What if we could pinpoint a hereditary cause for Alzheimer’s, and intervene to reduce the risk of the disease? We may be closer to that goal, thanks to a team at the University of Kentucky. Researchers affiliated with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging have completed new work in Alzheimer’s genetics; the research is detailed in a paper published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Emerging evidence indicates that, much like in the case of high cholesterol, some Alzheimer’s disease risk is inherited while the remainder is environmental. Family and twin studies suggest that about 70 percent of total Alzheimer’s risk is hereditary.
Recently published studies identified several variations in DNA sequence that each modify Alzheimer’s risk. In their work, the UK researchers investigated how one of these sequence variations may act. They found that a “protective” genetic variation near a gene called CD33 correlated strongly with how the CD33 mRNA was assembled in the human brain. The authors found that a form of CD33 that lacked a critical functional domain correlates with reduced risk of Alzheimers disease. CD33 is thought to inhibit clearance of amyloid beta, a hallmark of Alzheimers disease.
The results obtained by the UK scientists indicate that inhibiting CD33 may reduce Alzheimer’s risk. A drug tested for acute myeloid leukemia targets CD33, suggesting the potential for treatments based on CD33 to mitigate the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Additional studies must be conducted before this treatment approach could be tested in humans.
“Their roles were stripped genderless through a wildfire of loss, standing stark where lush growth might have hidden predators, there was only charred and shivering sufferer and co-sufferer, lover and beloved.”
As a follow-up to that last answer, here’s a powerful open letter to Will Ferrell by Patti Davis, the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who had her own issues with her parents and strongly disagreed with many of her father’s political beliefs. The second paragraph is heartbreaking, no matter who the person lost in the fog of Alzheimer’s or dementia might have once been.
AN OPEN LETTER TO WILL FERRELL
Dear Mr. Ferrell,
I saw the news bulletin — as did everyone — that you intend to portray my father in the throes of Alzheimer’s for a comedy that you are also producing. Perhaps you have managed to retain some ignorance about Alzheimer’s and other versions of dementia. Perhaps if you knew more, you would not find the subject humorous.
Alzheimer’s doesn’t care if you are President of the United States or a dockworker. It steals what is most precious to a human being — memories, connections, the familiar landmarks of a lifetime that we all come to rely on to hold our place secure in this world and keep us linked to those we have come to know and love. I watched as fear invaded my father’s eyes — this man who was never afraid of anything. I heard his voice tremble as he stood in the living room and said, “I don’t know where I am.” I watched helplessly as he reached for memories, for words, that were suddenly out of reach and moving farther away. For ten long years he drifted — past the memories that marked his life, past all that was familiar…and mercifully, finally past the fear.
There was laughter in those years, but there was never humor.
Alzheimer’s is the ultimate pirate, pillaging a person’s life and leaving an empty landscape behind. It sweeps up entire families, forcing everyone to claw their way through overwhelming grief, confusion, helplessness, and anger. Perhaps for your comedy you would like to visit some dementia facilities. I have — I didn’t find anything comedic there, and my hope would be that if you’re a decent human being, you wouldn’t either.
Twice a week I run a support group called Beyond Alzheimer’s for caregivers and family members of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. I look into haunted eyes that remind me of my own when my father was ill. I listen to stories of helplessness and loss and am continually moved by the bravery of those who wake up every morning not knowing who their loved one will be that day, or what will be lost. The only certainty with Alzheimer’s is that more will be lost and the disease will always win in the end.
Perhaps you would like to explain to them how this disease is suitable material for a comedy.
HELLO PEOPLE THAT LOVE VILLAINOUS. I HAVE FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY WATCHED THE DAMN ELUSIVE SEASON 1 AND MY LOVE FOR FLUGMENCIA/PAPERLIZARD HAS ONLY AMPLIFIED. GOOD SHIT IN THESE EPISODES. Including:
- Flug calling their dynamic Jesse and James
- Flug ASKING for Demencia when Black Hat didn’t mention him bringing her along.
- Demencia grinning and sweetly saying she missed Flug too when he accidentally almost shot her fjdjdjdjdjjwh.
- Yes I include the whole wrestling episode, my shipper heart chooses to headcanon Demencia liked the closeness of grappling with Flug. She went easy on his weak ass.
- Little moments of closeness like Demencia getting annoyed at Flug’s jokes, her knowing what he was going to ask before he even did just by his tone of voice, Flug casually mentioning how doing something is taking longer than him helping Demencia with her morning routine, just them
- AND OF COURSE THE LAST EPISODE. Demencia getting googoo eyes seeing Flug fighting. Demencia crying at Flug’s betrayal. Flug getting out of the spell because he relives his heartbreak and the first person he sees that sweeps him off his feet is Dem. Dem being glad to see him back to his senses, and wasting no time annoying him again. And last but not least, Demencia saving Flug and asking if he’s OK, genuinely looking concerned about hurting him fjfjfjfdhdhdj.
Anyways I loved what I’ve been given and I want so much more of these idiots. Flug has definitely solidified as a favorite. God damn this is HIS show more than Black Hat’s at this point djdhdjdjd. Also this is random but I’m headcanoning Goldheart is Flug’s brother because it fits with my fanfic
OK LET ME EXPLAIN SOME STUFF ABOUT THIS SHIP THAT I LOVE.
Like these dumbasses talk so much smack (especially Demencia) but they are eachother’s best friends. Flug has other friends! He’s the communicator for the Organization. He deals with the clients personally and keeps touch with some of em, even hanging out and working with other scientists and like minded people.
Demencia makes all these jokes at his expense for being a nerd, but she’s the one that’s more of a loner. Her personality is difficult to work with, and she’s fairly easy to provoke. She might not realize this is what keeps people away from her (she might just chalk it up to them being intimidated, and therefore, inferior) but she subconsciously knoqs that Flug is her most stable connection and the only one that keeps coming back. I can imagine that’d make her feel a little possessive when another friend of Flug’s starts taking more time than usual away from her.
Meanwhile, from Flug’s perspective, things may be a bit darker… atleast the way I see it. He likes his bonds with people but Demencia is the only person that can get on his nerves that he wouldn’t make an elaborate plan to get rid of in a day. He likes her. He doesn’t like her annoyances, her teasing, or some of her peculiarities, but her dependence on him is something he craves. I might go more in detail on how I picture Flug’s emotions for Demencia differ. In short, he likes that someone with the characteristics of a bully likes him. It gives him some twisted satisfaction. My boy Flug is a sadist
*sobs* The Flugmencia/Paperlizard community is a minority but damnit it’s my favorite Villainous ship HAVE A BRAINROT SHIP IDEA I GOT WHILE ANGSTING OVER IT:
- Flug is a homebody, rarely going out without Demencia, but in the rare instances he does (like the science convention) Demencia gets anxious so she HATES it. Before he leaves she tries playing it off, as if she’s glad he’s leaving while also dropping hints that if he leaves she’s going to do something stupid so maybe he should stay.
“FINALLY! The house to myself! I’m going to do sooooo much!”
“Remember your chores.”
“WHATEVER, I’m gonna party it up instead! No nerds means us wild animals can let LOOSE!”
“Fine, just don’t go into my lab. Have fun!”
“IWILL. IT’LL BE CHAOS! YOU’LL HAVE TO UNSTICK ME FROM THE ROOF, FLUG!”
“No te escucho, I’m going, I’m gone, byeeeee!!!”
“THE ROOF!!”
And a mess she always succeeds to create. To distract herself, she jumps at any stupid thought she has, which always ends in disaster. Flug can always expect to come home and find the house in disarray. Home sweet home.
- On that note, if it’s an overnight trip where he’s gone for days, Demencia loses her mind st night. Imagine her sneaking into his room to sleep in his bed, curled up like a dog and totally not whining, she’s just practicing her lizard calls! She thinks Flug is none the wiser to this because she disables the cameras as soon as he’s gone, but he has some hidden. He knows. He won’t admit it but hearing her sad sounds makes him want to come home faster.
- The usual routine of when he comes back is he catalogs the damage, disciplines Demencia, they clean up the house, and usually by then, Flug is too exhausted and quickly passes out in his room without unpacking. Demencia takes the opportunity of him forgetting to lock her in her chamber for the night to slither under his bed and fall asleep listening to his breathing, happy at his return.
Might think of more scenarios later and type em up as I go. This is such a comfort ship for me. Of course I love the OT3 with them and Black Hat but these two idiots have all my bare necessities. Black Hat is just the whipped cream in the sundae <3 Might make headcanons/scenarios with him included too.
Long-awaited (and for once not all that long-winded) the Queen’s Speech was finally revealed at 11:30am today. So just what did it contain?
Brexit
8 out of the 24 bills in the speech related to plans for UK policy after leaving the EU. We’ve broken down the main aspects of each bill below:
Repeal Bill – turns EU law into UK law so UK Parliament can make changes
Customs Bill – UK takes control of import and exports
Trade Bill – lets the UK make trade deals with other countries
Immigration Bill – allows UK government to end free movement of EU nationals into UK
Fisheries Bill – gives UK control of its waters and fishing quotas
Agriculture Bill – a system will be put in place to protect UK famers
Nuclear Safeguards Bill – creates a UK nuclear safeguards regime to replace the EU one
International Sanctions Bill – gives government final say on imposing non-UN sanctions to the UK and ensures sanctions can still be challenged
Economy
This was a stripped back speech, with very little change in economic policy. Only 5 bills related to the economy:
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill – service stations will, at some point, need to install charge points for electric vehicles
Space Industry Bill – new commercial spaceflight to be licensed, including rockets
HS2 Phase 2A Bill – the high speed railway will extend to Crewe sooner than planned
Smart Meter Bill – every household will be offered smart meters by 2020
National Insurance Contributions Bill – allows for the changes announced in 2016 budget
Other
There were 11 miscellaneous policies. More notable bills include the Courts Bill, which will remove the right of partners accused of domestic violence to cross-examine their alleged victim in court.
On a similar vein, the Draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill will introduce new measures to protect victims of domestic violence.
For younger voters, the Data Protection Bill is very interesting - it will require social media accounts to delete information held about you at the age of 18.
What does this all mean?
Legally, not very much. Not until next week anyway, when the MPs in the House of Commons will have the chance to vote for or against each bill individually. With a majority not yet secured, there’s a chance not all of these proposed bills will pass. Even then, these are just a snapshot of proposed government policy over the next 2 years.
What the Queen’s Speech does tell us is that the Tories are not having a very happy time at the moment. A large chunk of their manifesto has gone missing:
New grammar schools
The ‘dementia tax’
Scrapping triple lock pensions
Replacing free school lunches with free breakfasts
Energy price caps
Voting to remove ban on fox hunting
Means testing winter fuel payments
The suggestion is that the Tories did not think they would be able to pass these policies through the Commons - the more liberal parties were all very vocal in their opposition to these proposals during election campaigning, and even the DUP do not agree with scrapping triple lock pensions.
Through the Queen’s Speech, we’ve been given a little glimpse of the state of the Conservative Party: a monstrous papier-mâché parody of an unpopular manifesto.
SAITAMA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 16 : A government employee demonstrate the QR nail sticker to a thumb to help track down the elderly at Iruma City Office, Saitama Prefecture, Japan on December 16, 2016. The Iruma City Government presented their tiny nail stickers, each of which contains a unique identity number for senior citizens with dementia, on Friday. A tagging system, part of a free service launched this month and a first in Japan, has been developed for the elderly who may get lost due to their illness. (Photo by Richard Atrero de Guzman/NURPhoto)
I know I don’t have enough followers to justify asking this here.
My mom has a few days, maybe weeks left to live.
She has dementia, malnutrition, and cirrosis of the liver, just to name a few issues.
We have her set up in a really kind and caring hospice facility 20 minutes away from our home. They’re taking very good care of mom and keep up updated.
The problem is the facility costs $8000/month. I was able to write a check for last month, but we have til the 24th of each month to come up with the rent.
My mom was a nurse for over 40 years. She spent the last 15 years working in the NICU with premibabies. She ran the bereavement program at MAMC, and was an administrator for end of life care for cancer patients.
My mom isn’t perfect, but she spent most of her life trying to do good for other people.
If you can donate even just $1, that’s gonna get us closer to our goal.
And don’t worry, we’ve cut back on everything to stretch the dollars that we have.
Dame Barbara Windsor, best known for her roles in EastEnders and the Carry On films, has died aged 83, her husband Scott Mitchell has said.Mitchell said in a statement: “It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that my darling wife Barbara passed away at 8.35pm on Thursday 10 December at a London care home…
Very much my shit. Spent the rest of the evening humming and singing the music, for which I humbly apologize to my SO and my dog. Might make the perfect double feature withCarnival of Souls(1962)? [letterboxd] [tubi]
This was produced for public television as part of a series called “The American Short Story.” Given that information, the vibe you have in your head is probably accurate. So charming. Shelley Duvall is one of a kind and she is a pitch-perfect Bernice. [letterboxd] [kanopy]
This movie wasn’t new to me, but I watched it again for the first time since college and it was just as great as I remembered. Slovak film has never gotten its due attention. Maybe I should do a feature series on Slovak cinema??? This year marks 100 years since their first feature film too… [letterboxd]
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As always, if you’re interested in any of these and need any specific content warnings ahead of time, feel free to ask!
While a low-protein diet can accelerate neurodegeneration, consuming Amino LP7, a combination of essential amino acids, could slow the progression or inhibit the development of dementia.
Mirtazapine, an antidepressant commonly prescribed to treat dementia-associated agitation, is no more effective than a placebo and may increase mortality risks, researchers report.
Inspired by the last and most famous work by The Caretaker, Everywhere At The End Of Time, a multi-album series of dark ambient music representing the human mind through the various stages of dementia. I listened to the whole thing and like many folks who did the same, it was a gut-wrenching but altogether beautiful experience that made me reflect on life, mortality, and how precious memories really are. I’ve seen a lot of people make humanized versions of EATEOT’s six album covers, but I decided to do something a little different and make ponified versions of them instead.
Why take something as melancholy and serious as this album and turn them into cartoon ponies? I’m not sure myself; I guess I’ve always used humor as a means of coping with negative thoughts and MLP was a great source of joy in my life at a time I needed it most. Mostly this was just an exercise in creativity to see how well i could translate such abstract images into more recognizable characters.
ARTISTS ‘BETTER PROTECTED’ AGAINST DEMENTIA, STUDY FINDS
“Artists compared with non-artists are better protected, he added. "Due to their art, the brain is better protected [against] diseases like Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and even strokes. They have more reserve in their brain in order to give functions.”
Though I’ve seen Son Ye-Jin in Crash Landing On You, this film still made me confused if it’s really her I’m watching right now. It’s not that she aged a lot, of course, there’s difference now she’s in her late 30s and getting married sooner to her first love ayieee. She’s an angel that has an immaculate face and voice here. The heart effect they had with her partner to me just made my heart beats go crazy. Melancholy crept into me while I peek at the synopsis. It’s the ignorance that killed me to tears and sadness. Though it’s an open ending for me because I hope that she’ll regain her memory in no time, I still know that it’ll be permanent and lapses may happen always. I’m happy for the heartaches it brought and I’m sad for the little joy it offered me.
