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NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Dutchwoman Femke Bol announced on Friday that she is switching from the 400m hurdles to the 800m and will start competing in her new event next year. While the 400 metres hurdles world champion has often played second fiddle to the United States' world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on the Olympic stage, Bol has collected five straight Diamond League titles in her signature event. "I’m really excited to share the next chapter of my career," the four-times Olympic medallist wrote in an Instagram post. "It’s a big change, it’s uncertain and challenging, but I’m ready to put in the work, surrounded by an amazing team and enjoy this new journey." Britain's 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson welcomed her to the event, writing on Instagram: "Can't wait to share the start line." Bol picked up 400m hurdles bronze at the last two Games and helped power the Netherlands to the top of the podium in the 4x400m mixed relay in Paris. She was part of the 2024 silver medal-winning women's relay team as well. Her main 400m hurdles rival, McLaughlin-Levrone, has also recently ventured into new territory, winning the 400m flat event at worlds in Tokyo last month. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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The NFL has initiated a review of the concussion protocol applied in the evaluation of New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart during Thursday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The league announced Friday that the review will be conducted jointly with the NFL Players Association. Giants head coach Brian Daboll ventured toward the blue injury tent while Dart was being evaluated for a concussion during the Giants' 34-17 victory over the Eagles. Dart was injured late in the third quarter after he fell into Philadelphia Azeez Ojulari while being sacked by fellow linebacker Patrick Johnson. "I apologized directly to our team physician. I just wanted (Dart) out there if he was OK," Daboll told reporters after the game. "But I wanted the process, like we were getting ready to go for it on a potential fourth down, I would have burned a timeout if he could have come out there. I was asking how long was it going to take. "Again, you want your guy out there. Not at risk of anything else." Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo also poked his head into the blue injury tent. "I was making sure that Jaxson wasn't hurting anybody in the injury tent," Skattebo joked. "He's a dog. He wants to be back on the field. I knew going over there, I needed to calm down a little bit because I knew he was going to be on fire. I was trying to go over there before the drive was over, trying to tell him, ‘relax, relax we're good', but I had to wait and then when I was in there he was a little fired up, but we know we have to go through protocol and do all that stuff to make sure we can get back on the field. I went in there and kind of, 'We're good, man, we've got you,' and that's it." For his part, Dart said he just wanted to get back on the field. "It felt so long," Dart said. "Yeah, had a few guys popped in. I was just trying to get back there on the field. I understand they have protocol and whatnot. I was just trying to get out there fast." Dart, who was sidelined for two plays, completed 17 of 25 passes for 195 yards and ran for 58 yards on 13 attempts. The Giants (2-4) visit the Denver Broncos on Oct. 19. –Field Level Media

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US GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES UNION: LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED.

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* Study done during April 2024 North American total eclipse * Most bird species had disruption in daily their rhythm * Some birds sang 'dawn chorus' when sunlight returned By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) – On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse traversed a wide swathe of North America stretching 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from Mexico's Pacific Coast through Texas and across 14 other U.S. states into Canada. The period of totality, when the moon covered the face of the sun, lasted about four minutes depending on the location. While throngs of people gazed skyward to see the celestial show, scientists were studying the effects of the eclipse on birds, whose daily and seasonal rhythms are strongly guided by sunlight. They documented changes in vocal behavior in most – not all – species studied, with birds that naturally make a burst of songs and calls around daybreak the most affected. When the sunlight began to return after totality, some species produced their customary "dawn chorus," as if greeting a new day. Some species fell silent, while others did not change their behavior compared to a normal day. "Light is one of the most powerful forces shaping bird behavior, and even a four-minute 'night' was enough for many species to act as if it were morning again. That tells us just how sensitive some birds are to changes in light," said Liz Aguilar, a doctoral student in evolution, ecology and behavior at Indiana University and lead author of the study published this week in the journal Science. "Based on previous research, most of which was collected in the lab, we know that changes in light are the most important cues used by living organisms to time their daily rhythms. As day transitions to night and vice versa, hormone levels and gene expression in the body change, and that causes differences in behavior," said study co-author Dustin Reichard, a biology professor at Ohio Wesleyan University. While there had been anecdotal evidence concerning the behavior of birds during an eclipse and some research involving certain species, this study offered the most comprehensive look yet at the subject, with the findings coming from two datasets. Fourteen recording units placed around Bloomington, Indiana, captured more than 100,000 bird vocalizations that were analyzed using machine-learning tools to discern the individual species making the songs and calls. In addition, nearly 1,700 people across North America submitted more than 11,000 observations of bird behavior around the eclipse through an app created by the researchers called SolarBird that let anyone in the general public with a smartphone contribute data. A total of 52 species were documented around Bloomington, 29 of which exhibited significant changes in their vocal behavior as the eclipse occurred compared to a normal April afternoon. "Different bird species greet the dawn in very different ways. Some have loud, elaborate dawn choruses, while others are much quieter. We found that species known for the most intense dawn choruses were also the ones most likely to react to the eclipse," Aguilar said. Various species behaved in various ways. For instance, American robins, known for singing very early in the morning while it is still dark, had one of the largest increases in vocalizations during and just after totality – six times higher than a non-eclipse afternoon. Barred owls vocalized four times as much as a non-eclipse afternoon just after totality ended, when light levels resembled the dawn or dusk periods when their activity normally increases. Carolina wrens, also known for being particularly vocal including around dawn, were not affected at all by the eclipse. "It actually makes sense that not all species reacted the same way. Birds differ in how sensitive they are to changes in light. It would have been more surprising if every species responded identically. Each species has its own activity patterns, energetic needs and sensory abilities, so they interpret environmental changes differently," Aguilar said. "We looked for patterns among closely related species and also compared migratory versus resident birds, but we didn't find any consistent differences," Aguilar said. "That tells us there's still more to learn about what makes certain species more or less sensitive to sudden changes in light, which will be an important direction for future research." (Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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