Advances

(Advances gives a glimpse of the many significant research projects at the university. Tell us about your discoveries by e-mailing: wisweek@news.wisc.edu.)

Book blazes path through online jungle
A new book, “The Amazing Internet Challenge,” profiles a dozen pioneering sites that have developed critical guides and filters to sort useful information from Internet noise. Edited by a trio of veteran Web and Internet content evaluators from the university’s Internet Scout Project, “The Amazing Internet Challenge” is an invaluable resource to those seeking useful ports to the Internet, and especially those who want to develop web sites and other Internet indexes that take advantage of the wealth of the Net’s good information while filtering out the bad. Edited by Internet Scout (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu) veterans Amy Tracy Wells, Susan Calcari and Travis Koplow, “The Amazing Internet Challenge” is available – of course – on the Internet through the American Library Association Online Store, http://alastore.ala.org and Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com.

Study: More farms using BST
Use of recombinant bovine somatotropin in Wisconsin more than doubled between 1995 and 1999. About 15 percent of the dairy cows in Wisconsin are now treated with rBST, and about 15 percent of the state’s dairy farms have adopted the technology, according to researchers at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Farms with larger herds have been much more likely to use rBST than smaller farms. More than 70 percent of herds with more than 200 cows now use rBST, according to Marcy Ostrom, an outreach specialist in the college’s Program on Agricultural Technology Studies.

Farms continue decline
Farm numbers, farm acreage and most livestock production in Wisconsin declined between 1987 and 1997, while crop production, particularly soybeans, increased considerably during that time, says an analysis by rural sociologist Fred Buttel. Farm numbers, total acres in farms and harvested cropland acres are declining more rapidly in Wisconsin than in the nation as a whole. Wisconsin has lost 10 percent of its lands in farms, 11 percent of its total cropland and nearly 8 percent of its harvested cropland since 1987, says Buttel, chair of the Department of Rural Sociology.

Scientist seeks ways to reduce antibiotic use
Animal scientist Mark Cook is finding ways producers can raise chickens economically with fewer antibiotics. The research could slow the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, preserve the useful life of antibiotics, and allow scientists to breed chickens with strong immune systems, according to Cook, a researcher in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. There have been growing concerns about the development of new bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics. The increasing number of antibiotic-resistant strains means doctors are losing the ability to cure human infections.

Cancer study seeks patients
Does DFMO, or difluoromethylornithine, help prevent skin cancer? The Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking the help of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer to test the effectiveness of this promising cancer-prevention drug. Researcher Paul Carbone is heading the study. Information: Cancer Connect line, 262-5223, or the National Cancer Institute Cancer Information Service, (800) 422-6237.