Random Neuron

Enterography
Type: Term
Pronunciation: en?t?r-og?r?-f?
Definition: The making of a graphic record delineating the intestinal muscular activity.

Dercum disease
Type: Term
Pronunciation: der?k?m
Definition: A condition characterized by a deposit of symmetric nodular or pendulous masses of fat in various regions of the body, with discomfort or pain.

Sulcus
Type: Term
Pronunciation: s?l?k?s, s?l?s?
Definitions:
1. One of the grooves or furrows on the surface of the brain, bounding the several convolutions or gyri; a fissure.
2. Any long narrow groove, furrow, or slight depression.
3. A groove or depression in the oral cavity or on the surface of a tooth.

Ventricular Preload
Type: Term
Definition:Formerly, the end-diastolic pressure stretching the ventricular walls, which determines the end-diastolic fiber length at the onset of ventricular contraction, or some other measure of this load on the muscle fibers before contraction; now, more rigorously expressed in terms of the wall stress at this moment, related to the tension per unit cross-sectional area in the ventricular muscle fibers (calculated by Laplace law from internal radius and pressure modified by wall thickness) that balances this transmural pressure at the moment before contraction begins.

Proamnion
Type: Term
Pronunciation: pr?-am?n?-on
Definition: An area of the extraembryonic membranes beneath, and in front of, the developing head of a young embryo that remains without mesoderm for some time.

There is perverse satisfaction in smashing a mosquito that has been blissfully feeding on your leg. This summer there seem to be more and more of them coming out to attack, partly due to the heat and humidity.
Mosquitoes are found all over the world, except in Antarctica. These two-winged insects belong to the order Diptera. Members of the genera Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes are most commonly responsible for bites in humans. There are approximately 170 species of mosquitoes in North America alone.
Mosquitoes require standing water to reproduce, but that can be anything from a forgotten watering can to a salt water marsh. The female mosquito can lay hundreds of eggs at a time, which will reach adulthood in 4-6 days. Only the female mosquito bites, so by swatting one you are are preventing further spread one bug at the time. In a single bite, these girls can eat up to their own weight in blood and repeat the process every 3-4 days. Males of the species, however, feed only on flower nectar.

Outside of the sheer numbers of mosquitoes vs you, why do some people get bitten a lot more than others? I can stand next to my husband and he will be just fine, while I am constantly slapping at my legs. Here is a video from Channel 4 in Denver, Colorado that has a good explanation of the reasons:
Mosquito Magnet

Labioplasty
Type: Term
Definition:Plastic surgery of a lip.

Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)
Type: Term
Definition:A measure of changes in emotional arousal recorded by attaching electrodes to any part of the skin and recording changes in moment-to-moment perspiration and related autonomic nervous system activity.

A blood sucker most of us have at least seen, even if on our pets, is a tick. There are two common types of ticks called “hard” ticks and “soft” ticks. Hard ticks, like the common dog tick, have a hard shield just behind the mouthparts (sometimes incorrectly called the “head”). When unfed hard ticks are shaped like a flat seed.  Soft ticks do not have the hard shield and they are shaped like a large raisin. Soft ticks prefer to feed on birds or bats and are seldom encountered unless these animals are nesting or roosting in an occupied building.

Ticks wait for host animals on the tips of grasses and shrubs (not trees). When brushed by a moving animal or person, they quickly let go of the vegetation and climb onto the host. Ticks can only crawl; they cannot fly or jump, so those found on the scalp have usually crawled there from lower parts of the body. Some species of ticks will crawl several feet toward a host. Ticks can be active even on winter days when the ground temperatures are about 45^o Fahrenheit.

Some of the more common diseases that you can get from a tick bite include:

• Babesiosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Southern tick-associated rash illness
• Tick-borne relapsing fever
• Tularemia
• Anaplasmosis
• Colorado tick fever
• Powassan encephalitis

Prevention and Treatment:

Avoiding a tick bite is better, of course, than treating one.  To protect yourself, wear light colored clothing and cover the exposed areas.  Stay away from areas frequented by the insects (moist and humid environments, particularly in or near wooded or grassy areas) and check yourself, kids and pets after being out in the wild.  Insect repellents with DEET or permethrin can be effective when used properly, and simply tuck your pants into your socks.

If you get home and discover one of the creatures bleeding you like a medieval surgeon, avoid folk methods of removal such as Vaseline, hot matches or clear nail polish.  Remove it promptly by grabbing it with a pair of tweezers or a tissue very close to the skin.  Do not use bare hands as the secretions (goo) may carry diseases.

While a tick can attach pretty much anywhere, some of the common areas are:

• Under the arms
• In and around the ears
• Inside belly button
• Back of the knees
• Under the arms
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

If you develop a rash (especially a bulls-eye one) or have unexplained fever and flu symptoms following a tick bite, contact your healthcare provider.  Antibiotics work best if administered early.

A great resource for information on tick bites and prevention is: Tick Encounter Resource Center

Tick pics (hehe) provided for your enjoyment by: Centers for Disease Control

Sorry for the brief delay in posts, summer is a busy time.

In the spirit of summer, I will launch into a summary of some of the creepy crawlers that you may encounter in your outdoor adventures. Today, chiggers:

Now, I had no idea what a chigger was up until a few weeks ago. While blissfully walking through my backyard barefoot, I had no idea that something tiny was making lunch out of me. I discovered it several hours later, when something that I had thought a mosquito bite just would not stop itching, even after I scratched it raw. Showing the bite to my husband proved enlightening: “Oh, that looks like a chigger bite”

What the heck is a chigger????

Well, here it is: Chiggers or “red bugs” are the larvae of mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae. In humans, chiggers can cause intense itching and small reddish welts on the skin. In other parts of the world, chiggers transmit scrub typhus; however, in US they are not known to transmit disease. The intense irritation and subsequent scratching may result in secondary infection.

What gets you is actually chigger larvae, a six legged crawling parasite only 1/50th of an inch long. While they prefer birds, small mammals and reptiles, they are not adverse to attach themselves to a human host. The parasite attaches itself to skin, hair follicles or pores using its piercing probiscus. While it feeds, the larvae injects an enzyme that breaks down cell walls, creating a “slurry” that it sucks out. The tissue around the bite usually hardens, swells and turns red. Some people can have a severe secondary infection or allergic reaction.
The reaction is usually self limiting, an over the counter cortisone cream may help reduce itching. Some people recommend clear nail polish to “smother” the chigger, but by the time you notice the bite, the larvae are long gone.
Thanks to Mike Baker for the pic.