HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: elf@ee.ryerson.ca (luis fernandes)
Subject: Re: Cellular telephones and brain tumors
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:13:54 GMT

CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Chris Thomas) writes:
[...]

>Would you put your head in a microwave oven?

[...]

It's practically impossible to completely clean the inside (top) of
the microwave oven without placing one's head inside; this shouldn't
be a concern since microwave ovens are designed so that operation is
impossible when the door is open. 

Once the door is shut the only thing preventing the u-wave radiation
from getting *out the front* is the grille sandwiched between the
plexi(?)glass. (I'm not sure what type of shielding is used on the
other sides.)

The grille's design creates an interference pattern such that the
u-wave-front exiting the oven cancels itself out. This anecdote
surfaced in a physics lab where u-wave wavelengths were being
measured.

--
elf@ee.ryerson.ca
From: tsornas@dec5.ulb.ac.be (Thierry Sornasse)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Michael Jackson's Skin
Date: 6 Jan 93 18:02:02 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Free University Brussels  - Belgium -  Department of Molecular Biology

Hi networkers,

There is a fashion in Africa, especially in Zaire, which "obliges" the women to
become as clear as possible. It is astonishing to see all those lady with a skin
lighter than Eurasian people. In fact, this effect is produce by a very toxic
stuff called in Zaire and Belgium (there is a lot of Zairian in
Belgium) :"Ressal". 
I do not know if Michael Jackson uses this stuff but if it is the case it 
could explain why he had so great problem with his skin during is 
summer tour in Europe.

(Forgive me for my poor english)

Best regards

Happy New Year

Thierry Sornasse
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: young@clpd.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: potassium
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@clpd.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 14:10:10 GMT

In article <11589@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> cathye@cs.uq.oz.au writes:

>1) what are the normal potassium levels ? Is there a range ? 
>   I have been told the patients level is "3.2" and normal is
>   "3.9".  Does that make sense ? I'm not clear on the units .

	In International Units, potassium is measured in millimoles per
	liter (mmol/L).  The following numbers are given in those units:

	Premature infant (umbilical)		5.0 - 10.2
	Premature infant (after 48 hours)	3.0 - 6.0
	Newborn (full term - unbilical)		5.6 - 12.0
	Newborn					3.7 - 5.9
	Infant					4.1 - 5.3
	Child					3.4 - 4.7
	Adult (teen and older)			3.5 - 5.1

		[NOTE: the above values are for blood serum.]

	Adult (plasma)				3.5 - 4.5

	Adult (sweat)				5.0 - 17.0

	Adult (cerebrospinal fluid)		70% of plasma level fraction
						2.5 - 3.2 mmol/L, rises with
						plasma hyperosmolality

	Adult (urine excretion)			25 - 125 mmol/day, varies with
						diet

>2) What is usually done if it is low ?

	Depends on why it's low.

>3) is it the absolute value that matters or the ratio of sodium to
>   potassium  ?

	Sodium does affect the flow of K+ into the tubules of the kidney,
	but it is the absolute value of K+ which is normally of interest.

>4) Does low potassium cause sleepiness or reduced mental interaction ? 

	"...decrease of extracellular K+ is characterized by muscle
	weakness, [muscle] irritability, and paralysis; fast heart rate 
	and specific conduction effects apparent by electrocardiographic
	examination; and eventual cardiac arrest...plasma K+ less than
	3.0 mmol/L is associated withmarked neuromuscular symptoms and
	is evidence of a critical degree of intracellular depletion."

	"Abnormally high extracellular K+ produces symptoms of mental
	confusion; weakness, numbness, and tingling of the extremities;
	and slowed heart rate, typical conduction effects on the electro-
	cardiogram, and eventually peripheral vascular collapse and 
	cardiac arrest.  The symptoms are apparent at K+ levels greater
	than 7.5 mmol/L; levels greater than 10.0 mmol/L are in most cases
	fatal."

>5) How does high blood pressure fit into the picture ?

	I'm not sure it does, but then, I'm not a doctor, either.

   REFERENCE: FUNDAMENTALS OF CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, 3rd ed., Norbert W. Tietz,
		editor; W. B. Saunders, 1987.

   NOTE: These data are supplied for informational, not diagnostic, purposes.


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
From: teresas@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Teresa Simske)
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 23:11:30 GMT
Subject: Re: Severe Acne Help!
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Greeley, CO
Newsgroups: sci.med




The defects in babies of female Accutane patients were found in women on the
drug dring pregnancy. Post-accutane patients who have had babies have not had
accutane-induced birth defects.

There should be no problem "finding a doctor who will prescribe Accutane to
a female patient." 

Before recommending Accutane (which, through experience, is quite effective
in resolving acne - though more people I've met have required two courses
than I was led to believe from my dermatologist), it might be worthwhile
to switch doctors, consider a combination of different antibiotics (I've
had 9 different types which all served to alleviate the acne, some better
than others), and look into hormone testing (possible causes of the acne, as
hormone therapy is commonly prescribed especially for females with higher
than normal testerone levels).

Acne can have severe effects on the patients personality and self-esteem.
These issues should be addressed directly along with the actual treatment
for the condition. Too often people wait to get the treatment they need
and end up with lifelong scars (many acne scars, especially of the bump 
variety, cannot be adequately lessened through cosmetic surgery. Do not
delay getting help. I am very lucky that my acne is in remission and that
I have no visible traces of having had severe cysts.
From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Allergic - Moving to Texas
Date: 7 Jan 1993 10:07:52 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: im4u.cs.utexas.edu
Summary: Bad choice for allergies.
Keywords: Allergy, Asthma, Environment, Texas, Austin

-*----
In article <1993Jan7.122548.18128@hsr.no> janh@hsr.no (Jan Hoeyberg) writes:
> In a few weeks I'll be moving to Austin, Texas, together with my wife
> and 5 year old son. They are both allergic to pollen (grass, birch) and
> dust, and suffer from asthma.

In about two years, you will probably add cedar and ragweed to
the list.  Welcome to the allergy capital of the world!  Due to
the fact that Austin sits between the hills and the plains,
enjoying a confluence of several different ecological zones,
there is no time of the year when the air is not carrying some
pollen or mold spore.

'Tis a great city, though.

Russell  (resident since '62)
From: thomas@mvac23.UUCP (Thomas Lapp)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Baby with no father
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 07:23:02 EST
Organization: MultiVac23, Newark, DE, U.S.A.

pfieland@citron.sw.stratus.com (Peggy Fieland) writes:
> A group of us were shooting the breeze over coffee last night when
> two of the women announced they were planning to have a baby next
> year.  After the usual good wishes, someone mentioned she had
> heard that a clinic in Australia was combining two (human) eggs
> in vitro using the enzyme hyaluronidase, enabling two women to
> have a baby together, ie, two mothers and no father.

At least we know the outcome: a girl.


                         - tom
--
internet     : mvac23!thomas@udel.edu  or  thomas%mvac23@udel.edu (home)
             : lapp@cdhub1.dnet.dupont.com (work)
OSI          : C=US/A=MCI/S=LAPP/D=ID=4398613
uucp         : {ucbvax,mcvax,uunet}!udel!mvac23!thomas
Location     : Newark, DE, USA

Xref: sparky sci.med:23745 sci.skeptic:22279
From: bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (William E. White )
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Characterization of quack theories
Date: 10 Jan 93 23:11:17 GMT
Organization: Ohio University, Computer Science Department

In article <1993Jan8.105257.12195@vms.eurokom.ie> mdebuitlear@vms.eurokom.ie writes:

>The fact is that millions of chinese people go into chinese clinics daily 
>suffering from a wide range of illnesses.  They are treated by acupuncture 
>and a few days later, they feel well again.  The sucess rates are way above 
>that that would be expected by the placebo effect.  

The effect of acupuncture, acupressure, electroacupuncture, etc., on the
opioid systems is understood (not necessarily well-understood, but it is
known nonetheless).  In addition, the traditional acupuncture points have
been shown to have innervation of some sort -- not necessarily understood
-- and also to have a different spectrum of neurotransmitters than the
surounding areas (e.g., more 5HT).
In addition, varying frequencies of electroacupuncture activate different
opioid receptors (the ones involved, as far as I know, are mu-, kappa-,
and delta-).  I can provide references on this if desired.

>> (One of the curious things about the  resurrection of older traditions is 
>> that foreign traditions are more interesting that native ones.  Thus, one 
>> hears arguments for qi and traditional Chinese remedies, but almost never 
>> for the four humour theory of disease and the frequent bloodletting and 
>> purges it prescribes.)

Qi can also be thought of as more metaphorical than anything else.

>In much the same way as we hear more about cholesterol nowadays than we do 
>about the use of leeches for bloodletting.

And, incidentally, leeches are used nowadays, quite successfully (so are
maggots) for specific purposes.  Not to say I buy into bloodletting.


>> Russell

>Micheal.
>E-mail Mdebuitlear.Vms.EuroKom.ie


-- 
|  Bill White   +1-614-594-3434     | bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu             |
|  31 Curran Dr., Athens OH  45701  | bwhite@bigbird.cs.ohiou.edu (alternate) |
|  SCA: Erasmus Marwick, Dernehealde Pursuivant, Dernehealde, Middle Kingdom  |
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Physician's Incomes
Date: 11 Jan 93 17:39:21 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <51745@seismo.CSS.GOV> rrb@corona.CSS.GOV (Robert Blandford) writes:
>
>In the recent Consumer Reports series on health care they plotted
>the median US wage, the median doctor's salary, and the median specialists
>salary from 1970 to present.  The median US wage was flat, the doctor's
>salary had increased by a factor of 3 and the specialist's salary by
>a factor of 10.
>
I saw that issue and recall no such statistics.  That would mean
that doctor's salaries in 1970 were $40,000 on average?  Hard
to believe.  The average wage today in the USA is $25,000 (heard
that yesterday on NPR).  In 1970 it was $25,000?  Don't believe
that either.  The average specialist (assuming they started as
the average doctor at $40,000 in 1970) is $400,000?  Certainly
that is not true.  Maybe the average radiologist or cardio-thoracic
or plastic surgeon, but I am a specialist and doubt if many in my
specialty make that much.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky sci.med:23431 sci.philosophy.meta:2918
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.philosophy.meta
Subject: Re: Peter Breggin, _Toxic Psychiatry_ (Q)
From: RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg)
Date: 4 Jan 93 19:55:33 EDT
Followup-To: sci.philosophy.meta
 <1992Dec24.121004.939@ariel.ec.usf.edu> <C0C46t.Hq4@unx.sas.com> <1993Jan4.183308.14646@news.eng.convex.com>
Distribution: world
Organization: Philosophy Dept., Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20In-Reply-To: cash@convex.com's message of Mon, 4 Jan 1993 18:33:08 GMTLines: 34

In <1993Jan4.183308.14646@news.eng.convex.com> cash@convex.com writes:
> In article <C0C46t.Hq4@unx.sas.com> sasghm@theseus.unx.sas.com (Gary Merrill) writes:

<Stuff about schizophrenia, depression, the disease model, defs of diseases,
etc. deleted.>

Gary Merrill & Peter Cash are both frequent contributers to the various
philosophy Usenet newsgroups.  You have raised some really fascinating &
important questions, but guess what, guys?  Your questions are philosophical
questions, not scientific questions. <surprise, surprise>

Now, as a sometimes-attendee of PSA (Philosophy of Science Association), I
totally understand the yearning to discuss philosophy of science questions with
practicing scientists.  As a sometimes-professor of philosophy of science, I
also know how often such discussions go over approximately like lead balloons.

This is because philosophy of science and scientific practice are fundamentally
different things, even though they may seem to have nearly the same subject
matter.  (For critiques of this separation, see Steve Fuller, SOCIAL
EPISTEMOLOGY; or my colleague, Joseph Rouse, KNOWLEDGE AND POWER; or Bruno
Latour: anything he's written; or Donna Haraway, PRIMATE VISIONS.)  There are
others;  the most serious critiques of the separation of philosophy of science
from scientific practice come from your buddies, the Continental philosophers. 
;-) ;-) ;-)  <for those who don't read the philosophy newsgroups, this is
intended to be obviously sarcastic, because these 2 don't generally agree with
those folks at all>

At any rate, I am taking the liberty of redirecting followups to
sci.philosophy.meta, since Gary said he isn't going to read sci.med any more
anyway.

------------------------
Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: carl@aoa.aoa.utc.com (Carl Witthoft)
Subject: Re: Heating milk in microwave for babies??
Organization: Adaptive Optics Associates
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:32:11 GMT

In article <9301081607.AA17369@TIS.COM> richard@TIS.COM writes:
>>From: mjk@icf.hrb.com (Michael J. Kelley)
>>to heat the bottle of milk in the microwave. Is it safe to do this???  
>There are a number of reasons for this being unsafe:
>1. Hot spots! The microwave heats *unevenly* and will leave some
>	*very hot* spots on the bottle and in the milk. When baby
>	clamps down on the nipple... instant burnt tounge. :(
x
Hardly credible. Nipples in general do not have chemical structures
which absorb at microwave freqs, ergo no heating.  And, as previously
mentioned, one must shake the bottle before giving it to child.

>2. Hot spots (again). The microwave will litterally burn some of the
>	milk in place. All curdled and lumpy, it won't go through
>	the nipple as intended.

If you did this, you nuked it 'way too long.  Not relevant to
sensible use of microwave.

>3. Microwaves destroy some of the important vitamins and proteins
>	in the milk.
Not validated by any study I can recall.  Do you have any info from,
say AJP or NEJM, which backs this up?


-- 
Carl Witthoft @ Adaptive Optics Associates
aoa!carl@bbn.com  carl@aoa.utc.com
54 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge,MA 02140 617-864-0201
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dks@sr.com (Dave K. Sprow)
Subject: Re: Was: (Getting off Xanax) Now: Consumer Reports on Xanax
Reply-To: dks@srhqla.UUCP (Dave K. Sprow)
Organization: Silent Radio, Los Angeles
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 20:39:52 GMT

In article <C0A2JJ.IKr@acsu.buffalo.edu> oispeggy@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Peggy Brown) writes:
>
>The January 1993 issue of Consumer Reports has an interesting 
>(and critical) article on Xanax.
>
>- Peggy -

What were the salient points please.

Well, I said I would report in.  As some may know, I was presrcibed Xanax
about a 1 3/4 ago and my body got very addicted to it well after I needed
it for the reason it was prescribed.  I spent nearly all that time trying
the prescribed medical means to get off it; i.e., cut it down gradually,
.25 mg at a time. Without going into the multitude of horror stories, my
last year plus has been a living hell.  I talked to lots of professionals
and a lot of thesee (Psychiattists, Drs., etc.) felt that xanax should be
and a lot of thesee (Psychiattists, Drs., etc.) felt that xanax should be
banned. I agree, I can't describe how horrible it was.  I called a well-
known clinic here in L.A. and the woman I talked to told me that in the three
years she had been there that she had heard many,many Xanax horror stories.

Anyway, I could not go on like that.  I talked to e
banned. I agree,
   
I talked to people, got the best recommendation, and checked into a hospital
on Fri., Dec. 18 to detox.  I was there for 10 days. Compared to the last
year and 3/4, the detox was amazingly smooth.  And I'm now off the Xanax!!!
This Dr. Meyers is considered an expert at this and I'd have to say he
gets my vote.

Now I can have a life again....   

If anyone takes Xanax, I'd *personally* recommend taking in for *very*
short term use only, or better yet, find something else that isn't as
addicting.

David S.
From: richard@TIS.COM (Richard Clark)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Heating milk in microwave for babies??
Date: 8 Jan 93 16:07:05 GMT
Reply-To: richard@TIS.COM
Organization: Trusted Information Systems

>From: mjk@icf.hrb.com (Michael J. Kelley)
>
>My wife fell asleep one night while heating a bottle of milk in a soup pan. 
>She set of the smoke detector once the bottle started to burn. She now wants 
>to heat the bottle of milk in the microwave. Is it safe to do this???  
>
>A concerned father.						
>                                                              Mike Kelley

ABSOLUTELY NOT! NO! NO! NO!

There are a number of reasons for this being unsafe:

1. Hot spots! The microwave heats *unevenly* and will leave some
	*very hot* spots on the bottle and in the milk. When baby
	clamps down on the nipple... instant burnt tounge. :(

2. Hot spots (again). The microwave will litterally burn some of the
	milk in place. All curdled and lumpy, it won't go through
	the nipple as intended.

3. Microwaves destroy some of the important vitamins and proteins
	in the milk.

4. Other reasons I've forgotten or don't know...

What we did, rather than sit around and wait for milk in a bottle in
a pan, was run it under hot tap water while shaking gently... Much faster!
(Although an inefficient use of energy, who cares at 2am?) Faster yet,
you can use the Playtex type bag bottle. They have the advantage of
quicker heat transfer due to the thin bag vs a thick walled bottle.
If you're using frozen breast milk, just plop the cubes into a Playtex
bottle bag in the fridge before you go to sleep, so they're half
thawed already when baby wakes up. ("Mommy Cubes": breast milk frozen in
an ice cube tray...) Our little one is about 18 months old now, and we
stopped warming her bottle some time ago. She gets it straight from the
fridge, so all we have to do is remember to fill it before we go to bed.

Good luck! Hope this helps!



-----------------------Relativity Schmelativity-----------------------------
 Richard H. Clark				My opinions are my own, and
 LUNATIK - watch for me on the road...		ought to be yours, but under
 It's not my fault... I voted PEROT!		no circumstances are they
 richard@tis.com				those of my company...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: rxg3321@ultb.isc.rit.edu (R.X. Getter)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: handicapped mode for X windows or sun workstations?
Date: 10 Jan 93 21:44:01 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Originator: rxg3321@ultb

I am looking for a way of using a sun workstation with only one hand.
I would like the shift, control, and alt keys to be "sticky" so I don't have 
too hold them down while reaching all the way across the keyboard. I can't
put on any special hardware or do anything which would require root
priveledges. I had heard that X windows supports such a mode, but I have know
idea how too find it.

advTHANKSance,
rob
From: km@ky3b.pgh.pa.us (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Electrocardiogram question
Date: 10 Jan 93 13:39:38 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: KY3B - Vax Pittsburgh, PA

In article <1993Jan5.062707.27910@mr.med.ge.com>, hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987 ~BHOSVWZ#097) writes:
|> Agreed, a GOOD computerized interpreter shouldn't get it wrong, but I've seen
|> some pretty scary notes on normal EKG's.  Try feeding your interpreter  
|> 60Hz hum sometime and see how it deals with it.  Some call it tachycardia.
|> 
|> Am I correct in assuming that sometimes a diagnosis is actually made by these
|> things & relied on?  What kind of liability would we be talking here?

I could tell some interesting stories here, but I won't. Some people will take
a computer reading as Gospel, and I have seen the computer make some very interesting
but incorrect interpretations of EKGs where there was no electrical noise at all.
This is especially true of the older programs, where the program would key off of
particular features of the EKG in deciding things, whereas today the programs appear
to look for confirmation from several features. But I still see gross mistakes by
the machines, perhaps one a month. Most of the mistakes are misdiagnosed rhythms,
since these programs seem less decisive about things like ST segments and ischemic
patterns.

I took the computerized interpretations off of our machines one month, and got
roundly booed by the doctors, so I put it back on. Sigh.

-km
From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Hypothyroidism
Date: 8 Jan 1993 12:29:34 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: im4u.cs.utexas.edu

-*----
In article <1993Jan6.170821.25083@ncar.ucar.edu> donnam@niwot.scd.ucar.edu (Donna Melle) writes:
>> I work with a woman who has recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
>> Prior to beginning a synthyroid prescription from her medical doctor, she
>> decided to check out her medication options with a chinese herbologist.
>> He claims to be able to permanently "cure" the hypothyroidism without the
>> use of synthyroid. ...

Not surprising.  I hope your friend records his promises and then
sues him into penury when he fails to make good on them.

In article <1993Jan8.170551.1747@island.COM> green@island.COM (Robert Greenstein) writes:
> Xiao Yao Wan ... is an old and very effective formula for treating
> certain syndromes which according to traditional Chinese medical
> theory, may or may not include hypothyroidism. ...

Such a long sentence to say nothing!  Tell us, Robert, had 
traditional Chinese medicine even characterized the biochemical
function of the thyroid?  Did they have any way to measure 
thyroid function?  Did they distinguish hypothyroidism from 
other diseases with similar symtoms?  Did they know anything of
its causes? 

If the answers to these questions are "no," then let's put it
simply: traditional Chinese medicine didn't understand
hypothyroidism and had no way of knowing the effects of their
remedies on this problem.  And if this is so, anyone who applies
traditional Chinese medicine today in the treatment of
hypothyroidism is a dangerous quack.

> Acupuncture can definitely be used to stimulate a low-acting 
> thyroid, as well as to treat hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's, etc.

Do you have *any* evidence of this?

Russell
Newsgroups: sci.med