/oss/taxonomy/term/2091/all en /oss/article/health-history/acrylic-encounters <p>In a classic scene from the movie “How to Marry a Millionaire,” Marilyn Monroe shows off her shapely legs as she sunbathes wearing see-through acrylic shoes and little else. The history of this plastic dates back to 1877 when German chemists Fittig and Paul managed to link together molecules of methyl methacrylate, a colourless liquid, to form polymethyl methacrylate, a tough solid. But it wasn’t until 1936 that commercial production began under the name “Plexiglas.”</p> Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:31:25 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8833 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health/smoking-vitamin-d-and-covid-19 <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-smoking-vitamin-d-and-covid-19/wcm/5ddd2cfb-b692-4f31-b520-b7237e116dc0/">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> <hr /> <p>Let me be very clear. Smoking does not protect you from coronavirus. Neither does vitamin D. But recent reports have suggested that current smokers are less likely to die from coronavirus and that low vitamin D levels resulted in more severe infections. Neither assertion is really true.</p> Wed, 20 May 2020 14:54:02 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8252 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19/let-sunshine-covid-19 <p>Mention Vitamin D and thoughts usually turn to bone strength. That is understandable since the relationship between this vitamin and the incorporation of calcium and phosphorus into bone is well established. In the early twentieth century, Sir Edward Mellanby in Great Britain was concerned about the incidence of rickets, a disease characterized by bow legs due to impaired bone formation.</p> Fri, 08 May 2020 16:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8237 at /oss