30 April 2013
By Max Sherman
Minimizing or preventing mistakes is the linchpin of quality. It defines quality control in its strictest sense and is the key to maintaining an effective quality program. This article discusses the causes of human mistakes, mistake proofing and mindfulness training as a means to improve reading ability, working memory and task focus. [
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2 April 2013
By Max Sherman
The mechanism of hearing loss is a subject with which we aging individuals should be acquainted. This article is a follow up to my previous publication pertaining to the sense of smell, and it very briefly describes the anatomy of the ear; the complicated biomechanics of sound; and the prevalence and causes of hearing loss. [
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6 February 2013
By Max Sherman
“Bioinspiration” is the relatively new engineering skill that involves building intricate structures with surprising new properties derived from nature’s own nanotechnology. [
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18 January 2013
By Tejas Bhanap
This article provides a scientific background of the Ebola virus--an extraordinarily deadly type of hemorrhagic fever native to Africa. [
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11 January 2013
By Max Sherman
There was a recent report that researchers in France are working on a sensor to detect explosives carried by individuals who hope to smuggle them through airport security systems. The hope is to create a device that could supplement or even supplant the best mobile bomb detector—a sniffer dog. [
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4 December 2012
By Max Sherman
This article, by longtime Regulatory Focus contributor Max Sherman, explores the regulatory implication of the "doctor fish"--Garru rufa, a species of fish notable for its applications in consuming dead skin. Sherman points to parallels between the species and medical devices, and explains why regulators might be hesitant to grant them approval.
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19 October 2012
By Max Sherman
When my wife came down with bladder cancer some years ago, I was surprised to learn an ancient vaccine originally designed to prevent tuberculosis is the current treatment of choice for bladder cancer and employed for a completely unrelated indication. I thought other healthcare workers might be as curious as I was to learn more about the drug, its history, mechanism of action, treatment regimen, side effects and a surprising possible new use. [
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7 August 2012
By Max Sherman
In the past, I have written about many creatures in the animal kingdom, and several of them were on the top of the most hated and feared list. Rats, spiders and snakes are prime examples. Tarantulas, another example, may prove valuable in treating a number of pathologies. This article will describe them, their venom, mechanisms of action and possible therapeutic use. [
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17 July 2012
By Max Sherman
This article by RAPS author Max Sherman provides a biography of two legendary scientists, Joseph Lister and Ignac Semmelweis, who were once spurned by the medical establishment. [
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15 June 2012
By Max Sherman
Many of my previous articles for RAPS have featured a host of disparate animals that are or could be used in medicine or in medical research, including leeches, maggots, rats, spiders, whipworms, Gila monsters and zebrafish. Now, there is new evidence to include Burmese pythons on this distinguished list. This snake species may be used to develop drugs to treat human heart disease.
1 In anticipation of this event, it would be prudent to know more about Burmese pythons, their diet, their unusual digestive processes, why they were selected as a research tool and their possible therapeutic use. [
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