Turn Up Your Favorite Song to Improve Medication Efficacy

From Neuroscience News: Complete Post through this link…

Summary: Listening to music may help boost the beneficial effects of medicine while helping to reduce some of the side effects. Cancer patients who listened to their favorite music while experiencing chemotherapy-related nausea reported a decrease in nausea severity and stress.

Source: University of Michigan

While listening to a favorite song is a known mood booster, researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that music-listening interventions also can make medicines more effective. 

“Music-listening interventions are like over-the-counter medications,” said Jason Kiernan, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing. “You don’t need a doctor to prescribe them.” 

While previous research studies have used music-listening interventions as a tool to treat pain and anxiety, Kiernan took a novel approach by studying the effects of music-listening interventions on chemotherapy-induced nausea. 

“Pain and anxiety are both neurological phenomena and are interpreted in the brain as a state,” Kiernan said. “Chemotherapy-induced nausea is not a stomach condition; it is a neurological one.” 

The small pilot study included 12 patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment who agreed to listen to their favorite music for 30 minutes each time they needed to take their as-needed anti-nausea medication.

They repeated the music intervention anytime nausea occurred over the five days beyond their chemotherapy treatment. The patients in the study provided a total of 64 events.

Unwarranted MedicalReexaminations forDisability Benefits

From the VA IG: Complete Post through this link…

Why the OIG Did This Review

The OIG conducted this review to determine whether Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)
employees required disabled veterans to submit to unwarranted medical reexaminations.

VBA employees have authority to request reexaminations for veterans “whenever VA
determines there is a need to verify either the continued existence or the current severity of a
disability,” and when there is no exclusion from reexamination. While reexaminations are
important in the appropriate situation to ensure taxpayer dollars are appropriately spent,
unwarranted reexaminations cause undue hardship for veterans. They also generate excessive
work, resulting in significant costs and the diversion of VA personnel from veteran care and
services.

What the Review Found

VBA employees did not consistently follow policy to request reexaminations only when
necessary. The OIG team reviewed a statistical sample of 300 cases with reexaminations from
March through August 2017 (review period) and found that employees requested unwarranted
medical reexaminations in 111 cases. Based on this sample, the review team estimated that
employees requested unwarranted reexaminations in 19,800 of the 53,500 cases during the
review period (37 percent).

VBA employees requested reexaminations for veterans whose cases qualified for exclusion from reexamination for one or more of the following reasons:
· Over 55 years old at the time of the examination, and not otherwise warranted by unusual
circumstances or regulation
· Permanent disability and not likely to improve
· Disability without substantial improvement over five years
· Claims folders contained updated medical evidence sufficient to continue the current
disability evaluation without additional examination
· Overall combined evaluation of multiple disabilities would not change irrespective of the
outcome of reexamining the particular condition.

HOMEHEALTH NEWSTinnitus Takedown: Top Tips From a Hearing Specialist

By BRADLEY KESSER: Complete Post through this link…

Tinnitus is a common condition characterized by the perception of noise or ringing in the ears without an external sound source. Typically experienced as ringing, buzzing, hissing, or clicking, it can stem from various causes, such as age-related hearing loss, loud noise exposure, ear infections, or head injuries. Although tinnitus is often regarded as a symptom rather than a disease, it can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.

As a neurotologist – that’s an ear specialist – I have seen approximately 2,500 tinnitus patients during my 20-year career. That might sound like a lot, but it shouldn’t be a surprise – up to 15% of the U.S. population experiences tinnitus. That’s more than 50 million Americans.

Roughly 20 million of those have burdensome, chronic tinnitus, and another 2 million struggle with extreme and debilitating tinnitus. The condition seems to strike middle-aged people the most, but I have seen younger patients and even teenagers with tinnitus.

Much about this condition remains a mystery, but clinicians and researchers do know that loud noise can trigger tinnitus. Firearms, power tools, heavy machinery, MRI scans and blaring music from even a single rock concert are often the culprits. Just one loud noise exposure – what doctors call acoustic trauma – can kick-start tinnitus, although in most of those cases it’s temporary.

This is why many people in the military have tinnitus, perhaps acquired after exposure to loud gunfire or vehicular and aircraft noise. Indeed, more than 2.5 million veterans receive disability benefits for tinnitus.

Other factors that can cause or contribute to tinnitus include sinus infections, fevers, flu, emotional stress, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and some medications, like aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. When people stop drinking these beverages or taking the medications, the tinnitus typically resolves itself or, at least, is reduced.

Background noise often drowns out tinnitus, and many external sources will work. YouTube has many sound-generating videos that can help cancel out the uncomfortable sound, and some of these have black screens that will run all night. Free smartphone apps are available; for some people, air conditioners, fans, sound machines, television and radio can be effective at masking the tinnitus.

There are also sound-producing devices that fit in the ear to help counteract tinnitus. Programmed by an audiologist, these sound maskers emit a tone at the same pitch as the user’s tinnitus, helping to neutralize the internal sound. These devices are typically not covered by insurance carriers or Medicare.

For those with hearing loss, regular hearing aids may camouflage the tinnitus by bringing in background noise while at the same time helping patients hear.

Some types of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications work.

Another approach is cognitive behavioral therapy – that is, talk therapy. This particularly helps those with other conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, a history of concussion or other traumatic brain injury. By reducing this underlying stress, people can learn to live with it rather than fight against it.

Christina Applegate denounces Candace Owens for mocking disability-inclusive Skims ad

BY CHRISTI CARRAS: Complete Post through this link…

Christina Applegate, who has been vocal about living with multiple sclerosis, criticized Candace Owens this week for mocking an underwear ad featuring a model in a wheelchair.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, the “Dead to Me” star posted a series of tweets denouncing the conservative pundit’s dismissive remarks and advocating for more accessibility in the clothing industry. Applegate’s tweets come a few weeks after Owens deemed the disability-friendly Skims campaign unnecessary and “ridiculous” on her eponymous podcast.

“Yes late tweet. But woke to see the most horrifying thing,” Applegate wrote Thursday.

“This Candace person making comments about companies who see we need help. It’s f— gross. I thank skims and Tommy [Hilfiger] and Guide beauty and @neowalksticks for seeing … us. To [Owens] #youshouldknowbetter.”

#TechTuesday: AT For Pet Care

From MATP: Complete Post through this link…

We hope you will join us for our third #TechTuesday Training Series this year.Session 3 of the training series will be aboutAT For Pet CareYou will learn how to use various Assistive Technology (AT) products and devices. We will be highlighting assistive technology devices, products, and adaptation tips to assist with Caring for Pets.Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 12 to 1:00 PMThis training is free.
CART captioning and ASL Interpreting will be provided.Register in advance for access to the live session and the recording for future viewing:
Click Here to Register

Revolutionary Twin-Bioengine Nanorobots for Gastrointestinal Inflammation Therapy

By CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: Complete Post through this link…

Micro/nanorobots with self-propelling and -navigating capabilities have attracted extensive attention in drug delivery and therapy owing to their controllable locomotion in hard-to-reach body tissues.

However, developing self-adaptive micro/nanorobots that can adjust their driving mechanisms across multiple biological barriers to reach distant lesions is still a challenge.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Lintao Cai from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a twin-bioengine yeast micro/nanorobot (TBY-robot) with self-propelling and self-adaptive capabilities that can autonomously navigate to inflamed sites to provide gastrointestinal inflammation therapy via enzyme-macrophage switching (EMS).

This study was published on February 22 in the journal Science Advances.

Special education clash: Supreme Court sides unanimously for student with disability

By John Fritze: Complete Post through this link…

The Supreme Court sided unanimously Tuesday with a student who is deaf and who sought to sue his school for damages over profound lapses in his education, a case that experts say could give parents of students with disabilities more leverage as they negotiate for the education of their children.

Central to the case was the story of Miguel Perez, who enrolled in the Sturgis Public School District in Michigan at age 9 and brought home As and Bs on report cards for more than a decade. Months before graduation, Perez’s parents learned that he would not receive a diploma and that aides the school assigned to him did not know sign language. 

Though the legal question raised by the case is technical, its outcome “holds consequences not just for Mr. Perez but for a great many children with disabilities and their parents,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the unanimous court.

What to know about the Supreme Court’s special education decision 

  • The case, Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, involved the interplay between two federal laws, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. At issue was whether students may sue a school for damages under the ADA when they haven’t exhausted the administrative process required by the IDEA.
  • In the unanimous decision Tuesday, the high court ruled that Perez didn’t need to exhaust the requirements of the IDEA process before filing a lawsuit for damages under the ADA. 
  • The decision may help parents and schools clarify one piece of a byzantine puzzle of laws that govern the nation’s 7.2 million special education students. Experts have predicted it may give parents more leverage in their negotiation with schools. 

Upper Peninsula Together with Veterans Initiative Created to Reduce Rural-Veteran Suicides

By Michael Rutledge: Complete Post through this link…

The Together with Veterans (TWV) initiative was first introduced on Rural Insights in August of 2020. This Veterans Administration (VA)-sponsored program was conceived as a veteran-centered program to reduce rural-veteran suicide rates, and Marquette was selected as one of the initial “hubs” to be started as part of the program.

The Upper Peninsula TWV group (UPTWV), as it has been named, is now operational and functioning not just in Marquette, but throughout the Upper Peninsula.

A volunteer steering committee conducted the initial training and coordination which needed to happen before the group could take shape, and there has been some presence of the group at numerous local veteran’s events to spread awareness over the past two years.

Recruiting community partners and other interested volunteers has also been the main focus of the group until late last year when James Yates, Improving Rural Enrollment, Access, and Health in Rural Veterans Project Manager (I-REACH) agreed to become the UPTWV coordinator, and the group is now fully operational.

The Truth About The Judge Rotenberg Centre

By Jillian Enright: Complete Post through this link…

Even if you believe their every claim, the place is still terrifying.

The Judge Rotenberg Centre (JRC) is a day and residential school located in Canton, Massachusetts licensed to “serve” (torture) children as young as five years old, all the way through to adulthood.

This so-called “educational” centre (their self-proclaimed title) uses electric shock devices on disabled and Autistic people in order to force compliance.

The JRC claims they only use these torture devices to stop “harmful” and dangerous behaviours (not that this would excuse it anyway), but there is extensive evidence from former staff and residents proving this is an outright lie.

There is even video evidence of a young man being shocked for refusing to remove his coat. I wonder how the JRC determined that being a little chilly is “dangerous” behaviour. (There are other videos which are even worse, but I cannot bring myself to watch them).

Some of the reasons people have been shocked with these devices are:

  • Getting out of their seat without permission
  • Refusing to eat food offered to them
  • Swearing and/or yelling
  • Covering eyes or ears
  • Repetitive hand motions in front of one’s eyes or face
  • Running away, or attempting to run away
  • Having bathroom accidents (urinating or defecating outside of a toilet)

Some of these are outside of people’s control, some of these are behaviours which signal a person is in distress, some are normal Autistic “behaviours”, and some are simply human beings making choices about their own bodies.

Chubby Buttons 2 – Wearable & Stickable Bluetooth 5.1 Remote for iPhone & Android

From Chubby Buttons: Complete Post through this link…

About this item

  • Easy-Touch Remote – Never fumble w/ your phone or touch-sensitive earbuds again. The Chubby Buttons Bluetooth remote features big buttons to control your phone even when wearing gloves or mittens.
  • Launch Siri or Google Assistant, Answer Calls, Control Tunes – Compatible w/ all smartphones, music apps, headphones (wired & wireless) & bluetooth speakers. Launch your digital assistant, answer calls, control your tunes & take selfies remotely. Keep your CB up-to-date with the latest firmware using our new companion app.
  • Rugged, All-Weather Use – This smartphone remote is water resistant to make it tough enough to outlast snowy slopes, rain-soaked roads and steamy bathrooms, making it ideal for action sports or active lifestyles.
  • All-Season Battery Life – Lasts & lasts, this smartphone remote control helps save phone battery life in cold weather & keeps working through every ride, powder sesh, & rugged hiking adventure.
  • Wearable or Stickable Convenience – Wear it w/ our new one-size-fits-all armband over big winter coats or skinny forearms- it’s fully adjustable! Or stick Chubby Button’s nanosuction backing to stoves, showers, mirrors, car radios and more!