Medicine Medical Science Thread

Remove this Banner Ad

CaptchaProofBot said:
www.independent.co.uk

Lawyer dies after his hidden gun goes off during MRI scan

Leandro Mathias de Novaes’ gun went off due to magnetic field in the MRI scanning room
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk

also, i've been gardener for a few years now and have tatts of treeroots/branches on both arms, no prob whatsoever with MRI, albeit the scan is on my head for brain tumour. Talked to nurses about possible problems before getting inked oc and they said they rarely get any probs with tatts now, if any then it's with oldtimers that have really old ink (possibly dodgy?), otherwise pretty safe.

will anything get into the lymph nodes later? only time will tell i guess.
Click to expand...
Allegedly depends on particle size, carbon black enters the lymph readily, titanium dioxide not so much.

The Age has an article about use of mRNA tech for a whole swag of new of antiviral vaccines, treatment for cystic fibrosis and even melanoma. mRNA really is a game changer.

www.theage.com.au

‘It’s not hype’: COVID vaccine technology to fight another deadly virus, then cancer

Scientists are adapting mRNA technology used for COVID-19 vaccinations to combat deadly illnesses, including cancer.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au
 
I saw this and thought it was brilliant. 'The Ghost Heart', a pig heart striped of cells, then repopulated with stem cells (from the planned recipient) which form heart cells. Still not quite there, but hopefully in the near future.

theconversation.com

Lab-grown ‘ghost hearts’ work to solve organ transplant shortage by combining a cleaned-out pig heart with a patient’s own stem cells

Scientist Doris Taylor explains how she and her team are creating bioengineered human hearts in their lab with the goal of one day eliminating the need for heart transplants.
theconversation.com theconversation.com
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Stem cells haven't lived up to their promise, but recent discovery by Monash University and UWA researchers using epigenetics to wipe the cells memory of it's lineage.

www.afr.com

This Australian discovery is set to change stem cell therapy

Researchers have found a way to solve problems with conventionally generated stem cells, changing the way that the cells are created.
www.afr.com www.afr.com

'The scientists resolved the two issues by manipulating the epigenome. While almost every cell in the body has the same genome sequence, cells use this genetic information differently. Like an epaulette, the epigenome is a code superimposed upon the genome. It can control how genes are turned on and off, without altering the underlying DNA sequence. The scientists developed a method called TNT, or transient-naive-treatment reprogramming. This wipes out memory by mimicking the reset of a cell’s epigenome that happens in very early embryonic development.'
 
BMJ has a large, decades long study looking at cancer risks for workers in the nuclear industry who had very low exposures over a long time. The results are startling with the estimated rate of mortality due to solid cancers increased by 52% and these didn't manifest for a decades or more.

Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study

A bit of background. There has long been trouble calculating risk from radiation exposure. Most studies have come from studying the effects on the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs. You can already see this is very different scenario to occupational exposures and there has been a lot of controversy about low level, chronic expoure. One model of exposure is called the linear, no threshold model. In this case all radiation exposure accumulates risk in a linear fashion and there is no threshold below which no radiation damage happens. This has been controversial with many, especially in the nuclear industry, saying it is inaccurate and low level exposure don't carry the the risk the model suggests. I think this paper refutes that clearly and confirms the linear, no threshold model is correct.

See - Linear no-threshold model - Wikipedia

It will be interesting to see the discussion following this paper, which I expect to be vigorous.
 
Being vaccinated against a number of diseases decrease your risk of dementia. This study was done after a study showed Influenza vaccines decreased risks of dementia. Despite much speculation, why this should be is unknown.

medicalxpress.com

Several vaccines associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults 65 and older

Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.
medicalxpress.com medicalxpress.com

Like all these population based studies it is hard to determine if it's hard to know if it's just correlation or causation. It could be because folks who get vaccinated look after their health better in other ways than people who don't get vaccinated. It could be antivax cookers brain are literally 'cooked' and more likely to dement! I suspect there is something genuine about the relationship, probably related to 'inflammation' as there is a body of literature already linking various forms of chronic inflammatory conditions to dementia risk. The process of neuro-inflammation is clearly important in some forms of dementia.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Alzheimer’s: Is inflammation the key?

A new study suggests combination therapies addressing both amyloid plaque buildup and neuroinflammation may prove effective against Alzheimer’s disease.
www.medicalnewstoday.com www.medicalnewstoday.com
 
Interesting research looking at the loss of synapses in Alzheimer's, by an Australian team lead by Prof Vissel at St Vincents, Sydney.
thenewdaily.com.au

New theory of Alzheimer's: Recovery of lost memories, in mice

Scientists have found a possible new cause of Alzheimer's. In experiments, mice had their memories restored, supporting the new theory.
thenewdaily.com.au thenewdaily.com.au
In his model, the loss of synapses is the primary pathology and the tau protein and amyloid accumulation are secondary. I think he is probably correct given how poorly drugs targeting tau and amyloid have performed. It makes sense because the degree of synaptic interconnectivity is supposed to relate to mental horsepower.
 
A study suggest biomarkers may have been found for concussion by a team at Monash Uni and Alfred ED. Up until now there have been no blood tests specific for concussion nor are there any findings on imaging, so this will be a real break through if confirmed. Exciting times.

newatlas.com

New blood test could improve diagnosis & management of concussion

Researchers have found a way to determine whether someone has suffered a concussion by measuring the blood levels of three biomarkers within six hours of the injury. The blood test could be used alongside existing tests for a more accurate diagnosis of the condition and to aid management and…
newatlas.com newatlas.com

They measure 3 different protein - IL-6, GFAP and UCH-L1, the last 2 are specific to the brain.
 
3D printing your brain! In animal studies the implantation of neural progenitor cells has been attempted to repair brain injuries. However, these do not fully restore the damaged brain tissue because the cellular structure does not resemble natural brain anatomy.
It is thought the implantation of tissues resembling the cellular structure of the damaged tissue could be more effective. This study successfully 3D printed a piece of brain which continued to mature and connect after printing. They also showed it could be successfully implanted in to brain tissue in a petri dish. (ex vivo brain explants).

www.news-medical.net

3D printing crafts cerebral cortex tissues: A breakthrough for brain injury treatment

Researchers utilize 3D printing to craft cerebral cortex tissues with organized neurons, offering potential treatments for brain injuries. This novel technique prints neural progenitors in layer-by-layer sequences, aiming for accurate tissue restoration in damaged brains.
www.news-medical.net www.news-medical.net
 
Buruli ulcer is becoming more prevalent in Vic, with 279 cases in the last year. It used to be known as Bairnsdale ulcer because it was localised to an area around Bairnsdale but over the last 50 years has been occurring in many other areas in Vic. It does occur in other states but with less frequency. It is a nasty painless ulcer of the skin disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, which releases a 'flesh destroying' toxin.
au.news.yahoo.com

Flesh-eating ulcer spreads further as cases rise

There's been a jump in patients with Buruli ulcer in Victoria and cases are no longer confined to previously known hotspots.
au.news.yahoo.com au.news.yahoo.com
It looks likely the mode of transmission is from mosquito bites and possum excrement, you can't catch it from someone else. About 30 years ago there was an outbreak at Philip Island which was attributed to watering the golf course more, resulting in more Mossies. Betterhealth channel have a pretty good page about it.
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Buruli ulcer

Since the ulcer gets bigger with time, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of Bairnsdale disease can keep skin loss to a minimum.
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
 
dd0cccc541144f52ad2618ea33a97cfa
I think I have posted about Irukandji syndrome before, this time we have multiple episodes of Irukandji envenomation reported at Fraser Island. One was a kiddie who sounds like she had anaphylaxis to the sting, this is not uncommon with animal venoms, they are big complex molecules with lots of antigenic bits.

www.abc.net.au

Mum whose 3yo was 'foaming at the mouth' calls for better marine stinger warnings, wash stations, on K'Gari

A family holiday turned into a "crisis" when a jellyfish sting caused a severe allergic reaction for a three-year-old girl on K'Gari (Fraser Island), and emergency services faced complications that led to treatment delays.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

Envenomation causes excruciating muscle cramps, severe pain in the back and kidneys, a burning sensation of the skin, headaches, nausea, restlessness, sweating, vomiting, tachycardia and hypertension. The symptoms are mostly related to release of your own adrenaline and similar agents. There have been a couple of probable fatalities. Washing the site with vinegar is controversial, the ARC still recommends it. There is no antivenom, treatment is symptomatic.

The locals have known for years that Irukandji are an increasing problem but they have refused to acknowledge it, I think to protect the tourist industry. A biologist identified them at Fraser Is more than 20 years ago. I'd be interested to know if there are warning signs. Many years ago all my kids got stung by more minor marine stingers at Port Douglas after being assured by locals that they weren't a problem at that time of year, turned out the stinger season had been lengthening probably due to global warming and that it was well known. I suspect they lied.

Irukandji jellyfish as the cause of 'Irukandji syndrome' were first identified by a Cairns GP, Jack Barnes in 1964. He rather famously (others may choose a different word) exposed himself, his young son and a mate.to Irukandji jellyfish and they ended up spending the night in Cairns ICU. That probably constitutes a good night out in Cairns.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

ABC has an article on the how decapitated snake heads can still bite and poison folks up to 43 minutes after decapitation. One of the benefits of having a low metabolic rate.
,
www.abc.net.au

If you've ever been tempted to handle a dead snake, read this first

A snake doesn't have to be alive to bite and kill you. So how can this be, and how long can they remain dangerous after they've wriggled off this mortal coil?
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
Gulf War Syndrome has never had a clear mechanism identified to explain how it happens which has left doubt amongst some folks if it's 'real' and not psychological. These clever researchers a Griffith University have evidence suggesting it is dysfunction in the cells calcium channels. Early days yet, we will have to wait and see what bigger studies show.

www.abc.net.au

'It means the world to be believed': Australian researchers might have solved the mystery of Gulf War Illness

The discovery by Griffith University scientists has given hope to Gulf War veterans that their often-debilitating symptoms will finally be recognised by the medical profession and the Australian government.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

This doesn't help wrt cause. They speculate it might be combined effects of massive oil fires, depleted uranium, medications, insecticides etc. Interestingly, the researchers claim the same defect is seen in long covid and chronic fatigue.
 
Cobra's and related snakes cause enormous number of deaths and injury in tropical countries around the world. One part of thir venom causes tissue destruction (necrosis). Antivenoms are the main treatment for envenomation but they don't work well with the toxins that cause tissue necrosis. Note - our snakes don't have venoms that cause necrosis. It seems Heparin, the anticoagulant, is effective at stopping the necrosis by providing an alternate target for the venom. Discussed in detail in the link.

theconversation.com

How a century-old drug could revolutionise cobra bite treatment

Cobra venom can cause tissue damage and life-changing injuries – but a cheap, common medication may be an antidote.
theconversation.com theconversation.com
 
The current outbreak of legionella in Melbournes north-west appears to be centred on Derrimut and Laverton North. Usually it's shopping centre that are the exposure sites but it appears this one is from an industrial area. They have a couple of suspect site and are awaiting tests.

“It is unexpected when we get it in industrial areas...they’re not typically places where lots of the public will go,”CHO Dr Looker said.

www.theage.com.au

Woman dies as contact tracers identify suspected source of Legionnaires’ outbreak

A cooling tower in Melbourne’s west is the suspected source of a deadly outbreak that has killed one woman and spread to 70 cases.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au
 
Over the years I've had a number of discussions with soldiers about the overpressure blast effects they sustain firing artillery and long term symptoms they develop, which is similar to CTE in athletes. My own belief is that it is in fact CTE. This article from the ABC talks about it in detail, but seems somewhat reluctant to call it CTE.
www.abc.net.au

How firing their own weapons has put Australia's soldiers at risk of brain injury

Doctors suspect mysterious brain injuries in soldiers repeatedly exposed to blasts and explosions could be the cause of memory loss, headaches, fits of rage and an increased suicide risk.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
CD Xbow said:
Over the years I've had a number of discussions with soldiers about the overpressure blast effects they sustain firing artillery and long term symptoms they develop, which is similar to CTE in athletes. My own belief is that it is in fact CTE. This article from the ABC talks about it in detail, but seems somewhat reluctant to call it CTE.
www.abc.net.au

How firing their own weapons has put Australia's soldiers at risk of brain injury

Doctors suspect mysterious brain injuries in soldiers repeatedly exposed to blasts and explosions could be the cause of memory loss, headaches, fits of rage and an increased suicide risk.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
Click to expand...
Safety limits for firing heavy weapons were tightened during my period of (reserves only) service.

For 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifle they limited troops to just four rounds per 24 hour period.

Awesome weapon to shoot and you'd feel the shockwave go through your body - not surprising that it can rattle your brain. There used to be no safety limits on how many rounds you could shoot and it was known to cause internal bleeding.
 
Werewolf said:
Safety limits for firing heavy weapons were tightened during my period of (reserves only) service.

For 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifle they limited troops to just four rounds per 24 hour period.

Awesome weapon to shoot and you'd feel the shockwave go through your body - not surprising that it can rattle your brain. There used to be no safety limits on how many rounds you could shoot and it was known to cause internal bleeding.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that's interesting. I'm guessing during combat the 4 rounds bit would be set aside.

Just as there has been reluctance in sporting codes to acknowledge it, I suspect it's the same in the military, government and business. The AFL has been pretty forward with it, except for that time when they employed Dr Paul McCrory who disinformed about it.

Combat jet pilots get their own brain rot, too. It could be their heads banging around in the helmets, higher exposure to cosmic background radiation, chemical agents they are exposed to or something else entirely. Serving your country, even in peacetime is dangerous.
 
ABC have an article about Parkinson's disease, it's prevalence amongst farmers who have used paraquat and the science supporting it as the cause.
www.abc.net.au

Parkinson's has been called the silent pandemic, and scientists believe a common farm chemical could be one cause

Scientists are concerned that a toxic herbicide widely used in Australian farming could be linked to the growing prevalence of Parkinson's disease. It sat on the regulator's shelf for review for decades, while the company manufacturing it worked to publicly discredit evidence that its product...
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

Added - it's a very sad indictment on our regulator. I think the new CEO of the APVMA, Scott Hansen, is not going to last long in the job. Sounding like an industry shill when the evidence is becoming more convincing over time, paraquat use increases your risk of Parkinson disease up to 4.5 times normal.

For the scholars, one of Tanners papers. Seems fairly solid to me but I'm not an epidemiologist, just a dumb old retired emergency doc who did some studies on serotonin syndrome and antidepressant poisoning.
 
Last edited:
A winner of an Ig Noble prize has an interesting article about the real number of centurions and the extremely old - in short, it is mostly lies, often done for pension fraud and usually with an absence of birth certificates. 9000 alleged centurions in Greece were actually dead.
theconversation.com

‘The data on extreme human ageing is rotten from the inside out’ – Ig Nobel winner Saul Justin Newman

Saul Newman’s research suggests that we’re completely mistaken about how long humans live for.
theconversation.com theconversation.com
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Medicine Medical Science Thread

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top