Faith in College Education Has Plunged, and That's a Good Thing

 For the first time, over half the people surveyed say a college education isn't worth the cost.

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on Losing Faith in College Education

A majority of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost, according to a new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, a new low in confidence in what has long been a hallmark of the American dream.  

Skepticism is strongest among people ages 18-34, and people with college degrees are among those whose opinions have soured the most, portending a profound shift for higher education in the years ahead. 

“These findings are indeed sobering for all of us in higher education, and in some ways, a wake-up call,” said Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, which counts more than 1,700 institutions of higher education as members. “We need to do a better job at storytelling, but we need to improve our practice, that seems to me to be the only recipe I know of regaining public confidence.”

Dr. Mitchell cited student debt, which has reached $1.7 trillion, and the 60% graduation rate at four-year colleges as two of the biggest problems undermining confidence in the sector. 

Storytelling and Student Debt

Student debt is not the problem. The cost of college for what you get is the problem no matter how big of a storytelling tale one spins. 

Making college free will not fix the problem. It would make it worse. Student debt cancellation would make the problem worse as well.

Worth the Cost?

Over 60 percent of those age 18-34 think it is. And unless you get a degree in a high-skill area, it isn't. 

Most degrees qualify you to work at a low paying leisure and hospitality or retail job. 

Those earning more than $100,000 a year thought their degree was worthwhile, and it likely was. 

Sad Debt Stories

The Journal notes the plight of Danielle Tobias, a 50-year-old dialysis technician in Lorain, Ohio.

Tobias got a degree in equine studies and graduated with $85,000 in student loan debt. 

She got a job in her field of study giving riding lessons, something she could have done without blowing $85,000.

With free training, Tobias now works as a dialysis technician. However, her student loan debt has ballooned to $145,000. She has made peace with the reality that she will likely die without having paid off her debt.

There are millions of people in similar plights with equally useless degrees. And these are the stores people need to hear, not rah rah college. 

Changing Attitudes

Changing attitudes about useless degrees is a much needed step in the right direction. 

Free college and student debt cancellation would do nothing but increase the cost of education and perpetuate millions of students getting useless degrees. 

Message of the Day

College isn't for everyone, at least at these nonsensical prices for what you get.

I propose making student loans cancelable in bankruptcy. It would immediately put a big crimp the mass selling of useless degrees.

I am also in favor of more two-year degrees, trade apprenticeships, and studying abroad. 

https://mishtalk.com/economics/faith-in-college-education-has-plunged-and-thats-a-very-good-thing

How IBD develops

 Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, describes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. IBD, which affects about 3 million adults in the United States, is an autoimmune disorder—a condition in which the body's immune system attacks healthy tissues. Its symptoms include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fatigue, weight loss, and stomach cramps.

The intestinal epithelium, made up of a layer of cells that lines the intestine, plays an important role in IBD because it can be easily disrupted during gut inflammation. A specialized type of epithelial cells are Paneth cells. The antimicrobial peptides these cells produce help regulate the gut microbiota, or the community of microorganisms that exist in the gut.

A research team led by Declan F. McCole, a biomedical scientist and IBD expert at the University of California, Riverside, reports in their mouse study that reduced activity of the IBD risk gene PTPN2 in intestinal epithelial cells can lead to a decrease in the production of Paneth cell antimicrobial peptides.

The study, published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, establishes a critical link between PTPN2 and Paneth cells that plays a major role in maintaining normal gut microbe properties.

"This study develops our focus on improving personalized medicine approaches in IBD by understanding how patients with variants in the PTPN2 gene develop IBD," said McCole, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine. "Loss of PTPN2 can lead also to selective loss of Paneth cells in the intestinal epithelium. This loss of PTPN2 causes significant changes in the gut microbiota and increases a particular E. coli."

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. McCole explained that the E. coli in question, the adherent-invasive E. coli, or AIEC, is increased in IBD and worsens inflammation. First identified in Crohn's disease patients, AIEC can adhere to and invade epithelial cells as well as immune cells called macrophages.

"AIEC are the strongest candidate for a causal role for bacteria in IBD," he said.

According to McCole, Paneth cells do not function properly in many patients living with IBD, and this can serve as a marker of disease. The antimicrobial peptides these cells produce are crucially relevant to the intestine's protective barrier for regulating the relative proportions of bacteria and their interactions with each other. They also help neighboring intestinal stem cells function better.

"We know that in IBD, Paneth cells are often unable to produce sufficient antimicrobial peptides or respond appropriately to gut bacteria," McCole said. "These functional defects can also be associated with changes in the structure of Paneth cells that reduce their ability to secrete the protective antimicrobial peptides, leading to increases in the populations of bacteria associated with IBD, such as AIEC. These structural changes in the appearance of Paneth cells can also serve as a marker of disease in IBD, especially Crohn's disease."

McCole was joined in the study by Vinicius Canale, Marianne R. Spalinger, Rocio Alvarez, Anica Sayoc-Becerra, Golshid Sanati, Salomon Manz, Pritha Chatterjee, Alina N. Santos, Hillmin Lei, Sharon Jahng, Timothy Chu, and Ali Shawki of UCR; Elaine Hanson and Lars Eckmann of UC San Diego; and André J. Ouellette of the University of Southern California.

The study was supported by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation; Swiss National Science Foundation; American Gastroenterological Association; Science Without Borders Program; and California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

"This work sets the foundation for our new research project that will identify pharmacologic agents capable of rescuing Paneth cell function and reducing the contributions of microbes to intestinal inflammation," McCole said.

More information: Vinicius Canale et al, PTPN2 is a Critical Regulator of Ileal Paneth Cell Viability and Function in Mice, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.03.009

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-ibd.html

QoL, depression after CAR-T for hematologic malignancy

 For adults with hematologic malignancies receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, quality of life (QoL) deteriorates and physical and psychological symptoms worsen one week after infusion and then improve by six months postinfusion, according to a study published recently in Blood Advances.

Patrick Connor Johnson, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined QoL, psychological distress, and physical symptoms at baseline, one week, one month, three months, and six months after CAR-T infusion among adults with hematologic malignancies. A total of 100 patients were enrolled between April 2019 and November 2021.

The researchers found that by one week, there was a worsening in QoL and depression symptoms, followed by improvement by six months after CAR-T therapy. Clinically significant depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were reported by 18, 22, and 22 percent of patients, respectively, at six months. Fifty-two percent of patients noted severe physical symptoms at one week, which declined to 28 percent at six months post-CAR-T therapy. In unadjusted models, associations with a higher QoL trajectory were seen for worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance, receipt of tocilizumab, and receipt of corticosteroids for cytokine release syndrome and/or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

"Here we show significant improvements in quality of life among patients with an array of blood cancer diagnoses, receiving a variety of CAR-T products," Johnson said in a statement. "However, we also identify a distinct subset of patients who have persistent physical and psychological symptom burden, even at the six-month post-CAR-T time point."

Several authors disclosed pharmaceutical industry ties.

More information: Patrick Connor Johnson et al, Longitudinal Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients Receiving Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy, Blood (2022). DOI: 10.1182/blood-2022-163194

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-qol-depression-car-t-hematologic-malignancy.html

Stress, stomach pain: diarrhea, constipation, ulcers & more

 You may be struggling with stomach pain and digestive distress without understanding why, thinking it might be something you ate.

Can stress cause stomach pain?

Stress, especially chronic stress, can indeed increase your risk for gastrointestinal (GI) problems.

"Stress and anxiety are common causes of stomach pain and other GI symptoms," Dr. Nina Gupta, a gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine, said recently in an article. Stress impacts the digestive system through the nervous system, and can affect food movement and the gut's bacterial balance. Stress can also cause people to eat poorly, smoke and/or drink too much alcohol or caffeine—all habits that can trigger stomach pain.

Outside the brain, the gut has the greatest area of nerves. This component of the autonomic nervous system—known as the enteric nervous system—is sometimes referred to as the "second brain." According to Harvard Health, "neurons lining the digestive tract signal muscle cells to initiate a series of contractions that propel food farther along, breaking it down into nutrients and waste."

The enteric nervous system communicates with the central nervous system and is known as the "brain-gut axis." This connection explains why stress may cause digestive problems.

According to the American Psychological Association, stress may increase the risk for or exacerbate symptoms of the following gut diseases or dysfunction:

• Bloating, burping, gas
• Heartburn, acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Ulcers
• Inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome

Bloating, burping, gas

Stress can contribute to bloating, burping or gassiness by making swallowing foods difficult or increasing swallowed air, per the American Psychological Association.

It can also slow the digestive process, allowing gut bacteria to create gas. For treatment, gastroenterologist Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa of NYU Langone Health in New York City recommends exercise: "Exercise actually helps your colon start moving and it moves that gas along, so it's not going to stay in your system," she said recently. She also suggested to avoid chewing gum, using straws or drinking carbonated beverages, to keep you from swallowing extra air.

Heartburn, acid reflux or GERD

Emotional stress can increase stomach acid production leading to heartburn and acid reflux, according to Harvard Health. It can also aggravate GERD, a disorder where acid rises up from the stomach into the esophagus. How to counteract that? Harvard Health experts suggest not smoking, eating a healthy diet, limiting coffee, tea and cola drinks, eating smaller meals, avoiding meals close to bedtime and using relaxation strategies like mindful meditation or deep breathing.

Nausea and vomiting

"Your anxious feelings can translate into a whole range of gastrointestinal symptoms, including stress nausea, abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, and even stress vomiting," Dr. Timothy Tramontana said recently in a Cleveland Clinic article. Tramontana recommends exercise, meditation and a healthy diet, with frequent smaller meals. Another option is to drink peppermint tea, which is known to settle the stomach.

Diarrhea

Can stress cause diarrhea?

"[Stress] hormones affect the body, including the gut, to shift swiftly into stress mode," gastroenterologist Dr. Christine Lee said recently in a Cleveland Clinic article. Adrenal glands release hormones like cortisol, serotonin and adrenaline. "There are more serotonin receptors in the intestinal tract than in the brain… [Serotonin] can make your stomach turn. It stimulates the intestines, creating waves of contractions in the colon."

"It can cause a constellation of symptoms of nausea, gas, bloating and crampy abdominal pains," Lee explained, noting that the release of stress causes the diarrhea. "Everything relaxes, and what was on hold is released," she said. "This counter-response can cause symptoms of nausea, pain, flushing, diarrhea or even sweating."

Treatment suggestions include mindful eating—a practice that involves slowing down and savoring each bite of food—and avoiding stressful environments when eating, like eating while driving. Listening to your body and eliminating waste when the urge occurs, rather than holding it in, also improves bowel movements.

Constipation

Can stress cause constipation?

Constipation results when food moves too slowly through the gut. According to the American Institute of Stress, when the body goes into fight-or-flight mode, it diverts blood flow away from the intestines that can cause intestinal movement to slow down, resulting in constipation. Another stress hormone, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), slows down the intestines. Stress may also affect healthy gut bacteria, slowing digestion.

Treatment can include exercise, a healthy diet with plenty of fiber, maintaining proper hydration, allowing time when going to the bathroom and engaging in stress-relieving activities like listening to peaceful music, journaling or reading. If you have a history of trauma or are coping with anxiety or depression, professional therapy may be helpful.

Stomach ulcers

Stomach ulcers can be made worse by stress.

Ulcers are open sores or raw areas in the lining of the stomach or intestine. A gastric ulcer is in the stomach; a duodenal ulcer is in the intestines. According to the University of Pennsylvania Medicine, an imbalance between digestive juices and chemicals that protect the stomach lining causes ulcers, often from a bacteria called Helicobactor pylori. Stress does not cause ulcers, but it can exacerbate them.

Recommendations for treatment include professional care and lifestyle changes including smoking cessation, avoidance of alcohol and stress management.

Gastrointestinal disorders

Gastrointestinal disorders include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a group of symptoms that includes chronic abdominal pain and bowel changes like diarrhea, constipation or both. The underlying cause is unknown. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to two conditions, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and these are caused by a malfunctioning immune system, according to Harvard Health. IBD symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, fevers, diarrhea, and bloody bowel movements. The relationship between stress and both IBS and IBD is unclear, but stress can make symptoms worse. Using stress management techniques and consulting with your health care provider are recommended.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-stress-stomach-pain-diarrhea-constipation.html

Guidance issued for optimal timing of knee, hip total joint arthroplasty

 For patients with symptomatic, radiographic, moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis of the hip or knee, total joint arthroplasty (TJA) should not be delayed in order to pursue additional nonoperative treatments, according to a clinical practice guideline issued by the American College of Rheumatology and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Susan M. Goodman, M.D., from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and colleagues conducted a review of the literature to develop recommendations for the optimal timing of hip and knee arthroplasty on patient outcomes, including pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at one year among people with symptomatic, radiographic, moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis of the hip or knee who have decided to undergo elective hip or knee arthroplasty after previously attempting nonoperative treatment.

The authors recommend a shared decision-making process between the physician and patient, considering the unique risks and benefits, in order to decide when to proceed with TJA. Conditional recommendations include not delaying TJA to pursue additional nonoperative treatments; delaying TJA to achieve nicotine cessation or reduction; delaying TJA to improve glycemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus; and not delaying surgery due to obesity but encouraging weight loss.

"There is no evidence that delaying surgery for any of the additional nonoperative treatments studied, including physical therapy, gait aids, oral anti-inflammatories, or injections, leads to improved outcomes, and may burden patients without clear benefit," Goodman said in a statement.

More information: Indications for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Guideline

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-guidance-issued-optimal-knee-hip.html

Pandemic disrupted respiratory syncytial virus season timing

 The typical timing of seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemics (October to April) was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research published in the April 7 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Sarah Hamid, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues characterized U.S. RSV seasonality during the prepandemic and pandemic periods using polymerase chain reaction test results reported to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (July 2017 to February 2023).

The researchers found that RSV circulation was historically low during the 2020 to 2021 season. During the 2021 to 2022 season, RSV began earlier and continued longer than during prepandemic seasons. A return toward prepandemic seasonality began in the 2022 to 2023 season, which started later than the 2021 to 2022 season but earlier than prepandemic seasons. In 2022 to 2023, RSV onset occurred in June and positive PCR results peaked in November. Compared with prepandemic seasons, the peak was higher (19 percent versus range of 13 to 16 percent) in the 2022 to 2023 surveillance year, with the epidemic lasting 32 weeks until the offset in January.

"In the United States, disruption of the seasonal circulation of RSV was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic as nonpharmaceutical interventions (e.g., school closures and masking) reduced respiratory virus transmission," the authors write. "Ongoing monitoring of RSV seasonality can guide the timing of immunoprophylaxis and evaluation of new immunization products. Although an eventual return to prepandemic RSV seasonality is expected, clinicians should be aware that off-season RSV circulation might continue."

More information: Abstract/Full Text

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-pandemic-disrupted-respiratory-syncytial-virus.html

Vets blast Biden for protecting ‘corrupt politicians’ by denying ‘chaos’ of Afghan withdrawal

 US veterans are blasting the White House as liars for portraying the military withdrawal of Afghanistan as a success — insisting that Biden’s lackeys are abandoning veterans to protect “corrupt politicians.”

The retired soldiers lambasted National Security Council spokesman John Kirby after he blamed former president Donald Trump for paving the way for the chaotic 2021 evacuation.

Biden, Kirby claimed, had no intention of withdrawing troops before learning of Trump’s promise to the Taliban — and downplayed the criticism of the rushed evacuation mission, in which 13 US servicemembers lost their lives.

“For all this talk of chaos, I just didn’t see it, not from my perch,” said Kirby.

“I just won’t buy the whole argument of chaos. 

“It was tough in the first few hours, you would expect it to be.”

The military mouthpiece’s comments infuriated veterans across the country.

Chad Robichaux — an Afghanistan war veteran and co-founder of the Save Our Allies group that helped Americans safely escape Afghanistan and Ukraine — accused former Navy rear admiral Kirby of abandoning his loyalties for veterans in favor of “protecting corrupt politicians in DC.”

“It is no shocker when Biden or his clown-show press secretaries lie, but to have a former US Navy admiral do the same is a national tragedy,” Robichaux seethed to Fox News on Saturday.

“As a fellow veteran it makes me sad to see former military leaders turn on our citizens for personal and political gain.”

Chad Robichaux accused Kirby of “protecting corrupt politicians in DC.”

FOX News

Retired Green Beret Scott Mann — whose “Task Force: Pineapple” also facilitated civilian evacuations during the withdrawal — also told the outlet that the Biden administration’s “lies” will also affect the people of Afghanistan.

“[T]he absence of accountability: What worries veterans so much is that we’ve got all of these problems now with violent extremist groups coming up in Afghanistan,” Mann said.

“We’ve got a massive moral injury on our veteran population — and if you’re not willing to take accountability for your actions as a leader at any level, then there’s a real good chance you’re not going to take any actions to fix what happened.”

David Scott Mann said Kirby and the White House weren’t taking accountability for the mess of the evacuation.

Getty Images

Lawmakers also blasted the White House after it released its first after-action review of the disastrous withdrawal — without taking responsibility for its role.

“The Administration came in, took the Afghanistan withdrawal plan we had, and just botched it,” former Secretary of State and retired Army captain Mike Pompeo tweeted Friday.

“It is outrageous for them to try to blame anyone besides Joe Biden.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Tx) and retired United States Navy rear admiral demanded Biden answer for the American service members that were killed in the evacuation when an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated outside the Kabul airport.

John Kirby blamed the withdrawal on plans initiated during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Getty Images

“13 Americans were tragically MURDERED because of Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and he calls this a success? This administration is a TOTAL FAILURE. Somebody needs to be held accountable for the MESS they created!!” Jackson said.

“The Biden Administration genuinely DOES NOT CARE about their failures in Afghanistan.

“They don’t care that we were HUMILIATED on the national stage, and they certainly don’t care about the 13 service members who lost their lives.

“Their only concern is pushing their WOKE agenda.

“Biden needs to be voted OUT of office!!”

The 12-page document claims Biden was forced to withdraw the troops after Trump made a pledge to the Taliban promising to do so by May 2021 as part of the Doha agreement.

Congressman Ronny Jackson called the withdrawal a “total failure.”

Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock
Kirby said the White House was releasing the document to “provide our perspectives” of what happened and lessons learned.

“This effort — this document — isn’t about accountability today,” he said.

“It’s about understanding.”

https://nypost.com/2023/04/08/veterans-blast-biden-admin-for-downplaying-afghanistan-withdrawal/