I suppose the symptoms had been there for years—stinging self criticism, a feeling of being unworthy of my fellows’ company, and a destructive relationship with booze, to name a few. And more recently a darker side—preoccupation with suicide; research, rumination, and plans.

This vortex of self…

Sleep Quality May Be Tied to Covert Brain Wave

A type of brain activity known as an alpha wave emanates from the back of the head when a person is awake but relaxing with eyes closed. Scientists used to think that the wave was subdued and disappeared as a person fell deeper and deeper into sleep. But the alpha wave doesn’t disappear; it just goes undercover during sleep, researchers report online March 3 in PLoS One. The covert alpha wave may help determine how deeply people sleep and how much noise is needed to rouse a sleeper.

Read more of the WIRED Magazine Article

(Source: medicalschool)

One topic at a time.

Here I am reading up on chest pain and the possible aetiologies. The doctors whom I work with are all lifestyle conscious. They were trained in a time when “medicine comes first, personal life comes second,” with often disastrous consequences to family, friends, and personal wellbeing. Now they aim to make sure my generation does not repeat that same mistake. Their suggestion to me for home studying is: one topic at a time. 

(Source: medicalstate)

A standard selection of surgical instruments. 

(Source: surgicalbrief, via anaestheticroom)

ucsdhealthsciences:

Staphylococcus aureus, magnified 50 thousand times.

Hormone Plays Surprise Role in Fighting Skin Infections
Boosts immune response when vitamin D levels are low

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules produced in the skin to fend off infection-causing microbes. Vitamin D has been credited with a role in their production and in the body’s overall immune response, but scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a hormone previously associated only with maintaining calcium homeostasis and bone health is also critical, boosting AMP expression when dietary vitamin D levels are inadequate.

The finding, published in the May 23, 2012 online issue of Science Translational Medicine, more fully explains how the immune system functions in different situations and presents a new avenue for treating infections, perhaps as an alternative to current antibiotic therapies.

The immunological benefits of vitamin D are controversial. In cultured cell studies, the fat-soluble vitamin provides strong immunological benefits, but in repeated studies with humans and animal models, results have been inconsistent: People with low levels of dietary vitamin D do not suffer more infections. For reasons unknown, their immune response generally remains strong, undermining the touted immunological strength of vitamin D.

Working with a mouse model and cultured human cells, Gallo and colleagues discovered why: When levels of dietary vitamin D are low (it’s naturally present in very few foods), production of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which normally helps modulate calcium levels in blood, is ramped up. More PTH or a related peptide called PHTrP spurs increased expression of AMPs, such as  cathelicidin, which kill a broad spectrum of harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses.

“No one suspected a role for PTH or the PTH-related peptide in immunity,” said Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and chief of UCSD’s Division of Dermatology and the Dermatology section of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. “This may help resolve some of the controversy surrounding vitamin D. It fills in the blanks.”

More here

(via young-medic)

(Source: isitdooms, via young-medic)

A graphical representation of the Electrical conduction system of the heart showing the Sinoatrial node, Atrioventricular node, Bundle of His, Purkinje fibers, and Bachmann’s bundle.

(Source: medicalschool)

Video clip of HeLa cells dividing

(Source: medicalschool)

Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). Melanoma can originate in any part of the body that contains melanocytes. Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers, however, it is much more dangerous if it is not found early. It causes the majority (75%) of deaths related to skin cancer. Worldwide, doctors diagnose about 160,000 new cases of melanoma yearly.

Unusual moles that may indicate melanoma:
Characteristics of unusual moles that may indicate melanomas or other skin cancers follow the A-B-C-D-E guide developed by the American Academy of Dermatology:

• Ais for asymmetrical shape. Look for moles with irregular shapes, such as two very different-looking halves.
• Bis for irregular border. Look for moles with irregular, notched or scalloped borders — characteristics of melanomas.
• Cis for changes in color. Look for growths that have many colors or an uneven distribution of color.
• Dis for diameter. Look for new growth in amole larger than about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters).
• E is for evolving. Look for changes over time, such as a mole that grows in size or that changes color or shape. Moles may also evolve to develop new signs and symptoms, such as new itchiness or bleeding.

(via medicalschool)

French kissing a.k.a tongue kissing exchanges more bacteria than licking the inside of a toilet bowl in a public rest room.

(Source: facts-quotes-llamas)