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Ultra-Processed Foods May Impair Cognition in Elderly

Processed or ultra-processed?

An article earlier this year in the European Journal of Nutrition reported that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to worse-than-average performance on one particular test of cognitive function in older US adults (60+ years-old) who did not have chronic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The particular test was “Animal Fluency.” Never heard of it? Me either. Keep reading.

The study included 2,700 participants, average age 69. Participants were asked to recall what they ate in the prior 24 hours. Foods were “classified according to NOVA, a food classification based on the extent and

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Gov. Wolf celebrates education investments over past 8 years

Gov. Tom Wolf joined educators, elected officials and students at Aliquippa High School to tout the $3.7 billion investments in public education over his eight years in office.“The future of Pennsylvania, the future of our country, it runs through places like this,” Wolf said Thursday. “It runs through Aliquippa High.” Wolf said this investment started with $1.9 billion over the past seven years. “That wasn’t enough to give our students and our communities, our schools, the resources they needed to make sure that we have the future that we all needed,” Wolf said.This year’s budget alone almost matched that with …

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Overweight US Adolescents Eat More Ultra-Processed Foods

September 21, 2022 · 7:00 PM

“One little piece won’t hurt . . .”

An article in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found an association between overweight/obesity and consumption of ultra–processed foods in US adolescents.

The study looked at 3,600 adolescents who reported their food intake over a 24-hour period. The results are pretty strong: the more ultra-processed food consumed, the greater the odds of overweight and obesity.

Jan at The Low Carb Diabetic blog reported that:

Ultra-processed foods make up ‘two-thirds of calories consumed by children and teens’
Experts from Tufts University in Massachusetts studied

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Amador High football team suspended after chat thread surfaces

The Amador County Office of Education is investigating a “chat thread” involving the varsity football team

SUTTER CREEK, Calif. — The Amador High School varsity football team remains off the field indefinitely following word that the school district is investigating a “chat thread.”

“It’s concerning. That’s a huge step for a supervisor or superintendent to take,” said Sutter Creek resident Dennis Daniels.

In an email to parents, in part, it reads, “The District is aware of the chat thread associated with the Amador Varsity Football Team. At this time, the team is suspended until further notice and three staff members

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UN: Exclusion of Afghan girls from high schools ‘shameful’

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations on Sunday called for Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to reopen schools to girls in grades 7-12, calling the anniversary of their exclusion from high school “shameful.”

The UN said it is concerned that the policy, together with other restrictions on basic freedoms, will contribute to a deepening of the country’s economic crisis in the form of greater insecurity, poverty and isolation.

“This is a tragic, shameful, and entirely avoidable anniversary,” said Markus Potzel, acting head of the UN mission in Afghanistan.

A year after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, hard-liners appear to hold sway

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North High School to open Career and Technical Education Cent

In addition to a new CTE center, North High will also receive a major remodel.

MINNEAPOLIS — Construction officially began Friday on a new Career and Technical Education Center at Minneapolis North High School, with a ceremonial groundbreaking attended by Mayor Jacob Frey and other city and school leaders.

The new CTE center, along with a major remodeling of the existing North High building, will take about a year to build. It is expected to open for the 2023-24 school year and will serve all of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

“We’re betting on the fact that their futures are going

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Two Hospitals Fined for Violation of Medicare’s Price Transparency Law

September 15, 2022 · 7:00 AM

hospital emergency room
Not the offending hospital

I’ve long been an advocate for price transparency in healthcare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (aka CMS) has recently taken action that requires hospitals to post their prices online, which should boost competition and help you shop around to save money. If memory serves, the price posting only applies to a limited number of services. I presume the rare hospitals that don’t accept Medicare and Medicaid payments are exempt.

From MedPage Today:

This week [June 2022], CMS handed down their first penalties to two hospitals in Georgia for

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Fewer People Are Continuing Education After High School (VIDEO)

The amount of students in college classrooms is dropping, which could have long-term impacts for society as a whole.

Colleges are seeing more empty seats in the classroom now that school is back in session.

There are 4 million fewer college students than there were a decade ago. Among students who graduated high school in 2016, 70% began college that fall. In 2020, that number dropped to 63%.

There are a few possible explanations for this: Some people point to the pandemic as the main factor, as many students may have pushed college off until later to avoid learning from