Month: May 2019

Antibiotics may help curb Alzheimer’s symptoms

By Monica Beyer: For More Info, Go Here…

Research showed that an antibiotic mix impacted the gut bacteria in mice to the point that it slowed the growth and development of Alzheimer’s, but only in males.

The study, conducted at The University of Chicago, IL, demonstrated how long-term antibiotic use could reduce inflammation and slow the growth of amyloid plaques in male mice.

Amyloid plaques are a feature specific to Alzheimer’s disease. They form when a particular protein within the neurons of the brain buildup and clump together. These amyloid plaques disrupt brain cell function and lead to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

The team was led by Professor Sangram S. Sisodia, who is also the director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at The University of Chicago.

The team was already aware that people with Alzheimer’s showed changes in their gut bacteria, and they had previously carried out studies showing how gut bacteria could potentially affect Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in rodents.

This research found that changes to the microbiome limited the development of amyloid plaques in male mice, but not females.

Sisodia says of the research that “[w]hile compelling, our published studies on the role of the gut microbiome on amyloid plaque formation were limited to a single strain of mice.”

State Officials Shouldn’t Wait For Federal Action To Increase Opioid Addiction Treatment Access

By Kelsey C. Priest, Alex K. Gertner: For More Info, Go Here…

On April 8, 2019, a coalition of health leaders from 22 US states and territories published a letterto the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting “urgent federal action” to remove barriers to pharmacotherapy for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). Federal authorities should heed this message and act as soon as possible. But in the meantime, there is plenty state leaders can do to enhance access to life-saving OUD treatments in their own jurisdictions.

First-line OUD treatment is opioid agonist therapy (OAT), which includes buprenorphine (with or without naloxone) and methadone. Buprenorphine and methadone are long-acting opioids that decrease opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings while blocking the effects of short-acting opioids such as heroin. Decades of evidence support the use of OAT to reduce risky opioid use. OAT is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and recently the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Despite official endorsements and decades of research, US federal policies surrounding OAT remain complex, restrictive, and antiquated. In their letter, state health officials recommend reforming an important federal OAT policy—the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA 2000)—to meet the public health needs of the twenty-first century. DATA 2000 requires providers to undergo additional training to obtain a special Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) certification—the X-waiver—before prescribing buprenorphine. Additionally, the policy limits the number of buprenorphine prescriptions a provider can write. These waiver requirement and prescribing restrictions do not exist for any other medication, including opioids prescribed for pain. Methadone for OUD treatment is even more federally restricted, dating back to laws and regulations enacted in the early 1970s.

In the letter to Secretary Azar, health leaders called for legislative action to remove the DATA 2000 restrictions to allow health professionals already registered with the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine without an X-waiver. Recently proposed federal legislation aims to do just that, with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, sponsored by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ted Budd (R-NC), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Mike Turner (R-OH).

The U.S. Army Asked Its Twitter Followers How Serving Has Impacted Them

By Karie Fugett: For More Info, Go Here…

Thousands responded and it is gut-wrenching.

On Thursday, only days before Memorial Day, the U.S. Army posted a video to their Twitter of a young soldier, Pfc. Nathan Spencer. In it, Spencer says the Army has given him the opportunity to “serve something greater than [himself]” and that serving in the military has afforded him the opportunity to “better [himself] as a man and a warrior.”

The video is convincing. Spencer is a healthy-looking young man who is obviously motivated and ready to serve. He is an embodiment of the war hero image we hold in our collective mind. We want to cheer him on, give him a handshake, and thank him for his service. Had the Army only posted that video, Twitter might have accepted the message and moved on.

But then, the Army asked its followers a question: “How has serving impacted you?”

Thousands of people responded and they tell a much darker story of what it’s like to serve in the military.

Veterans, social workers, wives, parents, friends, brothers and sisters shared stories of suffering: PTSD, physical wounds, suicides, racism, sexism, abandonment, and the list, unfortunately, goes on and on.

 

Now Accepting Submissions For The 2020 IOD Calendar

From Institute on Disability: For More Info, Go Here…

We are currently inviting artists to submit artwork to be considered for the UNH Institute on Disability’s (IOD) 2020 Calendar. For the past 20 years, we have produced beautiful, full-color calendars featuring 13 original works of art coupled with inspirational quotes. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your talent on a global scale.

  • All artwork must be two-dimensional (i.e. drawings, paintings, or photography). Artwork may be created for the purpose of this calendar or may be selected from an existing portfolio of work.
  • Each artist is welcome to submit a maximum of three (3) works of art for consideration using the form below.
  • If selected, artists need to agree to the terms of the Artwork Release Form. Unfortunately, we are unable to feature any artwork without the release form. Please be sure you are willing and able to comply with the terms prior to submission.

The Submission deadline is Friday, June 28, 2019.

Selected Artists will be contacted no later than August 9, 2019, and will receive five free copies of the calendar and can purchase more at a discount.Thank you in advance for sharing this opportunity with those who may be interested. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at contact.iod@unh.edu or by calling (603) 862–4320.

 

Vitamin C Decreases Depression And Affects Cognition

By Ana Zdravic: For More Info, Go Here…

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, in more formal terms) is a well-known antioxidant that may be good for fighting off depression, not just the common cold as many would believe. The relationship between vitamin C and depression has only recently been established scientifically, but it has been a strong one.

Studying vitamin C deficiencies is quickly becoming more common in the scientific realm due to the fact that contemporary diets (high in convenience, fast foods) are reducing the amount of time that people spend preparing and eating fresh foods, thus causing vitamin deficiencies which affect cognition and behavior. In fact, vitamin C deficiencies have been established in the community at large,[1] the hospitalized elderly,[2] and college students.[3] Such findings are a cause for concern due to the negative impacts that emerge as a result of vitamin C deficiency.

In this article, we will review the relationship between vitamin C, depression, cognitive states such as memory, and relationships to other conditions, as well as relevant animal models and experimental mazes which are commonly used in research.

CID warns Army community about social media impersonation of Soldier accounts

By Courtesy: For More Info, Go Here…

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (CID) Computer Crime Investigative Unit (CCIU) is once again warning Soldiers and the Army community to be on the lookout for “social media scams” where cybercriminals impersonate service members by using actual and fictitious information, not just for “trust-based relationship scams,” also known as romance scams, but for other impersonation crimes such as sales schemes and advance fee schemes.

“By monitoring your social media identity, you can protect your Army family and your reputation,” said Special Agent Marc Martin, deputy director of operations for CCIU. “The criminals will use factual data from official websites and Soldiers’ personal social media sites, then prey on vulnerable people’s trusting nature and willingness to help the Soldier.”

Frequently, CID receives notifications from individuals stating they were scammed online by someone claiming to be a Soldier, but in reality it was an online scammer who has used an unsuspected Soldier’s name and available social media photos to commit a crime.

The Section 14(c) National Online Dialogue

From The U.S. Department of Labor: For More Info, Go Here…

ngd-Section 14(c) is the legal basis of paying people with disabilities low wages in Sheltered Workshops...

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), through its ePolicyWorks initiative, is hosting this national online dialogue to gather perspectives on Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Please share your ideas, individual stories, and personal experiences illustrating the impact of Section 14(c) on the employment of people with disabilities. The goal of this online dialogue is to capture perspectives about Section 14(c) based on individual input from those “on the ground.” Information gleaned from the comments will then be summarized to provide an overview of Section 14(c) at the state and national levels to ODEP.

Click on one of the topics in the boxes below to share your ideas.

LARA Shuts Down Royal Funeral Home, Inc. in Battle Creek

The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) summarily suspended the prepaid funeral and cemetery sales registration of Royal Funeral Home, Inc., effective May 21, 2019, the mortuary science establishment license of Royal Funeral Home Inc. in Battle Creek, and the individual mortuary science license of its manager, Richard L. Royal, effective May 28, 2019. As of the service date of the orders of summary suspension on May 21, the respondents may not enter into any new prepaid or at-need contracts for funeral services, but they may complete funeral services based on current at-need funeral services contracts for any bodies present at its premises, until May 27, 2019. The formal complaints and orders of summary suspension were issued by LARA’s Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing (CSCL). The funeral home is located at 281 Upton Avenue, Battle Creek, Michigan.

“Michigan residents trust funeral home directors, owners, and their establishments to follow the law especially when dealing with the death of a loved one,” said LARA Director Orlene Hawks. “We will continue to aggressively hold every funeral home in Michigan to the highest standards of public health and safety when providing final arrangements.”

These actions resulted from an audit conducted by the CSCL Securities & Audit Division that found records associated with Royal Funeral Home, Inc.’s prepaid funeral sales contracts revealed multiple violations of the Prepaid Funeral and Cemetery Sales Act (the “Prepaid Act”), MCL 328.211 et seq., and the Occupational Code (the “Occupational Code”), MCL 339.101 et seq., including:

  • Failure to deposit at least $269,228.29 received for prepaid funeral goods or services related to 92 prepaid funeral contracts with an authorized escrow agent.
  • Failure to deposit monies with an authorized escrow agent within 30 days of receipt.
  • Failure to maintain copies of prepaid funeral contracts.
  • Fraud, deceit, or dishonesty in the practice of mortuary science.
  • Incompetence in the practice of mortuary science.

Royal Funeral Home has 60 days to either assign its existing prepaid contracts to another person registered under the Prepaid Act and notify the Department and contract buyers of the assignment within 30 days of the assignment, or to cancel the contracts and issue refunds to each contract buyer, providing copies of refund checks and correspondence to each contract buyer to the Department within 90 days.

A person who converts funds paid pursuant to a prepaid contract to his or her own use or benefit other than as authorized by the Prepaid Act or who fails to escrow or trust funds according to the Prepaid Act is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of $5,000 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, for each violation. A person who violates any other provision of the Prepaid Act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both, for each violation.

Members of the public who have questions or concerns regarding the operation of Royal Funeral Home should contact LARA at 517-335-5237, or by email at funeralhomes@michigan.gov.

French society will be stepping off a moral precipice should it decide to starve Lambert to death.

By Alex Schadenberg: For More Info, Go Here…

The Vincent Lambert case which concerns the withdrawal of food and fluids of a cognitively disabled man, also opens the question of the goals of the euthanasia lobby.

Sign the petition: Protect Vincent Lambert’s Life (Link). 

Kevin Yuill, author of the book Assisted Suicide: The Liberal, Humanist Case Against Legalisation, examines the Lambert case from a different perspective in his article published by Spiked on May 27, 2019.
Yuill examines the Lambert case based on the involvement of the euthanasia lobby. Yuill writes:

Vincent Lambert has become central to the right-to-die debate in France. His face has appeared in French media over the past six years as a symbol of a passionate argument over his future and the future of euthanasia law in France. Lambert, 42, a former nurse, has spent the past 11 years in a vegetative state since suffering severe brain damage from a 2008 motoring accident.

His high-profile case, which pits his wife and five of his siblings against his devout Catholic parents, a sister and a half-brother, has become a judicial soap opera. It has also divided France, where euthanasia is illegal but doctors are allowed to put terminally ill patients into deep sedation or to withdraw their treatment altogether. The case turns on questions about the degree of Lambert’s consciousness, and about whether or not he would wish to live in such a condition.

Since 2013, Lambert’s medical team has favoured removing the feeding and water tubes that keep him alive. His parents have resisted. On the evening of 20 May, a French court dramatically ordered doctors to resume life support, reversing an earlier judicial ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that said Lambert should be removed from life support. This follows a request by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations, which demanded that the removal of nutrition and hydration be delayed pending further study.

25 ‘Ridiculous Triggers’ That Can Cause a Chronic Illness Flare

By Erin Migdol: For More Info, Go Here…

Most people wouldn’t be too surprised to hear that things like exercise or certain foods can set off a symptom flare when you have a chronic illness. But as any chronic illness warrior knows, there is a whole range of somewhat ridiculous things that can set off symptoms that you wouldn’t think could have such an impact.

Mighty user trulyhadleydeeply posted a question to the community about her own “ridiculous” triggers:

The question got some fascinating answers, from beef gravy to crying to sunglasses (read them all here), and we wanted to hear what more of you thought. So we asked our Mighty chronic illness community on Facebook to share the “ridiculous” triggers they experience. Be sure to leave a comment with your own random, bizarre or unexpected triggers you experience. If you find yourself avoiding some seemingly “safe” things because they might trigger your symptoms, you’re not alone!