Current Events in July 2017

In a recent study, researchers working with artificial intelligence said that new technologies may soon be able to accurately detect the presence of long-term concussions in athletes. But while this technology is being refined and improved, medical experts are still searching for biological markers that can detect brain injuries in athletes now, and recent findings suggest they may exist in the blood.

At the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Concussion Conference on July 14, researchers reported that they found two proteins in the blood of boxers and mixed martial arts fighters that may indicate the presence of long-term brain injury. Study author Dr. Charles Bernick says that further study may reveal just how dangerous these sports are to brain health.

“Our study looked at data over a five-year period and found elevated levels of two brain injury markers in the blood; now the question is whether they may signify permanent traumatic brain injury with long-term consequences,” he said.

Proteins found in blood

The researchers say that the two proteins they identified during the study – neurofilament light chain and tau – are both components of nerve fibers that can be detected in the blood when the fibers are injured.

For the purposes of the study, blood samples were collected from 291 active professional fighters, retired fighters, and non-fighters to see how these protein levels differed. The findings showed that active professional fighters had neurofilament light chain levels that were 40% higher than non-fighters.

Additionally, the researchers said that these levels were even higher if blood samples were taken within two weeks of a sparring session, and participants who had high levels tended to perform poorly on computerized tests that measured brain processing speed.

While high levels of neurofilament light chain were bad enough, the researchers said that long-term danger may be more associated with the tau protein, which has also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in other studies. Bernick said that while neurofilament light chain levels did not increase significantly over the study period, tau levels tended to increase over time for fighters.

The researchers said that participants who had increasing levels of tau also had an average decline of 7% in the size of their thalamus, the region of the brain responsible for regulating sleep, consciousness, alertness, cognitive function, and language. It’s also the brain region that sends sensory and movement signals to other sections of the brain.

Damage being done

While the study focused on boxers and MMA fighters, the results could have further implications on other contact sports where head injuries frequently occur. Bernick says that higher levels of the two proteins may be a good indicator of repetitive head trauma.

"Neurofilament light may be more sensitive to acute traumatic brain injury whereas tau may be a better measurement of cumulative damage over time,” he explained. “More research needs to be done to see how these may be used to monitor traumatic brain injury and the neurological consequences over time."

You might not know it, but what you pay for car insurance may have a lot to do with your credit score.

Nearly all auto insurance companies attach some weight to a customer's credit standing -- some companies more than others and in some states more than others.

Personal finance site WalletHub recently crunched the numbers to see which states and which companies penalize low credit scores the most and benefit high ones.

To reach their conclusions, the study authors obtained quotes from five major insurance companies -- Farmers, Progressive, Geico, State Farm, and Allstate. They obtained quotes for two drivers identical in all respects except one. One had excellent credit, the other had no credit.

65% high car insurance rates

The study found that the driver with no credit paid, on average, 65% more for car insurance than people with excellent credit. The spread was widest in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, and Michigan.

The authors say they also found that Farmers appeared to be the most reliant on credit score information while Geico used it the least. But even Geico charged the no-credit customer 40% more than the excellent-credit customer.

State laws in California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts bar auto insurance companies from using credit scores to set insurance rates, so those states were excluded from the study.

The ranking

The insurance companies, in order of their reliance on credit information, are:

1. Farmers
2. Allstate
3. State Farm
4. Progressive
5. Geico

In May, a NerdWallet study found that drivers in Michigan with poor credit paid the most for car insurance. The NerdWallet analysis found the rate disparity totaled $1,969 a year, or an extra $164 a month.

Second, third, and fourth on the list were Louisiana, Delaware, and Washington, DC, where drivers with poor credit all pay between $1,354 and $1,440 more per year than identical drivers with good credit. New Jersey drivers with poor credit pay an extra $1,204 per year in premiums.

If you happen to have poor credit, you could move to one of the three states where companies can't use credit scores to set insurance rates, or you could work to raise your credit score.

Personal finance experts say the easiest way to increase your credit score is to pay every bill on time, every month. If you have a high balance on your credit card, relative to your credit limit, work on paying down the balance, since credit utilization is also a major factor in establishing a credit score.

If you’re serious about working out and building muscle, then there’s a good chance that you take some sort of supplement to help your body recover and grow. But a recent study from the University of Stirling shows that one popular type of muscle-building supplement isn’t all that effective by itself.

Researchers say that branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) aren’t doing much for gym-goers when taken by themselves. Professor Kevin Tipton explains why they’re used and why they’re not optimal.

“Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and the special class of amino acids, known as BCAA, stimulate muscle growth response,” he said. “These supplements are considered to be an important part of the nutrition plan for many bodybuilders, weightlifters and others seeking muscle growth.”

“Our results show that the common practice of taking BCAA supplements in isolation will stimulate muscle protein synthesis – the metabolic mechanism that leads to muscle growth – but the total response will not be maximal because BCAA supplements do not provide other amino acids essential for the best response.”

Bulking up

The study used a group of trained weightlifters who took part in resistance training at the gym and followed it up with BCAA supplements in a dose equivalent to 20 grams of whey protein.

The researchers found that the BCAA supplement slightly enhanced participants’ muscle growth response when compared to a placebo. However, the muscle response more than doubled when participants took a whey protein supplement that contained equivalent amounts of BCAA and other essential amino acids.

Tipton says that those other amino acids are key to muscle growth, and it is the reason why BCAA supplements by themselves don’t deliver as much value.

“A sufficient amount of the full complement of amino acids is necessary for maximum muscle building, following exercise. Athletes interested in enhancing muscle growth with training should not rely on these BCAA supplements alone,” he said.

The full study has been published in Frontiers of Physiology.

Choosing a name for your bundle of joy can be a daunting task, especially if you’re looking for a name that isn’t too common -- and many soon-to-be moms and dads are.

"Many parents-to-be tell us they're looking for a unique baby name,” said Linda Murray, Global Editor in Chief at pregnancy and parenting digital resource, BabyCenter.

If finding a unique moniker for your little one is on your agenda, look no further than BabyCenter’s Endangered Baby Names list. While Liam and Emma continue to top popularity charts, some names are on the brink of extinction, according to BabyCenter.

Endangered baby names

Although they were once popular, 14 names have not been chosen by a single BabyCenter member for a newborn in 2017.

“These names have become one-of-a-kind yet still have the ring of familiarity,” said Murray, who noted that all it takes to keep a name from being gone forever is for a family to choose it for their baby.

Here are the names that are at risk of going the way of the dinosaurs, according to BabyCenter:

For girls:

• Bette / Bettie
• Blanche
• Erma / Irma
• Krista
• Myrtle
• Olga
• Rhonda

For boys:

• Carroll
• Dick
• Homer
• Lowell
• Roosevelt
• Rudolph
• Willard

Threatened baby names

Other names are fading in popularity due to their association with a specific person. Celebrity names -- like Gwen, Bradley, and Peyton -- have dropped in popularity, says Murray.

"There's a tipping point at which a name can become so common or associated with a specific person that parents stop using it," she said. "One recent example is from the movie Frozen. The name Elsa has tumbled 57 percent this year, as parents let it go."

Other girl names that have seen a dip in popularity? Adrianna, Amelie, Brynn, Cadence, and Elliana. Boy names that seem to have fallen out of favor with parents include Alec, Bradley, Cade, Camden, and Colin.

Imagine arriving home and finding a message on your answering machine (some of us still have them) telling you to call a certain phone number -- or else!

I don't have to try hard to imagine as it happened to me this past week.

A robo-caller informed me that I was the subject of an enforcement action regarding tax fraud. This message even contained a docket number and warned that if I didn't call the provided phone number as soon as possible, court action would be taken or – even worse -- I would be arrested.

I must admit that my first impulse was to call and see what this was all about. Then, I remembered the advice we always give out when readers inform us about receiving such calls: “DON'T DO IT!”

What to do and what I did

After my head cleared, I emailed the Treasury Department (OIGCounsel@oig.treas.gov) and outlined exactly what had happened. Within minutes, I received an auto-reply explaining the situation.

First off it said, “If you have received an unsolicited call or email from an individual purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service or the Department of the Treasury, and/or making threats of legal action or even promises of federal grant funds, it is a fraud.”

“There are,” it went on, “a number of similar scams, some of which can be quite persuasive: in some, the scammers have done brief internet research of potential victims so they appear to be familiar with their victim's personal details, and they use this information as a springboard to obtain more.”

Such scams are on the rise, according to the email, which went on to urge consumers to continue to be extremely wary of unsolicited telephone or e-mail communications, particularly those that request personal information, contain any offer of some prize or "grant," or make monetary demands.

In other words, do nothing the scammer asks of you, but do report it to the appropriate agency.

Remember, if you don't provide personal information, you can't be a victim.

Banks have changed a lot since your parents' generation, and many of those changes accelerated after the 2008 financial crisis.

In the low-interest rate, risk-averse climate that followed, the banking model began to shift from making loans to charging fees.

Personal finance publisher Kiplinger reports that model remains largely intact nine years after the financial crisis, but its investigation has identified a few institutions, in different categories, that have distinguished themselves with more consumer-friendly service.

Tie among national banks

Among national banks, Kiplinger declares a tie between TD Bank and US Bank.

TD Bank wins points for its low, $100 minimum balance to avoid a service charge and low minimums for savings accounts and CDs. US Bank has 3,000 branches in 25 states and offers several checking account options with easily achievable requirements to avoid a service charge.

Among nationally available credit unions, Kiplinger gives the nod to Virginia's Langley Federal Credit Union. Consumers can join by making a $5 donation to one of several Virginia causes.

Members can then select from four checking accounts, three of which are free of a monthly fee. The simplest is the basic Smart Checking account, which has no minimum balance to avoid a monthly fee.

Best internet bank

Kiplinger rates Ally Bank as best among internet banks. Ally wins points by simplifying things with one checking, one savings and one money market deposit account. There is no minimum balance required to avoid a monthly fee.

Diane Morais, president of Consumer & Commercial Banking Products at Ally Bank, notes her institution not only won honors as best internet bank, but also as best bank for Millennials.

"Being named a 'best bank' in these two important segments gives customers the confidence to explore our other offerings – from our savings, checking and credit card products, to newer additions like Ally Home loans and low-cost investing through Ally Invest," Morais said.

According to Kiplinger, it is important for consumers to be selective when it comes to choosing a bank, since the divide between consumer-friendly banks and those that aren't so friendly will probably continue to widen.

Many banks are on a mission to cut costs and raise revenue and, very often, consumers pay the price. The best banks, Kiplinger says, tend to offer a mix of no or low-fee checking, competitive interest rates, and reimbursements for ATM fees. They also have user-friendly websites.

Consumers should also not overlook community banks. While not as well publicized, they are more likely to have free checking with fewer requirements and offer the same services as larger banks, but at lower costs.

The middle of the summer is a good time to think about getting away to a cool spot for a week or two. That's probably why Alaskan cruises are very popular this time of year.

Most of the major cruise lines operate ships in Alaskan waters. Most take either the Inside Passage or the Cross Gulf of Alaska, or both.

The Inside Passage cruise is usually a round-trip leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver and making stops in ports like Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Sitka, Haines, or Victoria, B.C.

According to Alaska.org, a tourism site, week-long cruises through the Inside Passage usually spend a day in Glacier Bay, where the scenery is majestic. There are also some longer Inside Passage cruises that leave from San Francisco, or even San Diego.

The Inside Passage is popular with travelers who just want to relax and enjoy Alaska's coastal scenery. Since it is a round-trip excursion, you end up back where you started, allowing you to book round-trip airfare to get from your home to your departure location.

Calmer waters

The islands located on the western side of the Passage provide some measure of protection from the open sea, which can get rough at times. That makes ports like Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg popular with travelers who are prone to seasickness.

The Cross Gulf of Alaska routes usually sail north or south between Vancouver or Seattle and Anchorage, by way of the port towns of Whittier or Seward. Ships call at many of the same ports on the Inside Passage, as well as Valdez, Hubbard Glacier, or College Fjord.

The Gulf cruises are popular with travelers who want to add a land tour, or simply enjoy the views of the coastline and glaciers.

Cruises tend to operate mid-May to mid-September, with the peak season from mid-June to mid-August. Before and after, some day tours and hotels offer "shoulder season" discounts of 10% to 25%.

Long tradition of cruising

Holland America says it has been offering Alaskan cruises longer than the region has been a state. Among its popular destinations is Glacier Bay National Park. Passengers can observe a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals.

Other popular destinations include Juneau, Ketchikan, Frederick Sound, Haines, and Hubbard Glacier.

Norwegian Cruise Lines operates three ships on the Alaskan routes -- the Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, or Norwegian Sun. The voyages of varying length cover all of the ports along the Gulf and Inside Passage routes.

Alaskan weather can be fairly unpredictable, even during the summer months. You'll find the warmest temperatures in June, July, and August, but even then the mercury will fluctuate between 50 to 80 degrees during the day, and drop lower at night. You'll need clothing that will be comfortable no matter where you are in that temperature range. You might need a parka at breakfast but will find a t-shirt more comfortable at lunchtime.

If you like your space and don't particularly like crowds, cruises early and late in the season may be more to your liking, and may be more economical as well.

Getting there

For most travelers, getting to the cruise departure point will require air travel. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is served by every major airline and a few regional ones. The airport is located in southern Seattle, off I-5.

For cruises departing from Anchorage, travelers will need to fly into Ted Stevens International Airport. Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Icelandair are among the major carriers serving Anchorage.

Some people, especially children, can have severe, life-threatening allergic reactions called anaphylaxis, which can be relieved by a quick injection of epinephrine, also called adrenaline.

The antidote can be administered with an auto-injection device, such as the EpiPen, produced by Mylan Pharmaceutical. Mylan found itself at the center of a heated political issue last year after it raised the price of the EpiPen, but a new study focuses not on the device's price, but its availability, although the price may affect how many people actually have the device when they desperately need it.

The findings, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, conclude that fewer than half the children suffering from anaphylaxis received an injection of epinephrine before being treated at a hospital emergency room.

The epinephrine injection doesn't "cure" the allergy but it relieves the worst symptoms of a severe attack, giving the victim more time to get to the hospital. An anaphylactic reaction is extremely dangerous and can be fatal if not promptly treated. 

Even the children who had a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector didn’t get the life-saving medication when they should have. In fact, kids who suffered the allergic reaction at school were more likely to have gotten the injection than children who had an attack at home.

Small study

Admittedly, it was a small study. The researchers examined the case records for 408 children treated for anaphylaxis at a hospital.

“Treatment with epinephrine is often delayed or avoided by parents and caregivers," said allergist and lead author Dr. Melissa Robinson. "And sometimes antihistamines are used even though they are not an appropriate treatment.”

The study doesn't tell us why children suffering severe allergic reactions did not receive epinephrine before going to the hospital. It also does not address the reason that children who had been prescribed an auto-injector didn't use it, or whether the prescription had even been filled.

It did, however, show that children who had gotten the shot of the antidote before going to the hospital were more likely to be sent home, while those who did not get the shot were more likely to be admitted.

First line of defense

Dr. David Stukus, an allergist and co-author of the study, says the takeaway from the study is that parents, caregivers and emergency responders need to understand epinephrine should always be the first line of defense when treating anaphylaxis.

“Our study found that only two-thirds of those who had an epinephrine prescription had their auto-injector available at the time of their allergic reaction," he said. "It’s vital to keep your epinephrine with you if you suffer from any sort of severe allergy."

In August 2016, Mylan raised the price of its EpiPen to $600 for a two-pack of auto-injectors, which are supposed to be replaced every six months. It sold for $57 in 2007. The company later introduced a discount program for patients without adequate insurance coverage.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a competing product, a prefilled syringe called the Symjepi, made by Adamis Pharmaceuticals.

Of all the types of cancer out there, perhaps one of the hardest to detect and treat is pancreatic cancer. The disease, which is diagnosed in over 53,000 people in the U.S. every year and is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death, often can’t be diagnosed until it is in an advanced stage when surgically removing tumors is no longer an option.

However, a new discovery by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine might change that. In a recent study, they were able to identify two blood biomarkers that may allow medical professionals to detect the disease much earlier and save lives.

"Early detection of cancer has had a critical influence on lessening the impact of many types of cancer, including breast, colon, and cervical cancer. A long-standing concern has been that patients with pancreatic cancer are often not diagnosed until it is too late for the best chance at effective treatment," explains Dr. Robert Vonderheide. "Having a biomarker test for this disease could dramatically alter the outlook for these patients."

Earlier detection

The researchers came upon their discovery after using a human-cell model of pancreatic cancer progression first developed in 2013. With the tool, they genetically modified late stage cancer cells and reverted them back to their stem-cell states. The process enabled them to reprogram the cells to progress to an early cancerous state, which revealed the presence of biomarkers.

The researchers said that tests for one of the biomarkers, called plasma thrombospiondin-2 (THBS2), along with a known later-stage biomarker called CA19-9 allowed a commercially available protein-detection assay to reliably detect the presence of pancreatic cancer in patients.

"Positive results for THBS2 or CA19-9 concentrations in the blood consistently and correctly identified all stages of the cancer," said team leader Dr. Ken Zaret. "Notably, THBS2 concentrations combined with CA19-9 identified early stages better than any other known method."

The researchers believe that doctors will be able to use these early-detection biomarkers to test the blood of pancreatic cancer patients and those at high risk for developing pancreatic cancer, especially those who have a first-degree relative with pancreatic cancer, are genetically predisposed to the disease, or have a sudden onset of diabetes after the age of 50.

The full study has been published in Science Translational Medicine.

It's been 35 years since Steven Spielberg's classic film "E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial" debuted at U.S. movie theaters.

To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing a special package, that includes the film in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital and a re-mastered CD soundtrack of the original Grammy Award-winning score.

The disks also contain more than three hours of bonus features, along with a collector's booklet with inside information and images from the archives.

The release date is September 12, 2017.

The film resonated with young moviegoers, who are now in their 40s and have children of their own. Universal is counting on that generation to introduce another generation to the film, a tactic successfully used by Disney for decades.

To generate a little extra buzz for the release, Universal will screen the movie in theaters nationwide on September 17 and September 20.

If you'll recall, E.T. was the story of a lovable alien who got stranded on earth and was befriended by a group of a suburban California children, who (spoiler alert) helped the visitor escape the grown-ups and get back home. The trailer is below.

Setting the bar for product placement

The film also broke ground in the area of product placement. The children lured the creature using Hershey's Reece's Pieces candy, after Mars' M&Ms passed on the deal. Rolling Stone Magazine ranks it among "The most egregious product placements in movie and TV history," making the relatively obscure candy a household name overnight.

Interestingly, the benign view of visitors from outer space, which first surfaced in Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," did not hold up in later movies, such as "Independence Day."

And in fact, many scientists say alien contact would probably be highly unpleasant for humans.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 442,214 model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challengers, Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s, Dodge Durangos, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees.

The vehicles have electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) and are equipped with a 5.7L or a 3.6L engine and a 160, 180 or 220 amp alternator.

In the recalled vehicles, the alternator may suddenly fail, stalling the vehicles without warning, posing the risk of a crash. There is also the possibility that the alternator may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator and depending on the part number, will replace the alternator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on August 24, 2017. 

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T36.

You still need sunscreen, but a new study says that a daily tomato or two may help prevent skin cancer. And no, you don't smear it on your skin, you eat it.

The study by researchers at The Ohio State University fed male mice a diet of 10 percent tomato powder and exposed them to ultraviolet light daily for 35 weeks. Another group of mice got the ultraviolet but not the tomatoes.

The result: the tomato eaters had 50 percent fewer skin cancer tumors. 

The theory behind it is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmenting compounds that give tomatoes their color, may protect skin against UV light damage, said Jessica Cooperstone, co-author of the study and a research scientist in the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State.

Gender difference

Female mice were also tested but showed no difference in tumor numbers. That may be because male mice develop tumors earlier after UV exposure and their tumors are more numerous, larger, and more aggressive.

“This study showed us that we do need to consider sex when exploring different preventive strategies,” said the study’s senior author, Tatiana Oberyszyn, a professor of pathology and member of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“What works in men may not always work equally well in women and vice versa.”

Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common of all cancers, with more new cases — 5.4 million in 2012 — each year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society.

Despite a low mortality rate, these cancers are costly, disfiguring, and their rates are increasing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The new study of how nutritional interventions can alter the risk for skin cancers appeared online in the journal Scientific Reports.

In a previous study, researchers from the University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences found that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy reduced the risk that a child would develop ADHD by the time they reached 2 ½ years old.

While the study did not prove that low vitamin D levels were a cause of ADHD, the team noted that “there is a link that we cannot explain in any other way,” and that more research was necessary. While the jury is still out when it comes to ADHD, researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Bristol have now linked insufficient levels of vitamin D in pregnancy to other detriments in child development.

"The importance of vitamin D sufficiency should not be underestimated. It is well-known to be good for our musculoskeletal systems, but our research shows that if levels are low in expectant mothers, it can affect the development of their children in their early years of life,” said lead author Andrea Darling.

Social and motor development

After examining data on over 7,000 mother-child pairs, the researchers found that pregnant women who were deficient in vitamin D (less than 50 nmol per liter in blood) were more likely to bear children who later scored in the bottom 25% in pre-school development tests for gross and fine motor skills at 2 ½ years old.

The researchers say that assessments for motor skill development included tests for coordination -- such as kicking a ball, balancing, and jumping -- and the usage of fine muscles, like the ability to hold a pencil or build a tower with bricks.

Additionally, these same children scored poorly when assessed for social development skills at 3 ½ years old when compared to children born to mothers with sufficient vitamin D intake. Vitamin D deficiency was not linked to IQ or reading ability at older ages, though.

Minority groups at risk

The researchers point out that certain minority groups are especially at risk when it comes to vitamin D deficiency. However, they note that it is important for expectant mothers to walk a fine line when it comes to taking supplements because too much can also be harmful.

"Many pregnant women, especially those from minority groups with darker skin (e.g. African, African-Caribbean or South Asian), will still need to take a 10 micrograms vitamin D supplement daily, particularly in the autumn and winter when vitamin D cannot be made from the sun in the UK," said Darling. “However, it is important to remember that 'more is not necessarily better' and it is important not to take too much vitamin D from supplements as it can be toxic in very high doses."

If taking vitamin D supplements is not for you, the researchers say that there are a number of dietary options that contain healthy levels of vitamin D that can promote child development. These include oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fresh tuna; small amounts of red meat, eggs, and fortified fat spreads; and certain breakfast cereals.

Consumers are reminded to always check with a primary care physician or specialist before taking any supplement or changing their diet.

The full study has been published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling 363,480 model year 2011-2015 Dodge Journey vehicles.

The driver's front airbag may deploy unexpectedly if the airbag wiring harness gets chafed within the steering wheel and short circuits.

Unexpected deployment of the driver's front airbag increases the risk of a crash or driver injury.

What to do

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag wiring within the steering wheel, replacing it if necessary. Additionally, a protective cover will be installed. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 21, 2017.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T47.

The effects of concussions can be disastrous for athletes, both at the time the damage occurs and even years later after they’ve hung up their pads. Unfortunately, these injuries can be hard to diagnose when athletes get older because experts don’t know if they can attribute symptoms to past head trauma or to other factors like unrelated neurological conditions or the aging process.

In fact, the only way to prove the presence of brain damage caused by a concussion up until now has been through a post-mortem examination, which is obviously not too helpful to patients who are still alive and kicking. But researchers from the Université de Montreal, The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), and the Ludmer Center for NeuroInformatics are developing new methods to address this deficiency.

Using artificial intelligence, the researchers have developed a diagnostic signature that can accurately detect the presence of long-term concussions which may have caused lasting brain damage.

"With 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions per year in the US alone, the prevalence of this injury is alarming," said first author Dr. Sebastien Tremblay. "It is unacceptable that no objective tools or techniques yet exist to diagnose them, not to mention the sheer lack of scientifically valid treatment options. With our work, we hope to provide help to the vast population of former athletes who experience neurological issues after retiring from contact sport."

"Learning" how to detect concussions

To test their new method, the researchers recruited former college athletes between the ages of 51 and 75 who played football and hockey. After narrowing down the selections, 15 former athletes who reported being concussed during their playing careers were formed into a cohort with 15 athletes who had not been concussed.

The participants took part in a wide variety of neurological and genotyping tests, after which the researchers pooled the data and fed it into computers outfitted with artificial intelligence (AI) software. They found that the AI was able to “learn” the differences between the brains of healthy athletes and previously concussed athletes.

In particular, the AI noted that formerly concussed individuals had white matter connections in several brain regions that were abnormal, which could indicate degeneration and the brain’s method of compensating for the damage. In all, the researchers say that the AI was able to detect concussions with up to 90% accuracy.

Spikes in concussions

The researchers say the development of this new technology couldn’t come at a better time, given the huge spike in reported concussions for athletes in recent years. Government statistics show that concussion rates increased by 40% between 2004 and 2014 for young football, soccer, and hockey players.

Professional athletes will surely be happy to hear news of better technologies for concussion detection. Retired NFL and NHL players have filed suits in recent years against their leagues, charging that officials did not do enough to protect them from concussions. However, their claims have often fallen short because of a lack of objective evidence that their symptoms were due to concussions they sustained while playing.

While the technology is not yet fully refined, the researchers say that further testing will improve the system.

"Future studies, including systematic comparisons with patient groups presenting with other age-related neurological conditions, together with identifying new biomarkers of concussion, would help refine the developed, computer-assisted model of the remote effects of concussion on the aging brain," says Dr. Louis de Beaumont, a researcher at Université de Montreal and the paper's senior author.

The full study has been published in the European Journal of Neuroscience. 

When you want to call attention to an issue, you normally assign a day to it.

Yesterday was Net Neutrality Day in America, when the tech world -- or most of it -- tried to mobilize public support against rolling back the previous administration's internet policy.

The problem with these issue days is there seems to be one every other week. Often the public's collective eyes glaze over.

But the message from big internet users like Netflix, Reddit, and GoDaddy was this: a free and open internet, established by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy under the Obama Administration, is in danger of being reversed under the Trump Administration.

Can't play favorites

Net Neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISP) cannot favor one company's content over another. For example, it can't allocate faster speeds to an internet company if it pays an extra fee, giving that company an advantage over a competitor who doesn't pay the fee.

The large ISPs, like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast, have always maintained that they own their networks and have taken issue with the current policy that treats them like utilities.

According to Daily Variety, the organizers of Net Neutrality Day, which warned consumers the internet was about to get a lot slower and urged them to protest to the FCC and lawmakers, are optimistic. At the very least, they say the FCC will have to respond to all the protests.

Net Neutrality broke into the public consciousness -- sort of -- three years ago when comedian John Oliver did a whole segment on it during his HBO show, a segment that went viral. Take a look, but be warned, it's a premium cable show that doesn't bleep out expletives.

Within a year of that broadcast, the FCC adopted its Net Neutrality policy. Tech companies are hoping their one-day blitz can have a similar effect, and save it.

Even though there has been little documented consumer sentiment asking for them, automakers are moving quickly to develop autonomous cars.

Testing has already begun on public roads in California, New York, and Michigan. Now, Consumer Watchdog, a consumer advocacy group, is urging everyone to tap the brakes.

Speaking at the Automated Vehicles Symposium 2017 in San Francisco, Consumer Watchdog Privacy Policy Director John Simpson said there currently are no federal and few state regulations covering self-driving vehicles. He worries how self-driving cars are going to mix with vehicles driven by people.

"No federal or state standards would leave us at the mercy of manufacturers as they rush to use our public highways as their private laboratories however they wish with no safety protections at all," Simpson said.

Praise for California

He praised California's initial autonomous vehicle testing regulations, saying they are working. He notes that 36 companies have permits to test robot cars on public roads and will be required to file crash and disengagement reports, so the public knows what's happening.

The consumer group is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to adopt enforceable federal safety standards covering self-driving cars. If the feds don't do it, the group warned, the states will have to.

But Congress might not let the states act. Simpson said the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection held a hearing recently on a bill to prevent states from adopting autonomous vehicle safety standards.

Last year, the Obama Administration issued an automated vehicle policy that relied on voluntary measures. The Trump Administration is said to be reviewing that policy and may issue guidelines of its own.

Big stake for consumers

Simpson says consumers have a big stake in how this all plays out. The concern is what the cost to both consumers and taxpayers will be in the future, when human drivers will share the road with what are essentially "robot cars."

There are also legal questions to be determined. For example, who will be at fault in a crash between a car driven by a human and one piloted by a robot?

Simpson says Congress should not limit or restrict state consumer protection laws in this area, and should not give manufacturers a pass by allowing arbitration clauses, "hold harmless" provisions or other waivers in their contracts.

Consumer concern over the rush toward automotive automation is not new. A years ago Consumer Reports called on Tesla to disengage its auto pilot feature in the Model S until the carmaker makes it necessary for the driver's hands to remain on the wheel at all times.

At the same time, a coalition of consumer groups called on the government to establish clear rules before turning self-driving cars loose on the nation's highways.