More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research

The research looked at the results of 31 studies and a total sample of more than 60,000 students. monkeybusinessimages/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Christina Scherrer, Kennesaw State University and Shillpa Naavaal, Virginia Commonwealth University

Programs delivering fluoride varnish in schools significantly reduce cavities in children. That is a key finding of our recently published study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Fluoride varnish is a liquid that is applied to the teeth by a trained provider to reduce cavities. It does not require special dental devices and can be applied quickly in various settings.

Our research team found that school fluoride varnish programs, implemented primarily in communities with lower incomes and high cavity risk among children, achieve meaningful rates of student participation and reduced new cavities by 32% in permanent teeth and by 25% in primary – or “baby” – teeth.

We also found that school fluoride varnish programs reduced the progression of small cavities to more severe cavities by 10%. This positive impact held true among school children of various ages in preschool through high school, in rural or urban areas and in communities with and without fluoridated tap water. Fluoride varnish remained effective when delivered by various providers, including dentists, hygienists or trained lay workers.

This research was a large team collaboration on a systematic review, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from our universities. A systematic review is when researchers carefully collect and study all the best available research on a specific topic to figure out what the overall evidence shows.

Ultimately, our conclusions were based on 31 published studies that were reported in 43 peer-reviewed articles involving 60,780 students.

Diets high in sugar promote cavities.

Why is this important?

Although preventable, dental cavities are very common, with well over half of teenagers affected.

Untreated tooth decay can diminish a child’s ability to eat, speak, learn and play, and can negatively affect school attendance and grades.

Reducing tooth decay in youths is a national health objective.

In addition, we believe that since there is a growing movement in the U.S. to remove water fluoridation, other ways of protecting teeth with fluoride, such as toothpaste and varnish, will become more important. About three-quarters of the U.S. population using public water systems has been receiving fluoridated water at levels designed to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. They will be at higher risk for cavities if fluoride is removed from their drinking water.

Fluoride varnish is recommended by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and others. However, many children don’t receive recommended preventive dental services, including fluoride varnish, at dental visits, with some estimates as low as 18% for children from families in low-income households.

This makes schools an important setting for delivery of fluoride varnish to increase access. Students typically receive a dental exam, oral health education and supplies, and referrals for dental care. Depending on state regulations, the varnish can be applied by dental and medical professionals or trained lay workers.

Our work led to the recommendation of school fluoride varnish by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of nationally recognized public health experts that provides evidence-based recommendations on programs and services to protect and improve health in the United States.

What still isn’t known

Limited funds are a barrier. We believe that further understanding the ways to reduce the cost of these programs would help to expand them and reach more students.

One key opportunity is relaxing the restrictions on application by health professionals such as medical assistants and registered nurses, which is allowed in some states but not others.

Programs also sometimes struggle to get schools and families fully engaged. More research could help us determine the best ways to increase the percentage of families that return their consent forms and make school fluoride programs easier to run.

Another barrier is that many states only provide insurance reimbursement for these programs through age 6. Thus, increasing the eligibility age served by medical providers can serve more children, increase the number of these programs and protect more children’s teeth from decay – supporting oral and overall health.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Christina Scherrer, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Kennesaw State University and Shillpa Naavaal, Associate Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Make Summer as Safe as It is Fun

With school out for summer, children will be away from teachers and coaches who might be trained in first aid and CPR, making it crucial for parents and summer caregivers to brush up on safety tips and life-saving skills.

No matter where your summer plans take you, make sure you’re equipped with the knowledge and tools you need for safe, fun days in the sun.

Keep a First Aid Kit on Hand
Having basic first aid supplies handy lets you take care of minor boo-boos so the summer play can carry on. Plan to include cleansers, wound dressings, bandages and tape; antibiotic ointment; scissors and tweezers; bug bite treatment; and over-the-counter medications such as pain relievers and antihistamines for allergic reactions.

Learn CPR
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any age. Summer activities like swimming, boating and other watersports can lead to drowning or serious injuries, but so can outdoor play and sporting events in extreme heat. In fact, more than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, according to the American Heart Association, approximately 40% of which are related to sports.

Immediate CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use can double or even triple someone’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. For teens and adults, Hands-Only CPR could save their life. For infants and children, CPR with breaths is recommended.

Studies show children as young as 9 years old can learn and retain CPR skills. This summer, there are many learning options available to families, including online CPR courses, local in-person Heartsaver courses, CPR Anytime Training Kits and CPR kiosks, available in public places and airports across the country.

Know the Signs of Heat Exhaustion
Even when it doesn’t seem extreme, heat and humidity can take a toll. On one end of the heat stress spectrum are heat cramps, which may ease if you take a break, drink water and cool off.

More serious heat exhaustion may occur when the body’s temperature rises to 100-102 F and can include an inability to maintain physical activity, dizziness, nausea, dehydration and rapid heart rate. Try to cool down and drink water, but if symptoms worsen or vomiting occurs, seek medical help.

Heat stroke may cause death or permanent disability. It is characterized by a body temperature of 104-106 F or higher, heat exhaustion symptoms, trouble walking and neurological difficulties such as slurred speech or confusion.

Be Smart Around Water
Drowning can happen quickly and silently. Every day, an average of 10 people of all ages die in the United States from accidental, non-boating related drowning. Always swim with a friend and keep watch, especially where water isn’t clear and underwater obstacles may be present. When boating, always wear a life jacket. At home, install fencing at least 4 feet high around pools and remove toys from the pool when it’s not in use so children aren’t tempted to play without supervision.

Bike Safely
Taking some safety precautions can make bike rides even more enjoyable. Before heading out, check all riders’ bikes to ensure everything is in good operating condition, including brakes, tires, chains and gears.

Always wear a helmet and consider guards to protect your knees, elbows and hands in the event of a fall. Avoid riding at night, when you’re less visible to drivers, and wear bright colors that make you stand out. Drive with traffic (not against it) and follow the same rules as a car when it comes to street signs and intersections. Remain alert at all times and avoid distractions such as music that can prevent you from hearing warning sounds such as a car horn.

Join the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers and make this summer as safe as it is fun with tips on CPR and other safety concerns at heart.org/nation.

SOURCE:

American Heart Association

Supreme Court’s decision on deportations gave both the Trump administration and ACLU reasons to claim a victory − but noncitizens clearly lost

A prison officer guards a gate at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, where hundreds of migrants from the United States were deported by the Trump administration. Alex Pena/Anadolu via Getty Images

Rebecca Hamlin, UMass Amherst and Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst

President Donald Trump has claimed victory at the Supreme Court in his campaign to deport Venezuelan migrants accused by the government of being part of a foreign terrorist organization.

“The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself,” Trump posted on April 7, 2025, calling it, “A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

A 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court had just overruled a lower court that had temporarily barred the deportations, deciding the U.S. could move ahead with its plans to send those Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador.

Eight minutes after Trump’s post, the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, three advocacy groups that represented the Venezuelan nationals in the case, also claimed the decision was a win.

In a press release, lawyers from these organizations said that the case was “an important victory” in which the court determined that the “Trump administration acted unlawfully when it removed people from this nation with no process.”

Can both sides legitimately say they won a Supreme Court victory?

As professors of legal studies, we study the Supreme Court, including how the court approaches cases involving immigration law and presidential power.

Here’s why both sides are claiming a win in the case known as Trump v. J.G.G., what the court’s opinion actually said, and what you can take away from it.

The Supreme Court decision lifted the temporary restraining order blocking the deportations imposed by James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

Why both sides are claiming victory

The complexity of the court’s per curiam opinion – an unsigned opinion of a majority of the court – allows the Trump administration and the ACLU to view the ruling in Trump v. J.G.G. from different perspectives.

This has led them both to claim victory.

Trump sees the case as a win because the justices vacated a lower court decision that had temporarily barred the deportation of the Venezuelans. This means that the federal government was victorious in the case: His administration does not have to immediately stop deporting Venezuelan nationals.

At the same time, the ACLU claims the case is a victory for them because the Supreme Court’s opinion said that the government must give people the opportunity to challenge their removal under the Alien Enemies Act – which the government had not done. The Venezuelans’ right to due process was one of the key arguments advanced by the ACLU and its partners.

On April 9, judges in New York and Texas agreed, just two days after the Supreme Court’s decision, temporarily halting the deportation of five Venezuelans until the government can clarify what type of notice it will be giving to people it intends to deport.

Eventually, the Supreme Court will need to speak definitively about whether the Trump administration can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport those it alleges to be part of a foreign terrorist organization. The court has not yet addressed that issue.

This means the court will have to deal with some tricky questions down the road. These include whether a drug cartel can be said to be engaging in an “invasion” or “predatory incursion” into the United States, which the Alien Enemies Act requires if it is to be invoked. Another issue is the extent to which the Alien Enemies Act can be used when Congress hasn’t declared war.

And a big unanswered question is whether the Supreme Court, or any court, should even answer these questions at all. The political questions doctrine, which dates to 1803, is a principle saying that courts should avoid tackling thorny political questions that are best left to Congress or the president.

Venezuelans deported from the U.S. sit aboard the plane as they arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on March 28, 2025. Jesus Vargas/picture alliance via Getty Images

What the court decided and what it means for noncitizens’ rights

The court’s brief opinion, to which five members signed on, repeats the very basic constitutional premise that noncitizens are entitled to due process of law, even as they are being removed from the United States. Most significantly, due process includes the ability to protest their deportations before a court of law.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence emphasized the idea that the disagreement between the majority and the dissents is not about whether the noncitizens should have the opportunity to challenge their removal; all nine justices agree they have that right. Rather, Kavanaugh said, the justices disagreed on the question of venue, meaning the location in which these challenges should occur.

Kavanaugh’s focus on venue obscures the fact that what the justices granted to potential deportees is a significantly less robust type of judicial review than the one they were asking for.

The Venezuelans were challenging their removal as a class, because Trump had declared in a presidential proclamation that all Venezuelans over the age of 14 who were believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua cartel “are subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal.”

The Supreme Court majority made a group-based approach much more difficult in its April 7 ruling. It allowed for only individual, case-by-case appeals in which each potential deportee must retain legal counsel, file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition challenging their detention, and then try to convince a judge in the district where they are being held that they are not a member of Tren de Aragua in order to prevent their removal.

For most detainees, that would mean filing a petition in the Southern District of Texas, in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known as the most conservative federal circuit in the country.

Unless more courts step in to prevent it, the impact of the decision will be more removals to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, perhaps of people who are not actually gang members, or even Venezuelan. This has already happened in the previous round of removals under this program.

Further, at least 200 people have already been flown out of the U.S. to CECOT. Because they’ve been accused of no crime in El Salvador, they have no right to due process or legal counsel there, and no trial date set where they might prove their innocence. A recent CBS exposé also found that three-quarters of them had no criminal record in the United States either.

In the meantime, there is a separate but related case of a man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, despite having legal protection in the U.S. preventing his removal to his home country of El Salvador. The Trump administration is currently arguing before the Supreme Court that when it makes an error in the process of carrying out these removals, it does not have to correct it.

Not all due process is created equal. The court’s April 7 decision allowing the bare minimum process protecting people being removed makes errors more likely and thus raises the stakes for the outcome of the Abrego Garcia case tremendously.

Many parties have claimed victory in the Trump v. J.G.G. decision, but one thing is clear: It was a defeat for the rights of noncitizens in the United States.

Rebecca Hamlin, Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst and Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

Combatting Cracked Concrete: Causes of failing concrete and how to solve them

Concrete is a strong, durable and easy-to-maintain material that is popular for driveways, walkways, patios and more. Like most materials, though, it can inevitably wear down over time.

When signs of failure show themselves, homeowners commonly face two options: repair or replace. Prepare and plan for eventual concrete deterioration with this advice from the experts at Thrasher Foundation Repair, which has served more than 150,000 families over the last 50 years.

Reasons for Concrete Failure
Natural elements like weather, water and earth are often to blame, but man-made mistakes can also contribute to concrete failure.

1. Poorly compacted soil: When a home is constructed, a lot of soil is moved around and put back in place. This often results in loose, poorly compacted soil, which allows water to seep in, saturate and dry out. The constant expansion and contraction can create voids beneath the concrete, which it eventually sinks into.
2. Weather: During hot weather, concrete expands and causes pressure throughout the slab, often resulting in cracks. Conversely, during cold weather, the moisture in the ground freezes and can cause the slab to shrink, causing concrete to lift, heave and crack.
3. Excessive weight: Concrete is strong but not indestructible. Excessively heavy objects, like snow, can cause cracking.
4. Shrinkage: When concrete is installed, water is used to facilitate mixing and pouring. As concrete cures, excess water evaporates and causes a reduction in concrete volume, sometimes leading to cracking.

Defects: Improper installation or a poorly prepared concrete mix may lead to a weak slab that’s prone to cracking.

Signs of Concrete Failure
Identifying failure can help you address issues before they get out of hand. One of the most common signs is cracking – while a few hairline cracks that aren’t actively growing aren’t typically a problem, larger cracks that spread can affect drainage, aesthetics and structural integrity.

If you notice water collecting in areas following heavy rain, that may indicate a soil issue that can lead to concrete failure. Pitting, flaking and staining are also signs of damaged concrete. Uneven surfaces or sinking concrete are serious signs that concrete slabs are struggling with external factors that need to be addressed.

Options for Addressing Concrete Failure
When homeowners notice signs of failure in their driveways, sidewalks or patios, they often assume replacement is the only option. However, concrete repair can revitalize slabs without a full replacement, typically at a lower price.

Repair: New technology makes repairing concrete less invasive, more affordable and quicker than total replacement. Consider Thrasher Foundation Repair’s PolyLevel process, which refers to a system using a two-part polyurethane polymer to fill voids and lift concrete slabs to their original position. It’s injected through a pencil eraser-sized hole and expands into a structural foam that compacts the soil. Quick, noninvasive and aesthetically pleasing, it’s a fast installation process with a curing time of 15-20 minutes so the surface can be used the same day. This repair process is recommended for cracks, settled and unlevel slabs or sunken steps.

“Repairing concrete, rather than full replacement, can save homeowners as much as 50-80%, depending on square footage,” said Dan Thrasher, CEO of Thrasher Foundation Repair. “It’s often a more economical solution that provides peace of mind, visual appeal and long-lasting results.”

Staining: After a repair, slabs may appear mismatched. Staining concrete adds visual appeal while helping to prevent pitting, flaking, cracking and moisture-related issues.

Replacement: As a long, disruptive and inconvenient process, full slab replacement can be overwhelming, both in terms of time and money. Some situations do call for full slab replacement, however, such as concrete older than 30 years, deep cracks and large potholes or a poorly installed base.

When choosing the right way to address concrete failure, it’s important to consider your time and budget. When in doubt, contact a professional who can walk you through the process by visiting GoThrasher.com.

SOURCE:

Thrasher Foundation Repair

Save a Life from Stroke

Strokes can happen to anyone, at any age – even young people. Despite being one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States, strokes are largely preventable, treatable and beatable – if you can control your risk factors.

According to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Keeping blood pressure in check, living a healthy lifestyle and knowing stroke warning signs may help protect you and your loved ones.

Here are key insights from the American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative, nationally supported by the HCA Healthcare Foundation.

Controlling Risk Factors
Up to 80% of strokes may be preventable, according to the American Stroke Association. You can take action to prevent strokes by managing your risk factors, like high blood pressure, a leading cause and controllable risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

Other risk factors include diabetes and obesity, which can be kept in check with healthy lifestyle behaviors such as good nutrition. Quitting smoking and being physically active are important. Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, which is a quivering or irregular heartbeat, also increases stroke risk. In fact, people with AFib are five times more likely to have a stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Preventing a Second Stroke
Nearly 1 in 4 strokes occur in people who had a previous stroke, sometimes because they don’t know what caused the first, making identifying the cause of the stroke a key step toward future prevention. Treatment depends on the type of stroke someone is having, which can be determined with a series of medical evaluations and tests.

Work with your health care professional to develop a plan that helps you move forward after a first stroke while preventing a second. This plan should include controlling risk factors, like achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

“Preventing a second stroke is possible with the right approach,” said Teresita Casanova, MD, HCA Healthcare affiliated neurologist and American Stroke Association volunteer expert. “Taking medicines as prescribed, monitoring health numbers, and making small, consistent lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Stroke survivors should feel empowered to take control of their health and work with their care team to build a strong prevention plan.”

To help you in your journey, you can rely on tools such as the Heart & Stroke Helper, a free self-management app available for stroke survivors and their caregivers. The app allows patients to oversee their health in one place with features that track progress on lifestyle habits, manage medications, track health numbers, provide information about stroke and allow patients to connect with others for inspiration.

Find more ways to manage second stroke risk at Stroke.org

Act F.A.S.T.: How to Detect Signs of Stroke
Most adults in the U.S. don’t know the stroke warning signs, nor that stroke is largely treatable if you call 911 as soon as you recognize the symptoms.

Learning the acronym F.A.S.T. can help you recognize that someone may be having stroke symptoms so you can take life-saving action.

F: Face Drooping. Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?

A: Arm Weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S: Speech. Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.”

T: Time to Call 911. If you or anyone else shows any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

SOURCE:

American Heart Association

How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information

Neurons that fire together sometimes wire together. PASIEKA/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

William Wright, University of California, San Diego and Takaki Komiyama, University of California, San Diego

Every day, people are constantly learning and forming new memories. When you pick up a new hobby, try a recipe a friend recommended or read the latest world news, your brain stores many of these memories for years or decades.

But how does your brain achieve this incredible feat?

In our newly published research in the journal Science, we have identified some of the “rules” the brain uses to learn.

Learning in the brain

The human brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. These neurons conduct electrical pulses that carry information, much like how computers use binary code to carry data.

These electrical pulses are communicated with other neurons through connections between them called synapses. Individual neurons have branching extensions known as dendrites that can receive thousands of electrical inputs from other cells. Dendrites transmit these inputs to the main body of the neuron, where it then integrates all these signals to generate its own electrical pulses.

It is the collective activity of these electrical pulses across specific groups of neurons that form the representations of different information and experiences within the brain.

Neurons are the basic units of the brain. OpenStax, CC BY-SA

For decades, neuroscientists have thought that the brain learns by changing how neurons are connected to one another. As new information and experiences alter how neurons communicate with each other and change their collective activity patterns, some synaptic connections are made stronger while others are made weaker. This process of synaptic plasticity is what produces representations of new information and experiences within your brain.

In order for your brain to produce the correct representations during learning, however, the right synaptic connections must undergo the right changes at the right time. The “rules” that your brain uses to select which synapses to change during learning – what neuroscientists call the credit assignment problem – have remained largely unclear.

Defining the rules

We decided to monitor the activity of individual synaptic connections within the brain during learning to see whether we could identify activity patterns that determine which connections would get stronger or weaker.

To do this, we genetically encoded biosensors in the neurons of mice that would light up in response to synaptic and neural activity. We monitored this activity in real time as the mice learned a task that involved pressing a lever to a certain position after a sound cue in order to receive water.

We were surprised to find that the synapses on a neuron don’t all follow the same rule. For example, scientists have often thought that neurons follow what are called Hebbian rules, where neurons that consistently fire together, wire together. Instead, we saw that synapses on different locations of dendrites of the same neuron followed different rules to determine whether connections got stronger or weaker. Some synapses adhered to the traditional Hebbian rule where neurons that consistently fire together strengthen their connections. Other synapses did something different and completely independent of the neuron’s activity.

Our findings suggest that neurons, by simultaneously using two different sets of rules for learning across different groups of synapses, rather than a single uniform rule, can more precisely tune the different types of inputs they receive to appropriately represent new information in the brain.

In other words, by following different rules in the process of learning, neurons can multitask and perform multiple functions in parallel.

Future applications

This discovery provides a clearer understanding of how the connections between neurons change during learning. Given that most brain disorders, including degenerative and psychiatric conditions, involve some form of malfunctioning synapses, this has potentially important implications for human health and society.

For example, depression may develop from an excessive weakening of the synaptic connections within certain areas of the brain that make it harder to experience pleasure. By understanding how synaptic plasticity normally operates, scientists may be able to better understand what goes wrong in depression and then develop therapies to more effectively treat it.

Changes to connections in the amygdala – colored green – are implicated in depression. William J. Giardino/Luis de Lecea Lab/Stanford University via NIH/Flickr, CC BY-NC

These findings may also have implications for artificial intelligence. The artificial neural networks underlying AI have largely been inspired by how the brain works. However, the learning rules researchers use to update the connections within the networks and train the models are usually uniform and also not biologically plausible. Our research may provide insights into how to develop more biologically realistic AI models that are more efficient, have better performance, or both.

There is still a long way to go before we can use this information to develop new therapies for human brain disorders. While we found that synaptic connections on different groups of dendrites use different learning rules, we don’t know exactly why or how. In addition, while the ability of neurons to simultaneously use multiple learning methods increases their capacity to encode information, what other properties this may give them isn’t yet clear.

Future research will hopefully answer these questions and further our understanding of how the brain learns.

William Wright, Postdoctoral Scholar in Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego and Takaki Komiyama, Professor of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

What 100% Grass-Fed Organic Dairy Brings to Your Table

It’s no secret that many grocery store dairy sections are filled with more options today. One choice continuing to gain favor with consumers is 100% grass-fed organic dairy. Nutrition, environmental awareness and animal care are some of the leading reasons consumers choose grass-fed dairy products.

Globally, the 100% grass-fed dairy market is projected to continue growing and some market experts predict annual growth rates as high as 22%. If you’re curious about 100% grass-fed organic dairy, consider these benefits from Maple Hill, America’s original 100% grass-fed organic dairy producer. The pioneer of 100% grass-fed organic dairy took its commitment a step further by celebrating and declaring National 100% Grass-Fed Organic Dairy Day on April 15, which recognizes the positive impact it has on consumers, cows, farmers and the environment.

1. Honoring the Farmers
Unlike large-scale corporate dairy farms, most organic farms are small, family-owned operations dedicated to traditional, sustainable farming. Small dairy farms have been disappearing, but 100% grass-fed organic dairy creates a sustainable, viable path forward for farmers who work in harmony with nature. 

This more natural approach to dairy is a “craft” process favoring small family farmers who are willing to dedicate the extra focus and patience to a better product and process. These family farms are passed on to future generations to grow the “better for you, better for the planet” approach.

2. Commitment to Good Health
Most consumers don’t know the difference between traditional organic and 100% grass-fed organic dairy. One key distinction is the products’ nutritional composition; 100% grass-fed organic dairy provides a 50% healthier ratio of omega 3:6 and 40% higher levels of CLA fatty acids, which may support heart health and provide other health benefits.

What’s more, Maple Hill’s products made with 100% grass-fed organic dairy are GMO free, hormone free and antibiotic free with no additives or fillers. The line of high-quality, rich-flavored products let you experience the organic difference from traditional dairy for a nutrient-dense solution that tastes as nature intended.

3. Happy, Healthy Cows
Cows on a 100% grass-fed diet can live up to three times as long as grain-fed cows and are never subjected to unnatural diets, hormones or antibiotics. More time in pastures filled with lush grass means cows have the freedom to roam, ruminate and graze on diverse, nutrient-rich grasses.

The result is happier, healthier cows, which in turn results in a richer, better-tasting and more nutrient-dense milk.

4. Sustainability and the Environment
Producing milk without grain or corn requires farmers to focus on regenerating soil and the soil life that supports everything else on the farm. In fact, the healthier the soil, the healthier the feed, so farmers have a natural incentive to be as regenerative as possible. Regenerative grazing practices are a powerful and positive tool to improve land and the web of life on farms by actively restoring soil health, promoting biodiversity and reducing the environmental impact compared to conventional dairy.

Well-managed grazing helps pull carbon from the atmosphere into the soil, fighting climate change in the process. In addition, healthier soil retains more water, reducing runoff and protecting water sources from agricultural pollution.

5. Strengthening the 100% Grass-Fed Organic Market
Consumers are increasingly aware of the choices they have in dairy products and how 100% grass-fed organic supports their health, farmers, animals and the planet. Some ways to support this category’s continued growth include choosing certified 100% grass-fed organic dairy, advocating for regenerative farming and helping shape a more sustainable food system.

Learn more about 100% grass-fed organic dairy products at maplehill.com.

SOURCE:

Maple Hill

Gear Up for Grilling Season

As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, it’s time to fire up the grill and elevate your outdoor cooking game. Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or just starting out, success comes down to three essentials: quality ingredients, the right seasonings and reliable equipment that gives you full control over heat and timing.

If you’re ready to turn up the heat this season, explore high-performance grilling solutions from Nexgrill – built to match every cooking style and skill level. From backyard barbecues to weeknight dinners under the open sky, its lineup is designed to help you serve up unforgettable flavors all season long. Visit nexgrill.com to learn more and get inspired.

Unlock a New Level of Outdoor Cooking Versatility

Transform your backyard into a chef-inspired kitchen with the Gourmet Pro 6-Burner Stainless Steel Gas Grill featuring the Griddle Max Cooking System. Designed to go beyond traditional grilling, this powerhouse lets you grill, saute, griddle and smoke all at once or on demand. The innovative system makes it easy to achieve restaurant-quality results, delivering unmatched versatility for any meal. Built with stainless steel burners, angled flame tamers and porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grids, it ensures consistent heat and fewer flare-ups. With 811 square inches of cooking space, six main burners and a high-heat searing side burner, you’ll get 75,000 BTU of total cooking power.

Take on Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

From sizzling fajitas at your backyard bash to early-morning pancakes before your next adventure, the Daytona 4-Burner Propane Gas Griddle delivers the heat, flavor and performance you need. Designed for versatility, this powerhouse features a 792-square-inch cooktop and four stainless steel burners, giving you the space and control to cook multiple dishes at once. Built-in convenience comes standard with dual side shelves, a lower storage rack to keep tools within reach and a removable grease cup for quick and easy cleanup. When it’s time to pack it in, a heavy-duty lid protects your cooking surface.

From Kitchen to Patio, It Goes Where You Go

Grilling isn’t just for the backyard. When weather or space keeps you inside, the Fuse 22-inch Electric Griddle delivers bold, flame-free cooking anywhere there’s an outlet. Ultralightweight and easy to transport, it’s built for seamless indoor-outdoor use. With 308 square inches of edge-to-edge heat, a durable nonstick surface and digital temperature control, this electric flattop offers precision and power. A hinged lid with a built-in viewing window locks in heat and flavor so you can cook efficiently. From weekday breakfasts in the kitchen to weekend feasts on the patio, it can be your all-access pass to delicious, flexible cooking – wherever life takes you.

SOURCE:
Nexgrill

What You Need to Know About Glaucoma

More than 4.2 million Americans live with glaucoma, a leading cause of vision loss in the nation. Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early detection and treatment can stop this condition in its tracks.

“Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States, but it’s estimated that half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it,” said Michael F. Chiang, M.D. “Glaucoma has no early symptoms, and the only way to check if you have it is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. There’s no cure for glaucoma, but starting treatment as early as possible can help stop vision loss.”

Regular eye exams are among the best lines of defense because symptoms may not appear until the disease has progressed significantly. Knowing more about how to spot the condition and what you can do about it may help protect your vision in the long run.

Glaucoma is actually a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve in the back of the eye and cause vision loss and blindness. The most common type in the United States is open-angle glaucoma. Other, less common, types include angle-closure glaucoma and congenital glaucoma.

Learn more about glaucoma from the experts at the National Eye Institute in honor of Glaucoma Awareness Month.

Causes
For some people, glaucoma is the result of another medical condition, but that’s not always the case. While experts still aren’t sure exactly what causes open-angle glaucoma, it’s believed to be related to the pressure that builds in the eye when fluid doesn’t drain fast enough. Over time, the pressure causes nerve damage, which then leads to vision loss.

Risk Factors
Glaucoma is not preventable and can affect anyone. However, some groups of people are at higher risk, including those over age 60 – particularly Hispanic or Latino individuals. African American individuals over age 40 are also at greater risk, as are people with a family history of glaucoma.

Symptoms
Early on, most people do not experience any symptoms of glaucoma. Over time, you may start to notice disruptions to your vision, such as blind spots or decreased peripheral vision (what you see from the sides of your eyes) in one or both eyes. This loss may be especially prevalent closest to your nose. Symptoms typically progress so slowly that people get used to it and don’t realize their vision is changing, which is why so many people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.

Intense eye pain, nausea, red eyes and blurry vision are all potential signs of angle-closure glaucoma, and immediate emergency treatment is necessary.

Diagnosis
The only way to properly diagnose glaucoma is through a dilated eye exam, including visual field testing to check your side vision. This routine test is painless and involves looking straight ahead while your doctor checks how well you can see objects off to the side or at the top or bottom of your field of vision.

Treatment
Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually lead to blindness. Treatment won’t undo any vision damage, but it can stop it from getting worse. Treatment may involve prescription eye drops to reduce eye pressure. Other treatment options include a laser procedure or surgery to help fluid drain. Vision rehabilitation services and devices may help if vision loss affects your everyday activities.

Find more information about glaucoma and eye health at nei.nih.gov/glaucoma. 

SOURCE:
National Eye Institute

Aproveche el poder de caminar: Beneficios de estar físicamente activo

Caminar no solo es bueno para el cuerpo; es una forma sencilla y poderosa de cuidar la mente y el alma. La actividad física, como caminar, reduce el estrés, mejora el estado de ánimo y promueve el bienestar general. Sin embargo, los niveles de actividad física en los Estados Unidos siguen disminuyendo, una tendencia que amenaza tanto la salud mental como la física.

Menos de la mitad de los adultos y menos de 1 de cada 5 niños en los EE. UU. realizan la cantidad recomendada de actividad física necesaria para la salud cardíaca, según la Actualización estadística de enfermedades cardíacas y accidentes cerebrovasculares de 2025 de la American Heart Association.

Las recomendaciones nacionales exigen que los niños realicen al menos una hora de actividad física cada día, pero las últimas estadísticas muestran que menos del 19% de los niños en EE. UU. alcanzan ese objetivo. Mientras tanto, menos de la mitad de los adultos realizan los 150 minutos o más de actividad física semanal recomendada.

Es más, según datos de una Encuesta Nacional de Examen de Salud y Nutrición, 1 de cada 4 adultos estadounidenses permanece sentado más de ocho horas al día, lo que puede tener consecuencias negativas para la salud física y mental.

Durante décadas, la American Heart Association ha defendido la importancia de la actividad física en las comunidades de todo el país. Estos consejos e información pueden ayudarle a comprender cómo una caminata rápida puede marcar una gran diferencia en la salud cardíaca y la claridad mental.

Beneficios de la actividad física
Mantenerse activo es una de las mejores maneras de mantener la mente y el cuerpo saludables.

Los beneficios para la salud física pueden ser obvios, pero las investigaciones sugieren que la actividad física también puede ayudar a traer más alegría a su vida. Según las Pautas de actividad física para estadounidenses de 2019, las personas que realizan la cantidad recomendada de actividad física tienen menos probabilidades de sufrir depresión.

La actividad física regular mejora el estado de ánimo, agudiza la mente, mejora el sueño y aumenta el bienestar general, al mismo tiempo que reduce el riesgo de enfermedades y depresión y aumenta tanto la calidad como la longevidad de vida.

Cómo ser más activo físicamente
Un ejercicio tan simple como una caminata rápida puede darle un impulso importante a su paso. Incluso puede darle energía para terminar otras tareas, ya sea cocinar o hacer mandados. Dele un impulso a su nivel de actividad física diaria con estos consejos:

• Hacer ejercicio al aire libre es una excelente manera de moverse. Se ha demostrado que pasar tiempo al aire libre reduce el estrés, promueve un sentido de pertenencia y mejora el estado de ánimo. Es aún mejor si puede disfrutar del sol al aire libre, lo que puede mejorar el estado de ánimo, reforzar su inmunidad y ayudarle a obtener vitamina D.

• Invite a un familiar o amigo a que lo acompañe. Es bueno para ellos, es bueno para usted y es buena compañía para todos.

• En lugar de preguntarse si se moverá hoy, explore cómo lo hará. Un paseo, un baile o un estiramiento, todo cuenta.

Involucrar a las mascotas
Las mascotas son parte de su familia y pueden ayudar a que todos estén saludables juntos. Las mascotas brindan una razón divertida para pasar más tiempo al aire libre y hacer el ejercicio necesario para reducir el riesgo de enfermedades más adelante en la vida.

Moverse con su mascota agrega más ejercicio a su rutina, lo que significa vivir más tiempo, reducir el riesgo de morir de un ataque cardíaco o un derrame cerebral, reducir el riesgo de diabetes, reducir el estrés e incluso aumentar su felicidad y bienestar general.

Hacer ejercicio con su mascota también puede significar disfrutar de más socialización. Es posible que se encuentre con otros dueños de perros en su zona durante un paseo o en el parque para perros.

Obtenga más información sobre cómo hábitos simples como caminar pueden favorecer su salud general en heart.org/MoveMore.

SOURCE:
American Heart Association

Reasons to Consider an Up-and-Coming Career in 2025

If you’re thinking about making a career change, re-evaluating your long-term career path or looking for a career with purpose, there is one path you may not have considered – and it might be the perfect fit: funeral service.

Consider this: Funeral service is facing a critical shortage of skilled professionals in the next decade due to retiring funeral home owners and rising death rates. In fact, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) estimates 5,700 openings for funeral service workers during each of the next 10 years.

In a world where Gen Zers said having a sense of purpose is important to their overall job satisfaction and well-being, according to a study by Deloitte, there’s an opportunity for business-minded individuals, young professionals and those seeking second career paths to explore this distinguished and fulfilling profession. While 1 in 10 (12%) adults would consider a career as a funeral director, Gen Zers (44%) and Millennials (38%) admit they do not know enough about the profession based on a survey by the NFDA.

There are several reasons to consider funeral service as a career, whether you’re a new grad, a young professional looking to get your foot in the door or someone with years of experience who’d like to test your transferable skills in a new career.

1. Fulfillment and Purpose
Funerals and memorial services are an important part of the grieving process and an opportunity for family and friends to gather to comfort one another and say goodbye to their loved one.

Funeral directors are not just in charge of logistics. They play a vital role in helping families navigate one of the most challenging times in their lives. They provide emotional support, guide families through funeral arrangements and ensure the service honors the deceased’s life.

2. Community Involvement
Funeral directors are often deeply involved in the communities they serve, volunteering with local nonprofit and community organizations, sponsoring little league teams and organizing collections for troops overseas. This sense of community extends beyond the immediate responsibilities of the job, as many funeral directors take on the role of mentors and leaders, guiding the next generation of professionals.

“As I look ahead to the next 15 years of my career and beyond, I ask myself one question and encourage others to do the same, no matter what career they are in: Are you doing the work to inspire a new generation of leaders and being the person you needed when you first started out?” said Allyse Worland, CFSP, licensed funeral director. “For me, the answer is always yes, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

3. Ability to Own a Business
A career in funeral service offers the opportunity to own your own funeral home. With experience and business skills, you can manage and grow a company that provides essential services to your community. It’s a unique blend of compassion and entrepreneurship, allowing you to make a meaningful impact while running a successful business.

If you’re looking for a meaningful career that combines purpose, community and the opportunity for growth, funeral service might be the path for you. With the occupation’s demand for skilled professionals on the rise, now is the time to consider how you can make a difference in the lives of others while shaping the future of a growing profession.

Learn more about the career path and take a quiz to determine whether it’s right for you by visiting rememberingalife.com/careers.

SOURCE:
National Funeral Directors Association

Street Tacos from the Slow Cooker

If your idea of street tacos includes standing over a hot skillet, wipe that sweat off your brow and give these Savory Street Tacos a try. They put the slow cooker and oven to work for you, providing that delicious street taco taste without the hassle. For more ways to simplify cooking at home, visit Culinary.net.

Savory Street Tacos

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 4-6

• 1 chuck roast (2-3 pounds)
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can (10 ounces) beef consommé
• 16-20 street taco tortillas
• 1 package (8 ounces) shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• salsa, for serving
• guacamole, for serving
• queso, for serving

1. Cover chuck roast with taco seasoning then place in slow cooker. Pour beef consommé over roast and cook on low 6 hours to braise.
2. Heat oven to 425 F.
3. Use fork to shred roast.
4. Brush outside of tortillas with avocado oil and fill with meat and shredded cheese. Place in casserole dish and bake 10-15 minutes until tacos reach desired crispiness.
5. Place on tray and serve with salsa, guacamole and queso.

Tip: Recipe can be doubled for large crowds.

SOURCE:
Culinary.net

Insomnia can lead to heart issues − a psychologist recommends changes that can improve sleep

Better sleep hygiene habits may help with insomnia. Tetra Images via Getty Images

Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Penn State

About 10% of Americans say they have chronic insomnia, and millions of others report poor sleep quality. Ongoing research has found that bad sleep could lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease.

Dr. Julio Fernandez-Mendoza is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral health, neuroscience and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. He discusses the need for sleep, why teenagers require more sleep than adults, and how you can get a good night’s sleep without medications.

Julio Fernandez-Mendoza discusses heart health and sleep.

The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion that have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How much sleep is enough for adults and for adolescents?

Julio Fernandez-Mendoza: Adults who report getting about seven to eight hours of sleep per night generally have the best health, in terms of both physical and mental health, and longevity.

But that recommendation changes with age. Adults over age 65 may need just six to seven hours of sleep per night. So older people, if otherwise healthy, should not feel anxious if they’re getting just six hours. Young people need the most – at least nine hours – and some younger children may need more.

How can insufficient sleep harm our health?

Fernandez-Mendoza: Our team was the first to show that those complaining about insomnia – difficulty falling or staying asleep – were more likely to have high blood pressure and be at risk for heart disease.

In both teens and adults, we found that insomnia and shortened sleep may lead to elevated stress, hormone levels and inflammation. These problems tend to show up before you develop heart disease.

As we age, the recommended amount of sleep declines. National Sleep Foundation Copyright 2025 National Sleep Foundation, all rights reserved

What about people who have more serious sleep problems?

Fernandez-Mendoza: Good sleep hygiene habits include cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, quitting smoking and exercising regularly. I also recommend not skipping meals, not eating too late at night and not eating too much.

But people with a persistent sleep problem may need to make more behavioral changes. Research studies point to a set of six rules that can improve your sleep. You can follow these changes consistently in the short term, and then choose how to adapt them into your lifestyle down the road.

First, get up at the same time no matter what. No matter how much sleep you get. This will anchor your sleep/wake cycle, called your circadian rhythm.

Second, do not use your bed for anything except sleep and sexual activity.

Third, when you can’t sleep, don’t lie in bed awake. Instead, get out of bed, go into another room if you can, and do an activity that’s enjoyable or relaxing. Go back to bed only when you’re ready to sleep.

Fourth, get going with daily activities even after a poor night’s sleep. Don’t try to compensate for sleep loss. If you have chronic insomnia, don’t nap, sleep in, or doze during the day or evening even after poor sleep the previous night.

Fifth, go to bed only when you’re actually sleepy enough to fall asleep.

And sixth, start with the amount of sleep you’re now getting – with the lowest limit at five hours – and then increase it weekly by 15 minutes.

These six rules are evidence-based and go above and beyond simple sleep hygiene habits. If they don’t work, see a provider who can help you.

Your teen isn’t lazy. There are reasons why adolescents sleep in.

Do you have advice specifically for adolescents?

Fernandez-Mendoza: Adolescence is a unique developmental period. It’s not just the obvious physical, emotional and behavioral changes that occur during adolescence and puberty – there are changes in a teenager’s brain that can alter their sleep patterns.

When an adolescent goes through puberty, their internal clock changes so that their sleep schedule shifts to later hours. While it’s true that adolescents are more engaged at night because of their social relationships, there’s also biology behind why they want to stay up late – their internal clocks have shifted. It’s not just choice.

School start times for most adolescents are at odds with that biological shift. So they don’t get enough sleep, which affects their performance in school. Research suggests that schools with later start times are more closely aligned with the science on child development and don’t put adolescents at risk by making them wake up earlier than their bodies are biologically inclined to.

Parents can help their teens get better sleep. Set a time for kids to stop doing homework and put away electronics. Instead, they can watch TV with the family or read – something relaxing and enjoyable that will help them wind down before bed.

You can also gradually move back their wake-up time. Start on weekends, waking them up 30 minutes earlier every day, including school days, until the child reaches the desired wake-up time. Don’t try to reshift them suddenly – for example, waking up a teenager at 5 a.m. like it’s the military – because that doesn’t work. They won’t get used to it, since it’s at odds with their internal clock. So, do it little by little. If that doesn’t work, see a clinical provider.

What kind of treatments can a sleep clinician provide?

Fernandez-Mendoza: People should get help if they feel they sleep poorly, if they’re fatigued during the day, or if they snore or grind their teeth. All these issues deserve attention.

Some people may think a sleep provider just prescribes expensive medication, but that’s not true. There are behavioral, non-drug-based treatments that work. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the first-line treatment recommended for insomnia. Light therapy may also help, which is the use of a bright light therapy lamp at a given time during the day or evening, depending on the person’s sleep problem.

Watch the full interview to hear more.

SciLine is a free service based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a nonprofit that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.

Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Neuroscience, and Public Health Sciences, Penn State

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

People say they prefer stories written by humans over AI-generated works, yet new study suggests that’s not quite true

Artificial intelligence is expected to generate a growing share of the world’s creative work. karetoria/Moment via Getty Images

Martin Abel, Bowdoin College and Reed Johnson, Bowdoin College

People say they prefer a short story written by a human over one composed by artificial intelligence, yet most still invest the same amount of time and money reading both stories regardless of whether it is labeled as AI-generated.

That was the main finding of a study we conducted recently to test whether this preference of humans over AI in creative works actually translates into consumer behavior. Amid the coming avalanche of AI-generated work, it is a question of real livelihoods for the millions of people worldwide employed in creative industries.

To investigate, we asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4 to generate a short story in the style of the critically acclaimed fiction author Jason Brown. We then recruited a nationally representative sample of over 650 people and offered participants US$3.50 to read and assess the AI-generated story. Crucially, only half the participants were told that the story was written by AI, while the other half was misled into believing it was the work of Jason Brown.

After reading the first half of the AI-generated story, participants were asked to rate the quality of the work along various dimensions, such as whether they found it predictable, emotionally engaging, evocative and so on. We also measured participants’ willingness to pay in order to read to the end of the story in two ways: how much of their study compensation they’d be willing to give up, and how much time they’d agree to spend transcribing some text we gave them.

So, were there differences between the two groups? The short answer: yes. But a closer analysis reveals some startling results.

To begin with, the group that knew the story was AI-generated had a much more negative assessment of the work, rating it more harshly on dimensions like predictability, authenticity and how evocative it is. These results are largely in keeping with a nascent but growing body of research that shows bias against AI in areas like visual art, music and poetry.

Nonetheless, participants were ready to spend the same amount of money and time to finish reading the story whether or not it was labeled as AI. Participants also did not spend less time on average actually reading the AI-labeled story.

When asked afterward, almost 40% of participants said they would have paid less if the same story was written by AI versus a human, highlighting that many are not aware of the discrepancies between their subjective assessments and actual choices.

Why it matters

Our findings challenge past studies showing people favor human-produced works over AI-generated ones. At the very least, this research doesn’t appear to be a reliable indicator of people’s willingness to pay for human-created art.

The potential implications for the future of human-created work are profound, especially in market conditions in which AI-generated work can be orders of magnitude cheaper to produce.

Even though artificial intelligence is still in its infancy, AI-made books are already flooding the market, recently prompting the authors guild to instate its own labeling guidelines.

Our research raises questions whether these labels are effective in stemming the tide.

What’s next

Attitudes toward AI are still forming. Future research could investigate whether there will be a backlash against AI-generated creative works, especially if people witness mass layoffs. After all, similar shifts occurred in the wake of mass industrialization, such as the arts and crafts movement in the late 19th century, which emerged as a response to the growing automation of labor.

A related question is whether the market will segment, where some consumers will be willing to pay more based on the process of creation, while others may be interested only in the product.

Regardless of how these scenarios play out, our findings indicate that the road ahead for human creative labor might be more uphill than previous research suggested. At the very least, while consumers may hold beliefs about the intrinsic value of human labor, many seem unwilling to put their money where their beliefs are.

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

Martin Abel, Assistant Professor of Economics, Bowdoin College and Reed Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, Bowdoin College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.