"The Parallax Effect of Long Hair" - Ian Gillan's talk

"The Parallax Effect of Long Hair" is a talk by Ian Gillian, Singer & Song writer with Deep Purple, given at The ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2012 (Berlin, December 13th - 16th, 2012), The Power of the Arts and Culture to Promote Democracy and Global Peace:



Here is the back story, explained by Gillan: The Magic Bus http://www.gillan.com/anecdotage-45.html

Here, Gillan briefly reflects on the talk:

"When the director asked for the title and a copy of the speech I told him it would be entitled 'The Parallax Effect on Long Hair' and that it would be off the cuff, so to speak.

Basically it's about perception or how things are viewed differently, depending on where you're standing.

I was a little nervous to start with as it was unscripted and I'd never spoken publicly before, apart from the usual gibberish delivered on stage each night with DP before being gloriously interrupted by a drumist not known for his patience. But I did enjoy it and may do another, one day."

References:

ICD Mediacenter | Selection http://bit.ly/USLnf9
Gillan.com http://bit.ly/16diIEH

Why would a person have pink sweat (chromhidrosis)?

Pink sweat is typically due to chromhidrosis (colored sweat).

What is chromhidrosis?

Chromhidrosis is a rare condition characterized by the secretion of colored sweat. Approximately 10% of normal people have colored sweat (without chromhidrosis).

Two glands produce sweat:

- Eccrine glands secrete a clear, odorless fluid that regulates body temperature.

- Apocrine glands secrete a thick, milky sweat that, once broken down by bacteria, is the main cause of body odor (smell).

Which glands are responsible for chromhidrosis?

- Chromhidrosis is caused mainly by the apocrine glands. They are located in the genital, axillary, areolar, and facial skin. Chromhidrosis is reported only on the face, axillae, and breast areola.

- Eccrine chromhidrosis is rare and occurs with ingestion of certain dyes or drugs.

- Pseudochromhidrosis occurs when clear eccrine sweat becomes colored on the surface of the skin as a result of extrinsic dyes, paints, or chromogenic bacteria.

What is the pigment in chromhidrosis?

Lipofuscin is a yellowish brown pigment that is responsible for the colored sweat. Lipofuscin is produced in the apocrine glands, and its various oxidative states account for the characteristic yellow, green, blue, or black secretions in chromhidrosis.

Are any lab tests indicated?

No laboratory abnormalities are typically found in apocrine chromhidrosis. The following test may help to rule out other causes:

- complete blood cell count (CBC) to exclude bleeding diathesis
- urinary homogentisic acid levels to exclude alkaptonuria
- fungal and bacterial cultures to exclude infectious causes of pseudochromhidrosis

How to treat chromhidrosis?

Apocrine chromhidrosis has no cure. Patients can manually or pharmacologically empty the glands to remove the color for 48-72 hours (until the glands replenish the pigment).

Botox® injections have been attempted in chromhidrosis, with mixed results. Botox is predominantly used to decrease eccrine sweat in persons with hyperhidrosis.

Capsaicin cream (alkaloid found in chilly peppers) also can help.

References:

Chromhidrosis - Medscape http://bit.ly/UmhTXU
Facial and axillary apocrine chromhidrosis http://bit.ly/UmhV1Q
Treating Chromhidrosis - Discovery Health http://bit.ly/UmhVPE
Image source: Sweat, Shaylor's photostream, Creative Commons license. The image is not related and does not show a patient.

Comments from Twitter:

Laura VR Bertotto @LauraAtVMV: Botox has worked well for hyperhydrosis. This is interesting.

Dr. Claudia Aguirre @doctorclaudia: Interesting.

"Six hours sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool". Was Napoleon right?

New ideas in chronobiology - Dr. Dieter Kunz of the Charité Hospital in Berlin talks about some of the latest ideas in chronobiology, and to what extent they do - and don't - affect our daily lives:



From the TV program Tomorrow Today | DW.DE http://bit.ly/USMQlx

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

What is seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder is a combination of biologic and mood disturbances with a seasonal pattern. It typically occurs in the autumn (fall) and winter, with remission in the spring or summer.

How common is seasonal affective disorder?

5% of the U.S. population experiences seasonal affective disorder. Because the symptoms are seasonal, they are present for 40% of the year. Although the condition is seasonally limited, patients may have associated depression which would last longer.

What is the treatment for seasonal affective disorder?

Light therapy is well tolerated. Most patients improve within 1-2 weeks. To avoid relapse, light therapy should continue through the end of the winter season until spontaneous remission of symptoms in the spring or summer.

Antidepressant medications and cognitive behavior therapy are as effective as light therapy.

How to prevent seasonal affective disorder?

Light treatment may be used as prophylaxis before the subsequent autumn and winter seasons.

There are many devices available on Amazon, for example:



References:

Seasonal affective disorder. Kurlansik SL, Ibay AD. Am Family Physician, Dec 2012.
Image sources: Record breaking snowfall March 2008 at Aubrey, Texas, Wikipedia, public domain

Producing one T-shirt takes 2,700 liters of water = enough for one man to drink for 900 days

How Your T-Shirt Can Make a Difference - National Geographic: Did you know that the t-shirt on your back has a major impact on the planet? Producing it took 2,700 liters of water, plus it takes a lot of energy to get it from the cotton fields to your closet. But some of your t-shirt's biggest impacts are in how you care for it. Here's how you can help reduce its effect on the environment.