Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwesKo5tbMp/ Recall by: CPSC:Polaris, Bobcat, Gravely Problem:  Polaris 2021-2023Off-Road Vehicles, fuel pump kits, and fuel tank assemblies, 2021-2023 Bobcats, and 2021 & 2023 Gravely Utility Vehicles and fuel pump kits have fuel pump leaks at their outlet connectors permitting flammable fuel to reach hot surfaces. Sold:  About 12,300 of these vehicles were sold in the US and about 517 were sold in Canada. Actions:  Stop riding these vehicles and contact the respective dealer to arrange an inspection and fuel pump replacement.  For more information, contact Polaris at 1-800-765-2747, Bobcat at 1-800-743-4340, or Gravely at 1-877-904-4069. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Recall-of-Polaris-Off-Road-Vehicles-Bobcat-Utility-Vehicles-Gravely-Utility-Vehicles-and-Fuel-Pump-Kits-and-Fuel-Tank-Assemblies-Due-to-Fire-Hazard #polaris #bobcat #gravely #fuelpump #leakage #fire #burns #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwerarCPJD-/ Recall by: CPSC; The Children’s Place Problem:  Baby and Toddler Boy Basic Stretch Straight Leg Jeans have metal snaps that may detach and potentially choke a child. Sold About 97,400 pairs of baby jeans were sold at The Children’s Place stores in the US and 1800 were sold in Canada. Actions:  Do not allow your child to wear these jeans.  Return them to any The Children’s Place store for a refund.  Additional information at 1-877-752-2387. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/The-Childrens-Place-Recalls-Two-Styles-of-Baby-and-Toddler-Boy-Basic-Stretch-Straight-Leg-Jeans-Due-to-Choking-Hazard #thechildrensplace #children #jeans #snaps #choking #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwequ-CviJF/ Recall by: CPSC; Polaris Problem:  Model Year 2021 Polaris RZR XP Turbo and RZR Turbo S Recreational Off-Road Vehicles have defective clutches that may fracture and eject fragments creating fire and injury hazards. Sold: About 27,300 of these off-road vehicles were sold in the US and about 660 were sold in Canada. Actions:  Stop riding these vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free repair with replacement of the primary drive clutch.  For more information, contact Polaris at 1-800-765-2747. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Polaris-Recalls-RZR-XP-Turbo-and-Turbo-S-Recreational-Off-Road-Vehicles-Due-to-Fire-and-Injury-Hazards-Recall-Alert #polaris #offroad #clutch #disintegration #fire #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwep7DEPdq0/ Recall by: CPSC; Room & Board Problem:  Room & Board Natural Organic Latex Mattresses (Model No. 925869) and Latex and Spring Crib Mattress (Model no. 847564) fail to meet federal safety standards including insufficient firmness and missing labels and warnings.  As a result, these crib mattress create suffocation hazards for infants. Sold:  About 100 of these mattresses were sold at Room and Board stores. Actions:  Do not allow your baby to sleep on these crib mattresses.  Contact Room and Board at 1-800-301-9720 by emailing shop@roomandboard.com to arrange for pick up and refund.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Restwell-Mattress-Recalls-Room-Board-Crib-Mattresses-Due-to-Suffocation-Hazard-for-Infants-Failure-to-Comply-with-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-Crib-Mattresses-Sold-Exclusively-at-Room-Board-Recall-Alert #roomandboard #crib #mattress #firmness #suffocation #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwepPungeF6/ Recall by: CPSC; Saxco International Problem: These 3 gallon glass carboys were improperly cooled during manufacture and are prone to crack leading to laceration hazards. Sold: About 8,370 units were sold nationwide. Actions: Discontinue using these carboys and return them to the place of purchase for a refund.  For additional information, contact Saxco at 1-877-641-4003 or via email at productrecall@saxco.com. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Saxco-International-Recalls-Carboys-Due-to-Laceration-Hazard #carboy #glass #crack #saxco #lacerations #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CweofWAuC-_/ Recall by: CPSC; Gree Electric Appliances Problem:  42 models of dehumidifiers branded as Kenmore, GE, SoleusAir, Norpole, and Seabreeze manufactured in 2011 through February 2014 overheat, emit smoke, catch fire and create burn hazards. Sold: About 1.56 million dehumidifiers were sold at Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Sam's Club, Sears, Walmart and other stores nationwide. Actions:  Stop using these dehumidifiers, unplug them, and contact Gree online.  To do this, go to global.gree.com/usa/channels/840.html to join the waitlist to register for the recall and to obtain information about refunds.  The company has not provided a phone number or email. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires #dehumidifiers #Kenmore #GE #SoleusAir #Norpole #Seabreeze #overheating #fire #burns #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwensMtvCc9/ Recall by: CPSC; Zipadee Kids Problem: The spindles on these recalled Convertible House Bed Frames and Montessori Floor Beds are spaced far enough apart that children may become entrapped with strangulation and death.  The bed’s design permits a child’s torso but not the head to slip through. Sold: About 7,450 beds were sold online at Zipadeekids.com and at Zipadee's Etsy.com shop. Actions: Do not permit your kids to sleep on or otherwise use these beds.  The CPSC suggests that you dispose of the beds without reselling or donating them.   The company has closed and offers no refunds. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Zipadee-Kids-Recalls-Convertible-House-Bed-Frames-and-Montessori-Floor-Beds-Due-to-Entrapment-and-Strangulation-Hazards #zipadee #beds #montessori #entrapment #strangulation  #recall

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwemiCKL-vn/ Recall by: CPSC; Simplay3  Problem: These towers tip over creating fall and injury hazards to the children using them. Sold: About 108,450 were sold in the US and about 5512 were sold in Canada online at TheSimplay3company.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, and other web sites and at Buttercup Baby Store, Fun Stuff, Midstates, and other toy stores nationwide. Actions: Do not permit your children to play on these towers.  Contact Simplay3 at 1-866-855-0100 to receive a free set of stabilizing bases that attach to and stabilize the toddler tower. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/The-Simplay3-Company-Recalls-Toddler-Towers-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards #toddlertower #simplay3 #instability #falls #injuries #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwelprvMpnK/ Recall by: CPSC; Midwest Lubricants Problem: This product is not sold in child-resistant containers.  The sodium hydroxide is caustic with a risk of chemical burns to the skin and eyes. Sold: 3,000 containers of this lye were sold at midwestlubricants.com and amazon.com. Actions: Immediately store this product in secure spot away from children.  Contact Midwest Lubricants at 1-833-791-7335 or via the email support@midwestlubricants.com to obtain a free replacement with child-resistant packaging and a new label. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Midwest-Lubricants-Recalls-Sodium-Hydroxide-Products-Due-to-Failure-to-Meet-Child-Resistant-Packaging-and-FHSA-Labeling-Requirements-Recall-Alert #midwestlaboratories #sodiumhydroxide #childresistant #burns #recall

Recall by: CPSC; Costco Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwekLKvurZW/ Problem: These Ubio-branded batteries may overheat and ignite causing fires and burns. Sold: About 350K power banks were sold nationwide by Costco and online at Costco.com. Actions:  Stop using these power banks.  Return the unit to Costco stores or call Costco at 1-800-774-2678 for a refund or for more information. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Costco-Recalls-Ubio-Labs-Power-Banks-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Caught-Fire-on-Commercial-Flight-Recall-Alert #costco #powerbank #lithiumbattery #fire #burns #recall

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcOmTuRtOH/   tattoos, nanotatoos, nanotechnology, monitor, goldJohns Hopkins bimolecular engineers have developed complex nano-tattoos that adhere to individual cells and measure function.  These flexible nano-tattoos may harbor optical and electronic sensors and are constructed in arrays using gold micro-wiring.  The microarrays are attached to a dissolvable hydrogel film with molecular glues.  The tattoos are non-toxic and remain on the cells for prolonged intervals.  These tattooed gold microcircuits will drive biomonitoring to new heights…..someday soon. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01960 #tattoos #nanotatoos #nanotechnology #monitor #gold

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcNfiINuFZ/ Bioengineers at Britain’s University of Leeds have developed soft, silicone robotic tentacles, manipulated by external magnetic fields, that will allow minimally invasive microsurgery deep within the lungs.  These tiny devices, only 2 millimeters in diameter, are capable of traveling 37% further into your airways compared with conventional surgical equipment.  The spiral devices contain strings of small magnets that not only provide propulsion but also permit surgeons to reshape the device allowing it to penetrate into even smaller bronchioles.  This device will permit sampling, removal, and even treatment of respiratory lining tumors without major surgery…..someday soon. https://www.medgadget.com/2023/08/magnetic-tentacle-robots-for-minimally-invasive-procedures.html #roboticsurgery #minimallyinvasive #lung #cancer #magnetic

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcMdBzsuYk/ From Boston’s Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary comes the report of an exciting Phase 1 trial using an patient’s own eye stem cells to repair a chemically burned cornea.  In this preliminary study of the so-called CALEC procedure which stands for cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation, 4 patients with burned corneas each received stem cells from their own cornea limbus following cultivation and amplification of cell numbers in tissue cultures.  The limbus is a stem cell rich zone between the corneal edge and the white sclera that normally produces enough new cells to effect repairs without assistance.  Chemically burned limbal zones do not.  Two of the patients enjoyed sufficient corneal regrowth that they required no further therapy.  The other two had sufficient corneal repair to become candidates for corneal transplants.  Studies are now underway on 15 additional patients as the next step toward offering this option to even more patients…

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcLTpDrGPD/ For the first time, the Nobel Prize winning CRISPR gene editing technology has successfully inactivated an HIV-like virus from primate cells.  Temple University microbiologists employed a single dose of an injectable gene editing therapy known as EBT-101, developed by Excision Biotherapeutics Inc., to successfully and permanently neutralize the HIV-like Simian Immunodeficiency Virus in rhesus monkeys.  The gene editing agent was well distributed throughout the test animals bodies.  After these exciting preclinical results, the agent is already being adapted for humans to attack the HIV virus……someday soon. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41434-023-00410-4 #geneediting #crispr #hiv #aids #monkeys #ebt

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcKMUXsF2R/ Permitting infants to view tv, phone, pad, or computer screens over their first year of life leads to markedly faulty communication and problem-solving skills.  Japanese child development researchers report this finding following their study of 7,097 children. Of the group 48.5% watched less than an hour a day and served as controls, 29.5% watched 1-2 hours/day, 17.9% watched 2-4 hours/day, and 4.1% watched 4 or more hours/day.  Developmental analyses at 2 years revealed that those infants watching 1-2 hrs/day compared with less than 1 hour had a 61% higher risk of communication delays.  That risk doubled (2.04) for those watching 2-4 hrs, and was almost 5-fold higher (4.78) for those watching 4 hrs or more a day.  Problem solving was also impaired by 2 years with a 40% higher risk for those watching 2-4 hrs/day and a nearly 3-fold (2.67) risk for those watching 4 hrs or more. While it is tempting to use video as an electronic nanny, think twice about per

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcJH3Xtu2_/ Those contracting a CoVid infection are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than flu patients to develop a new case of persisting hypertension.  Investigators at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied 45,398 CoVid patients and 13,864 influenza patients infected between 2020 and 2022. The analysis revealed that a CoVid infection requiring hospitalization made it 31% more likely that high blood pressure would develop in comparison to an influenza infection also requiring hospital care.  Outpatients with CoVid were 4 times more likely than flu patients to become hypertensive.  Development of CoVid-related hypertension was more common in those over 40, in black adults, and in those with pre-existing lung, heart, or kidney disease. So…..If you develop CoVid, be certain to keep an eye on your blood pressure and seek treatment if it is elevated.  Timely intervention could prevent a heart attack or a stroke. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTE

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcH30nvWFJ/ Playing organized American football was associated with a 61% greater risk of eventually developing Parkinson’s Disease.  Neurologic disease investigators at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers surveyed 1875 men for diagnoses of Parkinson’s and tabulated their participation in football or other sports looking at duration, level, and age of first play. Of the group, 85% were diagnosed with Parkinson’s, 39% played football for a mean duration of 4.4 years.  Any play increased the odds of Parkinson’s by 61%, longer duration of play increased risk by 12% but a higher level of play increased the odds nearly 3-fold (2.93). BU neurologists were the first to recognize CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in professional football players.  They now present this evidence that repeated head trauma on the gridiron may also lead to Parkinson’s Disease. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullart

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcGpwORwyz/ Taking the over-the-counter contraceptive levonorgestrel with the anti-inflammatory arthritis NSAID drug piroxicam improves the chances of preventing pregnancy by 49%.  Hong Kong reproductive investigators report this finding after studying 860 women half of whom received the prescription NSAID piroxicam 40 mg along with the 1.5 mg dose of levonorgestrel within 72 hours of unprotected sex.  The control group received a placebo with the levonorgestrel. At follow up several weeks after the next expected period, the combination therapy prevented 94.7% of expected pregnancies vs. only 63.4% for the control group. Levonorgestrel is available over-the-counter at most pharmacies and online at amazon.com.  Piroxicam is a prescription medication, but it is widely available. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01240-0/fulltext #contraception #morningafterpill #levonorgesterel #piroxicam #nsaid

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcEazygKFZ/ Getting vaccinated against shingles, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, and even the flu is associated with a 25-30% up to a 40% lower risk of developing the dementia of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Biomedical informatics researchers at the University of Texas followed about 1,652,000 initially dementia-free subjects over an 8 year period. The numbers revealed that shingles vaccination was associated with a 25% overall lower incidence of Alzheimer’s, pneumococcal vaccination a 27% lower risk, and tetanus combo vaccination a 30% lower risk. Those who received the latest recombinant shingles vaccine, Shingrix, had a 73% lower risk.  The same research group reported last year a 40% lower risk of Alzheimer’s in those receiving influenza vaccination.  These apparently protective effects of routine vaccines compare favorably with those reported for the latest anti-amyloid antibody therapies which slow Alzheimer Disease progression by 25-35%. It appears that routine adul

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwcCbHcPVVs/ Cases of CoVid are again on the rise, and many of them are driven by the Omicron subvariant labeled EG.5 and known by the nickname Eris.  EG.5 is EG.5 is $ descended from the XBB.1.9.2 and has what has been described as a moderate growth advantage over the currently predominating subvariants XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.5.  The global prevalence of Eris has doubled over the past month from 8 to 16%, and it is the predominant CoVid variant in the US. As EG.5. has proliferated, it has quickly spawned another subvariant EG.5.1.  While EG.5 should be susceptible to the antibodies generated by our current vaccines or natural infections, EG.5.1 contains a unique mutation that offers it moderate protection from these antibodies. EG.5 and EG.5.1 don’t seem to drive more severe or dangerous infections, but they do appear to be more contagious. A second CoVid variant of concern has a label of FL.1.5.1 and is nicknamed Fornax.  Related to the  XBB subvariants, Fornax has spread rapidly