What do you think is the cause of Havana syndrome ?
) 1 week ago
“Havana syndrome” refers to a series of debilitating symptoms experienced by U.S. officials in Havana, Cuba (but similar incidents have reported in other places including China and even the Washington D.C. area) that have defied explanation. What it has in common is it always seems to be government employees and the attacks seem to target the brain.
What do you think is going on? Is it an actual radioactive or sonic weapon? Is it psychosomatic or mass hysteria? What are your theories?
Havana Syndrome (book)
It is one of the most extraordinary cases in the history of science: the mating calls of insects were mistaken for a “sonic weapon” that led to a major diplomatic row. Since August 2017, the world media has been absorbed in the “attack” on diplomats from the American and Canadian Embassies in Cuba. While physicians treating victims have described it as a novel and perplexing condition that in
Tuesday, 25 May 2021, 8:44 am
Can virtual reality help treat people with a fear of
flying or spiders?
A clinical trial involving
University of Otago, Christchurch, researchers and a South
Island tech company will seek to answer that
question.
The trial will use a smartphone app called
“oVRcome” developed by tech entrepreneur Adam Hutchinson
to treat patients with phobias and anxiety.
The app is
paired with a headset to immerse participants in virtual
environments to help treat their phobia.
The oVRcome
system draws on principles of exposure therapy, a proven and
effective form of treatment, which removes the need to
create real life experiences and scenarios.
Antibiotics: Patient Expectations and Doctors Prescribing Habits May Contribute to Antimicrobial Resistance
Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some bacterial infections difficult to treat. This often leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Still, many physicians report prescribing antibiotics at their patients request. To address patients expectations for antibiotic prescribing for URTIs, researchers conducted an experiment in which study participants were assigned brief educational videos to watch on a tablet immediately prior to their appointment.
The authors randomized patients into three groups - one that viewed a presentation about the futility of antibiotic treatment of URTIs; a second group that viewed a presentation about the adverse effects associated with antibiotics; and a third control group that learned about the benefits of healthy diet/exe