Latest news with #UniversityofUtah
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New study makes startling discoveries after studying birds' feathers: 'It's a slower and more meandering process'
A recent University of Utah study found that birds are molting at earlier dates. The underlying reason? Our planet's warming. Researchers used 13 years' worth of data on 134 bird species to come to their conclusion. They studied molting patterns from 2011 to 2024 and found that fall migratory birds consistently molted a day earlier than in the previous year. Molting is a crucial precursor to migration and, consequently, breeding. Old feathers could negatively impact both their flight and mating capabilities, Kyle Kittelberger, research team lead, told Spring migratory birds, however, were a different story. "We didn't see any shift at the community level for spring body molt," Kittelberger said. "Some of the reasons for that might be birds tend to migrate much faster in the spring … whereas in the fall, it's a slower and more meandering process." The specific reason isn't entirely clear yet. Kittelberger suggests that earlier breeding or later migration times — both of which result from the warming planet — are viable options. If molting overlaps with either breeding or migration, it could sap birds' energy, damaging species' survival in the long run. If that is the case here, it could spell bad news for migratory birds — and humans. Different bird species provide different benefits to humanity. Take hummingbirds, for example. Most hummingbird species migrate and are excellent pollinators. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 35% of the entire world's food supply depends on pollinators to reproduce. The extinction of hummingbird species will globally jeopardize human food supplies. And that's just one example out of many. On the whole, every bird plays a part in their local ecosystem, spreading seeds, scavenging carcasses, and keeping pests at bay. Without them, the world will be thrown out of balance. Kittelberger already has the next steps in mind. He told that he plans to research birds in their breeding and/or post-breeding grounds. "That is the next element of this kind of research," he said, "to not only look at what's going on in the summer when they're beginning to molt but to see if that overlaps with anything like breeding." If you'd like to help on an individual level, there are a couple of things you can do. Converting just a portion of your yard to a native lawn can give pollinators, like hummingbirds, crucial food sources. You can also consider donating to climate causes that research birds and conserve their habitats, like the National Audubon Society. Do you think America could ever go zero-waste? Never Not anytime soon Maybe in some states Definitely Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Before the shots rang out, nonviolence and unity defined ‘No Kings' protest
People take part in the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) For more than two hours, 10,000 protesters coalesced in their anger against President Donald Trump and his policies to march peacefully through scorching Salt Lake City streets Saturday. They had cheered organizers' urging for nonviolence and reveled in moments of unity as they walked, from appreciative honks from waiting cars to church bells ringing out for them as they passed St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. Just before 8 p.m., gunshots sounded, sending the crowd scrambling. Police confirmed Sunday that an individual who they said was 'possibly part of the event's peacekeeping team' had spotted a man with a rifle approaching the marchers, and fired. That man, identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, sustained a minor gunshot wound and was later arrested and booked into jail for investigation of murder. An innocent bystander walking in the protest, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was also shot. He died of his injuries Saturday night. A long list of questions remains. But up until that moment, the message of the event had been the same as protests happening in cities large and small around the country, part of a nationwide declaration of defiance of Trump coinciding with a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. marking the Army's 250th anniversary, a date that was also the president's 79th birthday. The Salt Lake City demonstration was the last and largest of 11 planned protests across the state Saturday, including a demonstration that drew thousands more to the University of Utah that morning. Speaking to reporters on a dark Salt Lake City street about two hours after the shooting, the city's police chief and mayor both praised the protesters for exercising their rights peacefully and without incident. 'We had thousands of people come out today, not only in Salt Lake City, but in protests around the state, protests around this nation, and they were, by and large, peaceful demonstrations,' Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. 'We are a nation that needs our First Amendment right. We deserve to be able to protest in peace. And what happened today, I hope, will not silence the voices of the public who deserve to have their voices heard.' Protesters' chants included 'This is what democracy looks like,' 'Trump is a felon,' and 'No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.' There were also some unflattering shoutouts to elected Utah officials including Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Celeste Maloy, Gov. Spencer Cox and state Rep. Trevor Lee. Despite Utah's unquestioned status as a red haven, with Republicans consistently holding the governor's office, all of the state's congressional seats and a supermajority in the Legislature, Utahns who disagree with Trump's politics have been making their voices heard in growing numbers since the president began his second term, including earlier in the week. Some protesters, like Ogden sisters Kimberly and Heidi Cruzatt, marched on behalf of those concerned about demonstrating publicly. They wore scrubs, a symbol of their Peruvian parents' work as CNAs. 'I believe it's not safe for them, and they have a family at home to take care of, so I don't want to risk them any harm being here,' said Heidi Cruzatt. Kimberly Cruzatt carried a poster styled after the broadway hit 'Hamilton' logo, including the line 'Immigrants, we get the job done.' 'It's about Alexander Hamilton, but since he's an immigrant, he's decided, 'OK, I think everybody who has come from different countries has collaborated in the community,'' she explained. Not far from the sisters was Rachel Blackmer, of Taylorsville, who teaches English to adult immigrants and trains foster parents to care for refugee teenagers. In the center of the sign she carried above her head, Blackmer drew a heart with words 'Protect the immigrants I love' inside, and dozens of names of her students appearing around it. 'Everyone I care about is being threatened right now. My students tell me about how scared they are, and they carry their ID with them, but that isn't even good enough. They're still scared, and I'm really excited to show them my sign and show them their names on it and why I'm here,' Blackmer said. Looking at the sea of people around her, Blackmer said she hopes the scale of the recent protests will spur change, comparing it to the height of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. 'I'm really hoping that our country will respond even more than they did back then, this will be even bigger, and more people will respond,' she said. Why protest? 'They work,' she said.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
#HEALTH: Delaying bedtime could be a sign of something serious
RECENT US research suggests that habitually putting off bedtime may be associated with negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. The study focused on people living in the United States with an average age of 24. We all have those moments of extreme lethargy when we wake up and all we want to do is stay snuggled up in bed for hours. Gen Z has even turned it into a social media trend known as "bed rotting". But if getting out of bed becomes a daily struggle or is associated with chronic fatigue, this difficulty can become worrying and, in some cases, even a sign of depression. But endlessly putting off going to bed could be a cause for concern too, especially among young people, according to a new study published in the journal 'Sleep'. The study looked at a group of 390 young adults with an average age of 24. Participants were asked to keep a sleep diary for 14 days and fill out several questionnaires to better understand their emotions and determine their chronotype, a term used to describe whether someone is more of a "morning person" or a "night owl." The aim was to assess their procrastination at bedtime, ie, delaying going to sleep without this being related to external obligations or constraints (such as working late or being away from home). Although delaying going to bed can be explained by other factors, such as poor time management or a lack of self-discipline, the survey results suggest that it may also be associated with recurrent anxiety or even depressive tendencies. The responses of volunteers with a strong tendency to procrastinate at bedtime reflect a higher level of neuroticism (a tendency to experience negative emotions), as well as lower levels of conscientiousness and extraversion. "Our study demonstrated that individuals who habitually procrastinate their bedtime were actually less likely to report seeking out exciting, engaging, or enjoyable activities," says lead author Steven Carlson, a doctoral candidate in the Psychology Department at University of Utah in Salt Lake City, quoted in a news release. In light of these findings, the researcher suggests exploring emotional health as a potential target for interventions aimed at addressing the widespread problem of bedtime procrastination. "Given the ubiquity of this behaviour, and its impact on sleep health, we hope to extend this research to determine whether reducing negative emotions prior to bedtime can be an effective treatment for bedtime procrastination," the researcher says.
NBC News
4 days ago
- NBC News
ICE detains Utah college student after brief traffic stop, raising questions
Questions are surfacing about the immigration detention of a 19-year-old college student from Utah after a traffic stop in Colorado this month. Caroline Dias Goncalves, a student at the University of Utah, was driving on Interstate 70 outside Loma on June 5 when a Mesa County sheriff's deputy pulled her over. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office did not say why. Relatives told The Salt Lake City Tribune the deputy claimed she was driving too close to a semi-truck. The stop lasted less than 20 minutes, and "Dias Goncalves was released from the traffic stop with a warning," the sheriff's office said in a news release Monday. Then, shortly after she exited the highway, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped her, arrested her and took her to an immigration detention center. "She has no criminal record and she was not shown a warrant," her attorney, Jon Hyman, said in an email. Dias Goncalves is one of nearly 2.5 million Dreamers living in the United States. The word 'Dreamer' refers to undocumented young immigrants brought to the United States as children. Dias Goncalves was born in Brazil and was brought to the United States as a 7-year-old. She has lived in Utah since she was 12 and has an asylum case pending. Friends and relatives question how immigration authorities were alerted to her location. As part of an ongoing "full administrative review," the Mesa County Sheriff's Office determined that the deputy who stopped Dias Goncalves was part of a communication group that included local, state and federal law enforcement partners participating in "a multi-agency drug interdiction effort focusing on the highways throughout Western Colorado." "We were unaware that the communication group was used for anything other than drug interdiction efforts, including immigration," the sheriff's office said. "We have since removed all Mesa County Sheriff's Office members from the communication group." Colorado law restricts coordination between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, but it does not fully prohibit it. Online records show that Dias Goncalves remains in ICE custody at the Denver Contract Detention Facility. ICE did not respond to a request for comment. Dias Goncalves' immigration detention mirrors that of fellow 19-year-old Dreamer Ximena Arias-Cristobal in Georgia. Police in Dalton wrongly pulled Arias-Cristobal over last month, putting her on the radar of immigration authorities and making her susceptible to deportation. Since her release from immigration detention, Arias-Cristobal has been speaking up about the growing risks Dreamers face as the Trump administration steps up the pace of deportations of immigrants who do not have criminal charges or convictions, despite Donald Trump's campaign promises to prioritize deporting violent criminals. Arias-Cristobal and Dias Goncalves are recipients of the highly regarded national scholarship, which helps undocumented youths with financial needs go to college. Dias Goncalves said in a survey of scholars, 'I want to succeed, have a family, make a change living in America.' Gaby Pacheco, president of told NBC News on Monday that scholars like Dias Goncalves are doing everything in their power "to regularize their status." "She has a pending case, which is the aggravating and terrible thing that we're seeing," Pacheco said, adding that the organization is in contact with Dias Goncalves' family. Polls and surveys have consistently found that most U.S. adults favor granting permanent legal status and a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers. Trump even said on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' in December that he wanted to work with Democrats and Republicans on a plan 'to do something about the Dreamers.' Asked about possible plans for immigration protections for Dreamers, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NBC News in a statement June 4, 'The Trump Administration's top priority is deporting criminal illegal aliens from the United States, of which there are many.'
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Older Primiparas Have Higher Risk for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
As the average age of first-time US mothers increases, age at first vaginal delivery appears to predict pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a recent review of the limited research on this issue found. Hannah A. Zabriskie, MS Older primiparous age affects prolapse-related precursor mechanisms including pelvic muscle dysfunction, levator ani muscle (LAM) defects, and genital hiatus enlargement, according to writers of an evidence review in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology led by Hannah A. Zabriskie, MS, from the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. POP can lead to the protrusion of the bladder, uterus, and rectum through the vagina. Zabriskie's group cited a study by Asa Leijonhuvfvud, MD, PhD, and colleagues reporting that women aged 30 years or older at the time of their first vaginal delivery had an increased incidence of POP surgery (13.9%; 95% CI, 12.8%-15.2%) compared with women younger than 30 years at first vaginal delivery (6.4%; 95% CI, 6.0%-6.8%). Additionally, cesarean delivery had a heightened protective effect in older mothers. Among women aged 30 years or older at first delivery, those with vaginal delivery had an 11-fold increased risk for POP surgery compared with those with cesarean delivery. The CDC reported 27.5 years as the mean age of US mothers at first birth in 2023, a record high for this country, and according to 2022 US Census Bureau data, the median age of mothers at first birth was 30 years. Vaginal childbirth at any age is a known risk factor for POP, and 12.5%-20% of women will receive surgical intervention for POP in their lifetimes. Among other findings in the literature review: • Anatomic POP remote from first vaginal delivery: In addition to carrying higher odds of symptomatic POP (eg, seeing or feeling a vaginal-area bulge) a study by C. Glazener and colleagues found primiparas aged 30-34 years had 149% greater odds for anatomic problems compared with those aged 24 years or younger; and women aged 35 years or older at first birth had 208% greater odds of anatomic POP vs women aged 24 years or younger. • POP and genital hiatus enlargement: Heather A. Rosett and colleagues found that genital hiatus enlargement (≥ 4 cm) at 8 weeks postpartum was independently associated with POP 1 year postpartum with a 3.3-fold increase in risk. Women with POP at 1 year postpartum were older. • LAM defects: Maternal age at first delivery is generally an accepted risk factor for LAM injury. Rohna Kearney and colleagues reported that primiparous women with LAM defect 9-12 months after first vaginal delivery were older than those with intact LAM (32.8 years vs 29.3 years). Not surprisingly, those with a major defect were older than those with a minor defect. • Age-related tissue impairment: Although Zabriskie's group found no research specifically addressing primiparous age and tissue defects, studies of cellular and tissue-level changes show that older women with pelvic floor muscle impairment have increased oxidative stress and differential gene expression of extracellular matrix proteins in pelvic floor muscle, the vaginal wall, and the uterosacral ligaments compared with older women without such impairment. Jill M. Rabin, MD Commenting on the review but not involved in it, Jill M. Rabin, MD, a professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, and codirector of the Advanced Clinical Experience in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Zucker School of Medicine in Hempstead, New York, called it an 'amazing, well-written, and well-constructed' analysis. 'But it is not new or surprising that the aging process, with and apart from delivery, impacts the structure of muscle and connective tissue and the effectiveness of muscle contraction and support. This review, however, dissects the different elements to explain why we see more prolapse in women who deliver vaginally after 30.' Rabin noted that although cesarean delivery is protective against POP, it entails risks ranging from infection and hemorrhage to placental implantation in the scar and would only be recommended to prevent POP if a patient had predisposing genetic or clinical features. In her practice, she does not 'pathologize prolapse' for patients but she does teach them to maximize their core and pelvic muscle strength before, during, and after recovering from pregnancy and to maintain pelvic floor support between pregnancies. 'Core strength can reduce pressure on the pelvic organs,' she said, adding that at the cellular level, it's also important to support muscle cells with adequate protein intake and good hydration. Zabriskie and colleagues pointed to the need to identify the cellular, molecular, and transcriptomic differences brought on by age, as well as research to clarify the specific relationship between maternal age at first delivery and the onset and progression of pelvic support impairment. POP risk in younger mothers should also be studied. 'Future basic and translational research is essential to identify mechanisms of POP development, thereby enabling both strategies for identifying women at high risk for POP and novel therapeutic strategies that target these mechanisms to aid in pelvic floor tissue recovery postpartum and prevent POP development,' they concluded.
