Columnist Scott LaFee covers the educational and quirky health news of the week.
Researchers now suggest that the human brain goes through five distinct phases of development over the course of a lifetime.Childhood, from birth to age 9, during which time the brain is continually pruning away haphazardly created synaptic connections forged as early learning, unlearning and relearning chaotically occurs.
As a result, while it is a time of rapid growth, it is not a time of great efficiency.Adolescence, from age 9 until about age 32 is the most efficient phase. It’s a time when new synaptic connections are most easily formed. Mental disorders are also most likely to begin during the adolescence epoch.Adulthood, from age 32 to age 66, is the longest of the epochs. In adulthood, brain efficiency slows way down. At the same time, this is typically a period of maximum stability.Early aging, from 66 to 83 years of age, during which time brain patterns begin to shift, with some regions interoperating more tightly together while others begin to operate less cohesively. It’s when dementia and systemic issues like cardiovascular problems are more likely to begin appearing.Late aging, from 83 and beyond. This period is similar to early aging, but changes are likely to occur at an accelerated pace.The human body has many, many sphincter muscles — at least 60. They range in size from microscopic to the paired internal and external anal sphincters, which are approximately 1 to 2 inches long and 1 to 3 inches thick. By definition, sphincter muscles are responsible for controlling the body’s many openings, from those in the digestive and urinary tracts to the pupils of the eyes and in the capillaries of the cardiovascular system.— Billions of dollars that Sackler family members have agreed to pay over 15 years to settle thousands of lawsuits over the harms of opioids. The Sacklers owned Purdue Pharma, which became notorious for promoting the use of OxyContin and spawning the opioid crisis. The company went bankrupt in 2019 and restructured as Knoa Pharma.In a first-of-its-kind randomized trial, people who smoked weed consumed less alcohol in the two hours afterward than those who did not. Nonetheless, researchers cautioned against interpreting the findings as favoring any particular lifestyle choice.“Did you hear that health experts say 25% of all men are on some form of medication for mental illness?”Trombone player’s lung is a colloquial term for hypersensitive pneumonitis, a general medical term for inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling bacteria-laden dust, vapor or, in this case, the microbe-rich air from inside a brass instrument. It’s not a unique affliction. Variations of it are sauna worker’s lung, bird fancier’s lung, cheese-washer’s lung and snuff-taker’s lung. Trombone players face an additional risk: horn player’s palsy. This is a form of facial paralysis caused by the nerves of the face being damaged by the high air pressures required to play instruments like the trombone or trumpet.This week in 1998, a new glue called Dermabond debuted as a replacement for painful stitches. The manufacturer, Closure Medical, said Dermabond could seal off certain wounds quickly without the need for painful shots. A doctor simply pressed the cut’s edges together and painted the glue across the top. Proper medical application required skill and practice, so the glue isn’t meant for home use. Dermabond was the chemical cousin of Crazy Glue, which is too toxic to repair wounds.A: a) Peristalsis is the involuntary movement of longitudinal and circular muscles, primarily in the digestive tract, that create progressive wavelike contractions. Extra credit if you noted that food moves down the esophagus, not the trachea, or more commonly, the windpipe. Food in the trachea is not good, commonly called choking or worse, asphyxiation.Officials believe San Diego is well positioned as cities compete for dwindling state homeless dollars At 82, retired teacher and former marathon runner has discovered his next chapter doesn’t require a busy social calendar At 82, retired teacher and former marathon runner has discovered his next chapter doesn’t require a busy social calendarFast Lane at San Ysidro, Otay Mesa border crossings will soon open to cross-border workers Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner launches 13th roundtrip between San Diego and Los Angeles, with plans to expand still moreAfter second trial, jury convicts San Diego County deputy who seriously injured restrained inmateEncinitas to explore new limits on late-night business hours
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