Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Sp6bVLVslWI

A vertical array of 6 headlights makes a “hog” significantly more visible to drivers compared with a single headlight.  Rice University engineers tested a variety of motorcycle lighting configurations on the ability of motorists to quickly perceive and avoid an oncoming motorcycle.  While enlarging the size of a horizontal array of lights did not improve driver perception, stacking headlights in a way that more accurately represents the motorcycle height results in better automobile driver perception of the cycle’s presence.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847822001942?via%3Dihub#!

#motocycles #lights #accidents

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/1iQiHezhSew

Swiss researchers are developing naturally magnetic bacteria belonging to the genus Magnetospirillum to carry chemotherapeutic agents into cancerous tumors.  These bacteria can be “loaded” with drugs and steered across blood vessel walls and deeply into tumor tissues using rotating magnetic fields.  The bacteria are able to carry chemotherapy drugs in nanospheres, fatty micro bubbles that are attached to bacterial cell walls.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abo0665

#microrobots #bacteria #magnetic #nanospheres #cancer #chemotherapy

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ENqIr6rlZ7I

To help you plan your activities while avoiding a case or another case of CoVid, I monitor the New York Time stats including cases per 100,000, the rise or fall of cases over the past 2 weeks, sand the rise and fall of deaths per 100,00.  We know that, with unrecorded  home testing, these numbers only help us see trends.

When cases are relatively high and/or rising, you protect yourself by keeping your CoVid immunity current, by avoiding crowds, and by using effective N95 or equivalent masks if indoors or in crowds.

In the Northeast: 

New York City remains the hotspot with 28/100K, +13%, deaths -52%.

Boston: 15, -3% drop, deaths +151%.

York County Maine: 18, -11% drop, deaths +59%.

Hartford: 16; -1% drop, deaths +120%.

Providence: 16, -16% drop, deaths +33%. 

In the Mid-Atlantic region: 

Philadelphia: 13, -4%, deaths -40%.

Pittsburgh: 15, +25%, deaths +4%.

Washington DC: 11, -9%, deaths +108%.

Baltimore: 10, - 20%, deaths +8%.

In the Southeast: 

Atlanta: 5,  -8%, deaths -51%.

Charlotte: 19, +63%, deaths 6%.

Orlando is 6, -4%, deaths -10%.

Palm Beach: 7, -11%, deaths -11%

Miami: 9, -14%, deaths -36%.

In the Mid-US: 

Chicago: 15, +24%,  deaths +2%.

Cleveland: 16, +37%, deaths +50%.

Montana: 10, -6%, deaths -55%.

Nashville: 12, +28%, deaths -12%.

New Orleans: 6 , +48%, deaths +40%.

Houston: 3 -38%,  deaths -37%.  

Stats for the West: 

LA: 9, -4%, deaths -50%.

San Francisco: 8, -20%, deaths +50%.

Portland OR: 9, -30%, deaths +13%.

Seattle:  9 , -6%, deaths+47%

La Vegas: 4,  -44%, deaths flat.

Phoenix: 9, -16%, deaths -73%.

Albuquerque: 24, +47%, deaths +600%.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases-deaths-tracker.html

#CoVid #cases 

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7RR7B8uHGB8

The prescription drug isotretinoin, branded as Accutane, is the last resort pharmaceutical therapy for severe acne.  Problem is that Accutane use triggers severe birth defects in 18-28% of live births and a 20% risk of miscarriage.

This very effective dermatologic drug is so dangerous to pregnant women and their developing babies that the FDA has mandated programs to avoid unplanned pregnancies in Accutane users.  The most recent is called the iPLEDGE program and it strictly regulates prescription of this drug and mandates a pre-use negative pregnancy test and monthly verified used of two forms of contraception.

Even with this strict program of birth control, 200-300 pregnancies per year occur while mothers are taking Accutane.  No contraception method is absolutely foolproof.  When pregnancy occurs and there is a high risk of severe birth defects, the treatment of choice is pregnancy termination.  But as of today, 13 states ban all terminations including these medically-indicated ones.

 $  Again, political meddling is interfering with good medical practice.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2797484

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2738261

#acne #abortion #accutane #isotretinoin #birthdefects #

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OHxnZ0sgVEk

Studying the patterns of weight loss and increases in blood sugar can predict the development of pancreatic cancer at earlier and more treatable stages.  Researchers at UK’s University of Surrey compared with patterns of change in body mass indices (BMIs) and hemoglobin A1c levels (HbA1c) for 8777 patients ultimately diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and compared them with 34, 979 controls.

A drop in BMIs occurred a year before cancer diagnosis and an increase in HbA1c occurred 2 years proper to diagnosis.  These changes remained statistically significant for 2 to 3 years before actual cancer diagnosis.  A decrease in BMI was a stronger predictor of pancreatic cancer in diabetics than in non-diabetics.

Carefully following these weight and blood sugar trends will trigger pancreatic cancer screening at a point when aggressive surgical and medical therapy will be more successful.  Most pancreatic cancer is diagnosed too late.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0275369

#pancreaticcancer #bmi #hba1c @#weight #bloodsugar

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Za1kzdjyb2M

Daily exposure to blue light each morning significantly improves Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms.  University of Arizona psychiatrists report these findings following their study of 82 PTSD sufferers.

All study participants committed to a daily 30 minute light treatment continued over a 6 week period.  The treatment group of 43 were exposed to blue wavelength LED lights operating at a wavelength of 469 nm while the 39 controls received amber LED light treatments at a wavelength of 578 nm.  All participants underwent neurocognitive and neuroimaging assessments to quantitate PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and fear conditioning.

Blue light therapy reduced the numbers and severity of PTSD symptoms.  Light therapy improved sleep quality but both light wavelengths improved sleep.  The blue light improved the subjects abilities to extinguish fear memories.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.886816/full

#ptsd #sleep #bluelight #fear

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/FRiJ6LC3oKU

The CPSC and Horizon Fitness are recalling Horizon T101-05 Treadmills.  These treadmills unexpectedly accelerate, change speed, or stop without user input, creating fall and injury hazards.  About 192,000 of these treadmills were sold in the US and about 7,000 were sold in Canada.  Stop using these treadmills.  Contact Horizon Fitness at 1-888-223-1045 for via email at [email protected] to receive a thumb drive with a software patch.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Johnson-Health-Tech-Trading-Recalls-Horizon-Fitness-Treadmills-Due-to-Fall-Hazard

#horizon #treadmill #motorcontroller #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ayUbrnbWjVA

The CPSC and Bike USA Inc. are recalling Punisher Adult Cycling Helmets.  The helmets lack the positional stability and impact attenuation to meet US federal safety standard for bicycle helmets.  About 3400 of these bike helmets were sold online at amazon.com, Fingerhut.com, Kmart.com, Sears.com, Overstock.com, Kohls.com, and Walmart.com.  Stop using these bike helmets and contact Bike USA at 1-800-225-2453 or via email at [email protected] to receive a refund and additional information about the recall.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Bike-USA-Recalls-Punisher-Cycling-Helmets-Due-to-Risk-of-Head-Injury-Recall-Alert

#bikeusa #punisher #bicycle #helmet #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/c3BUKEoO4e4

The CPSC and Radio Flyer are recalling Tesla Cyberquad for Kids by Radio Flyer, Model Number 914.  This Chinese-manufactured vehicle fails to comply with US federal mandatory safety requirements for all youth ATVs.  Furthermore, this product’s manufacturers and distributors have not provided a CPSC-approved and required ATV action plan for rider age recommendations and rider training.  About 5,000 of these ATVs were sold online at shop.tesla.com.  Do not permit your child to use these Cyberquad ATVs.  Contact Radio Flyer at 1-800-621-7613 or via email at [email protected] to receive instructions regarding removal and prepaid return shipping of the ATV’s motor controller in order to obtain a full refund.  The website also provides information regarding disposal of the vehicle.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Radio-Flyer-Recalls-Cyberquad-for-Kids-Due-to-Violations-of-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-All-Terrain-Vehicles-ATVs-and-Risk-of-Injury-Sold-Exclusively-Online-by-Tesla

#radioflyer #tesla #atv #safety #crash #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/GJ7HU3lEFU4

The CPSC and LG Energy Solutions Michigan are recalling LG Energy Solution “RESU 10H” Lithium-Ion Residential Energy Storage System Batteries.  These home solar panel system lithium-ion batteries may overheat, ignite, and burn creating fire and burn injury hazards for the hone occupants.  About 11,500 of these batteries were sold and installed by various distributors of solar energy storage systems nationwide, including, but not limited to Sunrun, AEE Solar, Baywa, CED, Krannich, Independent Electric Supply and Inter Island Solar Supply.  LG Energy Solutions Michigan will arrange for remote software updates to recalled batteries that are connected online. The diagnostic software monitors the recalled battery cells and shuts down the system if a fire risk is detected. If the battery shuts down, contact LG Energy Solution Michigan and do not attempt to turn the battery on again.  For additional information, call LG Energy Solutions Michigan at 1-888-737-8104 or email the company at [email protected].  

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/LG-Energy-Solution-Michigan-Recalls-Home-Energy-Storage-Batteries-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Recall-Alert

#lg #solarpanelsystems #battery #lithiumion #overheating #fires #recall