Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd_g0dN0lg/The low calorie and restricted nutrient diets that many overweight and obese men are following have a significant chance of making them depressed.  The University of Toronto’s Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics reviewed data from more than 28,000 US men gathered from 2007 to 2018.While calorie-restrictive diets were associated with a bump in depressive feelings as well as a decline in cognitive performance, nutrient-restrictive diets intensified this effect.  Both calorie and nutrient restrictions led to more significant and negative emotional effects in men compared with women.  Such effects did not occur in balanced diets that included omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12.So guys….. if you plan to embark on a weight loss program, be certain your diet includes essential nutrients.  One good way to do this is to seek the advice of a certified clinical nutritionist.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250607103056.htmhttps://nutrition.bmj.com/c

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd-p9zO5Hl/Nicotine pouches ingestions have surged some 700% between the years 2020 and 2023.  This from a study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital that analyzed national poison control data from 2010 to 2023 on over 134,000 cases of nicotine ingestion in children under 6. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that the majority of the ingestions occurred in children under 2 years old.  This is likely because kids can easily mistake the small, brightly colored, and flavored nicotine pouches for candy. Even small amounts of nicotine can be poisonous for young children.If you as a parent feel the need to use nicotine in any form but particularly in pouches, store the nicotine in a secure place not accessible by curious children. If your kids do manage to get their hands on this or any potential poison, be aware that the National Capitol Poison Help Line is available to help you 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222.https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/156/2/e2024

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd97UEOGKy/Ovulating women produce three organic chemicals that, when vaporized, are pleasing to men and trigger their more favorable opinion of the women emanating them.  This intriguing study from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Applied Biological Chemistry and its International Research Center for Neurointelligence.  During the study, 84 scent samples, collected from women during various phases of their menstrual cycles, were presented to 21 men. Each odor was rated for its level of pleasantness, its effect on the rater’s mood, and its impact on the rater’s impression of women in pictures.The 3 compounds prevalent during ovulation, geranylacetone, tetradecanoic acid, and hexadecenoic acid, were rated as pleasing, tended to relax and de-stress the male raters, and were associated with more positive impressions of the pictured women.Though the researchers stopped short of calling these organic chemicals pheromones, they did label them as pheromone-like.The botto

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd8-nmPeM1/More hope for the needle-phobic comes researchers at North Carolina State University.  Lacing ordinary dental floss with vaccine permits vaccine delivery to the thin, permeable gum tissue between teeth and gums known as the junctional epithelium.Testing this dental floss vaccination technique in mice, it produced stronger respiratory lining immunity than traditional oral vaccines and comparable  immunity to nasal vaccines. The floss vaxing worked with mRNA, protein-based, and inactivated virus vaccines, and floss picks or swords also worked well.Just as the sugar cube revolutionized polio immunizations, dental floss vaccinations may become the next big thing, particularly for children with teeth, for those who abhor needles, and for even those who want to vaccinate themselves.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250803011820.htmhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01451-3#vaccine #floss #needlephobia #children

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd8M5osKnr/Ovarian cancer cells tend to be resistant to the best cancer therapies including chemo-, radiation-, and immuno.  University of Chicago OB-GYN oncologists, collaborating with the National Cancer Institute’s Experimental Therapeutics researchers, now look to a novel approach that seeks to disarm the so-called Cancer Associated Fibroblasts, CAFs, that provide protective cover for the cancer cells themselves.A tumor-induced enzyme NNMT is necessary for normal fibroblasts to convert into the CAFs that shield the ovarian cancer cells by suppressing the body’s immune no reaction to them and permit the cancer to flourish and metastasize to other parts of the body.The UChicago team developed a powerful NNMT inhibitor compound that successfully halts this transformation at least in a preclinical mouse ovarian cancer model.  Administering this drug along with immune checkpoint inhibitors effectively halted tumor growth.This approach may finally yield effective therapy f

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd6_L_NINg/Harvard Medical School research geneticists have discovered that a new lithium compound can effectively treat Alzheimer’s dementia.  Lithium within the brain normally protects and stabilizes brain cells. When this vital element is trapped by amyloid plaques, neurons degenerate leading to devastating cognitive decline.Using a preclinical mouse model, the researchers found that a lithium deficiency accelerates Alzheimer’s-type neuronal degeneration.  Providing these mice with lithium orotate, a form of lithium that amyloid plaques cannot sequester, reversed the brain cell damage and effectively restored the animals’ memories even for older mice.  This lithium compound is effective at a fraction of the dose required for management of psychiatric disease diminishing the chances of toxic side effects.These exciting findings may well offer a more effective and safer therapeutic approach to Alzheimer’s. Clinical trials will br needed, but the Harvard researchers feel

Vidcast:   https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd6KltPeD_/Transplantation immuno-geneticists at Sweden’s Uppsala University Hospital have successfully used gene editing to modify human pancreatic islet cells such that these transplants are more histocompatible, survive longer, and function better.  Their single patient case report appeared in a recent issues of the New England Journal of Medicine.The recipient is a 42-year-old male juvenile-onset insulin-dependent diabetic. The researchers utilized CRISPR-Cas12b gene editing technology to delete genes that code for incompatible cell surface antigens while adding genes coding for protective antigens thereby making the donor pancreatic cells invisible to the recipient’s immune system.Over a 12-week period, the limited number of gene-edited islet cells available for transplantation were able to reduce but not totally eliminate the recipients insulin requirement.  This proved the viability and functional integrity of the transplanted islet cells suggesting that transpla

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd5NZfu7xU/Indian nano-bioengineers have developed 400 nanometer calcium-silicate plugs that can be magnetically guided into the microscopic channels within teeth. These tiny channels, named dentinal tubules, lead to sensitive nerve endings and are exposed due to enamel erosion and.or guys recession.  Once that happens, cool or warm liquids or food can reach these nerves and trigger intense dental pain.The nanobot plugs delicately seal these tubules stop these painful episodes.  Tests on extracted teeth show that the nanobots create tubule plugs in about 20 minutes.  Preclinical tests using mice reveal that this dentinal tubule plugging strategy effectively and completely insulates teeth from pain-inducing temperature changes.  The proprietary calcium-silicate bioceramic is well tolerated by living mammalian tissues.  The researchers are planning to begin clinical trials in the not-to-distant future.https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-magnetically-nanobots-relief-toot

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbo_jXPFcF/Listeria infection can cause serious or fatal illness, particularly in young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems, and can cause miscarriages or stillbirths in pregnant women. Affected is: product with best by dates of July 26, 2025, August 12, 2025, and August 19, 2025; Wegmans Assorted Cheese Flight; Wegmans Grilling Camembert with Tapenade & Roasted Tomatoes; and Wegmans Caramel Apple Pecan Topped Brie Cheese.These recalled cheese products were sold at all Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C between July 1 and August 12, 2025.Do not consume these contaminated cheeses but return them to the service desk at any Wegmans location for a full refund.  For questions, contact Wegmans Food Markets at 1-855-934-3663.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wegmans-food-markets-inc-recalls-various

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNboYt8M4rE/Glass foreign bodies may cause dental injuries, mouth and throat lining lacerations, and/or intestinal perforations.  The affected lots are L-5163 and L-5164 with a best by date of December 13, 2026, and L-5165 with a best by date of December 14, 2026.The recalled coffee was sold in Dollar General retail stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming all between July 9 and July 21, 2025.Stop using this product immediately, discard it, and contact Dollar General at 1-888-309-9030 or via the email c

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbnzIZPgo0/This is yet another mislabeling incident.  Containers sold with a Red Bliss Potato Salad top label actually contain Tricolor Twist Pasta Salad which does contain wheat. This labeling error poses a risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions for individuals with a wheat allergy, a gluten sensitivity, or celiac disease.  Affected packages have a Use By date of 8/20/25.About 66 of these mislabeled packages were sold at Stop and Shop retail locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.If you purchased this mislabeled product, return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Hans Kissle at 1-978-556-4500.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hans-kissle-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-wheat-allergen-hans-kissle-red-potato-bliss-salad#hanskissle #redpotatoebliss #salad #pasta #wheat #allergy #gluten #celiac #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbnKAkNR4X/This recalled product was mistakenly packaged in Friendly’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream cartons with a Cookies & Cream lid.  Those with soy or wheat allergies, gluten sensitivities or celiac disease could experience a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction should they eat this ice cream. Affected are those packages with a best by 11/26/25.About 324 cartons of this  mistakenly labeled ice cream were distributed through a single UNFI distribution center to retail stores in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.If you purchased any Friendly Vanilla Bean Ice Cream cartons that have a Cookies & Cream lid,  return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact DFA Dairy Brands at 1-800-587-2259.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/friendlys-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-soywheat-friendlys-cookies-cream-ice-cream#friendlys #icecream #vanillabean #cookiesandcream #soy #wheat #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbmdYeNGc3/This bacterium can cause serious and potentially life-threatening infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The affected products include over-the-counter antiseptic lotion soaps, external analgesics, antimicrobial foam soaps, and antiseptic cleansers.  The affected lots are listed in the FDA’s recall announcement at https://miniurl.com/DermariteAlertThe recalled products were sold nationwide in the United States and in Puerto Rico.Stop using these contaminated products immediately.  Check to see if your products are affected.  If so,  return them to the place of purchase for a refund.  For questions, call 1-973-569-9000 extension 104 or email voluntary.action@dermarite.com.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dermarite-industries-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-dermakleen-dermasarra-kleenfoam-and#dermarite #dermakleen #dermsarra #kleenfoam #perigiene #burkholderia #infection #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNblkoGPCUB/Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat or who have a gluten allergy or celiac disease risk serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product. Affected are batch numbers 80108690 and 80108763, best before January 13, 2026.Only 150 of these mislabeled packages were sold at Neuhaus stores in New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. and through the Neuhaus online store between July 21, 2025, and August 4, 2025.If you, family members, or household guests are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten or have celiac disease, return this product to the place of purchase for a full refund. For questions, email Neuhaus Customer Care at customercare@neuhaus.be.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/neuhaus-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-wheat-belgian-chocolate-moments-smurfs-popping-milk#neuhaus #chocolate #belgian #smurf #wheat #allergy #gluten #celiac #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbk9L_pd-P/The LED-illuminated plastic sphere can break on impact providing children access to these button cell batteries. If ingested, these batteries pose a risk of serious injury or death as they create gastrointestinal burns, erosions, and perforations. Affected is item number 15712EAM.About 15,400 of these pet toy sets were sold exclusively at Menards stores nationwide and online between September 2024 and March 2025.Immediately stop using these recalled pet toys and contact Petmate 1-888-847-8716 to receive a full refund or for more information. Then dispose of these button cell batteries at your local hazardous waste center rather than simply tossing them into the trash or household recycling.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Petmate-Recalls-Pet-Zone-Pet-Toys-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Ingestion-Hazard-Violation-of-Mandatory-Standard-for-Consumer-Products-with-Button-Cell-Batteries-Sold-Exclusively-at-Menards#petzone #toys #led #buttonbatteries #

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbkKFuNp3i/These socks are abrasive and cause pain, burns, and blisters during high-intensity activities that involve heat, friction, moisture, and pressure. Affected are models MWMS07, MWWS07, and MWMS05.About 45,000 pairs of these socks were sold in the US and Canada by Scheels All Sports, Fred Meyer, Home Depot, Meijer, Bomgaars Supply, Buchheits, Running Supply, Fleet Farm Wholesale Supply, and online at Amazon.com from August 2021 through June 2025.Stop wearing these recalled socks and contact Fieldsheer Apparel Technologies  at 1-888-908-6024 or by email at cs@fieldsheer.com for a full refund or a replacement of equal value. The lithium-ion battery packs included with the socks must be disposed of at local hazardous waste centers. They cannot be simply dumped in trash or standard recycling bins.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Fieldsheer-Apparel-Technologies-Recalls-Heated-Socks-Due-to-Injury-Hazard#fieldsheer #heated #socks #battery #abrasions #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DNbjffYPrgI/This hair serum contains the drug minoxidil that, if ingested by a child, would lead to severe poisoning or even death.About 21,300 bottles of this product were sold in the US through Amazon between June 2024 and June 2025.Immediately secure any of these recalled bottles and keep them out of sight and reach of children. To receive a replacement, pour the bottle’s contents into the trash, take a photo of the empty bottle in the trash, and email it to sefralls@outlook.com for further instructions. For more information, contact Guangzhou Ariel Biotech at the same email.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Sefralls-Minoxidil-Hair-Generation-Serum-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Child-Poisoning-Violates-Mandatory-Standard-for-Child-Resistant-Packaging-Manufactured-by-Guangzhou-Ariel-Biotech#sefralls #minoxidil #packaging #children #poisoning #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DM8RnY1vckZ/High Noon is recalling its Beach Variety Pack 12-packs of vodka seltzer due to a packaging error that resulted in some cans being mislabeled as CELSIUS ASTRO VIBE Energy Drink, Sparkling Blue Razz Edition. The mislabeled cans contain vodka seltzer instead of energy drink and lead to unintentional alcohol consumption. Affected are Beach Variety lot codes are L CCC 17JL25 14:00 to L CCC 17JL25 23:59 and L CCC 18JL25 00:00 to L CCC 18JL25 03:00 and CELSIUS lot codes L CCB 02JL25 2:55 to L CCB 02JL25 3:11.These variety packs with mislabeled cans were sold in Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.Do not drink the affected CELSIUS ASTRO VIBE Energy Drink cans with silver lids and the lot codes I mentioned. If you purchased the affect  High Noon Beach Variety 12-packs or the mislabeled CELSIUS cans, contact High Noon at consumerrelations@highnoonvodka.com for refund information.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-w

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DM8QkpEsnPN/Listeria causes serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. It can also lead to miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women. Affected are lot numbers 25175 through 25206, with use-by dates ranging from June 24, 2027, to July 25, 2027.These tainted fruit packs were sold at Sam’s Club locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.  All sales occurred between July 1 and July 25, 2025.Do not consume this product but return it to any Sam’s Club for a full refund. For more

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DM8Pk7wMk7B/If your children climb on the toy’s counter or crawl through the opening at the back of the play kitchen, their clothing can become caught on the metal or plastic accessory hooks leading to strangulation or death. That happened to a 23-month-old child in Oregon who died in 2023 after getting caught on one of these hooks.About 192,000 play kitchens were sold in the US and 12 sold were sold in Canada at KidKraft.com, Amazon.com, and Walmart.com from 2018 through July 2025.Immediately stop using the play kitchens, remove the original hooks, and contact Backyard Kids at 1-800-882-0234 or via the email recall@kidkraft.com to receive free replacement hooks. No proof of purchase is required to obtain the replacement parts.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Backyard-Kids-Recalls-KidKraft-Farm-to-Table-Play-Kitchens-Due-to-Strangulation-Hazard-One-Death-Reported#kidcraft #toys #kitchen #strangulation #recall