The Pulse

We all hate discussing death…even doctors avoid it, focusing instead on treatment option after treatment option. Because of this, many fatally ill people receive treatments they don’t want, reducing the quality of life in the time they have left. One company has made a rather unusual, successful business responding to this gap in U.S. healthcare but, as Elana Gordon reports, who pays for this service might make people uneasy. And if you’re still having a hard time discussing death, how about playing a game about it? Philadelphia design firm The Action Mill is using a card game to spark difficult conversations about death that don’t lose focus on living. We drop in on a heated game in progress.

Beach bound this weekend? How do you choose which beach to spend your precious summer Saturdays and Sundays on? Closest? Quietest? Craziest? Best surf? How about the one with the warmest water? For many, the latter is a key, but in the early summer, Mid-Atlantic ocean temperatures can be all over the road, freezing at one spot but comfortable at another just miles away. We enlisted Rutgers University professor Josh Kohut to explain this sometimes bracing phenomenon.

The presence or absence of certain beetles can tell scientists a lot about the health of an ecosystem. This is an example of something researchers call “indicator species”—living proof that a local environment is thriving, or not. On this week’s installment of Citizen Science, reporter Kimberly Haas goes into the field with an entomologist who wants your help searching for a hard-to-spot beetle called Elaphrus.

Two hospitals in Philadelphia now offer a three-dimensional test for everyone who comes in for a routine mammogram. That’s a new approach to breast-cancer screening, and a change that most hospitals have not made, but, as Taunya English reports, doctors at Penn Medicine and Einstein are big believers in this new technology.

The sounds of coffee beans being ground, milk being steamed, and the coffee maker gurgling away make many coffee drinkers’ mouths water. But there’s another, far less recognizable sound that plays an even more fundamental role in the flavor of your next cup of joe. Sounds kind of like Rice Krispies. Reporter Christopher Intagliata explains.

In his recently released book “Proof: The Science of Booze,” Wired magazine editor Adam Rogers details the chains of events (both chemical and historical) that led to the whiskey sour, pinot noir, or microbrewed beer you’re about to raise to your lips. Rogers says ethanol relies on 150 million years of evolution, 10,000 years of human ingenuity, and 2,000 of human technology: “Everything that makes us human is wrapped up in that glass that’s in front of you on that coaster,” he says emphatically. He sits down with host Maiken Scott to talk booze.

This week marks International HIV Testing Day with testing-related activities going on all over the region. We recently met up with French virologist and Nobel Prize-winner Françoise Barré-Sinoussi who is credited with discovering the HIV virus to discuss her role in identifying the root of the horrible disease.

Millions of people suffer from toenail fungus. It’s disgusting, embarrassing, and nearly impossible to get rid of without the help of prescription pills that carry the possibility of damaging your liver. Nail salons have been targeted as ground zero for spreading this menacing fungi, so we go on a quest to see how it spreads, how we deal with it, and which new antifungal products stand the best chance of giving the infected their toenails back.

Hospitals across the country are struggling to deal with a shortage of one of their most essential medical supplies—saline solution. Manufacturers are rationing this staple of the medical world, used all over the hospital to clean wounds, mix medications, or treat dehydration. Now drug companies say they won’t be able to catch up with demand until next year. Reporter April Dembosky from KQED in San Francisco explains why something as basic as salt water is so hard to come by.

Retired workers from the Pennsylvania Department of Health tell WHYY reporter Katie Colaneri that they were silenced on the issue of Marcellus Shale drilling, even instructed not to return phone calls from residents who expressed health concerns about natural gas development. Retirees allege words like “fracking,” “gas,” and “soil contamination” became taboo when conversing with the public.

Cancer researchers often use fruit flies to study the disease, altering the flies’ genetics to learn how to combat cancer cells. Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have been on the forefront of using this approach, and now they’ve expanded their team of researchers to include one very unlikely group: students at a resource-strapped Philadelphia public school. We go to class with a bunch of young people helping in the fight against cancer.

Like childhood vaccinations, Lyme disease has become a topic that can bring a friendly dinner party to a screeching halt. Controversy rages over diagnosing and treating this debilitating disease, and to make matters worse, a new investigative report out this week suggests that many Lyme disease tests may not be accurate. We talk with investigative journalist Beth Daley about what exactly is going on with these questionable tests.

Also on the show, the debate over how much salt is too much in our diets, Southern New Jersey veterans are promised same-day doctors appointments in the wake of the VA waiting list scandal, and a look at why nearly one in five inmates entering Pennsylvania prisons has Hepatitis-C.

How do you get people to be healthier—more active? Why take the stairs when there’s an elevator? Why walk to work when you can drive? Should you drink water out of a decrepit water fountain or buy a cold Coke out of a vending machine? There’s a movement underway called “healthy design” that’s advocating to create spaces, buildings, and workplaces in a way that persuade people to make healthy choices.

Scary new diabetes numbers from the Centers for Disease Control came out this week—more than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes and one in four don’t even know they have it. We enlist the help of some Philly-based diabetes experts to understand how we’ve arrived at this health crisis and what’s being done to attempt to reverse the trend.

Some families seem to hit the jackpot when it comes to smarts and success—think the Marsalis family, or the Emanuel brothers. We introduce you to triplets Samantha, Sydney, and Heather Butts, who all climbed to impressive perches in the medical community.

We all forego sleep at times—to finish that all-important power-point presentation for work, to type up a grant proposal, or to pull all-nighters to study for exams and write ten-page papers. So, if we can boost our productivity in this way, why not try this more often? We take a look at segmented sleep patterns that promise to give you ten years of waking life back.

In this week’s Patient Files—your stories of illness, healing and coping—we meet Thomas Dixon. A brain injury caused Dixon a serious, ongoing memory deficit, but he employed modern technology to help overcome it, tweeting his memories in hopes of holding on to them.

They call it “vocal fry,” a modern and mostly annoying speech pattern affecting a growing population of girls and young women. Recent studies suggest that vocal fry may even hurt women’s chances of landing a job. Dr. Bethany Brookshire, aka “Scicurious,” joins us this week to talk about the new research.

Each year “Living Beyond Breast Cancer” organizes an event called Yoga on the Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s a celebration, a chanting ceremony, and free yoga class for survivors of breast cancer all rolled into one. This year, more than 1,500 people turned up to breath deeply, stretch their bodies and heal. Today, we bring you an audio postcard from that day.

The Veterans Administration is comprised of 320,000 employees, 971 hospitals, and a $165 billion budget all designed to serve some nine-million patients. It’s the largest health services provider in America, which explains why the recent scandal over appointment wait times, that led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, was such a massive news even in recent weeks. We’re joined this week by Phillip Carter, the director of the veterans research program at the Center for a New American Security to discuss his recent Slate.com article in which he suggested a six-point plan to fix the troubled VA. 

People everywhere experienced “technical difficulties” in signing up for ACA insurance plans during the implementation of Obamacare, and for many Asian immigrants those problems were compounded by cultural and language barriers. Pulse reporter Elana Gordon reports this week on how many newly covered immigrants now face special hurdles in actually putting their new healthcare coverage to use.

In recent days, the Obama administration unveiled one of its key initiatives to address climate change. For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency will regulate carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s power plants—a major source of greenhouse gas. The overall goal is to lower emissions by a third over the next 15 years by having each state come up with it’s own plan. The EPA wants Pennsylvania to cut its carbon by 32 percent. So… how will they get there? We take a look at the plan.

First responders arriving at the scene of deadly accidents are often affected by post-traumatic stress, or have trouble coping with the tragedies they witness on their jobs. One year ago, a building on Philadelphia’s Market Street collapsed during a demolition effort, and fell onto the adjacent building. Six people died and 13 were injured in the collapse. Philadelphia firefighter Joe Schulle was part of the rescue efforts. He describes some of his experiences that day and how he and his colleagues deal with the emotional impact of their job.

They are quiet, economical, and green, but electric cars remain a niche market. President Obama has set a goal for one million electric cars on the road by 2015, but as of April 2014, that number sits at just 200,000—a mere sliver of the millions of cars and trucks sold in the U.S. every year. So, how do innovations like the electric car take hold, especially when infrastructure like charging stations are a big part of the equation? Pulse reporter Zack Seward hit the roads in Philadelphia to find out.

In this week’s installment of Patient Files—your stories of illness, recovery and coping—political consultant and lobbyist on behalf of medical marijuana, Jay Lassiter tells us how pot has helped him cope with symptoms of HIV.

Also on the show, Matthew Anderson, a professor of psychology at St. Joseph’s University, researches Caribbean flamingo behavior at the Philadelphia Zoo to find keys to human behavior, we check back in with coral reef researcher Erik Cordes after his trip to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, and we drop in on the graduation ceremony of Jefferson University’s medical school and recite the Hippocratic Oath with hundreds of newly minted doctors.

On this special edition of The Pulse, we take a close look at waiting, from medical offices to a local produce market and a research lab.

As patients, we often find ourselves waiting at the doctor’s office longer than expected. Sitting there, waiting for our name to be called, reading ten tips to make better rice pudding, or five ways to achieve amazing abs; it can get really aggravating. We wanted to find out what exactly is contributing to that appointment backlog, so we spent a morning with Dr. Peter Gearhart of Penn Ob/Gyn and midwifery care to find out.

Then we went to Trenton, where a health group is trying to reduce its patient wait time from a month to two days or less. How, you ask? It involves getting rid of those long-term appointment books. 

Dr. Carl Chudnofsky and nurse Keenya Eubanks provide some perspective on how they keep things moving in Einstein’s Emergency Medicine department and a former interior designer tells us what key elements make up a good waiting room.

We wait with one of 6,000 people in the Philadelphia region on the organ transplant waiting list and head to the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market to find out how the waiting process is sped up when it comes to ripening bananas. 

Two Villanova University researchers invite us into their lab for a glimpse at their moss project and Theresa Christy, a mathematician and Otis Elevator Research Fellow, sheds some light on the science of waiting. 

A professor, sex researcher and therapist shares details of her 12-month experiment in abstinence and we wrap up with an update on our kidney transplant patient. 

Music used in today’s show: 

“Cannonball” The BreedersAlbum: Last SplashLabel: 4AD/Elektra Records

“Waiting Room” FugaziAlbum: FugaziLabel: Dischord

“I Am Waiting” The Rolling StonesAlbum: AftermathLabel: Decca

“Time Slows Down at Midnight” NamelessnumberheadmanAlbum: When We Leave, We Will Know Where We’ve BeenLabel: Scatterplot Sounds

“Day O” (Banana Boat Song) (Traditional, arranged by William Attaway, Harry Belafonte) Harry BelafonteAlbum: CalypsoLabel: RCA Victor

“Time” Pink FloydAlbum: The Dark Side of the MoonLabel: Harvest

“The Waiting” Tom Petty and the HeartbreakersAlbum: Hard PromisesLabel: Backstreet

“Chega de Saudade” João GilbertoAlbum: Chega de SaudadeLabel: Odeon

“Tired of Being Alone” Al GreenAlbum: Al Green Gets Next to YouLabel: Hi Records

“Crosseyed and Painless” Talking HeadsAlbum: Remain in LightLabel: Sire

The Philadelphia region is a hub for the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, some of the drugs that have transformed medicine have been developed right here—think vaccines, medicines for heart disease and diabetes. But Big Pharma is changing. We’ve seen a lot of industry consolidations and downsizing of these big companies, leaving thousands of smart people facing steep challenges, and, in some instances, unexpected opportunities.

Water coming straight from your tap might contain some unwanted elements in the form of drugs prescribed to your neighbors, your fellow citizens, and even their pets. Scientists have known this for a long time, and they assure us there’s no need to panic—no one is getting accidental full doses of Prozac just from drinking a glass of tap water. Still, scientists do wonder whether drugs in the water may be harming aquatic life or complicating the growing problem of drug-resistant bacteria.

Physicists recently used a particle accelerator to smash together the nuclei of calcium and berkelium atoms to create an entirely new element: Ununseptium. With 117 protons in its nucleus, this soon-to-be new addition to the periodic table is the second heaviest known to man. But scientists worldwide are excited by the discovery because it gave them a glimpse at a little known theory called the “Island of Stability.” Scientific American editor Clara Moskowitz joins us to explain why the Island of Stability matters…if it exists, that is.

Amtrak’s locomotive fleet is aging, and those engines have between 3 and 4 million miles on them. To replace their high-mileage engines, Amtrak is investing in a fleet of brand new high-tech train engines that save energy. The AC-64 City Sprinter was unveiled back in February, and will continue to roll out over the coming months. So we climbed aboard one of these new-fangled trains for a look.

Paul Stamets is a rock star in the world of fungi. In fact, he came to our studio carrying a backpack stuffed with a massive 40-pound mushroom called Agarikon. Stamets first fell in love with mushrooms in his mother’s yard, where giant puffball mushrooms would sprout up after heavy rainfalls. He was attracted by their transient nature. Stamets has devoted his entire career to better understanding fungi, and he joined us to explain the sometimes misunderstood world of fungus.

Also on this week’s show, the science behind the flavors of fermented foods, an investigation into who is sending inflated medical bills to the government, and, in our regular segment “Patient Files,” writer Michael Downing describes a frustrating set of medical encounters related to a scary genetic condition called sudden death syndrome.

Music from this week’s show: 

“Sun Demon” – 3:18StereolabAlbum Not MusicLabel Duophonic/Drag City

“Trains” – 4:08Ryan Adams & The CardinalsAlbum Jacksonville City NightsLabel Lost Highway Records

“I’ve Got a Thing About Trains” – 2:50Johnny CashAlbum Hello, I’m Johnny CashLabel Columbia

“Breaking Bad, Main Title Theme” – 1:16Dave Porter

“The Elements” – 2:16Tom LehrerAlbum More of Tom LehrerLabel Lehrer Records

“Congratulations” – 3:55MGMTAlbum CongratulationsLabel Columbia

“Old Tree” – 5:02CreepoidAlbum Shaking Through Volume 2Label Weathervane Music

“Everybody’s Weird Except Me” – 3:34StereolabAlbum Not MusicLabel Duophonic/Drag City

“Bees” – 5:23CaribouAlbum The Milk of Human KindnessLabel Leaf/Domino

When you consider the sizeable challenges faced by Camden, N.J.—poverty, drugs, and “white flight”—it may seem hard to believe, but it was once the Silicon Valley of its era. But some are hopeful that it could one day re-emerge as a tech hub with the right focus. We take a look at Camden’s past, and investigate whether a new generation of medical inventions can bring the struggling city back from the brink.

Resident physicians famously work very long hours, but some still find time to engage in issues that are important to them. Jefferson Hospital pediatrics resident Dr. Kanani Titchen was just recognized for her “extracurricular activities” with the $25,000 Medelita Hero award for her research on child sex trafficking. She sat down with us this week to talk more about that effort.

There’s little debate that a dad’s consistent presence makes children’s lives better. It’s less clear if you can actually, effectively teach fathers to be involved. Even though there isn’t much research on outcomes, many people are big supporters of “responsible fatherhood” programs. To see how they work, we stopped by the West Philadelphia YMCA and joined a class already in session.

Broadway singers usually perform eight shows a week, with just Mondays off. For the stars of the show, that can mean belting for several hours almost every night. Given that brutal schedule, you might think Broadway performers take extra care to keep their voices healthy, but a new survey suggests that’s not the case. We take a look at how these singers keep their instruments—namely, their voices—finely tuned.

Temple University researchers are in the Gulf of Mexico right now, studying the effects of ocean acidification on the deep sea. Temple University Marine Biologist Erik Cordes is one of them, and we called him up while he was in the three-man submersible Alvin to get a description of the state of deep-sea coral reefs first hand.

Also on the show: white nose syndrome in bats, penguin flu, and using blood from young mice to rejuvenate older ones. 

Music from today’s show: 

“Glory Days” – 4:15Bruce SpringsteenAlbum      Born in the U.S.A.Label Columbia

“Rave: String Quartet in F major (1903) 2. Assez vif. Tres rythme” – 6:18Quatuor YasyeAlbum      Ravel, Debussy: String QuartetsLabel Decca

“Big Shot” – 3:49Dr. JohnAlbum      Locked DownLabel        Nonesuch Records

“Just Like I Pictured It” – 3:27Medeski Martin & WoodAlbum      CombusticationLabel        Blue Note Records

“Sleeping Lessons” – 3:58The ShinsAlbum      Wincing the Night AwayLabel        Sub Pop

“I’m So Sleepy” – 2:24Cat StevensAlbum      New MastersLabel        Deram Records

“Fur Hildegard von Bingen” – 2:36Devendra BanhartAlbum      MalaLabel Nonesuch

“Ice Age” – 4:24Dr. JohnAlbum      Locked DownLabel        Nonesuch Records

What do we mean when we say that a patient is “brain dead”? Surprisingly few medical students can answer that question, so a Temple Hospital doctor has taken it upon herself to teach residents the difference between “brain dead” and “dead,” and how to have the toughest conversation of a medical career…when you attempt to explain that difference to the family of a patient. 

For tens of millions of Americans, this time of year means sneezing, runny nose, and red eyes. Yep, it’s allergy season. Time for antihistamines and decongestants, but some people have been seeking salvation with a natural alternative. Local honey has been gaining a lot of traction around the region as a salvation for allergy sufferers. But does it work? We go in search of an answer.

Kids of past generations grew up creating after-school scientific experiments in their rooms with the help of toy chemistry sets. But don’t discount those first experiences with test tubes and volatile compounds. Many grown-up scientists credit chemistry sets with a lifetime passion for experimentation. A new iPad app hopes to bring chemistry sets to the digital generation, and it’s a surprise hit. But you may be surprised to find out where it’s a hit.

Measles has been making a comeback. So far this year, 129 Americans have fallen ill with the disease which was declared “eliminated” after the MMR vaccine shrank the number of U.S. cases from 500,000 per year to less than 100. Many epidemiologists and public health officials are blaming parents who have chosen to not vaccinate their children for personal reasons. Kristen Feemster is an infectious diseases physician and researcher at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and she believes that vaccines should not be optional.

Padge-Victoria Windslowe, better known as the “Black Madam,” will stand trial next week on charges that one woman died and another came close after silicone was illegally but voluntarily injected into their rear-ends. The Philadelphia Case has garnered international attention and shed light on an underground and dangerous practice that’s cropped up around the country in the name of beauty, called “pumping parties.”

Also on the show, The University of Pennsylvania is calling attention to the role of African American nurses who helped integrate health care in Philadelphia. We take a look back at an important moment in medicine when color barriers fell. And we visit with Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, an innovative physician on a mission to use data to help the sickest and most expensive patients. He’s betting his new way of thinking about patient care will dramatically improve outcomes and reduce cost.

A happy marriage, children, a good life…then illness changes everything. Sixty-five million Americans care for an ill or elderly loved one. On today’s show, we’ll take a look at the challenges of transitioning from spouse to nurse.

Recreational pot smoking is legal in Colorado and will soon be legal in Washington. Some legislators in the Delaware Valley aren’t blind to the trend, but they’re conscious of the potential negative health impacts of marijuana. While legislation is being proposed, the day Philadelphians can light up in public is still distant. We take a look at the current state of research on the effects of getting high.

The pharmaceutical industry is facing an existential moment of sorts, as it tries to find a way to continue profitability in the wake of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The latest buzzword in the world of Big Pharma is “Patient Centricity.” The industry says they’re “thinking about improved patient health outcomes” not just the next pill to hit the market. We attended a pharma conference in Philly to learn more.

The physics of skateboarding, creatures that make your skin crawl, and why Philly has such passionate sports fans are just a few examples of the questions to be answered at the Philadelphia Science Festival. We get a sneak peak at the fun.

At a lab at the University of Delaware, Chemical engineer Richard Wool is utilizing everything from plants to chicken feathers to make things like tractors and sneakers. He sat down with Jewish Voice editor Shoshana Martyniak for our series “So, What Do You Do,” in which we pair a scientist with a lay person for down-to earth conversations about science.

Also on the show, how the tiny coqui frog of Puerto Rico became a canary in the coal mine of climate change, the science behind why facial hair can sometimes make men more attractive and a new way to get doctors to follow medical guidelines…by putting a human story behind them. 

Music from today’s show: 

“What Would I Want? Sky” – 6:46Animal CollectiveAlbum Fall Be KindLabel Domino

“Weed Party” – 3:09Band of HorsesAlbum Band of HorsesLabel Sub Pop

“Love Department” – 7:23ChipocriteAlbum Hit and RunLabel Chipocrite

“What Love” – 3:53Jagwar MaAlbum Howlin’Label Mom + Pop

“Get Innocuous!” – 7:11LCD SoundsystemAlbum Sound of SilverLabel DFA/Capitol

“Whatta Man” (featuring En Vogue) – 5:07Salt-n-PepaAlbum Very NecessaryLabel Next Plateau

“Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples” – 5:10ParliamentAlbum Mothership ConnectionLabel Casablanca

We all want our doctors to be sharp as a tack, laser accurate, and confident enough to trust themselves with our lives. But we also want them to be kind, caring, and able to understand and relate to our fears. Is that too much to expect?  We presume that most physicians chose their profession because they want to help others, but if bedside manner isn’t their strong suit, can they learn empathy? We join some med students as they train to be both competent and compassionate.

Anyone who’s been the target of whistles and cat calls on their way to work or out for a stroll knows it can be both annoying and a little bit intimidating. We talk to an anti-street harassment activist who is trying to create a common definition for this unwanted commentary. But not everyone is on the same page.

Did you know that some bats argue over who gets the worm? Recent research has identified high-pitched screaming matches between big brown bats over the dinner menu, and Pulse contributor Dr. Bethany Brookshire, who has an especially keen eye for the strangest scientific findings, joins us to discuss some recent research from the fringes of the animal kingdom.

What does math have to do with sea otters? More than you’d think. A Princeton professor who just won the 2014 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is a mathematician by training, but devotes his skills to understanding the intricate relationships between living things and the ecosystems they shape – from rivers to oceans to forests. He tells us about his life’s work in his own words.

In our latest installment of “So, What Do You Do?” we paired a cartoonist and a music technology researcher to discuss a future in which robots are musicians.

This past Monday marked the deadline to enroll in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act this year, and federal officials say more than seven million people signed up. We checked in at Congreso, a Latino service agency in Philadelphia, which was packed Monday with those seeking help with the application.

Also on the show, medical devices are costly and non-recyclable, but an Indian-born cardiologist in Easton, Pa. is on a mission to save lives back in his native country by salvaging used pacemakers, cleaning them, and shipping them home for reimplantation. Officials and ethicists don’t support his mission, but he says he’s saving lives with machines that would otherwise be buried with their original owners.

Music from today’s show: 

“Magicman” – 4:38BonoboAlbum      One Offs… Remixes & B-SidesLabel Tru Thouhgts

“New York Counterpoint: Slow” – 2:44Steve ReichAlbum      PhasesLabel Nonesuch

“Lucille – Instrumental” – 0:57Le MansAlbum      Le MansLabel        Elefant

“Springish” – 2:23GillicuddyAlbum      Gillicuddy …Plays GuitarsLabel        Clinical Archives

“La Tarea” – 4:11Le MansAlbum      EntresemanaLabel        Elefant

“Rockit” – 5:27Herbie HancockAlbum      Future ShockLabel Columbia

“Heart of Gold” – 3:49Birds & BatteriesAlbum      I’ll Never Sleep AgainLabel Birds & Batteries

“Tashweesh (Interference)” – 3:22Kronos QuartetAlbum      FloodplainLabel Nonesuch

“Disparate Youth” – 4:44SantigoldAlbum      Master of My Make-BelieveLabel Atlantic

“Diagonals” – 4:44StereolabAlbum      Dots and LoopsLabel Elektra