What Zombie Ants Are Teaching Us About Fungal Infections: Q & A with Entomologists David Hughes and Maridel Fredericksen
I can still remember that giddy feeling I had seven years ago, when I first read about the “zombie ant.” The story was gruesome and fascinating, and it was everywhere. Even friends and family who aren’t so interested in science knew the basics: in a tropical forest somewhere there’s a fungus that infects an ant and somehow takes control of the ant’s brain, forcing it to leave its colony, crawl up a big leaf, bite down and wait for the sweet relief of death. A grotesque stalk then sprouts from the poor creature’s head, from which fungal spores rain down to infect a new batch of ants.
A fungal fruiting b...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - February 21, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Chris Palmer Tags: Computers in Biology Cell Biology Cellular Processes Electron Microscopy Infection Source Type: blogs
Penclic R3 Wireless Mouse: A Medgadget Review
Earlier this year we reviewed one of the most innovative computer mice we’ve ever encountered, the Penclic R2, that was designed to prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. Your typical boring old mouse puts your forearm into a pronated position, but the Penclic is used like a pen and avoids the most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. We had a lot of positive to say about the device, but a few drawbacks made it awkward to use, making us wonder if we’d really use it long-term.
Recently, we received the new Penclic R3, which fixes some of the issues we noted, thanks to a refreshed design. We think itR...
Source: Medgadget - December 19, 2017 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Exclusive Rehab Source Type: blogs
Penclic R2 Ergonomic Mouse Review: Comfortable, but Is It Enough?
Using computer mice more than 20 hours per week is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Classic computer mice force users into a pronated forearm position, placing stress on the nerves of the carpal tunnel (a sheath in the wrist through which tendons and nerves pass through). The PenClic R2 is an unconventional mouse that aims to relieve users from such strain by putting their hands into a more neutral position. They gave us a copy to review. Our verdict? Comfortable to hold, but a little awkward to use.
The Penclic R2 looks like a regular mouse with a pen attached to it. The soft rubberized grip and the high-gloss...
Source: Medgadget - July 10, 2017 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Ben Ouyang Tags: Exclusive Rehab Source Type: blogs
The Technological Future of Surgery
The future of surgery offers an amazing cooperation between humans and technology, which could elevate the level of precision and efficiency of surgeries so high we have never seen before.
Will we have Matrix-like small surgical robots? Will they pull in and out organs from patients’ bodies?
The scene is not impossible. It looks like we have come a long way from ancient Egypt, where doctors performed invasive surgeries as far back as 3,500 years ago. Only two years ago, Nasa teamed up with American medical company Virtual Incision to develop a robot that can be placed inside a patient’s body and then controlled rem...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 17, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Future of Medicine Medical Augmented Reality Medical Robotics Virtual Reality in Medicine 3d printing AI artificial intelligence diagnostics gc4 Surgery surgical robot technology Source Type: blogs
VibraCool Pain Relieving Device Coming to Market
MMJ Labs, an Atlanta, Georgia firm that won a bit of fame for its Buzzy device designed to relieve injection site pain, is now unveiling its new VibraCool product. The new device is aimed at treating iliotibial (IT) band pain, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, and other conditions caused by repeated motion.
It features a set of frozen ice packs that help reduce inflammation and a high-frequency vibrator that helps to address stiffness and increases blood flow through the treated area. The vibration feature can be used alone to help with recovery following exercise.
The device is going to be presented for the first time at the...
Source: Medgadget - January 3, 2017 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Editors Tags: Pain Source Type: blogs
5 Hidden Benefits of a Good Massage
Aside from the fact that a good massage makes you feel better, what are some of the other benefits to this practice? As a longtime advocate for massage, I decided to delve into its not-as-well-known aspects to see what else it offers beside a well-spent hour on the table. What I discovered are the following five hidden benefits of a good massage.
Massage loosens muscles
Being in physical therapy for a recent low back pain episode means I’m working muscles that have not seen regular activity for some time. That results in soreness that proves I’m doing things right, but it’s also a little uncomfortable.While the ther...
Source: World of Psychology - September 11, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: General Health-related Personal Treatment back pain Immune System Low back pain Lymph Lymph node Lymphatic system Massage Physical Therapy shiatsu Source Type: blogs
A Closer Look at Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Diabetes
When I first heard about carpal tunnel syndrome, I thought it was some sort of road rage from driving through the ten-mile Carpal Tunnel under the Alps in Switzerland. But as it turns out, that's the Gotthard Tunnel. So where's the Carpal Tunnel?... (Source: Diabetes Mine)
Source: Diabetes Mine - April 28, 2016 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Wil Dubois Source Type: blogs
A Closer Look at Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Diabetes
When I first heard about carpal tunnel syndrome, I thought it was some sort of road rage from driving through the ten-mile Carpal Tunnel under the Alps in Switzerland. But as it turns out, that's the Gotthard Tunnel. So where's the Carpal Tunnel? ... (Source: Diabetes Mine)
Source: Diabetes Mine - April 28, 2016 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Wil Dubois Source Type: blogs
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Diabetes: The 411
Complications of diabetes are not something anyone likes to think about, but here at the 'Mine, we believe knowledge is power. That's why we started our "411 info series" on a variety of complications a couple of years ago.Believe it or not, carpa... (Source: Diabetes Mine)
Source: Diabetes Mine - April 26, 2016 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Wil Dubois Source Type: blogs
Death of EHR "Meaningul Use" imminent. (Hopefully the death of the 'National Programme for Health IT in the HHS' is imminent, too.)
I've written a number of posts on the Orwellian-named "Meaningful Use" experiment with electronic health records systems, imposed upon United States physicians by the Department of Health and Human Services through its Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).See these posts and others retrieved by query link http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/search/label/meaningful%20use:Meaningful Use Final Rule: Have the Administration and ONC Put the Cart Before the Horse on Health IT?Meaningfully Experimental Protocols and Interfaces to Nowhere? Nagging Questions On Healthcare IT RemainScience or Politi...
Source: Health Care Renewal - January 13, 2016 Category: Health Management Tags: AMA Andy Slavitt CMS James Madara meaningful use NPfIT ONC Source Type: blogs
Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 120
Just when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia…introducing Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 120
Question 1
What rheumatological condition does Rembrandt’s Scholar have?
+ Reveal the Funtabulous Answer
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Scleroderma
He has a pinched nose, tight mouth, pale face with a malar flush, his hands are puffy and the joints on his right thumbs are swollen. Could this be Scleroderma? [Reference]
Question 2
When Rac...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - October 9, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Neil Long Tags: Frivolous Friday Five collapse dentist FFFF hands Kluver-bucy syndrome melanoma pleural collapse rachmaninoff rachmaninov Rembrandt scleroderma TB teeth temporal lobe Source Type: blogs
TechTool Thursday 064 Touch Surgery
TechTool review Touch Surgery on iOS and Android
The Touch Surgery app is unlike any app I’ve seen before. It simulates surgical procedures to allow teaching and testing of students and trainees. Touch Surgery has a huge team behind it who have created surgical simulation software. The procedures and operations contained in the app are authored by different surgeons from across the world.The aim is to develop a collaborative resource consisting of best surgical practice in order to share and learns with other health professionals
Website: – iTunes – Android – Website
Design
This app is ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - September 10, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tessa Davis Tags: General Surgery Review Tech Tool android App iOs Touch Surgery Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, May 18, 2015
From MedPage Today:
Remote Monitoring, a New Paradigm for Cardiac Implanted Devices? Patients who used the remote monitoring (RM) function of their cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) had less healthcare utilization and better survival than those without RM according to a pair of studies.
Migraine, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Linked in Association Study. Migraine headache and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be associated, researchers reported, with individuals reporting one in a large federal survey having greater likelihood of also reporting the other.
Antidepressant Use on the Rise Among Patients with Dem...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 18, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Heart Neurology Psychiatry Radiology Source Type: blogs
Deanna S.
After turning 50 I started “falling apart.” I had already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and my memory was failing me, even though it had always been sharp. Arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome were increasing and causing me a lot of joint pain. The worst health issue I was experiencing was allergies to everything!
Skin sensitivity and eczema had always plagued me, but now my arms would get a pimple or bump and itch like crazy. Gas, bloating and indigestion seemed normal to me. Last October, after eating one of my favorite meals—deep-dish pizza—I cramped up so bad I couldn’t sleep. A visit to ...
Source: Renegade Neurologist - A Blog by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN - January 28, 2015 Category: Neurologists Authors: gbadmin Tags: Success hypothyroidism Joint Pain weight loss Source Type: blogs
