Author Archives: T Goodman

THC In Cannabis Has Potential Therapeutic Effects On Alzheimer’s Disease

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How Cannabinoids Affect The BrainScientists at the University of South Florida's Byrd Alzheimer's Institute have investigated the potential role of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major component of marijuana, on Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. What is most commonly known as a recreational substance has demonstrated its potential in ameliorating AD and other neurological diseases, perhaps because our bodies produce the substance naturally (endocannabinoids) and have receptors that naturally respond to it.

Polyester Stinks And Here’s A Study To Prove It

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Smelly armpitsIn the 70's fashionable men wore polyester 'leisure suits.'   Fashionable women wore polyester or nylon Emilio Pucci patterned dresses. They were supposed to be cool, but really they were hotter than heck. Then, thankfully, there was a return to natural fibers in textiles - not only cotton, silk, and wool, but several fibers like hemp, bamboo, and soy that were relatively new to the fashion industry.  Now the pendulum is back to the synthetic, and it's not pretty.  As a matter of fact, it stinks!

Polyester Stinks And Here’s A Study To Prove It

Posted on by
Smelly armpitsIn the 70's fashionable men wore polyester 'leisure suits.'   Fashionable women wore polyester or nylon Emilio Pucci patterned dresses. They were supposed to be cool, but really they were hotter than heck. Then, thankfully, there was a return to natural fibers in textiles - not only cotton, silk, and wool, but several fibers like hemp, bamboo, and soy that were relatively new to the fashion industry.  Now the pendulum is back to the synthetic, and it's not pretty.  As a matter of fact, it stinks!

A Fly With Unique ‘Ears’ Becomes Inspiration For New Hearing Aid

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Super-hearing fly inspires new hearing aidBiomimicry has again inspired a creative team of scientists. This time it's the Ormia ochracea, a tiny fly with exquisitely acute directional hearing ability, that has become the model for the next generation of hearing aids being modeled by engineers at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

Groundbreaking Protein Structure Developed To Interfere With Formation Of Amyloid Plague

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Normal protein and synthetic "apha sheet" proteinAlzheimer's, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis...  These are just five of the more than 40 identified amyloid diseases, serious diseases that currently have limited treatments and no cure.  But, after 10 years of research, bioengineers at the University of Washington (UW) have created a novel protein that can stop the amyloid protein in its tracks....

Out With The Handshake, In With The Fist Bump

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Fist bumps recommended in healthcare settingsAn expression of courtesy, used particularly when meeting someone for the first time and when saying goodbye, may soon be a thing of the past: the handshake.  Why?  It's too germy. Already there are calls for handshakes to be banned in health care settings and they are substantiated by studies, the most recent one comparing the levels of bacteria communicated by a handshake, a high-five, and a fist bump.  Yes, you read that right....

Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs): What You Should Know About The Newest Doctor Visit

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Shared Medical Appointments (If the next time you call your doctor's office you are asked if you would be interested in a 'shared medical appointment,' or SMA, you don't need to freak out.  You may even want to consider attending an SMA once before you decide it's not for you.  I'll explain the rational for SMAs, what they offer, and how patients have responded to this relatively new medical practice....

The Eyes Are In Focus At The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference

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RetinaEarly detection of Alzheimer's disease and strategies to help Alzheimer's patients lead more fulfilling lives are two areas of emphasis at this year's Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Copenhagen, going on now until July 17, 2014.  Three papers, so far, have addressed the eyes and Alzheimer's disease (AD); two that  focused on early detection of AD through an eye exam and one that reported on the importance of cataract surgery to help AD patients remain active and alert.  Following is a summary of these new developments....

A Stinky, Explosive Gas Shows Hope For Remediation Of Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Dementia And Other Major Diseases

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Hydrogen sulfide warning signYou are lucky if you've never smelled hydrogen sulfide, a gas most strongly wafting from swamps and sewers. But you probably have smelled it, as hydrogen sulfide is present in flatulence and in rotten eggs. It results from the breakdown of organic matter without the benefit of oxygen. In anything but very tiny amounts, hydrogen sulfide is very toxic, flammable, and corrosive. But researchers at Great Britain's University of Exeter have found some promising applications for this gas when used in small doses and targeted to certain cells in our bodies.