Infotrak

Women face a 20% higher risk than men of death or heart failure during the five years following a heart attack. What are the reasons? And how can survival rates be improved? Justin Ezekowitz, MBBCh, MSc, Co-Director, Canadian VIGOUR Centre, Director of Cardiovascular Research and Professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Alberta, outlines the reasons and possible solutions.

When families in America don't have enough food to eat, they not only suffer from hunger, but other problems too, such as fatigue and depression. Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, explains why the pandemic lockdowns have only made things worse.

What's the best source of renewable power generation, solar wind or something else? Harrison Fell, PhD, Associate Professor of Energy Economics at North Carolina State University, shared the results of his study that found that the environmental benefits vary significantly, depending on what type of conventional power generation that the renewable energy is replacing

Is there a better option than Social Security to fund the retirement of Americans? Financial expert and author Ric Edelman thinks so! He says it starts with a small investment when a child is born and grows through their lifetime.

While COVID-19 has been the focus of so much attention this year, the opioid crisis has continued unabated and has even worsened, as more than 40 states have reported increases. Bb>Tyler Oesterle, MD, MPH, Psychiatrist, expert in chemical dependency treatment at Mayo Clinic, explains the factors driving the increasing rates of substance abuse, and how to recognize when a loved one is struggling with addiction.

When the pandemic finally ends, some schools plan to continue virtual learning, though some parents question its effectiveness. Heather Schwartz, Director of the Pre-K to 12 Educational Systems Program at RAND, a nonprofit research organization, says about two in ten school districts have already adopted or are considering adopting virtual schools after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

t's a serious threat to life as we know it. It's called an electromagnetic pulse or EMP. Without government steps to protect the national electrical grid, all of us remain at risk. Peter Vincent Pry, PhD, Executive Director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, and author of “EMP Manhattan Project: Organizing for Survival Against an Electromagnetic Pulse Catastrophe” says up to 90% of the US population would be dead within a year after such an event.

The COVID-19 lockdowns harmed all Americans, but blacks were hit hardest. When will things improve? Diana Enriquez, doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology, Princeton University, believes the outlook is still difficult for black households as the economy continues to struggle from government-ordered closings.

There may be a solution to overcrowded hospital emergency rooms: telemedicine. Shujing Sun, PhD, Assistant Professor of Information Systems in The Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas, led a study that found that minor health issues and even some serious conditions like strokes can be managed remotely.

Treating older adults in ways that are less fair--otherwise known as age bias--is a widespread problem. William Chopik, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University, says as age bias increases, Medicare costs increase, while access to senior care drops.

The coronavirus has slammed businesses of all kinds, including fitness clubs which have been hit hard. Will gyms and fitness centers survive the pandemic? As new lockdowns loom, Nick Rizzo, from RunRepeat.com says only 31 percent of gym members have returned to their fitness clubs thus far, a more dismal result than gym owners expected.

Today's technology is transformative, but Justin Reich, PhD, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of “Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education,” says today's assessment technology does a poor job of measuring whether a child is truly learning.

The current flu season presents a unique challenge to doctors as COVID-19 cases continue to climb. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University, outlines the similarities and differences between the flu and COVID-19. He also addresses reports that cases of influenza appear to have plummeted by 98% across the globe.

Recent research shows that kindergarten is an important foundation for a child's future academic performance all the way through age 17. Linda Pagani, PhD, from CHU Sainte-Justine Pediatric Hospital in Montreal, says when children establish a good basis in kindergarten for subjects like vocabulary, they tend to also have less anxiety at age 17.

States are facing the biggest cash crisis since the Great Depression, leading to serious cuts in spending and potential tax increases or bailouts from taxpayers. Shelby Kerns, Executive Director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, says states have responded with different approaches, including spending reductions ranging from 0 to 20%.

Around 32% of American adults are now working from home fulltime, compared to just 2% prior to the pandemic. Prof. Nicholas Bloom, from Stanford University, says the top two challenges are technical issues and less innovation.

New programs to provide free tuition to black and Hispanic students appears to be paying off, according to Denisa Gándara, PhD, Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She found that college promise programs boosted the enrollment of minority students. However, she is concerned about the sustainability of the programs, as state budgets struggle in the wake of pandemic lockdowns.

Today's kids are spending more time connected to the internet than ever, which can expose them to graphic content and non-stop cyberbullying. Security expert Steve Webb, PhD, is the author of “Education in a Violent World,” and he says parents would be shocked at how much data about a child is collected when he or she is online. He also talks about cyberbullying and its effect on the suicide rates of children.

Scammers and telemarketing rip off artists are using the coronavirus pandemic as a new weapon against America's senior citizens. Patricia Boyle, PhD, neuropsychologist, Professor of Behavioral Sciences at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, part of Rush University in Chicago, says that changes in financial decision-making may be an early warning sign of impending dementia or cognitive decline.

Kellie Gerardi, commercial spaceflight industry professional, and author of “Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner's Guide to Life in the Space Age,” shares some of her experiences as a human test subject for space suits in microgravity flights. She talks about the importance of inspiring girls to pursue STEM subjects in school, and why it’s so important for women to be included in future space exploration.