Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/gg8g4VpAhi4   Ongoing Chinese trial of two anti-HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir,  An NIH team led by University of Nebraska is slated to begin clinical testing of an antiviral drug remdesivir on covid19 infected patients.  This drug, developed for Ebola, has shown activity against coronavirus.  Chinese studies will also use this drug.   https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30079-5/fulltext   #covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JhQ4qo4s5cE   Moderna Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA has shipped first batches of its CoVid19 vaccine to be used for clinical testing in April.  This vaccine was developed using a cutting edge genetic method employing messengerRNA that codes for Coronavirus proteins.  The mRNA triggers lymph node production of immune cells that attack the virus.  It will require a year of trials and testing before we have a usable vaccine. Other vaccines are in development: Novavax using spike protein as antigen; Sanofi Pasteur with work with US government; Takes and Evvivax in Italy.   https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30079-5/fulltext   #covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic #vaccine  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/0b73wWtxkJo One case report of viral transfer from an asymptomatic carrier in China.  Five family members contracted the disease from a a person who had been in Wuhan. Case series from Wuhan: 710 total with disease; 7.3% critically ill: 2/3s men; non-survivors were older, had other illness. Larger  case series just in from Wuhan: total of  44, 672 confirmed cases: 81% were mild,  14% were severe, 5% critical; overall case fatality rate of 2.3%; almost twice as high in men;  none among those with mild cases but 49% among those in critical condition; 0.2% 0-40 years, 1.3% in 50s, 3.6% in 60s, 8% in 70s, and 14.8% 80+; first recognition of CoVid19 cases on 12/31/2019, epidemic peaked January 23-26, 2019 Rate of Chinese CoVid incidence is diminishing. (graph)   https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30079-5/fulltext https://bit.ly/2Tan9mm https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/world/asia/coronavirus-treament-recovery.html   #covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ll7Qe3Mp8Vw Published on 2/26/2020 and data not updated since 2/21/2020: Total confirmed cases: 60 Travel-related: 12 Person-To-Person: 2 Community: 1 Repatriated US Citizens From China: 3 From Diamond Princess Cruise Ship: 42 Total Tested: 445   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/   #covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemic #cdc

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/6r9TeuoT8rA   Bloomberg News:  As of 2/28/2020, 8:40 AM Worldwide cases: 83,810; Worldwide Deaths.: 2870. Latest country by country from coronavirus.video: China: Cases: 78824 Deaths: 2788. S. Korea: Cases: 2022 Deaths: 13. Italy: Cases: 655 Deaths: 17. Iran: Cases: 245 Deaths: 21. Japan: Cases: 214 Deaths: 4.   #covid19 #coronavirus #epidemic #pandemi   https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-wuhan-novel-coronavirus-outbreak/ https://www.coronavirus.video/country-stats.php  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zIBhW8YLjwg   Broccoli and its cruciferous vegetable cousins can inactivate a gene that cancers use to overwhelm our immune systems and our bodies.  This latest finding comes from Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center’s Cancer Research Institute.   We know that eating broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, Brussel sprouts, and kale seems to reduce the risk of cancer.  The Harvard researchers report that a tiny molecule in these vegetables, indole 3 carbinol or I3C, blocks one gene, WWP1, and releases a second gene, PTEN that is a potent human cancer cell suppressor.  By this round about mechanism, these veggies metabolically disable tumor cells.   So all we have so do is eat some broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage to cure cancer.  No so fast.  Only tiny amounts of the magic I3C are in the usual servings of these vegetables, so you’d have to consume whopping quantities to consistently have an effect.     Nonetheless, eating them regularly is beneficial while resear

  Vidcast:  ttps://youtu.be/a53grYTtFQc   Eating walnuts instead of other sources of fat in a diet can lower your blood pressure.  This conclusion comes from a study of 45 overweight or obese subjects by nutritionists at Penn State just published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.   The investigation found that eating walnuts to replace at least 5 percent of the typical 12 percent saturated fat that most Americans consume significantly lowered the body’s central diastolic or resting blood pressure. A normal diastolic pressure level is key for preventing heart disease and stroke.  The walnuts did not lower either systolic blood pressure or arterial stiffness.   The next time you’re looking for a heart healthy snack, skip the potato chips and reach instead for the can of walnuts.  For an even greater effect, replace those french fries you know you always order with walnuts and green beans.  Your heart and circulation will be glad you did.   Alyssa M. Tindall, Kristina S. Petersen, Ann C. Skulas‐R

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/DwKbPzuxesE   A Mayo Clinic study shows that many breast cancers may be safely and completely removed without sacrificing the overlying skin and nipple.  This study is being presented to the American Society of Breast Surgeons annual meeting this month.   The study looked at skin and nipple-sparing mastectomies in 769 women undergoing a total of 1300 surgeries.  At one year following surgery, the technique was considered a success in 97% of cases both in terms of cancer eradication and breast reconstruction.   Longer-term followup data will be necessary to determine whether or not skin- and nipple- sparing will become the norm.  Even at this point, though, this information from Mayo suggests that such conservative surgery should be considered an option for many women.   Mayo Clinic. "Less-invasive mastectomy safe for more breast cancer patients." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 May 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190502143507.htm.   #mastectomy #skinsparing #breastcancer

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/oDDhKCrVM7E   If you’re looking to suppress your hunger without “pigging out” and bumping up your daily calorie count, try substituting avocados for carbs in your diet.  Nutrition scientists at the Illinois Institute of Technology studied some 31 overweight and obese subjects and modified their diets.   They replaced carbohydrate calories with fat calories from avocados on a calorie-for-calorie basis.  They used either whole avocados or half avocados to create dose-response data.   The final results demonstrated that avocados can suppress hunger and increase the hormones typically released when a person feels full.  The fats and fiber contained in avocados are healthy additions to anyone's diet, and this soft fruit is a useful weapon in the battle against obesity and diabetes.   Lanjun Zhu, Yancui Huang, Indika Edirisinghe, Eunyoung Park, Britt Burton-Freeman. Using the Avocado to Test the Satiety Effects of a Fat-Fiber Combination in Place of Carbohydrate Energy in a Breakfast Me

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/W3W5E-7jIng   Ok college students!  Looking to bump up your GPA?  Get yourself signed up for intramural sports ASAP!   A study of some 1800 Michigan State University freshmen revealed that those playing intramural sports earned a GPA average of 3.25 compared with the 3.07 GPA earned by the couch potatoes.  In addition, the data revealed that the athletes were less likely to drop of fail a course and were 40% more likely to advance and become sophomores during their second year at MSU.  The students in each group were matched by high school GPA, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and legacy status.   Lest you think that more extracurriculars were better, the study reported that between 4 to 6 was the ideal number.   Kerri L. Vasold, Lauren E. Kosowski, James M. Pivarnik. Academic Success and 1 Year of Intramural Sports Participation by Freshmen Students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 2019; 152102511983300 DOI: 10.1177/1521025119833000   #intr

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wZQQnmJFsVg   Meditation is designed to relax you, but a new study from University College London finds that one in every four persons who regularly meditates experiences a decidedly unpleasant experience on a regular basis. The investigators surveyed more than 1200 persons who had regularly meditated for at least 2 months.   The unpleasant experiences included anxiety, fear, distorted emotions or thoughts, and an altered sense of self or the world.  Those most likely to have negative meditation experiences were those subjects who had been at a meditation retreat, those practicing deconstructive meditation, and those without deep religious beliefs.  Bad meditation trips were slightly more likely for men than women.   Meditation can have very positive effects.  Just be aware, though, that it may trigger negative sensations so buyer beware!   Marco Schlosser, Terje Sparby, Sebastjan Vörös, Rebecca Jones, Natalie L. Marchant. Unpleasant meditation-related experiences in regular meditat

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/yh5X7CmCtIo   Here’s a quickie exercise routine that can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart attack, boost your fitness, and sharpen your brainpower.  The best part is that there is no weight lifting, jogging, or sweating involved.   Integrative physiologists at the University of Colorado reported to the recent Experimental Biology scientific meeting that exercising your muscles of breathing just 5 minutes a day with an inhalation device that can vary the resistance you breathe against has all of these beneficial effects.   Inhalation exercise devices are available on Amazon for $30 to $50.  You may want to try using this so-called Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) using your blood pressure and level of fitness for aerobic exercise as outcome measures to see how it is working for you.   Buffing up your respiratory muscles is a wonderful idea, but it is no substitute for consistent, aerobic exercise.  I highly recommend stationary recumbent cycling as a f

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NtEvwL4EC2A   Tired of shelling out 3 bucks for that Starbucks Latte?  You might just derive some of the same emotional and psychological effect by looking at a picture of it.   Management researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Management School studied responses to seeing even glimpses of coffee-related images.  Called priming, such images caused the subjects to think more precisely and to sense a shorter than actual time scale loosely mimicking the effects of caffeine.   The effect was definitely stronger in Westerners for whom coffee has a strong tradition than it was for those accustomed to Eastern culture and drinking tea.     This priming effect apparently also works for fast food logos.  Seeing them prevented viewers from relaxing and enjoying a pleasurable experience.   Eugene Y. Chan, Sam J. Maglio. Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal. Consciousness and Cognition, 2019; 70: 57 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.02.007   #coffee #caffeine #priming

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nabOsHgxA2o   Using whitening strips to wipe away those coffee and nicotine stains from your dental enamel makes your teeth sparkle.  But…..the chemical reactions that occur beneath the surface could trigger a time bomb.     This warning comes from biochemical studies at New Jersey’s Stockton University that were presented last week to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.   All commercial whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide.  After it whitens the surface enamel, the peroxide penetrates deeper into the protein-rich dentin layer that makes up most of your tooth.  These new studies show the that hydrogen peroxide fragments the dentin collagen explaining why previous studies detected a diminution in the total amount of dentin collagen present.  The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the whitening strips is sufficient to totally destroy the dentin collagen.   There are no studies to indicate whether dentin collagen can regenerate.  Until such informati

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/GJhARotY-eA   The drugs in question are those that make men’s urine flow and their hair grow.  Many men take finasteride, better known as Proscar and Propecia, to shrink their prostates to improve urine flow and others take the same medicine help hair grow on their scalps.     A new study from Scotland’s University of Edinburgh reveals that this drug and its cousin dutasteride (Avodart), technically known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, can make the body less sensitive to insulin and induce type 2 diabetes.   The investigators reviewed health records from 55,000 men in the UK each of whom been taking these drugs over an 11 year period.  They discovered that this drug increases a man’s chances of developing diabetes by about 33%.   Finasteride and dutasteride are effective and popular.  Experts agree that these medications may be continued, but they add the sound medical advice that dictates close followup and surveillance of the users carbohydrate handling capabilities.  In simple

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NwKq2m-UO5g   Walnuts can suppress the expression of genes in breast cancers.  In so doing, the nuts may be able stop breast cancer from growing locally and and spreading.   Oncologist researchers from Marshall University just published a study in the journal Nutrition Research that conclusively demonstrates in both women with breast cancer and in a mouse model injected with human breast cancer cells that consuming walnuts daily throws a logjam into the tumor cells’ metabolism.  The human subjects ate 2 ounces of walnuts for 2-3 weeks between their diagnostic biopsies and definitive surgery.  The mice consumed an equivalent amount.     The results show that walnuts affect the expression of some 456 breast cancer cell genes that in turn inhibit cell proliferation, reduce cell vitality, and promote cell destruction.  Studies are now underway enrolling larger groups of patients to prove that walnuts and their anti-oxidative prowess can indeed stop breast cancers in their tracks and p

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NPBkkWqpwwI   Pregnant women with long work commutes may are more likely to experience a slow fetal growth rate and to deliver a low birth weight baby.  Health economists at Lehigh University drew this conclusion from New Jersey birth records and information about the lengths of the  associated maternal commutes.   Each 10 miles of commuting distance over a 50 mile threshold increased the probability of intrauterine growth restriction by 43% and the probability of a low birth weight infant by 14%.  The increased risk was calculated using control mothers with a 10 mile or less commute.   So women commuting 80 miles a day would have a 42% higher risk of giving birth to a low birth weight infant.     The researchers found that the adverse affects on the fetus occur due to commute-induced chronic maternal stress and, of even more importance, less prenatal care due to limited time.   Many of the women with long commutes had delayed prenatal care or none at all.   This information sugge

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zwMQ2lSmOYI   Contigo has voluntarily recalled its kids cleanable water bottle.  The clear silicone spout on the bottle may detach and create a choking hazard.  Stop using this product and call the company at 1-888-262-0622   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/contigo-reannounces-recall-of-5-7-million-kids-water-bottles-due-to-choking-hazard   #recall #contigo #waterbottle #choking  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/jpybQ3Mv85A   Fatalities associated with infants sleeping inclined has led to recall of all such devices that facilitate inclined sleeping.  This is one of them.   Parents should stop using the inclined sleeper accessory and contact the company for a refund or gift voucher.  Go on www.kolcraft.com or call 1-800-453-7673.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/kolcraft-recalls-inclined-sleeper-accessory-included-with-cuddle-n-care-and-preferred   #recall #kolcraft #bassinet #inclinesleeper  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/m5ov84m4rOw   This holster has a design flaw that allows the safety latch on the weapon to be accidentally disabled.  The weapon can then fire indiscriminately with disaster outs results.     This holster is designed to carry the Browning 1911-380 and 1911-22 pistols.   Stop using this holster and call the company at 1-800-945-5372 to obtain a replacement.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/browning-recalls-pistol-holsters-due-to-injury-hazard   #recall #browning #holster #pistol