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Homeland Security issues alert on cybercriminals increasingly exploiting COVID-19 pandemic

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an alert April 8 warning that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to target individuals, small and medium businesses and large organizations.




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ADA president appoints task force for dental practice recovery after COVID-19 pandemic

American Dental Association President Chad P. Gehani has assembled an advisory task force to oversee the ADA’s development of tools for dentists as they bounce back from the effects of practice restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Labor ends temporary nonenforcement of paid leave protections

The U.S. Department of Labor announced April 20 that it is ending the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.




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ADA, recovery task force seek to address PPE shortages

Association staff and members of the ADA Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery are aware and working diligently in addressing members’ concerns over the limited availability of certain personal protective equipment items.




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ADA task force assembles interim guidance toolkit for dentists returning to work

The ADA's Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery has developed a toolkit to help dentists return to more normal practice operations while taking precautions to protect staff, patients and themselves from COVID-19 as some states reopen.




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Dental materials research 'icon' who developed Bis-GMA resin dies

Dr. Rafael "Ray" Bowen, who made significant contributions to dental materials research and retired in 2018 after 62 years at the American Dental Association, has died.




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ADASRI manuscript wins 2020 William J. Gies Award in clinical research

A manuscript authored by the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute and Council on Scientific Affairs won the 2020 William J. Gies Award in clinical research from the American and International Associations for Dental Research.




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UCLA dental school researchers create nanoparticle that could improve bone defect treatment

A team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry has developed a nanoparticle that could improve treatment for bone defects.




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State oil ADNOC sells 35 percent in refining to Eni, OMV

ADNOC sold a 20 percent state in its refinery operations to Italy's Eni and 15 percent to OMV, from Austria in one of the biggest refinery transactions ever.




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Arctic bird turns down immune system to conserve energy in winter

To survive the Arctic's frigid temperatures, animals must use their energy efficiently. According to a new study, one Arctic bird species, the Svalbard rock ptarmigan, utilizes a previously unknown energy-saving method.




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Researchers discover microbe that could control spread of malaria

A microbe found in mosquitoes that appears to block malaria could be used to control spread of the disease in humans, according to researchers in Kenya and Britain.




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British researchers evaluate asthma, COPD drug for COVID-19

Interferon beta, a drug originally developed to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is being explored as a possible cure for the severe lung infections caused by COVID-19, media reports confirmed Monday




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Measles vaccinations in U.S. children fall up to 60 percent since pandemic, CDC says

Pediatric vaccination against measles has declined by as much as 60 percent nationally since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




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Diabetes Is Associated With Worse Long-term Outcomes in Young Adults After Myocardial Infarction: The Partners YOUNG-MI Registry

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the prevalence of diabetes and associated cardiovascular outcomes in a contemporary cohort of young individuals presenting with their first myocardial infarction (MI) at age ≤50 years.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed records of patients presenting with a first type 1 MI at age ≤50 years from 2000 to 2016. Diabetes was defined as a hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or a documented diagnosis of or treatment for diabetes. Vital status was ascertained for all patients, and cause of death was adjudicated.

RESULTS

Among 2,097 young patients who had a type 1 MI (mean age 44.0 ± 5.1 years, 19.3% female, 73% white), diabetes was present in 416 (20%), of whom 172 (41%) were receiving insulin. Over a median follow-up of 11.2 years (interquartile range 7.3–14.2 years), diabetes was associated with a higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 2.30; P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (2.68; P < 0.001). These associations persisted after adjusting for baseline covariates (all-cause mortality: 1.65; P = 0.008; cardiovascular mortality: 2.10; P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes was present in 20% of patients who presented with their first MI at age ≤50 years and was associated with worse long-term all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. These findings highlight the need for implementing more-aggressive therapies aimed at preventing future adverse cardiovascular events in this population.




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Effects of Low-Energy Diet or Exercise on Cardiovascular Function in Working-Age Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, Blinded End Point Trial

OBJECTIVE

To confirm the presence of subclinical cardiovascular dysfunction in working-age adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and determine whether this is improved by a low-energy meal replacement diet (MRP) or exercise training.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This article reports on a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end point trial with nested case-control study. Asymptomatic younger adults with T2D were randomized 1:1:1 to a 12-week intervention of 1) routine care, 2) supervised aerobic exercise training, or 3) a low-energy (~810 kcal/day) MRP. Participants underwent echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at baseline and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in left ventricular (LV) peak early diastolic strain rate (PEDSR) as measured by CMR. Healthy volunteers were enrolled for baseline case-control comparison.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven participants with T2D (age 51 ± 7 years, HbA1c 7.3 ± 1.1%) and 36 matched control participants were included. At baseline, those with T2D had evidence of diastolic dysfunction (PEDSR 1.01 ± 0.19 vs. 1.10 ± 0.16 s–1, P = 0.02) compared with control participants. Seventy-six participants with T2D completed the trial (30 routine care, 22 exercise, and 24 MRP). The MRP arm lost 13 kg in weight and had improved blood pressure, glycemia, LV mass/volume, and aortic stiffness. The exercise arm had negligible weight loss but increased exercise capacity. PEDSR increased in the exercise arm versus routine care (β = 0.132, P = 0.002) but did not improve with the MRP (β = 0.016, P = 0.731).

CONCLUSIONS

In asymptomatic working-age adults with T2D, exercise training improved diastolic function. Despite beneficial effects of weight loss on glycemic control, concentric LV remodeling, and aortic stiffness, a low-energy MRP did not improve diastolic function.




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Commercially Available Insulin Products Demonstrate Stability Throughout the Cold Supply Chain Across the U.S.

OBJECTIVE

A recent publication questioned the integrity of insulin purchased from U.S. retail pharmacies. We sought to independently validate the method used, isotope dilution solid-phase extraction (SPE) liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and expand analysis to two U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) methods (high-performance LC with ultraviolet detection and LC-MS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Each method was used to evaluate nine insulin formulations, purchased at four pharmacies, within five geographic locations in the U.S.

RESULTS

All human and analog insulins measured by the USP methods (n = 174) contained the expected quantity of active insulin (100 ± 5 units/mL). When using isotope dilution SPE-LC-MS, units-per-milliliter values were well below product labeling due to unequal recovery of the internal standard compared with target insulin.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin purchased from U.S. pharmacies is consistent with product labeling.




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Metabolic Factors, Lifestyle Habits, and Possible Polyneuropathy in Early Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Study of 5,249 Patients in the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes (DD2) Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of metabolic and lifestyle factors with possible diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and neuropathic pain in patients with early type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We thoroughly characterized 6,726 patients with recently diagnosed diabetes. After a median of 2.8 years, we sent a detailed questionnaire on neuropathy, including the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaire (MNSIq), to identify possible DPN (score ≥4) and the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) questionnaire for possible associated neuropathic pain (MNSIq ≥4 + pain in both feet + DN4 score ≥3).

RESULTS

Among 5,249 patients with data on both DPN and pain, 17.9% (n = 938) had possible DPN, including 7.4% (n = 386) with possible neuropathic pain. In regression analyses, central obesity (waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio) was markedly associated with DPN. Other important metabolic factors associated with DPN included hypertriglyceridemia ≥1.7 mmol/L, adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.36 (95% CI 1.17; 1.59); decreased HDL cholesterol <1.0/1.2 mmol/L (male/female), aPR 1.35 (95% CI 1.12; 1.62); hs-CRP ≥3.0 mg/L, aPR 1.66 (95% CI 1.42; 1.94); C-peptide ≥1,550 pmol/L, aPR 1.72 (95% CI 1.43; 2.07); HbA1c ≥78 mmol/mol, aPR 1.42 (95% CI 1.06; 1.88); and antihypertensive drug use, aPR 1.34 (95% CI 1.16; 1.55). Smoking, aPR 1.50 (95% CI 1.24; 1.81), and lack of physical activity (0 vs. ≥3 days/week), aPR 1.61 (95% CI 1.39; 1.85), were also associated with DPN. Smoking, high alcohol intake, and failure to increase activity after diabetes diagnosis associated with neuropathic pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Possible DPN was associated with metabolic syndrome factors, insulin resistance, inflammation, and modifiable lifestyle habits in early type 2 diabetes.




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microRNA-21/PDCD4 Proapoptotic Signaling From Circulating CD34+ Cells to Vascular Endothelial Cells: A Potential Contributor to Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia

OBJECTIVE

In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and critical limb ischemia (CLI), migration of circulating CD34+ cells predicted cardiovascular mortality at 18 months after revascularization. This study aimed to provide long-term validation and mechanistic understanding of the biomarker.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The association between CD34+ cell migration and cardiovascular mortality was reassessed at 6 years after revascularization. In a new series of T2D-CLI and control subjects, immuno-sorted bone marrow CD34+ cells were profiled for miRNA expression and assessed for apoptosis and angiogenesis activity. The differentially regulated miRNA-21 and its proapoptotic target, PDCD4, were titrated to verify their contribution in transferring damaging signals from CD34+ cells to endothelial cells.

RESULTS

Multivariable regression analysis confirmed that CD34+ cell migration forecasts long-term cardiovascular mortality. CD34+ cells from T2D-CLI patients were more apoptotic and less proangiogenic than control subjects and featured miRNA-21 downregulation, modulation of several long noncoding RNAs acting as miRNA-21 sponges, and upregulation of the miRNA-21 proapoptotic target PDCD4. Silencing miR-21 in control subject CD34+ cells phenocopied the T2D-CLI cell behavior. In coculture, T2D-CLI CD34+ cells imprinted naïve endothelial cells, increasing apoptosis, reducing network formation, and modulating the TUG1 sponge/miRNA-21/PDCD4 axis. Silencing PDCD4 or scavenging reactive oxygen species protected endothelial cells from the negative influence of T2D-CLI CD34+ cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Migration of CD34+ cells predicts long-term cardiovascular mortality in T2D-CLI patients. An altered paracrine signaling conveys antiangiogenic and proapoptotic features from CD34+ cells to the endothelium. This damaging interaction may increase the risk for life-threatening complications.




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Circulating Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Is Inversely Associated With Pancreatic {beta}-Cell Function Across the Spectrum of Glycemia

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the association of circulating retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) levels with β-cell function across the spectrum of glucose tolerance from normal to overt type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 291 subjects aged 35–60 years with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), newly diagnosed impaired fasting glucose or glucose tolerance (IFG/IGT), or type 2 diabetes were screened by a standard 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with the use of traditional measures to evaluate β-cell function. From these participants, 74 subjects were recruited for an oral minimal model test, and β-cell function was assessed with model-derived indices. Circulating RBP4 levels were measured by a commercially available ELISA kit.

RESULTS

Circulating RBP4 levels were significantly and inversely correlated with β-cell function indicated by the Stumvoll first-phase and second-phase insulin secretion indices, but not with HOMA of β-cell function, calculated from the 2-h OGTT in 291 subjects across the spectrum of glycemia. The inverse association was also observed in subjects involved in the oral minimal model test with β-cell function assessed by both direct measures and model-derived measures, after adjustment for potential confounders. Moreover, RBP4 emerged as an independent factor of the disposition index-total insulin secretion.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating RBP4 levels are inversely and independently correlated with β-cell function across the spectrum of glycemia, providing another possible explanation of the linkage between RBP4 and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.




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Promising New Research on Early Intervention for Autism

CNN reports that a study confirms that early autism intervention in toddlers is effective. A study was completed with a program called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). This program involves about twenty hours a week in the child's own home. It involves play and parents can easily learn some of the skills that can be applied in other settings. The study compared a group of toddlers that were given ESDM intervention to a group of toddlers receiving typical community interventions. Both groups showed improvement, but the ESDM group improved IQ by 18 points compared to 8 points with traditional interventions. The study is reporting that some of the children "virtually caught up to the typical kids their age." However, they are not claiming it is a cure for autism. According to the article they are working on a replication study to determine if there are similar results. Personally, I'm looking forward to the results of the replication study and want to find out more about this method. From what I understand it is less of a time constraint than ABA therapy.

This study also demonstrated the need for early intervention, which also includes early identification. When children are diagnosed early, they can begin receiving interventions that are proven effective. The study showed that current methods are working, but there may be a new program that can be even more effective on the horizon.

I'd love to hear more from my readers if you have any experience with ESDM or more information about it.




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Introducing wolves leads to fewer wildland coyotes, researchers find

As the population of gray wolves expands across the northern United States, researchers are finding a surprising side-effect: Their presence appears to lead to a reduction in the coyote population.




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Resources for Medical Students and Professionals

The mission of Medip Academy Resources site is to provide teaching and learning materials to medical students (UG and PG) and medical professionals. Medip Academy Resources is a platform for sharing University Examination Papers, Medical Educational Materials, Practical Guides, MCQs, Problem solving etc. The resources available on this site are easily searchable and free to download. URL: http://www.medipacademy.com/resources Email: resources@medipacademy.com How to add a resource? Please share your useful resource by email to resources@medipacademy.com Happy Sharing! Dr. Bhaven Kataria Department of Pharmacology, GMERS Medical College, Sola Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India




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Researchers find honey bee gene that causes virgin birth

The Cape honey bee, a subspecies found along the southern coast of South Africa, reproduces without having sex. Now, scientists have identified the gene responsible for the bee's virgin births.




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Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery

MPI has released a major study that describes and analyzes today’s immigration enforcement programs, as they have developed and grown in the 25 years since IRCA launched the current enforcement era.




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Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery

Release of a major report that describes and analyzes the immigration enforcement system in the United States as it has developed and grown in the quarter century since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 launched the current era of enforcement.




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IRCA in Retrospect: Guideposts for Today’s Immigration Reform

This policy brief traces the successes and failures of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which represented the first and most comprehensive legislation to take on the issue of illegal immigration to the United States. The brief makes the case that IRCA's major flaws were rooted in statutory design more than regulatory challenges and implementation by the administrative agencies.




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Shifting Gears, Trump Administration Launches High-Profile Worksite Enforcement Operations

An unannounced sweep of 98 convenience stores by U.S. immigration authorities—resulting in the arrest of 21 unauthorized workers—may signal a new approach to worksite enforcement under the Trump administration, moving away from a strategy of paper-based audits that resulted in higher employer fines and fewer worker arrests. This article explores worksite enforcement over recent decades.




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Will Immigration Reform Ever Succeed Again? The Legacy of IRCA &amp; Its Enduring Lessons

This provocative discussion showcases Charles Kamasaki's book, Immigration Reform: The Corpse That Will Not Die, and explores the lessons that can be learned from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, its intended and unintended consequences, and how the law’s legacy has shaped contemporary politics surrounding immigration.




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Princess Love files for divorce from Ray J

Princess Love filed for divorce from Ray J, her husband and "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" co-star, after nearly four years of marriage.




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[ Marriage & Divorce ] Open Question : 5 year old doesn’t want to go to her dads?

My step daughter is 5 and her dad lives states away. He calls her maybe once a month (not even on holidays) he hasn’t had her since she was one (when they lived in the same state) he had told my wife if our daughter wanted to see him we could bring her to him but he wasn’t coming to our state. My wife asked him beginning of this year if he’d sign his rights over. He doesn’t talk to her and he was behind on child support. He said no and that we was going to finally pick her up. He is getting married and didn’t include the little one we told him if he is going to get her he needs to tell her that it’s not just him living there and he is getting married. Our daughter was hurt by it that he hid this from her (they’ve been engaged for 4 years). She’s been crying she doesn’t want to go and he isn’t willing to come stay the week here to visit. He said he is taking her back to his state for a month. Yes it’s in their agreement but is there anything we can do? She really doesn’t want to go to a “strangers” house is what my daughter says. 




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Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together

Wall or no wall, deeply intertwined social, economic, business, cultural, and personal relationships mean the U.S.-Mexico border is more like a seam than a barrier, weaving together two economies and cultures, as MPI President Andrew Selee sketches in this book, which draws from his travels and discussions with people from all walks of life in Mexico and the United States.




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In Search of a New Equilibrium: Immigration Policymaking in the Newest Era of Nativist Populism

In many recent European and U.S. elections, candidates touting nativist populist and anti-immigrant platforms have enjoyed rising support. As populism moves from the fringes into the mainstream, this report takes stock of the economic and social forces driving its rise, the diverse ways populists are influencing immigration policymaking, and what it will take to build a new center around immigration and integration issues.




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New Opportunities? ESSA and Its Implications for Dual Language Learners and ECEC Workforce Development

Enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 introduced opportunities to use federal funds to strengthen the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce as a means of better meeting the needs of the growing and increasingly diverse young child population.




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Upskilling the U.S. Labor Force: Mapping the Credentials of Immigrant-Origin Workers

This webinar discusses the first-ever profile of the 30 million immigrant-origin adults in the United States who lack a postsecondary credential such as a college degree, apprenticeship certificate, or occupational license. The researchers discuss their findings and policy implications with leading experts.




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Five Types of Research, Underexplored until Recently, Could Produce Alzheimer's Treatments

Research into the brain’s protein-disposal systems, electrical activity and three other areas looks promising

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com





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Can High-Intensity Exercise Improve Your Memory?

Exercise like walking, swimming, and even dancing have been shown to be good for your memory, but the optimal intensity of that exercise has been unclear... until now

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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Searching for a Sense of Meaning in Gifts

What did you get your mother for Mother's Day? Was it beautifully thoughtful, or a rush job you fixed with a few clicks of the mouse and a credit card?




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Out of Unenforceable Laws, Amnesties Are Born

The ambitious immigration overhaul package that Congress is studying has drawn criticism from conservatives who say it offers amnesty to lawbreakers, and from immigration advocates who say it will not do enough to bring millions of people out of the shadows.




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Lessons in Forced Democracy

Four years ago, during a speech in Manila, President Bush drew an analogy between the history of the Philippines and the history he was rewriting in Iraq.




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Petroleum Feeds Patriarchy

Climate change. Pollution. Financial expense. Our gas-guzzling ways have long been associated with a variety of problems, but disturbing evidence now points to a new dimension of our love affair with petroleum: Oil consumption and high oil prices hurt the political, social and economic development...




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Clinton, Obama and the Narcissist's Tale

Put yourself in the shoes of Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. You are widely seen by Democratic voters as a transformational presidential candidate. Democrats are nearly evenly divided between you and your competitor, and you think you are the best candidate for your party -- and...




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The Impact of Immigration Enforcement Policies On Teaching and Learning in America’s Public Schools

In an era of stepped-up immigration enforcement, speakers at this event present their research on the impact of enforcement policies on children from immigrant families and U.S. public schools. 




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New Data Resources Can Help Improve Targeting of State Early Childhood and Parent-Focused Programs

As states work to build high-quality early childhood systems and implement the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), having detailed knowledge of the characteristics of immigrant parents can help maximize the effectiveness of programs that seek to improve child and family outcomes, as this commentary explains.




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Upskilling the U.S. Labor Force: Mapping the Credentials of Immigrant-Origin Workers

This webinar discusses the first-ever profile of the 30 million immigrant-origin adults in the United States who lack a postsecondary credential and offers analysis of the significant payoff credentials could bring in terms of workforce participation and wages.




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MPI’s Transatlantic Council on Migration Launches Research Series on Lasting Effects of Mixed Migration Flows

First report examines Canadian challenges & solutions in housing Syrian refugees

WASHINGTON — Four years after the peak of the 2015–16 migration and refugee crisis in Europe and amid swelling arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere, new evidence sheds light on how well countries have responded to an unprecedented surge in mixed flows of humanitarian, economic and family migrants.




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Latinos &amp; Immigrants in Kansas City Metro Area Face Higher Health Insurance Coverage Gaps, Even as They Represent Fast-Growing Share of Workforce

WASHINGTON — Latinos and immigrants are at least twice as likely to lack health insurance coverage as the overall population in three central Kansas City metro counties, a new Migration Policy Institute (MPI) study reveals. In fact, they are four times as likely to be uninsured in Johnson County, Kansas. 




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Recent Asylum Seeker and Refugee Arrivals to Germany Are Getting into Labor Force More Quickly, Survey Finds

WASHINGTON — Asylum seekers and refugees who arrived in Germany in the leadup to and during the 2015-16 European migration crisis have integrated into the labor market at a slightly faster rate than previous refugee cohorts, a Migration Policy Institute (MPI) report finds.




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Get Top Statistics on Immigrants in the U.S and Changing Immigration Trends; MPI Updates its Interactive Data Tools, Maps &amp; One-Stop Resource for Key Stats

WASHINGTON — The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) today published the annual update to its data-rich article, Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States, offering readers a wealth of information that can help inform understanding about an issue that is the subject of much conversation.




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As U.S. Health Care System Sags under Strain of Pandemic, Immigrants and Refugees with Degrees in Health Care Could Serve as an Important Resource

WASHINGTON – Even as 1.5 million immigrants and refugees are already employed in the U.S. health care system as doctors, registered nurses and pharmacists, another 263,000 foreign-born health care graduates are on the sidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic—many of them because of difficulties getting their credentials accepted by employers and licensing bodies.