Kars for Kids Begins a Program to End Deadly Practice o Texting and Driving

Texting and driving is just a stupid thing to do.

Whenever someone does something just because your friend does it, the famous question, if your friend told you to jump off a bridge, would you, gets asked. Well the same goes now; if you’re friend is texting while he/she is driving, does that mean you should, too? The ideal answer is, no, of course not. The realistic one, however, is don’t worry, I’m a good driver, I can handle doing both at once. But in truth, that’s just not the case. In fact, about 13% of car accidents where teenagers are involved resulted from drivers using their cell phones while driving. 

The dangers are so obvious, yet most teens don’t stop to think about them. They think they’re invincible; that nothing can happen to them. But they couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, research shows that over 3,000 teens are killed every year from texting and driving. Kars for Kids, a national car donation charity, doesn’t take these numbers lightly. As the organizations name shows, both cars and kids are dear to their heart and to lose so many, annually, because you just couldn’t wait to send that one text message, breaks their heart. And recently, they rolled out their own initiative to stop teens from texting and driving. Hopefully one day soon, teens will stop thinking, it can’t happen to me, and the world will be 3,000 smiles brighter.

Summer Driving and Pets

With Memorial Day but a memory, most of us are looking forward to summer vacation and long lazy days at the beach. Websites vie with each other for coming up with the most interesting tips on summer driving. What you don’t see are a lot of articles on the dangers of leaving your pet in your car. That’s a shame because every summer dogs and other pets die in hot cars. It’s time a spotlight was shone on the problem.

Sometimes pets are left in a car unintentionally, as in the time a car donation intended for the charity Kars For Kids was picked up from an industrial yard only for the towing people to discover a litter of kittens in the car. A mama cat probably climbed in and had her litter there without anyone realizing. But often, pets are left in a parked car while the pet owner runs errands. People just don’t realize how hot it gets in a parked car over time and what a low tolerance pets have for the heat.

If you’re thinking of running errands with your pet in the car, stop and plan it out. What are you going to do with your dog while you’re shopping? Whatever you do, don’t leave your dog alone in the car. Even when it’s not that hot out, your car can become dangerously hot for your pet. A car left in the sun in 72 degree Fahrenheit weather can heat up to 117 degrees Fahrenheit within one hour which is much too hot for your pet.

Pet-Friendly Destination

It’s a good idea to ascertain ahead of time that your destination is pet-friendly, so you can bring your pet indoors where there is ventilation or air conditioning. If you must leave your dog outside, find a spot with shade. Bring water along with you and a weighted drinking bowl for your pet friend. Offer your dog small amounts of water, frequently, on the hottest days.

Do you have a long-haired dog or cat? Groom your pet to rid him of some of that hair. A haircut early in the summer and one more later on is a good idea.

Dogs need exercise, but don’t take him for walks in mid-afternoon when the sun is high. Instead, take your dog out early in the morning, when the sun isn’t so strong, or in the evening. Like humans, dogs are susceptible to sunburn. Ask your vet about sunscreen for pets.

Be on the watch for signs of heatstroke in your dog:

·         Heavy panting

·         Copious salivation

·         Rapid pulse

·         Reddened tongue and gums

·         Lethargy

·         Sudden absence of coordination

·         Prostrated

·         Loss of consciousness

·         Vomiting

·         Diarrhea

If your dog shows signs of heatstroke, move him to a cool and shady place immediately and phone your vet. Gradually, lower your dog’s body temperature. If you can get access to a hose, soak your dog with cool water. A spray bottle or a shower works just as well. Don’t use very cold water, since this can cause shock. After you get your dog wetted down, put him in a breezy spot or in front of a fan to help cool him down.

Give your dog small amounts of cool water to drink. Keep wetting down your dog with the cool, not cold water, until the panting slows and your dog’s breathing settles down. Don’t allow your dog to cool to such an extent that he begins to shiver. As soon as your dog is cooled down, bring him to a veterinarian.

Hot cars and dogs just don’t go together. If you see a dog in a parked car, do the right thing. Call 911.

Follow Kars For Kids on Twitter here.

      

Brain Differences in Stuttering

There has long been disagreement about the causes of stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation of America states on its website that, "There is no reason to believe that emotional trauma causes stuttering." Additionally, the National Stuttering Association website states that, "We do know that stuttering is not caused by emotional problems and is not a 'nervous' disorder. We also know that stuttering is not the fault of the family or the person who stutters."

However, many psychologists disagree with this assessment and some still claim that psychological and other supports, such as the afterschool programs underwritten by the car donation charity Kars For Kids can make a difference. Anyone who has watched the film The King’s Speech, about King George VI’s stuttering issues sees that with emotional support stuttering can improve. Clearly, the King’s vocal coach didn’t know a thing about speech therapy. It was all about getting Bertie to vent.

But maybe that’s not the whole story, especially now that there has been hard data around for a few years now to support stuttering as a physiological disorder. A 2010 study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to demonstrate that those who stutter manifest abnormal brain activity even while engaged in passive activities such as reading and listening. These results suggest that people who stutter have impaired speech because of brain circuit irregularities that impact on several language processing locations and not just those devoted to speech production. The study was presented at Neuroscience 2010, a once yearly meeting of the Society for Neuroscience which took place in San Diego.

Lifelong Struggle

One in 20 children is affected by stuttering. While most grow out of this speech impairment, one out of every five children continues a lifelong struggle toward fluid speech. While no one knows the exact cause of stuttering, earlier studies have shown reduced activity in brain centers linked with listening along with increased brain activity in those areas responsible for movement and speech. The new study focused on whether this type of irregular brain activity would also be apparent during a stutterer’s silent reading.

Kate Watkins, PhD, the University of Oxford-affiliated author of this study felt that if the brain patterns during silent reading were also abnormal, this would show these anomalies to be typical for a stuttering brain and not a separate byproduct of speech production issues due to stuttering. To this end, Watkins and her colleagues used functional resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain activity in 12 stuttering adults with 12 adults who do not stutter.

The scans were conducted during three separate trials. During the first trial, the volunteers listened to spoken sentences. In the second trial, the participants read sentences silently. In the third and last trial, the subjects read the sentences silently as another person read the sentences aloud.

Distinct Differences

The authors discovered that the brains of those participants who stuttered showed distinct differences from the brains of the non-stutterers in each of the three tests. Only during the silent listening phase did the stutterers exhibit greater activity in auditory areas of the brain. While reading, activity in motor areas of the brain decreased, in particular that involving a circuit needed for the sequence of movement.

"Our findings likely reflect that individuals who stutter have impaired speech processing due to abnormal interactions in brain circuits," said Watkins. "In future studies, it will be important to examine changes in these brain areas in young children to find out if these interactions result from a lifetime of stuttering or point toward the cause of stuttering itself."

Joyce and Daniel E Straus open Advanced Education Center at NYU

Philanthropist Daniel E. Straus knows the importance of receiving a higher education and giving back. In 2009, Daniel and his wife Joyce, in conjunction with his alma mater New York University (NYU), opened The Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law & Justice, located at the NYU Institutes on the Park in Washington Square Park. The institute’s mission is to welcome students from around the world in continuing their education in law at the highest level.

Knowing that education is the key to success everyone, Daniel believes all universities need the reliable resource right in front of them in order to have their students gain a positive experience during their four-year study. 

Each year, The Straus Institute defines areas of research and scholarship of relevance to society and steers a critical mass of the students to work in these areas.

To learn more about The Straus Institute, head over to www.nyustraus.org. 

Education is the Key to Success

Philanthropist Daniel Straus knows the importance of receiving a higher education and giving back. In 2009, Daniel and his wife Joyce, in conjunction with his alma mater New York University (NYU), opened The Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law & Justice, located at the NYU Institutes on the Park in Washington Square Park. The institute’s mission is to welcome students from around the world in continuing their education in law at the highest level.

Knowing that education is the key to success everyone, Daniel believes all universities need the reliable resource right in front of them in order to have their students gain a positive experience during their four-year study. 

Each year, The Straus Institute defines areas of research and scholarship of relevance to society and steers a critical mass of the students to work in these areas.

To learn more about The Straus Institute, head over to www.nyustraus.org.