 years ago. The data also show that the river is some 220 yards narrower at St. Charles, Mo., today at 500 yards across than in 1804 when it spread out some 720 yards.

WooleyUsing a technique pioneered by Washington University in St. Louis chemist Karen Wooley, Ph.D., scientists have developed a novel way to make discrete carbon nanoparticles for electrical components used in industry and research.

StreeterThe European Union (EU) added 10 new member nations on May 1, enlarging the union to a total of 25 countries with a combined population of 458 million. The U.S., with a total population of 293 million is still the sole political and economic superpower of the world but may yet be challenged by the EU for that status, according to William J. Streeter, a professor of international business at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

The rise of corporate bankruptcies over the last few years has prompted legislators and academics alike to push for bankruptcy law reform. Fearing the death of legal liability, these reformers are calling for increased creditor protectionism through the weakening of limited liability and the reversal of “judgment proof” transactions such as the creation of special purpose entities (SPE) commonly used for the sequestering of assets. “Letting intellectual property (IP) assets slip into a bankruptcy estate is a dangerous idea,” says Troy Paredes, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

The recently proposed rule by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) that requires companies to treat employee stock-option compensation as an expense on corporate income statements will reduce the reported income of firms, according to Todd Milbourn, a professor of finance at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. The new rule, if finalized after a 90-day comment period, will go into effect next year.

Keeping in touch with college friends.For many college students who have just completed their freshman year, coming home for an entire summer after being on their own can be quite an adjustment. For their parents it can be just as tough. Issues of curfews, privacy, chores and schedules can put a strain on the family dynamics. The solution, says an expert on the freshman transition at Washington University in St. Louis, is open communication and support for a student’s burgeoning independence.

Neurons that have been infected with West Nile Virus.The cold winter is over, and spring rains and warmer weather mean that mosquito season is coming. Since 1999, summer mosquitoes have meant a risk for West Nile Virus. No one knows what 2004 will bring, but the season seems to have started early. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already is reporting the presence of the virus in mosquitoes, birds and other animals in nine states. There even is confirmation of a human case in Ohio. Infectious diseases specialists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis remind that the people at greatest risk are those 50 and older and those with weakened immune systems. Younger people also can acquire the infection, but their risk is significantly lower.

Immunofluorescent staining showing both active (right) and inactive (left) protein effects on cells.For a cell, interior design is more than just a matter of decorum or taste. The special placement of the “furnishings” contained within the confines of the cell’s walls — a phenomenon scientists call cellular polarity — can significantly affect essential, life-sustaining functions both during development and in mature organisms. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a new link between two key proteins that regulate the placement of parts within cells. The researchers believe that a more complete understanding of how regulatory proteins control cellular polarity may help them treat patients with a wide range of disorders.