India schools closed for smog, daytime wounds heal faster, & wandering with dementia

Delhi schools close due to dangerous smog

Officials in Delhi have shut down schools due to high levels of smog that pose a threat to human health. Pollution levels in the city are 40 times higher than the amount the WHO says is safe for short-term exposure, and 100 times higher than the limit for long-term exposure. Indian doctors have warned the pollution is a growing public health emergency and can cause serious damage to every part of the body, from the brain to the lungs. Pollution often increases before winter as farmers burn off what’s left behind after harvesting their crops. Schools are slated to be closed at least until Sunday, according to the Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, in California, officials are also working to protect kids from harmful pollutants. A new rule passed this week bans California farmers from spraying pesticides within a quarter mile of public schools and licensed daycare centers between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the school week.

Lab Chat: Why daytime injuries heal faster

if i could turn back time, if i could find a way, i'd move fibroblasts into your cells faster. (dominic smith / stat)

The time of day you were injured might impact how long it takes a wound to heal, according to new research on the circadian rhythms of our skin cells. Here’s what cell biologist John O’Neill of MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology told me about the work, published in Science Translational Medicine.

What did you discover about the circadian rhythms of skin cells?

We looked at fibroblasts, skins cells that are really important in repairing wounds. We found that the major class of proteins that was changing over time were proteins that have to do with cell movement and the cytoskeleton. We predicted that the time of day biologically when a wound happens would make a big difference in how well that wound heals, because the fibroblast needs to move into that wound to repair it.

What might that mean for patients?

That’s exactly what we found in isolated cells in the lab, in slices of skin, and in mouse models. What we saw at every level was this control of the cellular clock was leading to really clear time-of-day effect in how quickly fibroblasts move into the wound. Then we connected with colleagues who had a database on recovery after burn wounds. People injured during the day took 17 days to heal, compared to 28 days on average for those injured at night.

Helping people with Alzheimer's who wander from home

There’s a fresh focus this week on patients with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia who can be prone to wandering from home. This morning, the Senate judiciary committee is meeting to talk about a bill that would reauthorize the expired Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert, which would help fund programs to protect and locate people with dementia or children with autism who've wandered from home. The hearing comes as the Illinois State Police launch a new program to train officers to help find and care for Alzheimer’s patients who’ve wandered away. The so-called “silver search” training will happen over the next two years and officials are hoping to train 2,500 police officers and dispatchers.

Is this a new FDA?

The FDA is on pace to approve a record number of drugs this year. Drug makers are delighted. Critics fear that regulators are too eager to green-light new medicines without solid evidence that they’re effective. Join us for a panel discussion with Pharmalot columnist Ed Silverman, D.C. correspondent Erin Mershon, and director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Dr. Janet Woodcock as we explore the FDA’s approach under Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Subscribe for a special rate of $20/month for your first three months to hold a seat.

Inside STAT: Need to keep doctors in your state? Try these strategies

A shortage of doctors in many rural parts of the U.S. has made states desperate to keep young doctors who've just finished their medical training to stick around. But some states fare far worse than others when it comes to retention. California, with an abundance of jobs for doctors, retains 70 percent of the residents and fellows trained in-state, while New Hampshire retains just 28 percent. Even similar states show stark contrasts: Montana has a retention rate of 62 percent, compared to Wyoming’s 30 percent. STAT's Rebecca Robbins and Natalia Bronshtein broke down the numbers in a new data visualization and took a look at the strategies states use to improve retention rates — check it out here.

The reference guide for your small intestine

intestines are prettier than you might think. (Grace Burgin, Noga Rogel, and Moshe Biton)

Scientists have created a new atlas of all the cells that make up the small intestine. They took more than 53,000 individual cells from the mouse gut or mini-models of the human gut and analyzed them using a strategy known as single-cell RNA sequencing that allowed them to look at how specific genes are expressed in individual cells. The atlas gives researchers studying the biology of nutrition, digestion, and intestinal conditions a go-to guide about the cells involved. The cellular census also turned up evidence of new subtypes of cells, including a new type of tuft cell — cells with hairlike protrusions that line the gut — which might play a part in warning the body about allergens and parasites.

Mixed martial arts on Capitol Hill

Fighting will be front and center on Capitol Hill today — but not for the reason you might think. The House Energy and Commerce committee is convening mixed martial arts experts, including a brain injury researcher and a representative from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to talk about better protecting fighters in the full-contact sport. Earlier this year, Rep. Markwayne Mullin — who used to be an MMA fighter — wants to add it to the list of sports included under the Muhammad Ali Act. The law, which was passed in 2000, aimed to rein in problems with the safety and treatment of boxers.