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Alzheimer’s, gum disease are linked

Grandma always losing her teeth might be a funny family anecdote to some, but maybe there is something more to it than that. Sometimes we forget that the mouth is part of the body. The oral-systemic link is something that dentists emphasize rightfully because several studies published in the last decade point toward a link between Alzheimer’s and periodontal disease. The oral microbiome can affect overall health in the same way that it does in our gut, on our skin, and everywhere else throughout the body. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the supporting ...

Election letters due today

Letters concerning the May 16 primary election or candidates running in the election must be received in the Mirror’s newsroom by 4 p.m. today, April 21. There is a limit of one letter per person in each election cycle. To be considered for publication, election-related letters cannot exceed 150 words and must include the author’s name, complete home mailing address and home and daytime telephone numbers for verification purposes. Letters can be submitted online at vnr.altoonamirror.com; mailed to Altoona Mirror letters, P.O. Box 2008, Altoona, PA 16603; emailed to ...

Election letters due Friday

Letters concerning the May 16 primary election or candidates running in the election must be received in the Mirror’s newsroom by 4 p.m. Friday, April 21. There is a limit of one letter per person in each election cycle. To be considered for publication, election-related letters cannot exceed 150 words and must include the author’s name, complete home mailing address and home and daytime telephone numbers for verification purposes. Letters can be submitted online at vnr.altoonamirror.com; mailed to Altoona Mirror letters, P.O. Box 2008, Altoona, PA 16603; emailed to ...

‘Sex discrimination is bad for business’

According to unadjusted Census Bureau data, for every dollar earned by men, women earn only 83 cents. Known as the Gender Wage Gap, and often cited as evidence of sex discrimination, does further analysis support or refute it? As a father of two adult daughters who work outside the home, I am personally invested in the answer. Using unadjusted data, the statement is correct, but the gap disappears when additional factors are considered. Voluntary life choices made by both men and women also impact wage earnings. After taking account of these, the gap virtually ...

Is Tennessee turning point? Let’s hope

By Donna Bullock and Morgan Cephas The endless cycle of mass shootings, collective grief and debate continues to divide our nation. As Black legislators, we navigate this cycle looking for the right moment to highlight the oft-ignored daily gun violence in our communities, and to offer solutions. We look for allies. We stand in the gap for others. We carefully express justified outrage that doesn’t fit neatly in the box of decorum or culture of the legislature. It is a delicate balance — a skill set many Black legislators have learned in state capitols across our ...

Equinox brings us fresh outlook

Hail spring, farewell winter, and a rousing welcome to the spring equinox for precisely positioning the earth — and us — in time and space. We watch in awe as the solar conductor rouses the vegetative orchestra to life, transforming fallow plots of land into flourishing gardens. Let there be life. The equinox provides a you-are-here moment as our planet travels around the sun. Today the solar disk appears directly above the equator; the northern and southern hemispheres have equal amounts of day and night; the sun rises true east and sets true west the world over. Every spring ...