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The Hill
16 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Lawmakers, USDA seek to combat New World screwworm along the southern border
Just a few hundred miles from our southern border, a flesh-eating parasite has been detected in Mexico, putting America's farmers and ranchers on watch. The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays its eggs in the open wounds of livestock, primarily cattle and sheep, deer and other wildlife, and on rare occasions, humans and pets. Once hatched, the fly's larvae feed on tissue, leading to severe infection and often death. If this parasite were ever to reach the United States, our agricultural economy and supply chain would be in serious trouble. That is not a hypothetical scenario. Flare-ups have occurred within our borders in the past, costing American producers hundreds of millions of dollars. Mrs. D., a Central Texas rancher, remembers all too well the devastation of the last major screwworm outbreak in the United States that took place during the 1960s. 'Every day from dawn to dusk, my husband would ride horseback to find animals affected by the screwworm. We worked tirelessly to ensure our livestock survived. We had to make sure our calves were born in the winter to stand a chance against the fly that caused the screwworm because the flies are not as prevalent in the cold weather.' Although screwworms were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s using a sterilized fly technique, all the signs are there for a repeat scenario. As of March of this year, 369 confirmed cases had been reported in Mexico, creeping north from its confinement zone in Central America and towards the United States. As the representative of the largest congressional district in Texas, I have heard repeatedly from my constituents that a reemergence of New World screwworm is their biggest concern. Texas tops the charts for beef production in the nation, and some of my district's counties have more sheep and goats than live human beings. There is no doubt that a screwworm outbreak would be absolutely devastating to communities like mine. I am not alone in these concerns. In March, 43 of my colleagues joined me in bipartisan outreach to the Agriculture Department to offer congressional support on screwworm eradication efforts. I also introduced the STOP Screwworms Act along with 31 of my House colleagues and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M). This important legislation would establish a sterile fly production facility in the U.S. — a critical step in our fight to shore up our domestic infrastructure against this deadly parasite. Fortunately, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been incredibly proactive on this issue. This week, I joined Rollins to announce the launch of an $8.5 million sterile New World screwworm fly dispersal facility in South Texas and a five-pronged plan to enhance the Agriculture Department's ability to detect, control and eliminate this pest. Per the Agriculture Department, the facility in South Texas is expected to be ready within six months. President Trump and Rollins have made protecting America's agriculture industry a priority. Together, we will fight to codify executive branch wins into long-term legislative solutions. Tony Gonzales represents Texas's 23rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference and represents the largest congressional district in Texas, spanning over 800 miles of the southern border.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
How much vitamin C should you have every day? Here's what experts recommend.
How much vitamin C should you have every day? Here's what experts recommend. Show Caption Hide Caption How to add more Vitamin C to your diet and everyday routine Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that can do everything from strengthening cells to improving your hair health. Are you getting enough vitamin C in your daily diet? Vitamin C, also sometimes referred to as L-ascorbic acid, is a vitamin found in foods such as red peppers, oranges, grapefruits, kiwis, broccoli, strawberries and Brussels sprouts, and is also available to consume via a dietary supplement, according to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). "Our body doesn't make vitamin C, so it's important to eat vitamin C-rich foods in our diets," says dietitian Jamie Nadeau, RD. Here's how to make sure you're getting enough without overdoing it. How much vitamin C per day? The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C depends on a handful of factors, including age and sex (for adults): 0 to 6 months: 40 mg 40 mg 7 to 12 months: 50 mg 50 mg 1 to 3 years: 15 mg 15 mg 4 to 8 years: 25 mg 25 mg 9 to 13: 45 mg 45 mg 14 to 18 years: 75 mg for men, 65 mg for women 75 mg for men, 65 mg for women 19 years and older: 90 mg for men, 75 mg for women (85 mg when pregnant and 120 mg when lactating) 90 mg for men, 75 mg for women (85 mg when pregnant and 120 mg when lactating) Smokers also need 35 mg more per day compared to nonsmokers For reference, a medium orange contains about 70 mg of vitamin C, so getting in your recommended daily amount is less work than you'd think. Noted: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D. How do you know if you're one of them? What does vitamin C do? What is vitamin C good for? But what's the big deal about vitamin C, anyway? Research has shown it to be beneficial to our health in a variety of ways, helping take care of your skin and prevent serious health conditions. In terms of benefits, "vitamin C is essential for normal growth, development and function of our bodies," Nadeau says. "It's needed for forming collagen which is incredibly important for supporting our skin integrity and ligaments. Vitamin C also helps heal wounds, repair cartilage and even aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that can help neutralize free radicals, which may increase risk of cancer and heart disease." While vitamin C is commonly thought of as a cure to the common cold, research is mixed and doesn't show a strong correlation between consumption and alleviating symptoms faster. But not getting enough vitamin C can cause scurvy (yes, the disease that plagued historical sailors and pirates), a condition that causes fatigue, connective tissue weakness and weakened blood vessels, per the ODS. What vitamins should you take? Why experts say some answers to this are a 'big red flag.' How much vitamin C is too much? While vitamin C does offer health benefits, consuming too much in one day can actually cause health issues, rather than help prevent them. The ODS recommends adults avoid taking more than 2,000 mg of vitamin C in a single day to avoid side effects. "Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, stomach ache, heartburn, esophagitis and even kidney stones," Nadeau adds. The good news, Nadeau notes, is that taking too much usually only happens when you take too many vitamin C supplements, rather than just "eating vitamin C through whole foods," which is the preferred method of consumption for most nutrition experts. And toxicity is low, meaning the issues overconsumption could cause are unpleasant but usually not serious, according to the ODS.
Boston Globe
10-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Social Studies: Two things that are bad for business; rethinking a computer science major
Advertisement Major malfunction Students have always been more interested in going into fields that are hot (i.e., they're featured in the news and/or high-paying). In the 1960s, it was aerospace engineering; in more recent decades, it has often been computer science. But a new study suggests students should be more cautious about following the herd. The study finds that the existence of superstar industries — defined as those that have a small subset of prominent companies with exceptional stock price performance — does indeed spur students to major in related subjects. However, this surge is associated with a decrease in pay for entry-level employees in the superstar industry, because net hiring is not necessarily greater in those industries than in others. Moreover, students who are seduced into a major associated with a superstar industry are more likely than people with other majors to end up in a job unrelated to their major and to earn less, with lower job satisfaction, even many years later. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Choi, D. et al., 'Superstar Firms and College Major Choice,' Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics (forthcoming). Advertisement Safe business districts Gerrymandering might be good for business. A study found that a company's stock market value tends to suffer if congressional redistricting puts its headquarters into a House district that is closely balanced between Democrats and Republicans instead of assigning it to one that is safe for one party or the other. The hypothesis is that being in a safe district allows a corporation to build a long-term relationship with its representative in Congress, whereas a representative in a competitive district faces a greater threat of losing reelection and has to be more responsive to voter concerns. Artés, J. et al., 'The Value of Political Geography: Evidence From the Redistricting of Firms,' Journal of Law and Economics (May 2025). The psychology of psychology In theory, evidence should resolve scientific uncertainty. But this is often not the case, especially in the social sciences. In fact, these fields can be riven by sharp differences in worldview akin to those in politics and culture. A study of thousands of researchers in psychology explores this phenomenon by examining how the researchers' own psychology shapes their views of their field. For example, psychologists with a high personal tolerance of ambiguity are less likely to believe that human behaviors can be explained by rational self-interest, evolution, or neurobiology and more likely to believe in social, contextual, and holistic explanations. The authors of the study conclude that many debates in this field can thus be explained largely by the personality traits of the psychologists involved. 'In the worst-case scenario,' they write, 'cognitive differences could be exploited to prop up or even canonize an evidentially weak position that is intuitively attractive to researchers in positions of power.' Advertisement Sulik, J. et al., 'Differences in Psychologists' Cognitive Traits Are Associated with Scientific Divides,' Nature Human Behaviour (forthcoming).
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Maj.Gen. (Rtd.) P.D. Sheena from Thrissur wins Florence Nightingale Award 2025
Maj. Gen.(Rtd.) Sheena P. D., a native of Vadama in Mala, Thrissur district, has won the prestigious Florence Nightingale Award 2025. President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the award upon her during a ceremonial event held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. After an illustrious career spanning nearly 40 years, she retired as Additional Director General of Military Nursing Service recently. Sheena began her illustrious career in 1985 when she joined the Military Nursing Service. In 1994, she specialised in Oncology Nursing from the renowned Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. She earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Hospital and Healthcare Management from Symbiosis Institute, Pune, in 2012. Her exceptional service and leadership led to various administrative appointments within the Armed Forces. She was selected for administrative duties and served as the Principal of the School of Nursing at the Military Hospital in Secunderabad under the Southern Command, and later as the Principal of the College of Nursing at the Command Hospital in Kolkata under the Eastern Command. At the Integrated Headquarters of the Army in Delhi (DGMS), she held key staff roles including Colonel Training (MNS) and Brigadier Admin (MNS). Her distinguished career spans across multiple military hospitals throughout India, where she has made significant contributions. During her tenure as a Brigadier, she was posted as the Principal Matron at the Northern Command Hospital in Udhampur, Kashmir, further proving her ability to serve in challenging environments. The National Florence Nightingale Award, instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, honours the dedication, compassion, and resilience that define the nursing profession. Each award includes a Certificate of Merit, a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, and a medal. This year, 15 nurses from various regions and healthcare settings were honoured for their exemplary service.
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Scientists Find Shadowy Beast With Large Black Eyes—It's a New Species
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scientists have discovered a new snake species following an encounter with a large black-eyed creature found moving around a mining site on a small island in Papua New Guinea. The atra tree snake, whose scientific name is Dendrelaphis atra, was found by Fred Kraus, a researcher from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, during his visit to Misima Island in the northwest of the Louisiade Archipelago within the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea. Kraus was there as part of a larger project to explore the region's reptile population. During his visit, the researcher came across several "moderately large" snakes, spanning around four feet and one inch in length, with white chins, black eyes and a "matte black" coloring, according to a study in Zootaxa, where the research findings were published this month. A stock image of a common bronzeback tree snake (Dendrelaphis tristis) in India. A stock image of a common bronzeback tree snake (Dendrelaphis tristis) in India. iStock / Getty Images Plus Unlike other related species, atra tree snakes—which are named after the Latin word for black "atra"—darken in color with age, Kraus noted. A smaller, younger snake was found to have a "gray brown" color while older, larger snakes were described to be "uniformly black," the study said. Dendrelaphis atra is among four new snake species that were identified in the region and each one is native to a different island in the Milne Bay province, Kraus said. He said in the study: "Herein I examine the taxonomic status of Dendrelaphis specimens from outlying large islands in Milne Bay Province, off the southeastern tip of New Guinea, and I find that each of the three large islands of the Louisiade Archipelago, as well as Woodlark Island, contain their own endemic species." The three other new snake species were found on Rossel Island, Sudest Island and Woodlark Island. Three of the new snake species (D. anthracina, D. melanarkys and D. roseni) belong to the D. papuensis group, while the fourth one (D. atra) belongs to the D. punctulatus group, the study noted. Papua New Guinea is home to "extraordinary biodiversity, accounting for over 5 percent of the world's total," notes the United Nations Development Programme. The "Milne Bay province has the richest habitat for endemic reptiles and amphibians on the planet," Kraus said. Papua New Guinea is said to have more than 80 known snake species, and its rich wildlife has yet to be fully uncovered. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@ Reference Kraus, F. (2025) New species of snakes of the genus Dendrelaphis (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Milne Bay Islands, Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 5618(4), 451–480.
