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 'gold'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:44 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118615&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxUA4OoCH_wM%2F By Aaron Ross PowellFifty years ago, Joseph Heller published Catch-22, giving us a new idiom and forging a new perspective on the business of war. While other novels—such as Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front—stripped warfare of its romance, Catch-22 exposed it as just another form of the fundamental absurdity of bureaucracy. Writes Walter Kirn in Slate: Then, that fall, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 appeared, abruptly downgrading war’s special status as an existential crucible and also, unwittingly, beginning the process of rendering four-star male novelists irrelevant. The book treats war on a par with business or politics (to Heller they were very much the same), portraying it as a system for alienating people from their own interests and estranging... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118615 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:46:35 +0100 5118615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107688&cid=t_119433_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D322 Just when you think the rapid growth of nano technology has leveled off, scientists take another step with gold nanoshells as a therapeutic device.  Gold nanoshells are hollow structures that have been previously used for diagnostic tests.  Along with their small size, gold nanoshells have a unique characteristic that allows them to be used as a therapeutic tool for cancer.  The combination of a gold shell and hollow sphere gives them the ability to absorb near infrared light.  The light is then converted to heat energy, which selectively destroys cancer cells from within.  Currently, several companies are developing laser-activated drug delivery systems.  One early study using a 4 watt, 810-nm near infrared laser produced 93% tumor necrosis and regression in cancer cells.  A more r... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107688 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:43:49 +0100 5107688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107649&cid=t_119433_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F08%2F03%2Feprescribing-controlled-substances%2F Back on September 13, 2009 I wrote a post titled, “FDA Approves Pilot Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances.” I’d link to the post, but unfortunately the news got sent to me prematurely and so I had to take the post down. It was unfortunate, since there was and still is a lot of interest in being able to ePrescribe controlled substances. In fact, I’d say that not being able to prescribe controlled substances electronically is the current Achilles heal of ePrescribing. Fast forward to the recent announcement that DrFirst’s announcement of the Nationwide Launch of their ePrescribing Controlled Substances product. Their latest ePrescribing product for controlled substances is called EPCS Gold and is fully certified to meet the prescription processing re... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107649 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:33:22 +0100 5107649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902485&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2Fhow-is-your-happiness-challenge-going%2F Unbelievable as this is, the year 2011 is half over. If you’ve joined the 2011 Happiness Challenge, how are you doing? If you’ve managed successfully to keep even one resolution, give yourself a big gold star. It’s hard to make change; it takes mindfulness, self-knowledge, and self-mastery. I’m often surprised by how hard it is to make even a change that’s pleasant, like my resolutions to Read more or to Jump. Why is it so hard to push myself to do something that I like doing? And yet it is. Have you followed any resolutions that have made a particular difference to your happiness? I’m always so curious to hear what people have tried, and what has worked. For instance, to my surprise, one of the resolutions I most often hear mentioned is… Make your be... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902485 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 15:58:19 +0100 4902485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813362&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2F7-tips-for-giving-effective-praise%2F Gold-star junkie that I am, I was once grumbling to my mother about the fact that some extraordinarily praiseworthy effort on my part had gone unremarked. My mother wisely responded, “Most people probably don’t get the appreciation they deserve.” That’s right, I realized — for instance, my mother! Whom I certainly don’t give enough praise for everything she does for me. This got me thinking about the importance of praise, and how to praise effectively. The right words of praise can be so encouraging, but bland, empty praise is meaningless. Be specific. Vague praise doesn’t make much of an impression. Find a way to praise sincerely and realistically. It’s a rare situation where you can’t identify something that you honestly find praiseworthy. Ne... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813362 Tue, 10 May 2011 19:30:59 +0100 4813362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622345&cid=t_119433_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D217 A highly sensitive laboratory test that uses gold nanoparticles caught my interest.  The need for accuracy has allowed DNA laboratory tests for genetics and infectious diseases to become the standard of care.  But, when it comes to infectious diseases, speed and ease of use can make a test much more valuable. Each year, over 12 million patients will seek emergency room treatment for flu symptoms.  These patients may spend hours in the ER and 200,000 will eventually be hospitalized.  One concern of respiratory viruses is pandemic influenza control.  Historical data shows that rapid tests used to detect outbreaks in institutions play an important role in controlling pandemic influenza. Researchers have developed the Verigene System, which uses DNA probes that coat the molecules of inter... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622345 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:08:48 +0100 4622345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536062&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdetecting-circulating-tumor-cells-with-gold-nanoparticles%2F2011.03.02 Our modern armamentarium for treating cancer is impressive, but sometimes, despite our best treatments, tumor cells continue to lurk in the bloodstream, seeding metastases throughout the body. Researchers at Emory have developed a way to monitor for these circulating tumor cells using gold nanoparticles. This technique has been used before, but difficulty was encountered because white blood cells are close to the same size as some tumor cells, so they would both be tagged, necessitating a laborious multi-antibody staining process. “The key technological advance here is our finding that polymer-coated gold nanoparticles that are conjugated with low molecular weight peptides such as EGF are much less sticky than particles conjugated to whole antibodies,” says Shuming Nie, Ph.D., a profes... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536062 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:03 +0100 4536062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377615&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F14%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-january-14-2011%2F The first month of a new year is often filled with fear, anticipation and sometimes frustration. There’s a whole lot of things we didn’t yet accomplish that we often feel pressured to do this year (lose weight, make more money, find our true love). And there’s often a sense of grief associated with that as we slowly say good-bye to 2010 and reflect on what we’re proud of what what we regret. Speaking of regrets, a lot of you had very different views about this statement told to me by a relative: “You haven’t really lived, if you haven’t had regrets.” (You can read their opinions here and contribute your own on our Facebook page.) If you feel regretful and frustrated about last year, there are still lots of things you can do to remedy that. In... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377615 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:38:52 +0100 4377615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349544&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F14%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-january-14-2010%2F The first month of a new year is often filled with fear, anticipation and sometimes frustration. There’s a whole lot of things we didn’t yet accomplish that we often feel pressured to do this year (lose weight, make more money, find our true love). And there’s often a sense of grief associated with that as we slowly say good-bye to 2010 and reflect on what we’re proud of what what we regret. Speaking of regrets, a lot of you had very different views about this statement told to me by a relative: “You haven’t really lived, if you haven’t had regrets.” (You can read their opinions here and contribute your own on our Facebook page.) If you feel regretful and frustrated about last year, there are still lots of things you can do to remedy that. In... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349544 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:38:52 +0100 4349544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309667&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F04%2Faccessing-your-authentic-self%2F “Congruent is one of my favorite words. The word congruent describes someone who is the same on the outside as they are on the inside,” writes psychotherapist Angela Caughlin in her book, Journaling Through: Unleashing the Power of the Authentic Self: Seven Benefits of Unlocking the Wisdom Within. But, as so many of us know, being congruent is far from easy. It means not caring what others think about you. If you’re a chronic people-pleaser (Hi, my name is Margarita), this might as well be like walking a tightrope. (Yes, it’s that dramatic.) It also means knowing who you are. Sometimes, the simple question of “what do I like” is hard to answer, especially if we’ve spent years deferring to someone else and looking for validation from others. Maybe you knew who you were for... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309667 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:58:12 +0100 4309667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298767&cid=t_119433_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F29%2Fuh-biochemist-works-to-revolutionize-ovarian-cancer-treatment-by-unleashing-the-power-of-micrornas-nanotechnology%2F The day when an ovarian cancer patient can treat her tumor with a single, painless pill instead of a toxic drug cocktail is the ultimate goal of the pioneering research of a University of Houston (UH) scientist.  Preethi Gunaratnee, assistant professor in the department of biology and biochemistry, is studying a class of tiny genetic [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298767 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 23:01:17 +0100 4298767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954307&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F10%2Fstard-results-re-analyzed-but%2F At the end of August, a small journal by the name of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics published an article that sought to re-analyze the data published in the groundbreaking $35 million STAR*D clinical study. The new analysis suggested that the STAR*D researchers weren’t as forthcoming about some of their results and methodological choices as they should have been. This led to an overstatement of their results, according to the new study’s researchers. STAR*D was a significant antidepressant milestone study, because it was government-funded (not industry-funded), had a very large sample size, followed patients for a year, and was led by a team of stellar researchers. In other words, it is the gold standard as far as studies go. If STAR*D couldn’t find much significance fo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954307 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:15:10 +0100 3954307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920784&cid=t_119433_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fnursing-times-2010-vol-106-no-32%2F This article focuses on a framework as a coordinated plan of care for those in the last 12 months of life identifying key actions to support it’s implementation in primary care. Contact the Library for a copy of this article. Filed under: Journals Tagged: End of Life Care, Gold Standards Framework, Palliative Care, Primary Care (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920784 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:19:51 +0100 3920784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690840&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-physician-education-be-valued-in-the-future%2F2010.06.23 The future of American healthcare will not value physician education. Perhaps it’s time to abandon the medical school model and train millions of nurses instead at a fraction of the cost. This comment was left on my blog over at NP=MD: I don’t even compare NPs and MDs. Their models differ. One is not better than the other. The schooling — minus the residency — is nearly equivalent in terms of time spent. The problem is that NPs don’t get a long enough residency. If you take a NP and a MD, both with 20 years clinical experience, the MD does not know more than the NP. Sure, he had a few extra classes 20 years ago — which he doesn’t remember — but that’s about it. NPs aren’t trying to steal MDs’ meal tickets, they’re a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690840 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3690840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607483&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJZDMtZXK4H8%2F By David BoazMichael Crowley, late of the New Republic and now with Time magazine, writes thoughtfully about Ron Paul, Rand Paul, and libertarianism. Crowley notes that Rand Paul, “more politically flexible than his father,” has plenty of unlibertarian positions. But both of them are tapping into a real strain in contemporary politics: But he, like his father, also knows well that a genuine libertarian impulse is astir in America…. polls show an uptick in both social permissiveness and skepticism of government intervention….[Ron Paul] has already waited a long time — and it appears the country is moving his way. This is a current trend, but it’s also deeply rooted in the American political culture. As David Kirby and I wrote in “The Libertarian Vote&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607483 Thu, 27 May 2010 16:17:29 +0100 3607483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529894&cid=t_119433_117_f&fid=34808&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebeautybrains.com%2F2010%2F05%2F04%2Fdoes-simengdi-bio-gold-pearl-cream-really-work%2F Jodoll asks…My mother bought me Simengdi Bio-Gold pearl Cream from China, telling me its what everyone uses and its really popular over there. In Canadian dollars, she bought one jar for 30 bucks. That is pretty expensive for creams, especially in China! Do you know if this cream really works? The Left Brain replies: According the information I could track down on this product, Simengdi Bio-Gold is indeed very popular, in fact one source described it as “the most famous skin care brand” in China.  Here’s what the website says about Bio-Gold Pearl cream. Bio-Gold: Beauty Science or BS? It effectively lightens and/or removes spots, reduces wrinkles and moisturizes skin. It is rich in BioGold (what ever that is), Pearl amino acids, and Ganoderma which has been descri... thebeautybrains.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529894 Tue, 04 May 2010 06:01:12 +0100 3529894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420417&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fthe-wedding-ring-thing-redux%2F photo: Thinkstock Last week I wrote a post about my choosing not to wear a wedding ring ever since I got married in 2005. You can read it here. Now I have a problem. Last week, before Blisstree even published my post, after five years of marriage, and without even having had the slightest idea that I was writing about wedding rings, or marriage, or us, my husband did something terrible: He gave me a ring. I’m not kidding. Apparently, he had enlisted a jewelry designer friend of his to make the ring, and they had been covertly in cahoots for months. It was supposed to arrive in time for Valentine’s Day (okay, who are you and what have you done with my husband?), but was delayed by a few weeks. As my husband presented this strange, round, smooth, silvery object to me, he said th... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420417 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:43:51 +0100 3420417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3387048&cid=t_119433_145_f&fid=35715&url=http%3A%2F%2Fusmlesteps.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fgold-standard-tapes.html Anyone knows what is happened to Gold Standard Tapes's website?I was trying to access it at www.boardprep.net and it is not responding.powered by www.usmlestep.com (Source: USMLE blog for smart people) USMLE blog for smart people blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3387048 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0100 3387048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133577&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fmake-a-golden-bow-for-breastfeeding-support%2F Have you heard of the Golden Bow Initiative? In 2002 on the 12th anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration, UNICEF launched the Golden Bow Initiative, formalizing and encouraging the use of a golden bow as the symbol for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. Golden Bow by Sanja Gjenero Why a Golden Bow? The gold color symbolizes that breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant feeding. The yellowish colostrum is often called “liquid gold” and I know many mothers who call their precious bags of expressed breast milk “liquid gold” as well. The bow is used rather than a simple loop of ribbon because the two loops of the bow represent the mother and the infant. Naturally, both parties are necessary for successful breastfeeding and neither is more impo... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133577 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:58:30 +0100 3133577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089509&cid=t_119433_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Fstill-have-cash-wall-street-wants-to-talk%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Still Have Cash? Wall Street Wants to Talk. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, economy, gold bubble, meltdown, political cartoon, small investor, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089509 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:30:11 +0100 3089509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803985&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F17%2Fanother-treatment-for-borderline-personality-disorder%2F Borderline personality disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a longstanding pattern of instability in one’s relationships with others, with a person’s own image of themselves, and their own emotions. It’s marked by impulsivity and, like most personality disorders, usually begins in early adulthood (early 20s) and pervades every aspect of a person’s life. People with borderline personality disorder live tumultuous lives. Their romantic relationships rarely last more than a year, and their relationships with their own family tends to be unstable — some weeks they love them and want to spend all of their time with them, some weeks they hate them and won’t even talk to them (to extremes not usually experienced by the rest of us). Traditionally, the ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803985 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:12:20 +0100 2803985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2528228&cid=t_119433_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fyour-wealthy-avatar%2F There was a recent discussion in our forums about the contrast between playing an online computer game (MMORPG) and, over a period of weeks or months, acquiring a substantial amount of gold for your character (avatar) versus experiencing the opposite situation of financial scarcity in real life. The question posed was: What’s it like to enjoy financial abundance in real life? Honestly it’s pretty much the same thing you’d experience in a virtual game world when your character has a lot of gold. When you have an abundance of gold, the nature of the game changes, doesn’t it? First, the price of items becomes less important because you can afford anything you want. You’re less likely to whine, “I can’t afford that!” If you have a million gold pi... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2528228 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:28:25 +0100 2528228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2448122&cid=t_119433_145_f&fid=35715&url=http%3A%2F%2Fusmlesteps.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fare-you-preparing-for-step-1.html Are you preparing for USMLE Step 1?I would like to check your opinion!What is better?Kaplan Video Lectures Pass Program VideoKaplan WebprepGold Standardpowered by www.usmlestep.com (Source: USMLE blog for smart people) USMLE blog for smart people blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2448122 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:32:00 +0100 2448122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376220&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F27%2Fchocolate-and-mood-disorders%2F Isn’t it great that we can have something that is not only good for us, but fun to use? I’m talking about chocolate! Yes sir, dark gold, pure happiness! You’ve probably heard the buzz about dark chocolate, and how it’s good for your blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, prevents cancer and can fix nearly anything that is wrong with you, except that expanding waistline. (And for the record — white chocolate is not really chocolate at all. It’s milk solids and fat. No cocoa. Nada.) The basic ingredients of dark chocolate include cacao beans, sugar, soy lecithin (an emulsifier to preserve texture), and flavorings. This yummy treat, which contains fewer milk solids than its more popular cousin, milk chocolate, often is rated by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. The ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376220 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:33:37 +0100 2376220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364981&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Flead-into-gold-protein-induced.html This is potentially huge: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, which permit tailor made, patient specific pluripotent stem cell lines to be created ethically without the use of embryos, can now be made without using genetic material. From the story, "Purely Protein Pluripotency," in The Scientist (no link):Researchers have attained the holy grail of cellular reprogramming: inducing pluripotency without using any DNA-based materials. Using only a cocktail of purified proteins and a chemical additive, investigators have generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that don't carry the potential burden of unexpected genetic modifications, according to a new study published online today (Apr. 23) in Cell Stem Cell."This new advancement is both exciting and startling," Huck-Hui Ng, a stem cell res... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364981 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:24:00 +0100 2364981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349571&cid=t_119433_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fdendreon-ceo-mitchell-gold-talks-about-provenge%2F As background to the April 28 AUA medical conference presentation on Provenge (sipuleucal-T) immunology, here’s an audiocast of Dendreon CEO Mitchell Gold talking about their lead product, Provenge, at an investors’ conference, Biotechnology Industry Organization BIO CEO & Investor Conference, February 19, 2009. To hear the audio click the green button. Your computer media player (Windows [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349571 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:07:30 +0100 2349571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347923&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Flead-into-gold-al-gore-to-fund-ipscs.html Al Gore is set to head a venture capital foray into the very promising field of induced pluripotent stem cell research. From the story:Former vice president Al Gore is entering the stem cell arena with an announcement today of a $20 million biotech venture in the hot area of "induced pluripotent" stem cells. Induced cells are attracting interest from researchers and biotech firms as an alternative to embryonic stem cells. Induced cells are made by inserting four genes into ordinary skin cells, and they offer a new path for "regenerative" medical treatments."I just think it's a very important breakthrough that is filled with promise and hope," says Gore, a partner with the venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, which is backing the research. "I think this is one of those g... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347923 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:37:00 +0100 2347923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263811&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPi4JP-c-FNU%2F Back in 2007, presidential candidate Ron Paul generated a lot of talk, especially among libertarians, about monetary policy, the Federal Reserve, and the gold standard. As a longtime believer in sound money, I was surprised to discover how many smart young libertarians thought that talk of the gold standard was nutty. And perhaps more surprised to discover that they thought it was unnecessary now that the problem of central banking had been solved. As two of them wrote when I asked about their objections, “The gold standard is the solution to no actual problem that is of concern to anyone. I think it’s a mistake to take a relatively professional and independent central bank for granted, but we have one. Inflation is low and predictable. The monetary climate is stable and amenab... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263811 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:29:33 +0100 2263811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232377&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Flead-into-gold-ips-cells-advances.html President Obama still hasn't rescinded the Bush stem cell policy. He will, but it may matter a lot less than people once thought. The IPSC advances continue, opening the door possibly for a way forward in biotechnology that all Americans can support. And, it is reported in the Washington Post! From the story:Scientists have developed what appears to be a safer way to create a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, boosting hopes that such cells could sidestep the moral and political quagmire that has hindered the development of a new generation of cures.The researchers produced the cells by using strands of genetic material, instead of potentially dangerous genetically engineered viruses, to coax skin cells into a state that appears biologically identical to embryonic stem cells. "... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232377 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:57:00 +0100 2232377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211938&cid=t_119433_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2Fm-29U6LAgvQ%2F In a marketing campaign Lindt Chocolates has decided it would be a great idea to profit off of harm done to Autistic Children. Lindt Chocolates has announced for every sale of their Gold Bunny they will donate 10 cents to the number 1 organization who promotes hatred of Autistic people… Autism Speaks, saying: “Lindt USA is very [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211938 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:16:50 +0100 2211938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027260&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2008%2F12%2F09%2Fstupid-arrogant-does-not-equal-insane%2F I deleted it late last night (the post from yesterday) where I was asking if our esteemed Gov. was insane. (due to his reasoning on forcing banks to keep up the bad loan giving). Evidently thug politics won. I took it down because….well. *hangs head in shame* It appears he is not nuts, just stupid.  Pathologically stupid. Funny [...] (Source: bipolar chicks blogging) bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027260 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:26:15 +0100 2027260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947256&cid=t_119433_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F094EeiwySCQ%2F Kristin Armstrong jokes that she is NOT related to cyclist Lance Armstrong or to his first wife with the same name (she’s really not), but she and Lance does have something in common - cycling and medal. Kristin won gold medal in Women’s Timed Trial in cycling at Beijing Olympics. She’s also known for suffering from osteoarthritis, while under training! Osteoarthritis (OA) has major genetic component, but it is complex and not completely understood. A large, multi-center genetic study of generalized osteoarthritis has recently started. There was suggestion of association between short height and osteoarthritis, and mutation in the collagen gene, but clearly, lifestyle is a major factor in developing the disease. Kristin is a huge advocate of the importance and benefits ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947256 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:57:05 +0100 1947256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947356&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Frepairing-decade-of-pain-and-suffering.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947356 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:59:00 +0100 1947356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947172&cid=t_119433_132_f&fid=35028&url=http%3A%2F%2Flurena.vox.com%2Flibrary%2Fpost%2Fcongratulations-to-the-newcastle-uni-igem-team-2008.html%3F_c%3Dfeed-rss Congratulations, Bug Busters! You didn't just get a gold star, you got a gold award! Though I was not involved, many of my friends were part of the Newcastle University iGEM 2008 team, either as supervisors or students. You can read more on the N... Read and post comments | Send to a friend (Source: Systems Biology & Bioinformatics) Systems Biology & Bioinformatics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947172 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:49:53 +0100 1947172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1920886&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fnhs-meltdown-kidney-cancer-patient-have.html This is the way things go with socialized medicine. The health care rationers are going to take months to decide whether to cover a new chemotherapy. From the story:Kidney cancer patients will have to wait months for the NHS drugs rationing body to decide if they can have new drugs after guidance was delayed.In one of its most criticised decisions so far, the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) said in draft guidance that patients with advanced kidney cancer should not receive new drugs that could extend their lives. During the consultation on the draft guidance new evidence has been submitted and now Nice has delayed issuing another draft until well into 2009.Imagine yourself with the cancer having to wait until the big brained decide whether your quality of life ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1920886 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:06:00 +0100 1920886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888963&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Flead-into-gold-mass-production-of-ips.html President Bush's use of federal funding restrictions to induce creative thinking into ethical ways of deriving pluripotent stem cells continues to be a major triumph, in my opinion, with the astonishing progress that continues to be made in adult stem cell and IPSC research--not that the poor man will ever get credit for it. (I have come to believe that if Bush found a cure for cancer, he would be castigated for the crisis in oncologist employment rates.)That aside, the entire stem cell field is being transformed. Now, not only have IPSCs been created from hair, but the efficiency of creating the lines has been improved dramatically. From the story:Now, a team of researchers led by Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, succeeded in boosting the reprogr... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888963 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +0100 1888963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1868496&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Flead-into-gold-no-viruses-needed-to.html It is still less than a year since the first human IPSCs were derived. One of its supposed downsides as a technique was the need to use retro viruses to effectuate the change from differentiated cell (e.g., skin, or other type of body cell) into pluritpotent stem cell. The fear was this could lead to cancer if the cells were used in therapies.Then, as reported here at SHS, in mouse studies scientists discovered how to use viruses that disappeared. Now, they have been able to make the change using mouse cells without using viruses at all. From the story:Japanese scientists have demonstrated a new way to reprogram cells without viruses, an important advance toward the goal of one day turning our own cells into a powerful tool to fight a wide range of diseases.The new technique, reported Thur... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868496 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:16:00 +0100 1868496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1829056&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Flead-into-gold-ipscs-pass-another.html IPSCs were first created in humans only about 10 1/2 months ago. Yet, hurdles to their full use in regenerative medicine fall at a rate not seen with ESCR or, for sure, therapeutic cloning. And now another one. From the story: Scientists are reporting today that they have overcome a major obstacle to using a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, bolstering the prospects for bypassing the political and ethical tempest that has embroiled hopes for a new generation of medical treatments.The researchers said they found a safe way to coax adult cells to regress into an embryonic state, alleviating what had been the most worrisome uncertainty about developing the cells into potential cures. "We have removed a major roadblock for translating this into a clinical setting," said Konrad Hoc... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829056 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:58:00 +0100 1829056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815411&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2008%2F09%2F23%2Fpop-lock-n-load%2F HOLY CRAP! I have the television on in the other room and just heard a very familiar tune. I looked up from the counter and saw our favorite dancing cultists! The dance routine we’ve come to know and love was the opening for tonight’s episode of Red Eye.  (Note: Bonus points to Greg if he opens tomorrow’s [...] (Source: bipolar chicks blogging) bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815411 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:46:29 +0100 1815411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812662&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Ftide-turns-james-thomson-to-pursue-non.html I can't think of any more vivid example of the dramatic change in the scientific and political paradigms regarding stem cell research than James Thomson, the discoverer of human ESCs--moving away from embryonic stem cell field and into IPSCs. From the story: With their field riding a wave of discovery and change, researchers, financiers and policy-makers from around the world will arrive today for the 2008 World Stem Cell Summit in Madison, the city where James Thomson started a scientific revolution almost a decade ago. If any need confirmation of the rapidly changing landscape, it should come with this announcement planned for the summit: The two Madison companies co-founded by Thomson have merged and shifted their focus to products involving non-embryonic stem cells. We know why, of cou... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812662 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:23:00 +0100 1812662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788632&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Flead-into-gold-ipsc-researchers-create.html Breakthroughs continue to be made in the IPSC arena. One of the primary purposes for therapeutic cloning was supposed to be the ability to create pluripotent embryonic stem cell lines for study from patients with specific diseases. No cloned embryonic stem cells yet at all, but the IPSC lines are being made for just that purpose. From the story in Cell:Tissue culture of immortal cell strains from diseased patients is an invaluable resource for medical research but is largely limited to tumor cell lines or transformed derivatives of native tissues. Here we describe the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients with a variety of genetic diseases with either Mendelian or complex inheritance; these diseases include adenosine deaminase deficiency-related severe combined i... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788632 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:27:00 +0100 1788632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730758&cid=t_119433_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FPrxu1z46dYA%2F The Olympics are officially over- I am sad. I really watched the heck out of them this time around. My kids were in on it as well- they loved watching and it was so cool to see them dream- what if… How about you? Did you watch the summer Olympics more this time around? Was it the venue- China- or the star studded headliners like Michael Phelps and Bolt? Being an athlete myself I just remember back and think about how elite and utterly amazing these young people are. What was your most cherished moment of the games. As I shared previous- my most heart felt moment was Mr. Phelps on that podium for the 8th time- and he is from Baltimore which makes it even sweeter! Leave me a comment with your favorite memory. Have a great week! Tags: 8th gold medal, china, favorite memory, gold medal, ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730758 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:12:04 +0100 1730758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717683&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F19%2Fseeing-michael-phelpss-gold-medal-situation%2F Sam Sommers has another excellent (situationist) post, titled “The Greatest Ever? Not So Fast . . .” over at Psychology Today Blog. Sommers’s post is worth reading in its entirety (here), but here are a few particularly situationist excerpts. * * * U.S. Swimmer Michael Phelps just won his 8th gold medal of the Beijing Olympics tonight, the 14th gold of his career. These are feats that have never been accomplished before, and it’s hard to argue with the conclusion that his is the greatest Olympic performance of all time. Some in the sporting world (and beyond) are also calling Phelps the greatest athlete of all time. But not so fast—a number of psychological considerations suggest that the pundits (and public) are likely getting a bit carried away. Before I go an... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717683 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:50 +0100 1717683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711813&cid=t_119433_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FQ8B_V5QWt0Q%2F Here is something that does my heart good. Michael Phelps- he won his 8th medal- all gold these games-and that puts him in a league of his own. Go USA! Or as my youngest says “Go Americans”.  This has been an incredible Olympics thus far- I loved watching the Romanian win the marathon last night and the Jamaican sprinter. But Phelps! He is from Baltimore just as I am and I am loving it.  He is doing the sport good and making us here very proud. I just keep smiling- and we are all talking about it and it is just so cool to have so many different people relating to each other because of one swimmer. Seriously- the old, young, men, women, kids, policemen, nurses and doctors- all feeling good today because a fellow Baltimore boy won some gold. Thanks Michael Phelps! Tags: beijing... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711813 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:10:33 +0100 1711813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1708872&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Flead-into-gold-more-scientists-eschew.html It may not yet be a full fledged exodus, but it would appear that the tide has changed dramatically. Where just a few years ago the clamor to overturn the Bush policy was touted throughout the media and among the politicians of the Science Establishment, it now appears that many of the world's top scientists are moving away from ESCR/Cloning and toward IPSC research.At least that is the take of the splendid bioethics newsletter Bioedge. In the latest edition, for example, it tells of George Q. Daly, the former president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research turning to IPSC research--even though only a little while ago he testified that cloning offered the best hope for obtaining patient specific pluripotent stem cells. From the story:Like a number of other leading stem cell s... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1708872 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:55:00 +0100 1708872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696051&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Flead-into-gold-new-patient-specific.html Remember when the above headline was breathlessly expected to come from human cloning and to serve as a repudiation of the Bush stem cell funding policy? This breakthrough, however, came about with induced pluripotent stem cells created from patient skin cells and bone marrow. From the story:Harvard scientists made the announcement on Thursday that they have developed 20 new stem cell lines which could lead to treatments and cures for diseases such as Parkinson’s Down Syndrome, diabetes, etc.The new stem cell lines were taken from patients who already had a genetic illness, and are based on regular skin cells and bone marrow.Yes, yes, I know: ESCR was needed to develop iPSCs. But most, if not all, of that research was done with Bush approved cell lines. Moreover, as I have argued, I beli... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696051 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:25:00 +0100 1696051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1683156&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2F50-things-i-like-love-enjoy-or-make-me.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1683156 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:21:00 +0100 1683156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1971059&cid=t_119433_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fdentalheroes%2F%7E3%2F352372153%2F As if we aren’t all feeling enough pain with the rising costs of what seems like everything, but especially gas and food, those crowns and fillings will now cost you more as well. Why have gold prices risen so much Why? Well, that has been debated by economists because it really transcends the law of supply and demand. The demand for gold has actually dropped as the U.S. economy has slowed in recent months. According to Slate.com, the reason for the increase in price of gold is primarily the result of speculation. While consumers are reacting to expensive gold by demanding less of it and recycling more, investors are reacting by bidding up the price further… What do rising gold prices mean at the dentist’s office This is probably pretty office, but you can expect your ... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1971059 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:28:30 +0100 1971059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671425&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Flead-into-gold-ipscs-made-from-cell-of.html One of benefits of human cloning, we were told, would be the ability to clone someone with a disease like ALS (Lou Gehrig's in America, motor neurone disease in the UK and elsewhere), to obtain stem cells from the embryo for disease study. Indeed, before he decided to abandon cloning in favor of iPSCs, that is precisely what Ian Wilmut had a license to do in the UK.Well, so far no human cloned embryonic stem cells have been derived despite years of trying. But in less than one year since the first iPSC human line was created, that precise achievement has already been accomplished. From the Harvard-Columbia press release: Harvard and Columbia scientists have for the first time used a new technique to transform an ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) patient's skin ce... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671425 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:20:00 +0100 1671425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1642635&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fdsm-vi-reality-tv-disorder%2F You know how I like to pick apart professionals who make all sorts of logical fallacies when suggesting new diagnoses off the cuff because they’ve personally seen a rise of such cases. Sorry, it’s my failing, and I’m working on it. But in the meantime… It’s funny, but once you start thinking you’re an expert on a new disorder (that you either created from your imagination — or your patients’ imaginations, or helped to do so), suddenly people start flocking to you for help. I call it the “moth to the light” phenomenon. Then you think it’s a “real” diagnosis, because suddenly of all the people who come to see you. Can you say “self-fulfilling prophecy?” Meet Joel and Ian Gold — brothers and psyc... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1642635 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:12:04 +0100 1642635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1635069&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Ffalling-slowly.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1635069 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:50:00 +0100 1635069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1616237&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fwords-flow.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1616237 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:25:00 +0100 1616237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1525933&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Flead-into-gold-venture-capitalists.html There is an old saying that may be a cliche`, but it is true nonetheless: Money talks. In ESCR and human cloning research, the silence has been deafening: Venture capitalists having done their due diligence, they have widely avoided the field knowing the difference between facts on the ground and the bilious political hype emanating from Big Biotech aimed at getting a blank check (financial and ethical) from the govt.But now, with the astounding early success of the IPSCs, "the money" is beginning to speak. From the story: "We all feel the (induced pluripotent stem cells) technology has the potential to transform the regenerative medicine space," said Thane Kreiner, chief executive officer of iZumi..."Our intent is to collaborate broadly with the best scientists in the world," he said. The... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1525933 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:35:00 +0100 1525933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497336&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Flead-into-gold-drugs-used-to-create.html This study is a proof of principle that this kind of approach is possible," he says.So adult stem cells seem to be the therapeutic answer whether made from pluripotent stem cells or in their own right.In any event, if stem cells for drug testing and therapies are the goal, human cloning is indeed redundant and should be banned. But don't hold your breath. In my view, stem cells were as much pretext as purpose behind the cloning drive. But at least now that will be exposed. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497336 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:02:00 +0100 1497336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497557&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fone-by-one-road-is-paved-with-our.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497557 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:05:00 +0100 1497557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1491956&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Flead-into-gold-ips-cells-used-to-study.html This is precisely the kind of experiment for which we were told that cloning was required; creating patient specific, tailor made stem cells for study. From the story:Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Publishing online in Stem Cells on May 29, the team describes a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming cells that might speed the development of stem cell therapies. The scientists hope this will help facilitate drug testing.The argument on behalf of human cloning research fo... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1491956 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:56:00 +0100 1491956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1443041&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fexcuse-me-while-i-scream.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1443041 Wed, 14 May 2008 01:16:00 +0100 1443041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1414885&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Flead-into-gold-scientists-wax.html The power of the IPSCs is becoming so evident that, like Ian Wilmut before them, many scientists are joining the field. From a story in Nature Reports Stem Cells: The fact that making iPS cells does not pose the technical and ethical challenges of working with eggs or embryos is drawing large numbers of researchers into the field and speeding up reprogramming research. "This is definitely the hot thing right now," says Melina Fan, executive director of Addgene, the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based nonprofit repository that distributes both Thomson's and Yamanaka's viral vectors for the cell-reprogramming genes. As of 17 April, she says, there have been 704 requests from 178 labs at 142 institutions for Thomson's vectors; 514 requests from 131 labs at 113 institutions for Yamanaka's human i... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1414885 Fri, 02 May 2008 04:37:00 +0100 1414885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409649&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Flead-into-gold-more-ipsc-advances-in.html Research on the new Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells continues to advance. Now, scientists have morphed them into heart and blood cells. From the story:Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which don't involve the use of embryos or eggs, can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels..."I believe iPS cells address many of the shortcomings of human embryonic stem cells and are the future of regenerative medicine," said [Dr. Robb] MacLellan, an associate professor of cardiology and physiology. ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409649 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:06:00 +0100 1409649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1397701&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fbroken-gold.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1397701 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:35:00 +0100 1397701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1377945&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F04%2F16%2Fmilk-the-drink-of-rock-stars%2F Who ever said that milk was not the drink of choice for rockers and other fabulous folk? If you have any doubts, check out this new ad campaign for the white stuff. Aimed at convincing kids and teens to reach for Moo Juice instead of soda, the milk crew promises they’re not giving up on their ever-so-famous Got Milk? campaign - they’re just using the Spinal Tap rocker analogy to appeal to the younger crowds. In the promotion, the “rock band” White Gold is out spreading the good word on milk…and taking the ad world by storm. Interesting concept and one that I, personally, hope will work. But, of course, the bottom line is that many parents need to revert back to some of their old-school ways and offer milk at mealtimes, rather than sugar-laden juices, sodas a... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1377945 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:43:38 +0100 1377945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1355976&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Flead-into-gold-ipscs-improve-parkinsons.html A new study has just been released finding that the new Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells were efficacious in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's in rats. From the story: A novel and untested stem cell therapy has significantly improved the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in rats, according to a study released Monday. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, used a relatively new technique to re-engineer stem cells from skin cells and then treat rats with the debilitating neurological disease.When the rats were tested weeks after the cell transplant, their Parkinson's symptoms were significantly reduced, confirming that these substitutes for embryonic stem cells, so-called reprogrammed stem cells, can replace lost or damaged neurons.In es... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1355976 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:01:00 +0100 1355976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338094&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fblog-post_30.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338094 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:49:00 +0100 1338094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338095&cid=t_119433_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fempty-canvas.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338095 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:40:00 +0100 1338095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270585&cid=t_119433_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F243986928%2F This study, which was published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, comes as no surprise: One family has spent $200,000 on therapies and parents sometimes hold fundraisers to raise money for a child’s therapy. As a comparison, back in 2004 it was estimated that it would cost a quarter million to raise a child from birth through age 17. BabyCenter offers a simple tool to estimate how much it would cost to raise a child in 2006 dollars (more than that quarter million). I’ve never added up everything we’ve spent for Charlie: Besides all of the above, there are lawyer fees; the plumber’s bills (we lived in a one-bathroom house at the time when putting things in the toilet—-duplo Legos—provided great, if fleeting, amusement for one member of our hou... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270585 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:16:20 +0100 1270585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261571&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Flead-into-gold-more-ipsc-advances.html Do you wonder why the stem cell dispute that was supposed to propel Democrats into the White House is now a non issue? Credit the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells that can be made from normal skin cells. After this astonishing breakthrough was announced, some among "the scientists" continued to insist that cloning was necessary because the IPSCs might cause cancer. That excuse is withering on the vine. From the story: The main obstacle to using "reprogrammed" human stem cells--the danger that they might turn cancerous--has been solved, claims a US company. PrimeGen, based in Irvine, California, says that its scientists have converted specialised adult human cells back to a seemingly embryonic state--using methods that are much less likely to trigger cancer than those deployed previously. The... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261571 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:02:00 +0100 1261571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1253729&cid=t_119433_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F240718461%2F (Note: neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that measures brain waves and that, according to practitioners, provides good "brain training" for specific clinical conditions). A few weeks ago Dr. David Rabiner wrote a great post on How Strong is the Research Support for Neurofeedback in Attention Deficits?, concluding that - "It is for these reasons that neurofeedback is understandably regarded as an unproven treatment approach for ADHD at this time by many ADHD researchers. - However, these studies do provide a solid basis for suggesting that if parents choose to pursue neurofeedback for their child, there is a reasonable chance that their child will benefit even though we can't be sure that it is the specific EEG training that is responsible for the benefits. Thus, althoug... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1253729 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:43:48 +0100 1253729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1239301&cid=t_119433_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F237091714%2F Autism alters lives, but parents feel “blessed”, reports an article about a family in McAllen, Texas. Patrick and Sylvia Hamilton’s son Michael is 23. While they worry—as many, and perhaps all, of us do—about resources and opportunities as children get older, the Hamiltons have no regrets. “Special children are born into special families,” Sylvia said. “We’re highly blessed.” And special families, like the Hamiltons, do a lot to help their children with disabilities long into their adult years. The constant need for care changes the course of all of their lives. The scope of that impact varies with the severity of the disability. Many with disabilities are able to function on their own in society; others need more support from the... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1239301 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:00:23 +0100 1239301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1236876&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Flead-into-god-more-progress-on-ipscs.html Good news on a Saturday morning: A new paper is out touting more advances in understanding the mechanisms of IPSCs. It is written in pure scienceze and is way over my head. But a scientist friend of mine translated it and it appears that the paper's authors have discovered that two potential obstacles to the full use of these new cells--the use of viruses to introduce the genes that reprogram the skin or other cells into stem cells and concerns about the genes themselves--may not be serious problems after all.In an article called "Defining Molecular Cornerstonesduring Fibroblast to iPS Cell Reprogramming in Mouse," published in Cell Stem Cell (2, 1-11), scientists apparently found that the viral expression shut down after 10 days and that the added genes only needed 10 days to achieve full... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1236876 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:29:00 +0100 1236876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1233225&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Flead-into-gold-more-advances-on-ispcs.html As I alluded to earlier this week, research into ISPCs are advancing in the animal models. From the story: Stem cells are considered a potential magic bullet cure for a host of diseases because they can be transformed into nearly any cell in the body and used to help replace damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs. However, stem cell research is highly controversial because, until recently, viable human embryos were destroyed in the process of extracting the most flexible stem cells. Two groups of scientists recently bypassed this problem by transforming human skin cells into stem cells which had the same properties as embryonic stem cells. This offered the promise of treatments tailored to the specific genetic code of a patient--anything from blood transfusions to transplantable org... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1233225 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:46:00 +0100 1233225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1231826&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F14%2Fproblems-with-drug-research-paxil%2F If your profit margins depends on a supposedly “gold standard” objective scientific process, guess how long it will take before you start imagining ways that process could be manipulated? If you answered, “Not very,” you’d be right. The process is peer-reviewed journal articles, of course, which are the “gold standard” for health care research. The theory is that if researchers review other researchers’ work and vet it before publication, only the good stuff will make it to publication (and if things need clarification or further disclaimers, it often comes out in the review process). So how do you manipulate such an objective process? Well, you could start at its foundation. The study data itself. The problem with today’s study da... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1231826 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:50:35 +0100 1231826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1222279&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Flead-into-gold-more-research-successes.html ULCA is the latest research center to successfully create induced pluripotent stem cells. From the story: Researchers at UCLA have become the first in the state to successfully create skin cells that can be used to treat a number of fatal or debilitating conditions without the use of human embryos or eggs. The work, which has broad political and ethical implications, appears today in the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The findings confirm earlier research by Wisconsin and Japanese scientists reported last fall. The manufacture of these cells provides a potential coup for opponents of embryonic stem cell research, which involves destroying cells that some equate to destroying human life and raises ethical issues associated with regeneration of cells throug... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222279 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:11:00 +0100 1222279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1217920&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F08%2Fmultidisciplinary-treatment-for-depression-gold-standard%2F This study showed that such an approach is actually more cost-effective than other, hodge-podge methods of treatment. Previous studies on a multidisciplinary approach to depression has shown it to be more effective in treating depression as well. What is a multidisciplinary approach? It’s a model of treatment that puts a person in the center of a team of specialists for that person’s health or mental health care. For instance, a person might have a psychologist serving as that person’s primary care manager who does therapy with the person, but the care manager also brings in other specialists, such as a psychiatrist (to prescribe medications) or a social worker (to help with getting benefits or financial aid). It might also include a nurse practitioner, a career special... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1217920 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:13:52 +0100 1217920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194697&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Flead-into-gold-koreans-improve-upon.html Korean scientists have created pluripotent stem cells from normal skin cells and have further improved the technique. From the story: Park said the overall process of making the stem cells is similar to those by U.S. and Japanese scientists, there has been a marked improvement in the success rate. "Foreign scientists used the so-called retrovirus, but we made headway by attaching the lentivirus to the transporting vector, and inserted it into the somatic cell of the lab animal," he said.This process resulted in a stem cell being confirmed by a fluorescent microscope. The team claimed it was able to push these stem cells to differentiate into liver, nerve and muscle tissues. They said efforts are underway to recreate the process using human somatic cells.Patent applications are also being f... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194697 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:07:00 +0100 1194697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116812&cid=t_119433_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F206413561%2F Scientists at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology reported that they were able to show that they can identify tumors under the skin of a living animal using tiny gold particles embedded with dyes. Suggesting that such tools may allow allow doctors to detect and diagnose cancer earlier but less invasively. Studded with antibody fragments called ScFv peptides that bind cancer cells, the gold particles grab onto tumors after their injection into a mouse. When illuminated with a laser beam, the tumor-bound particles send back a signal that is specific to the dye. According to senior author Shuming Nie, PhD, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University: “This is a new class of nanotechnology agents for... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116812 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:02:12 +0100 1116812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036950&cid=t_119433_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fphylogenomics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhow-to-keep-track-of-genome-projects.html A new paper on GOLD - the Genomes On Line Database has been published in Nucleic Acids Research. GOLD is an amazing resource for those interested in microbial genomes ... there are so many genome projects out there that it is VERY hard to keep track of them. GOLD does this for you.Plus it has data organized in nice ways (like by phylogenetic trees) and you can also download all the information. If you want a nice survey of genome projects, check out the statistics page.This is from the "Tree of Life" blog ( http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com ) of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Davis. (Source: The Tree of Life) The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036950 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:21:00 +0100 1036950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1002854&cid=t_119433_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F179717229%2Fmega_brain_boost_three_times_a.html Have you heard about Nintendo’s new Mega Brain Boost … which is expected out in January 2008? What will it do? Mega Brain Boost will introduce 15 sets of multiple choice mega brain training drills, which take 1 or 2 two-players … and is designed to enhance mental acumen. Ken Gold, VP of marketing at Majesco… Each game within Mega Brain Boost offers a completely different set of fun, yet challenging, brain training problems designed to enhance mental acuity. Mega Brain Boost’s based on Doctor Kawashima’s highly respected research and Dr. Makoto Shichida’s Right Brain Development theory. It’s worth checking out. Shichida claims people can develop their right brains by increasing recognition of images, shapes, spatial patterns, illustrations ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1002854 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:21:05 +0100 1002854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=809591&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F20%2Fthought-for-the-day-mri-as-a-gold-standard%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention, Thought for the DayJust recently, European researchers announced that MRI scans offer a new way to detect breast cancer in its earliest form. They can even prevent cancer among high-risk women.Better than standard mammograms, MRI can detect a nonmalignant tumor called ductal carcinoma in-situ, or DCIS. Once found, the lesion can be surgically removed before it becomes cancerous.Think about this: It is believed that almost all breast cancer starts out as DCIS. And this: if MRI were the gold standard breast cancer screening tool, we might be able to prevent a lot more breast cancer cases than we do now. It seems researchers agree."MRI should thus no longer be regarded as an adjunct to mammography but as a distinct method to detect breast cancer at its ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=809591 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 809591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=654381&cid=t_119433_85_f&fid=34692&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitedissent.com%2Farchives%2F1667 A couple of firsts in this week’s Psychic Nosebleed Zen post. This is the first time I’ve ever posted a cover that shows a psychic nosebleed. It’s also the first time I’ve posted an image before the comic is actually available. This is the cover for the upcoming Booster Gold #1 comic set to go on sale in August. (It looks like it’s a good thing I posted it now, because Maxwell Lord’s face will likely be obscured by the logo in the final product.) It’s also interesting to note that the psychic nosebleed has now apparently become Max’s defining characteristic — or so one would gather from this cover. The cover is by Dan Jurgens. I’ve blown up the Maxwell Lord aspect so it’s easier to see (and in the process obscured images of ... Polite Dissent blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=654381 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 11:38:59 +0100 654381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=629109&cid=t_119433_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F21%2Famy-t-a-gold-mine-of-diabetes-straight-talk%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Opinion, Books, Services, SupportIf you've been around the diabetes online community you've certainly heard of Amy Tenderich. Her award-winning site is touted as one of the most influential diabetes sites out there. If you're looking for a gold mine of straight talk and encouragement -- Diabetes Mine is your destination. And now is your chance to speak to the celebrity herself! Amy will be chatting live on Tuesday, May 22, 9pm EST on Diabetes Talkfest. Her charm comes through, loud and clear, in her cynically optimistic view of the trials of living with diabetes. Her journalistic flair derives from the heart and covers topics like breaking news and inside looks at diabetes research, as well as daily life with diabetes and unco... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=629109 Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 629109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620238&cid=t_119433_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F117268469%2F Consistency is golden for children with autism is the title of a May 16th story about 6-year-old Ryan Bates and his family who live in Cobourg, Canada. Ryan has autism and “has difficulty with change. Any break in routine - which [his sister] 4-year-old Katie would take in stride - brings Ryan to tears. He can’t understand why things have to change.” True indeed: Sushi is one of Charlie’s favorite foods and, to celebrate his 10th birthday, we took him out to a restaurant and ordered some California rolls. The rolls came out on sculpted ceramic platters and Charlie ate them, but with a most serious look on his face: He would prefer, I think, to have had his sushi come in a plastic pack from the supermarket; he did not eat all of his sushi, and gave Jim the last piece... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620238 Wed, 16 May 2007 21:59:41 +0100 620238