MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'functional'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:38 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876387&cid=t_104852_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbrain-imaging-shows-overlap-between-emotional-pain-and-physical-pain%2F2011.05.28 Heart-ache can be a literal thing, as well as a metaphor for all those weepy, jilted-lover torch songs. Consensus thinking in the peer-review literature is that the parts of one’s brain responsible for physical pain, the dorsal anterior cingulate and anterior insula, also underlie emotional pain. Researchers at Columbia University in New York recruited 40 people who’d recently ended a romantic relationship, put them in a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine, and recorded their reactions to physical and then emotional pain. Physical pain was created by heating the person’s left forearm, compared to having the arm merely warmed. Emotional pain was created by looking at pictures of the former partner and remembering the breakup, compared to when looking at a photo o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876387 Sat, 28 May 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4876387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753887&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FzZo23Y8nGPU%2F Arianna Huffington isn’t known for her mental health advice, but last week at an Urban Zen event, “The Politics of Sustainable Wellness,” put on by Donna Karan, the media mogul sounded off about what makes her happy and ultimately, keeps her in good mental and physical health. So what makes one of Forbes’ Most Influential Women in Media feel good? Sleep, mostly. And a few things she likes to call her “joy triggers,” too. The event was third in a series of talks hosted by Dr. Frank Lipman, M.D., called “Conversations in Sustainable Health.” (We’ve posted about the first two here and here.) While past talks have focused on research and medicine, Huffington talked more about the practicalities — both political and personal — of getting... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753887 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:29:16 +0100 4753887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360982&cid=t_104852_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkids-with-dyslexia-predicting-their-reading-skills-with-mri%2F2011.01.17 An international team of researchers has developed a rather reliable test that predicts the future improvement of reading abilities in kids with dyslexia. The method uses functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) to scan the brain, and data crunching software to interpret the data. The researchers hope that the finding will help parents and therapists uniquely identify which learning tools are best for each child. From the announcement by Vanderbilt University : The 45 children who took part in the study ranged in age from 11 to 14 years old. Each child first took a battery of tests to determine their reading abilities. Based on these tests, the researchers classified 25 children as having dyslexia, which means that they exhibited significant difficulty le... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360982 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:02 +0100 4360982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4326901&cid=t_104852_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-musicians-brain-on-mri%2F2011.01.09 Dr. Charles Limb is an otolaryngologist, and he’s also on the faculty at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Wanting to study creativity on the neurological level, he used fMRI to scan the brains of musicians while improvising along with them. Here he describes the experiment, including the building of an MRI-compatible electronic keyboard: Link @ TED… *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4326901 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:00:26 +0100 4326901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865342&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Ftea_drinkers_have_higher_risk_of_rheumatoid_arthritis.php © MournerContrary to the findings in previous studies that tea had either a protective or no significant effect, researchers are now saying that the well-loved health drink may actually increase women's risks for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is the conclusion of the study conducted by the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS) which included over 76,000 women in the 50 to 79 age bracket. Upon enrollment to the study, the women filled out questionnaires that asked about tea drinking habits. After three years, ... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865342 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:51:32 +0100 3865342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790742&cid=t_104852_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhomepage.mac.com%2Fjonathan_eisen%2FPDFs%2F5.Eisen.SNF2.1995.pdf Just got an announcement regarding this challenge: Automated Function Prediction SIG 2011 featuring the CAFA Challenge: Critical Assessment of Function Annotations | Automated Function Prediction 2011 July 15-16 2011, Vienna, Austria Here is a description: CAFA is a community-driven effort. We call upon computational function prediction groups to predict the function of a set of proteins whose true function is sequestered. At the meeting, we will reveal the functions, and discuss the predictions. The CAFA challenge goals are to foster a discussion between annotators, predictors and experimentalists about methodology as quality of functional predictions, as well as the methodology of assessing those predictions. Registration for CAFA starts July 15, 2010 and the CAFA challenge will t... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790742 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:08:52 +0100 3790742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552565&cid=t_104852_151_f&fid=39090&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fhelpalcoholicfamily%2FxITS%2F%7E3%2F2nbbijLem-c%2F Are you married to a functional alcoholic? My heart goes out to you. What a tough situation. Your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife is able to stay in denial because they are somehow managing their work and home responsibilities despite their alcohol problem. When you confront them about their excessive drinking, you hit a wall. Ask yourself if you are enabling the situation in any way such as: Are you making excuses for them to their work, your family, or your friends? Are you changing your behavior in any way to accommodate their drinking? Have their issues become your issues? Have you become isolated because of their drinking? Have you ever threatened to leave, but not followed through? Do not help or enable your alcoholic spouse be “functional” is my best advice. Let yo... Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552565 Mon, 10 May 2010 18:54:28 +0100 3552565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538150&cid=t_104852_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F06%2Fcan-fmri-tell-if-youre-lying%2F The simple answer is, no. You can now go back to work, content in that little tidbit of brain knowledge. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a fancy name for a brain scan that purportedly measures “brain activity.” What is actually measures is simply changes in blood oxygenation and flow in your brain, which we believe to be directly related to brain activity — but this is an indirect measure at best. It’s not actually measuring “brain activity.” fMRI scans are most often used in research to try and better understand our brains and how other things affect our brains (like mental illness or a specific cognitive activity). So you can imagine the challenges that might be faced when you connect this kind of brain measurement to a legal proceeding... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538150 Thu, 06 May 2010 12:16:21 +0100 3538150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519557&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fmice_study_green_tea_for_eye_health.php © Kanko*Researchers from Hong Kong found that catechins in green tea reduce the risk of glaucoma and other eye diseases. Such were the findings they reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study findings indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress, as they have found green tea catechins travel from the digestive system to the eye tissues. The scientists analyzed eye tissue from rats that drank green tea and found that the lens, retina and ... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519557 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3519557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460323&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=34995&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.discovermagazine.com%2Fgnxp%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhen-a-trait-isnt-a-trait-isnt-a-trait%2F One of the great things about evolutionary theory is that it is a formal abstraction of specific concrete aspects of reality and dynamics. It allows us to squeeze inferential juice from incomplete prior knowledge of the state of nature. In other words, you can make predictions and models instead of having to observe every last detail of the natural world. But abstractions, models and formalisms often leave out extraneous details. Sometimes those details turn out not to be so extraneous. Charles Darwin’s original theory of evolution had no coherent or plausible mechanism of inheritance. R. A. Fisher and others imported the empirical reality of Mendelism into the logic of evolutionary theory, to produce the framework of 20th century population genetics. Though accepting the genetic inh... Gene Expression blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460323 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:15:19 +0100 3460323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460269&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Ftheres_only_a_weak_link_between_fruit_and_vegetable_intake_and_reduced_risk_of_cancer.php © jenny downingVarious studies in the past have told us that eating more fruits and vegetables reduce our risk of getting cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization recommended eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other diseases, in 1990. Now, a study from Mount Sinai Medical Center says that isn't exactly the case. Researchers from Mount Sinai Medical Center have analyzed over eight years of dietary data from more than 400,000 people and found that the relationship ... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460269 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3460269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416158&cid=t_104852_115_f&fid=34670&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsumerdoc.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ffunctional-mri-for-comatose-patients.html For those of you not aware of the whole story, this is Terri's Fight for life: From The Guardian Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman whose condition sparked an epic legal, medical and political battle that has gripped America, died yesterday, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed by the wishes of her husband and the orders of several courts. News of her death prompted wailing and praying from supporters of her parents, who wanted to keep her alive, as both the US president, George Bush, and the Vatican expressed their concern at the circumstances of Ms Schiavo's death. Was she actually feeling anything or did she have no real consciousness?Presently, the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is the most promising tool not only to provide better diagnosis and predict... Sumer's Radiology Site blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416158 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:33:00 +0100 3416158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176128&cid=t_104852_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FUVB1Y9lp50E%2F Researchers Identify Five Alcoholism Subtypes Analyses of a national sample of individuals with alcohol dependence (alcoholism) reveal five distinct subtypes of the disease, according to a study by scientists at the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Our findings should help dispel the popular notion of [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176128 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:52:00 +0100 3176128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126801&cid=t_104852_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Falcohol-induced-dementia%2F Alcohol-induced dementia in a functional alcoholic? Woman lives with alcohol-induced dementia Cheryl Thorson remembers well when she started drinking at age 16. But she can’t remember what happened 10 minutes ago. Thorson, 54, of Wausau drank for 27 years after she started in high school, and before she quit, “it was nothing for me to go into a tavern and drink a bottle of rum,” Thorson said. “I enjoyed it. It was good.” She was what counsellors would call a “functional alcoholic.” She held down good jobs and eventually became a business owner. She said she never got in a serious car crash because of her drinking and never got pulled over for drunken driving. Consequences came later in the form of alcohol-induced dementia, a disease that has devast... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126801 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:45:47 +0100 3126801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3045029&cid=t_104852_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faddicted-family-roles%2F Families may adopt different roles When a parent is addicted to alcohol or drugs, the entire family is set up around the addict and their addiction. Children tend to follow designated roles as the family acts out the drama of addiction. Children develop these roles due to family dynamics. For a child in an addicted household, he or she will usually only fulfil one role. The parents and family will not acknowledge any behavior outside this family role. In a more functioning household, children often move fluidly between roles. These roles are generally known as codependent roles. So what are addicted family roles? They are: Little Parent: This child usually functions as a surrogate parent. While the parent is immersed in their addiction, the little parent will take on the parenting of youn... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3045029 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:57:00 +0100 3045029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846644&cid=t_104852_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F30%2Fon-coercion-and-ethics%2F NB: this post is opinionated.  It represents my own opinions and not those of my employer, my colleagues, my family or my dog.  It’s mine all mine. If there is something that gets me really riled up, it’s bullying.  Maybe I had too much bullying when I was a kid, maybe I just believe in justice, but for whatever reason I get very grumpy when I see bullying.  Unfortunately this time, I think I’m being bullied – and not by a small-time bully either. This is a very large organisation that refuses to pay an invoice for services provided because of a paragraph I wrote in the final report.  The paragraph is factual and directly related to the issues the patient raised during the pain management programme.  It just doesn’t suit some members of the organisation... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846644 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:21:58 +0100 2846644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2720002&cid=t_104852_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2Ffunctional-capacity-evaluations-my-take-on-them%2F Functional capacity evaluations There are many forms of functional assessment available.  These range from a series of structured activities carried out in the home or work environment over a period of days or weeks to those that are carried out in a very precise manner in a clinic and often under the supervision of an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.  Both commercial (ie standardised and franchised) ‘Functional capacity evaluations’ (FCE) are available, as well as semi-structured or individualised assessments. The term functional capacity evaluation has been criticised, because it can suggest that it is able to assess ‘capacity’ or ‘can do’, while most commentators believe that functional assessments can only assess what a person ‘will do’ (e.g. Battie & Ma... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2720002 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:16:43 +0100 2720002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695660&cid=t_104852_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F13%2Ffunctional-capacity-evaluations-do-they-predict-function-in-the-real-world%2F What do you do when a client has a goal ‘to establish functional abilities for work’, spends a lot of time looking at setting baselines at home, develops a good knowledge of how to maintain consistency, starts to work and sustains abilities in a specific workplace, then completes a functional capacity evaluation that says he can do more than what he’s identified he can? I’ve had a long-standing interest in whether functional assessments carried out in a clinic or work setting over a single session (or even two-day period) can predict sustainable function in a ‘real world’ setting such as work. There are many different types of ‘work sampling’ methods that purport to measure functional ability, ranging from specialised machines and standardise... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695660 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:32:49 +0100 2695660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398817&cid=t_104852_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F08%2Fmany-fmri-studies-fundamentally-flawed%2F In the past decades, brain imaging techniques have become all the rage in neuroscience research. Instead of bland studies that describe psychological processes in 8,000 word articles, brain imaging allows for pretty, compelling pictures of the brain (as we noted in a blog entry over a year ago). But the pictures may not be telling us what we think. A new study by Edward Vul in press in Perspectives on Psychological Science suggests that the validity of many studies that use brain imaging techniques — such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) — may be in question: In those studies, researchers used fMRI to measure blood oxygenation — a marker of neuronal activity — in specific brain regions during behavioral tasks. As is typical in fMRI studies, research... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398817 Fri, 08 May 2009 17:09:45 +0100 2398817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376407&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fpomegranate_juice_against_prostate_cancer_recurrence.php © quinn.anya Men who have undergone prostate cancer treatment will benefit from pomegranate juice. According to a new US study: According to findings published in the Journal of Urology and present... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376407 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:45:46 +0100 2376407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349008&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fcapsaicingreen_tea_combo_promotes_weight_loss.php © peyri The combination of capsaicin and green tea could promote the feeling of fullness and sustain satiety, thereby indicating it could be successful for weight management. Such were the findings o... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349008 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:29:36 +0100 2349008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2318545&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fbroccoli_sprouts_good_for_your_gut.php We should all munch on broccoli sprouts. Apparently, it protects our stomach from the germ responsible for many cases of gastritis, ulcers and stomach cancers. A new study shows that eating 2 1/2 oun... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2318545 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:13:35 +0100 2318545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260110&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2Fi3L7LgnS2m0%2F An avid reader pointed out that I was not entirely thorough in describing that we don’t enough about the V8 agar media that is used to induce mating in Cryptococcus. In fact a great deal of work on mating in this fungus had focused on identifying what pathways are induced by V8 agar that induce mating.  It was shown that inositol stimulates mating through use of defined media containing inositol (Xue et al, 2007).  This paper interestingly explores plant-fungal interactions and Cryptococcus suggesting that mating may occur preferentially on plants in cases where inositol is abundant. It is also worth noting that V8 media contains a high level of copper ions and it was also pointed out to me that Jef Edman’s lab showed that melanin mutants have mating defects, and both ph... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260110 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:53:47 +0100 2260110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258807&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fgreen_tea_against_gum_disease.php Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 278161 As suggested by a new study from Japan, consumption of green tea may offer protection against gum disease. Gum disease affects about 30 percent of the... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258807 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:38:42 +0100 2258807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216517&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fblueberries_against_childhood_cancer.php Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 6541597 According to a new study in mice from Ohio State University, extract from blueberries may reduce the size of tumours primarily found in infants and... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216517 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:28:34 +0100 2216517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2101265&cid=t_104852_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FwE2IIeOUjXA%2F Keri Glassman, a registered dietician on CBS News Early Show stated that more people are turning to (functional foods). These foods are fortified with natural substances that make them work better for our over-all health. For instance calcium is naturally found in milk and milk products, but when you add orange juice you fortify them. When you are eating foods that are heart healthy such as nuts, fish, fruits and vegetables that can be fortified with other foods that you enjoy it is considered a bonus. The three food groups that were disguised on the program were omega 3 fatty acids, plant sterols and calcium.    You can find the full content for this article by clicking on CBS Early Show. Tags: calaium, fortified natural substances, Functional foods, heart healthy, omega-3... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2101265 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:51:00 +0100 2101265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1977374&cid=t_104852_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fwork-conditioning-work-hardening-and-functional-restoration-for-workers-with-back-and-neck-pain%2F In New Zealand most people who have been off work with chronic pain, and receive compensation from ACC, will have been a participant in some sort of fitness programme.  It’s almost a rite of passage for people to have a programme of functional restoration before or during an attempted return to work once the person has been off work for around 3 - 6 months. There are a lot of different types of programme available: two of the Prof Mick Sullivan’Goal attainment’ programmes for sub-acute pain, Functional restoration programme - for sub-acute pain, involving activity with some ‘education’ Pain management psychological services - for psychological strategies for pain management Activity focus programme - for chronic pain, involving activity and cognitive behavio... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1977374 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:11:35 +0100 1977374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924860&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fweb-searching-stimulates-seniors-psyches%2F Add Web searching to the list of mental activities like crossword puzzles that are thought to keep the aging mind engaged and healthy. Why? Take a look at the pictures below of two functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans. The one on the left shows brain activity while reading a book, while the one on the right shows brain activity while doing an Internet search. The differences are obvious and dramatic and the implication is that Web searching can be good for your mental health. UCLA Newsroom - http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/srp-view.aspx?id=34812 At least that’s the conclusion of researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior who studied 24 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. According to their press release, “[T]he study results are e... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924860 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:52:32 +0100 1924860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853649&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F412456461%2F A paper (Park et al, BMC Genomics) from Fungal Bioinformatics Lab at Seoul University in South Korea describes their new "Fungal P450 Database". The database contains sequence, names, and genome links for P450's (or Cytochrome P450s) identified by similarity and phylogenetic classification from genome annotations.  The group is using most of annotated genomes in GenBank (and I think some from elsewhere) of bacterial, fungi, animals, and plants. I find the current nomenclature for this family of genes confusing but it has been I am sure a difficult job and wrangled to a large part by David Nelson (who also has a new paper on the CYPome of Aspergillus nidulans). I have found it difficult to follow the logic for naming these members, as it didn't seem to be particularly phylogenetic a... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853649 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:43:33 +0100 1853649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603096&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F331008458%2F The American Academy of Microbiology has released a report (PDF) on the Fungal Kingdom outlining importance of research in the kingdom and recommending several areas of priority for future areas of research. One recommendation that makes the top of the list is an integrated database for fungal genomes, something we're keenly interested in seeing happen.  This sort of centralized repository of functional annotation, literature links, and genome sequences and annotation is critical given the 150+ genomes that are available or on their way.  Systematic re-annotation with consistent tools, comparative analyses and gene predictions, and linking gene sequences by homology and ortholog predictions are a critical component to fully utilizing the genomic data that has been produced for the fungi ... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603096 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:49:15 +0100 1603096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1577272&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Falmonds_has_prebiotic_potential.php Almonds - known for its high Vitamin E (and other minerals) content - now has been identified to have prebiotic properties. © goosmurf According to the Institute of Food Research, almonds could help improve our digestive health by increasing levels of beneficial gut bacteria. The study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that finely ground almonds significantly increased the levels of certain beneficial gut bacteria. This effect was not seen when the fat content was removed from the almond preparation, suggesting that the beneficial bacteria use the almond lipid for growth, and this is the basis for the prebiotic effect of almonds. Read more from Science Daily. javascript:editPlacements() See full article. Related Entries: Allergy Alert: Mislabeled Stuf... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1577272 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:28:38 +0100 1577272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1527711&cid=t_104852_165_f&fid=36770&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmetaot.com%2Fblogs%2F%255Buser%255D-13 Hi, I'm an OT based in Accident and Emergency. I've recently become aware of the 'dressing loop, Rapid Functional Assessment tool', available from Nottingham Rehab Supplies. I'm interested to explore it's use as a screening tool and/or part of the assessment toolbox in A+E. I've had a look at the dressing loop and think it's got potential for this field but it has been developed primarily with neuro patients in mind. Due to the four hour targets for patient care governing A+E we have very little time to complete functional assessments - and often cannot carry out PADL assessment due to a lack of suitable clothing. Does anyone else use a dressing loop in a rapid (predominantly physical) setting? If so then how do you find it? Have you adapted the recommended assessment form that’s supplie... meta-ot blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1527711 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:33:19 +0100 1527711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492123&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F303770716%2F We're excited that a Penicillium marneffei grant to Mat Fisher and collaborators has been funded by the Welcome Trust. It includes a collaboration with University College London, our lab, JCVI, and Univ of Melbourne. This project will explore functional and comparative genomics approaches to studying the fungus which primarily infects immune compromised individuals in south-east asia where it is found associated with bamboo rats.  Scientists at Imperial College London have received almost £350 000 from the Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical research charity, to study Penicillium marneffei, the only Penicillium fungus to cause serious disease in humans. The researchers aim to find out what makes this particular fungus pathogenic. Read the rest of the release. © Jason Staji... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492123 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:10:13 +0100 1492123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1416210&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fchefmds_big_book_of_culinary_medicine.php My favorite - ChefMD - has a new book. And it's really exciting, from the title alone: ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine, in a way that only Dr. John La Puma can be bring us. Said John La Puma, MD in the official email he sent to subscribers to announce the book: This time, I have to tell you about something very special: my new ChefMD® book that tells you about culinary medicine in ways you've never known about before. Bake a pizza at 450 degrees for 7 minutes, instead of 350 degrees for 14 minutes to get twice the antioxidants in the crust.Eat watermelon at room temperature instead of ice cold to absorb 40% more lycopene and 13% more beta carotene.Add avocado to salads to get 7 times as much eye-protecting lutein from your green vegetables. Indeed, this new book is... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1416210 Fri, 02 May 2008 12:02:51 +0100 1416210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402985&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F278949461%2F A paper in Science from Jason Crawford and colleagues explores the function of polyketide synthetases (PKS) in the synthesis of the secondary metabolite and carcinogen aflatoxin. Previous work (nicely reviewed in the fungi by Nancy Keller and colleagues) has shown the the PKS genes have several domains. These domains include acyl carrier protein (ACP), transacylase (SAT), ketosynthase (KS), malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase (MAT), “product template” PT, Aand thioesterase/Claisen cyclase (TE/CLC).  These domains make up PksA, but the specific role of each domain's in synthesis steps has not been fully worked out. Understanding this process and the specificity of the chemical structures that are created can help in redesign of these enzymes for synthesis of new molecules and drugs. The... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402985 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:00:36 +0100 1402985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391011&cid=t_104852_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F22%2Fpreventing-brain-farts%2F Have you ever make a mistake while performing a monotonous task, one that requires your concentration but seems to go on and on and on? Some mistakes might be harmless, such as dropping a sock on the way to the laundry. Other mistakes could be more serious. Driving a long distance requires your constant vigilance and attention, but make one mistake and it could be deadly. What if there was a way to predict our making a mistake in such a task, before the mistake was made? In our driving example, such a method would perhaps result in lives saved. When people blunder after performing the same task over and over, scientists had suspected that such lapses were due to momentary hiccups in concentration. Still, little was known about what the brain was actually doing before such errors. To in... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391011 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:30:00 +0100 1391011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286192&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Ffruits_vegetables_and_berries_may_help_prevent_obesity.php According to an animal study of scientists from Arkansas, natural pigments responsible for the blue/purple/red colors in some fruits, vegetables and berries, may help prevent against obesity. Yeah, obesity - America's "epidemic"? Speaking of obesity, it isn't just because of the diet. Let us not forget the lifestyle in general, involved in obesity - exercise, habits, etc. Going back to the above fruits and berries, I do love berries. It's just that, they're rarely available where I am. The preserved ones in bottles, sold commercially, are often annoyingly too expensive. Hey, I love topping my pancakes or oatmeal with strawberry slices on honey. Wow. And Hello blueberry cheesecake?!! Anyways, this is why such fruits, veggies and berries may prevent against obesity: ... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286192 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:34:21 +0100 1286192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1284790&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F247054677%2F The following is an announcement to the B.dendrobatidis and fungal community at large from Alan Kuo at JGI. This is the JAM81 strain (Jess Morgan collected from a frog in the California Sierra Nevada). The JEL423 (Joyce Longcore, collected in Panama) strain genome sequence and annotation is available from the Broad Institute. Please do contact me if you would like to contribute to assigning functions to the annotation. We're in the last round of analyses for some of the genome work, but if there are particular questions you want to contribute to, we're open to collaborators and can outline the basis of our work to see how other work can complement it. From Alan Kuo at JGI: The JGI Batrachochytrium annotation portal is now on the public JGI website. As it is public, no password is require... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1284790 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:53:32 +0100 1284790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1276043&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F245144266%2F I've been too busy to post much these last few days, but here are a few links to some papers I found interesting in my recent browsing. FOLy: an integrated database for the classification and functional annotation of fungal oxidoreductases potentially involved in the degradation of lignin and related aromatic compounds - so a database of these enzymes from several different fungi including some of the white rot fungi. I'll be curious to see how the brown rot fungus Postia's genome complement compares. Evolution of host resistance in a toxin-producing bacterial–fungal alliance. Some more fungal-bacterial symbosis work in Rhizopus that follows on previous work that shows that the bacterial make a toxin that is anti-mitotic, so how does this not affect the host fungus? The authors use a... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1276043 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:45:22 +0100 1276043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1455149&cid=t_104852_167_f&fid=36993&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.nakednutritionguide.com%2F14%2Fmore-meals%2F A week or so ago Wegmans’ (my local grocery store) started carrying beet greens - I’m addicted. These beet greens come triple washed, bagged, and ready to go. The convenience is very high. They are a great substitute for spinach as well (aren’t I always preaching about dietary variety?). Here’s what I do - this takes less than 5 minutes in the morning.   Get Out 2 Containers. Split one bag of beet greens between the two containers. Sprinkle on some chopped walnuts Add a pre-cooked chicken breast (cooked earlier in the week) That’s it I’ll have a piece of fruit with these meals as well. When it is time to eat I pop a contain in the microwave for 1 min to “steam” the greens. When they are done I add olive oil, sea salt, and fresh crac... Naked Nutrition Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1455149 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:48:37 +0100 1455149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1455152&cid=t_104852_167_f&fid=36993&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.nakednutritionguide.com%2F08%2Freader-qna-cottage-cheese%2F Q: I just have a quick question about cottage cheese.  I really like the stuff however I find it doesn’t sit well with me.  I currently am using a 4% one.  Would you recommend I try the lower % fat cheese since it may be the fat content that’s causing me difficulties with digestion? Mike: The problem here is most likely the lactose (a carbohydrate found in dairy products) and not the fat in the cottage cheese. I would look for the Lactaid brand cottage cheese or cottage cheese that contains live cultures (Cabot is a brand that does). Lactaid cottage cheese will contain lactase the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose and thus will most likely help relieve your symptoms. If you buy cottage cheese that contains live cultures the bacteria can help digest the lactose and ma... Naked Nutrition Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1455152 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:03:43 +0100 1455152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173748&cid=t_104852_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F221904237%2F This article was written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains.com. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area. Alzheimer’s disease, brain, brain damage, brain scans, CAT scans, cognitive brain reserve, cognitive psychology, Education, fit brains, fMRI scans, Functional imaging, healthy brain, higher education, intellectual stimulation, Memory Workshops mental stimulation, MRI scans, museums, neural activity,... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173748 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:53:52 +0100 1173748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155825&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fcranberry_juice_against_uti_in_women.php Cranberry juice is not just a mere folk remedy any longer. There has come scientific evidence that cranberry juice can relieve urinary tract infections (UTI) in women. Well, only women get UTI, so the men will not benefit from cranberry juice, at least not regarding UTI. Such were the findings of Prof. Itzhak Ofek, a researcher at Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine: Prof. Ofek's research on the tart berry over the past two decades shows that its juice indeed combats urinary tract infections. And, he's discovered, the refreshing red beverage has additional medicinal qualities as well. Prof. Ofek has found that cranberry juice exhibits anti-viral properties against the flu, can prevent cavities, and lessens the reoccurrence of gastric ulcers. Unhappily fo... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155825 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:04:57 +0100 1155825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149666&cid=t_104852_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2F14%2Fhow-we-use-our-brain-may-be-affected-by-our-culture%2F Our brains are absolutely amazing organs that we still know very little about. But with the advance of neuroimaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers continue to pry open the inner workings of the brain. And they’re finding some interesting stuff. As we reported on Friday, Culture Affects The Way We Use Our Brain, researchers found that people from different cultures showed different patterns of brain activation when performing similar tasks: Americans, when making relative judgments that are typically harder for them, activated brain regions involved in attention-demanding mental tasks. They showed much less activation of these regions when making the more culturally familiar absolute judgments. East Asians showed the opposite tendency... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149666 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:02:40 +0100 1149666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1148195&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F216138108%2F On the cover of this week's Nature is a picture of Phycomyces blakesleeanus highlighting the discovery of the MAT locus in this Zygomycete fungus from Alex Idnurm and Joe Heitman and colleagues. While it was previously known that Zygomycetes (the Orange lineage represented by R. oryzae in the tree below) mate, the specific locus has until now, never been discovered. The authors in this study identified the MAT locus through a sequence search looking for HMG-box genes knowing that these are found the Mating Type locus in Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes. They confirmed the identity through a through set of experiments that included PCR, sequencing and crosses of (+) and (-) strains of P. blakesleeanus, and Southern blots. (more...) © Jason Stajich for Fungal Genomes and Comparative... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1148195 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:39:22 +0100 1148195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1129360&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Feat_more_fruits_and_veggies_drink_red_wine_to_counter_bad_effects_of_highfat_food.php According to Israeli researchers, polyphenols found in red wine, fruits and vegetables can counter the unhealthy effects of fatty foods. For the study, six men and four women were fed three different meals consisting of dark meat turkey cutlets. One meal, the control, consisted of turkey meat and water. The second meal consisted of turkey meat with polyphenols added after cooking (one tablespoon of concentrated wine) followed with a glass of red wine (about 7 ounces). The third meal consisted of turkey meat with polyphenols added before cooking and then followed by a glass of wine. At various points during the study, researchers took blood and urine samples to measure levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a natural byproduct of fat digestion known to increase the risk for heart disease and ot... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1129360 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:50:24 +0100 1129360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1118189&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fdietary_fiber_can_boost_lung_health.php This study provides the first known evidence that dietary fibre is independently associated with better lung function and reduced prevalence of COPD. Well, good to know..good to know indeed, for we just know that dietary fiber is only good for the heart, cardiovascular health, weight reduction and bowel movement. Great that its intake is good for our lung as well. Find more details from NutraIngredients. See article. (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1118189 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:29:06 +0100 1118189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1061015&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fgrapesoy_combo_enhanced_antiobesity_effects.php You've probably read so many times that soy is healthy. Soy is healthy. And that grape is healthy. Grape is healthy. At least the compounds found in grapes and soy are the ones healthy. What if you mix grapes with soy? Then you get a smorgashboard of healthy stuff: anti-obesity effects are enhanced. Well, according to a new research from the University of Georgia, teaming-up genistein from soy and resveratrol from grapes enhances the anti-obesity effects of the individual compounds. The study used human 3T3-L1 cells to model the development and biochemistry of fat cells, and found that combining the compounds reduced fat cell numbers by 59 and 70 per cent more than genistein and resveratrol alone, respectively. In addition to enhanced inhibition of the cells by the combination of... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1061015 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:00:00 +0100 1061015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1047926&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Falmonds_can_increase_antioxidant_defences_of_smokers.php According to a joint Chinese-American study, a big handful of almonds every day could boost the antioxidant defences of smokers -- a group at risk of low antioxidant levels due to higher oxidative stress, by up to 35 per cent. The randomised, crossover clinical trial with 60 healthy male smokers found that the body's antioxidant defences increased as a result of a daily 84 gram helping of almonds. The results suggest smokers could benefit from upping their intake of almonds although expert advice is clearly to avoid tobacco smoke altogether. I am not saying it is okay to smoke as long you eat a handful of almonds daily. Demand for almonds, a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants, vitamin E and magnesium has increased in recent years as the tastes of various almond-eating ethnic communi... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1047926 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100 1047926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1010391&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fboiled_peanuts_packed_with_antioxidants.php I love boiled peanuts better than the roasted ones. I love peanut butter too. Boiled peanuts are so common here you can buy it on the streets or in wet markets and a treat in South America as well. Well, not only are boiled peanuts delicious, they're healthy as well. According to Alabama scientists, boiling peanuts imbues them with more antioxidants than roasted peanuts or peanut butter. Lloyd Walker and colleagues evaluated the effect of boiling and oil- and dry-roasting on peanuts. They found that boiled peanuts - South Carolina's official snack food - contained up to four times more isoflavones than raw peanuts or oil- and dry-roasted ones And boiling peanuts is I guess the easiest way to cook them. Findings appear in the Oct. 31 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1010391 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:00:48 +0100 1010391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1003528&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Frosemary_is_good_for_the_brain.php Rosemary - that herb good for cooking chicken and lamb dishes - has been found to be good for the brain too. Rosemary is a shrubby evergreen bush and, according to folklore, takes its name from the Virgin Mary, who draped her cloak on the bush, placing a white flower on top of the cloak. By the following morning, the flower had turned blue, and thereafter the plant was known as the "Rose of Mary." Rosemary, grown in the Alps since the Middle Ages, has became part of European folk medicine, and was thought to help the nervous system and ward off sickness. Until now, however, the exact chemical pathways involved in its beneficial effects have remained unknown. A collaborative group from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham Institute) in La Jolla, CA and in Japan reported ... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1003528 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:58:48 +0100 1003528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=989644&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fhydroxytyrosolrich_olive_extract_can_improve_brain_health.php A mice study conducted by a research team led by Sebastian Schaffer at University of Frankfurt, found that the olive extract -rich in hydroxytyrosol - can reduce the damaging effects of iron- and nitric oxide-induced cytotoxicity - thereby preventing against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives, and believed to play a signficant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil. Previous research by a team from the University of Barcelona found that LDL or 'bad' cholesterol levels could be cut substantially after consuming just 25 millilitres of virgin olive oil daily for one week. Other studies have suggested that it could also protect against cancer. The hydroxytyrosol-rich... Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=989644 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:02:37 +0100 989644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=942972&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Ffruit_peel_may_be_healthy_but_will_you_eat_it.php To me it has always been old notion that it is healthy to eat fruit peels. In the case of grapes and apples, it is not a feat to eat the peels right away. Although there are individuals that automatically... Continue. (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=942972 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:16:19 +0100 942972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=931165&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F165833488%2F Few organisms are as well understood at the genetic level as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Given that there are more yeast geneticists than yeast genes and exemplary resources for the community (largely a result of their size), this comes as no surprise. What is curious is the large number of yeast genes for which we've been unable to characterize. Of the ~6000 genes currently identified in the yeast genome, 1253 have no verified function (for the uninclined, this is roughly 21% of the yeast proteome). Egads! If we can't figure this out in yeast, what hope do we have in non-model organisms? Lourdes Peña-Castillo and Timothy R. Hughes discuss this curious observation and its cause in their report in Genetics. The authors point out several interesting things about these genes of unknown functi... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=931165 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:47:03 +0100 931165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900857&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Ftangerine_peel_extract_kills_cancer_cells.php Salvestrol Q40 is the compound found in abundance from tangerine fruit peels. A team from the Leicester School of Pharmacy identified Salvestrol Q40 to be able to destroy cancer cells. Salvestrol Q40 is found in the skin of fruits but... Continue. (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900857 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:36:18 +0100 900857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886234&cid=t_104852_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fare_healthy_foods_really_effective.php If you dig into the archives of this blog, there are just too much on functional or healthy foods that prevents from cancer to diabetes to arthritis and longer life. However, it is just recently that I rebumped this blog's... Continue. (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886234 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:00:00 +0100 886234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882657&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F158141329%2F A recent paper "Targeted gene deletion in Candida parapsilosis demonstrates the role of secreted lipase in virulence",  from the Nosanchuk lab at Yeshiva University, shows the role of secreted lipases in virulence of this pathogen. C. parapsilosis is second only to the evolutionarily closely related commensal Candida albicans as worldwide cause of invasive candidiasis. This paper demonstrates a knockout system using selectable marker which confers resistance to the drug Nourseothricin. The authors sought to delete the adjacent and convergently-transcribed lipase genes CpLIP1 and CpLIP2 and characterize the phenotype of the lipase deficient mutants as blood-borne C. parapsilosis infections are in a lipid rich environment. Through a series of experiments testing growth in rich media, media ... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882657 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:40:59 +0100 882657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=603632&cid=t_104852_132_f&fid=35001&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nodalpoint.org%2F2007%2F05%2F09%2Fwww2007_workflows_on_the_web The Hitch-hiking novelist Douglas Noel Adams (DNA) once remarked that the World Wide Web (WWW) is the only thing whose shortened form - 'double-you double-you double-you-dot' - takes three times longer to say than what it's "short" for [1]. If he were still with us today, there is plenty of stuff at the 16th International World Wide Web conference (WWW2007), currently underway in Banff, that would interest him. Here are some short, abbreviated notes on a couple of interesting papers at this years conference. They are relevant to bioinformatics and worth reading, whichever type of DNA you're most interested in. read more (Source: nodalpoint.org - A bioinformatics weblog) nodalpoint.org - A bioinformatics weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=603632 Wed, 09 May 2007 11:20:37 +0100 603632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=519343&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffungalgenomes.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F04%2Fthat-was-a-lot-of-work%2F I’ve never worked with Magnaporthe grisea, the fungus responsible for rice blast, one of the most devastating crop diseases, but I do know that its life cycle is complicated and that knocking out roughly 61% of the genes in the genome and evaluating the mutant phenotype to infer gene function is not trivial. In their recent letter to Nature, Jeon et al did what many of us have dreamed of doing in our fungus of interest: manipulate every gene to find those that contribute to a phenotype of interest. In their study, the authors looked for pathogenecity genes. Interestingly, the defects in appressorium formation and condiation had the strongest correlation with defects pathogenicity, suggesting that these two developmental stages are crucial for virulence. Ultimately, the authors identi... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=519343 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:20:14 +0100 519343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486603&cid=t_104852_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffungalgenomes.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fapproaching-100-coverage-for-go-assignments-in-spombe%2F A paper by Martin Aslett and Val Wood indicate that the fission yeast community is approaching 100% coverage of a GO annotation for every gene in the S. pombe genome. Only Ashbya gossypii has a smaller genome in the fungi (see a recent paper on Ashbya annotation database) and doesn’t yet have complete GO coverage. This is quite remarkable and a great dataset for studies in S. pombe and all fungi. My quick predictions of genes a closely related species, S. japonicus, has more than twice as many genes as S. pombe. Taken in comparison to many other fungi, S. pombe represents a streamlined and reduced genome which probably occured indepdently from reduction in the Hemiascomycetes. functional, genome annotation © Jason Stajich for Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics, 2007. | ... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486603 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:41:23 +0100 486603