Category: Intersection

Harmony in the Brain: Unraveling the Neuroscience of Music

From Neuroscience News (Video): Complete Post through this link…

Unlock the power of music and its profound influence on the human brain in this Neuroscience News video! We delve into how music engages multiple areas of the brain, its role in evoking emotions through the release of dopamine, and its therapeutic applications, particularly in memory-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Join us as we explore the fascinating field of the neuroscience of music, revealing why tunes have such a universal appeal and power.

0:00 How is music related to neuroscience?

0:34 Why is music important in neuroscience?

0:47 What do neuroscientists say happens when we listen to music?

2:05 What’s the neuroscience behind music therapy?

Seniors Surveyed on Aging in Place With the Help of Technology

By Lauren Naru: Complete Post through this link…

British Vogue is making strides when it comes to inclusivity with the release of a braille edition of the magazine’s latest issue.

The publication’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful shared that the publication’s “first” braille issue is available as of Thursday with an announcement on Instagram. “The Vogue team and I are delighted by the response to the May issue, but what the process of making it taught us is that what’s most important are tangible and lasting changes,” he wrote, noting that readers are now able “to be sent the audio file, to print a Braille file of the issue at home for free or to register your interest in receiving a physical Braille copy.”

The history-making accessibility features come with an issue focused on disability with actress Selma Blair on the cover. Other advocates in the space, including Aaron Rose Philip and Sinéad Burke, were also featured in the magazine.

British Vogue didn’t respond to Yahoo Life’s request for comment. However, Enninful penned more of his thoughts in the editor’s letter included in the issue. “Disability should feel personal to us all,” he wrote. “The time has come for us to get real about who we are as a society, and for fashion to build a better, more accessible and inclusive industry.”

1 in 10 People Suffer From Autoimmune Diseases

From Neuroscience News: Complete Post through this link…

Summary: A study of 22 million people found autoimmune disorders now affect around one in 10 individuals, with women more affected than men.

The research also revealed socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional disparities among several autoimmune disorders. The researchers suggest such variations are unlikely to be attributable to genetic differences alone, and may point to the involvement of potentially modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, or stress that contribute to the development of some autoimmune diseases.

The study also confirmed that in some cases, a person with one autoimmune disease is more likely to develop a second, indicating that some autoimmune diseases share common risk factors, such as genetic predispositions or environmental triggers.

Key Facts:

  1. Autoimmune diseases affect around 10% of the global population, with 13% of women and 7% of men being affected.
  2. The study used a large dataset of anonymized electronic health records from the UK, covering 22 million people, to investigate 19 of the most common autoimmune diseases.
  3. The research found that there are socioeconomic, seasonal, and regional disparities among several autoimmune disorders and that some autoimmune diseases share common risk factors, such as genetic predispositions or environmental triggers.

Gallaudet, U.S. Naval Academy debate the issue of deaf people serving in the military

By Victoria Hallett: Complete Post through this link…

Four students — two from Gallaudet University and two from the United States Naval Academy — made history Thursday night by participating in an unprecedented debate hosted by Gallaudet’s Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA). In front of a packed crowd at the Gallaudet University Field House, they competed in mixed teams, each with one representative from both schools and using a combination of American Sign Language and English. Their mission was to tackle the question: Should deaf people be allowed to serve in the United States military?

Gallaudet’s Trent Mora and United States Naval Academy midshipman Jason Santiago took the affirmative stance, maintaining that combat has evolved with technology, making it possible for deaf people to perform effectively in more roles. Arguing against the inclusion of deaf service members were Gallaudet’s Lexi Hill and United States Naval Academy midshipman Roy Choi, who asserted that auditory communication remains vital in combat zone scenarios.

A pre-debate poll of those in attendance, which included more than 100 high school students from deaf schools and programs nationwide, found that 73 percent were in favor of deaf people in the military, and only 27 percent were opposed. So when Hill stepped onto the stage for her opening remarks, she acknowledged that she was taking on an unpopular stance. “I like to challenge myself, and I like to view perspectives that are varying and different than mine. I think that’s the whole point of debate,” she explained.

Hill and Choi relied on storytelling to make their case, starting with the scene around them in the Field House. “USNA and Gallaudet have come together and worked tirelessly for this event and coordinated CART, interpreters, CDIs, and still, regardless of all of that effort, something will be lost in translation this evening,” Hill noted. “Now imagine that situation in the fog of war.” They asked the audience to envision ships that have lost their engines, bunkers that have been attacked, and other catastrophic incidents.

Fake sign language is spreading on TikTok. Deaf people are worried.

By Amanda Morris: Complete Post through this link…

Sign language has become trendy on TikTok, but many videos feature incorrect signs, sparking fears the trend will cause lasting damage to American Sign Language.

Anthony Eagle Jr. is big on TikTok. He boasts over 850,000 followers, many of whom love the way he performs sign language renditions of songs. There’s just one problem — the sign language is sometimeswrong.

When Eagle, 39, of Winston-Salem, N.C., signs the song, “Love the Way You Lie,” his rendition is riddled with mistakes, like signing the word “lie” with two hands in the wrong position. To a deaf person who uses sign language, it looks like gibberish.

The Washington Post asked Sheena Lyles, 37, of Baltimore, a Deaf comedian on TikTok, to demonstrate several sign language mistakes made on social media. Here she shows the right way to sign “lie,” as well as the wrong way used by Eagle in his video.

ZAPPAR CREATES ACCESSIBLE QR CODES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS

From VENKAT: Complete Post through this link…

Zappar, a UK based company has come up with a new accessible QR code solution that will help blind and partially sighted people access product information on store shelves and in cabinets at home relatively quickly.

“Accessible QR” brings a slight modification to the regular QR code that we are all familiar with by including a unique, patent pending D3 “dot-dot-dash” pattern around it. This pattern increases the scanning distance of a standard QR code by 7x, enabling visually impaired people to find the information they are looking for from a much farther distance. The accessible QR code not only identifies the product but also provides all the product details in a structured way that can be easily read by VoiceOver. To read these QR codes effectively, Zappar has introduced a new app called Zapvision.

Teen Bullying Solutions: Help for Neurodivergent Adolescents

From ADDitude: Complete Post through this link…

EXPERT: Rosanna Breaux, Ph.D.
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, June 6 @ 1pm EDT
(12pm CDT; 11am MDT; 10am PDT)  |  Find it in your time zone > This webinar will be recorded. Register now and we’ll reserve you a spot (even if you can’t attend live) AND email you the replay link »
. . . . .
Adolescents with ADHD are more likely to experience bullying for a variety of reasons, including missing social cues, academic struggles, poor impulse control, and having difficulty making friends — and the effects of bullying can be devastating. Adolescents who are bullied experience negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety, that can last into adulthood.

In this webinar, you will learn about:Research suggesting adolescents with ADHD are more likely to experience bullyingPredictors of bullyingHow to identify the signs of bullyingStrategies to prevent further bullyingApproaches to use if your child is the bully

Interactive Art Exhibitions Can Improve Mood and Reduce Anxiety

From ASAN: For Complete Post, Click Here…

Summary: Viewing interactive art online can improve our mood and reduce anxiety. People reported significant improvements in mood and anxiety after just a few minutes of viewing an interactive Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture.

The study also found that individuals with high levels of aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing.

Key Findings:

  1. The study involved 240 participants who viewed an interactive Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture and filled out a questionnaire about their state of mind, pleasure, and meaningfulness of the experience.
  2. The study found that even a few minutes of online art viewing can significantly improve mood and anxiety.
  3. The researchers also found that individuals with high levels of aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing, which expands insight into the benefits and limitations of art in digital media.

Michigan automatic expungement: What convictions qualify, how to check

By Lauren Gibbons: Complete Post through this link…

  • In the first eight days of automatic expungement in Michigan, nearly 1.2 million convictions were set aside 
  • Automatic system will check daily for newly-eligible convictions to expunge
  • 2020 law that created automatic expungement process also expanded eligibility for wiping criminal records

This month, Michigan became the latest state in the nation to automatically wipe past eligible criminal convictions from public records.

More than 1 million felonies and misdemeanors have been erased from residents’ records since the automatic program took effect on April 11, and state officials say the process is designed to run a daily check for newly-eligible convictions to expunge. 

The automatic expungements are limited primarily to low-level, nonviolent crimes committed by residents who haven’t had another conviction in years. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said about 400,000 Michigan residents were “completely conviction free” once automatic expungement went into effect. 

Certain crimes not included in the automatic expungement process, including first-time drunk driving offenses, can still be expunged after a certain period of time through the traditional process of petitioning a judge.

Cyclothymia: The Rare Bipolar Disorder Type We Don’t Talk About

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Monique Vitche: Complete Post through this link…

When we think about bipolar disorder, we often only think about two types — bipolar I and bipolar II. But did you know there is another bipolar disorder type?

Cyclothymia, also known as cyclothymic disorder, is a relatively mild mood disorder compared to its cousin bipolar disorder, which is characterized by periods of highs (mania) and lows (depression). In cyclothymia, the highs and lows are much shorter and not as intense — known respectively as “hypomania” and “mild depression.” Cyclothymia affects just under 1 percent of the U.S. population, making it a rare mood disorder.

To learn more about cyclothymia, we reached out to J. Allanah Evans, MS, LSCW, who specializes in treating bipolar disorder. Despite cyclothymia’s rarity, Evans said she believes it’s under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed in some people.

What is Cyclothymia?

Cyclothymia is a mild version of bipolar disorder, meaning symptoms don’t last as long as they do in bipolar I or bipolar II disorders.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5), someone can be diagnosed with cyclothymia after experiencing hypomanic and depressive episodes for at least two years. In addition, a person with cyclothymia usually experiences some “stable” mood periods that last about two months at a time. In order to be diagnosed with cyclothymia, your symptoms have had an impact on your daily life, but not to the point where you would qualify for bipolar disorder or another mental illness.