Leveraging the COVID Pandemic to Advance Vapophobia
Jeffrey A. SingerThere isno link between nicotine in e ‐cigarettes and E‐cigarette of Vaping Product‐Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI). EVALI cases have been traced tovitamin E acetate, used as a solvent for THC in black market vaping products. Flavored vaping products arepreferred by adults who switch from combustible tobacco smoking to vaping. Yet none of these facts prevented a federal ban on flavored vaping products from going into effect last February. Not satisfied with a ban on flavored products, vaping opponents are now trying to leverage fear of COVID-19 infection as a mean...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - August 17, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer 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
A man in his 40s with chest pain reproducible with palpation
Written by Pendell Meyers, submitted by George KonstantinouA man in his early 40s with history of smoking and hypertension presented to the ED with substernal and right sided chest pain of 8 hours duration. The pain had first started after a stressful event and had waxed and waned several times over the 8 hours. The pain was reproducible with palpation on the right side of the chest.Here is his initial ECG:Notice the leads configuration (this ECG comes to us from Greece).There is sinus rhythm with very small STE in V2-V3. The T waves in V2-V5 are very concerning for hyperacute T waves with increased area under the curve. C...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - August 3, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
Dollarization for Lebanon
ConclusionThe US dollar is not a perfect currency. But it needn ' t be perfect to provide a vast improvement over Lebanon ' s chaotic status quo. Annual inflation of 2 percent is far better than 50 percent. A free currency market is far better than one with price controls and discriminatory rationing. Full dollarization offers the best hope for turning the lights back on in Lebanon._________________[1] This essay contains the gist of my remarks made via Zoom to an audience in Lebanon on Saturday, 18 June 2020. My thanks to Forrest Partovi and Jalal Hasbini respectively for arranging the event and for leading the discussion...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - July 30, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Lawrence H. White Source Type: blogs
The Method of Loci: How Can It Improve Your Memory?
Many people have probably heard of the method of loci, but have no idea what it is. Let me paint you a picture: it is sometime in the fifth century, BC. Simonides, a Greek poet, had just finished reciting one of his poems at a banquet when he was called outside by another guest. While he was outside, the building that the banquet was being held in suddenly collapsed, leaving all of the guests gruesomely crushed underneath. In order to properly bury the guests, their names were needed, but it was next to impossible to identify the mangled corpses. Enter: Simonides. By picturing the banquet hall in his mind, Simonides rememb...
Source: World of Psychology - July 19, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Emma Parker Tags: Memory and Perception Cognition Cognitive Psychology method of loci Mnemonic device recall Source Type: blogs
How a Simple Phrase Can Strengthen Resolve
A well-said phrase can remind us how we’re not alone in our struggles — and, perhaps, more importantly, can also inspire us to push onward. Examples range from ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light” to contemporary author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou’s “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” When facing tough times, difficult people, and challenging situations, a simple set of words such as these may keep hope alive, strengthen resolve — and help us to keep our cool.
In a Fast Company ...
Source: World of Psychology - July 3, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tracy Shawn, MA Tags: Motivation and Inspiration Psychology Resilience Source Type: blogs
Phosphorus: Glowing, Flammable, and Essential to Our Cells
Of the 118 known elements, scientists believe that 25 are essential for human biology. Four of these (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon) make up a whopping 96 percent of our bodies. The other 21 elements, though needed in smaller quantities, perform fascinating and vital functions. Phosphorus is one such element. It has diverse uses outside of biology. For example, it can fuel festive Fourth of July fireworks! Inside our bodies, it’s crucial for a wide range of cell functions.
Phosphorus plays a vital role in life as part of DNA’s backbone. Red phosphorus helps ignite matches, and white phosphorus glows i...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 1, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Cellular Processes DNA Source Type: blogs
RSC ’s FTO AUMF: LOL!
Gene HealyIn these increasingly grim Days of Rage and COVID, you have to take your laughs where you can find them, sometimes from unusual sources. It has come to my attention that the Republican Study Committee —the nearly 150‐strong caucus of House conservatives—recently released a comprehensive national security strategy entitled,“Strengthening America& Countering Global Threats.” The “product of over 1.5 years of policy development,” this 120‐page manifesto is “a conservative, solutions‐oriented plan” that “advances the interests of the American people at home and abroad,”acco...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - June 25, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Gene Healy Source Type: blogs
Helium: An Abundant History and a Shortage Threatening Scientific Tools
Most of us know helium as the gas that makes balloons float, but the second element on the periodic table does much more than that. Helium pressurizes the fuel tanks in rockets, helps test space suits for leaks, and is important in producing components of electronic devices. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines that take images of our internal organs can’t function without helium. And neither can nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers that researchers use to determine the structures of proteins—information that’s important in the development of medications and other uses.
Helium’s many uses i...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - May 27, 2020 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques Cool Tools/Techniques Scientific Process Source Type: blogs
It ’s Not About Tradeoffs
By MICHEL ACCAD
It is tempting to oppose the harmful effects of COVID-related lockdown orders with arguments couched in terms of trade-offs.
We may contend that when public authorities promote the benefits of “flattening the curve,” they fail to properly take into account the actual costs of imposing business closures and of forced social distancing: The coming economic depression will lead to mass unemployment, rising poverty, suicides, domestic abuse, alcoholism, and myriad other potential causes of death and suffering which could be considerably worse than the harms of the pandemic itself, especially...
Source: The Health Care Blog - May 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Christina Liu Tags: COVID-19 Health Policy Economics MICHEL ACCAD Source Type: blogs
Sunday Sermonette: A plague upon your house!
Today ' s excerpt is fairly short, which gives me an opportunity to say something about the origin of the Tanakh, and particularly the Torah/Pentateuch. The Torah is thought to have first been compiled around 600 BC, or perhaps considerably later. However, no documents anywhere near that old have survived. The text which is the basis of all modern Torahs and Christian Bibles is the so-called Masoretic text, which dates to around 600 AD but the oldest extant copies were made in the 9th Century. A somewhat older source is a Greek translation called the Septuagint, which differs in some mostly minor ways. The so-called Dead S...
Source: Stayin' Alive - May 10, 2020 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Preserving Patient Dignity (Formerly Patient Modesty) Volume 111
Discussion Blog)
Source: Bioethics Discussion Blog - May 8, 2020 Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: blogs
A Stay-at-Home Self-Analysis
I woke up a few days ago and forgave myself. For everything. It was ok to be me and every decision I had made, good or bad, was part of my upbringing, environment and genetic make-up. It’s ok that I am anxious and battle addictions. The stay at home order has enabled me to think, to analyze and to let go.
I loved my parents, but boy, were they characters. My handsome Italian father, was obsessed with his weight and being a golf pro at a club on the south side of Chicago. That was his persona, his life, his true love. Playing golf, schmoozing and interacting with people who had a lot more money than he ever would have. Th...
Source: World of Psychology - May 8, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Felicia Carparelli Tags: Abuse Addiction Anger Inspiration & Hope Personal Recovery Addiction Recovery Anger Management coronavirus COVID-19 Divorce Forgiveness pandemic Personal Growth Self-reflection Substance Abuse Source Type: blogs
Strategies to foster meaningful connection during telemedicine visits
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health care, with telemedicine emerging as a strategy to reduce risk exposures for patients and clinicians. Originating from the Greek root t ēle-, tēl-, tēle meaning “far off, afar, at or to a distance,” telemedicine encompasses virtual clinical services. Video visits, in particular, can be effective for many types of clinical care and offer convenience […]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 - April 28, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/megha-shankar-meredith-fischer-cati-g-brown-johnson-nadia-safaeinili-marie-c-haverfield-jonathan-g-shaw-sonoo-thadaney-israni-abraham-verghese-donna-m-zulman" rel="tag" > Megha Tags: Physician COVID-19 coronavirus Infectious Disease Mobile health Source Type: blogs
6 self-care steps for a pandemic — always important, now essential
Airline attendants say it well: if the plane hits turbulence and the oxygen masks come down, place a mask on yourself first before turning to help others. This is absolutely critical. If we don’t, we may not be able to help anyone.
Well, we’ve all hit the same turbulence, folks, and we all need to take good care of ourselves, our bodies, and our minds.
Healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic absolutely have to be functioning well in order to do their jobs well. At such a stressful time, with so much change and uncertainty, combined with the pressures of patient care during this pandemic, it ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 16, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Healthy Eating Mental Health Source Type: blogs
