MANAGING BLOOD PRESSURE

Take Control

Effectively managing your blood pressure can help reduce your chances of life-threatening medical events, even death. Gain confidence and learn how to take control of your blood pressure with these tips and resources from the American Heart Association.

 The Silent Killer

High blood pressure is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it typically has few, if any, noticeable symptoms but can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and even death. Many people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it. Some overlooked symptoms can include dizziness, facial flushing and blood spots in the eyes.

Understand Your Readings

The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to regularly take an accurate blood pressure measurement. Understanding your results is key to controlling high blood pressure. Blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are usually considered within the normal range, yet it is important to talk to a doctor about your healthy range. Even if you fall within a healthy range, it can be beneficial to stick with heart-healthy habits like following a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Consider these numbers and ranges to know if it’s necessary to take action:

• Elevated blood pressure is when readings consistently range from 120-129 mm Hg systolic (the upper number) and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic (the lower number). People with elevated blood pressure are likely to develop high blood pressure unless steps are taken to control the condition.

• Hypertension stage 1 is when blood pressure consistently ranges from 130-139 mm Hg systolic or 80-89 mm Hg diastolic. At this stage, doctors are likely to prescribe lifestyle changes and may consider adding blood pressure medication based on your risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke.

• Hypertension stage 2 is when blood pressure consistently ranges at 140/90 mm Hg or higher. At this stage, doctors are likely to prescribe a combination of blood pressure medications and lifestyle changes.

• A hypertensive crisis requires medical attention. If your blood pressure readings suddenly exceed 180/120 mm Hg, wait 5 minutes then test again. If your readings are still unusually high, contact your doctor immediately. Seek emergency help if your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg and you are experiencing signs of possible organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, change in vision or difficulty speaking.

Know Your Risk

While many risk factors for high blood pressure may be related to your age, gender and family history, there are also risk factors you can change to help prevent and manage high blood pressure. People at added risk may be those who engage in lower levels of physical activity, eat a diet high in sodium (particularly from packaged, processed foods), may be overweight or obese, drink excessive amounts of alcohol and may have multiple chronic conditions.

Talk About It

Whether you’re making changes in your own life to combat high blood pressure or helping someone else, positive feelings and confidence are longer-term motivators to making health changes. If you’re talking with friends, loved ones or your doctor, be prepared to ask open-ended questions. Be curious and kind to yourself and others you may be helping.

Lowering Your Pressure

You can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and even death with lifestyle changes and medication.

Watching your weight, especially if you are overweight or obese, can bring health gains; losing as little as 5-10 pounds may help lower your blood pressure. Managing your stress by relaxing for short periods during your workday, at night and on weekends is another productive practice.

If you have diabetes, it’s important to work with a doctor to manage the disease and reduce your blood glucose levels.

If you think you could have sleep apnea, getting screened for and treating the condition can also reduce your risk for developing high blood pressure.

When you have high blood pressure, medication may be an important part of your treatment. Follow the recommendations carefully, even if it means taking medication every day for the rest of your life.

When you’re discussing high blood pressure concerns with your health care provider, also be sure to talk to your doctor about over-the-counter pain relievers that may raise your blood pressure. Talking with your doctor can help you identify over-the-counter pain medications that won’t raise your blood pressure to ensure you’re not creating a blood pressure problem while treating other concerns.

Getting Ready for Your Appointment

Think about what challenges you face in controlling your blood pressure that you need to share with your doctor to create a plan that works for you. Start by considering the answers to these questions to discuss with your health care provider:

• How often do you check your blood pressure?
• Do you keep a log of your blood pressure measurements?
• Are you taking medications as prescribed?
• What are some things you can do to have less salt in your diet?
• What are some reasons it can be hard to manage your blood pressure?
• What are some things you’d like to discuss during your appointment?

Learn more about monitoring and managing high blood pressure at heart.org/bptools. Thank you Family Features.

 

Chores to Tackle to Get Your Home Ready for Spring

After months spent largely indoors while harsh elements battered your home’s exterior, many homeowners are throwing open the windows and embracing spring’s arrival.

Every home requires ongoing maintenance to ensure it’s living up to its aesthetic and functional best. This checklist can help you create a comfortable home setting for enjoying the warmer months.

Check gutters. During the colder months, debris can accumulate in the gutters, which can be problematic when spring rains arrive. Clogged gutters prevent water from flowing efficiently away from the roof and house. When they’re backed up, they can cause water damage in a short amount of time. Faulty guttering can also cause slow leaks that lead to damage you may not discover until major repair work is needed. Properly functioning gutters are clear of debris, flow freely and are securely attached to the home.

Inspect the roof. Your roof takes a real beating in all kinds of weather conditions. Making it a common practice to carefully inspect the roof with the change of seasons can help you identify potential problems while they’re still in early stages, before a big storm hits and major damage occurs. Some roof issues can be addressed with simple repairs you can do yourself while others may require a professional. A roofing expert can help you determine whether any trouble areas can be patched or if a more complete restoration is in order.

Replace the dryer vent. Upgrading your dryer vent is an opportunity to conserve energy and prevent flammable lint build-up in your dryers. One option for updating the exhaust system is a paintable version of InoVate’s Prime DryerWallVent. Engineered for both vent replacement and new construction, the vent includes features such as a gravity-assist damper, integrated magnets and a drip edge to provide extra protection from the elements as well as pests. A large, clean opening and lightweight angled damper promote exceptional airflow efficiency.

Service air conditioning units. Your heating and cooling system works hard to keep your indoor climate comfortable when extreme temperatures make the outdoors unbearable. That’s why it’s important to have your systems serviced by a professional, and spring is a smart time to do so before they’re hard at work throughout the warmer months. Service can correct problems and ensure everything is operating efficiently, which can lead to money savings as well.

Repair window screens. Throughout the winter, your home’s window screens can accumulate a layer of dirt and grime that isn’t just unsightly; it blows indoors when you open the windows to welcome a fresh breeze. What’s more, if your screens have rips and tears, pesky bugs and other critters can make their way into your home more easily. Cleaning and repairing your screens can make your home more secure and help protect your indoor air quality.

Find more information to help get your home ready for spring at DryerWallVent.com.

 

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

 

SOURCE:
InOvate

A Leading Cause of Vision Loss is Flying Under the Radar

The number of Americans 65 years of age and over continues to rise, according to the United States Census Bureau.

While many in this demographic are mindful of conditions like osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, a leading cause of vision loss is flying under the radar, according to survey results included in the Visionary Report from the eye care experts at Bausch + Lomb. The results of the report identify blind spots in Americans’ understanding and awareness of a stealth eyesight stealer: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

AMD is a progressive eye condition that impacts central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss for those over age 50 and a leading cause of blindness for the 65-plus population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition impacts central vision and occurs when the macula – the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision – is damaged over time, causing people to have difficulty seeing faces, reading, driving or doing close-up work like cooking, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).

Most notably, the survey of more than 2,000 adults in the United States, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bausch + Lomb, found 81% of adults would be willing to give up $1 million or other comforts like listening to music if it meant never losing their eyesight. Despite this clear prioritization of the ability to see, only 37% of those surveyed over the age of 50 know AMD is a leading cause of vision loss for Americans.

Additionally, 62% of those surveyed who are 50 years of age and older are worried about losing their eyesight as they age, but true understanding of the condition is blurry as 61% aren’t aware a dilated eye exam is needed to diagnose AMD, and less than half are aware that vitamins or supplements may help reduce the risk of progression of AMD in some patients.

“As a practicing physician, I find the data in the Visionary Report alarming but also very helpful,” said Rishi Singh, M.D., staff physician, Cleveland Clinic Florida, and president, Cleveland Clinic Martin North and South Hospitals. “The findings underscore the need to take time to educate and empower aging Americans who are vulnerable to AMD and are clearly lacking a full understanding of the risk factors.”

While AMD can lead to blindness and does not yet have a cure, there are steps patients can take as part of a plan created with their doctors to reduce their risk of progression. Those steps include visiting an eye care professional for an annual dilated eye exam – the only way to diagnose and check the progression of AMD –  quitting smoking, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet.

Patients should also talk to their doctors about taking a vitamin based on the AREDS2 study conducted by the NEI. Researchers tested and refined the AREDS formula for more than 20 years.

To learn more about the survey findings and the steps you can take to help protect your vision, visit SightMatters.com.

PV2.0117.USA.22

Source: Bausch + Lomb

 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

 

SOURCE:
Bausch + Lomb

A Heart-Healthy Family Meal

A Heart-Healthy Family Meal

Making small changes to focus on your health, like following a healthy eating plan, can make a big difference in protecting your heart.

Developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It requires no special foods, and instead provides daily and weekly nutritional goals to help lower two major risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure and high LDL (bad) cholesterol.

As an added bonus, sharing DASH-friendly meals with your loved ones can help take the guesswork out of putting nutritious dinners on your family’s table. For example, this easy and delicious Turkey and Beef Meatballs with Whole-Wheat Spaghetti recipe is one the entire family can help prepare.

In addition to a following a healthy eating plan, other self-care habits like taking time daily to destress, being more physically active and getting enough quality sleep can all benefit your heart. It’s also important to know what your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are and what a healthy weight is for you.

Learn more about the DASH eating plan and find recipes at nhlbi.nih.gov/DASH.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Turkey and Beef Meatballs with Whole-Wheat Spaghetti
Recipe courtesy of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

• 3          quarts water
• 8          ounces dry whole-wheat spaghetti
• 2          cups chunky tomato sauce
• 4          teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1          tablespoon fresh basil, rinsed, dried and chopped

Turkey Meatballs:

• 6          ounces 99% lean ground turkey
• 1/4       cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 2          tablespoons fat-free evaporated milk
• 1          tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2       tablespoon fresh chives, rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1/2       tablespoon fresh parsley, rinsed, dried and chopped

Beef Meatballs:

• 6          ounces 93% lean ground beef
• 1/4       cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 2          tablespoons fat-free evaporated milk
• 1          tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2       tablespoon fresh chives, rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1/2      tablespoon fresh parsley, rinsed, dried and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In 4-quart saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil.
3. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. To make turkey meatballs: In bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, chives and parsley; mix well. Measure 1 1/2 tablespoons turkey mixture and roll into ball using hands. Place meatball on nonstick baking sheet. Repeat until eight turkey meatballs are made.
5. To make beef meatballs: In separate bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, chives and parsley; mix well. Measure 1 1/2 tablespoons beef mixture and roll into ball using hands. Place meatball on nonstick baking sheet. Repeat until eight beef meatballs are made.
6. Bake meatballs 10 minutes until minimum internal temperature of 165 F is reached.
7. Warm sauce, if necessary.

To serve: Serve four meatballs with 3/4 cup pasta, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese and 1 pinch basil per portion.

SOURCE:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Democrats and Order of Eastern Star Collect Warm Clothing and Blankets

Volunteers from the Shelby County Democratic Party and Harris Pride #437, Order of Eastern Star, joined forces on Sunday afternoon, January 29, to collect items to help Shelby residents who struggle to stay warm in these wet, chilly days of winter.  

A steady parade of donors braved a cold rain on that Sunday to deliver their goods to the collection site at the Shelby County Services Building in Pelham.  These generous citizens brought new or gently worn men’s and women’s coats, jackets, children’s winter wear of all types, hoodies, raincoats, gloves, hats, scarves, new underwear and socks, plus blankets and even handmade quilts.

This bounty of comfort was sorted and packaged by volunteers from the two sponsoring groups, and delivered to several non-profit agencies who help people in need county-wide and year-round.  Because of the big hearts and open wallets of Democrats and Eastern Star members, many people in Shelby County are warmer now.

“Caring for Shelby Countians is a community, non-partisan effort,” according to Teresa Stafford, leader of the Harris Pride group.  Democratic Party Chair Marsha Sturdevant added, “Democracy thrives when we take care of each other.”  Both these worthy groups organize regular public service projects to benefit the people of the county.  For information on past and future activities of local Democrats, visit this website: shelbycountydems.com.  To contact Harris Pride #437, OES, use this email:  harrispride437@gmail.com.

Stanley Stoutamire, Jr

                                              

     Stanley Stoutamire, Jr., a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, serves as the Student Government Association treasurer, a student ambassador, a 2022 Alabama 4-H state ambassador, and a 2022 Alabama delegate to 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus. He also serves as the drum major of the Marching Cavaliers and treasurer of his school’s Eco Club. During the summer of 2020, he began an annual community food drive to support his local food bank. He is a member of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Commended Scholar and an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. Stanley plans to attend college to pursue a degree in the medical field. His ultimate goal is to bridge communication barriers between healthcare providers and the government.

Chosen as alternates to the 2023 program were Mr. Noah Michael Sanderson, a resident of Muscle Shoals, who attends Colbert Heights High School and Ms. Anna Elizabeth Wingate, a resident of Eufaula, who attends Eufaula High School.

     Delegates and alternates are selected by the state departments of education nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and principals. The chief state school officer for each jurisdiction confirms the final selection. This year’s Alabama delegates and alternates were designated by Eric G. Mackey, State Superintendent of Education.

     During the program week, the student delegates will attend meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others.

In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top one percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors. Now more than 6,000 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished alumni are: Senator Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected U.S. senator; Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, the first alumnus to be appointed as a cabinet secretary; former Senator Cory Gardner, the second alumnus to be elected U.S. senator and the first to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor; former Chief Judge Robert Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; former Ambassador to West Germany Richard Burt, former presidential advisors Thomas "Mack" McLarty and Karl Rove. 

     Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, Provost of Wake Forest University Rogan Kersh, military officers, members of state legislatures, Foreign Service officers, top congressional staff, healthcare providers and other university educators.

     Members of the U. S. Senate Youth Program 2023 annual Senate Advisory Committee are: Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado, the 2023 USSYP Democratic Co-Chair and Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the 2023 USSYP Republican Co-Chair. The full USSYP Senate Advisory Committee consists of the vice president of the United States and the Senate majority and minority leaders who annually serve as the program’s Honorary Co-Chairs; two senators, one from each party, serving as acting Co-Chairs who each have keynote speaking roles, and an eight-member bipartisan senate panel, four senators from each party, who lend their names in support. Serving on the Advisory Committee for the upcoming program are: Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Senator Bill Cassidy, MD, of Louisiana, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Senator Cynthia M. Lummis of Wyoming.

For more information please visit: www.ussenateyouth.org

Programming Perl

 Perl is a family of two high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming languages. "Perl" refers to Perl 5, but from 2000 to 2019 it also referred to its redesigned "sister language", Perl 6, before the latter's name was officially changed to Raku in October 2019.

Though Perl is not officially an acronym, there are various backronyms in use, including "Practical Extraction and Reporting Language". Perl was developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions. Raku, which began as a redesign of Perl 5 in 2000, eventually evolved into a separate language. Both languages continue to be developed independently by different development teams and liberally borrow ideas from each other.

The Perl languages borrow features from other programming languages including C, sh, AWK, and sed; They provide text processing facilities without the arbitrary data-length limits of many contemporary Unix command line tools. Perl 5 gained widespread popularity in the late 1990s as a CGI scripting language, in part due to its powerful regular expression and string parsing abilities.

In addition to CGI, Perl 5 is used for system administration, network programming, finance, bioinformatics, and other applications, such as for GUIs. It has been nicknamed "the Swiss Army chainsaw of scripting languages" because of its flexibility and power,[19] and also what some consider ugliness due to its utilization of more special characters than many other languages. In 1998, it was also referred to as the "duct tape that holds the Internet together," in reference to both its ubiquitous use as a glue language and its perceived inelegance.

Perl is a highly expressive programming language: source code for a given algorithm can be short and highly compressible.  Thank you Wikipedia Community Since 2001

What is Family Sharing?

One adult in your household — the family organizer — invites your family members. When family members join, they get instant access to the group’s subscriptions and content that are eligible for sharing. Each family member uses their own account, so everyone’s experience stays personalized and private.

Share Apple subscriptions

Whether it’s music, TV and movies, news, games, or fitness, Apple subscriptions have something for everyone. And with iCloud+, you can share storage and features like iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video support with your family.

When you use Family Sharing, your whole family can share access to the same Apple subscriptions. With Apple One, you can bundle everything together for one low monthly price. You can also share some other subscriptions that you sign up for in apps from the App Store.

Share purchases from the App Store and more

When you set up purchase sharing, everyone in the family gets access to the apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that family members buy. The content automatically appears on the Purchased page in the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or Apple TV app. Some items can't be shared.

Everyone's personal files and preferences stay private

When you share iCloud+, family members can't see each others’ photos, files, or documents. And when you share other subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, or Apple TV+, each person sees their own preferences and recommendations — not the whole family’s.

If your family includes children

With just a few simple steps, parents or guardians can create Apple IDs for kids in their family under 13*. With their own Apple ID, a child can use their own account on their own device — and even make their own purchasing decisions. But with integrated parental control features, a parent or guardian can easily set up an account with age appropriate content access, Screen Time settings, and more.

Approve what kids buy or download

If you want to see and approve what kids download, set up Ask to Buy. When a child asks to buy apps, movies, or other content, a notification is sent to the family organizer, who can approve or decline it right from their device.

Kids can use Apple Cash

With Apple Cash Family, your child or teen can send or receive money in Messages and make purchases with Apple Pay. Parents can send allowance or spending money directly to children. And parents can see and limit kids' spending. Family members under 18 can also participate in Apple Card Family.

Limit how much time kids spend on their devices

With Screen Time, you can keep an eye on how much time your kids spend using apps, visiting websites, and on their devices overall. Review your kids’ activity reports and set time limits for specific apps right from your own device. You can also name another family member as a parent/guardian so that you’re always on the same page when it comes to your kids and their screen time.

Kids can stay connected with an Apple Watch

Set up Apple Watch for a school-aged child who doesn’t have their own iPhone. Kids can use their Apple Watch to make phone calls, send messages, and share their location with you. And parents can help kids stay distraction-free during school hours with Schooltime.

Apple.com

CRYPTOGRAPHY

Cryptography prior to the modern age was effectively synonymous with encryption, converting readable information (plaintext) to unintelligible nonsense text (ciphertext), which can only be read by reversing the process (decryption). The sender of an encrypted (coded) message shares the decryption (decoding) technique only with intended recipients to preclude access from adversaries. The cryptography literature often uses the names "Alice" (or "A") for the sender, "Bob" (or "B") for the intended recipient, and "Eve" (or "E") for the eavesdropping adversary. Since the development of rotor cipher machines in World War I and the advent of computers in World War II, cryptography methods have become increasingly complex and their applications more varied.

Modern cryptography is heavily based on mathematical theory and computer science practice; cryptographic algorithms are designed around computational hardness assumptions, making such algorithms hard to break in actual practice by any adversary. While it is theoretically possible to break into a well-designed system, it is infeasible in actual practice to do so. Such schemes, if well designed, are therefore termed "computationally secure"; theoretical advances (e.g., improvements in integer factorization algorithms) and faster computing technology require these designs to be continually reevaluated, and if necessary, adapted. Information-theoretically secure schemes that provably cannot be broken even with unlimited computing power, such as the one-time pad, are much more difficult to use in practice than the best theoretically breakable, but computationally secure, schemes.

The growth of cryptographic technology has raised a number of legal issues in the Information Age. Cryptography's potential for use as a tool for espionage and sedition has led many governments to classify it as a weapon and to limit or even prohibit its use and export. In some jurisdictions where the use of cryptography is legal, laws permit investigators to compel the disclosure of encryption keys for documents relevant to an investigation.[8][9] Cryptography also plays a major role in digital rights management and copyright infringement disputes in regard to digital media.

Thank you Wikipedia Community our travels since 2001 has been amazing and still going strong!

Stretch Your Grocery Budget with a Savory Solutions

In today's world, grocery shopping can seem more like a burden than an opportunity to gather supplies for your family's favorite meals. With prices of everyday ingredients fluctuating almost daily, it's important for many families to make their dollars go further at the store.

Easy ways to stretch your grocery budget, like using versatile ingredients, can make the checkout experience a little less impactful on your household's finances. Consider the benefits of mushrooms, which provide a delicious option to enhance flavor in favorite recipes while extending portions in an affordable way. 

Save Money

Stretch your dollars by stretching your meals using a process called "The Blend." Blending finely chopped mushrooms with ground meat can extend portion sizes of your favorite meaty recipes and help your bottom line. Chop your favorite mushroom variety to match the consistency of ground meat, blend the chopped mushrooms and meat together then cook to complete the recipe. For burgers, use a blend of 25% finely chopped mushrooms and 75% ground meat. For tacos or chili, use 50% mushrooms and 50% meat or an even higher mushroom-to-meat ratio.

Savor the Flavor

The savory umami taste of mushrooms means a flavorful experience in blended recipes like burgers, where the chopped mushrooms help hold in the juiciness. Or, you can chop, quarter, slice or enjoy them whole in a recipe like Creamy Spinach, Mushroom and Lasagna Soup.

One Carton, Multiple Dishes

Thanks to mushrooms' versatility, you can buy one large carton of mushrooms to chop up then bulk up multiple dishes, from a morning omelet to hearty soups to blended burgers.

Serve Up Nutrition

Low-calorie, low-sodium, fat-free and cholesterol-free, mushrooms are nutrient rich and can play a starring role in a variety of meals. With an array of fresh varieties and nearly endless ways to prepare them, they can be your powerhouse from the produce department.

Find more recipe ideas and ways to make the most of your grocery store dollars at MushroomCouncil.com.

Creamy Spinach, Mushroom and Lasagna Soup

Recipe courtesy of Emily Weeks, MS, RD, on behalf of the Mushroom Council

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, small diced 

8 ounces mushrooms, such as white button, crimini or portabella, sliced

1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 cups vegetable broth

6 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

5 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 cup whole milk ricotta

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping

Heat large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and mushrooms soften, 4-5 minutes.

Add marinara, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, oregano, pepper, bay leaf and broth. Bring to boil over high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer. Add lasagna noodles and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in heavy cream and spinach until wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Divide between bowls and top each with dollop of ricotta and sprinkle of mozzarella.

Source: Mushroom Council

Thank you Family Features

How to Help Children Build a Growth Mindset

(Family Features) A new year is a perfect time to consider the habits you want to keep and the ones you’d like to develop. One resolution to consider is helping your children develop a growth mindset this year.

“We know one of the greatest boosts to parents’ confidence over the past year came from knowing their children’s whole selves are being nurtured, and we want to see that trend continue,” said Carter Peters from KinderCare Learning Center’s education team. “A growth mindset helps children try new things despite fear of failure. It’s the kind of thinking that allows inventors and creative thinkers to get excited about trying something new and ensures they have the cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills to work through hurdles.”

Adults can often easily spot when children are engaged in creative thinking and prideful of their work, but that confidence may be lost as failures turn into insecurities. By nurturing a growth mindset and showing children they can learn and develop new skills in any area, it better sets them up for long-term success.

Consider these three tips to help children build a growth mindset:

Praise effort: It’s easy to fall into the habit of praising successes. However, praising effort encourages children to try new things without the fear of failing. It also teaches children personal growth and achievement are possible, even if their overall effort wasn’t a success.

“Young children often get excited to try something new,” Peters said. “By praising effort and showing children they’ll still be loved and valued despite the outcome, you can reframe how they approach challenges and teach them that difficult doesn’t mean impossible.”

Encourage the process: People often withhold praise until there’s a result, which leads children to hurriedly scribble a picture to hold up for a “good job” instead of taking time to focus on their efforts. When children know adults will encourage them during the process, instead of only upon the achievement, they’re more likely to try new things or master a new skill. For example, try providing encouragement such as, “I can see you’re focused on drawing that tree. It looks so lifelike because you’re putting so much thought into what you’re doing.” Once their project is finished, continue the encouragement by hanging up their artwork or school projects in a prominent place.

Model a growth mindset: You can model a growth mindset for children by narrating your actions when you are facing a challenge: “I am having a difficult time putting this shelf together, but it’s OK. I’ll take a break then read the instructions again.” Remove negative words from your vocabulary, such as “I can’t” or “I’m stupid.” Even when you are joking, children may not be able to tell the difference. You can also ask your children to join you in problem-solving. Take time to hear their ideas and try them even if you think they won’t work. This not only supports the development of their growth mindset, but the quality time and encouragement reinforces their sense of self-worth and builds confidence.

For more tips to help children develop a growth mindset, visit kindercare.com.

 

SOURCE:
KinderCare

Clean Energy Home Upgrades

Make dependable environmental improvements

When you're considering upgrades for your home, earth-friendly enhancements that impact your energy usage are smart investments. Energy-saving home upgrades can offer long- and short-term advantages for the earth, your wallet and even your safety.

Many homeowners evaluate their energy needs as they plan home improvements. There are several low-carbon, resilient energy options available that can help safeguard your family. Consider these environmentally friendly upgrades to diversify your home's energy sources, reduce energy consumption and ensure your home is well-prepared to withstand interruptions to power service if the electrical grid fails.

Diversify Energy Sources

The growing conversation to "electrify everything" will require an overhaul on the aging electric grid just to manage the increase in demand. Accomplishing this will take decades and cost billions, according to the Department of Energy. In fact, according to a study conducted by Acupoll Precision Research on behalf of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), 54% of respondents believe electricity for everything will be too expensive for taxpayers while 70% strongly agree Americans should have a choice when it comes to their energy source. Propane is a clean, affordable and abundant energy option that reduces carbon emissions right now. Using propane appliances like furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces and kitchen appliances alongside other energy sources reduces the strain on the fragile electrical grid. Unlike electric appliances, propane appliances can work even during power outages.

Seal In Energy

Outdated doors and windows often lack energy benefits. Newer models have stronger, thicker panes that reduce the transfer of heat from inside to outdoors (and vice versa in the warmer months). Updating doors and windows allows you to easily repair any cracks or faulty seals that make it easy for energy to escape. When your home is well-insulated, your heating or cooling system works more efficiently.

Consider Solar Panels

When many homeowners think of renewable energy, they often think "solar." Some states are mandating solar adoption, and while financial rebates help, solar panels are still considered an expensive upgrade for many people. The number of panels you need depends on your geographic location and weather, as well as the size of your home and your family's energy consumption habits, which can add up. If you have access to propane and electricity, and are planning to upgrade to solar, consider adding propane appliances to offset the energy load required from your solar system.

Install a Backup Power Source

The Department of Energy's "Electric Disturbance Event Annual Report" showed an increase in power outages from 2000 to 2020. More than half of consumers nationwide indicated they or a close family member or friend have been personally impacted by a power outage in the past two years, according to PERC.

As a result, many homeowners are saying "yes" to backup power generators. A propane standby generator can be a key part of resilient home upgrades by offering supplemental electricity in as little as 10 seconds after an outage. Propane doesn't degrade over time, making it an ideal standby power fuel. Plus, it's cleaner than diesel so you can keep your home functioning and family safe while being a good steward for the environment.

Increase Energy Efficiency

While landscaping plays an important role in curb appeal, it also serves more practical purposes. Thoughtfully placed trees and shrubs can block the heat that comes from powerful direct sunlight while serving as a break against blustery winds and providing a natural form of external insulation for the home. In outdoor living spaces, propane-powered appliances can offer increased energy efficiency. For example, propane can power full outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and fire pits, patio heaters, flame lighting or pool and spa heaters.

Find more ideas and information to inspire your earth-friendly home upgrades at Propane.com.

When the Grid Fails

In 2021, a winter storm decimated a major electrical power grid, leaving thousands of Americans in the dark and cold. Some people lost their lives while others battled to overcome extensive damage to their homes and businesses.

Jennifer Borget's family is one of many that weathered those winter storms. However, the Borget family home used propane to power their water heater, stove, furnace and fireplace.

"When your power goes out, you can still use some propane appliances," said Borget, who blogged about her experience. "This is one of those things I didn't realize but learned during the historic winter storms. When the power was intermittent, our propane-powered fireplace and water heater quickly warmed our family."

One year later, the Borgets are discussing investing in a standby generator to mitigate future power outages.

Another way to reduce the risk of large-scale disasters is increasing Americans' reliance on a broader mix of energy sources. Using a combination of propane, solar, electricity and natural gas can keep homes and businesses alike running efficiently and safely.

Relying on alternative energy sources like propane can also make a meaningful environmental impact in the long-term while offering short-term advantages, including continued access to power during emergencies when another energy source fails.

Source: Propane Education & Research Council

Thank you Family Features

 

Get Fit: Tackle goals with fitness-friendly tech gadgets

Committing to getting fit and actually doing it aren’t always one and the same but relying on tech devices can be an effective way to tackle your fitness goals.

From watches and phones to earbuds and virtual reality headsets, technology can make it easier to track your progress and create a more enjoyable workout experience. See how some of the latest technology is fueling new devices ideal for amping up your workouts this winter with these trendy ideas.

Find more inspiration to energize your fitness regimen at Qualcomm.com.

Wellness You Can Watch

Powered by the Snapdragon 4100+ Wear Platform, the Fossil 6 Wellness Edition watch provides the speed, power and performance you need to efficiently track your health, all with extended battery life, Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity, rapid charging and more features to elevate your experience. The watch detects movement and starts a workout for you. In addition, not only does it allow you to monitor how hard your heart is working and provide estimated blood oxygen measurements so you can see how well your body is circulating oxygen, but it also measures your cardiorespiratory fitness, allowing you to track the amount of oxygen your body utilizes during exercise. In addition to keeping tabs on your active hours, the watch also helps you understand more about your sleep habits, including sleep quality and history, restfulness and progress against sleep goals.

A Smart Workout Buddy

If he’s like most golfers, chances are your dad spends a few minutes each round searching for his ball after a wayward tee shot. Save him some precious time on the course with the extra golf balls he needs so he doesn’t have to worry about leaving one (or two or three) in the woods. Even amateur players sometimes prefer a certain ball, so don’t be afraid to sneak to the garage and check his current supply so you can put his favorite brand in your cart.

Sound to Motivate More Movement

An energizing workout requires a soundtrack to get you pumped up and moving. Enhance your listening experience with LG Tone Free T90 wireless earbuds, which feature Dolby Head Tracking and Snapdragon Sound. These earbuds identify the location of sound as you turn your head, recalibrating to enable a more natural sound experience so you’re always in the center of the scene. The speaker driver is made of a strong, lightweight material that delivers better overall audio clarity and reduced vibration so you can hear every sound come alive. Exceptional audio combines with superior connectivity for music, movies, crystal-clear voice calls, gaming and a low latency fit for aptX Adaptive compatible devices.

Play Your Way to Fitness

If your workout regimen needs an infusion of playful fun, the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset may be just the ticket. This VR headset is your ticket to the metaverse (and so much more), whether you’re working out, gaming, meeting up with friends or going on a virtual field trip. Industry-leading graphics and immersive audio put you in the middle of the action. The portable device is ideal for workouts on the go, and you’ll find a wide range of apps that let you work out amid stunning scenery, compete against friends and participate in challenges. The immersive experiences break up the monotony of a boring, basic workout, making exercise fun and playful.

Music to Power Your Workout

Enjoy stereo-quality sound wherever your workout takes you with a state-of-the-art smartphone like the Motorola Edge+ Gen 2, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform. Giving you up to two full days of power, lightning-fast speeds and pro-quality features for doing more of what you love, this smartphone can provide music that motivates you regardless of your exercise style. When it’s time to rest and recover, you can enjoy days of entertainment on a beautiful display that wraps around the edges.

Track Your Progress

Setting fitness goals starts with a plan and achieving them requires strong work ethic and, just as importantly, the ability to track progress so you can enjoy the success. The ultimate expression of ultra-portability and versatility, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is powered by the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform. Slim and sleek, this 2-in-1 features a detachable keyboard to transform from a tablet to a laptop so you can keep an eye on your fitness goals whether you’re working out at home or on the go, and 15 hours of battery life means you can enjoy usage from day to night.

 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman on treadmill)

 

SOURCE:
Qualcomm

The truth in baby teeth

Fossilized remains of children have a lot to tell us about their short lives

By Tim Vernimmen

Compared to those of other primates, our reproductive lives are really rather odd. Human pregnancies last relatively long, yet our babies are completely helpless when they are born. And while our children stop suckling very early, it takes them nearly two decades to grow up.

To understand how we have evolved to be like this, and how that may have set our species on its most unusual path, what we have are fossil remains — some skulls, bones and piles of teeth. Fortunately, those teeth can reveal a lot about the way that ancient hominins grew up. Evolutionary anthropologist Tanya Smith, of the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University, has studied tooth development in fossilized Neanderthal children, as well as in wild chimpanzee infants. She wrote about the topic in “Teeth and Human Life-History Evolution” in the Annual Review of Anthropology.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Do you study teeth because they are uniquely informative, or because they are often the only thing we have?

Both. Indeed, there are thousands of fossil teeth in museums all over the world, because they preserve quite well and each person has many, whereas if you wanted to study, say, ancient pinkie fingers you would be limited to a handful of specimens. Yet teeth are also unlike any other part of the body, in that they give us so many different types of information.

They lock in DNA in ways that other parts of the body don’t. They record the chemistry of the environment in the elements they incorporate during growth, telling us something about the food people ate and the water they were drinking. And because of the way their protective enamel layer grows — it is produced by cells that squeeze out about 1/200th of a millimeter of enamel every day — they also give us a record of time.

How can we access that record? How do you “read” teeth?

The 24-hour cycle of enamel production creates very fine lines in the enamel. You can’t physically hold up a tooth and point those out, however. First of all, you’ll have to slice it in two, to reveal its inner structure. You’ll also need a way to magnify it. This can be done with a strong microscope, or within a synchrotron, a particle accelerator in which items can be X-rayed with high resolution. If you look at teeth like that, you can see those lines very clearly.

Stress can lead to irregularities in the formation of those enamel lines, as it may slow down development or alter its course. Remember when you got the flu, as a kid, and you stopped eating for a few days, and you felt terrible? I do — I’ll never forget it. And I’m sure there’s a mark in my teeth from that week that I spent on the couch. That being said, there is currently no way for us to find the exact cause of a particular stress pattern in teeth — all stress shows up the same. People have been making up interesting stories about the possible cause of different irregularities, linking them to hunger or disease, but when you test these ideas in animals whose lives we know about, it turns out that a certain kind of stress does not predict a certain kind of developmental pattern.

The first thing I look for is whether a tooth is fully grown. If it is not, the number of lines will tell us how many days went by before the person died, giving us an age estimate. This way, we have learned that some Neanderthal children that have been studied were growing faster than we do.

Yet a recent study in Science on a juvenile Neanderthal from Spain suggests that this child grew about as fast as human kids do. How might that fit with what you've found?

I think we know enough about variation in the development of living species, including humans, not to draw sweeping conclusions from a single fossil. This was the first Neanderthal child that turns out to be slightly older than one would expect if its teeth would have developed in the same way that those of our children do. In the Neanderthal infants I’ve looked at, it was the other way around.

Why is it important to find out whether either species was growing faster?

In general, the faster you grow, the faster you reach adulthood and are ready to reproduce. Faster growth in Neanderthals suggests they had shorter childhoods, and is consistent with other studies suggesting that they lived shorter lives than modern humans do. Over the course of our evolution, lifespans have become longer: Wild chimpanzees have a life expectancy of roughly 30 to 50 years, and first reproduce when they’re 10 to 15 years old. Early hominins similarly reproduced and died at a younger age than we do. It’s interesting to learn when and how that changed.

For similar reasons, we are interested in the age of weaning — when infants cease to have mother’s milk. That tells us something about the rate at which mothers could have babies, since nursing will usually keep a woman from getting pregnant again. Our children are still very vulnerable when born, and they take a long time to grow up. Yet compared to our ape ancestors, early human mothers may have had children fairly often, with relatively little time between births. Some scientists believe that was possible because they were getting help from others in their group, such as their mothers or older children, the way many modern women do.

This might explain another unusual thing about humans: Women stay alive much longer than they make babies. If you only think of their own offspring, this seems hard to explain, biologically. But if they were helping out with the grandchildren, it makes sense. The ability to have multiple children within a relatively short span of time, combined with a long childhood in which we had plenty of time to learn, may have been key to our success.

What can teeth possibly tell us about the age of weaning?

Scientists have long believed that teeth show evidence of stress associated with weaning. The reasoning behind that idea is that children would often have gotten sick when they started to eat solid food, because their immune system would suddenly have to face many new microbes. Alternatively, some children may not have gotten enough food without mothers’ milk, leading to malnutrition. This can happen when mothers and infants are separated too soon or during periods of famine. But until recently, we didn’t really have a way to verify this idea. When we started to look at primates that we know went through these diet transitions, we didn’t see stress where it was predicted to occur. Recent work of ours also suggests that these things are more complicated than expected. For example, many researchers have assumed that the emergence of the first molar marks the age when children would switch to solid food. Yet in wild chimpanzees, we have found no such link: They may suckle for more than a year after that first molar emerged.

How do you study tooth development in wild chimpanzee infants?

There is no way to get them to sit still so we can look directly into their mouth to find out which of their teeth emerge when. Instead, we have used high-resolution pictures made by professional photographers. Each of them has spent about a year following a group of Ugandan chimpanzees, snapping a picture whenever an infant opened its mouth, so we could zoom in and have a closer look. I have recently visited the field site myself, and it was great to finally sit down with some of the animals whose teeth I have been studying for years. At the same time, it was quite a humbling experience: With my own camera —and limited skills — I couldn’t get a single image that I would have been able to collect any data from.

If tooth irregularities or the timing of emergence offer no clue to weaning, is there no other way to find out when those children whose fossils we study were weaned?

We have recently hit upon another option. Mother’s milk contains barium, and in collaboration with a toxicology lab in New York that is outfitted to analyze samples for metals that occur in very minute quantities, we can now detect barium in enamel layers formed while children were still being nursed. So hopefully we will soon be able to verify the link between the age of weaning and the occurence of stress marks in the teeth — at least in those we have access to, and are allowed to slice in half.

Using this approach, we have been able to show that an 8-year-old Neanderthal child found in a cave called Scladina in Belgium was drinking solely breast milk for about seven months, and was then fed both milk and solid foods for seven months after that. From that point on, it seems the child didn’t get any milk anymore. We think that this was a premature weaning event. It’s likely that the infant may have been separated from its mother or otherwise prohibited from nursing any longer.

There’s some real intimacy in that — being able to look at a fossil child’s life, finding out how he or she grew up.

Tim Vernimmen is a freelance journalist based near Antwerp, Belgium. He writes about the science of life.

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews. 

WAN - Wide Area Network

 A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits.

Businesses, as well as schools and government entities, use wide area networks to relay data to staff, students, clients, buyers and suppliers from various locations around the world. In essence, this mode of telecommunication allows a business to effectively carry out its daily function regardless of location. The Internet may be considered a WAN. Many WANs are, however, built for one particular organization and are private. WANs can be separated from local area networks (LANs) in that the latter refers to physically proximal networks.

The textbook definition of a WAN is a computer network spanning regions, countries, or even the world. However, in terms of the application of communication protocols and concepts, it may be best to view WANs as computer networking technologies used to transmit data over long distances, and between different networks. This distinction stems from the fact that common local area network (LAN) technologies operating at lower layers of the OSI model (such as the forms of Ethernet or Wi-Fi) are often designed for physically proximal networks, and thus cannot transmit data over tens, hundreds, or even thousands of miles or kilometers.

WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together so that users and computers in one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANs are built for one particular organization and are private. Others, built by Internet service providers, provide connections from an organization's LAN to the Internet.

WANs are often built using leased lines. At each end of the leased line, a router connects the LAN on one side with a second router within the LAN on the other. Because leased lines can be very expensive, instead of using leased lines, WANs can also be built using less costly circuit switching or packet switching methods. Network protocols including TCP/IP deliver transport and addressing functions. Protocols including Packet over SONET/SDH, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Frame Relay are often used by service providers to deliver the links that are used in WANs.

Academic research into wide area networks can be broken down into three areas: mathematical models, network emulation, and network simulation.

Performance improvements are sometimes delivered via wide area file services or WAN optimization.

Wikipedia

Democrats are Here and Want to Help

According to Dr. Marsha Sturdevant, Chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, “We’re Democrats.  We’re here and we want to help.”  This statement is the foundation for regular charitable activities of the large and growing group in the county.

In each month of 2022, a group of volunteers in the Shelby Dems organized a donation drive or community service project to fill specific needs of people in the county.  Democrats nationwide have for generations worked to create a stronger, fairer economy in which no one goes hungry or without necessities.  Because this is an as-yet unrealized dream, Shelby’s Democrats challenged themselves last year to make a difference in the lives of county residents every month by collecting items needed by struggling families and unhoused individuals. 

The energetic and knowledgeable Leslie Tyus, MA, LPC, NCC, who is also head of community service activities for the Democrats, reports that in 2022 her committee accumulated the following:

·       30,000+ items of school supplies and school hygiene

·       3,000+ diapers of all types and sizes

·       Many thousands of shelf-stable food items

·       Hundred of items of cleaning essentials

·       Hundreds of items of personal hygiene

·       An SUV load of Halloween treats for Warrior Met families 

The items collected were turned over upon receipt to several charitable organizations, among them Shelby Baptist Association Ministries, Shelby County Emergency Assistance, Oak Mountain Mission Ministries, and Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging, along with individual schools, churches, and groups.  Shelby County is fortunate to have a robust group of non-profit agencies with the same mission – helping people who need help.  The organizations coordinate and cooperate to make sure that their clients’ needs are met.

The next donation drive sponsored by the Democrats will be on March 25 at 10 am – 12 noon in the Community Room at the Shelby County Services Building in Pelham.  Donations of diapers, for babies from infant size to the largest pull-ups, plus diapers and underwear for adults with incontinence, all sizes, are requested.  The Community Room is in the DMV building, up the hill and around back.  Anyone wishing to participate in or contribute to the donation drives can get more information on this website: shelbycountydems.com.