Medical Insiders: October 2014

Friday, October 31, 2014

What's that teal pumpkin? Trick-or-treating can be free of allergens, calories

For parents of children with food allergies, trick-or-treating can feel like bringing home a little basket of horrors. Enter the Teal Pumpkin Project, an effort to ensure that stress-free, non-food treats are available for children who can’t partake of the standard Halloween fare.

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1trbuLh

Nail polish heir Robbie Schaeffer jumps on his passion for bicycling

Growing up, Robbie Schaeffer always assumed he would join OPI Products, the nail polish empire his father founded (and which was bought by Coty Inc. in 2010). And so he became a licensed nail technician and opened a salon in Studio City. But then Schaeffer switched gears, literally. A...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1qb5hQ0

Hubble spies the ghostly remains of a galactic horror show in space

Space can be a spooky place, if you know where to look.

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1u3laOR

Gym Rat: Quick, effective workout on Da Vinci BodyBoard at Pilates Studio City

Who hasn't complained about the time it takes to work out? For those days when time is about as precious as a Birkin handbag, there's a class that cuts the time in half without cutting the sweat. At a cozy little studio in Studio City, I spent a half-hour pushing and pulling muscles on a Da...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1tJsSfR

Small steps everyone can take to arrive at greater joy

Chances are you could be happier — and it would probably be worth your while, as research shows that happiness breeds health, money, stronger relationships, better marriages and more. But who has time to cultivate joy when there is so much to worry about?

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1u2Yf6o

The loopholes that help bad habits block happiness

Habits can make or break happiness, says Gretchen Rubin, the author of "The Happiness Project." Habits, she says, are "the invisible architecture of everyday life and a significant element of happiness."

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1u2Ycay

Trade protections proposed for four species of turtles

Faced with growing concerns about the hunting of freshwater turtles in the United States for Asian food markets, federal officials this week proposed adding four species to an international list of plants and animals designed to manage commercial trade in the reptiles.

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1091cFu

Well: The Workout: Running While Pregnant

Clara Horowitz Peterson, an elite runner, mother of three and expecting, talks about training during and after pregnancy.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1u1fAN2

Well: Low Vitamin D Tied to Asthma Attacks

Raising vitamin D levels may help control flare-ups in people with asthma.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1wNdhL5

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Building a better mouse to study Ebola

Scientists wearing anti-pathogen "spacesuits" and working in a government biocontainment laboratory have shown that genetically diverse strains of mice can accurately model the devastating health effects of the Ebola virus, according to new research.

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1zkGl0O

NASA's plan to capture an asteroid? Bad idea, scientist says

NASA goal to snag an asteroid and bring a space rock close to Earth is a distraction from the effort to send humans to Mars, a top asteroid expert says.

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1rXTNju

To drive down Ebola transmission, saying goodbye to the dead must change

Traditional West African funerals, at which mourners extensively touch and kiss the dead, are "superspreader" events for transmission of the Ebola virus, says a new study, which identified hygienic burial practices of those who have succumbed to the infection as the single-most effective way to...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1wi38rH

Well: A Heart Risk in Drinking Water

Even trace amounts of arsenic in drinking water may increase the risk of heart disease, researchers have found.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1tVTefU

Well: Living With Cancer: Not Talking About Medical Mistakes

Doctors make mistakes, but they don’t like to talk about them, writes Susan Gubar, who suffered from medical mistakes made during surgery to remove ovarian cancer.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1q4xfNo

New species of frog found in New York city -- first time since 1882

Some people might travel to tropical islands to discover new species. Not Jeremy Feinberg.

via L.A. Times - Science http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/-ryGWpkA8Vc/la-sci-sn-new-york-city-frog-20141029-story.html

Liberal or conservative? Brain's 'disgust' reaction holds the answer

Think your political beliefs arise from logic and reason? Think again. A team of scientists who studied the brains of liberal, moderate and conservative people found that they could tell who leaned left and who leaned right based on how their brains responded to disgusting pictures.

via L.A. Times - Science http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/iYA52QuRZLw/la-sci-sn-liberal-conservative-brain-disgust-reaction-politics-20141029-story.html

For some, violent criminality may be written in their genes

In an apparent first, a study of Finnish convicts has identified genetic variations at two key sites on the genome that may distinguish extremely violent criminals from the rest of us. The two single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, that appear to predispose an individual to committing acts...

via L.A. Times - Science http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/Ly_tLjaHOL8/la-sci-violent-criminality-genes-20141028-story.html

Well: Pronouncing the Patient Dead

It was only when I walked into the room and saw my patient still and utterly silent, his tired family sitting around the bed, that I realized no one had ever told me precisely how to declare death.