University of Arizona in the News

A 2021 aerial survey of the Permian Basin, a 250-mile-wide bone-dry expanse along the Texas-New Mexico border, detected 33 methane "super emitters" – oil and gas operations that continuously spew methane into the atmosphere – with ongoing leaks, and gushers going unfixed. "We see the same sites active from year to year. It's not just month to month or season to season," said Riley Duren, a research scientist at the University of Arizona who led the mapping effort.

The new Oxford Dictionary of African American English, edited by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. will collect the definitions and histories of words that originated in the African American vernacular. Differences in language evolve from separation, said Sonja Lanehart, a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and a member of the dictionary advisory board. Those barriers can be geographical, like oceans or mountains, she said, but they can also be social or institutional.

Adding self-care practices before heading into the office, or starting work from a home office, can improve our mental health, mood and professional performance. "Just thinking about what kind of attitude you're taking with you as you start your work day can have an effect on your enjoyment," said University of Arizona assistant professor of psychiatry Joel Dvoskin said.

An international team of researchers has confirmed that live animals sold at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, were the likely source of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed 6.4 million lives since it began nearly three years ago. Led by University of Arizona virus evolution expert Michael Worobey, researchers traced the start of the pandemic to the market in Wuhan, where foxes, raccoon dogs and other live mammals susceptible to the virus were sold immediately before the pandemic began.

A new study finds chronically bad sleepers being more likely to suffer from health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to University of Arizona associate professor of psychiatry, psychology and medicine Michael Grandner, who leads the Sleep and Health Research Program, naps were "not enough" to offset the harms of sleep deprivation. Grandner said the study echoed other findings which generally showed taking more naps seemed to reflect increased risks for problems with heart health and other issues.

Americans trust small businesses more than any other institution – including the military, the police and the medical system. 68% said they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in small businesses, experiencing only a slight dip from 70% the previous year, according to a new survey from Gallup. According to University of Arizona associate professor of government and public policy Samara Klar, small businesses owners are one of very few occupations that haven't been politicized, and garners support from both Republicans and Democrats.

A two-day virtual conference presented by the Global Virus Network, a coalition of leading virologists, examined what causes some people to exhibit health issue months, even years after contracting COVID-19, so-called "Long COVID" symptoms. University of Arizona professor of medicine Sairam Parthasarathy, an epidemiologist, estimated 43% of all COVID cases resulted in the condition, based an examination of 50 studies. He added that in the U.S., disadvantaged populations, particularly Native American and Hispanic people, disproportionately end up hospitalized for COVID.

A new report from Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit group focused on boosting Latinx college completion, highlights the strategies used by seven colleges, including the University of Arizona, to ensure their Latinx students succeed after graduation. This story includes praise of the UArizona Latinx faculty and staff association for providing "professional identity affirming experiences" through career mentorships tailored to Latinx students.

Buckled roads, warped train tracks and expanded bridges are a stark reminder of the need to adapt our infrastructure to a warming planet. Heat can impact all types of physical infrastructure, but roads, runways and railways may be among the most vulnerable, said Ladd Keith, an assistant professor of planning and chair of sustainable built environments at the University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. "Any kind of prolonged extreme heat outside of that past climate will push the physical infrastructure into dangerous territory," he said.

The new Oxford Dictionary of African American English, edited by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. will collect the definitions and histories of words that originated in the African American vernacular. Differences in language evolve from separation, said Sonja Lanehart, a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and a member of the dictionary advisory board. Those barriers can be geographical, like oceans or mountains, she said, but they can also be social or institutional.