Answer to Case 609
Answer toParasite Case of the Week 609: Not a parasite egg.Idzi and I debated over what this is exactly but couldn ' t come up with a good answer. I like Old One ' s, Florida Fan ' s, and Sir Galahad ' s suggestion that it could be a mushroom spore. Regardless, it is too small and irregular to be aSchistosoma haematobiumegg, and it lacks the features for other parasite eggs - all good news for the patient. Sam queried if this could be a uric acid crystal, which is a good thought. However, uric acids have a slightly different appearance in my experience (see previous postsHERE).As Sheldon, Marc and Nandhu point out, w...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - October 4, 2020 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Reviewing TIME Mental Health: A New Understanding
I picked upTIME Mental Health: A New Understanding a year ago in the grocery store and slowly worked my way through it. I assumed I would race through the magazine and produce a shining review for my readers to enjoy. Then ADHD happened, which is like saying,“And then I breathed”. When I say“slowly”, I refer to the speed at which glaciers raced across the North American continent. Ultimately, I finished, which is the lesson I take away from my tortoise and hare situation. I wasn’t in competition with anybody, except, perhaps, Father Time, but I must admit that I had an assist from COVID–...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - September 19, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Depression Goodreads Suicide Source Type: blogs
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
The lowdown on the low-FODMAP diet
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal disorder that produces distressing symptoms like abdominal pain, significant bloating, and altered bowel movements that can shuttle between diarrhea and constipation.
While changing what you eat won’t cure you, an evidence-based approach called the low-FODMAP diet is the most frequently prescribed food plan to help relieve IBS symptoms. Studies show it can reduce symptoms for the majority of patients. However, because of certain challenges and risks associated with the low-FODMAP diet, it’s worth talking to an expert before you try it.
FODMAP basics
The low-FODMAP...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - July 27, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Emily Gelsomin, MLA, RD, LDN Tags: Digestive Disorders Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs
Psilocybin Alters Brain Levels Of The Neurotransmitter Glutamate — And This Could Explain Why Users Experience “Ego Dissolution”
By Emma Young
Recent therapeutic trials of “classical” psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin (from magic mushrooms) or LSD, have reported benefits to wellbeing, depression and anxiety. These effects seem to be linked to a sense of “ego dissolution” — a dissolving of the subjective boundaries between the self and the wider world. However, the neurochemistry behind this effect has been unclear. Now a new paper, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, suggests that changes in brain levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate are key to understanding reports of ego dissolution — and perhaps the therapeu...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - June 10, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Brain Drugs Mental health Source Type: blogs
The biodiversity of Lepidoptera #MothsMatter
People often talk of liking butterflies but disliking moths. Butterflies are to all intents and purposes scientifically speaking, a sub-group within the moths. Arguments about flying at night, about clubbed antennae, and regarding wing posture are moot.
There are both moths and butterflies that are diurnal and others that are nocturnal. Indeed, there is sexual dimorphism in some species, e.g. Emperor moth, which looks “like a butterfly” and the males fly during the day and the females at night.
There are examples of clubbed antennae in moths and hooked antennae in butterflies (Skippers for example, which are bo...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - May 24, 2020 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Lepidoptera Source Type: blogs
Answer to Case 586
Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 586: Mushroom spores. Not a parasite.As many of you pointed out, mushroom spores are a challenging parasite mimic, resembling hookworm eggs,Cystoisospora bellioocysts, andGiardiacysts. Fortunately, you can rule out the first two based on the small small size of these objects (20 micrometers long), whereasG. duodenaliscan be ruled out by the lack of internal structures (e.g., nuclei, axoneme, median bodies). Two other viewers initially thought there was a lateral spine present (indicatingSchistosoma mansoni) but later realized it was just an artifact.Florida Fan pointed out that I ha...
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - April 5, 2020 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: February 22, 2020
This article highlights what you can do to protect your mental health during menopause.
Can Magic Mushrooms and LSD Treat Depression and Anxiety? Scientists are Optimistic: A growing body of research supports the benefits of using psychedelic drugs for anxiety and depression, especially among treatment-resistant patients. This article highlights promising research as well as personal success stories.
Inactive Teens May Be Prone to Depression: A recent U.K. study suggests that even light walking can help sedentary teens reduce their risk for depression. Lead study author Aaron Kandola of University College London said ̶...
Source: World of Psychology - February 22, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Traci Pedersen Tags: Bipolar Depression Disorders Exercise & Fitness General Mental Health and Wellness Psychology Psychology Around the Net Research Self-Help Students Trauma Bipolar Disorder concentration difficulties LSD Magic Mushrooms Meno Source Type: blogs
With a little planning, vegan diets can be a healthful choice
Recently there has been much discussion and many questions about vegan diets. Are vegan diets — which exclude meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy — healthful? Do they provide complete nutrition? Should I try one? Will it help me lose weight?
Many people around the world eat plant-based diets for a variety of reasons, some because meat is not readily available or affordable, others because of religious convictions or concerns about animal welfare. Health has become another reason people are moving to plant-based diets. And research supports the idea that plant-based diets, including vegan diets, provide health benef...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - February 6, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katherine D. McManus, MS, RD, LDN Tags: Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: February 1, 2020
This article shares her story of recovery. (Source: World of Psychology)
Source: World of Psychology - February 1, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Traci Pedersen Tags: Anorexia Anxiety and Panic Disorders Eating Disorders General Medications Mental Health and Wellness Psychology Psychology Around the Net Research Depression gut bacteria Magic Mushrooms postpartum depression psychedelic therap Source Type: blogs
Antimicrobial Layer for Plastic Food Wrap Developed
Bacteria can take a ride and proliferate on the plastic wrap that foods are commonly packaged in. Researchers at Penn State have developed a way to bond a non-toxic transparent antimicrobial material to the ubiquitous polyethylene wrap that meats, vegetables, and mushrooms are sold in.
Raw beef inoculated with pathogens then vacuum packaged with the composite antimicrobial film, sealed and placed into refrigerated storage. The composite antimicrobial film significantly reduced foodborne pathogens on the experimentally inoculated surfaces of the raw and ready-to-eat muscle foods.
The antimicrobial layer is made of a p...
Source: Medgadget - January 23, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Materials Pathology Public Health Source Type: blogs
Top Artificial Intelligence Companies in Healthcare to Keep an Eye On
The field of medical AI is buzzing. More and more companies set the purpose to disrupt healthcare with the help of artificial intelligence. Given how fast these companies come and go, it can prove to be hard to stay up-to-date with the most promising ones. Here, I collected the biggest names currently on the market ranging from start-ups to tech giants to keep an eye on in the future.
To further help you keep up with what A.I. brings to medicine, The Medical Futurist team made an easy-to-digest e-book about just that. I highly encourage you to read it and would love to hear about your thoughts!
Artificial Intelligence has ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 21, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: berci.mesko Tags: Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Design AI digital health genetics Innovation Personalized medicine pharma GC1 big data drug development healthcare companies medical imaging Source Type: blogs
5 Powerful Ways to Stop Worrying About What Others Think
“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” ~ Lao Tzu
We carefully pick out what we wear to the gym to make sure we look good in the eyes of the other gym goers.
We beat ourselves up after meetings running through everything we said (or didn’t say), worried that coworkers will think we aren’t smart or talented enough.
We post only the best picture out of the twenty-seven selfies we took and add a flattering filter to get the most likes to prove to ourselves that we are pretty and likable.
We live in other people’s heads.
And all it does is make us judge ourselves more harshly. It m...
Source: World of Psychology - January 18, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: General LifeHelper Publishers Self-Esteem Self-Help Tiny Buddha Social Anxiety Worry Source Type: blogs
Ramen Noodles
Here’s one of the recipes from the new Revised & Expanded Edition of Wheat Belly, a recipe for a popular, but horribly unhealthy, favorite: Ramen Noodles. I grew up eating ramen noodles several times a week, since my mom was Japanese. While I don’t miss how awful I felt after eating them, I do miss some of the flavors. So here it is, a way to recreate some of those familiar flavors but, of course, with none of the health problems of wheat noodles nor the synthetic chemicals used for flavor.
The new Wheat Belly Revised & Expanded Edition has additional new recipes, more success stories, new concep...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - January 11, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open wheat belly Source Type: blogs
