A Simple Letter Helped Curb Overprescribing Of Antipsychotics By Some Doctors

On By peanutgallerynhIn Drugs & Drink,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

The antipsychotic drug Seroquel [is] …frequently the drug is also given to people who have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The problem with that? Seroquel can be deadly for dementia patients, according to the FDA.

…And for anyone who wants to stop the common practice of overmedicating dementia patients, curtailing the use of antipsychotics is just the beginning. …There are lots of other kinds of drugs that affect the brain.

…”The use of mood stabilizers [in dementia patients] … has actually accelerated.” Such drugs include the anti-seizure medicines Depakote and Tegretol.

…A consensus statement in the journal International Psychogeriatrics on the ways dementia behaviors like agitation and wandering should be treated [says] it’s usually better to find out what triggers the difficult behavior …or to modify the patient’s environment.

“The highest ranked and endorsed treatments are all non-pharmacological approaches,” Kales says.

But that kind of treatment takes more time, and has been slow to catch on, she says. It will never be as easy as dispensing a pill.

A Simple Letter Helped Curb Overprescribing Of Antipsychotics By Some Doctors : Shots – Health News : NPR

hmmm

Trump Accuses California Of Causing Wildfires By ‘Diverting’ Water To Pacific

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Environment,, Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

Trump finally weighed in on the tragedy, …blaming California for the blazes because it “diverts” water to the Pacific Ocean.

He also blamed the state’s “bad environmental laws” — the most protective in the nation — and trees. He called for a “tree clear to stop fire spreading.”

He failed to express condolences to the families of the victims, thank firefighters, or offer comfort to Californians afraid for their lives, homes and communities.

…It’s unclear what the president meant by water “diverted” into the Pacific. California allocates water among residents, agricultural and industrial use, and for wetlands and wildlife, including water mandated to protect endangered species. But state waters eventually drain into the ocean. As one tweeter responded: “Water running into the Pacific Ocean is called a river.” And firefighters haven’t complained of a lack of water for battling the blazes.

…The scientific consensus is that fires are becoming more common because of climate change, which Trump once called a Chinese “hoax.”

Trump Accuses California Of Causing Wildfires By ‘Diverting’ Water To Pacific | HuffPost

sigh…

Diet Hit A Snag? Your Gut Bacteria May Be Partly To Blame

On By peanutgallerynhIn Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

The successful dieters had an increased abundance of a bacteria called Phascolarctobacterium, whereas another bacteria, Dialister, was associated with a failure to lose the weight. And, Kashyap says it’s likely that there are other types of bacteria that might influence dieting as well.

Diet Hit A Snag? Your Gut Bacteria May Be Partly To Blame : The Salt : NPR

hmmmm

As questions swirl over Trump interview, judge guts potential defense strategy

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Over the course of 92 pages, Howell resoundingly rejected an attempt by Andrew Miller, a former associate of Trump confidante Roger Stone, to quash a subpoena to testify, explaining why the “scope of the Special Counsel’s power falls well within the boundaries the Constitution permits.”

Miller had argued that Mueller was not nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and therefore was unconstitutionally appointed as a “principal officer.” Howell found the claim unpersuasive in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Morrison v. Olson, which upheld the constitutionality of provisions of a now-defunct federal statute creating an independent counsel, and subsequent court decisions. Instead, Howell found Mueller to be an “inferior officer” under the supervision of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who took up the oversight of the Russia investigation after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from it last year.

“His appointment, without presidential appointment and senatorial confirmation, thus did not violate the Appointments Clause,” Howell wrote.

Miller also claimed that Sessions’ “mere recusal” from the Russia investigation didn’t make Rosenstein the acting attorney general for purposes of tapping Mueller to lead the probe. But Howell didn’t buy that argument either, pointing to the fact that various federal statutes allow the attorney general to delegate the authority to appoint a special counsel to the deputy attorney general.

“Multiple statutes authorize the Special Counsel’s appointment, and the official who appointed the Special Counsel had power to do so,” Howell concluded, underscoring a point previously acknowledged by several prominent legal voices.

As questions swirl over Trump interview, judge guts potential defense strategy – CNNPolitics

hmmmm

Human remains buried at Stonehenge 5,000 years ago offer a clue to where they came from

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

By creating a map of strontium isotope ratios across a geographical area and comparing that with those found in a bone fragment, scientists can determine a human or animal’s place of origin — or at least where they spent the majority of the last 10 years before they died.

In this study, the researchers identified bone fragments belonging to 25 distinct individuals that had been buried at Stonehenge. The strontium isotope analysis revealed that the bones of 15 of these people exhibited the same strontium isotope ratio that existed in the area around the monument.

The results from the other 10, however, showed that these people did not consume food grown in the local area alone.

…The researchers can’t be totally sure where these 10 people came from, but the strontium isotope ratios in their bones are consistent with a region in west Wales that is known to be the source of some of the stones in the monument.

Further analysis also suggested that the wood fuel that was used to cremate some of these people did not come from the area around the monument either.

Human remains buried at Stonehenge 5,000 years ago offer a clue to where they came from

hmmm

Stonehenge mystery solved? Study sheds light on people buried at monument – CNN

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

The results revealed that 40% of the people buried at Stonehenge likely came from west Wales, the suggested origin of the site’s smaller bluestones.

…The bone analysis suggested that within the last ten years of their lives, these people were not living at Stonehenge nor originally from the area around Stonehenge, known as the Wessex region.

 

 

Stonehenge mystery solved? Study sheds light on people buried at monument – CNN

Rick Gates Testifies That He Committed Crimes With Paul Manafort

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

“Were you involved in any criminal activity with Mr. Manafort?” a prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team asked Gates, the key witness in the charges brought against Manafort.

“Yes,” Gates answered.

“Did you commit any crimes with Mr. Manafort?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” Gates answered again.

… Gates admitted to conspiracy against the United States in connection with avoiding taxes as well as a charge of lying to the special counsel’s office and the FBI.

Rick Gates Testifies That He Committed Crimes With Paul Manafort | HuffPost

hmmmm

U.S. Secret Service rejects suggestion it vetted Trump son’s meeting

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

The U.S. Secret Service on Sunday denied a suggestion from President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer that it had vetted a meeting between the president’s son and Russian nationals during the 2016 campaign.

…“Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in. The president had Secret Service protection at that point, and that raised a question with me,” Jay Sekulow, a member of the president’s legal team, said on Sunday on the ABC news program “This Week.”

In an emailed response to questions about Sekulow’s comments, Secret Service spokesman Mason Brayman said, …“Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time.”

U.S. Secret Service rejects suggestion it vetted Trump son’s meeting | Reuters

hmmmm

Trump administration tells ACLU to find deported parents

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Modern Parenting,, Race,Leave a comment

The Trump administration on Thursday informed a federal judge that it isn’t responsible for locating deported parents separated forcibly from their children at the southern border.

DOJ said in a court filing that the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit over family separations, should instead take the lead in reunifying deported parents with their children.

via Trump administration tells ACLU to find deported parents – POLITICO

Gawd almighty… I can’t even.