MPA

Feb 17 2025WEATHER

North Carolina's Winter Storm: What You Need to Know

North Carolina is bracing for a winter storm set to hit on Wednesday. The storm is currently over the Western U. S. , with its energy centered over Washington state. This location is important because weather balloons will soon gather data from the storm, which will help refine the forecast. The st

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Feb 17 2025HEALTH

Fighting TB in the Western Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities

TB is still a big problem in the Western Pacific. The World Health Organization (WHO) made a plan to fight it, called the Western Pacific Regional Framework to End TB. This plan is part of bigger global health goals, like the End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. The plan has some

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Feb 17 2025EDUCATION

Academic Life: The Blurred Line Between Work and Personal Time

Academics often face a unique challenge: the constant overlap between their professional and personal lives. This isn't just about balancing work and life; it's about how the very nature of academic work blurs the lines between the two. Unlike typical 9-to-5 jobs, academia often demands irregular ho

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Feb 17 2025HEALTH

Winter's Light and Your Eyes: A Bright Idea

Winter brings shorter days and less sunlight, which can affect our eyesight, especially for those with myopia or nearsightedness. The amount of natural light around us, called ambient illumination, changes a lot during winter. In snowy areas, light reflects off the ground, making things brighter. Bu

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Feb 17 2025ENVIRONMENT

Feed Famine: How Seasons Affect Food for Animals and People in Southern Africa

In Southern Africa, livestock farming is a big deal for food security and rural communities. But there's a big problem: the feed for these animals changes with the seasons, and not in a good way. When the dry season hits, plants die back, and leaves fall off trees. This means less food for the anima

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Feb 17 2025HEALTH

Pig Health Check: New Insights for Companion Pigs

Let's talk about pigs, but not the ones on farms. We're talking about the ones living in our homes as pets. You might be surprised to learn that most of the health data we have for pigs doesn't really apply to these companion pigs. This is because the data comes from farm pigs, which can be quite di

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Feb 17 2025HEALTH

Team Resilience: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Healthcare teams are the backbone of patient care, especially during crises like COVID-19. But, these teams face immense pressure, leading to high burnout rates. Resilience is key, but it's not just about individual strength. Teams can be resilient in two ways: adaptive and maladaptive. Adaptive re

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Feb 17 2025ENVIRONMENT

Mind-Altering Meds in Our Water: What's the Big Deal?

Psychotropic drugs are everywhere. They're among the most commonly prescribed medicines worldwide. These drugs can have serious effects on the environment. They can hurt other organisms even in tiny amounts. But what happens to these drugs when they go down the drain? Not much, it turns out.

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Feb 16 2025BUSINESS

Small Businesses Face Uphill Battle in New Political Climate

Small businesses are feeling the pinch just one month into the new administration. The changes have been swift and significant, with funding freezes, tariffs, and a crackdown on diversity efforts. These changes have left many small business owners scrambling to adapt. David Funk, the founder of Zer

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Feb 16 2025HEALTH

Dementia: How Cultural Support Groups Can Make a Difference

Dementia is a big challenge for families. It's not just about the person with dementia, but also the caregivers and the whole family. Imagine if there were support groups that could really help families through this tough time. These groups would understand and respect each family's unique cultural

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