Infotrak

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.

As most of the nation switches from daylight saving to standard time, many people welcome the extra hour of sleep. Lois E. Krahn, MD, psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, explains how time changes affect the body and sleep patterns. She also offers tips to adapt to the schedule change.

Do you practice smart money habits? Your financial decisions today can have a big impact on your future wealth, according to Tom Corley, Certified Financial Planner, and author of “Effort-Less Wealth: Smart Money Habits at Every Stage of Your Life.” He outlines the four ways that any American can become wealthy.

Youth sports can help kids via exercise and the development of socialization skills, but the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on sports programs nationwide. David Soma, MD, Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist at the Mayo Clinic, explains how the risks vary from one sport to another, and what parents and student athletes can do to reduce their chances of contracting the virus during sports activities.

Five major health risks, things such as obesity, high blood pressure and smoking, were linked to over $730 billion in preventable health care spending in the US in 2016. Joseph Dieleman, PhD, from the University of Washington, explains how you can avoid these costly lifestyle choices.

Tragically, the rate of suicide among US military veterans is rising. But why? Farrokh Alemi, PhD, from George Mason University College of Health and Human Services, was surprised when his study revealed that while social factors like family problems and homelessness can predict suicide, they are not the cause of it -- mental illness is.

New research shows that alcohol consumption has soared during the coronavirus lockdowns, with heavy drinking by women up by 41%. Michael Pollard, PhD, Senior Sociologist at the RAND Corporation, explains who was most at risk of binge drinking and why this is a serious and ongoing problem.

There's a digital divide in our country as tens of millions of Americans have no access to broadband internet. Christopher Ali, PhD, from the Department of Media Studies, University of Virginia, says the same huge government effort that brought electricity and telephone service to rural areas in the 1930s and 40s should be applied in a similar way to broadband service today.

In the next ten years, the number of Americans who are both elderly and homeless is expected to triple--and that projection was made prior to the coronavirus. What can be done to address this growing problem? Dennis Culhane, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, explains why younger members of the boomer generation have remained the dominant homeless population in the United States, and what can be done to address the problem.

They're a common piece of furniture found in homes and offices, but you may not realize the dangers of glass top tables. Stephanie Bonne, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, says the furniture causes thousands of injuries each year, many requiring significant surgeries and long hospital stays.

Ajit Mathew George founded Second Chances Farms, LLC in Wilmington, DE, an organization that employs only convicted felons, training them in entrepreneurship through mentorship programs and green collar jobs at hydroponic, indoor vertical farms in economically distressed communities. He explains how the farms replace recidivism with compassionate capitalism and turn entrepreneurs-in-residence into “Agri-preneurs.”

With COVID-19, Americans are spending more time than ever online--for work, for school, for entertainment and socializing. Stuart Brotman, author of “Privacy's Perfect Storm: Digital Policy for Post-Pandemic Times” says our online privacy is at greater risk than ever. He explains what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Relationships between the sexes can sometimes be confusing, especially so between teenagers. At what point does one person's attraction for another turn into stalking behavior? Dennis E. Reidy, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Behavioral Scientist in the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that 14% of girls and 13% of boys have been victims of stalking, and that they are much more likely for risky behavior like binge drinking, drug abuse, dating violence and sexting.

Opioid addiction is on the ris,e but intervention programs may be falling short because many are taking multiple substances. Honora Englander, MD, from the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine discusses an innovative program that helps.