Greetings and Welcome to my first Blog! I plan to post events, informative articles, and attempts at creativity in the world through my eyes! ” I will not cover our political climate.” It will be necessary for me to post articles as you see below, but the content should satisfy! Please give me feedback and let me know if there is anything you would like to see!!
- A New Approach to Treating Alzheimer’s
- Cava- Gives 2 hours Free leave to vote for 1600 Employees
- National Activities November Programs
Aspirin: A New Approach to Treating Alzheimer’s Symptoms?
In July of this year, there was a flurry of excitement in the news media over the results of a recently completed study, published in the July issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, funded by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the National Institutes of Health, conducted at the Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago. They found that low-dose aspirin was effective in reducing the amount of amyloid plaques in the brains of mice genetically modified to have Alzheimer’s Disease. As discussed in a previous newsletter, amyloid plaques are the clumps of the sticky protein known as beta-amyloid that build up around neurons in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
For some time now, it has been suggested that one way to approach the problem of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients is to get rid of the amyloid plaques, and the best way would be to stimulate the brain’s cellular waste disposal system. A key element in this system is a type of organelle within the cell known as the lysosome. A study published in July 2017 uncovered a possible connection between lysosome activity and Alzheimer’s. It was found that a gene known as HYAL served as a protector against cell death caused by the amyloid plaques, and that this gene was less active in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The researchers suggested that the HYAL gene accomplished its protective role by boosting the operation of the lysosomes. Thus, the brains of Alzheimer’s patients would be characterized by a lower level of lysosomal activity.
Meanwhile, an earlier study, published in October 2016, had shown that a daily mild dose of aspirin given to patients with Type 2 diabetes could reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Based on these and other earlier studies, the research team at Rush designed a study to examine the connection between aspirin and lysosomal activity. The team found that aspirin boosted the activity of a protein known as TFEB (Transcription Factor EB). TFEB is the central element in the brain’s debris-clearing mechanism. TFEB increases the production of lysosomes, and thus increases the speed and quantity of waste removal in the brain. In the case of the genetically modified mice in the study, orally administered low-dose aspirin had the effect of preventing the build-up of the amyloid plaques by clearing away the amyloid particles before they had a chance to clump together.
Of course, more research will need to be done, using humans, before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. In addition, the use of aspirin on a regular basis is controversial, and the FDA issued a statement in 2014 cautioning against its regular use on account of the increased risk it poses of bleeding in the stomach and the brain. Still, there is hope that something fruitful may come out of the findings of this recent study.
Warmly,
Veena J. Alfred, PhD., Certified Dementia Practitioner
CEO/Administrator
About AlfredHouse
At AlfredHouse, we believe that the foundation of great care rests on generous numbers of capable, committed and well-trained direct-care staffing. Abundant staffing with experienced caregivers allows us to offer the safety, service, care and consideration your family expects and deserves. Contact us today to see why AlfredHouse communities have consistently ranked among the top assisted living and elderly care providers in the Maryland, Virginia and DC areas for over 25 years.
Cava gives two hours of paid leave to vote
Long restaurant hours mean it’s not always easy for workers to find time to vote. So that’s why what Cava is doing is so momentous. The homegrown fast-casual Mediterranean chain is giving its 1,600 hourly employees two hours of paid leave in order to hit the polls on election day. Co-founder Ted Xenohristos says he remembers how proud he felt voting for the first time—his mother, a Greek immigrant, worked such long hours as a waitress at a diner that she never had the opportunity. “I felt like my parents came here and sacrificed something for me to have that chance,” he says. He wants others to have that chance, and the company is helping staff across eight states and DC register to vote and find their polling locations as well.
As far as the owners are aware, Cava is the first national restaurant group to offer this perk. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more follow suit.
National Archives
November Programs
Discussions
Thursday, November 1, 7:00pm
Vietnam Photographers: Capturing the War on Film
In observance of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, a panel of combat photographers who served in Vietnam as part of the Army’s Special Photographic Office will discuss their role and their work. They produced some of the most iconic and important images from the war and captured the soldiers’ experience through swamps and jungles. Panelists include Ted Acheson, Robert LaFoon, William San Hamel, Richard Durrance, and Carl C. Hansen.
Family Activities
Saturday, November 3, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Native American Stories Family Day
From the Cherokee to the Pueblo, 573 Native American tribes today are legally recognized by the U.S. Government. Learn about Native Americans and their relationships with the United States. And try your hand at deciphering Navajo code, creating a storyboard for a movie on athlete Jim Thorpe, or delving into treaties between the United States and Indian nations. This program takes place in the Boeing Learning Center on the upper floor of the National Archives Museum.
Author Talks with Book Signings
Wednesday, November 7, 12:00 noon
Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin
Author Eric Jay Dolin shares true tales of roguish glamour and extreme brutality of piracy in America as he reveals the history of piracy’s Golden Age, when lawless pirates such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. A book signing will follow the program.
Tuesday, November 13, 12:00 noon
John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court by Richard Brookhiser
Award-winning biographer Richard Brookhiser vividly chronicles America’s greatest judge, John Marshall, and the world he made when he became the fourth Chief Justice of the United States in 1801. At the time, the Supreme Court was the weakest branch of the federal government, but in 34 years expounding the Constitution he loved, Marshall established the high court as a pillar of American life. A book signing will follow the program.
Wednesday, November 28, 12:00 noon
A Fierce Glory: Antietam-The Desperate Battle that Saved Lincoln and Doomed Slavery by Justin Martin
Author Justin Martin renders the Battle of Antietam in a revealing new way. On September 17, 1862, the United States was on the brink, facing a permanent split into two separate nations. America’s future hung on the outcome of a single battle, but its impact rippled through politics and society, transforming history. A book signing will follow the program.
Wednesday, November 28, 7:00pm
Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss
From James Madison and the War of 1812 to recent times, Presidential historian Michael Beschloss takes a look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into war and mobilized their country for victory. Beschloss takes us into the room as the Presidents make the most difficult wartime decisions. Moderated by author and political commentator Cokie Roberts. A book signing follows the program.
Film Screenings
Thursday, November 8, 12:00 noon
Blood Road
Blood Road (96 min., 2017) follows the journey of ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete Rebecca Rusch and her Vietnamese riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, as they pedal 1,200 miles along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Their destination: the crash site and final resting place of Rebecca’s father, a U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Laos some 40 years earlier. The women push their bodies to the limit while learning more about the historic Blood Road and how the Vietnam War shaped their lives. Rebecca Rusch will introduce the film and take questions afterward.
Thursday, November 15, 7:00pm
U.S. Premiere of The Tokyo Trials
Lasting more than two-and-a-half years, the Tokyo War Crimes Trial became the longest legal proceeding ever, producing reams of records that set the precedent for modern military tribunals. In observance of the 70th anniversary of the trial’s adjournment in 1948, the National Archives hosts the U.S. premiere of The Tokyo Trials, a documentary series produced by the Chinese SMG News, which sent crews to the United States (and to the Archives), Germany, and Japan for exclusive video records and interviews with scholars.
November programs take place in the William G. McGowan Theater unless otherwise noted
There is no charge for any of these programs
Reservations
http://www.archivesfoundation.org/events
202.357.6814
More information
202.357.5000
public.program@nara.gov
Enter through the Constitution Avenue Special Events entrance for all programs
except where noted to enter from Pennsylvania Avenue
National Archives
700 Constitution Avenue, NW
202.357.5000
http://www.nara,gov
Metro: Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter
Leslie Garber's Blog 