FYI July 15, 2020

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On This Day

1910 – In his book Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin gives a name to Alzheimer’s disease, naming it after his colleague Alois Alzheimer.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), also referred to simply as Alzheimer’s, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gradually worsens over time.[1][2] It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia.[1][2] The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.[1] As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care, and behavioural issues.[1][2] As a person’s condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society.[1] Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.[10] Although the speed of progression can vary, the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years.[7][11]

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood.[1] About 70% of the risk is believed to be inherited from a person’s parents, with many genes usually involved.[4] Other risk factors include a history of head injuries, depression, and hypertension.[1] The disease process is associated with plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.[4] A probable diagnosis is based on the history of the illness and cognitive testing with medical imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes.[5] Initial symptoms are often mistaken for normal ageing.[1] Examination of brain tissue is needed for a definite diagnosis.[4] Mental and physical exercise, and avoiding obesity may decrease the risk of AD; however, evidence to support these recommendations is weak.[4][12] There are no medications or supplements that have been shown to decrease risk.[13]

No treatments stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms.[2] Affected people increasingly rely on others for assistance, often placing a burden on the caregiver.[14] The pressures can include social, psychological, physical, and economic elements.[14] Exercise programs may be beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes.[15] Behavioural problems or psychosis due to dementia are often treated with antipsychotics, but this is not usually recommended, as there is little benefit and an increased risk of early death.[16][17]

In 2015, there were approximately 29.8 million people worldwide with AD.[2][8] It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although 4–5% of cases are early-onset Alzheimer’s.[3] It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older.[1] In 2015, dementia resulted in about 1.9 million deaths.[9] It was first described by, and later named after, German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906.[18] In developed countries, AD is one of the most financially costly diseases.[19][20]

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Born On This Day

1905 – Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (d. 1974)
Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904[1] – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936), “A Fine Romance” (1936), “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930), “Don’t Blame Me” (1948), “Pick Yourself Up” (1936), “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935), “You Couldn’t Be Cuter” (1938) and “Big Spender” (1966). Throughout her career, she collaborated with various influential figures in the American musical theater, including Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Irving Berlin, and Jimmy McHugh. Along with Ann Ronell, Dana Suesse, Bernice Petkere, and Kay Swift, she was one of the first successful Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood female songwriters.

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FYI

https://youtu.be/Toe19Oj1m4c
 
 
 
 
Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings: Iris Murdoch on Storytelling, Why Art Is Essential for Democracy, and the Key to Good Writing
 
 
 
 
By Sabrina Imbler, The New York Times: How a Velvet Ant (Which Is a Wasp) Got Its White Fluff The thistledown velvet ant (which is actually a wasp) resembles creosote fuzz. But mimicry isn’t the reason, a new study suggests.
 
 
 
 
By Rocky Parker, Beyond Bylines: 9 Unique Finance News Sites That Are Worth Investing Your Time In
 
 
 
 
By Pedro Barquinha and Charlotte Li, CBS News: Map: More than 600,000 businesses got $150,000-plus PPP loans. Here are the ones near you that received them. Half a trillion dollars were loaned to businesses. More than half of that went to large-dollar loans.
 
 
 
 
By Joshua Benton, NiemanLab: Want to read a local newspaper on a Monday morning in Wyoming? The last one still printing is about to stop
 
 
 
 
By Amy Carney, Sheldon Jackson Museum: Sheldon Jackson Museum Tsimshian Artist-In-Residence Abel Ryan Virtual Talk
 
 
 
 

By Joszh Jones, Open Culture: A Short Documentary on the Courageous Tuskegee Airmen, Narrated by Morgan Freeman
 
 
By Josh Jones, Open Culture: How Cannonball Adderley Shared the Joy of Jazz
 
 
 
 

Construction of the Alaska Highway: Malodorous Canvas
 
 
 
 

Hearthside Books & Toy
Online Zoom Event
Join author, Russell Heath for this online event
of his new novel, Rinn’s Crossing!
July 16th 7-8pm
To sign up and reserve your spot, please visit:
https://mailchi.mp/7f295996640f/hearthside

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Ideas

Perfectly DeStressed: Homemade Mosquito Repellent
 
 
 
 

Recipes

By Grace Elkus, The Kitchn: Caramelized Zucchini Phyllo Pie