Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Yale University: Your Cholesterol Numbers - Good, the Bad, the Triglycerides
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 13 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Your Cholesterol Numbers: The Good, the Bad, the Triglycerides
A simple blood test can reveal information about your heart health.
By Kathy Katella
If you want to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, the first step is knowing your numbers and what they actually mean--but at first glance, that can be confusing. A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk for heart disease. But what about your "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol numbers? And why should you care about your triglycerides?
Cholesterol
... Show Full Article
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 13 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Your Cholesterol Numbers: The Good, the Bad, the Triglycerides
A simple blood test can reveal information about your heart health.
By Kathy Katella
If you want to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, the first step is knowing your numbers and what they actually mean--but at first glance, that can be confusing. A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk for heart disease. But what about your "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol numbers? And why should you care about your triglycerides?
Cholesterolis a waxy, fat-like substance that circulates in the blood. While a certain amount of it is normal, too much raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Understanding your cholesterol is even more important than it used to be," says Yale Medicine cardiologist Antonio Giaimo, MD. That's because high cholesterol is more common than ever, putting 86 million U.S. adults at risk for developing the arterial plaque that can cause heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular conditions.
Some people inherit genes that lead to high cholesterol, but lifestyle also plays a major role. "A lot of it has to do with more people being overweight and having sedentary lifestyles," Dr. Giaimo says. "It's a real benefit to have an objective piece of information telling you it's time to make changes. The sooner you know that your cholesterol is high, the sooner you can take steps to lower it--along with the risk of serious complications."
What does a cholesterol screening involve?
Your primary care provider can order a simple blood test called a lipid panel, which measures four key blood fats: high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, and triglycerides. These results, combined with your personal risk factors, help identify your risk for heart disease and provide a helpful picture of your cardiac health.
Should you fast before a cholesterol screening?
Traditionally, guidelines recommended fasting for 8 to 12 hours before a cholesterol screening test. Today, many people don't need to fast, unless they previously had high triglycerides or have a personal or family history of high cholesterol or heart disease. Sugary and fatty foods can cause temporary triglyceride spikes, so fasting can ensure accuracy in higher-risk people, Dr. Giaimo says.
Test results are usually available within a few days.
What if you had a cholesterol screening and don't understand the results?
You may see your test results appear in your electronic medical record before you have a chance to speak with your doctor. Don't worry--these numbers are easier to understand than they may look at first glance. Lipid panel results include measures for three different types of cholesterol and triglycerides, which is not cholesterol, but an essential fat that can cause problems if they are out of balance.
These results are measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL), which shows the concentration of the cholesterol in a specific amount of blood. Adults ages 20 and older should pay attention to the following:
HDL ("good") cholesterol
HDL is considered "good" because it eliminates excess cholesterol in the body by carrying it from the bloodstream to the liver to be removed from the body.
* Optimal: 60 mg/dL or above
* Borderline: 40-50 mg/dL (men); 50-59 mg/dL (women)
* Low: Under 40 mg/dL (men); under 50 mg/dL (women)
LDL ("bad") cholesterol
LDL is considered "bad" because it is the most common type of cholesterol that contributes to plaque buildup in the blood vessels. "For most patients, LDL is the most important component of the cholesterol panel," Dr. Giaimo says. For patients without a history of heart attack or stroke these values can be a guide:
* Optimal: Under 100 mg/dL
* Near optimal: 100-129 mg/dL
* Borderline high: 130-159 mg/dL
* High: 160 mg/dL or above
Total cholesterol
This number represents all the cholesterol in your blood. It includes both HDL and LDL cholesterol. Total cholesterol is also considered a key indicator for heart disease risk.
* Optimal: Under 200 mg/dL
* Borderline high: 200-239 mg/dL
* High: 240 mg/dL or above
Triglycerides
These are fats converted from unused calories for energy. High triglyceride levels can be caused by obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome and signal risk for heart disease, and pancreatitis, notes Dr. Giaimo. Early signs of metabolic syndrome include slightly high triglycerides and low HDL levels:
* Optimal: Under 150 mg/dL
* Borderline high: 150-199 mg/dL
* High: 200-499 mg/dL
* Very high: 500 mg/dL or above
What about lipoprotein(a)--the other "bad" cholesterol?
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a sticky, genetically inherited form of bad cholesterol that contains LDL. "Over the last decade, we've learned that Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke," Dr. Giaimo says.
Because Lp(a) is genetic, people can have high levels even with normal LDL. A typical cholesterol test does not include screening for Lp(a). Ask your doctor if you need the test--especially if you or a close relative has high cholesterol or early onset heart disease or stroke. A screening must be ordered separately from the typical lipid panel and is only required once in a lifetime.
What is non-HDL cholesterol?
Non-HDL cholesterol is a measurement of all the plaque-causing cholesterols in the blood, including LDL and some other, less common cholesterols like IDL. It can be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than just depending on the LDL-C measurement alone.
To calculate your non-HDL cholesterol, subtract your HDL from your total cholesterol. Your health care provider may focus on this number if you have high triglycerides, diabetes, overweight or other risk factors that make your chances of having a heart attack higher than normal.
How often should you check your cholesterol?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends most healthy adults ages 20 and older have their cholesterol checked every four to six years until age 40, at which point they should be screened annually. If you have heart disease, diabetes, or a family history of high cholesterol, or if you take cholesterol-lowering medications, you should follow your doctor's guidance.
Do children need their cholesterol checked?
Absolutely. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screening children and teens for high cholesterol first between the ages of 9 and 11, and again between age 17 and 21. A pediatrician may recommend screening earlier--starting at age 2 in some cases--if a child has close relatives who have had unhealthy cholesterol or heart problems; an unknown medical history; or if they have a condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity.
The primary reason to check cholesterol in children is to identify familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an inherited defect in the body's recycling of LDL cholesterol, says Dr. Giaimo. "It's important to identify that genetic cholesterol problem and treat it early," he says, noting that the condition can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication. FH affects about 1 in 200 adults. Babies born with the condition have high LDL levels at birth that rise over time, putting them at a much higher risk for coronary heart disease later in life.
Childhood obesity is also contributing to high cholesterol unrelated to FH, and studies show that HDL/LDL imbalances in childhood can track into adulthood.
What should I do if I'm concerned about my cholesterol?
Cholesterol screening results are just one piece of your overall heart health. Others include age, sex, family history, smoking status, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Health care providers may also use the PREVENT equation--a tool from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology--to estimate your 10-year and 30-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.
If your cholesterol is high, your doctor may recommend a coronary calcium scan--a type of low-radiation CT scan of the chest--for adults ages 40 to 70. This test detects plaque buildup in the arteries and can help determine whether you'd benefit from taking a statin, a medication to lower cholesterol. "You want a score of zero," Dr. Giaimo says.
"We have the tools and the medical advice to help people," he adds. "But first we need to be tracking their numbers."
What else should I know about my cholesterol screening results?
Your provider may encourage you to make lifestyle changes and repeat the screening in a few months. You can talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes to lower your risk, including eating a diet that avoids saturated fats and trans fats, getting enough physical activity, and quitting smoking, Dr. Giaimo says.
"Sometimes it takes longer than a few months to normalize your cholesterol, but with detailed nutritional guidance and exercise recommendations, many people are able to lower it significantly," he notes.
Over time, however, some people may need medication. "The longer you have high cholesterol, the worse it is," Dr. Giaimo explains. Younger adults may have more time to improve levels, while older adults may already have plaque buildup. "The longer your body is exposed to high levels of cholesterol, the more likely plaque will develop in the arteries--and it can snowball from there," he says.
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Kathy Katella, Senior Clinical Writer, Yale Medicine
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Original text here: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/your-cholesterol-numbers-the-good-the-bad-the-triglycerides
University of Pennsylvania: Exploring Philadelphia's Petrochemical Past
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 13 -- The University of Pennsylvania issued the following news:
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Exploring Philadelphia's petrochemical past
Penn historian Jared Farmer recently launched a website about Philadelphia's fossil fuel economy to help students and residents learn about the local past in larger context.
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For some 150 years, Philadelphia's lower Schuylkill River was a major hub for petroleum storage, refining, and distribution. Taking into account riverside chemical works, coal-gas plants, and coal-fired power stations, the area should be considered the nation's first comprehensive
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 13 -- The University of Pennsylvania issued the following news:
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Exploring Philadelphia's petrochemical past
Penn historian Jared Farmer recently launched a website about Philadelphia's fossil fuel economy to help students and residents learn about the local past in larger context.
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For some 150 years, Philadelphia's lower Schuylkill River was a major hub for petroleum storage, refining, and distribution. Taking into account riverside chemical works, coal-gas plants, and coal-fired power stations, the area should be considered the nation's first comprehensivepetrochemical corridor, says Penn historian Jared Farmer.
To aid public understanding of this underappreciated side of Philadelphia's history, Farmer and a team of students, library staff, and freelancers have launched a digital resource, petrodelphia.org.
The "Petrodelphia" website focuses on the industrial zone on both sides of the Schuylkill from Market Street to the Navy Yard. Today, recreational users of the Schuylkill Banks trail are witnessing the post-industrial transformation of this corridor.
The largest single operation, equivalent in size to the Center City District, was the South Philadelphia refinery complex, which operated in different forms from 1866 to 2019. It closed after an explosive accident that sent a toxin into the air and flaming chunks of metal debris flying through the sky, one landing on the other side of the Schuylkill. Subsequently purchased by HRP Group, the refinery has been razed and is currently being redeveloped as the Bellwether District.
Farmer's website contains information on the lower Schuylkill petrochemical corridor, including a glossary, reference articles, historic photographs, architectural drawings, government documents, and environmental-remediation reports. There are also two mapping tools, one that allows users to see landscape change over time and another that visualizes data about accidents.
Assembling and curating all these resources, he says, facilitates place-based storytelling. "That could mean students narrating histories or content creators making videos or members of the public sharing testimonies," says Farmer, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History and department chair.
It is also a tool for educators, he says. "The idea was to give teachers and students a rich set of primary and secondary sources to work with. Combined with the reference articles and the maps, they now have lots of interpretive material to help them think about the primary sources."
"Petrodelphia" was created with a grant from the School of Arts & Sciences and technical support from Penn Libraries' Research Data & Digital Scholarship, which has committed to maintain the site for at least a decade.
In the 19th century, during the transition to mineral energy, few cities were more important than Philadelphia, Farmer says. "Philadelphia was crucial in pushing the U.S. and the world up the ramp to a high-carbon, energy-intensive economy. That wouldn't have happened the way it did without Philadelphia."
In the coming months, scores of additional images and documents are to be added and the functionality of the two mapping tools improved. Farmer has also tapped the expertise of a recent graduate of the Graduate School of Education to compose lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school students in Greater Philadelphia.
He is also planning a course on oral history methods to expand the content further, connecting Penn students to community groups in South and Southwest Philadelphia to record the voices and testimonies of residents and workers.
Farmer says he's excited to see what people do with the website's content, all of which is freely downloadable and available for sharing and reuse. He imagines social media videos, documentaries, investigative journalism, podcasting, and student projects coming out of it.
"The purpose of the website is not to generate more scholarship for the sake of scholarship but to facilitate more stories for the sake of understanding," Farmer says. "There are so many important Philly stories that have yet to be told."
Select highlights from the 40-page timeline included in Farmer's executive summary, "Reckoning with Fossil Fuel in Philadelphia":
1836: Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) begins coal-gas production at Market Street and Schuylkill River for the illumination of streetlamps.
1854: PGW completes a second coal-gas plant at Point Breeze, the terminus of Passyunk Avenue on the Schuylkill River.
1866: The Atlantic Petroleum Storage Company is established for receiving, storing and exporting crude oil from the Pittsburgh region.
1871: The first documented explosion occurs at the refinery.
1879: A spinoff, Atlantic Refining, begins petroleum distillation at Point Breeze.
1879: A lightning strike causes a great fire at Point Breeze that destroys the main refinery, now owned by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
1883: Rebuilt Atlantic Refining employs 2,950 men and refines about 2 million barrels of crude oil per year.
1891: Pennsylvania's crude oil extraction peaks at about 31 million barrels, or 58% of the U.S. production. Roughly half the world's total production of kerosene, used as illuminating fuel, comes from Philadelphia.
1900: Atlantic Refining advertises kerosene-fueled "wickless blue flame oil stoves" to women as an alternative to dirty, hot coal stoves.
1915: Gulf Oil opens its first gasoline service station in Philadelphia, at 33rd and Chestnut streets.
1916: The output of gasoline from U.S. refineries surpasses that of kerosene.
1917: DuPont acquires the chemical works at Grays Ferry.
1920: Gulf Oil, a company connected to Andrew W. Mellon, opens refinery at Girard Point, just south of Atlantic Refining and just west of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
1921: 18 people are killed in two separate explosions at Atlantic Refining.
1931: Philadelphia decides to phase out its gas- and gasoline-powered streetlights in favor of electric lamps.
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Original text here: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/exploring-philadelphias-petrochemical-past-jared-farmer-schuylkill-river-refinery
UNCP to Award First Doctoral Degrees, Marking Chapter in University History
PEMBROKE, North Carolina, Dec. 13 -- The University of North Carolina-Pembroke issued the following news:
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UNCP to Award First Doctoral Degrees, Marking a New Chapter in University History
As the lights rise inside Givens Performing Arts Center tonight, eight nurse leaders will step onto the stage and into the history books. Their doctoral hoods, symbols of perseverance, scholarship and service, mark a moment 138 years in the making for the University of North Carolina Pembroke.
For graduates like Jennifer Bigger of Fayetteville, who will be the first to cross the stage, the milestone
... Show Full Article
PEMBROKE, North Carolina, Dec. 13 -- The University of North Carolina-Pembroke issued the following news:
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UNCP to Award First Doctoral Degrees, Marking a New Chapter in University History
As the lights rise inside Givens Performing Arts Center tonight, eight nurse leaders will step onto the stage and into the history books. Their doctoral hoods, symbols of perseverance, scholarship and service, mark a moment 138 years in the making for the University of North Carolina Pembroke.
For graduates like Jennifer Bigger of Fayetteville, who will be the first to cross the stage, the milestonecarries profound personal meaning. After more than 30 years in healthcare, Bigger sought a terminal degree aligned with her lifelong work in population health and quality improvement.
"Being among the first DNP graduates in UNCP's history is something I'll carry for the rest of my life," said Bigger, vice president of Quality Improvement & Health Informatics at Southern Regional AHEC. "This program had the right focus, the right flexibility and the high standards I knew I could trust."
She is joined by nurse leaders from communities across North Carolina who were drawn to UNCP's specialized focus on population health. Vilma Ferrell of Greensboro, an assistant professor at North Carolina A&T State University, said she waited years for the right doctoral program. She refreshed the UNCP website for months, waiting for the first DNP information session to open.
"This degree speaks directly to the work I do every day," Ferrell said. "I knew it was the next step if I wanted to improve outcomes for the communities I serve."
Their stories reflect the statewide reach of UNCP's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Population Health -- launched in 2023 as the university's first doctoral program and one of the few in the state dedicated to community-level health outcomes. DNP-prepared nurses evaluate systems of care, identify barriers and facilitators and design evidence-based solutions to improve outcomes across rural, tribal and underserved communities.
The eight graduates will receive their doctoral hoods during Friday evening's Graduate School Ceremony at Givens Performing Arts Center. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and will be live-streamed for families, colleagues and community members.
This achievement marks both an academic milestone for the institution and a new chapter in healthcare in southeastern North Carolina. The first cohort represents working parents, first-generation doctoral graduates, public health advocates and clinicians whose projects are already reshaping care in real-time.
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"The graduation of our inaugural DNP class is a major academic achievement for our university and a turning point for healthcare in our region. These graduates represent the next generation of nurse leaders who will address critical gaps in care, elevate clinical practice and expand access for rural and underserved populations."
- Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings
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"This is a transformative moment for the School of Nursing," said Dr. Jennifer Jones Locklear, chair of the McKenzie Elliott School of Nursing. "Our graduates will carry forward equity-focused strategies that strengthen care in rural and underserved communities and position UNCP to influence policy, practice and systems-level change."
From the start, the program required students to bring research off the page and into the community.
"UNCP's DNP is about making change where people live and receive care," said Dr. Deborah Hummer, director of graduate programs for the McKenzie Elliott School of Nursing. "Our students learn to implement research in underserved settings and design solutions that address real problems in the communities we serve."
UNCP's investment in population health extends far beyond the DNP program. A study by UNC-Chapel Hill's Sheps Center shows that the university's service region has fewer health professionals per capita than the state average, underscoring urgent workforce needs. In response, UNCP launched a major health sciences expansion in 2018, establishing the College of Health Sciences and adding programs aligned with the region's greatest needs -- including the DNP, the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), the Master of Social Work advanced standing option, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) and other advanced degrees designed to strengthen clinical and community care in rural southeastern North Carolina.
A cohort of statewide nurse leaders will join Bigger and Ferrell in their regalia, Friday, each bringing a distinct path and a powerful sense of purpose to the program.
Together, the eight graduates' stories demonstrate how the DNP in Population Health attracts nurses committed to improving care where it's needed most.
A chance conversation at a cancer summit inspired Shelli Spence of Monroe to pursue her doctorate, making her the first in her family to do so. She said UNCP's program fundamentally reshaped her understanding of equity and belonging in healthcare.
"The transition from master's-level to doctoral-level work was intense," Spence said. "But UNCP's support systems, and the program's grounding in tribal history and population health, reshaped how I view equitable care. As a Black woman, I didn't always receive the care I deserved. I want patients to feel seen and safe."
At Shaw University in Durham, Angela Coleman-Talbot, director of Student Health and Wellness, applied the population-health strategies she learned in the program to strengthen mental health support for students. Her capstone introduced a two-question depression screening in the primary care center. That process is still in use today.
"When it comes to practice and population health, this program helps you understand the severity of the needs and the fact that you can make a difference," she said.
Nurse practitioner Taren Hunt of Pembroke, who cares for patients with chronic conditions at UNC Health Southeastern in Lumberton, said the DNP strengthened her ability to advocate for evidence-based change. Hunt began volunteering in nursing homes at age 12 and later followed her mother -- an ICU nurse and UNCP alumna -- into the profession, carrying forward a passion for community health that shaped her doctoral focus.
"You're seeing recommendations for higher-qualified nurses in clinical settings," Hunt said. "I wanted to meet or exceed that standard and give my patients the best level of care."
For Jessica Locklear, also of Pembroke, who earned her BSN, MSN and now DNP at UNCP, the degree reflects years of both personal and professional growth.
"Professionally, I've grown so much -- from learning the basics of nursing to growing as a leader and now, in the doctoral program, learning about population health and rural health and how we can improve communities," Locklear said.
In Cary, Ursula White, owner of Oaks Health MedSpa and an advanced practice provider, balanced the demands of her business with more than 1,000 clinical hours and a rigorous doctoral project while completing the program. She said the DNP challenged her in new ways but also surrounded her with faculty who created a family-like atmosphere and offered personalized guidance every step of the way.
White's capstone focused on standardizing clinical guidelines in medical aesthetics to improve patient safety and consistency, an emerging field where evidence-based protocols are often lacking. She plans to publish her work and advocate for statewide and national practice standards.
"This program pushed me, supported me and gave me the tools to lead with confidence," White said. "To graduate as part of UNCP's first doctoral class is an honor. As a veteran and the first in my family to earn a doctorate, I'm proud to help shape a future where clinical practice is safer, more consistent and grounded in evidence."
White's goals reflect the broad impact of the DNP, a degree designed to prepare nurse leaders for emerging challenges across every corner of the healthcare landscape.
That reach is evident again in the work of Lisa Dial-Hunt, who works for Scotland Healthcare System in Laurinburg. In her capstone, Dial-Hunt partnered with food pantries and soup kitchens to measure how healthier food distributions affect patient outcomes.
She describes the DNP journey as "...a mountain. Long, steep and worth it."
And as she stands at the summit with her fellow classmates, Dial-Hunt, who is celebrating her birthday is clear about what comes next.
"I am leaving ready to lead in my community," she said. "Now the real work begins."
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Original text here: https://www.uncp.edu/news/2025/uncp-to-award-first-doctoral-degrees-marking-a-new-chapter-in-university-history.html
Tulane University: Study - Invasive Lizards' Tempers Flare With the Heat
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Dec. 13 (TNSjou) -- Tulane University issued the following news release:
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Study: Invasive lizards' tempers flare with the heat
Turns out those New Orleans lizards with record levels of lead in their blood are also picking more fights -- but heat, not heavy metal, may be driving their aggression.
A new Tulane University study (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456525002141) published in the Journal of Thermal Biology finds that invasive brown anoles become more aggressive toward native green anoles as temperatures rise, suggesting that warming
... Show Full Article
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Dec. 13 (TNSjou) -- Tulane University issued the following news release:
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Study: Invasive lizards' tempers flare with the heat
Turns out those New Orleans lizards with record levels of lead in their blood are also picking more fights -- but heat, not heavy metal, may be driving their aggression.
A new Tulane University study (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456525002141) published in the Journal of Thermal Biology finds that invasive brown anoles become more aggressive toward native green anoles as temperatures rise, suggesting that warmingconditions could tip the competitive balance between the two species.
Earlier Tulane research revealed record-high levels of lead in brown anoles collected in New Orleans, prompting questions about whether lead exposure could explain their feisty tendencies. While the team can't rule out a connection, the evidence so far points elsewhere, said senior study author Alex Gunderson, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in Tulane's School of Science and Engineering.
"We don't yet know whether lead contributes to the brown anoles' aggressive behavior," Gunderson said. "But since we haven't seen lead affecting them in other ways, my guess is that it's probably not the cause. What we can say for certain is that their aggression increases with warmer temperatures."
The research, led by Gunderson and PhD student Julie Rej, examined how temperature influences aggression between the two species, which compete for the same habitat in the southeastern United States. The invasive brown anoles displace the native green anoles from their preferred habitats in the wild, and behavioral aggression is one potential reason.
"Invasive species cause a lot of ecological and economic damage, so biologists are really interested in understanding what makes these species so successful," Rej said.
The team found that brown anoles are consistently more aggressive than green anoles, and that their aggression increases as temperatures rise.
To measure aggression, Rej placed pairs of brown and green anoles together in controlled enclosures set to simulate different seasonal temperature ranges - from cool spring days to hotter summer conditions expected in the future. Across all tests, brown anoles displayed higher levels of aggression, and while rising temperature increased the aggression of green anoles somewhat, the gap between the two species' aggression widened as the temperature increased.
The findings suggest that as the climate continues to warm, invasive brown anoles may become even more dominant competitors, further displacing native green anoles from their preferred habitats.
"Climate change can make invasive species more potent, and this study shows that heat-driven aggression could help explain why in some cases," Gunderson said.
The study contributes to growing evidence that behavioral responses to temperature are an important, and often overlooked, factor in how species will interact and compete as global temperatures rise.
The research was supported by Tulane University and conducted at the Gunderson Lab, which studies how animals respond and adapt to environmental stressors such as temperature changes.
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Original text here: https://news.tulane.edu/pr/study-invasive-lizards-tempers-flare-heat
From Ideas to Impact: UTMB Leaders Named NAI Fellows
GALVESTON, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The University of Texas Medical Branch issued the following news release:
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From Ideas to Impact: UTMB Leaders Named NAI Fellows
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is celebrating a major achievement as Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System, and Dr. Vineet Gupta, vice president for innovation and commercialization at UTMB and CEO of Medical Branch Innovations, Inc, have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. This recognition highlights
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GALVESTON, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The University of Texas Medical Branch issued the following news release:
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From Ideas to Impact: UTMB Leaders Named NAI Fellows
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is celebrating a major achievement as Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System, and Dr. Vineet Gupta, vice president for innovation and commercialization at UTMB and CEO of Medical Branch Innovations, Inc, have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. This recognition highlightsUTMB's leadership in advancing innovation, discovery, and purpose.
The NAI's 2025 class includes 169 distinguished U.S. inventors and 16 international honorees, collectively holding more than 5,300 U.S. patents. Fellows include Nobel laureates, recipients of the National Medals of Science and Technology & Innovation, and members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
"Being named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors is a deeply meaningful and significant honor in my career," said Reiser. "It reflects a lifelong commitment to curiosity, collaboration, and the belief that discovery should ultimately serve people. As president, I am proud to see our institution and its talented faculty contributing solutions that address some of the most pressing challenges in health care and science."
Dr. Gupta added, "This recognition is both personally humbling and incredibly gratifying. It reflects years of work alongside exceptional collaborators, mentors, and teams who share a passion for turning bold ideas into real-world impact. I am excited to contribute to an environment at UTMB that values innovation, collaboration, and translation."
NAI Fellows represent leaders across every major field of discovery, from quantum computing and artificial intelligence to regenerative medicine. Their success in translating research into products and services that improve lives demonstrates the continuing importance of the U.S. patent system, according to the NAI.
"NAI Fellows are a driving force within the innovation ecosystem, and their contributions across scientific disciplines are shaping the future of our world," said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the National Academy of Inventors. "We are thrilled to welcome this year's class of Fellows to the Academy. They are truly an impressive cohort, and we look forward to honoring them at our 15th Annual Conference in Los Angeles next year."
The 2025 Fellows will be honored and presented their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Original text here: https://www.utmb.edu/news/article/utmb-news/2025/12/12/from-ideas-to-impact--utmb-leaders-named-nai-fellows
Eckerd College Marine Science Professor Helps Track Shifting Seaweed That Could Alter Ecosystems in Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, Dec. 13 (TNSjou) -- Eckerd College issued the following news:
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Eckerd College marine science professor helps track shifting seaweed that could alter ecosystems in Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Since the days of Christopher Columbus, the two-million-square-mile Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has been known for large concentrations of giant floating mats of Sargassum seaweed. "There are mentions of it in his ship's logs," says Amy Siuda, Ph.D., professor of marine science at Eckerd College. "But since 2011, Sargassum has been inundating the Caribbean
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ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, Dec. 13 (TNSjou) -- Eckerd College issued the following news:
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Eckerd College marine science professor helps track shifting seaweed that could alter ecosystems in Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Since the days of Christopher Columbus, the two-million-square-mile Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has been known for large concentrations of giant floating mats of Sargassum seaweed. "There are mentions of it in his ship's logs," says Amy Siuda, Ph.D., professor of marine science at Eckerd College. "But since 2011, Sargassum has been inundating the Caribbeanand parts of the Gulf of Mexico, while concentrations in the Sargasso Sea are dropping. That's a major concern."
A brown macroalgae, Sargassum is described as the rainforest of the sea, Siuda explains. "It's an oasis in the middle of the open ocean. Turtles and crabs use Sargassum mats as a place to stay safe, mahi-mahi and tuna feed beneath, and seabirds rest on them. The observed decline might upend and change the ecosystem in the Sargasso Sea. Sargassum inundations are clearly changing the ecosystem in the Caribbean, covering the coral reefs, blocking sunlight and decaying on beaches."
To understand how and why the shift is taking place, a team of researchers from University of South Florida's College of Marine Science led by Professor of Oceanography Chuanmin Hu, Ph.D., Jeff Schell, Ph.D., and Deb Goodwin, Ph.D., from Sea Education Association, along with Siuda from Eckerd College (formerly at Sea Education Association), combined satellite imagery with decades of field observations to investigate this complex ocean phenomenon.
Their research, titled "Dramatic decline of Sargassum in the north Sargasso Sea since 2015," was published recently in Nature Geoscience (https://www.nature.com/ngeo/), a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal that covers all aspects of the earth sciences. The report states that in 2011 "the Sargassum footprint expanded to include the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in the tropical Atlantic, but little is known about how Sargassum in the Sargasso Sea changed thereafter. Here we use remote sensing and shipboard data to show that Sargassum biomass in the north Sargasso Sea has decreased markedly over the past 10 years due to changes in ocean temperature regimes, specifically in the Gulf of Mexico."
Siuda has been observing Sargassum in the Atlantic since 1995. She explains that colleagues at USF named this new abundance in the tropical Atlantic region the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB). Occurring since 2011 in satellite data, the GASB appears to initiate each year in the eastern tropical Atlantic, spreading across the Atlantic into the Caribbean and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.
This new paper uses ocean-basin-scale satellite data to document the Sargassum decline in the Sargasso Sea--its historical location.
Extensive shipboard observations of abundance, collected on annual voyages by Sea Education Association between New England and the Caribbean, corroborated the remote-sensing-derived findings. "However, the more nuanced field records of which Sargassum varieties were present [there are three common ones] and in what proportions really helped the team explain potential mechanisms for the change."
What triggered the GASB, Siuda says, remains unclear. "There are multiple hypotheses suggesting temperature and nutrients are fueling the growth in the tropical region. There is still so much we don't know."
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Original text here: https://www.eckerd.edu/news/blog/marine-science-professor-helps-track-shifting-seaweed/
Anderson University: Record Number of Cybersecurity Students Earn AWS Credential
ANDERSON, South Carolina, Dec. 13 -- Anderson University issued the following news release:
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Record Number of Cybersecurity Students Earn AWS Credential
The Anderson University Cybersecurity program is celebrating a new milestone this semester: a record number of students passed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) exam.
Twenty-four students--89 percent of the class--earned the CCP credential, the highest number since the inception of the Anderson Cybersecurity program.
The AWS CCP certification demonstrates that students have a strong foundational understanding
... Show Full Article
ANDERSON, South Carolina, Dec. 13 -- Anderson University issued the following news release:
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Record Number of Cybersecurity Students Earn AWS Credential
The Anderson University Cybersecurity program is celebrating a new milestone this semester: a record number of students passed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) exam.
Twenty-four students--89 percent of the class--earned the CCP credential, the highest number since the inception of the Anderson Cybersecurity program.
The AWS CCP certification demonstrates that students have a strong foundational understandingof AWS cloud concepts, core services, and essential terminology. As AWS remains the world's largest cloud computing provider, this credential affirms that Anderson students are developing the data security, network security, and access-control skills needed to work confidently in modern cloud environments.
Earning the CCP is also an important early step for students pursuing careers in cloud computing and cybersecurity.
Dr Ken Knapp, the Director of the Anderson Cybersecurity Center elaborates, "Employers consistently tell us they value this entry-level credential. It's an advantage that can make a big impact when applying for internships and jobs. We are proud of our students' hard work and excited to see where their cloud and cybersecurity skills take them next."
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Original text here: https://andersonuniversity.edu/news/a-record-number-of-cybersecurity-students-earn-aws-credential/?_post_id=45952
