FARMINGTON –  NAMI Maine is excited to offer a Youth Mental Health First Aid course in partnership with MaineHealth that is designed for adults who regularly interact with young people.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a national best-practice, evidenced-based certification course that is seven hours in length, consisting of two hours of self-paced learning and five hours of instructor-led material virtually over Zoom.

Participants will learn about the common signs and symptoms of mental illness in youth including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (Adhd), and common signs and symptoms of substance use. They will also learn how to best interact with a child or adolescent in crisis and how to connect that person with help.

The course has been expanded this year to include content on trauma, addiction and self-care, as well as the impact of social media and bullying.

After registering, participants will be notified with login information to MHFA Connect to complete their pre-course work. The Zoom link for the training will also be located in MHFA Connect after the pre-work has been completed.

The virtual part of the training will be held on Thursday, March 9 from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Completion of the course leads to a three-year certification issued by the National Council on Behavioral Health.

Anyone with questions may contact NAMI Maine’s coordinator of youth community education, by telephone at 1-800-464-5767, ext. 2318 or email [email protected]

To register visit NAMI Maine’s website at https://www.namimaine.org/youthprograms/p/ymhfa03092023

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By Dave Skretta, Associated Press

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 | 10:27 p.m.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dr. Allen Sills knew the moment that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field last month during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals that something serious and potentially life-threatening had happened.

“My next reaction,” Sills said, “was tremendous confidence in the people that are there.”

In a matter of seconds, medical personnel from both sides rushed toward Hamlin, who had gone into cardiac arrest as thousands of fans watched in the stadium and millions more watched on television. They began to administer CPR, working feverishly to resuscitate him, before loading Hamlin into an ambulance and taking him to a hospital.

“I know the medical staffs of both of those teams and our medical staffs have trained for exactly that moment,” said Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer. “So you default to that training, and you're looking for a series of steps to occur, and those steps did occur. And you just hope and pray the body will respond and that you have a great outcome.”

The 24-year-old Hamlin was hospitalized for more than a week, and while his road back continues, the fact that he was able to travel to Phoenix to accept a community service award this week speaks volumes about his recovery.

It also speaks to the preparation the NFL demands of its medical personnel.

"They key is just the preparation that starts well before game day," said Sills, who provided a tour Thursday of the medical facilities available at State Farm Stadium, where the Chiefs will play the Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

“Every team has an emergency action plan that they write for their training facility and their stadium,” Sills said, "and it covers all of the expected emergencies that could occur: who’s going to do what, what equipment we need. And then that gets practiced, just like our players have a playbook and they practice. We practice that emergency action plan.

“We never want one of those situations to occur, but if it does, its something that we've planned and prepared for.”

Chiefs president Mark Donovan was watching the Bills-Bengals game on TV when Hamlin went down, and the first thing he did was text his team's trainer, Rick Burkholder. They discussed their own plan that night, and afterward, they went through their facility and ensured everyone was prepared for an emergency.

“Rick was very complimentary of Buffalo's staff. That is exactly what they were trained to do, and the person who saw it happen diagnosed it immediately,” Donovan told The Associated Press. “The most experienced, highest-level-of-expertise people in Cincinnati to deal with that were not in hospitals that night; they were on the sideline.”

Sills said about 30 medical professionals are at each NFL game, whether it be a run-of-the-mill preseason game played largely by backups and no-hopers, an international game where facilities might be different than those in the U.S., or the Super Bowl, for which a television audience of more than 200 million people is expected Sunday.

Some are team trainers. Others are specialists, such as those trained to diagnose and treat airway issues. And still others are independent experts, such as the neurologists trained to identify concussions during games.

Indeed, head injuries remain an important and controversial syllabu for the league.

The NFL announced last week that concussions increased by 18% during the regular season, which Commissioner Roger Goodell attributed to updated diagnostic measures. But some very visible cases, including that of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, forced the league to once more revise its protocols midway through the season.

Tagovailoa took a scary hit during a September game against Buffalo but was allowed to continue playing, then took another hard hit four days later against Cincinnati, when he was taken off an a stretcher and diagnosed with a concussion. Tagovailoa missed two games before returning to the field, only to sustain another concussion against Green Bay in December.

The NFL now states that any player showing concussion symptoms must sit out the remainder of the game.

“I think we've made great strides in the area of concussion, both in our ability and understanding how to diagnose and in safely returning players,” Sills said, "but our focus is really on prevention, and not only concussions but head impacts.

“We've got technology to actually be able to quantify that,” Sills said. "We can count how many helmet impacts for each player. We'll be sharing that information with coaches, with players, teams, so that we can act against it. And make no mistake, our goal is very simple: We want to see the number of impacts go down.”

A NEW prostate cancer test could spare men from needless biopsies, researchers have said.

The simple blood test is 94 per cent accurate and could lead to more cases being detected.

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Researchers at Oxford BioDynamics, in collaboration with Imperial College and the University of East Anglia (UEA) developed a new chromosomal test.

The test can pick up signals of cancer and combine it with the regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test.

PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland. It leaks into the blood, but how much depends on a man's age and the health of his prostate, according to the NHS.

A PSA test is usually done at a GP surgery - but it isn't perfect and won't detect all prostate cancers.

In the UK there are around 12,000 prostate cancer deaths each year and around 52,000 cases according to Cancer Research UK.

It's hoped that the new test will be able to detect cases in the early stages, when there is more chance of treating the cancer.

Dr Jon Burrows, chief executive at Oxford Biodynamics, said: “There is a clear need in everyday clinical practice for a highly accurate blood test that can screen men for prostate cancer and accurately identify those at risk, while sparing those who up to now would be subject to unnecessary, expensive and invasive procedures.”

A pilot study of 147 patients evaluated the new test, called PSE, and found it significantly improved detection of the disease.

All the men in the study had prostate cancer and the test was found to be 94 per cent accurate.

The next stage of research will be to use the test on a group of men where the cancer status is unknown.

The team wrote: “This new PSE test is accurate, rapid, minimally invasive and inexpensive.

"If successful in larger trials, it may significantly improve prostate cancer diagnosis.”

Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School said that PSA tests are some of the most used in the UK, alongside physical exams and MRIs.

However, he added that these results can be unreliable, prompting medics to develop a new, more accurate test, the PSE.

"When tested in the context of screening a population at risk, the PSE test yields a rapid and minimally invasive prostate cancer diagnosis with impressive performance.

"This suggests a real benefit for both diagnostic and screening purposes," he added.

THERE are lots of obvious signs of ageing - like greying hair and wrinkles.

But there are also lesser known signs, which could be an indication you're at risk of dying young.

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A lack of grip strength could be a warning sign of a shorter life, according to a new study.

US researchers found people with weaker grips demonstrated "DNA methylation age acceleration" - which means they showed signs of ageing faster than did those with stronger grips.

Speaking to Fox News, Dr Mark Peterson, lead author of the study said he expected to find a link between weakness and faster ageing, but was surprised by how strong the association was. 

"We’ve been using the new tagline, ‘Weakness is the new smoking,’" he explained.

Dr Mark said medics should do grip testing during routine appointments to measure functional strength.

Grip strength is related to overall body strength.

This means having a weak grip makes it more likely there are weaknesses in other areas, the expert explained.

"If someone has weak grip strength, it should be a red flag that they have a high risk for age-related chronic diseases," he said.

Age-related illnesses include dementia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

If - when you try to hold onto objects - you notice your grip is weak it's worth going to visit your GP for further tests.

The simple answer is, no.

If someone already has a weak grip, working on making those muscles stronger won’t magically add years to their life, the scientist said.

This is because weak grip strength is just an indicator of accelerated ageing — it doesn’t cause it.

"The solution is not to Boost grip strength, but to do all the things in life that are important for improving the overall robustness of the body," the doctor explained.

That means focusing on things such as eating a well-balanced diet, avoiding alcohol and regular physical activity. 

The study was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

LEWISTON — St. Mary’s Health System announces it has received advanced hip and knee replacement certification from hospital accreditation organization DNV.

This certification affirms an organization’s excellence in orthopedic surgery within the scope of hip and knee arthroplasty and related procedures inclusive of initial diagnostic services, surgical services, and therapies related to hip and knee replacement care.

“Advanced hip and knee certification lets our community know that St. Mary’s has the resources and commitment to provide the best possible care for hip and knee replacement,” Erin Prime, director of orthopedics and physiatry, said.

“From diagnosis to treatment, education, and rehabilitation, anyone coming to St. Mary’s can be confident that we have the right equipment, personnel and training,” she said. “Achieving this certification validates all the effort we have put into this program to ensure the health and safety of our patients.” 

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St. Mary’s girls basketball players poured onto the floor, screaming, hugging, lifting each other in the air.

It wasn’t enough for the No. 1 seed Saints to prove themselves 25 times over, but with just two possible games left, St. Mary’s simply was not going to lose on Thursday, no matter what a talented Concordia Prep squad threw at them. It’s what motivated the Saints to rally from a lackluster first half to an electric second for a 66-53 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference semifinal victory.

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Several Saints hit double figures, predominantly in the third and fourth quarters when they needed it most. Freshman Bailey Harris led her crew with 29 points.

“Every game, we say, ‘Let’s play for each other,’” said freshman Alex Vandiver, who had 12 points, “and I think we really executed with that.”

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A trophy is the last fruit left to pick, and the Saints (26-0) will get it should they defeat St. Timothy’s at APGFCU Arena in Bel Air Monday at 4 p.m. Indian Creek will precede them in the C Conference final against Park School at 2 p.m.

Concordia bussed fans in, filling up half the cozy bleachers, but even still, St. Mary’s fans jammed every available seat and every square inch of wall space around the floor. That energy feeds right into the bench, too. That’s what revitalized them after a slow first half.

“When one of us would make a shot, and we could just hear our teammates celebrate on the bench, that would just make you want to fight so much more,” Vandiver said.

St. Mary’s defense hounded Concordia heavily and quickly, but that proved to be to the Saints’ detriment. Concordia senior Cori Barnes had no trouble hitting every one of her free throws, alongside a pair of baskets.

Moreover, after a brief early strike, St. Mary’s struggled to score, falling behind 14-11 after one quarter.

Frost continued to spread over St. Mary’s offense; the Saints still could not carve the paths they wanted into the paint, instead opting to fling shots from the perimeter that misfired.

Their only saving grace was their defense, gripping the handle of the shovel to slow Concordia digging them into a deeper hole. Kam Callahan put Concordia up, 18-11.

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But St. Mary’s was not undefeated by fluke.

“We look for each other,” junior Bailey Walden said. “If I make a mistake, they pick me up. They picked me up in this game when I needed to be picked up.”

When junior Mia Novak broke her way in for a layup, it seemed to finally snap her Saints awake. St. Mary’s blocked a shot on the other end, and Walden scooped it and returned it for a layup and one, part of her 23-point night. Moments later, Harris spun and netted the tying basket and unleashed a triumphant scream.

As the two sides traded baskets, it seemed St. Mary’s had the control back, but it just did not have the answer for Barnes. The visitor launched the 3-pointer that locked in Concordia’s 25-22 advantage.

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“The energy in the gym, and just for each other,” Walden said, “we all love each other so much and we knew this wasn’t going to be it. We told each other we need to work so hard for each other and do it for each other.”

The Barnes-led offensive effort catapulted Concordia to a 10-point lead in the third quarter.

“My girls know that they’re pretty good,” St. Mary’s coach Chuck Miller said. “And I think they just knew they had to dig deep, and God love them, they did. They went after them.”

The comeback began with a 3-pointer from Walden that put St. Mary’s ahead, but it would not hold. Despite it all, St. Mary’s simply could not contain Barnes. Once again, the senior guard drained a 3 from long range, securing a 41-39 lead after three quarters.

Harris secured St. Mary’s advantage from the free-throw line. Vandiver popped in two consecutive 3s before Walden did, too.

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“A-Love, she finally found her range, and boom, boom, boom,” Miller said. “And Baily Walden, she’s Baily Walden. That’s what she does.”

Starter Anna Ervin fouled out, landing a blow to the St. Mary’s defense. But the Saints just kept going. Another Vandiver layup established the first double-digit St. Mary’s lead. Knowing full well that Concordia could quickly close the gap, the Saints told each other to lock Barnes and Hailee Ford down, to not supply them even an inch to breathe.

“I think we started pressing up and locking down on defense,” Walden said.

Naturally, Barnes was the last person to score, but it did not matter. Harris had just hit four free throws in a row. She was the last to hold the ball, serene, already looking at her bench in anticipation, while Concordia scrambled around her and the clock counted down to zero.

TOMMY FURY has divided opinion over his questionable training methods to fight Jake Paul.

The celebrity boxing rivals are in camp after announcing the latest rescheduling of their bout, on February 26 in Saudi Arabia.

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Paul, 26, has set up shop in Dubai, just 700 miles away from the scene of the pay-per-view fight in Riyadh.

Meanwhile Fury, 23, has been training in Bolton at the Elite-Boxing in Bolton, headed up by head coach Alex Matvienko.

And the gym welcomed Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Danny Christie through their doors to spar.

Fans feared Fury made a mistake by bringing the bare-knuckle boxer into sparring opposed to a more traditional style.

One said: "He should be sparring real boxers."

Another said: "Another mistake from tommy."

One added: "Needs to be sparring top class boxers or people above him to prepare.. hope he don’t take it lightly."

But others suggested Christie's style could match up well to Paul's, who only debuted as a professional three years ago.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023

One said: "Pretty obvious why he’s chosen him for sparring you divs.

"He will be quite similar to Paul in terms of technical ability quite crude and power reliant. Maybe a bit better technically than Paul if anything tbh he’s decent.

"Will show tommy and his team ways to deal with that unpredictable unschooled if you style. Of course he’s sparring with other people, deary me."

Another argued: "Christie and Paul are similar styles! Good choice imo! Unorthodox!"

One commented: "I’m a fan of this. Good little fighter is Danny and absolutely relentless. Good sparring for Tommy that."

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