Asthma is on the rise among teens in states where cannabis is recreationally legal

 Increases in asthma prevalence were found among teens in states that have legalized cannabis for recreational use, as well as among children in some minority racial and ethnic groups in states with recreational legalization, relative to states that remain fully illegal, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The City University of New York. The results provide early evidence that legalizing and commercializing adult cannabis use may be related to a potential rise in asthma prevalence. The study is the first to examine the relationship between changes in cannabis policy for adult use and asthma prevalence among children and adolescents. The results are published online in the journal Preventive Medicine.

"Our findings suggest that state-level cannabis policy could have downstream impacts on children's respiratory health," said Renee D. Goodwin, Ph.D., adjunct associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and professor at The City University of New York. "Cannabis use is increasing among adults with children in the home, particularly in states which have legalized for medical or recreational use. Exposure to secondhand smoke is a key risk factor for asthma among children. This study offers a critical first step in identifying a key children's health concern emerging in the context of rapid, ongoing changes in cannabis policy that are unaccompanied by clinical or public health guidelines for parents."

Asthma affects approximately 5 million children and is the most common chronic condition affecting children in the nation. The researchers used data from the 2011-2019 National Survey on Children's Health, a representative sample of the physical and mental health of non-institutionalized children in the U.S. ages 0-17 years old.

Nationally, a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of pediatric asthma was reported from 2011-2012 to 2016-2017, with no decline thereafter. Relative to states where cannabis was fully illegal, the prevalence of asthma increased slightly among adolescents 12-17 years old and among children identifying with non-Hispanic minoritized race and ethnic groups in states where cannabis was legal for adult recreational use.

Cannabis use has been increasing among adults with minor children in the home and is more common among those who live in states where cannabis is legal for recreational use. An earlier study by Goodwin found that among parents with minor children, cannabis use was observed in 12 percent of parents in states with legal cannabis for recreational purposes, followed by parents residing in states with legalized cannabis for medical purposes (9.5 percent), with the lowest prevalence seen in parents in states with no cannabis laws (6 percent).

"Increased adult cannabis use across the U.S. may inadvertently impact asthma among youth. In the context of rapidly increasing legalization of adult (21 and older) use and commercialization in the U.S., an evidence base is urgently needed to inform legislators, policy makers, clinicians and the public on the potential heath impact of increasing secondhand cannabis smoke (SCS) exposure among children. Yet, no clinical nor public education regarding child exposure to SCS is available or routinely offered to parents," noted Goodwin.

"While tremendous progress has been made in asthma management in concert with tobacco control over the past several decades, the possibility that increased adult cannabis use may pose new risks, requires more in-depth study, and in particular, to learn whether SCS is associated with increases in asthma morbidity, including symptom frequency, use of rescue medicines, impairment—including missed school days—and emergency medical services.

"We believe that more research is urgently needed to estimate the potential consequences of increased adult use of cannabis in the community for children's respiratory health and that this work should come before, or at least be done contemporaneously with, the widespread commercialization of cannabis for adult use in U.S. states," observed Goodwin.

Co-authors are Katarzyna Wyka, The City University of New York; Man Luo, UC, San Diego; Andrea H. Weinberger, Yeshiva University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Meyer Kattan, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

More information: Renee D. Goodwin et al, Cannabis legalization and childhood asthma in the United States: An ecologic analysis, Preventive Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107414

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-asthma-teens-states-cannabis-recreationally.html

6 minutes of daily high-intensity exercise could delay the onset of Alzheimer's

 Six minutes of high-intensity exercise could extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that a short but intense bout of cycling increases the production of a specialized protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline. This insight on exercise is part of the drive to develop accessible, equitable and affordable non-pharmacological approaches that anyone can adopt to promote healthy aging.

The specialized protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons. Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning and overall boosts cognitive performance. These key roles and its apparent neuroprotective qualities have led to the interest in BDNF for aging research.

Lead author Travis Gibbons from University of Otago, New Zealand stated, "BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brain's capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging."

To tease apart the influence of fasting and exercise on BDNF production, the researchers, from the University of Otago, New Zealand, compared the following factors to study the isolated and interactive effects:

• Fasting for 20 hours
• Light exercise (90-minute low intensity cycling)
• High-intensity exercise (six-minute bout of vigorous cycling)
• Combined fasting and exercise

They found that brief but vigorous exercise was the most efficient way to increase BDNF compared to one day of fasting with or without a lengthy session of light exercise. BDNF increased by four to five-fold (396 pg L-1 to 1170 pg L-1) more compared to fasting (no change in BDNF concentration) or prolonged activity (slight increase in BDNF concentration, 336 pg L-1 to 390 pg L-1).

The cause for these differences is not yet known, and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved. One hypothesis is related to the cerebral substrate switch and glucose metabolism, the brain's primary fuel source. The cerebral substrate switch is when the brain switches its favored fuel source for another to ensure the body's energy demands are met, for example metabolizing lactate rather than glucose during exercise. The brain's transition from consuming glucose to lactate initiates pathways that result in elevated levels of BDNF in the blood.

The observed increase in BDNF during exercise could be due to the increased number of platelets (the smallest blood cell), which store large amounts of BDNF. The concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more heavily influenced by exercise than fasting and increases by 20%.

Twelve physically active participants (six males, six females aged between 18 and 56 years) took part in the study. The balanced ratio of male and female participants was to provide a better representation of the population rather than indicate sex differences.

Further research is underway to delve deeper into the effects of calorie restriction and exercise to distinguish the influence on BDNF and the cognitive benefits.

Travis Gibbons noted, "We are now studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF. We are curious whether exercising hard at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting. Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We think fasting and exercise can be used in conjunction to optimize BDNF production in the human brain."

More information: Travis Gibbons et al, Fasting for 20 h does not affect exercise-induced increases in circulating BDNF in humans, The Journal of Physiology (2023). DOI: 10.1113/JP283582

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-minutes-daily-high-intensity-delay-onset.html

Fla. bill would bar financial institutions from tracking gun and ammo purchases

 Florida lawmakers announced legislation this week that would prohibit financial institutions from tracking firearm and ammo purchases in the state. 

The proposed bill comes after the world's largest payment processors said last year that they will adopt the International Organization for Standardization’s new merchant code for gun shop sales. Firearm and ammo purchases were previously categorized as "general merchandise." 

State Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep. John Snyder, both Republicans, said they will introduce the "Florida Arms and Ammo Act" with the backing of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

"The ‘Florida Arms and Ammo Act’ draws a line in the sand and tells multi-national progressive financial institutions, and their allies in Washington, that they cannot covertly create a backdoor firearm registry of Floridians – or else," Simpson said in a statement. 

Gun control advocates have argued that the separate merchant code for firearm and ammo purchases could help curb gun violence. 

"When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just common sense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores," New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said last September when the new code was first announced. 

A dozen Republican U.S. Senators sent a letter to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard and American Express last year, arguing that the separate category is "the first step towards backdoor gun control on law abiding Americans." 

"Any change that seeks to impact a United States citizen's ability to legally purchase a firearm belongs with Congress, not payment networks, international standard setting organizations, or the financial institutions that some of you serve," the senators wrote in the letter. 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/florida-bill-would-prohibit-financial-institutions-tracking-gun-ammo-purchases

Biden, Buttigieg face pressure to get to the bottom of FAA mishap

 President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are under intense political pressure to get to the bottom of an issue at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that grounded flights Wednesday — and to prevent further snares in Americans’ air travel.

The FAA experienced an outage in the system that warns pilots of hazards during their upcoming flights, halting departures across the nation. While the system came back online a few hours later, the predicament came less than a month after Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights amid deadly winter storms, raising the focus on problems in commercial aviation.

Buttigieg said once flights resumed that he “directed an after-action process to determine root causes and recommend next steps.” Biden, meanwhile, told Buttigieg to report directly back to him when he learned the cause of the outage, and the administration has said that there has been no evidence of a cyberattack.

Republicans blasted the administration for the FAA meltdown.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member Garret Graves (R-La.) said on Twitter that lawmakers will “aggressively pursue accountability.”

And Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said that “we need a new nominee” to run the FAA after the systems outage, arguing that the current pick, Phil Washington, has no experience in safety and aviation. Biden had selected Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, to run the agency, but there have been no hearings to confirm him. Former FAA head Steve Dickson resigned in March.

“The easy thing is going to be for either side to put blame on the administration, but we need to understand what the facts are related to what actually caused the issue,” Robert Mariner, a Department of Transportation career official under former Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Trump, told The Hill.

Both the White House and Buttigieg have reiterated that the flight groundings on Wednesday morning were out of an abundance of caution. Buttigieg quickly made the rounds on cable news and said that his primary interest is to ensure that this kind of a disruption doesn’t happen again.

“Certainly, when there’s an issue in the FAA that needs to get looked at, we’re going to own it. Same as we ask airlines to own their companies and their operations. But the bottom line for us is always going to be safety,” he said on CNN.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the computer issues began on Tuesday afternoon and were worked on overnight and that Biden was told about the ground stop before it went into effect on Wednesday morning. She added that there will be an “after-action process, and we’ll move from there.”

The situation raises questions about whether the FAA systems are out of date and need to be updated, which also puts pressure on Buttigieg to prioritize modernizing the infrastructure.

Biden often touts himself as an infrastructure president after he signed into law the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a huge legacy item for him.

The law includes $1 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, $3 billion for airport infrastructure development, and $1 billion for a terminal program. The investments are intended to address repair and maintenance backlogs and create modern, resilient and sustainable port, airport and freight infrastructure.

Mariner warned, however, that funding takes time to go into effect. Biden signed the infrastructure bill into law in November 2021.

“Just cause money is being thrown on the infrastructure issue, it still takes time to get projects designed and work through the environmental process,” Mariner said.

He added that while updating FAA systems could be an issue that brings in bipartisan support, the situation will likely be politicized.

“I’m hoping it’s an opportunity for there to be some bipartisan support, that’s always the hope, especially when you’re dealing with infrastructure,” Mariner said. “But now, in light of the political realities that we’re dealing with, the unfortunate part is I do anticipate some not-necessary pushback — put blame on the administration.”

The grounding of flights for about two hours on Wednesday had repercussions throughout the day. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 8,000 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were delayed and more than 1,000 were canceled.

Buttigieg appeared confident that the same type of issue can be prevented in the future.

“These kinds of disruptions should not happen, and my primary interest — now that we’ve gotten through the immediate disruptions of the morning — is understanding exactly how this was possible and exactly what steps are needed to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” the secretary said on CNN.

Buttigieg allies are also confident that he will be able to get that job done.

“I have full confidence that he is up to the job and up to the task. He’s a smart guy and a good visionary and a good leader. I am more than confident that he will be able to do a good job,” said Brandon Neal, a friend and former political adviser.

Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that Biden has confidence in Buttigieg as well.

But the systems outage is compounding an already rocky month for Buttigieg.

All eyes were on the secretary during the massive Southwest cancellations two weeks ago, when the airline canceled more than half of its flights over three days and left thousands of travelers stranded.

Since then, he has been under pressure to help get travelers home, ensure they are reimbursed for unexpected costs and take steps to prevent that kind of meltdown from happening again.

Congress has already said it will hold hearings in the wake of the Southwest issues. Meanwhile, Buttigieg has been sending updates about refunds for tickets or other expenses for the thousands of Southwest travelers who faced flight issues.

“If Southwest (or any airline) is not providing you with required refunds or reimbursements, let us know by filing a complaint,” he said on Twitter this week, with a link to a government website.

It’s a high-profile task for the secretary, who is a former and potentially future presidential candidate. His performance in the Biden administration is under a microscope in part because he is largely considered to have aspirations beyond this role, possibly all the way to the Oval Office.

The former mayor of South Bend, Ind., exceeded expectations in 2020, winning the Iowa caucuses before bowing out of the race and endorsing Biden.

How he handles both situations — the FAA outage and the Southwest cancellations — could be seen as something of a trial run before he explores other political goals.

Mariner said that, when talking to former colleagues at the Transportation Department, he has “heard nothing short of stellar words in his favor.”

“I’ve been very pleased with how quickly he’s grasped transportation. As a former mayor of South Bend, Ind., to go from that to overseeing one of the largest transportation systems across multiple modes, literally in the world. He’s done an amazing job,” he said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3809468-biden-buttigieg-face-pressure-to-get-to-the-bottom-of-faa-mishap/

Republicans pass ‘born alive’ abortion bill in House

 The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would require that all infants born after attempted abortions get medical care, the first abortion-related legislation from the House GOP majority after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade over the summer.

The measure, titled the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, passed in a mainly 220-210-1 vote. Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas) was the only Democrat to vote for the measure. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) voted “present.”

The bill, which House Republicans vowed to bring up even before they clinched the majority, would mandate that an infant born alive after an attempted abortion receives the same degree of care that any other child born prematurely would receive. The measure also requires that the infant is taken to a hospital. And it threatens providers who don’t comply with a fine or up to five years in prison.

It is rare for an infant to be born after an attempted abortion, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 143 infants were born after an attempted induced termination from 2003 to 2014, according to the agency, the majority of whom died between one and four hours later. Of those, 97 “involved a maternal complication or, one or more congenital anomalies.”

House passage of the bill comes days before the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which made access to abortion a constitutional right. The justices struck down that decision in June.

The move from the bench reverberated across the country, with conservatives hailing the court and liberals sounding the alarm about the future of abortion access in the U.S. That fallout lingered until the November midterm elections, with abortion proving to be a top priority for voters. Polls ranked it as the second most important issue, behind inflation.

Months after the election, and in their first week of legislating, House Republicans brought the born-alive bill and a resolution condemning attacks on pro-life facilities to the floor.

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), a sponsor of the born-alive legislation, hailed its passage.

“Every single newborn, regardless the circumstances of their birth, deserves to share the miracle of life and have lifesaving medical care.  We must act with compassion to protect these little ones and give women a strong support system as they navigate the miracles and challenges of motherhood,” she said in a statement. “This bill will save real lives, and it will give survivors a precious chance to build a future.”

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), a co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, said the measure affirms that “life is sacred.”

“Upholding the value and sanctity of life has been a personal mission for me, and this bill plays a key role in affirming what the American people have always known: life is sacred,” she wrote in a statement following the vote.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3809355-house-passes-bill-requiring-medical-care-for-infants-born-after-attempted-abortions/

21 Year Old Air Force Football Player 'Dies Suddenly' After Collapsing Walking To Class

 Whether or not it is a 'coincidence' remains to be seen - but it is getting hard to ignore all of the recent stories about athletes, collegiate and professional, unexpectedly either collapsing or passing away.

The nation's attention was captured back on January 3, 2022 when NFL player Demar Hamlin collapsed on the field due to cardiac arrest after making what appeared to be a routine tackle and then standing up and clapping his hands. 

Days after the incident, we highlighted Old Dominion basketball player Imo Essien collapsing on the court during the middle of a game against Georgia Southern. Video from the incident appeared to show Essien clutching his chest while on the ground. 

And hours ago, the MMA world was shocked at the unexpected death of 18 year old Victoria Lee, a rising star on the the ONE Championship MMA promotion. “She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” her sister wrote on Instagram last weekend. 

Now, yet another athlete has unexpectedly passed away at the tender age of 21. Air Force football player Hunter Brown suffered a "medical emergency" while walking to class on Monday of this week and passed away, according to Fox News. 

The report says that he "was on his way to class from his dorm room when he collapsed", and that EMTs were unable to revive him with life-saving measures. 

The two sport athlete at Barbe High School in Louisiana, who played football for Air Force and formerly played baseball and football in high school, was described by his coach as "a pure joy to coach and have as a teammate". 

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent commented: "Hunter was a standout offensive lineman on the Falcon football team and was well-respected in his squadron, The entire U.S. Air Force Academy mourns his loss, and our hearts and condolences are with his family, his squadron, and all who were touched by this incredible young man."

Air Force Office of Special Investigations officials and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office are both investigating the incident. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/21-year-old-air-force-football-player-dies-after-collapsing-walking-class

JPMorgan Says It Was Defrauded in $175 Million Purchase of College Site

 JPMorgan Chase & Co. is claiming the founder of Frank, a college financial-planning site the bank acquired in 2021, defrauded it by vastly inflating the number of customers the company had.

The bank “paid $175 million for what it believed was a business deeply engaged with the college-aged market segment with 4.265 million customers,” JPMorgan said in a Dec. 22 lawsuit filed in Delaware federal court. “Instead, it received a business with fewer than 300,000 customers.”

JPMorgan alleges founder Charlie Javice and another executive, Olivier Amar, used fake customer accounts to mislead it into completing the deal. The bank said it uncovered the deceptions in a a post-deal investigation.

Javice and Amar together received $26 million in the deal “they would not have have received but for their misconduct,” JPMorgan said.

Retention Bonus

Lawyers for Javice, who also is suing JPMorgan in state court in Delaware to force the bank to cover her legal fees, argue the bank rushed to buy Frank without doing proper due diligence and was also trying to deflect attention from its violations of student privacy laws. 

JPMorgan “committed misconduct and then tried to retrade the deal,” Javice’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said in an emailed statement. He called the bank’s suit “nothing but a cover.”

In her Delaware Chancery Court suit against JPMorgan, Javice alleges the bank’s launched an internal investigation of the Frank deal as pretext to fire her as its head of student solutions and deny her a $20 million retention bonus.

A lawyer for Amar couldn’t immediately be identified.

The bank, the nation’s largest in terms of assets with a balance sheet of more than $3.3 trillion, has been on a start-up buying spree since Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said in 2020 he wanted acquire more financial technology firms focused on sustainable investing and tax issues.  

In its complaint, JPMorgan accuses Javice and Amar of asking Frank’s director of engineering to create fake customer details by using data generated by computer algorithms. After the engineer refused, the pair found a “data-science professor” at a college near New York and persuaded him to create millions of fake accounts, the suit alleges.

Javice says in legal filings she’s racked up “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in legal bills with Spiro’s firm, Quinn Emanuel, and the Mintz Levin law firm. “JPMorgan Bank has refused to honor its obligations” under the Frank buyout agreement and has “refused to advance expenses” after an initial payment, the suit said.

The case is JPMorgan Chase Bank v. Javice, 22-cv-01621, US District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/jpmorgan-says-it-was-defrauded-in-175-million-purchase-of-college-site-1.1868925