Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

A study among young women who regularly have eyelash extensions has found most have tiny mites, called Demodex folliculorum, living on their lashes. These mites can cause a painful reaction in the skin called demodicosis. The research, presented on Saturday at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS), also shows that many of the women have symptoms of eye irritation and most have problems with the tiny glands near the eyelashes, called meibomian glands, that produce an oily substance to prevent the eyes from drying out. Researchers say that some simple hygiene steps, such…

From altered brain energy metabolism to inflammation and neurotransmitter signaling, researchers examine why raising ketone levels has drawn interest as a potential metabolic approach to PTSD. Study: Ketogenic therapy as a potential novel treatment approach for PTSD: an integrative review and proposed mechanistic model. Image Credit: Cat Box / Shutterstock In a recent integrative review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers evaluated the potential of ketogenic therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including evidence concerning efficacy, mechanisms, safety, and feasibility. Background The review examined whether metabolic therapy is capable of complementing current approaches to PTSD. PTSD…

University of Warwick researchers have analyzed data from over 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD is linked to an almost 50% increase in overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared with people without ADHD The association was even stronger for specific problems: nearly double the odds of constipation, a 58% increase in irritable bowel syndrome, and more than four times the odds of encopresis (loss of bowel control).  An estimated 5% of children and 3-4% of adults have ADHD worldwide and reported diagnosis rates have risen sharply over the past 40 years. Gut problems are already well documented in autism spectrum disorder, with a growing body of evidence pointing to a ‘gut-brain axis’ linking digestive health to…

A head-to-head comparison of five leading LLMs tested what happens when breast cancer questions move from textbook knowledge to clinical cases and the everyday concerns patients bring to their care teams. A comparative study of large language models in responding to breast cancer–related questions. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock In a recent study published as an ‘Article in Press’ in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers conducted a cross-sectional comparison to evaluate the performance of modern large language models (LLMs) in providing support for breast cancer health information. The study tested ChatGPT-5.2, ChatGPT-4o, Gemini 3.0, DeepSeek, and ERNIE Bot using 90 multiple-choice…

A slew of foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls this summer has many Americans questioning the safety of the U.S. food supply.The journey from farm to table is often long and winding. Mishaps can occur during any step — harvesting, packaging or shipping — which allow germs to contaminate foods. Every year, at least 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne diseases, and 3,000 die, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Federal agencies implement regulations to prevent outbreaks, including requirements to keep perishable items at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in transit to prevent harmful germs from growing to levels that…

Iran’s leadership recently approved pardons or reduced sentences for 2,577 prisoners. The announcement came with the usual ceremonial packaging: a religious occasion, a request from the head of the judiciary and a generous act of compassion from above.It is an impressive number. Large enough to make headlines and perhaps create the impression that something in Iran is becoming softer.At almost the same time, the Revolutionary Court in Isfahan sentenced ten people arrested following the January protests to death. So much for the softer side.These ten sentences are shocking, but they are not an isolated story. They were handed down in…

Frozen Mexican food giant Ruiz Foods has announced 176 layoffs at a facility south of Fresno, the second round of California layoffs since the company moved its headquarters to Texas two years ago.Ruiz Foods submitted a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification on Friday that indicated 170 employees at a Dinuba plant would lose their jobs on Nov. 4. Six employees were laid off between Sept. 2 and Sept. 9, according to the WARN notice reviewed by SFGATE.”This difficult decision impacts valued members of our team and is necessary to better align production capacity with anticipated customer demand,” Kimberli Carroll, Ruiz…

Denaija Walker reviews a notebook where she logged the food she was served in San Francisco’s jail throughout the spring. In a recent survey, incarcerated people in San Francisco reserved their most negative ratings for the taste and quality of food.Abigail Vân Neely/S.F. ChronicleIn a recent survey of various quality-of-life conditions inside San Francisco jails, incarcerated people reserved their most negative ratings for the taste and quality of food.The survey, released last month, asked about 500 people incarcerated between March 18 and April 24 about several aspects of jail life that have been the subject of chronic complaints over the…

[1] A plate of red bean mooncakes (photo © Omnivore’s Cookbook). [2] Traditional mooncakes with a pot of Chinese tea (photo © In Pursuit Of Tea). [3] A stack of mooncakes with both traditional and modern designs (stack adapted from Vogue). [4] The great Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini creates a new design each year. These minimalist mooncakes from a prior year look like colorful hockey pucks (photo © Pierre Marcolini).   The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival and Mooncake Festival, is one of China’s most traditional holidays. It occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month…

Va. (WSET) — Restaurants across Virginia are adapting after updated food regulations took effect Thursday, requiring food establishments to disclose major allergens in packaged and unpackaged food.The change adds sesame as the ninth major food allergen alongside milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy.At The Water Dog in Lynchburg, manager Sydney Sparrow said staff are already considering which menu items will need clearer allergen information.“Our seafood street tacos have sesame oil, so we’ll definitely have to let people know,” Sparrow said. “Especially with Alpha-gal, foodborne illnesses, allergies, all of those things — it seems like they’re…