Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/PzA8TI7x0xc   A new CoVid antibody test is better able to detect antibodies that actually can protect you from the virus.  University of North Carolina researchers now announce this test and its benefits in the journal Science Immunology.   Most commercially available CoVid antibody tests measure antibodies to the nucleocapsid or N antigens, while this test measures spike protein antibodies, the receptor-binding-domain, or RBD.  These antibodies neutralize CoVid by spike protein cell attachment and viral entry and are the ones that vaccines must trigger.   This RBD antibody test, particularly if routinely used to report numeric levels of anti-CoVid antibodies, should finally tell us if an individual is CoVid immune.   https://immunology.sciencemag.org/content/5/48/eabc8413   #covid #covid #spikeprotein #nucleocapsid #vaccine  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/rRP7CxfS7XM   Administration of common vaccines are associated with lower CoVid infection rates.  Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report this observation after their study of immunization records of some 137,000 individuals.   Their data show that immunizations with the commonly used vaccines including polio, HIB, pneumococcal, influenza, and hepatitis are associated with lower risks of CoVid for up to 5 years.  HIB vaccine reduces the risk by 47%, polio vaccine cuts it by 43%, pneumovax by 38%, flu vaccines by 36%, and hepatitis vaccines by 20%.   The study isn’t perfect, and CoVid prevention is not the best reason for receiving these vaccines.  It is is yet another incentive for getting indicated vaccinations on a timely basis.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.27.20161976v1.full.pdf   #covid #vaccines covid, vaccines

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/71h3KlD0Y0c   Wearing a face mask does not prompt people to omit physical distancing or hand washing.  This the conclusion of a British investigation that reviewed 22 studies.   Six studies of more than 2,000 households show in the aggregate that those wearing masks are not more likely to aggregate in large crowded groups or dispense with commonsense hand washing.  Three studies actually showed that people tend to move away from those with masks thereby maintaining distancing.  Six studies showed mask wearing fails to negatively impact hand sanitizing.   Wearing a mask, distancing, and washing are the three keys to stopping CoVid and getting back to normal living.  MDW!   https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2913   #covid #masks #distancing #washing  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zYzhxGwPRYU   The way to fight CoVid while ensuring your health and happiness and that of your loved ones is to VOTE and compel anyone you know to VOTE.  That vote must go to those who can responsibly manage us out of this pandemic both in terms of public health and economics.   Most advanced nations achieved these goals, but we Americans have failed miserably.  More than 150,000 of our friends and family have died.  We need a change at the top, and for the next 3 months I will suspend these reports and use all my energy to make it happen.   In this CoVid emergency, the first responder is YOU, the voter.    #covid #voting #politics #publichealth  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/E81hPNLni9k   Wolfing down those beers and donuts under the age of 40 can increase your risk of mid-life cancer by as much as 70%.  That conclusion and others from a large European study was just published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.   Data from 220,000 subjects showed that overweight women had a 70% greater risk of uterine cancer and overweight men a 58% higher risk of kidney cancer but also a 29 percent greater risk of colon cancer.     Moderate your eating throughout life to keep medical disasters like cancer, heart disease, and stroke from your door.  Overindulgence when you’re young can not be undone.   Tone Bjørge, Christel Häggström, Sara Ghaderi, Gabriele Nagel, Jonas Manjer, Steinar Tretli, Hanno Ulmer, Sophia Harlid, Ann H Rosendahl, Alois Lang, Pär Stattin, Tanja Stocks, Anders Engeland. BMI and weight changes and risk of obesity-related cancers: a pooled European cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyz188   #Ove

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/41B3FV_b1V4   Competitive electronic gamers risk eye, neck and back, wrist, and hand overuse disorders.  E-Sports medicine investigators at the New York Institute of Technology review current knowledge about the risks.   Esport athletes practice upwards of 10 hours a day.  Their eyes and hands make more than 10 moves a second.     Some 56% of gamers develop blurry vision, low back pain, and muscle tension headaches.  Pain in the hand and wrist due to carpal tunnel inflammation and tendinitis develop in 30% of pro players.   Professional gaming and the devices used for practice and play must limit the frequency and duration of sitting, gazing, and hand motions.  Otherwise, players will face disability retirements at very young ages.   Hallie Zwibel, Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Amanda DeFeo, Sheldon Yao. An Osteopathic Physician's Approach to the Esports Athlete. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2019; 119 (11): 756 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.125   #Egaming #blurryvi

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lBODKtNNKqM   A happy tune is THE secret to unmasking solutions to your dilemmas as you get some ZZZs.  This remarkable discovery comes to us from Northwestern University psychologists.   Investigators tested 57 subjects presenting them with tricky puzzles the evening before sleep. Each puzzle was accompanied by a unique sound.  Then, as they slept, they heard the unique sounds of half the brain teasers.  The next morning, the participants were able to solve those puzzles whose sounds they heard while sleeping some 55% more efficiently.   If you have an nagging issue, try associating a tune with it.  Then play the song at low levels as you sleep.  You might just wake up with a brighter idea.   Kristin E. G. Sanders, Samuel Osburn, Ken A. Paller, etal.  Targeted Memory Reactivation During Sleep Improves Next-Day Problem Solving.  Psychological Science, 10/19; https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619873344   #Sleep #problemsolving #creativity  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/m6M2lU9hcs8   A full 80% of child and family social workers would consider it parental neglect if a child under the age of 10 is left home alone.   Most considered it criminal neglect if a child under 12 left alone becomes injured.     University of Iowa researchers report this conclusion after polling 485 pediatric social workers.  They remind us that more than 40% of pediatric injury-driven deaths are due to lack of adult supervision   Given these standards, the “Home Alone” parents would likely face criminal charges for accidentally leaving little Kevin behind.  He might even end up in a foster home if the relentless but inept home invaders actually harmed him.   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025075904.htm   #Homealone #parenting  #neglect  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/gFWiaBxLy2k   Adding just one hour of TV or cell use each day bumps teen sugar and caffeine intake beyond World Health Organization guidelines.  Pediatricians at Canada’s McMaster University studied more than 32,000 US students from 8th through 10th grade.   The additional hour of TV bumped the risk of exceeding WHO sugar guidelines by 32% and caffeine guidelines by 28%.  The hour of cell use raised the risk of exceeding both sugar and caffeine limits by 14%.   Watching TV or talking on the cell distracts teens from what they put into their mouths.  Replace the soda and snacks on the side table with abundant ice cold water and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.   Kelly M. Bradbury, Ofir Turel, Katherine M. Morrison. Electronic device use and beverage related sugar and caffeine intake in US adolescents. PLOS ONE, 2019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223912   #TV #Cellphone #snacks #sugar #caffeine  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Xf9BlYSw2zM   Breast milk is the best milk for your baby.  If you supplement your own with some from a friend, neighbor, or a co-op, you could be dangerously exposing your child to viruses, disease, dangerous drugs, or inappropriate medications.   Researchers at New York’s Northwell Children’s Medical Center surveyed 650 mothers.  Half of them had no concerns about the safety of informally donated breast milk, and 80% of those who did give it to their babies never medically screened the donors.   Mothers needing supplemental breast milk can obtain it from registered milk banks that do screen donors carefully. Failing that, formula is second best, but using it will not sicken or poison your infant.   https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Informal-Sharing-of-Breast-Milk-Gains-Popularity-Among-Women-Despite-Safety-Risks.aspx    https://www.northwell.edu/news/banking-the-benefits-of-breast-milk   #Breastfeeding #milkbanks #breastmilk #crowdsourcing  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/fCEfcgUYoww   Nearly 4 extra years of education cuts a risk of alcohol dependence by 50%.  National Institutes of Health investigators draw this conclusion from their study of 780,000 participants.   The genetic markers linked to more education were not associated with less alcohol consumption but rather with less binge drinking, fewer memory gaps due to drinking, fewer drinks on average per drinking day, and a lower weekly intake of beer or hard cider.  Added education did link to more alcohol with meals and more wine consumption.   Our politicians now talk about extending public education to include 4 years of college or vocational training.  One benefit of these additional years after high school may be fewer Americans with alcohol addiction.   Rosoff et al. Educational attainment impacts drinking behaviors and risk for alcohol dependence: results from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study with ~780,000 participants. Molecular Psychiatry, 2019 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0535-

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/jTLu0SqTsrw   If you’re pressured to answer a question, you will answer with a response designed to please the questioner even if its a lie.  UC-Santa Barbara psychologists draw this conclusion after testing a total of 3,000 participants.   Research shows that the human mind has two processing components: the higher functioning, rational section and the more instinctive, animalistic section.  Time pressure and stress spark visceral brain output which is often irrational and downright false.   We should all be aware that our human impulse to answer quickly can get us in deep trouble with our families as well as the law.  When in doubt, the 5 most important words you can use are “let me think about it!”   John Protzko, Claire M. Zedelius, Jonathan W. Schooler. Rushing to Appear Virtuous: Time Pressure Increases Socially Desirable Responding. Psychological Science, 2019; 095679761986793 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619867939   #Impulsivity #lying #stress  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ozRY5Fj2CMw   Endurance running with a resistance band connecting your shoes can increase your running efficiency by over 9%.  Mechanical engineers at UC-Santa Barbara clocked runners with and without latex surgical tubing connecting their feet.   The tubing stores kinetic energy as the legs move past one another, and that energy helps power the next cycle.  The result: shorter, quicker steps jacking up the average stride from 90 steps/min to 100.     The tubing also reduces the effort to bounce on the feet, and these band-powered runners feel light and fast.  Their average running efficiency increased about 6%.    Buy the surgical tubing online and cut it to 25% of leg length.  Then give it a try.   Cole S. Simpson, Cara G. Welker, Scott D. Uhlrich, Sean M. Sketch, Rachel W. Jackson, Scott L. Delp, Steve H. Collins, Jessica C. Selinger, Elliot W. Hawkes. Connecting the legs with a spring improves human running economy. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2019; 222 (17): jeb20289

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/p5LbkvtUu74   The harder you think, the more sleep you require.  Neuroscientists at University College London report this finding after studying sleeping patterns in zebrafish.  These marine animals are a good model since, like humans, require a daily sleep session to rejuvenate their brains.   Experimental animals were driven to continuous brain activity by drugs such as caffeine or by forced, non-stop, swimming.  When an opportunity for them to rest occurred, they demonstrated a greater need for sleep.   Now that school and work are back in full swing, we all must be certain to permit our brains sufficient time for a recharge.  That necessary rejuvenation only comes from restful, deep, and uninterrupted sleep.   Sabine Reichert, Oriol Pavón Arocas, Jason Rihel. The Neuropeptide Galanin Is Required for Homeostatic Rebound Sleep following Increased Neuronal Activity. Neuron, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.010   #Thought #sleep  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/80u3lfBHQRk   When you dine socially, you consume 48% more food than when you eat alone.  This conclusion comes from a meta-analysis of some 42 studies of group versus solo food consumption just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.   On the other hand, eating with a group of strangers did not increase food consumption. The investigators conjecture that many of us feel we must eat modestly when doing so with those we don’t know or wish to impress.   With the food fests of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/Chanukah on the horizon, be aware of what you’re putting in your mouth.  Maybe it’s best to have more coming out of your mouth in the form of stimulating conversation than going into your gut.   Helen K Ruddock, Jeffrey M Brunstrom, Lenny R Vartanian, Suzanne Higgs. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the social facilitation of eating. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019; 110 (4): 842 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz155   #Socialeating #overeating  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/YAsWf2Xaeh0   Only half of pregnant women receive the recommended flu and whooping cough vaccines say the latest CDC statistics.  The flu is a terrible risk for a pregnant woman, and pertussis is the same for her newborn.   Pregnancy makes the flu more severe, and increases the risk for hospitalization by 2.5 times.  Every year, pertussis lands up to 700 babies under the age of 2 months in the hospital struggling for their lives.   Each pregnant woman should receive the flu and the DTaP vaccines during each pregnancy.  The immunity conferred by both vaccines is passed to the developing fetus, and it is the greatest gift any mother can give to her developing child.   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/pdfs/mm6840e1-h.pdf?deliveryName=USCDC_921-DM10321   #Influenza #pertussis #pregnancy #infants  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JI5Z-3IfCwo   Regularly consuming green, oolong, or black tea at least 4 times weekly will improve your brain’s regional synchrony and your thinking skills.  A collaborative study recently published in the journal Aging looked at MRI brain imaging and neuropsychological test results as a function of tea drinking.   The imaging studies showed that regular tea drinkers had more efficient connections between various regions of their brains.  This speeds transfer of information and triggers enhanced performance on cognitive tests.   If you want to stay on the top of your intellectual game, tea makes an excellent beverage.  Previous studies have also shown that it improves your mood, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, and reduces your risk of age-related cognitive deterioration by some 50%.   Junhua Li, Rafael Romero-Garcia, John Suckling, Lei Feng. Habitual tea drinking modulates brain efficiency: evidence from brain connectivity evaluation. Aging, 2019; 11 (11): 3876 DOI: 1

  Vidcast: https://youtu.be/T4cdm4mMfgE   Deadly head and neck melanoma has increased by 51% for children and younger adults over the past 20 years.  St. Louis University oncologists raise this warning after reviewing nearly 12,500  confirmed melanoma cases documented in American and Canadian cancer registries.   Once predominately a cancer of older patients, it is now popping up increasingly often in children, adolescents, and  young adults.  White males 15 to 39 years of age are the prime targets.   We must teach out children from a young age to protect their skins.  Global warming will lead to more time outdoors and a greater need for UV radiation protection.  Stock up on your favorite sunscreen.   Bray HN, Simpson MC, Zahirsha ZS, et al. Head and Neck Melanoma Incidence Trends in the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Population of the United States and Canada, 1995-2014. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online October 03, 2019. doi:10.1001/gov/jobs   #melanoma #youngadults #sunburn  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/EjFQsAfXW2k   After my years as a camp counselor, raising 4 kids, and caring for children and their parents as a pediatric otolaryngologist for 40 years, here are my go-to principles for effective parenting.   ONE. Consistency.  Establish reasonable boundaries that create security.  Offer praise and rewards for remaining within them.  Use a carrot versus a stick.  Announce consequences for violations.  Say what you’ll do and do what you say.   TWO:: Responsibility.  Allow progressive decision-making within limited choice boundaries even for infants and toddlers.  Child refuses food.  You say, “Do you want apples or peaches?” Have a balky, uncooperative teen?  “Do you want garbage or yard duty?”   THREE: Distraction.   When the inevitable poor behaviors and disagreements arise, distract using redirection to a different activity or location and…..   FOUR: Humor.  Laughter and smiles are powerful parenting tools.  Don’t be afraid to clown around and show love in a offbeat ways.   #pa

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Cx1EWDS3Cok   Most women are counseled to try a vaginal delivery following a previous Caesarian section (VBAC).  The latest evidence from the University of Oxford questions the wisdom of that recommendation.   More than 74,000 Scottish births over a 13 year period show that a VBAC is associated with a 7 fold higher risk of a uterine rupture, a 3 fold  higher risk of surgical injury, and a two-fold higher risk of sepsis and blood transfusion.  There is also a greater risk of stillbirth, a NICU admission, and a need for neonatal resuscitation.   If you’ve had a C-section and your OB is recommending a vaginal delivery, question carefully whether that choice is right for you.   Kathryn E. Fitzpatrick, Jennifer J. Kurinczuk, Sohinee Bhattacharya, Maria A. Quigley. Planned mode of delivery after previous cesarean section and short-term maternal and perinatal outcomes: A population-based record linkage cohort study in Scotland. PLOS Medicine, 2019; 16 (9): e1002913 DOI: 10.1371/journal.p