Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De42GJWuOcn/Can your brain process language and fabricate prediction when you’re unconscious? Answers come from neuroscientists at Baylor College of Medicine in studies published in the journal Nature.The scientists studied patients undergoing epilepsy surgery and recorded electrical activity from hundreds of individual neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning and memory. Using sophisticated probes, they monitored how brain cells respond to sounds and spoken stories while the patients were under general anesthesia.The results show that the brain cells of the unconscious can not only respond to musical tones, but also demonstrate improvements in distinguishing them as the experiments progressed.  When the anesthetized subjects listen to short stories, patterns of brain activity reflect different categories of words, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The signals also contain information about words likely to come next, suggesting that the brain

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De41YichHAF/The answer comes from clinical physiologists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. They followed 427 men and women born in 1958, tracking their physical performance from age 16 through age 63. Their data show that aerobic fitness and muscular endurance generally peaks between ages 26 and 36. By age 35, physical performance begins a gradual decline. By age 63, performance has fallen by approximately 30 to 48 percent. These effects are likely due to muscle cell deterioration, decline in cellular energy production, and nervous system exhaustion.But there is some encouraging news.  Those who exercise can improve their physical capacity by roughly 5 to 10 percent. The studies also show that better fitness earlier in life is associated with less arterial stiffness by age 63. Exercise does not prevent every age-related change, but it does help preserve fitness and your arterial structures.The bottom line: it’s never too late to improve your strength. Whether you’re 35,

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De40dj0MqTg/This possibility is even more likely if you are a bird. So report Penn State  biomedical physiologists reporting their studies of 12 guinea fowl in the journal Royal Society Proceedings B.In the experiments, half of the birds carried small weights on one leg during development while the other half did not. At 16 weeks, researchers measured how much energy the birds used walking with and without extra weight.Their data show that the birds unburdened with extra weights while growing up used 23% more energy when walking with an added load. Birds accustomed to the weights during development carried them as adults without using extra energy.Assuming you can translate these results to humans, physical activity during childhood and adolescence would help make movement more energy-efficient later in life. That would encourage lifelong exercise. A key caveat: carrying leg weights is not the same as typical human childhood exercise.If clinical studies with appropriate c

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4zuLEP5v8/Taiwanese researchers now report to the European Association for the Study of Diabetes that injections of the peptide CBL-514 significantly shrink deposits of body fat. The compound works by selectively causing fat cells to self-destruct.In phase two clinical trials, participants receiving the CBL-514 experience an average reduction of about 12% in deep abdominal visceral fat four weeks after treatment. These fat deposits around the intestines are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Destroying these fat cells could also prevent weight regain following discontinuation of the GLP-1 diet drugs.The injections also reduce the size of fat layers beneath the skin. Nearly 70% of those receiving the CBL-514 lost at least 150 milliliter of skin fat.The injections do have side effects including pain, swelling, and redness at injection sites.These results are promising, but larger phase three trials are needed to establish the

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4y7mcuN6a/Japanese endocrinologists at Kyoto University publish this surprising effect they observed in mouse studies in the journal Diabetes.When both diabetic and normal mice are fed olive oil 15 minutes before glucose, their initial blood sugar rise is significantly smaller than when they receive the carbohydrates first. The olive oil slows stomach emptying and activates the digestive hormones glucagon, GIP, and GLP-1 as well as nerve signals that control blood sugar regulation. If human studies confirm this effect, changing the order in which you consume foods could become another strategy for managing blood sugar. The references for this report are available on my website.#BloodSugar #DiabetesResearch #OliveOil #Nutrition #HealthNews

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4yQMihPdL/Hungarian social scientists studied smartphone habits in 225 adults ages 18 to 35. About one-third of the participants were classified as heavy-process users, spending much of their time phone scrolling and consuming content rather than communicating in the real world. Their study was published in the journal Acta Psychologica. Their data show that those who spend four to five hours a day consuming online content showed concerning deterioration in memory, attention, and sleep compared with occasional users. They find that this excessive phone use is associated with weak self-control and fear of missing out.The researchers also identified the physical effects of prolonged phone use.  Gazing down at a screen contributes to forward-head posture, neck strain, and potential balance problems.So how do you avoid falling prey to this seductive habit? Silence unnecessary notifications, set limits on social media browsing, avoid your phone before bedtime, and hold the s

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4xFdkMwTH/The calorie count listed on food labels doesn’t tell the entire story? Biodesign researchers at Arizona State University now publish in the journal PLOS One their mathematical model showing how the bacteria in your gastrointestinal system help determine how much energy your body actually absorbs from food. Their model, called DAMM standing for Digestion, Absorption, and Microbial Metabolism, tracks how digested foods interact with gut microbes. These bacteria  break down fiber and starch producing substances called short-chain fatty acids that the body can absorb and use for energy.In a controlled study of 17 healthy adults, those eating a high-fiber diet absorbed approximately 116 fewer calories per day than those eating a typical marginally healthy Western diet. Those consuming the abundant fiber did not report feeling hungrier.So, if you are trying to control your weight and who isn’t, consider a diet rich in fiber. It allows you to feel full while reducing

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4wFKju0rl/Could the compound that gives vanilla its familiar flavor help heal wounds that refuse to heal? Biomedical nanoengineers at Australia’s Flinders University now publish a review article in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics cataloging the beneficial properties of vanillin, vanilla’s signature compound. They describe its potential antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. These characteristics are all useful for facilitating wound healing. The researchers propose vanillin-based advanced wound dressings and therapy for chronic wounds and skin ulcers. Studies have shown that vanillin-containing biomaterials can support an extracellular matrix, a structural framework surrounding cells that promotes effective wound closure. Vanillin’s chemical structure could also help engineer materials for medication delivery. Also advantageous is the fact that vanillin can be manufactured inexpensively in large quantities.Chronic wounds in both diabeti

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4vctouRlC/Imagine this! A tiny device injectable through a needle and powered wirelessly offers a new approach for managing chronic pain and movement disorders. All this without the batteries, connecting wires, or surgically implanted hardware used in current pain control systems.This technology was developed by NYU bioengineers and Cleveland Clinic  gastroenterologists sited in Abu Dhabi. It delivers electrical signals near a targeted nerve, controllable wirelessly from outside the body.The device, named SEED, is the size of a small seed and designed to be delivered through a standard needle. Once positioned in a blood vessel near a target nerve using ultrasound and CT imaging, it receives power from outside the body and delivers programmable electrical pulses.The researchers tested the technology in laboratory experiments and in living animals, including a rat model. They show that the device can activate nerves and produce controlled responses. These are early engine

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4uwd5h7na/Persistent loneliness costs you up to nearly 6 years of healthy life. This from new research by Tulane University epidemiologists working with colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the journal Nature.The researchers analyzed health information from nearly 277,500 adults between the ages of 40 and 69. They examined how social isolation and loneliness were associated with the number of years people could expect to live without major physical illnesses, depression, or anxiety.Among people experiencing both social isolation and loneliness, men had an estimated 5.8 fewer years free from depression and anxiety. For women, the estimated loss was approximately 3.7 years. Physical health was affected, too. Women experiencing both conditions had about 2.4 fewer years free from major physical diseases, while men had about 1.7 fewer years.The investigators emphasize the difference between social isolation  and loneliness. Social isolation mean

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4t7HphAMK/Yale orthopedic researchers now report in the journal Bioactive Materials that the epilepsy drug lacosamide, LCM for short and branded as Vimpat, injected periodically into a joint, reduces the pain of osteoarthritis and shifts cartilage cell activity toward repair rather than destruction. The Yale team finds that LCM inhibits a protein called Nav1.7 that helps nerve cells transmit pain signals and signals the cartilage cells, chondrocytes, to break down cartilage. The researchers tested LCM by delivering it into arthritic knee joints in a temperature-sensitive gel.In mouse experiments, the researchers find that a single injection of the drug-containing hydrogel every four weeks effectively protects cartilage and leads to its repair. Their study did not measure pain reduction. It remains to planned controlled clinical trials to demonstrate that LCM Nav1.7 inhibition effectively and safely triggers cartilage repair as well as pain relief for those with osteoart

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4s8wJBjxj/Stanford biologists have developed a molecule that converts a protein responsible for stimulating lymphoma growth into a trigger for cancer-cell death. Their mouse studies are now published in the journal Cell.Their research focuses on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Many of these cancers flourish under the influence of a protein called BCL6 that causes malignant cells to continue multiplying. Under normal circumstances, BCL6 helps immune cells multiply temporarily when the body needs to fight an infection by suppressing genes that would otherwise stop cell growth and initiate programmed cell death.The Stanford team designed a molecule called TCIP23 to redirect the activity of BCL6. This designer molecule adds chemical tags that switch on genes to initiate the cancer cell’s own self-destruct process. The researchers tested TCIP23 in mice carrying tumors made from human lymphoma cells. After twice-daily treatment, th

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4sEr8M8P1/Experiments in mice supported these findings. Animals receiving an antibiotic while consuming sucrose developed substantially larger populations of toxic intestinal bacteria than controls.The researchers suggest that dietary sugar gives harmful bacteria additional fuel to grow while antibiotics weaken the competition. The precise mechanism still needs to be determined.The researchers suggest that temporarily cutting back on sweets and other sources of added sugar during and possibly after antibiotic treatment would help limit microbiome disruption. But this remains a promising hypothesis, not a proven treatment. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether reducing sugar actually preserves beneficial bacteria or prevents infections.The study limitation: the human participants were hospitalized patients with blood cancers, a group particularly vulnerable to infections and microbiome disturbances. The results cannot automatically be applied to everyone taking

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De4rD0RuUG_/All of our knee cartilages deteriorate with age and injury due to an increase in the destructive enzyme 15-hydroxy prostaglandin dehydrogenase or 15-PGDH. Now, Stanford University biologists and orthopedic surgeons demonstrate that blocking this enzyme stops this process and even restores already damaged cartilage.Their studies, published in the journal Science, involve mice with deteriorated cartilage due to aging and/or injuries. The data shows that blocking this enzyme restores the diseased cartilage. The treatment also helps protect against osteoarthritis after knee injuries resembling anterior cruciate ligament damage or ACL injuries suffered by humans.he scientists find that in the absence of 15-PGDH, the existing cartilage cells called chondrocytes begin producing healthier cartilage. Rather than relying on stem cells to build new tissue, the treatment appears to encourage mature cells to adopt a more youthful pattern of behavior. The regenerated tissue

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/De0CSPgvJOe/The diet appears to protect against cancer in one part of the gastrointestinal tract yet promote it in another? MIT biologists in collaboration with Harvard gastroenterologists document this phenomenon in their preclinical study published in the journal Nature.Keto diets are high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. They encourage the body to burn fat for energy instead of relying primarily on carbohydrates. The researchers tested this diet in mice genetically predisposed to developing intestinal cancer. They were surprised to find that the ketogenic diet triggers more cancers in their small intestines yet suppresses tumor formation in the colon.Seeking to understand the mechanisms for this, the researchers traced the increased small-intestinal tumor growth to the way intestinal stem cells process dietary fat. The fat we ingest is oxidized to so-called PPAR proteins that cause stem cells to multiply more rapidly. This action is both good and bad: the new stem

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Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSJrFSMS_g/Neurosurgical cell biologists at the University of Michigan have bioengineered nanoparticles that sensitize deadly gliomas to radiation therapy.Their study, published in Nature Communications, focused on those gliomas that carry a mutated form of the IDH1 gene. Malignant tumors bearing this gene easily activate a cellular recycling process called autophagy (au toff fa gee) thar helps tumor cells remove damaged material but also helps them repair the DNA damage caused by radiation.To block these tumor-protective effects, researchers created nanoparticles capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and penetrating into brain tumors to deliver mRNA molecules that trigger a shut-down of the autophagy pathway.Using mouse models, they show that combining nanoparticle injections with radiation produces a phenomenal result: 60% of the animals are cured of their tumors and survive long-term without recurrence. The treatment produces no significant toxic side effects.An

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSIouVvRDa/A new study from Japan’s Fujita Health University and published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a comfortable 20-minute walk can immediately stimulate your gut motility.The investigators studied 21 healthy young adults and had them walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes at a comfortable pace. Using an electronic stethoscope to monitor bowel sounds, intestinal activity increases significantly within just one to two minutes after the walk.Over time following the walk, the bowel sounds become stronger, more frequent, and last longer. Total intestinal sound activity nearly doubles, suggesting that the intestines are contracting more actively.*Before you turn me off and start walking, there are some caveats. The bowel activation effect is brief and fades within two to three minutes. In addition, this study includes no measurements of actual bowel motility or relief of constipation.Even so, if you suffer from constipation, know that a comfortable 20-minu

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DeSIAYBMYom/The compound produced by gut bacteria after eating foods such as pomegranates, walnuts and berries helps repair intestinal linings. This from gastroenterologists atthe University of Louisville who published their studies in the journal Nature Communicatons.The studies center on the microbial byproduct urolithin A or UroA, produced when gut bacteria digest pomegranates, walnuts, or berries. The UroA activates a cascade of compounds including aryl hydrocarbon receptor followed by the NLRP6 that triggers a protective effect which helps repair intestinal lining barriers, increases quantities of protective mucus, and strengthens antimicrobial defenses.These beneficial effects were demonstrated in single cell models, intestinal organoids, and tissues from patients with inflammatory bowel disease.*The researchers predict that this discovery could lead to more preventive treatments for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Such therapy would restore intestinal defen