The Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO trap), was developed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and has been proven to reduce populations of Aedes mosquitoes by over 80%. It is effective for the mosquitoes that transmit Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. No pesticides or pheromones required. Just add water and a little hay.
From Springstar website: "The Trap-N-Kill® Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap is an 18 liter black bucket fitted with a “capture chamber” on the top. The capture chamber allows you to swap out the sticky board without having to pull off the whole lid. Twist the top half of the chamber and you'll have access to where the sticky board rests. The bucket itself is filled with water up to a specific depth that is controlled by a series of slots which are machined into the bucket sides. Gravid female Aedes mosquitoes are attracted to the hay-infused standing water and seek to lay their eggs on a hard surface right at the water line.
They try to do that by entering the capture chamber through the top screen. They can get through that screen with ease but other critters, like squirrels or birds can't. The capture chamber, a cylinder, contains a replaceable glue board that covers the entire inside portion of the cylinder. The mosquitoes cannot get to the water surface because the bottom screen is made of a finer mesh than the top one -- too fine for a mosquito to get through. As they keep trying to get to the water, they tire and may need to rest. When they choose to rest on the glue surface, that will be their final resting place, so to speak.
No pesticides or pheromones required. Just add water and some grass clippings or hay."
The "stickies" are the sticky issue here, as the replacements are not readily available for purchase. Pest management company Catchmaster lists "AGO Trap Replacement Glue Boards" on its website but there is no link to purchase them online.
Who are the doctors who don't get stressed at work? According to this meta-analysis, the personality type to have is: extravert who is open to experience and has a deep learning style. If you are this type, congratulations! If not, read below, and be sure to check the references at the end.
The Big Five personality inventory measures personality based on 5 key traits:
- Surface-disorganised approach is apparently the worst, and is predicted by surface learning in medical school and by higher neuroticism scores and lower conscientiousness
- Surface-rational approach to work is predicted by strategic learning in medical school, and by less openness to experience and higher conscientiousness
- Deep approach to work is predicted by a deep approach to learning at medical school, by greater extraversion, by greater openness to experience, and by lower emotional exhaustion. This is supposed to be the best.
A deep approach to work occurs in extraverts who are open to experience and have a deep learning style. The surface-rational and surface-disorganised approaches to work are both greater in those with a surface learning style. However, a surface-disorganised approach occurs in individuals with higher neuroticism scores, in those with lower conscientiousness scores, and in those who have been stressed, whereas the surface-rational approach to work occurs in strategic learners and in those who are low in openness to experience.
A workplace climate dominated by a high workload is predicted by higher stress and emotional exhaustion measures five years earlier, and by lower openness to experience. A supportive-receptive workplace is predicted by lower stress and depersonalisation, and a higher sense of personal accomplishment when measured previously, and by a more agreeable personality.
"A critical element contributing to the stress that many conscientious doctors experience is internal". According to researchers, stress is not a characteristic of jobs but of doctors. Different doctors working in the same job being are no more similar in their stress and burnout than different doctors in different jobs.
Much of the recent knowledge of the underlying mechanisms that drive rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases has come from preclinical studies of key cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor. New Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors include tofacitinib and baricitinib which are approved for treatment of arthritis and other rheumatoid diseases.
Aggressive treatment, early
For a complex, progressive, chronic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the timing of intervention is critical. In the past, the recommended treatment approach was slow and steady, referred to as “the pyramid”—ie, a base of physical therapy and non-pharmacological interventions, followed by conservative treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, then glucocorticoid steroids and, finally, administration of a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD). This concept is now inverted. Intensive intervention, initiated earlier, with conventional and biological DMARDs is increasingly recommended.
Biologics and small molecule inhibitors are added to the therapeutic arsenal. Focus on early window of opportunity for management, with treat-to-target approaches that include rapid intervention, and adjustment of medications for patients who do not achieve remission within 6 months. The new campaign, “Don't delay, connect today”, highlights this approach.
Affordability
Biosimilars might provide affordable options.
An unprecedented range of therapeutic options for rheumatic diseases is now available—the new challenge is to make them accessible.
From WSJ: As an alternative to meetings, buff bosses are inviting their employees to exercise and work out (video):
Some prospective employers ask baffled applicants to take jogs, lift weights or do sit-ups; ‘I thought I was going to pass out’, says one job applicant. Read more in WSJ here: Thanks for Your Job Application—Shall We Begin at the Squat Rack? http://buff.ly/2qNEG24
One in five American adults in a commercially insured plan were given prescriptions for short term use of oral corticosteroids during a three year period, with an associated increased risk of adverse events. Of 1.5 million adults, 21% received at least 1 prescription for oral corticosteroids over 3 period.
Robert Steven Kaplan has addressed these 2 topics in 2 Google talks and 2 books, they are linked below. I developed 2 sheets based on the ideas from the talks, embedded below.
How to be happier at your workplace: from employee perspective:
Robert Steven Kaplan: "What You're Really Meant to Do" | Talks at Google:
How to be happier at your workplace: from employer perspective:
Robert Steven Kaplan | What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential:
Kaplan was vice chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, he worked there for 23 years, then he had a change of heart, and became a Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. He wrote the 3 books above in his second role, but that was not the end of road for him. In 2015, Kaplan was appointed as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
References:
Robert Steven Kaplan - Wikipedia http://buff.ly/2nzCsWH Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas http://buff.ly/2mOcCd8 Who Is Robert Steven Kaplan? The Next Dallas Fed President at a Glance http://buff.ly/2nzKWgs
American Academy of Dermatology: Not only can the ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning beds lead to wrinkles, it also increases the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. On an average day, more than 1 million Americans tan in tanning salons. Research shows that nearly 70 percent of indoor tanners are female, primarily 16 to 29 years old.
"We're all about late 60s, early 70s, and bodies have a way of not keeping up with your brain or your career. The time is approaching when it will end, but we don't want to face that. We don't actually want to make a date or a final tour or anything. We just want to carry on as long as nature allows or is kind of dignified. If we can't do what we do anymore, then yes, it's time to stop. But we're still doing it, and we're still enjoying it very much. So all we're saying is the door is closing, but it's not closed yet."
Francesco Gabbani won Festival di Sanremo 2017 with his catchy song “Occidentali’s Karma” (“Westerners’ Karma”) and will represent Italy during Eurovison 2017 song contest. You don't often hear quotes from William Shakespeare and Erich Fromm in the the first two lines of a song:
Excerpts from the lyrics:
"Internet experts, Honorary members of the selfie-addicted anonymous Cleverness is out of fashion, Easy answers, Pointless dilemmas.
Whatever happens, panta rhei And 'Singing in The Rain'."
The phrase panta rhei, "everything flows" either was spoken by Heraclitus or survived as a quotation of his. This famous aphorism used to characterize Heraclitus' thought comes from Simplicius, a neoplatonist, and from Plato's Cratylus. The word rhei is the Greek word for "to stream", and is etymologically related to Rhea according to Plato's Cratylus.
The philosophy of Heraclitus is summed up in his cryptic utterance:
"Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers."
The quote from Heraclitus appears in Plato's Cratylus twice:
"All entities move and nothing remains still"
and
"Everything changes and nothing remains still ... and ... you cannot step twice into the same stream".
Italy sends rising star Francesco Gabbani - and an ape - to win Eurovision 2017 http://buff.ly/2loRH10 "Occidentali's Karma" lyrics - Francesco Gabbani (Italy, Eurovision 2017) http://buff.ly/2loSNd2
From Wikipedia: Charles Krauthammer is an American syndicated columnist, author, political commentator, and non-practicing physician whose weekly column is syndicated to more than 400 publications worldwide. Krauthammer became permanently paralyzed after a diving accident while in his first year studying at Harvard Medical School. After spending 14 months recovering in a hospital, and although wheelchair-bound, he returned to medical school, graduating to become a psychiatrist involved in the creation of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III, and later developing a career as a Pulitzer prize-winning writer.
Plan-based Diet and Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death - by Michael Greger, M.D. (video), a lecture and Q&A session at Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca, NY:
- naming the feeling - communicating understanding, respect, and support - exploring the patient's illness experience and emotions
Before and after a diagnosis
Before revealing a new diagnosis, the patient's prior knowledge and preferences for the depth of information desired should be assessed.
After disclosing a diagnosis, physicians should explore the patient's emotional response.
Treatment options
Shared decision making empowers patients by inviting them to consider:
- pros and cons of different treatment options - no treatment
Instead of overwhelming the patient with medical information, small chunks of data should be provided using repeated cycles of the "ask-tell-ask" approach. Using "tell-tell-tell" does not engage patients.
Example:
1. Ask permission to start a conversation 3. Ask what the patient thinks about their health 4. Ask questions to find out what the patient already knows 5. Tell the patient information in a way that is easy to understand 6. Gauge the patient’s understanding by asking questions after you tell
The percentage of U.S. residents with up-to-date screening for colorectal cancer has not increased appreciably since 2010 and remains at approximately 60%. To achieve the highest level of adherence to colorectal cancer screening, it may be best to provide participants a choice, because the “best” strategy is the one that they will adhere to consistently.
