Category: PHILLY & PA. NEWS

Temple Study Shows Pharmacological Chaperone Therapy Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice

(Philadelphia, PA) –

Like pieces of tape that crumple, stick together, and can be turned into a ball, proteins that begin to lose their shape become sticky and tend to clump together. When this happens, rather than being transported to recycling sites within cells, old or dysfunctional proteins instead become trapped within cellular compartments.

Eventually, they accumulate to the point that they gum up cellular machinery, causing major problems.

Fortunately, cells are equipped with molecular machinery that detects defective proteins, sorts them out, and then either removes or stabilizes them, preventing them from accumulating and causing harm. In recent years, scientists have developed small drug molecules, known as pharmacological chaperones, that can help in this process.

Now, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University show that pharmacological chaperones could fill a critical role in Alzheimer’s disease therapy. In a new study published online January 21 in the

journal

Molecular Neurodegeneration

, they describe a novel pharmacological chaperone capable of preventing Alzheimer’s disease in animals prone to developing the condition.

The study is the first to show that a pharmacological chaperone drug can effectively disrupt the abnormal processes that damage neurons in the brain, fuel memory loss, and ultimately give rise to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our chaperone drug specifically restored levels of a sorting molecule known as VPS35, which helps move proteins out of endosomes, compartments inside cells where proteins are sorted for degradation,” explained

Domenico Praticò, MD,

the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology, and Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Dr. Praticò was a senior investigator on the new study.

The trafficking of proteins from endosomes to the cell membrane or to another cellular compartment known as the Golgi apparatus is fundamental for normal cell function. VPS35 is of particular importance to this trafficking system, since it separates out dysfunctional and old proteins and sends them off for recycling.

In previous work, Dr. Praticò and colleagues found that VPS35 actively clears the brain of potentially harmful proteins such as amyloid beta and tau. However, in Alzheimer’s disease, VPS35 levels are reduced. This reduction is associated with the formation of tau tangles inside neurons, as well as the accumulation of amyloid beta outside neurons. Eventually, these deposits of abnormal proteins interrupt neuron activity and contribute to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.

In the new study, the researchers investigated the effects of a pharmacological chaperone on protein sorting in mice engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease as they age. Mice were treated from a young age, before they began to show signs of disease. As the animals grew older, they were tested for effects on memory and learning.

Dr. Praticò’s team found that, compared to untreated mice destined for Alzheimer’s disease, the treated animals had much better memory and behaved just like normal, or wild-type, mice. When the researchers examined neurons from treated mice, they observed significant decreases in tau tangles, as well as decreases in amyloid-beta plaques – another type of protein aggregate that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers further noticed that VPS35 levels were restored and the junctions where neurons come together to exchange information, known as synapses, were fully functional following the pharmacological chaperone therapy.

“Relative to other therapies under development for Alzheimer’s disease, pharmacological chaperones are inexpensive, and some of these drugs have already been approved for the treatment of other diseases,” Dr. Praticò said. “Additionally, these drugs do not block an enzyme or a receptor but target a cellular mechanism, which means that there is much lower potential for side effects. All these factors add to the appeal of pursuing pharmacological chaperone drugs as novel Alzheimer’s treatments.”

Before moving to trials in human patients, however, Dr. Praticò plans to next investigate the effects of pharmacological chaperone therapy in older mice. “Because our most recent investigation was a preventative study, we want to know now whether this therapy could also work as a treatment for patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,” he added.

Other researchers contributing to the study include Jian-Guo Li and Jin Chiu at the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, Lewis Katz School of Medicine; and Mercy Ramanjulu and Benjamin E. Blass at the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, School of Pharmacy, Temple University.

The research was funded in part by National Institutes of Health grants AG055707 and AG056689.

###

About Temple Health

Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $2.2 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. The Health System consists of Temple University Hospital (TUH)

;

TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center and Affiliates, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Jeanes Hospital, a community-based hospital offering medical, surgical and emergency services; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices; and Temple Faculty Practice Plan, Inc., TUHS’s physician practice plan comprised of more than 500 full-time and part-time academic physicians in 20 clinical departments. TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Katz School of Medicine. TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providersaffiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.

It is the policy of Temple University Health System that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

STUDY: Is It Safe For People With Heart Disease To Use Marijuana?

Newswise — Marijuana use is on the rise as more states legalize it for medicinal and recreational purposes, and physicians are fielding more questions about its safety.

Although smoking tobacco is responsible for approximately one in four deaths from cardiovascular disease, the effects of smoking marijuana on the heart are not fully understood. Some studies suggest that marijuana can trigger heart attacks and strokes in some users.

Ersilia DeFilippis, MD, a second-year cardiology fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian, first became interested in marijuana’s effect on the heart a few years ago when studying heart attacks in people under 50. “We noted that 10% of patients in a registry of young heart attack patients had used marijuana and/or cocaine,” she says.

DeFilippis and colleagues recently reviewed the medical literature to find out what’s known about marijuana’s effect on the heart and what’s still unknown. Their full report was published Jan. 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Here are five highlights from the review:

2 Million People with Heart Disease Have Used Marijuana

Marijuana is the most commonly used drug of abuse. It’s estimated that approximately 90 million American adults have used the drug at least once in their life, and more than 39 million have used the drug in the past year.

Based on responses to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2016, DeFilippis and her colleagues estimate that about 2 million adults in the United States who have cardiovascular disease currently use marijuana or have used the drug in the past.

“In addition to the 2 million marijuana users with diagnosed cardiovascular disease, many more may be at risk,” DeFilippis says. “With many adolescents and young adults turning to marijuana, it is important to understand the cardiovascular implications they may face years down the line.”

Marijuana’s Potency Today Is Higher

The potency of marijuana—the percentage of THC contained in the plant—has steadily increased over the past 30 years, from about 4% in the mid-1990s to 12% in 2014. However, most scientific studies of cannabis tested products with THC levels between 1.5% and 4%.

“Higher potency may translate into greater effects on the conduction system, the vasculature, and the muscle of the heart,” DeFilippis says. “It also highlights the need for real-world data given the variety of marijuana products and formulations available for purchase.”

THC is the most psychoactive chemical in marijuana, but marijuana also contains more than 100 compounds, called cannabinoids, that are chemically related to THC.

Receptors for cannabinoids are highly concentrated in the nervous system but also can be found in blood cells, muscle cells, and other tissues and organs.

Cannabinoids Can Interact with Drugs Used to Treat Heart Disease

Cannabinoids inhibit certain enzymes in the body, which affects the metabolism of many drugs for heart disease, including antiarrhythmics, statins, calcium-channel blockers, beta blockers, and warfarin.

Researchers believe that cannabinoids may increase the activity of these prescribed drugs in the body, though limited data are available to guide physicians in adjusting dose to compensate for marijuana use.

Marijuana May Be Linked to Heart Attacks and Strokes

Studies have identified marijuana smoking as a potential trigger of heart attacks, and marijuana use is not infrequently detected in adults who have experienced heart attacks at an early age (under 50).

A small experimental study found that smoking marijuana can bring on angina (chest pain) more quickly in patients with coronary heart disease compared with smoking a placebo.

Though current evidence for a link between marijuana and heart attacks is modest, it’s thought that smoking marijuana may increase cellular stress and inflammation, which are known to be precipitating factors for coronary artery disease and heart attacks.

Cerebrovascular events, including strokes, also have been associated with marijuana use. It’s thought that marijuana may induce changes in the inner lining of blood vessels or alter blood flow.

Physicians Should Screen for Marijuana Use

“Although we need more data, the evidence we do have indicates that marijuana use has been associated with coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, and more,” DeFilippis says.

“Therefore, asking patients about marijuana use may help in risk assessment. In addition, we know that marijuana use affects the metabolism of many common cardiac drugs. In order to make sure patients are getting therapeutic doses without untoward side effects, it is important for cardiologists to talk to their patients about marijuana use.

+++

The paper is titled, “Marijuana Use in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease,” and was published Jan. 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The other authors are: Navkaranbir S. Bajaj (University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama), Amitoj Singh (University of Arizona), and Rhynn Malloy, Michael M. Givertz, Ron Blankstein, Deepak L. Bhatt, and Muthiah Vaduganathan (Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School).

Ersilia DeFilippis reports no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. (See paper for information on other authors).

###

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit

cuimc.columbia.edu

or

columbiadoctors.org

.

SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR SUVS, CARS & TRUCKS

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 23, 2020)–Car security and safety features and measures are essential requirements for a safe trip. The most common yet vital measure that is universal across all types of vehicles from cars to trucks, to SUVs is buckling your seatbelt. Although this piece of kit seems quite basic, you can rest assured that seatbelts are crucial in order to save the lives of every passenger in the vehicle.

There are more recent and advanced security and safety features like AEB (Auto Emergency Brake) and FCW (Forward Collision Warning) that also play a vital role in avoiding accidents. One of the most significant things you should pay attention to when comparing different truck, SUV or car models is their list of safety and security features.

It is important that you check through the effectiveness of each feature like ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and Antilock brakes before purchasing the vehicle of your choice. Here are a few security and safety features for SUVs, cars, and trucks.

TYPICAL VEHICLE’S SECURITY AND SAFETY PROPERTIES

Here are typical safety features that you should find in any good car:

Airbags:

These have been a standard safety feature in cars for a while now. Typically, cars manufactured from the year 1998 have the mechanism for airbags installed in them by default. However, SUVs and light trucks did not have airbags installed until the following year. In a few cases, some vehicles had airbags installed before 1998. This technology releases the airbags as soon as the onboard computer crash sensors sense that there is a crash from the front of the vehicle. The bags are released in a few milliseconds and deflated almost immediately.

Browse this site

to learn more

Traction Control:

This mechanism is often controlled electronically. It ensures that the driving wheels of your vehicle attain optimum traction by regulating the speed your wheels spin during acceleration. This safety feature is extremely vital during icy and wet weather. The vehicle speed at which the system that controls traction in any given make or model varies. In some vehicles, this mechanism is operational at all speeds. However, in other vehicles, this system is only operational at low speeds.

Anti-lock Brakes:

Locking the wheels whenever hard braking was applied was way too easy prior to the introduction of ABS (antilock brakes). It is often not possible to steer the front wheels of vehicles on surfaces that are slippery because they are sliding. This steering difficulty is safely addressed by the feature known as antilock brakes. This braking system optimizes the operation of the brakes of your vehicle through a computer and sensors attached to each car wheel. This helps in preventing the wheel from locking up. The driver keeps control of his braking and remains able to steer. This keeps the vehicle under control when steering around obstacles.

Newer vehicles also have modern security and safety features that protect both the life of the people in the vehicle and the vehicle itself. For example, one of these modern features protects the driver, vehicle and other road users by warning the driver whenever there is a vehicle in the blind-spot of the driver.

Future of the Pinelands Program Uncertain

Today the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) released its 13

th

annual

State of the Pinelands Report

.  The report rates how specific actions of state and local government have helped or harmed the Pinelands during

2019.

The year 2019 marked the 40

th

anniversary of the landmark Pinelands Protection Act and the establishment of the Pinelands Commission.  The central achievements of the Pinelands Commission and the Act are strong.  Over its 40-year history, this agency has been able to withstand efforts to weaken or abolish the plan to protect the Pinelands.

Nevertheless, political and economic pressure are wearing away at the Pinelands Commission’s commitment to protect the Pine Barrens.  There is a danger that the rules we all fought so hard to implement will become brittle and break away as the plan is weakened by political manipulation of the rules to benefit specific developments.

While this year brought a major victory for the Pinelands in the defeat of the South Jersey Gas pipeline, the Pinelands Commission has not advanced any of the policy reforms the Commission itself identified several years ago to ensure the long-term protection of Pinelands resources.

Just as bad, the Commission’s handling of pipeline applications over the past six years revealed major holes in its procedures, which it has refused to fix.

Even pipeline projects that have been defeated live on at the Pinelands Commission!

The Commission failed to pass a resolution withdrawing their approval of the South Jersey Gas pipeline at their January 10, 2020 meeting, even after the Appeals Court officially remanded the matter back to the Commission with directions to reconsider the approval in light of the changed facts.

At the same time, the Commission is trying to eliminate fundamental public appeal rights built into every part of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) since it was first adopted in 1980.  And the Commission only encouraged the New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline (the so-called Southern Reliability Link) despite the plain language and intent of the CMP and the risks this totally unneeded project brings to the people living, learning and working along its path.

Just as troubling for the future of the Pinelands National Reserve is the fact that the New Jersey Senate held up the confirmation of the governor’s nomination of four vital Pinelands Commission members for a year.  The nomination process must now start over since they expired at the end of the last legislative session (January 14, 2020).

“The Senate’s failure to confirm Pinelands Commission nominees places vulnerable and critical resources of water, forest and wildlife at risk, as the Commission has essentially ceased to function without these new members. There is no valid reason for the Pinelands to be left without enough active Commissioners to achieve its mission,” says Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. “In recent months the Pinelands Commission has not even been able to muster enough members at its meetings to vote on matters large and small.”

On the plus side, the Commission took a small but important step in addressing climate change by forming the Land Use, Climate Impacts and Sustainability committee.  The Commission also opened the new Candace McKee Ashmun Education Center at their offices in Pemberton with exhibits that highlight the natural and cultural treasures of the Pinelands.  The education center is named after one of the greatest environmental heroes of Pinelands protection, Candy Ashmun, who is the last original Pinelands Commissioner still serving.

In 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked to address stormwater pollution with efforts to bolster the use of green infrastructure and provide guidance for local governments to establish stormwater utilities.  However, the DEP has not yet adopted clear and decisive measures to solve the critical issue of illegal Off-Road Vehicle use that continues damage land throughout the Pinelands.

This year’s report recognized the great work of municipalities like Hammonton and Evesham who installed green infrastructure projects to capture stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground.  Long Beach, Ventnor, Beach Haven and Brick took action to protect their environment by participating in coastal resiliency projects to improve dune habitat.  The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Raritan Valley Community College coordinated these projects.

For the first time ever a media organization received a thumbs-up in the State of the Pinelands Report.  The investigative reporters at the Burlington County Times have covered the PFAS drinking water contamination issue meticulously. PFAS are a family of chemical compounds that have been found in drinking water in the Pinelands, especially on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.  They can have adverse effects on humans and wildlife.

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The 2020 State of the Pinelands Report is available online at

www.PinelandsAlliance.org

. A full-color copy of the report can be obtained by visiting the Alliance at its headquarters located at 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton NJ 08088.  For more information, please call 609-859-8860.

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) was established as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1989 by environmental leaders and Pinelands residents, with the goal of preserving and protecting the more than 1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands.   PPA remains the only private organization dedicated solely to environmental protection throughout the Pinelands.

121 Parks in Pennsylvania Face $500 Million Deficit

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

HARRISBURG, PA–Rising costs and stagnant income is leaving Pennsylvania’s 121 parks with a projected deficit of about $500 million to address ongoing maintenance needs, a state official revealed recently.

CNBNews graphic files

Paul Zeph, head planner of the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, went before members of the House Tourism Committee on Jan. 15 and discussed the

Parks for All

plan, which was recently refreshed after last going under the microscope in 1992.

In his testimony to the House panel, Zeph touched on a number of issues related to state parks, but the one piece of insight that garnered the most attention was the anticipated shortfall. When Parks for All was last updated, Zeph pointed out budgetary deficits at the time hovered around $100 million.

“We’re scratching our heads on how to go forward,” Zeph said. “We may have to shut down some facilities, we may have to make some parks a little more remote. We’re not sure, but we are identifying that we have a need.”

In 2017, the Bureau of State Parks conducted a survey, which yielded about 14,000 responses, and Zeph said he thought the feedback could serve as an important guide in how to proceed.

Pennsylvania residents have long enjoyed visiting state parks for free – the thinking, Zeph said, being the cost is covered through taxes – and there was minimal support for imposing an admission cost at this point.

Another middle-of-the-road scenario, calling for scaling down amenities at some of the state’s lesser used parks and giving them more of a rustic designation could also be on the table.

“There was some mild support for that,” Zeph said.

Several committee members weighed in on the issue. State Rep. Dan Moul, R-Gettysburg, questioned if at least one of the state’s larger parks could have a ramped up, amenity-rich emphasis on tourism that would extend beyond the park system’s current traditional base of day-trippers.

“We do have some state parks that have big enough lakes,” Moul said. “There’s a way we could bring more people into the commonwealth and have them spend money.”

But Zeph said such a scenario could lead to unforeseen circumstances. Other states, he said, have encountered financial losses in the long run for similar proposals.

“The bigger you get, the more the commonwealth winds up paying for these kinds of facilities,” Zeph said.

State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Hermitage, said he was concerned with the rising deficit of parks maintenance. With inflation taken into account, Longietti said he is concerned the figure will only rise in the years ahead.

“It’s frustrating. It’s a conundrum,” Zeph said in response, pointing out there are no easy answers to the questions.

As for the survey itself, Zeph said there was one aspect of the responses that jumped out at him as the results were tabulated.

“I was surprised by the uniformity of responses,” he said. “By and large, people seem pretty happy with the system.”

Further discussion of the deficit and other aspects of the Parks for All plan is anticipated as 2020 gets underway.

“We need to mine a little deeper on some of these questions,” Zeph said. “We do have more work to do. This isn’t the end. But this has given us a good starting point.”

published here with permission of The Center Square

Catholic Charities Partner with Philadelphia 76\’s

A portion of all tickets sold will directly benefit Catholic Charities Appeal beneficiaries providing support to the homeless, special needs students, food cupboards, after school programs, and more.

The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA), the Archdiocese of Philadelphia\’s single most important fundraiser, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese, will partner with the Philadelphia 76ers to host a night of family fun at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

8:00 p.m.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Wells Fargo Center

3601 South Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Each year, CCA helps to ensure the vitality of countless organizations and ministries throughout the five-county Archdiocese. CCA beneficiaries are grouped into five areas of ministries including Education; Social Services; Evangelization, Parish and Spiritual Life; Clergy; and Local Mission Activities.

Those interested in supporting Catholic Charities Appeal can purchase tickets online through a dedicated link at

https://fevo.me/cca76

. If 150 tickets are sold, Mr. James Amato, Secretary for Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS), a CCA beneficiary, will be honored on court prior to the start of the game.

NJ Residents Receive Degrees from Wilkes University

WILKES-BARRE, PA (01/21/2020)– Wilkes University awarded 302 bachelor\’s, master\’s and doctoral degrees when it held its winter commencement ceremony on January 19. The event was held in the Arnaud C. Marts Center, 274 South Franklin St. in Wilkes-Barre.

Wilkes interim President Paul S. Adams presided at the event. The commencement address was delivered by Paul Riggs, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University. Kristin Donati, who received her master of business administration degree at the ceremony, was the student speaker. Donati is associate director of graduate enrollment at Wilkes University.

Janine Pietrangelo of Cherry Hill (08003) received the Master of Science degree with a major in Education.

Brittany Chan of West Deptford (08051) received the Master of Science degree with a major in Education.

Salvatore Piccone of Mullica Hill (08062) received the Bachelor of Business Admin. degree with a major in Marketing.

Andrew MacDonald of Bridgeton (08302) received the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting.

About Wilkes University

:

Wilkes University is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, Wilkes is on a mission to create one of the nation\’s finest doctoral universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small college, open to all who show promise. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 46 majors, Wilkes offers 24 master\’s degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at

www.wilkes.edu

.

Rescue Puppy Named New Voice Of The TurfMutt Foundation

(NAPSI)—A puppy named Mulligan has big paws to fill, but the mixed breed rescue dog is up to the challenge of becoming the new voice for the TurfMutt Foundation, says his new owner and guardian, Kris Kiser, President of the organization.

Since 2009, Kiser’s rescue dog, Lucky, “pawed it forward” by leading the Foundation’s environmental education and stewardship program for students in grades K to 8. Sadly, Lucky passed away recently, but his superhero cape is being picked up by perky Mulligan, who was found by Kiser last month during Lucky’s Mutt Madness, a national pet adoption event organized by the Foundation during GIE+EXPO, the nation’s leading trade show for outdoor power, landscaping and hardscaping industry professionals, held each October in Louisville, Ky.

Mulligan was not the only rescue pup to find a new home. Fifteen other dogs from the Kentucky Humane Society also went home with new owners.

Carl Bennett and his family brought home a beagle mix puppy, named Jovial. “She is completely living up to her name. She’s happy and sweet and loves everyone. She’s very smart and is already learning tricks,” said Bennett.

Bennett admits they weren’t planning to bring a puppy home but added, “When we saw her sweet little face and floppy ears we all fell in love. We never expected to adopt but something told us she needed to be a part of our family.

A ten-year-old dog named Mama went home with Mark Potocki. He was concerned she wouldn’t get the love she deserved because she was older. “Once I had the chance to hold her, she curled up in my arms and my decision was made,” said Potocki.

He said Lucky’s Mutt Madness was a wonderful experience. “What a great event. The vibe of the afternoon was fun and drew attention to the need for pet adoption,” said Potocki.

Kiser is deep into puppy training for Mulligan. “As a spokesdog, TurfMutt has to visit schools, and sometimes goes with me for public appearances and on TV sets, so Mulligan needs to be well-socialized and know how to behave.”

“Mutt Mulligan” marks a new page in the TurfMutt platform, which grew from a youth education program launched in 2009 in a handful of Sacramento and Washington, D.C. schools to reaching 70 million students, teachers, and families with its message that everyone can help save the planet, starting with their backyard.

Kiser added, “People can understand the value of a living landscape, when they see it through the eyes of a dog. You suddenly realize that soft grass is kinder to paws than hard concrete and that you need shade and a variety of plants in your yard.”

The TurfMutt program has become a national platform, appearing on every major television network, The Hub, Animal Planet and more, including the award-winning show, “Lucky Dog,” for three seasons; being featured in Parade magazine’s Earth Day issue; and winning awards. TurfMutt is an official USGBC Education Partner and part of its global LEARNING LAB, and has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

More information on Lucky’s Mutt Madness event and the program is at

www.TurfMutt.com

.

Differences Between Motorized and Non-Motorized Whitewater Rafting Trips in the Grand Canyon

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 22, 2020)–In this day and age, we live most of our lives following our usual routines. We get up early, prepare for the day ahead, head on to school or work, take some few breaks, get to work again, before we finally go home and drag ourselves to bed so we can rest and prepare to do the same routine the following day. Of course, leading a healthy life is necessary but don’t you think following a strict routine could be monotonous and boring at some point?

This is why we seek adventure. We try to find ways to do unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences to tick off that bucket list. We feel a different sense of accomplishment if we’re able to do something out of the box, something that we once thought of as unachievable.

If you’re prepared to take the big leap of experiencing the adventure outdoors, one of the many little thrillers to get you started is the white water rafting. This is a kind of water sport where you get to dodge whirlpools and rocks while rushing down a wild rapid river on board a rubber boat. And if isn’t enough of an adventure, imagine wearing only a life jacket and no seatbelts. Now that is thrilling!

The

Grand Canyon

is one of the best places to experience white water rafting. If you’re planning for an adventure at the canyon, it’s best that you learn all the basic things necessary about water rafting.

First thing to learn is the

boat type for the rafting

. There are several types you can consider: non-motorized rafts like the oar rafts, dories, and paddle raps, and the motorized rafts. A lot of people see themselves paddling thru the 225-mile whitewater rapids of the Grand Canyon. However, this can be quite tiring especially it is common to see upstream winds in the water. Thus oar trips are better options. This will give you ample intimacy and pace of the rapids, without the strain. It’s been noted that guests have successfully manned their whitewater adventures using oar rafts with the careful instructions of professional guides.

The downside also of oar trips (as well as the other non-motorized rafts) is that it can be tough for people. The whole trip takes about 13 days; plus the hiking in and out of the canyon along the way, may cause physical strain to some.

Motorized trips therefore are more convenient options. Guests can enjoy a full canyon trip in just seven days. Most motorized rafts run on 30 horsepower, averaging about 8 mph. That’s a far cry from the 4mph average speed you get when taking the non-motorized options.

Another consideration you need to note are the canyon trip terms. A full canyon trip runs between 188 and 280 river miles. This trip allows you to experience the most amazing side hikes and the biggest rapids in the river. The upper canyon trip, on the other hand, runs about 87-89 miles. You need to be physically prepared for this trip since this will involve intense hiking

out of the Grand Canyon. Trails are rocky and steep and offers very little shade along the way. This is ideal only for the experienced hikers.

The cost is also one thing to check out for a Grand Canyon whitewater rafting adventure. Depending on the type of trip you want, you have several options to consider: from the transportation to lodging, and even the cost of the camping gears. The final cost will generally vary. It is always wise to do your research before you book for that Grand Canyon adventure.

Impact Of Climate Change on Humans and Forests

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 22, 2020)–Eight is coming down to seven, with half the planet already having been destroyed. How long do you think the earth can sustain the weight of negativity? With the current conditions, probably not for long. While life ebbs out of people, authorities are still abstracted of the fact that earth is on the verge of annihilation. The conniving deeds of humans have paved half the way to oblivion, while the foundation to the other half has already been laid.

Glaciers are melting into the rivers of a dark future where an evolutionary reversal is bound to happen. With the world having already stepped into an unforgettable age of greed and savagery, more is undoubtedly taking form. Do any of you know for certain every little event that is pushing the world towards a collapse? The answer would be a straight-out \’NO\’ since more than half of what is happening around us stays unrevealed.

Levels of Climate Change Impact

A rise in temperature all across the globe.

Destruction of several resources affect the growth of crops, production of food, and further leads to the outbreak of diseases.

Death of flora and fauna.

Impacts on Forests

While the impeachment and potential world war updates took over the television screens and front pages of every newspaper, brutally trivialized natural disasters burnt the green face of the earth. The Amazon rainforest wildfires and the Australian bushfires were warnings from the substrates of an imminent cataclysm. It is only when the fire consumes one of us that we get cautious and move stealthily towards a secure future. But this time the planet isn\’t giving humans another chance to live through the disaster and beyond. Sighs of exhaustion have already taken the form of floods, meltdowns and forest fires, which if not addressed with concern at the earliest, can take down the entire planet.

Changes in temperature, weather, and rainfall are just a few factors that affect the productivity and growth of forests. A surge in the levels of carbon dioxide can also harm the prolific trees and animal inhabitants.

The growing season gets prolonged with the warming temperatures, and this would further lead to the shift of geographic ranges of some tree species. Local or regional species could also be at risk if the conditions in the present habitats are unfavorable for growth. Make sure that you clear all the unwanted overgrown trees and plant new ones, as the earth pleads for it. A

tree company

can help you uproot the trees and free your plots of the redundant greenery.

Chances for floods, droughts and excessive precipitation is likely to increase with the changing climatic conditions. The availability of water can also get affected by the alter in the timing of snowmelt. With the increasing temperatures, droughts are likely to be more adverse than it was in the past. They can impose a huge risk since dry shrubs and trees are potential detonators of wildfires.

Impacts on Human Beings

With the rise in temperatures, dehydration within humans will also increase. Deaths resulting from such adverse climatic conditions would be countless and can keep on rising until obliteration occurs. Humans are likely to be afflicted with sunstrokes and diseases related to the cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular systems if they are exposed to extreme heat. Populations in the northern latitudes could get severely affected by the excessive heat.

Athletes, outdoor workers, and homeless people spend most of their time in the sunlight, and the heat could ebb all their energy and gradually lead to death. People with certain medical conditions, pregnant women, children, and older adults could be more vulnerable to the heat. People from urban areas could get affected more by the heat waves since rural areas have recorded relatively lower temperatures in the past years.

Conclusion

Earth is rolling down the slope towards destruction; there is no denial. All living beings, from humans to animals to trees, are going to be affected by the changing climatic conditions. Reversal of catastrophes isn\’t possible, so take immediate necessary steps to stop it before the deluges subdue the whole planet.