Latest news with #UrbanaChampaign
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Preview: University of Illinois Fighting Illini
Campus Location: Urbana-Champaign School Type: Public Land-Grant Research University Enrollment: 59,000 Mascot: Fighting Illini 2024 Season 2024 Record: 10-3 2024 Conference Record: 6-3 Head Coach Bret Bielema Seasons at Illinois: Four – Entering Fifth Head Coaching Record 2006 – 2012: Wisconsin (68-24) 2013 – 2017: Arkansas (29-34) 2021 – Current: Illinois (28-22) Overall Record: 125-80 Division Championships Wisconsin (2010, 2011) Conference Championships Big 10 (2010, 2011, 2012) Bowl / Playoff Record: 5-6 Roster Key Losses On Offense RB: Josh McCray:(Georgia) -117 carries – 609 yards – 10 Td's OL: Zy Crisler: (Colorado) – 6 game starter in 2024 WR: Pat Bryant: (Denver Broncos, 3rd Round) 54 receptions, 984 yards, 10 TD's Key Losses on Defense LB: Seth Coleman: (Graduation) – 53 Tackles – 7 TFL – 3 Pass D – 1 Forced Fumble DE: Alex Bray: (Kansas) – 20 Tackles DT: Dennis Brigs Jr. (Graduation) – 39 Tackles – 5 TFL – 3.5 Sacks Key Transfers / Recruits * Rankings from On3 Transfer Portal / Recruiting Industry Rankings Offense WR: Hudson Clement – (W.V.) – 3* (88.53) – #49 WR – #268 Natl WR: Justin Bowick – (U.K.) – 3* (86.69) – #113 WR – # 676 Natl LT: Ayden Knapik – (Idaho) – 3* (86.63) – #50 OT – # 687 Natl Defense DE: James Thompson Jr. – (Wis) – 3* (88.67) – #21 DL – #255 Natl NT: Curt Neal – (Wis) – 3* (85) – #161 DL – #1614 Natl DE: Tomiwa Durojaiye – (FSU) – 3* (86.92) – #679 Natl Top Ranked Players According to On3 Offense QB: Luke Altmeyer – 4*(91) OT: JC Davis – 4*(91) WR: Hudson Clement – 3*(89) Defense S: Miles Scott – 4*(94) CB: Xavier Scott – 4*(94) Edge: Gabriel Jacas – 4*(92) Preseason Media Poll 4th Purdue Game Information When: Saturday, October 4 Where: West Lafayette, Indiana What Time? TBA
Forbes
7 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Young Cowbirds Look To Adult Females For Proper Social Development
Raised by foster parents, how do juvenile cowbirds discover their true identity and learn proper social development so they grow up to be normally functioning adult cowbirds? Most birders don't much like cowbirds because the adults lay their eggs in other songbirds' nests and abandon them to be raised by their foster parents, often at the expense of the foster parents' own offspring. This life history trait is known as obligate brood parasitism. 'Cowbirds often get a bad rap because they're brood parasites,' the study's lead author, behavioral ecologist Mac Chamberlain, a PhD Candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told me in email. 'But it's exactly this unusual start in life that has pushed them to evolve some remarkably creative strategies to navigate the world,' Mr Chamberlain explained in email. 'Less than 1% of all bird species in the world are brood parasites, with cowbirds being the only obligate brood parasite bird group in North America. Rather than seeing them as villains, we should start recognizing cowbirds as a powerful example of how nature comes up with clever and unexpected ways to solve tough problems.' Upon hatching, most young birds imprint on the first moving being they see and view that particular being as their parent. So how do juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds, Molothrus ater, who probably have never seen their parents, discover their true identity and learn proper social development so they grow up to be normally functioning adult cowbirds? A recent study led by Mr Chamberlain finds that fledgling cowbirds specifically seek out and follow adult female cowbirds. These adult females appear to be mentoring the juveniles in the complex social art of being a proper cowbird, acting as role models for how to find food, proper mating behaviors, and how to protect themselves from predators so they can join the adult flock. But what is it about adult female cowbirds that is so attractive to these juveniles? First, female cowbirds' plumage is more similar in appearance to the juveniles than to that of the more aggressive male cowbirds, which probably partially explains why the young birds seek them out. In addition to similarities in appearance, the young cowbirds are drawn to the chattering noises of adult female cowbirds (read more here). 'All cowbirds hatch with a built-in attraction to the female 'chatter' call,' Mr Chamberlain told me in email. 'This call acts like a homing beacon, helping the juvenile cowbirds find others of the same species. Even without learning it, they recognize that sound as something familiar. Lab-raised cowbirds also tend to gravitate toward birds that look like them. Lastly, as the young cowbirds grow up and begin to resemble adults, other bird species will start showing more aggression towards them. Between the sound, the visual cues, and the social pressure they receive from different species, young cowbirds are highly motivated to seek out the safety and familiarity of their own kind.' The study suggests that the young cowbirds may be specifically seeking out adult cowbirds with female characteristics with no preference, or perhaps no knowledge, of whether they are related. 'What surprised me was how clearly the juveniles in the wild showed a preference for adult females,' Mr Chamberlain said in email. 'This lines up with what lab studies have suggested, but with only seven juvenile birds in our sample, I didn't expect the pattern to be so strong. It's uncommon to see such a clear signal in the wild with such a small group, which makes the result all the more exciting.' How did the team figure out that juvenile cowbirds are attracted to adult females of the species? Over a period of three years, they captured 122 cowbirds in total and used DNA testing to identify both the sex of captured juveniles and to determine whether the captured adult-juvenile pairs were related to each other. In fact, they found that only 2 of the 7 juvenile cowbirds were captured along with a relative. Despite the fact that the population is comprised mostly of adult males, the juvenile cowbirds were much more likely to be captured in the company of adult females. These results suggest that the young cowbirds may be specifically seeking out adult cowbirds with female characteristics with no preference, or perhaps no knowledge, of whether they are related. This study's findings are contrary to earlier findings which indicated that captured adult-juvenile pairs were likely to be related. That said, the sample was very small and did not include all potential parents in the population, so it must be replicated with much larger numbers to determine whether relatedness plays any role in the social development of cowbirds. Are there plans to follow up, or perhaps to study juvenile cowbirds' social interactions with adult males? 'At the moment, we don't have plans to continue this work, but it's a question that definitely deserves more attention,' Mr Chamberlain replied in email. 'Juvenile cowbirds likely continue to learn and refine their social behavior well into the fall and through their first breeding season. Understanding how they interact with adult males during that period could fill in some big gaps. Tracking specific individuals across those critical stages would help us see how early experiences shape their social development and how those relationships unfold over time.' Source: Mac L. Chamberlain, Wendy Schelsky, Autumn Bush, Shanelle Johnson-Cadle, Shelby Lawson, and Mark E. Hauber (2025). Adult sex dictates juvenile-adult interactions in brood-parasitic brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, Animal Behaviour, 226:123247 | doi:10.1016/ © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | Gab | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tribel | Tumblr | Twitter
New York Times
14-07-2025
- General
- New York Times
Chinese Students Flocked to Central Illinois. Their Food Followed.
Julia Sun, a law student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who spent the first 10 years of her life in Shanghai, was shopping at an Asian grocery store half a mile from campus last year when a package in the snack aisle made her do a double take. 'They had this waffle-biscuit thing that I ate in second grade,' Ms. Sun said. It had been so long since she had seen the waffle-biscuit thing that she was sure it was extinct. 'I thought I was dreaming,' she said. For the more than 6,000 students from China in Urbana and Champaign, the wealth of products and dishes from back home can make the two cities seem like a mirage rising from the plains of central Illinois. Surrounded by miles of flat, green fields of soy and grain corn, the cities have a combined population of about 127,000 people and a skyline that rarely pokes above 15 stories. The area isn't anybody's idea of a major metropolitan center. It certainly isn't the first place you'd think to look when you are in the mood for serious Chinese food. After a quick walk from the university's main quad, though, you can sit down to a faithful rendition of spicy bullfrog hot pot in a Sichuanese broth studded with green peppercorns. A nearby restaurant serves yangrou paomo, a Shaanxi lamb soup with floating scraps of flatbread that is a favorite in Xi'an. If you are struck by a late-night craving for stinky tofu in the style of Changsha, you can get it after 8:30 p.m. from a chef who dresses fried black cubes of fermented bean curd in a glistening orange chile oil, the way vendors do on the streets of Hunan's capital city. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
How a Growth Mindset Sparks Innovation for Electrification Engineer Noah Lopez
Noah Lopez, an Electrification Engineer at the Center for Excellence in Electrification, is a prime example of how a growth mindset can drive innovation and creativity. 'The unofficial statement is that I make things work together that shouldn't,' Noah says with a smile, describing his role. Noah works at one of the flagship brands for Trane Technologies, Thermo King®, a leader in sustainable transport climate control solutions. His day-to-day involves combining batteries and other elements into functional systems to create new solutions. He replicates challenges customers face in the field to resolve them and manages the implementation of aftermarket data loggers into field trials with customers. Noah, a third-generation engineer with a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been with the company for four years. Before graduation, he heard about the company culture through a friend and was intrigued by the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology. 'The opportunity to work on 'bleeding edge' technology to help drive new processes and ideas was really interesting to me,' he recalls. Award-winning innovation After joining the company, Noah and his teammates developed two generations of battery electric power systems for demonstrating electrified trailer refrigeration – a significant step in the company's electrification strategy. Their innovative work earned them a patent and the company's prestigious President's Award. 'We figured out how to minimize the amount of power flowing through our battery to maximize the lifetime of the battery,' Noah says. Now, he is working on the integration of external power systems to trailer transport refrigeration units and appreciates the opportunity to work in a job that makes an impact. 'If we aren't sustainable, eventually, we won't be here,' he notes. Nature is especially important to Noah, who spends time outdoors almost daily, even coaching speed skating in the winter months. A collaborative and growth-oriented environment The positive work culture his friend described proved true once Noah joined. 'Our electrification team is a very tight group of competent engineers who all work together without ego,' he says. Noah appreciates the company's growth-mindset approach, which allows learning from mistakes. 'We get to work in the lab with high-end equipment, and if something goes wrong, we get to learn what went wrong and how to fix it, so it won't happen again,' he explains. Mentoring the next generation Noah received mentorship early in his career from Principal Electrification Engineer, Matt Srnec , to help propel his career forward. And now, Noah has his own opportunity to pay it forward by mentoring the company's interns. He helps interns find projects they enjoy, helping to enhance their work experience. 'Having a greater level of enjoyment for the work that they're doing every day, means they're happy to show up and work on it.' For instance, his intern from last year designed and built a test cart repackaging the evolve™ battery system for ease of mobility and storage. 'We worked with the intern to complete the design process from the ground up through completion of the build,' Noah says. 'I want future engineers to have that opportunity for fulfilling project experience.' The evolve™ portfolio is the company's all-electric portfolio, which includes electric refrigeration solutions for truck, trailer, rail, air and marine transport. These zero-emissions product offerings contribute to our company's 2030 Sustainability Commitments to reduce customer greenhouse gas emission by 1 billion metric tons. A perfect fit Noah has found the right fit at the company. 'I get to go play in the lab and do the innovation work that I enjoy,' he says. 'I think that the work that I do every day boldly challenges what's possible,' Noah adds. 'That goes hand in hand with the opportunity to innovate, to make new things, and prove that those random ideas are possible.' Noah's story is a compelling example of how a supportive and innovative work culture can lead to personal and professional growth. For those considering a career in engineering, Noah's journey highlights the exciting opportunities to innovate and grow in a company that values sustainability and creativity. Explore careers that make a difference at Trane Technologies . Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Trane Technologies
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This 'Bad' Habit May Help You Lose Weight, New Study Suggests
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDA new study suggests that eating the foods you're craving may help you lose weight. Participants were advised to include foods they were craving as part of their meals. Study participants were also able to keep weight off longer when they satisfied you'd like to lose weight, you may be at a loss for where to start. Everywhere you turn, there's another ad, product or program promising big results. But the truth is, no one method works for everyone. Many variables come into play, and just as many obstacles pop up that need to be overcome. One of them is cravings. While we may think of cravings as something that's 'all in our heads,' that's not quite true. Cravings are a real biological phenomenon defined as 'strong and intense desires or subjectively non-resistible urges to consume a specific food or type of food, that often undermine efforts to maintain dietary changes.' So, having cravings or giving in to them is not a sign of weakness. It's your brain and body's way of telling you something. And cravings can be measured to some extent. With that in mind, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign decided to examine food cravings and see if they could actually help you lose weight. Sound counterintuitive? They recently published their findings in the journal Physiology & Behavior. Let's break them down. Related: 5 Mediterranean Diet Foods to Stock Up On to Lose Weight, According to Dietitians The purpose of this study was to determine the change in food cravings and their relationship with weight loss outcomes during a one-year dietary weight loss program followed by another year of weight maintenance. The goal was for participants to lose 5% of their body weight. Researchers recruited 30 participants with an average age of 53 at baseline; about 77% of them were women. The average BMI at baseline was 36—BMI over 30 is considered obese, and 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, though it's important to note that BMI does not take into account what the weight is made up of, including muscle and bone. To help level this out, waist and hip circumferences were also measured, as was body composition, which takes into account the amount of lean mass to fat mass. Food cravings were measured using two validated scales when the study began and after 12, 18 and 24 months. At baseline, 54% of participants reported experiencing food cravings ranging from sometimes to daily in the past month; the remaining 46% reported rarely having cravings in the past month. Participants received several online nutrition education sessions during the first 12 months, plus three individualized online advising sessions and weekly feedback emails from nutrition coaches. The goal of the education sessions was to educate participants about basic nutrition principles to empower them to make informed decisions on what to eat. Part of this was encouraging a higher intake of protein and fiber, and how to create a small calorie deficit to encourage weight loss. They also learned strategies for managing food cravings, including storing commonly craved foods in less accessible spaces, and using distraction strategies (i.e., going for a walk when feeling a craving coming on), as well as establishing a consistent daily eating pattern. Participants were also encouraged to follow the inclusion strategy. This involved incorporating small portions of their favorite foods as part of a well-balanced meal, instead of avoiding and excluding these foods or food groups (as a restrictive weight loss diet might suggest). Each participant received a Wi-Fi-enabled scale that transmitted information to researchers via an app. They were instructed to weigh themselves each day before breakfast. During the 12 months of maintenance, there was minimal contact with the research team, other than a 15-month check-in with a registered dietitian. At the end of the study period (24 months), researchers split participants into two groups: those who lost more than 5% of their body weight, and those who lost less than 5%. Twenty of the 30 participants made it through the whole 24 months, which was just enough to allow a meaningful statistical analysis. At baseline, there were no differences in craving traits between the two groups. But the group that lost at least 5% of their body weight showed consistent improvements in craving traits over the first 12 months, which was sustained through 24 months. The other group, however, showed no significant change in craving trait scores throughout the entire study period. Participants who used the inclusion strategy—allowing for small portions of their favorite foods—lost significantly more weight than those who didn't use the strategy. Plus, strategy users also experienced a significant reduction in overall cravings, especially for sweets, carbs and high-fat foods, compared to those who didn't use the strategy. Previous research suggested that cravings happen as a result of weight loss and emptying fat cells, which essentially triggers cravings to fill the fat cells back up. But this new research challenges that belief. 'This basically debunks the hungry fat cell theory, a longstanding hypothesis that fat cells become starved for energy and trigger cravings, causing dieters to eat and ultimately regain what they lost,' says Manabu Nakamura, Ph.D., the study's lead author, in a press release. 'But that is not the case. As long as you stay at a healthy weight, your cravings will remain low.' Results also suggest that those who established a consistent eating pattern also lost more weight. 'The popular myth is you have to have a very strong will to fend off temptation,' says Nakamura, 'but that is not the case. Fluctuations in eating patterns, meal times and amounts trigger cravings, too. You have to be consistent.' A limitation of this study is that it cannot establish causation, just correlation. In other words, it cannot be said that the inclusion strategy caused more weight loss and reduced cravings, just that there is an association between them. This study also does not mention other factors that can influence weight, like physical activity, sleep and stress. So it's unknown if the participants who lost more weight engaged in other healthy habits besides the strategies mentioned here. Plus, with only 20 participants completing the program, this study offers a limited picture of what weight loss may look like for various people. Related: The #1 Surprising Exercise for Reducing Visceral Fat, According to Experts This study supports our philosophy here at EatingWell—that all foods fit in a varied, balanced eating pattern, even when trying to lose weight. And that consistently fueling your body helps prevent dramatic blood sugar highs and lows—and consequently that hangry feeling that brings you to an irritable, brain-foggy, ravenous state, looking for anything to eat to help you feel better. Other recent research supports these findings, too. For example, one study found that those who participate in fasting—including intermittent fasting—were more likely to experience food cravings and binge eating. These studies suggest that cravings are your body's way of telling you that it needs something, like fuel or nutrients, and are not related to some lack of willpower. Our bodies are designed with many backup systems to warn us when they need something. When we don't eat enough, for example, our bodies and brains assume we're starving and trigger biological processes to make sure we eat. These processes include food cravings and food thoughts—aka food noise and constantly thinking about food. Related: 5 Foods You Should Be Eating for Dinner for Weight Loss You can help calm your brain—and cravings—by making sure it has what it needs—fuel. The brain's primary and preferred source of fuel is glucose, found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. And as this study suggests, including small amounts of foods that you would normally avoid when you're trying to lose weight may not only reduce cravings, but also aid weight loss. It's also important to consider other areas of health that not only support healthy weight, but also health in general. Be careful about focusing solely on calories, and make sure you're eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need. You can meet a calorie goal with one or two foods, but it's difficult to get the wide range of fats, proteins, carbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals your body needs by restricting what you eat. You can also lose weight and, in the process, lose a lot of muscle and bone mass if you're not eating enough protein and including strength training in your routine. You can restrict certain foods and food groups and lose weight, and end up an anxious, irritable mess because you're not eating enough calories to sustain you. This, in turn, increases stress, which can also affect your sleep (not to mention your relationships). If you'd like some guidance for your weight loss journey, making an appointment with a registered dietitian can help individualize your approach. Or if you just need some tasty ideas of what to eat, we've got lots of meal plans to choose from, like our 30-Day No Sugar Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan for Weight Loss. If you're on a GLP-1, check out our Simple 7-Day GLP-1-Friendly Meal Plan for Beginners. All of our meal plans are designed by registered dietitians, so you know that they're not only delicious but also nutrient-dense. Related: 7 Foods You Shouldn't Cut Out If You're Trying to Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian This study suggests that following a few simple strategies, like including small portions of your favorite foods with balanced meals and maintaining a consistent eating pattern, can help with weight loss and reduce food cravings. Barring food allergies or sensitivities, cutting out whole foods and entire food groups is rarely beneficial. Also, beware of only focusing on calories and weight. Take a whole health approach by engaging in regular physical activity for a stronger heart and muscles (not just weight loss), managing the things that stress you out, getting plenty of quality sleep and spending time with loved ones. All of these factors work together for your overall health, including disease prevention and longevity—and that's more important than hitting a specific number on the scale. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
