Mixed Bag

Striking a Nerve: CSF Tau Test Comes of Age for CJD
A cerebrospinal fluid test that may improve on current methods for confirming a diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) appears to have passed what could be the most definitive evaluation possible.
Swedish researchers, using national registry data covering nearly 10,000 people who had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples tested for levels of total and phosphorylated tau protein (t- and p-tau, respectively), found that levels of t-tau and the t-tau/p-tau ratio were moderately sensitive and highly specific for CJD versus other progressive dementias including Alzheimer's disease. MedPage Today

Handling Thermal-Paper Receipts Linked to Increased BPA Levels in Urine
Prolonged handling of thermal-activated receipt paper without gloves increases bisphenol A (BPA) levels in urine, according to a research letter in JAMA. BPA exposure has been associated with reproductive and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Journal Watch

Russia sees 'nothing wrong' in athletes inhaling xenon
Germany's WDR television this week and other reports this month claimed that top Russian athletes have been using xenon to improve their performance at Olympic Games from Athens 2004 right up to the just completed Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
Inhaling the gas encourages the production in the body of the hormone Erythropoietin (EPO) which encourages the formation of red blood cells in the body to improve performance. MedicalXpress

Successful outcome of severe Amanita phalloides poisoning in children
Early detoxification with active charcoal as well as silibinin and NAC seems to improve the outcome. Late recovery of liver function after day 4 post-ingestion is possible. Grabhorn E, Nielsen D, Hillebrand G, Brinkert F, Herden U, Fischer L, Ganschow R. Pediatr Transplant. 2013 Sep;17(6):550-5. Epub 2013 May 31. PMID: 23721499

Self-rated physical fitness in midlife an indicator of dementia risk
A recent collaborative study from Finland, involving the follow-up of 3,559 adults for 30 years, has found that a simple question about self-rated physical fitness in midlife may reveal individuals who are at an increased risk of developing dementia. Those who reported poor self-rated physical fitness in midlife, at the mean age of 50 years, were four times more likely to get dementia during the next three decades compared to those with good self-rated physical fitness. MedicalXpress

Well: How to Get Fit in a Few Minutes a Week
The takeaway of both studies is that it is best, if you wish to perform high-intensity interval training, to stick to what is well documented as effective: a few sessions per week of 30- or 60-second intervals so strenuous you moan, followed by a minute or so of blessed recovery, and a painful repetition or four. Done correctly, such sessions, in my experience, get you out of the gym quickly and inspire truly inventive cursing. NYT