David Steensma, MD
@davidsteensma.bsky.social
Hematologist-oncologist. Ajax Therapeutics CMO. Former Edward P. Evans Chair in #MDSsm at #DanaFarber; #HarvardMedicalSchool & #MayoClinic faculty, #Novartis global hematology head. @DavidSteensma
It is unusual to see a barred owl on the ground, especially during the day. But this guy was doing some sort of maintenance in the dust alongside a remote hiking trail.
The owl was not injured. It flew away when it saw me, but not before posing for a nice photo.
#UnusualBirdBehavior
The owl was not injured. It flew away when it saw me, but not before posing for a nice photo.
#UnusualBirdBehavior
February 18, 2025 at 6:36 AM
It is unusual to see a barred owl on the ground, especially during the day. But this guy was doing some sort of maintenance in the dust alongside a remote hiking trail.
The owl was not injured. It flew away when it saw me, but not before posing for a nice photo.
#UnusualBirdBehavior
The owl was not injured. It flew away when it saw me, but not before posing for a nice photo.
#UnusualBirdBehavior
"Blood poverty" was not a commonly used construct, but "Poverty of the blood" was used as a synonym for anemia in late 19th/early 20th century - especially from iron deficiency in young women, more frequently termed "chlorosis". See for example this 1892 paper, and a 1909 book by a McGill physician.
February 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
"Blood poverty" was not a commonly used construct, but "Poverty of the blood" was used as a synonym for anemia in late 19th/early 20th century - especially from iron deficiency in young women, more frequently termed "chlorosis". See for example this 1892 paper, and a 1909 book by a McGill physician.
Found this advertisement for "Blood Poverty" tonic - "Women naturally suffer more than men" - in a 1925 New Zealand newspaper.
While the first recorded use of 'cytopenia' was a 1906 paper per OED, it means 'cell poverty' - from the Greek πενίᾱ (peníā), poverty or lack.
@shematologist.medsky.social
While the first recorded use of 'cytopenia' was a 1906 paper per OED, it means 'cell poverty' - from the Greek πενίᾱ (peníā), poverty or lack.
@shematologist.medsky.social
February 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Found this advertisement for "Blood Poverty" tonic - "Women naturally suffer more than men" - in a 1925 New Zealand newspaper.
While the first recorded use of 'cytopenia' was a 1906 paper per OED, it means 'cell poverty' - from the Greek πενίᾱ (peníā), poverty or lack.
@shematologist.medsky.social
While the first recorded use of 'cytopenia' was a 1906 paper per OED, it means 'cell poverty' - from the Greek πενίᾱ (peníā), poverty or lack.
@shematologist.medsky.social
A small stream runs through the woods behind our house, and this morning “frost flowers” were on the surface.❄️ I’ve never seen them before!
They can form on thin ice on chilly, windless days when the air is much colder than the surface ice. Water vapor rising up from the surface quickly refreezes.
They can form on thin ice on chilly, windless days when the air is much colder than the surface ice. Water vapor rising up from the surface quickly refreezes.
January 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
A small stream runs through the woods behind our house, and this morning “frost flowers” were on the surface.❄️ I’ve never seen them before!
They can form on thin ice on chilly, windless days when the air is much colder than the surface ice. Water vapor rising up from the surface quickly refreezes.
They can form on thin ice on chilly, windless days when the air is much colder than the surface ice. Water vapor rising up from the surface quickly refreezes.
Blue skies and blue reflections in suburban Boston this morning ❄️
January 20, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Blue skies and blue reflections in suburban Boston this morning ❄️
I was walking along a trail yesterday and noticed this Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) - the plant that “vinca alkaloid” anti-cancer drugs vincristine and vinblastine were isolated from back in 1961. They’re still used today, especially vincristine for acute lymphoid leukemia and NHL.
January 8, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I was walking along a trail yesterday and noticed this Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) - the plant that “vinca alkaloid” anti-cancer drugs vincristine and vinblastine were isolated from back in 1961. They’re still used today, especially vincristine for acute lymphoid leukemia and NHL.
Last night I imaged NGC891, the “Silver Sliver” galaxy, an edge-on spiral galaxy with a prominent dust lane about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It is sometimes called The Outer Limits galaxy because it appears in the credits of the TV show.
#astrophotography #galaxy
#astrophotography #galaxy
January 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Last night I imaged NGC891, the “Silver Sliver” galaxy, an edge-on spiral galaxy with a prominent dust lane about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It is sometimes called The Outer Limits galaxy because it appears in the credits of the TV show.
#astrophotography #galaxy
#astrophotography #galaxy
My latest Mayo Clinic Proceedings stamp vignette on medical history is now online, about the "Dear Doctor" postcards of the 1950s & 1960s. Most were from Abbott Labs, touting sodium pentothal.
Author link with 50 days free access to the article"
authors.elsevier.com/a/1kN0a5qq8b...
#Deltiology
Author link with 50 days free access to the article"
authors.elsevier.com/a/1kN0a5qq8b...
#Deltiology
January 2, 2025 at 2:44 PM
My latest Mayo Clinic Proceedings stamp vignette on medical history is now online, about the "Dear Doctor" postcards of the 1950s & 1960s. Most were from Abbott Labs, touting sodium pentothal.
Author link with 50 days free access to the article"
authors.elsevier.com/a/1kN0a5qq8b...
#Deltiology
Author link with 50 days free access to the article"
authors.elsevier.com/a/1kN0a5qq8b...
#Deltiology
Carolina wren fledgling having a bad hair day
December 24, 2024 at 7:40 AM
Carolina wren fledgling having a bad hair day
How fun to be back @danafarber.bsky.social today (for an SIV).
The drive in is just as much of an adventure as it always was…
Nice to see friends & former colleagues in person -
The drive in is just as much of an adventure as it always was…
Nice to see friends & former colleagues in person -
December 17, 2024 at 2:56 PM
How fun to be back @danafarber.bsky.social today (for an SIV).
The drive in is just as much of an adventure as it always was…
Nice to see friends & former colleagues in person -
The drive in is just as much of an adventure as it always was…
Nice to see friends & former colleagues in person -
Thought this was interesting: correlation between spleen length by palpation on physical exam in myelfibrosis versus spleen volume by centrally reviewed radiographic imaging, from a clinical trial described at #ASH24 by John Mascarenhas. There's a trend, but exam is not a super accurate measurement.
December 10, 2024 at 9:13 PM
Thought this was interesting: correlation between spleen length by palpation on physical exam in myelfibrosis versus spleen volume by centrally reviewed radiographic imaging, from a clinical trial described at #ASH24 by John Mascarenhas. There's a trend, but exam is not a super accurate measurement.
As promised, the answer key to yesterday’s @ash-hematology.bsky.social #ASH24 crossword puzzle - hope you enjoyed it!
December 8, 2024 at 4:20 PM
As promised, the answer key to yesterday’s @ash-hematology.bsky.social #ASH24 crossword puzzle - hope you enjoyed it!
The annual #ASH24 hematology-themed crossword puzzle - the 13th one that @ASH_hematology has asked me to create for the @ash-hematology.bsky.social “ASH News Daily” conference newspaper.
I’ll post the answers tomorrow…
I’ll post the answers tomorrow…
December 7, 2024 at 2:28 PM
The annual #ASH24 hematology-themed crossword puzzle - the 13th one that @ASH_hematology has asked me to create for the @ash-hematology.bsky.social “ASH News Daily” conference newspaper.
I’ll post the answers tomorrow…
I’ll post the answers tomorrow…
Peterson saw 572 bird species that year. At the time he was the record holder for a “Big Year” of birding. That didn’t last long, though - in 1956 Stuart Keith followed Peterson and Fisher’s route and saw 594 birds.
I apparently was the first person to check this book out in a while.
I apparently was the first person to check this book out in a while.
December 4, 2024 at 1:54 AM
Peterson saw 572 bird species that year. At the time he was the record holder for a “Big Year” of birding. That didn’t last long, though - in 1956 Stuart Keith followed Peterson and Fisher’s route and saw 594 birds.
I apparently was the first person to check this book out in a while.
I apparently was the first person to check this book out in a while.
Over the holiday I read this epic 1955 book by famous naturalist & field guide pioneer Roger Tory Peterson & British ornithologist James Fisher about their 30,000 mile journey around North America in 1953, exploring from Newfoundland to the Dry Tortugas, from the Channel Islands to the Pribilofs./1
December 4, 2024 at 1:44 AM
Over the holiday I read this epic 1955 book by famous naturalist & field guide pioneer Roger Tory Peterson & British ornithologist James Fisher about their 30,000 mile journey around North America in 1953, exploring from Newfoundland to the Dry Tortugas, from the Channel Islands to the Pribilofs./1
M31/Andromeda, with a cameo from M110. Not bad for Bortle 6-7 skies (suburban Boston), with only a 50mm lens and 2MP CMOS sensor - the S50’s newish mosaic mode is really cool, and minimizes field rotation effect from the alt-az mount. Processed in Siril & GraXpert.
November 27, 2024 at 5:17 PM
M31/Andromeda, with a cameo from M110. Not bad for Bortle 6-7 skies (suburban Boston), with only a 50mm lens and 2MP CMOS sensor - the S50’s newish mosaic mode is really cool, and minimizes field rotation effect from the alt-az mount. Processed in Siril & GraXpert.
Common Eiders and American Herring Gulls living in harmony. BHI - Deer Island, November 24.
November 25, 2024 at 5:43 PM
Common Eiders and American Herring Gulls living in harmony. BHI - Deer Island, November 24.
I got too close to this herring gull while it was trying to eat breakfast and it stared me down, "Are you going to let me finish this or not?"
November 25, 2024 at 5:40 PM
I got too close to this herring gull while it was trying to eat breakfast and it stared me down, "Are you going to let me finish this or not?"
Photo 1: California Nebula/NGC1499, 800x 10s subs with S50, processed in GraXpert and Siril, Bortle 6 sky.
Photo 2: also California Nebula, this time with labels. 😀
If only ξ Persei/Menkib were slightly closer, it would be perfect for Vegas to be represented by a disproportionately bright star.
Photo 2: also California Nebula, this time with labels. 😀
If only ξ Persei/Menkib were slightly closer, it would be perfect for Vegas to be represented by a disproportionately bright star.
November 25, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Photo 1: California Nebula/NGC1499, 800x 10s subs with S50, processed in GraXpert and Siril, Bortle 6 sky.
Photo 2: also California Nebula, this time with labels. 😀
If only ξ Persei/Menkib were slightly closer, it would be perfect for Vegas to be represented by a disproportionately bright star.
Photo 2: also California Nebula, this time with labels. 😀
If only ξ Persei/Menkib were slightly closer, it would be perfect for Vegas to be represented by a disproportionately bright star.
JetBlue flight from Jacksonville landing at Logan Airport this morning, photographed from BHI-Deer Island while I was out birding. (Big noisy bird.)
November 24, 2024 at 4:57 PM
JetBlue flight from Jacksonville landing at Logan Airport this morning, photographed from BHI-Deer Island while I was out birding. (Big noisy bird.)
It seems likely this gifted writer heard about the sinister reputation of Dippel & Burg Frankenstein, and her fertile imagination transformed this "blast" of an idea into one of the all-time classic novels: "Frankenstein", published in 1820 - the first "Gothic" tale, featuring corpse animation./22
November 22, 2024 at 9:38 PM
It seems likely this gifted writer heard about the sinister reputation of Dippel & Burg Frankenstein, and her fertile imagination transformed this "blast" of an idea into one of the all-time classic novels: "Frankenstein", published in 1820 - the first "Gothic" tale, featuring corpse animation./22
There were rumors Mr. Dippel Frankensteinensis was doing some weird or even sinister and occult stuff back home in Castle Frankenstein: trying to reanimate corpses.
A century later, a young woman named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was touring nearby with her husband Percy./21
A century later, a young woman named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was touring nearby with her husband Percy./21
November 22, 2024 at 9:38 PM
There were rumors Mr. Dippel Frankensteinensis was doing some weird or even sinister and occult stuff back home in Castle Frankenstein: trying to reanimate corpses.
A century later, a young woman named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was touring nearby with her husband Percy./21
A century later, a young woman named Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was touring nearby with her husband Percy./21
Why was Dippel - who had added "Frankensteinensis" to his name, because of his birthplace - using animal blood?
Possibly because he was trying to create an "elixir of life" immortality agent.
Alas, Dippel's Oil wasn't useful except as insect repellant.
There's one final twist to this story./20
Possibly because he was trying to create an "elixir of life" immortality agent.
Alas, Dippel's Oil wasn't useful except as insect repellant.
There's one final twist to this story./20
November 22, 2024 at 9:38 PM
Why was Dippel - who had added "Frankensteinensis" to his name, because of his birthplace - using animal blood?
Possibly because he was trying to create an "elixir of life" immortality agent.
Alas, Dippel's Oil wasn't useful except as insect repellant.
There's one final twist to this story./20
Possibly because he was trying to create an "elixir of life" immortality agent.
Alas, Dippel's Oil wasn't useful except as insect repellant.
There's one final twist to this story./20
The "Prussian" part comes from correspondence involving Gottfriend Leibniz, then head of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. As "Parisian blue" the same substance became a popular pigment in the art world, e.g. used in this famous painting by Hokusai./19
November 22, 2024 at 9:38 PM
The "Prussian" part comes from correspondence involving Gottfriend Leibniz, then head of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. As "Parisian blue" the same substance became a popular pigment in the art world, e.g. used in this famous painting by Hokusai./19