Latest news with #ThomasJeffersonUniversity
Buzz Feed
20-05-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Signs Of Healthy Poop: What Doctors Want You To Know
Everyone poops, but it's still something a lot of us have an awfully hard time talking about. (Unless you're my 6-year-old and 3-year-old, who cannot talk about poop enough, it turns out.) But it's unfortunate that poop talk tends to make adults squeamish, because our stool can offer some powerful clues about what's going on inside our guts — and even more broadly within our bodies. And doctors really do wish people would lean into it. 'When I ask patients to describe their stool, even when they're at the GI doctor, you can almost immediately sense their discomfort,' Christopher Henry, a gastroenterologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, told HuffPost. Enter the Bristol Stool Chart (sometimes called the Bristol Stool Form Scale or the Meyers Scale), a diagnostic tool that health professionals can use with their patients to help determine what's normal (and what's not) in terms of size, texture and color of poop. In general, ideal poop is Type 3 or Type 4. Type 1 or Type 2, on the other hand, can indicate a person is struggling with constipation. And Types 5, 6 or 7 can suggest diarrhea — though not always. 'Sometimes I'll have patients with very severe constipation, and they'll have periodic diarrhea,' Henry said. That particular example shows why the stool chart really shouldn't be used by laypeople to self-diagnose. Instead, people should see it as a jumping-off point for health-related conversations — and it certainly can help make those discussions less awkward. Many people find it easier to point to a line on a chart than to have to search for the words to describe their stool to a provider, Henry said. Doctors, on the other hand, can use the chart to help diagnose conditions like various types of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. If your poop pretty consistently falls outside of the normal types on the chart, that's definitely worth flagging to your primary care physician, who might refer you to a specialist. Significant changes in poop frequency or form also are worth noting. And don't ignore other gastrointestinal symptoms. That includes heartburn that doesn't get resolved with antacids, blood in your stool, severe pain or unintentional weight loss. Even if your poop-related issues turn out to be relatively mild, a doctor might be able to help you with some simple changes that can help you achieve the ideal poop (and feel better overall) — like getting sufficient fiber and water. But experts caution against getting too caught up on whether your poop is exactly the right texture and color based on the chart ― especially because there are many slightly different iterations of it floating around the web. Also, people's stool color can vary based on what they eat. But what the Bristol Stool Chart can do pretty well is provide clarity. Henry recalled an experience when he was working with multiple patients complaining of diarrhea, but when he asked them to point to what their stool looked like on the chart, they pointed to Type 1 — which actually indicates constipation. They believed that diarrhea referred more to frequency, rather than to a particular stool form. In cases like that, the chart helps to create a shared language, to make sure patients and their providers are on the same page. 'I think of it kind of like a Rosetta stone. To make sure we're using the same words to mean the same things,' Henry said. 'It's a platform for patients and doctors to have better conversations.' Because talking about poop may not be most grown-ups' favorite thing to do, but it's an important part of overall well-being. HuffPost.
Mint
22-04-2025
- Health
- Mint
Offices ditch harsh fluorescent lights. New tech is on the way.
Glaring fluorescent lights in the office are on the way out. The technologies coming in promise to do much more than make everyone look better. Improved, and potentially more healthful, lighting is high on the list for companies and building owners trying to lure employees back to offices after an era of remote work. They are investing in new technologies such as faux skylights that mimic natural light—complete with a virtual sun and moon—and adjustable illumination systems designed to sync with employees' circadian rhythms. 'We've known for a long time that natural light is better and makes people feel better, so it's not a completely crazy idea," says Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the Wharton School. Aside from psychological benefits, research studies have shown that light can have an impact on nonvisual brain function during cognitive tasks, particularly those that involve sustained attention. Office-lighting revamps are expensive—installing some of these technologies can add 20% to 30% to the cost of a project, those in the industry say—and it could take time for them to become mainstream. Here's a preview of technologies coming to the workplace. Playing into post-Covid wellness trends, office designers are exploring so-called circadian lighting to sync with the body's circadian rhythms—the biological clocks inside our cells that time when we sleep and wake. Expect to see illumination that can be tuned by intensity—brighter or dimmer—and 'color temperature"—cooler or warmer—throughout the day to mimic the light outdoors. Efforts to develop such lighting took off after researchers in the early 2000s discovered photosensitive cells in the retina that detect light generally below the level of our awareness, says George Brainard, a professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Those photoreceptors, independent of vision, can affect biology and behavior, researchers found. 'We have seen a huge uptick in requests," says Jake Pack, an architectural lighting and materials specialist at Seattle-based SeaTac Lighting & Controls. SeaTac worked with JPC Architects to install a mix of tunable LED lighting at the Seattle headquarters of Hargis Engineers. The mix includes cylinders mounted from the ceiling with technology that allows users to control color intensity and temperature. In this case, the lighting is preprogrammed by the company rather than tuned by individual workers. The lighting will in theory help employees keep melatonin and serotonin levels in balance. But Hargis Engineers also wanted to showcase the technology for clients and its design staff, says Brendon Inman, a principal at the company. 'As engineers, we're always trying to have the cool new stuff within our space." Faux lighted windows give the illusion of a blue sky outside, fading to a sunset over the course of the day. Skylights show a virtual sun. At night, office workers see what appears to be the moon. 'I was always fascinated by trying to make stuff look more realistic," says Jonathan Clark, chief executive of Innerscene, a San Francisco-based lighting equipment manufacturing company that makes the products Circadian Sky and Virtual Sun. Clark, who previously co-founded a company that made videogames and who worked with Sony to develop 3-D graphics libraries for the PlayStation 2, likens the concepts to how virtual reality works. The windows and skylights are intended for office spaces with little natural lighting. Floors in multistory-buildings that otherwise wouldn't be able to have skylights, or where light is blocked by nearby skyscrapers are also potential uses. While prices vary depending on location and contractor, the products range from around $1,000 for the smallest, lowest-end versions to $15,000 for the largest and highest-end, Clark says. In March, Innerscene announced its next product: sensors that sample the color and intensity of the sky and wirelessly transmit that data into the artificial windows and skylights to show the same view. Won't some workers find the illusions a bit odd and even eerie? 'It's really rare that we don't get 'Wow,' " Clark says. Forget industrial-style banks of fluorescent lights. Companies are turning to more variety to bring a 'home" vibe into their offices and provide different working venues. Working from a desk, soundproof booth or lounge area demands different types of lighting, says Jonah Takagi, an industrial designer who teaches lighting at the Rhode Island School of Design. He envisions offices using cordless rechargeable lamps seen in homes to allow employees to dock anywhere with their preferred lighting during the workday. At LinkedIn's offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and in Omaha, Neb., workers can go into private focus rooms or break rooms and, with a remote control, tailor the intensity and color gradient of the light. 'It's all about giving employees more control over their space," says Kelly Dubisar, a design director at architecture, design and planning firm Gensler, which worked with LinkedIn on its offices. Gensler sought to incorporate aspects of chromotherapy, a treatment that aims to boost mood and well-being with exposure to certain color and lighting combinations, Dubisar says. Adjustable lighting in conference rooms is on the rise, says Jean Chandler, senior director of design at Industrious, a division of commercial real-estate services and investment firm CBRE Group that provides co-working and other flexible-work spaces. For video calls, for example, a push of a button dims the central overhead light by 20% so that faces at the table have ample glow without shadows. Meanwhile, lights at the edges of the room darken by 50% to allow the participants on video to stand out. Imagine passageways that glow with lights leading from office areas to amenity areas such as a gym or game room. 'The intent is to give a real disconnect from your working environment as you're taking a break," says Jason Romine, an associate principal at JPC Architects, which worked on such lighted 'portals" for T-Mobile in Kingsburg, Calif., and Irving, Texas. The light portals started out in 2021 as purely functional bridges between different areas but have since evolved to include design elements such as tree imagery. Clients now increasingly ask about the portals on new projects, Romine says. 'It's really become something that they gravitate to as both a wayfinding element and this kind of demarcation of place and time." Welcome to windows that tint themselves to cut down the sun's glare. On the 25th floor of The Eight, a new high-rise office building in the Seattle area developed by New York-based Skanska USA, large windows controlled with an app that uses artificial intelligence adjust automatically in response to outdoor conditions. The window glass, manufactured by View, based in San Jose, Calif., uses a proprietary coating that reacts to a small electric charge to make the windows tint according to how much light is coming in. 'In Seattle, natural light is at a premium, so we wanted the tenants to be able to always have access to that natural light and also to the views," says Charlie Foushée, executive vice president at Skanska USA's commercial development division. Write to Ray A. Smith at
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ethos Cannabis Launches New Huny Edibles Exclusive to Pennsylvania Stores
Backed by research collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, wellness-based pectin-based edibles featuring unique cannabinoid blends available now PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ethos Cannabis, a leading multistate operator with a presence in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, announces the launch of Huny Ratio Troches, a new line of pectin-based edibles exclusively available at Ethos dispensaries across Pennsylvania beginning today. This product is the first to be developed as part of Ethos' research collaboration with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. These fruit-forward troches offer a convenient, enjoyable way to incorporate cannabis into daily wellness routines. Since 2020, Ethos has collaborated with Thomas Jefferson University under a formal Research Agreement to study ways to improve health outcomes for medical marijuana patients. The carefully crafted cannabinoid blends reflect Ethos' commitment to education, wellness, and the philosophy that 'Better is Better.' The Huny Ratio Troches, selling for $30 or less, are available in three distinct flavors and cannabinoid blends, each crafted with real fruit juice: Berry Blend – 1THC:1CBN Troches Citrus – 1THC:30CBD Troches Strawberry Lemon – 1THC:1CBD Troches 'This product launch marks a strategic expansion of the Huny product portfolio, reinforcing our goal to provide innovative cannabis solutions tailored to consumer needs,' said Gibran Washington, CEO of Ethos Cannabis. 'Developed in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, these troches reflect our commitment to advancing cannabis education and wellness. At Ethos, we know life moves fast, and wellness should keep up. The Ratio Troches offer a delicious and practical way to incorporate cannabis into daily routines—whether it's to power through a busy day or unwind in the evening.' By launching the Huny Ratio Troches exclusively in Pennsylvania, Ethos is bringing cutting-edge, research-backed cannabis solutions directly to patients who can benefit from them the most. This aligns with the company's mission to enhance wellness through science and education, reinforcing its leadership in the state's medical marijuana industry. "Medical cannabis has transformed how we manage symptoms and improve quality of life for patients, but there's still so much to learn," said Dr. Brooke Worster, Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University and clinical researcher in Jefferson's medical cannabis research program. "Through our partnership with Ethos, we're advancing real-world research on how different cannabis formulations impact patients. The introduction of these troches gives us another opportunity to explore precise dosing and alternative delivery methods that could make cannabis more accessible and effective for those who need it." Ethos' Pennsylvania locations will be running a 25% off promotion of the new product on February 8th and 9th. For more information or to find an Ethos location near you, visit About Ethos CannabisEthos Cannabis is a multi-state operator with operations in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Ohio. Ethos also boasts four brands in its portfolio, Natural Selections (MA & PA), Eleven (MA & PA), Headliners (MA), and Meigs County (OH). Ethos is a leading vertically integrated, retail-focused platform in the Mid-Atlantic, East Coast, and Midwest markets of the U.S. This platform serves mainstream consumers while expanding the health and wellness market through relationships with Thomas Jefferson University and other academic medical institutions and strategic partnerships. Ethos is dedicated to helping individuals feel and live better through their experiences with cannabis. For more information on Ethos, visit Media Contact: ethos@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Black kidney patients find renewed hope after rules change for transplant list
Since the 1990s, a race-based method for assessing kidney function placed many Black patients lower on the transplant waitlist. However, thousands of these patients were moved up the list in recent years when a widely used lab test was found to calculate results differently for Black patients. "We have a long history in this country of actually biases against certain transplant candidates, in particular African Americans, because of the way that we calculate how bad the kidney function is," Dr. Edmund Pribitkin, a professor at Thomas Jefferson University, said. "African Americans were pushed to the bottom of the transplant list." The push to the bottom of the transplant list was one Philadelphia woman's reality after she was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2019. Jazmin Evans' doctor informed her that her GFR, which indicates the filtration rate of her kidneys and how effectively they are filtering waste out of her bloodstream, was very low. MORE: Doctor shines spotlight on inequalities in US medical system on Black patients Once Evans got the news, it triggered her to not only prepare for dialysis, but also to be evaluated to be on a kidney transplant list. After researching and receiving explanations from her doctors about the process, Evans learned that it could be some time before she would be evaluated for a transplant. According to Pooja Singh, the enterprise director for Kidney Transplant Services at Jefferson Health, the wait times for kidney transplants in Philadelphia can range from up to 6 to 8 years. Evans also received the news about a flawed formula that included race as a variable for calculating kidney function, which became widely used in laboratory reporting systems nationwide. This formula suggested that Black patients generally had better kidney function than others. "I was outraged because I instantly thought, 'how the hell could something like this happen for so long,'" Evans said. "And even with my research, I knew that there was a legacy of racism and racial bias, like within the medical system. But then having to reconcile that with my own experience, it was really a sobering moment." According to the National Kidney Foundation, Black Americans are over three times more likely than white people to experience kidney failure. Approximately 90,000 individuals are on the waiting list for a new kidney, with about 30% being Black. "I've known people even growing up that has dealt with kidney disease, that has passed away while either on dialysis or waiting for an organ transplant," Evans said. "I grieved for them because what if they were able to be tested with the normal GFR score and not the eGFR score? I wonder how many lives would have been impacted? How many people would still be here today?" In June 2022, the board of directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network voted to remove the race-based metric and directed hospitals to reevaluate the placement of Black patients on transplant waiting lists. From January 2023 to mid-March, more than 14,300 Black kidney transplant candidates had their wait times adjusted by an average of two years, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. One day in April 2023, Evans received a letter from the United Network of Organ Sharing. "All of the Black American patients, their scores were being reassessed," Evans said. "And for me, I actually ended up getting three and a half years added to my waiting time because I should have been on the transplant list in 2015 as opposed to 2019." On July 3, she received the call that the doctors were ready for her kidney transplant. "I already had the numbers saved in my phone as "your kidney is calling you" like all capital letters," Evans said. "And so I just see that flashing on my phone while I'm cooking dinner and they said, come to the hospital, like ASAP." Evans did not receive a live donor; instead, she received a kidney from a donor who was recently deceased. However, the kidney has been working perfectly. "You know me and my new little kidney, we are getting along just fine," Evans said. Black kidney patients find renewed hope after rules change for transplant list originally appeared on
