Streptomyces – the smell of life
The Mall in Central Park, New York City in late autumn on a rainy day
Did you know that humans can detect the smell of wet soil 200,000 times better than sharks sense blood? [1] It appears our olfactory abilities are not that bad after all, at least when it comes to finding potential sources of food. Petrichor, the term to describe the scent was coined in 1964, by scientists I. Bear and R.G. Thomas, meaning “petros” – stone and “ichor” – the blood of the gods [2] in Greek.
Divine or not, Streptomyces is a genus of over 800 bacterial species and subspecies responsible for the eart...
Source: GIDEON blog - September 15, 2020 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kristina Symes Tags: Epidemiology Microbiology News Source Type: blogs
Sunscreens: The balancing act between safety and cancer prevention
That ’s the question that will be on the minds of many as the Food and Drug Administration releases a second study on the absorption of sunscreens. The reality is that answering the “safe” question is becoming more complicated—and more important as well, given the fact that so many of us use sunscreens as part of our own sun safety efforts, […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 12, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/j-leonard-lichtenfeld" rel="tag" > J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Conditions Dermatology Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs
Wearable Ozone Therapy Device for Chronic Wound Treatment
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a wearable device that can administer antibacterial ozone gas to chronic wounds to help disinfect them. The technology could allow people to disinfect chronic wounds at home, and would be helpful in cases where wounds have been colonized by drug-resistant bacteria and aren’t responding to antibiotic therapy.
Approximately 6 million patients in the U.S. have a chronic wound. This includes many patients with diabetes who develop foot ulcers. These wounds can have a significant impact on quality of life, mobility, and the ability to work. In many cases, chronic wounds can...
Source: Medgadget - September 8, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Plastic Surgery Vascular Surgery Source Type: blogs
2 tales of physician assistant burnout
For the first 12 years as a physician assistant, I thought provider burnout only happened to wusses, those better suited to working in health insurance or doctoring at a summer camp. Sure, I felt overwhelmed at times, but I planned to soldier on in clinical practice, happily serving my patients until retirement. That was before. […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 3, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/hope-cook" rel="tag" > Hope Cook, PA-C < /a > < /span > Tags: Conditions Dermatology Practice Management Source Type: blogs
Does diet really matter when it comes to adult acne?
When I was a teenager, the advice I got about acne was clear and consistent:
Avoid oily foods and chocolate because they trigger breakouts and make existing acne worse
Wash your face often
Try a topical, over-the-counter remedy such as those containing benzoyl peroxide (Clearasil) or salicylic acid (Stridex).
By the time I got to medical school, the message had changed. I learned that the diet-acne connection was considered a myth, and that what we eat has little to do with making acne better or worse.
But a new study has once again turned the tables. It suggests that diet might contribute to acne — at least in adults....
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 19, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Healthy Eating Skin and Hair Care Source Type: blogs
Cardiac complications of psoriasis
(Source: Notes from Dr. RW)
Source: Notes from Dr. RW - August 12, 2020 Category: Internal Medicine Tags: cardiovascular dermatology Source Type: blogs
Thyroid acropachy: an unusual complication of Graves disease
(Source: Notes from Dr. RW)
Source: Notes from Dr. RW - August 12, 2020 Category: Internal Medicine Tags: allergy and immunology dermatology endocrinology Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, August 10th 2020
This study aimed to characterize the role of BDNF in age-related microglial activation. Initially, we found that degrees of microglial activation were especially evident in the substantia nigra (SN) across different brain regions of aged mice. The levels of BDNF and TrkB in microglia decreased with age and negatively correlated with their activation statuses in mice during aging. Interestingly, aging-related microglial activation could be reversed by chronic, subcutaneous perfusion of BDNF. Peripheral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection-induced microglial activation could be reduced by local supplement of BDNF, while shTrkB...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 9, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Be vigilant about bug spray
Ticks and mosquitoes don’t care about COVID-19 safety protocols. They don’t care that people are trying to squeeze out the last moments of this restrictive summer by getting outdoors, hiking, or just sitting on their decks at night and feeling something that’s close to normal.
COVID-19 has commanded our attention and caused people to adapt their behaviors to prevent one major health concern, but it doesn’t mean others have been eliminated. “Masks and social distancing will do nothing to protect you from what ticks and mosquitoes potentially carry,” says Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases and vice...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 7, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Steve Calechman Tags: Autoimmune diseases Prevention Safety Source Type: blogs
Quality Virtual Care Is Within Reach – But Only If We Act Now
By JULIA HU
Though it will be impossible to overstate the devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic is leaving in its wake, we can also acknowledge that it has pushed humanity to creatively adapt to our new, socially-distanced reality—necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. Telehealth is not a new invention, but the necessity of keeping people physically apart, especially those particularly vulnerable to COVID, has suddenly put virtual health care at the center of our delivery system.
Patients and providers quickly pivoted to at-home care as in-person visits were limited for safety, and use of telehea...
Source: The Health Care Blog - August 4, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Christina Liu Tags: Health Tech Health Technology Julia Hu Lark health virtual care Source Type: blogs
MicroRNA miR-218-5p in Follicle Regeneration for Hair Regrowth
As a general rule, people care too much about their hair and too little about their blood vessels. One can live without hair. It is interesting to see both (a) just how much work goes into the regeneration of lost hair, and (b) just how little is known of the fine details by which the capacity to grow hair fades with age. It is this lack of knowledge that leads to the present state of uncertain and largely ineffective interventions for hair growth. No-one is entirely sure as to where the root of the problem lies, or where the most effective points of intervention might be. A great deal of exploration takes place, but succe...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 4, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
A Law and Economics Perspective on Dermatological Disease
Brian S. Haney, A Law and Economics Perspective on Dermatological Disease, SSRN: The human population is infested with dermatological diseases. For example, at a global scale, 95% of people are infected with the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and 90% of... (Source: HealthLawProf Blog)
Source: HealthLawProf Blog - July 31, 2020 Category: Medical Law Authors: Katharine Van Tassel Source Type: blogs
Can appealing to teenagers ’ vanity improve sun-protective behaviors?
As the summer warmth lures us outside, parents may be struggling to get their teenagers to follow sun protection guidelines. It can be challenging to catch the attention of younger people, for whom health concerns such as skin cancer feel like a lifetime away. One promising strategy for educating teens about sun-protective behavior is to appeal to their vanity and meet them where they are — on their smartphones.
Mobile app reveals possible effects of UV exposure
A recent study in JAMA Dermatology looked at the impact of using a face-aging mobile application on sun-protective behaviors in a group of Brazilian high school ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - July 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Shinjita Das, MD Tags: Cancer Skin and Hair Care Source Type: blogs
A medical student walks out of a class. The silence that follows is what hurts most.
As a medical student, I was finally starting my clinical rotations, a time of great anticipation and celebration among medical students and their families. After two years of book learning, I was going to be called“doctor” and wear my short white doctor’s coat. I was thrilled! As we gathered in the lecture hall, and […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 28, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/robyn-alley-hay" rel="tag" > Robyn Alley-Hay, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Education Dermatology Medical school Source Type: blogs
Synthetic Melanin Protects from Radiation Damage
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new biomaterial, selenomelanin, that can help protect people from radiation. The new substance, chemically synthesized and produced by bacteria, helps protect cells from radiation more effectively than other forms of melanin. One day, it may be used in sunscreens, medical treatments, or for long-term spaceflight as a radioprotective material.
In medical imaging, air travel, and space travel, there is often unwanted exposure to radiation. Traditional radioprotective materials such as lead are heavy, making transportation and use difficult and in many cases unfea...
Source: Medgadget - July 14, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Siavash Parkhideh Tags: Cardiac Surgery Dentistry Dermatology Materials Nuclear Medicine Oncology Orthopedic Surgery Public Health Radiation Oncology Radiology Space Medicine Source Type: blogs
