Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/O88F5-P9pjE   The CPSC and Primark have recalled Primark 8-pack Scent Stamper Pens.  The purple scent stamper in the bundle contains elevated and unsafe levels of the organic solvent benzyl alcohol that can create skin irritations. About 9500 of these stamper pen bundles were sold at Primark stores in the northeast, Florida, and Chicago.  If you have these markers, immediately discontinue their use by you and your family.  Return the pens to your nearby Primark store for a refund.  For more information, call Primark US by phone at 1-617-946-3236 or contact them online at Primark.com.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Primark-Recalls-Scent-Stamper-Pens-Due-to-Elevated-Levels-of-Benzyl-Alcohol-Risk-of-Skin-Irritation   #primark #scentstamper #pen #benzylalcohol #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ZxT9qsK1v94   The CPSC and Ravin Crossbows have again recalled Ravin Crossbow Arrow White Nocks following up an initial 2017 recall.  What’s a nock you might ask.  Well, its a grooved  plastic collar that the crossbow arrow fits into and serves as the contact point between the crossbow string and the arrow.  It is critical for the safe transfer of kinetic energy from bow to arrow.  With these defective white nocks, it is possible that the nock will not completely engage with the bowstring.  Then, when the bow trigger is pulled, the arrow fails to discharge properly, the user may try to re-nock the arrow, and the arrow will then accidentally discharge injuring the shooter or a bystander.  About 220,000 of these nocks were sold in the US at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other retail outlets.  About 3,600 were sold in Canada.  If you bought these nocks, stop using them and contact Ravin by phone at 1-888-298-6335 to arrange for free replacement ORANGE nocks.  T

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/9QkwRbkuYa0   The CPSC and Nordstrom’s are recalling their Tucker and Tate-branded Children’s Socks.  These socks have pom poms that may detach and create a choking hazard for young children.  About 370 pairs of these socks were sold nationwide at Nordstrom stores.  If you bought these socks, immediately discontinue their use and return them to your nearest Nordstrom store or to nordstrom.com for a refund.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Nordstrom-Recalls-Childrens-Socks-Due-to-Choking-Hazard   #nordstrom #children #socks #PomPom #choking #recall  

Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/u6GfOLbHO68   PSC and Frieyss have recalled the Frieyss Infant Bath Seats.  These bath seats fail to meet federal safety requirements for both stability and leg openings and they may tip over creating a drowning hazard for infants.  About 120 were sold online at amazon.com.  If you bought one of these bath seats, discontinue its use and contact Frieyss via email at beimeiruizexin@outlook.com for instructions regarding free shipping for their return and a complete refund.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Infant-Bath-Seats-Recalled-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Imported-by-Frieyss-and-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com-Recall-Alert   #bathseat #infant #frieyss #instability #drowning #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HYGKdvDGaqI   The CPSC and John Deere announce the recall of their John Deere 4M & 4R Compact Utility Tractors.  The rear wheel spacer bolts on these tractors were torqued improperly causing a wheel to fall off and lead to the tractor overturning creating an injury hazard for the operator.   About 200 were sold.  Immediately stop using these recalled tractors and contact your authorized John Deere dealer for a free inspection and repair of the wheel mounting bolts.  For more information, reach John Deere at phone at 1-800-537-8233 or online at Deere.com.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/John-Deere-Recalls-Compact-Utility-Tractors-Due-to-Risk-of-Injury-Recall-Alert   #johndeere #tractors #wheels #overturning #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/J25VRdQyyZc   The FDA and Golden Natural Product Inc. now recall Golden Natural Product Branded Dry Apricot with bone and jumbo. These products contain undeclared sulfites.  Those with sulfite allergies may develop a serious or lief-threatening allergic reaction if they ingest the products.  These products were sold in CA, WA, and NY.  If you have these products, return them to the place of purchase for a refund.  For more information, contact Golden Natural by phone at 1-718-607-8181 or by email at akbashev@gmail.com.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/golden-natural-products-inc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-sulfites-two-dried-apricot-products   #apricots #goldennatural #sulfites #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/BEfY0HSzEGQ   The FDA and Nature’s Sunshine are recalling Nature’s Sunshine Love & Peas Protein-Rich Meal Replacement.  This product is contaminated with undeclared milk.  If ingested by a person with a milk allergy, it could trigger a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction.  If you have this product, don’t consume it.  Contact Nature’s Sunshine by phone at 1-800-223-8225 or via email at productrecall@natr.com to arrange for a refund or credit.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/natures-sunshine-issued-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-its-love-peas-meal-replacement-shake   #naturessunshine #mealreplacement #milk #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/RjfmGDQx-EY   The FDA and Je Dois L’avoir announce the recall of 365 Skinny High Intensity Pills and 365 Skinny Emergency Boutique 30 day Capsules.  These diet products contain sibutramine, a DEA controlled substance that has been determined to pose significant health risks.  If ingested, these preparations may cause seizures, rapid heart rate, palpitations, heart attacks, and allergic reactions. They are a particular danger to those with high blood pressure, thyroid disease, those over 65, or children under 16 years old.  If you have these products, return them to the place of purchase or call the company at 1-559-302-6215.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/je-dois-lavoir-boutique-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-365-skinny-high-intensity-and-365-skinny   #365skinny #sibutramine #cardiovascular #allergy #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Wg2A9fUA7F4   The CPSC and Tkala Fashion are recalling Tkala Fashion Children’s Pajamas.  These 100% cotton pajamas fail to meet federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, and they pose a risk of burn injuries to children.  About 6,000 of these pajamas were sold online at amazon.com. *2  Do not permit your children to wear these pajamas.  Contact Tkala Fashion via email at tkalafashion@163.com to arrange for return of the product and a refund.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Childrens-Pajamas-Recalled-Due-to-Violation-of-Federal-Flammability-Standard-and-Burn-Hazard-Manufactured-by-Tkala-Fashion-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com   #tkala #amazon #pajamas #flammability #fire #burn #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/eCqiFqTt-ho   The CPSC and Birkenstock USA are recalling Birkenstock Kids’ Mogami Sandals Sizes 24-28.  A plastic rivet may detach from the sandal’s ankle strap and create a choking hazard for young children.  About 15,200 pairs of these shoes were sold in the US and 27 pairs were sold in Canada.  The sandals were sold nationwide at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker and online at Birkenstock.com and Zappos.com.  Immediately take these recalled sandals away from children and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact Birkenstock USA at 1-844 505-4055 or online at Birkenstock.com.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Birkenstock-USA-Recalls-Kids-Mogami-Sandals-Due-to-Choking-Hazard   #birkenstock #children #sandals #choking #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/_Z_bU1g9mWw   The CPSC and Shein now recall Shein Branded Children’s Sleepwear Sets.  The sleepwear sets are made of 97 percent polyester and 3 percent spandex and fails to meet flammability standards for children’s sleepwear posing a risk of burn injuries.  About 2320 of these sleepwear sets were sold online at shein.com.  Do not allow your children to wear this sleepwear.  Contact Shein by phone at 1-877-245-8975 or email them at recall@shein.com to arrange for return of this sleepwear, a full refund, plus a $10 gift card.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Childrens-Sleepwear-Recalled-Due-to-Violation-of-Federal-Flammability-Standard-and-Burn-Hazard-Sold-Exclusively-by-Zoetop-Business-Co-Ltd-at-www-SHEIN-com-Recall-Alert   #shein #sleepwear #flammability #fire #burns #recall  

  xvidhttps://youtu.be/-FJnupr3n0I   The CPSC and Specialized Bicycle Components are recalling Specialized 1st Generation Turbo Levo and Kenevo electric mountain bike lithium ion battery packs.  Water may penetrate the seal around the LED control pad on these battery packs causing the battery to short circuited ignite with fire and burn hazards.   About 2500 of these battery packs were sold.  Immediately stop using the recalled electric mountain bikes and contact Specialized Bicycle by phone at 1-800-772-4423 or via email at ridercare@specialized.com for a free repair.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Specialized-Bicycle-Components-Recalls-Electric-Mountain-Bike-Battery-Packs-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Recall-Alert   #specialized #electricbike #battery #fire #burn #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/jDxGtcx1odc   The CPSC and Generac now recall Generac® and DR® 6500 Watt and 8000 Watt portable generators.  An unlocked handle on these units may pinch consumers’ fingers against the frame as the generator is moved possibly leading to finger crushing or amputation.  About 321,160 of these generators were sold in the US and 4,575 were sold in Canada.  Stop using these generators until a locking pin has been inserted to secure the handle in place before and after moving the generator.   For a more secure, permanent fix, contact Generac for a free repair kit by calling 1-844-242-3493 or online at general.com/handleguard.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Generac-Recalls-Portable-Generators-Due-to-Finger-Amputation-and-Crushing-Hazards   #generac #generator #handle #crush #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JsyaAdaVxx0   Let’s say you got a shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or even the AstraZeneca vaccine.  Can you get one of the statistically more effective mRNA vaccines such as the Moderna or Pfizer?  The answer comes from  $  Denmark where researchers reviewed the experience of some 5.5 million Danes.   The records show that 144,360 received the AstraZeneca vaccine as a first dose but then 136,551 of them received an mRNA vaccine as the second dose.  The vaccine effectiveness of this combo was 88%.  This figure is very close to the 95% vaccine efficiency figure published for 2 dose courses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and significantly higher than 66-70% figure for the full 2 dose AstraZeneca vaccination course.   What about Delta?  Data from Germany shows that the mixed vaccination regimen yields effectiveness against the Delta variant equal to a full 2 shot course of Pfizer vaccine.  There were no significant side effects.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/98w5gUNBqw8   Drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day versus 1-2 was associated with a 53% greater risk of dementia.  Australian investigators studied the coffee consumption of 398,646 persons with records in the UK Biobank that included 17,702 who also had brain MRI data.   Though heavy coffee drinkers had a high risk of dementia, those who never drank coffee also had some risk compared with moderate coffee drinkers.  Analysis of the data also showed that the 6 cup a day plus coffee drinkers also had smaller brains overall and less grey matter.  They also had a 17% increased risk of stroke.   This data reminds us once again that moderation is always the best policy.   https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2021.1945858   #coffee #dementia #stroke  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/gkpk2JdkK9M   Mini-antibodies derived from alpacas, when coupled together as triplets, can neutralize any of the CoVid variants 30,000 times better than a single antibody configuration and can be efficiently produced in huge quantities.  Molecular biologists at Germany’s Max Planck Institute report this very good news as the world faces the onslaught of the dangerous Delta variant.   These small but powerful nanobodies begin by vaccinating 3 alpacas with coronavirus spike protein.  Their resultant antibodies are tested for potency, and the very best are isolated and amplified in an industrial process.  Then, by combining 3 nanobody molecules into a therapeutic triad, the researchers produced an agent that binds so strongly to any of the CoVid variants including delta that all are effectively neutralized.   The best news: these nanobodies can be produced quickly and in huge quantities, and, when a new mutation occurs, the entire process from alpaca immunization to final product may

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/N67KnO0DKUg   When you learn during spaced sessions, you activate the same set of neurons repeatedly and that improves your recall over time.  German neurobiologists draw this surprising conclusion from their experimental studies with mice in mazes.   The classic thinking is that learning by cramming repeatedly activates the same brain circuits and facilitates retention.  Studies of frontal lobe electrical activity during maze learning showed just the opposite as neuron-firing patterns fluctuate more and retention reduces if the learning takes place without spaced sessions.  It turns out spacing such sessions with one hour intervals produced optimal retention.   Given this information and an impending exam, you might want to separate any repeated study sessions by at least an hour.   https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00914-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982221009143%3Fshowall%3Dtrue   #memory #retention #spacin

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lr-3xylsZeI   Farnesol is a form of alcohol found naturally in berries and other fruit.  In its synthetic form, farnisol is often used for food flavoring.  Neurologists at John’s Hopkins announce that this compound may prevent the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease.   For their mouse experiments, the researchers selected farnisol from a herd of other drugs known to inhibit a protein called PARIS that kills off dopamine-producing cells and leads to the neurological decline of Parkinson’s disease.  The farnisol-fed mice were better able to maintain normal neurologic function when subjected to a biochemical agent that triggers a Parkinson’s-like disease, and they maintained twice as many healthy dopamine neurons.   Human trials remain in the future.   https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/13/604/eaax8891   #farnesol #parkinsons #paris #dopamine  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/0uw1p_PfNK8   A fully vaccinated person developing Delta CoVid is 93% less likely than someone unvaccinated to require any oxygen supplementation, has a viral load that fades faster, and develops a significantly larger burst of anti-CoVid antibodies.  Singapore researchers report these findings from their study of 218 individuals with a B.1.617. or Delta CoVid infection.   The 71 vaccinated persons who developed Delta CoVid were 3 times less likely to be symptomatic, 2.5 times less likely to develop frank pneumonia, 7 times less likely to require supplemental oxygen., and 4 times less likely to require CoVid-specific ancillary therapy including antibody cocktails and cytokine suppression therapy.  Only the unvaccinated were admitted to the ICU, required intubation, or died.   Delta Covid is nasty but tame-able in the vaccinated.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.28.21261295v1.full.pdf   #CoVid #delta #vaccination  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ntN4U0O6tM8   Today’s medical discoveries that point to future therapy: A Blood Test Can Reveal Your Biological Clock Genetically Engineered Cancer Immunotherapy  A Thumb-sized Device Detects Bad Breath Spider Venom Rescues Damaged Hearts Rapid Smartphone Diagnosis of Infection     University of Colorado at Boulder physiologists announce a strategy for determining the settings of your internal biological clock, your so-called circadian rhythms, from a single blood test.  This info can help determine the best time for various therapies.  By measuring the levels of some 65 metabolites in the blood, the researchers could pinpoint volunteer’s circadian phase.  The test’s accuracy was within one hour of a gold standard melatonin analysis.   Cancers protect themselves by triggering Tregulating or Treg cells to inhibit killer T cells.  British and Italian geneticists have teamed to genetically turn off a family of enzymes called PIP4k that the Treg cells need to effective control good T