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Frogs, Toads, Lizards and Bats –found in pre-packed salads

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • A newly published study in the journal Science presents the findings of researchers on incidents since 2003 where animals were discovered in prepackaged salads.
  • According to the results, majority of the animals found in 40 samples of pre-bagged salads bought from 20 states were frogs and toads, followed by reptiles, mammals and birds.
  • Additionally, the study authors also noted that animal appearances are three times more common in standard produce than organic greens.

For years, many people in the United States who have bought pre-bagged salads from local grocery stores found extra surprise ingredients packaged along with their kale and romaine: frogs, lizards, rodents and bats.

Some animals were even found to be alive in 10 cases…which made the discoveries either less revolting or probably even worse.

A new study published online July 20 in the journal Science of the Total Environment describes the findings of scientists after recent study on these animal discoveries since 2003. After presenting forty samples of packaged salads bought from 20 states that included unexpected wildlife guests, 38 are found to have such encounters in the past decade.

Data on incidents reported online by news outlets had been collected by the researchers. This included date and location of the animal discoveries, type of goods, packaging type, animal species and if the animal was dead or alive. For dead animals, the scientists noted whether ‘the animal was whole or partial’.

Results showed that 53% of the animals found in salads were frogs and toads where most of the frogs belong to the tree fog group. An estimated 23% of the salad animals are comprised of reptiles while around 18% were mammals, mostly rodents, and the rest were birds.

Further, they also observed that animals are three times more found in bags of standard vegetables than in organic ones.

While this study centered on vertebrates, the researchers also found invertebrate life in packaged salads on several occasions and believed that these could outnumber the vertebrate cases.

They explained that it’s likely that “wildlife ends up in packaged salad even more frequently than their findings suggest” because some cases may have not been reported or were reported only in print media, which was not included in the study.

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Pre-packed salads became very popular since it was introduced in the 80s. The study authors surmised that the industry’s continued reliance on automatic production channels could be the reason why small, wild animals could avoid safety features and end up inside a salad bag.

According to the study authors, despite it being the first study to take on these repeated instances of small vertebrate appearances in salad, it remains undetermined whether these incidents show a ‘food-safety crisis or a complaint against food quality’. To know when and how animals find their way into salad bags and what measures could be taken to prevent this would require further observations of the harvesting and production process.

 

Source: Live Science

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An “Accidental Miracle”: Blind Woman Regains Sight After Placebo Treatment

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In a Nutshell:

  • Lynley Hood, an 80-year-old author from New Zealand, accidentally regained her vision, lost to glaucoma 12 years ago, during a placebo treatment for her chronic back pain.
  • Participating in a University of Otago study, Lynley was part of the placebo group receiving superficial scalp electrical stimulation. Remarkably, after four weeks, her vision restored almost to full capacity, a result that left her ophthalmologist stunned.
  • Intrigued by this unforeseen recovery, the study team, led by Dr. Divya Adhia, plans to conduct further research into how scalp electrical stimulation might aid in restoring eyesight, potentially leading to a revolutionary breakthrough in treating blindness.

In a surprising twist of medical events, a placebo treatment designed to alleviate chronic back pain inadvertently restored the vision of an 80-year-old blind woman.

Lynley Hood, from Dunedin, New Zealand, an award-winning writer, had lost her eyesight over a decade ago to a rare form of glaucoma and found the world in color once again thanks to a back pain treatment study at the University of Otago.

Hood’s journey into darkness started 12 years ago when her left eye suddenly became blurry while reading a book.

Assuming it was due to fatigue, she retired for the night, only to wake up to a world that hadn’t regained its clarity.

She was soon diagnosed with a rare form of glaucoma and informed by her doctors that there would likely be no improvement in her condition.

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Hood eventually became legally blind, which put a pause on her passion for reading and writing.

But life had an unexpected plot twist in store for Hood.

A painful fall in 2020 fractured her pelvis, leading to severe back pain, which strangely, became the pathway to her unexpected vision recovery.

This incident led her to participate in a chronic pain treatment research project conducted by the University of Otago.

The project, split into two groups, involved participants undergoing electrical stimulation sessions while wearing specially wired helmets.

One group received electrical stimulation directly to the brain, while the placebo group, including Hood, received superficial scalp-level stimulation.

Unbeknownst to her, Hood was in the placebo group.

After just four weeks of electrical stimulation, Hood discovered her vision had returned to nearly 100%.

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The dramatic improvement left even her ophthalmologist astounded, who couldn’t resist but call it a “miracle.”

“Miracle is not a word we use very often in science, but it was — an accidental miracle,” project co-leader Dr. Divya Adhia told the Otago Daily Times.

“It wasn’t the intended outcome, but to see that my research has actually made an impact on people is incredible.”

Having lived with severely impaired vision for over a decade, Hood is now readjusting to a life that’s in clear sight.

With her vision restored, she is eager to return to her love for writing.

“At first, I thought I was imagining it,” Hood said, expressing disbelief at the return of her sight.

She detailed how the electrical currents, traced by advanced equipment, stimulated her retina, sparking an array of signals down her optic nerve and restoring her vision.

The intriguing question of how the electrical stimulation managed to bring Hood’s eyesight back remains unsolved, but Dr. Adhia and her team are eager to find out.

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They’re now planning another study to understand this unexpected visual resurgence better, potentially opening a new window of hope for others living with blindness.


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Doctor Fired After Prescribing Ice Cream and Video Games to Sick Child

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In a Nutshell:

  • A Brazilian doctor was dismissed from his job after prescribing chocolate ice cream and video game sessions to a 9-year-old boy presenting flu-like symptoms, causing a stir on social media.
  • The boy’s mother was initially taken aback by the unusual approach, which saw the doctor not conducting a proper physical examination before prescribing a mixture of drugs, ice cream, and gaming.
  • While some social media users criticized the doctor’s unprofessionalism, others saw it as a humanizing approach. The controversy led to his dismissal from the public health network and sparked discussions about improving medical care in the city.

When the world feels like a never-ending episode of “House,” sometimes the antidote to a stressful day is a big bowl of chocolate ice cream and a spirited session of gaming.

Well, one Brazilian doctor took this idea quite literally and ended up losing his job over it.

This unlikely tale begins in Greater São Paulo when Priscila da Silva Ramos, a doting mother, brought her 9-year-old son to a state-owned clinic.

The child was under the weather, battling a sore throat and flu-like symptoms.

However, what unfolded was a curious mix of video games, chocolate ice cream, and a baffled mother.

Dr. [Unnamed], as we’ll call him, decided to forego the traditional diagnostic process.

He didn’t examine the young patient, choosing instead to prescribe a cocktail of drugs along with daily servings of chocolate ice cream and rounds of the mobile video game, Free Fire.

“He started writing the prescription without examining my son, without looking at his throat, without examining his chest, without anything,” Ramos revealed.

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When he inquired about the boy’s preference for ice cream flavors, Ramos never thought he’d take it to heart.

Yet, right there on the prescription, next to amoxicillin and prednisolone, were the words “chocolate ice cream” and “Free Fire.”

The absurd prescription wasn’t noticed until the following day when the boy’s aunt spotted the unusual advice.

Swiftly, the strange prescription made its debut on Facebook, becoming an overnight viral sensation.

The doctor’s peculiar brand of ‘medical advice’ ignited mixed reactions on social media.

Some considered it a case of unprofessional conduct, while others found it to be a humorous humanizing approach towards the child.

Henderson Furst, the president of the Bioethics Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association, São Paulo, supported the latter viewpoint.

He said, “Some doctors who have a practice of humanizing the relationship by making prescriptions that contain some things out of the ordinary, but which represent an act of humanization in that relationship.”

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Nevertheless, the “ice cream doc,” didn’t get a free pass on this one.

As the controversy swirled, he found himself dismissed from the Brazilian public health network, as announced by the City Hall of Osasco.

Ramos, the boy’s mother, hopes this incident will spur improvements in medical care in the city.

As for the little boy, well, we reckon he might have been a tad disappointed by the doctor’s dismissal – after all, who wouldn’t want a doctor who prescribes gaming and ice cream?


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Canadian Woman Pretty Sure She’s Allergic to Running [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Divz Mangat, a 27-year-old woman from Canada, believes she might have a rare disorder, exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA), which causes her to break out in hives and struggle with breathing whenever she runs.
  • This potential diagnosis came after several incidents, including one during a flight to the Dominican Republic, where running to catch her plane resulted in a severe allergic reaction.
  • The video of her experience posted on TikTok drew attention from many viewers who shared their experiences with similar symptoms, some suggesting she might indeed have EIA.

A Canadian woman, Divz Mangat, suspects that she might be allergic to running. For several years, she has been experiencing hives and breathing difficulty following physical activity, specifically running.

“For the past few months, every time I run or get stressed out, I’ve been breaking out in hives. I wasn’t sure if it was due to running or stress. But, that day, I realized it 100 percent has to be due to me running and being stressed out,” Divz told Newsweek.

Divz’s suspicions were further substantiated during a recent flight to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

When running to catch her flight, she had a severe allergic reaction.

Her sister, Dee Mangat, documented the entire episode in a video that has since gone viral on TikTok, amassing over 6.6 million views.

@dee_m6

At least we figured out whats she’s allergic to finally! Know anyone else that has the same allergy? 🏃‍♂️ #dayinmylife #allergy #vlog #dee_m6 ♬ original sound – Dee | Real Estate and Life

While waiting for an appointment with a specialist, Divz has hypothesized that she might be suffering from exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA).

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EIA is a rare condition that prompts symptoms such as widespread skin flushing, hives, skin and lip swelling, and nausea and vomiting after physical activity.

In severe instances, sufferers can experience anaphylactic shock, leading to a dramatic drop in blood pressure, potential collapse, and difficulties in breathing and swallowing.

Her sister, Dee, expressed her initial disbelief.

“‘I think I might be allergic to running,’ she said. I was like, ‘Yeah, OK, sure. I’ve never heard of that.’”

However, when Divz administered her EpiPen medication and the hives subsided, it became clear that an allergic reaction had indeed occurred.

Now with an understanding of her potential trigger, Divz is being more cautious.

“The whole trip the girls were like, ‘Don’t run. Just walk where you have to go,’” she said.

“I’m very cautious of not making my heart beat really fast. I’m just trying to be very calm and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

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Divz’s video drew a myriad of responses from viewers who shared their experiences and insights, with many asserting the reality of exercise-induced anaphylaxis and encouraging her to get tested.

Divz expressed her appreciation for the responses, “It’s kind of nice because people have been telling me what’s wrong with me.

“Doctors have reached out and let me know there are lots of possibilities, and when you read the comments, some people say it took them years to figure out.”

While she still awaits a professional diagnosis, Divz is grateful for the awareness her video has raised and the support she has received.

“Seeing other people having similar things it does help, in a way,” she concluded.


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