People living in rural areas are at greater risk for obesity than the general population, and they often have limited access to healthy, affordable food, physical activity facilities, public transportation, and health care institutions. A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed an online weight management program that provides personalized assistance from a registered dietitian. In a new study, they collaborated with Illinois Extension to test the program’s efficacy among residents of rural Illinois.

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have discovered why LiNiO₂ batteries break down, and they are testing a solution that could remove a key barrier to widespread use of the material. They published their findings online Dec. 10 in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.

The team plans first to manufacture LiNiO₂ batteries in the lab and ultimately to work with an industry partner to commercialize the technology.

Florida Atlantic University has officially established itself among the most prestigious colleges and universities in the United States for its notable accomplishments in research. It now holds the esteemed designation of “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and shares this status with less than 5% of the nearly 4,000 universities in the U.S.