InnovaQuartz LLC

08/16/2026

If left untreated, necrotizing fasciitis can be fatal, sometimes within 48 hours.

I had group A Strep necrotizing fasciitis on my right cheek, in the early 1990s, and I can attest to how fast it progressed. I am pretty sure that the outcome of this infection would have been far different had I not been well studied in pathogenic bacteriology. It’s a fun subject…you ought to check it out! Virology is cool, too.

Specialties & Diseases > Infectious DiseaseFlesh-eating bacteria devour limbs in warming waters worldwide—how to protect yourselfPublished August 12, 2026Originally published on The Conversation Health & MedicineKey TakeawaysKey points summarized by the MDLinx Team.Vibrio vulnificus is a rare ...

08/16/2026

It takes some time for the high refractive index adhesive to wick into the annular space between the optical fiber and the surrounding quartz tube, but once it gets there, the effect is fairly dramatic. Higher angle laser light is stripped out of the fiber and, when installed in the laser connector, it is reflected outward to be absorbed by the metal connector wall instead of continuing inside the fiber and exiting through the fiber input face to be back coupled into the laser itself. Patent pending.

08/16/2026

https://azmirror.com/2026/08/11/prop-145-republicansarizona-supreme-court-to-revive-voucher-measure/

Vouchers in AZ rarely benefit those in need and are rife with abuse and fraud, things that Republicans claim to fight. AZ public schools are already struggling and our teachers are woefully underpaid. Shifting education funds to the private sector just widens the gap between rich and poor.

Final briefs are in as the Prop. 145 Supreme Court ruling nears, deciding if the GOP voucher measure reaches the ballot

07/07/2026

Somedays make you feel like this little guy...

07/04/2026

Wait for it...the hole that the glue has to pass through to get around the fiber optic in the middle is only about 0.050 mm in diameter -- it takes 10 seconds or so.

06/16/2026

Medicare's dilemma in covering obesity drugs
-- STAT, The Readout

Starting next month, Medicare will cover obesity treatments as part of a temporary program started by the Trump administration. There are several issues with this plan, though, experts point out.

It's expected to be very expensive, and the costs will fall entirely taxpayers, since the program is being run outside of the regular Part D drug benefit. If the program ends in 2027 as it's currently scheduled to, patients would likely regain their weight and the spending would have largely been for naught.

If they try to extend the coverage beyond 2027 under the Part D benefit, insurers have no incentive to voluntarily agree to take up the costs, unless Medicare requires them to cover the treatments.

My commentary -- one would think that insurers would cover these drugs since the math says that they'll save veritable fortunes of future costs in diabetes and related illnesses, GI issues, cancers, cardio... What ever happened to the calculus of preventative medicine in this country?

06/15/2026

Quote of the day

“You can get very technical sieves, of course, but the one in my kitchen is perfect in that it’s robust, cheap and easy to sterilize.”
Arctic researcher David Thomas is one of the researchers who’ve found that everyday items around the house can do a better job than specialized equipment for some types of science. (Nature | 11 min read — don’t miss the photo of Thomas with his ladle-on-a-stick tool collecting brine samples in the Arctic)

I do this and the reverse as well.

06/15/2026

Very cool

After years of effort, two research teams have developed ‘laser phase plate’ systems that could help cryo-electron-microscopy users to generate high-quality structures for a broad range of proteins.

06/15/2026

A new benchmark pitting AI against previously unseen maths problems shows that systems still fall short of top human expertise.