Posts tagged education

I had to stray away from medicine for this one. Male fruit flies rejected by females turned to alcohol to drown their sorrows in a study published in the journal Science.The male flies were placed with females that had already mated, and hence had no interest in sex. The frustrated fly fellows were provided with sugar water spiked with 15 percent alcohol, along with plain sugar water. The spurned males chose to drink the alcohol mixture 70 percent of the time, compared to their sexually satisfied peers, which chose the alcoholic mix only 50 percent of the time.Getting their drink on might not be the best decision for a frustrated fly. A neurobiologist at Pennsylvania State University found that repeated exposure of males fruit flies to alcohol vapor put them into a sexual frenzy. The drunken Drosophila got so worked up they stopped caring what gender they were courting. Males chased each other around, serenading their beau with wings vibrating out the traditional fruit fly courtship song. However, even if the males caught up with a female, their rate of successful copulation went down with the more alcohol they had inhaled.Female fruit flies, on the other hand, got no kick from the alcohol vapors. Mere alcohol didn’t thrill them at all. They showed little change in behavior, possibly because females do little to court males.Extract from Article: http://news.discovery.com/animals/animals-on-drugs-pictures-130118.htm

I had to stray away from medicine for this one.

Male fruit flies rejected by females turned to alcohol to drown their sorrows in a study published in the journal Science.

The male flies were placed with females that had already mated, and hence had no interest in sex. The frustrated fly fellows were provided with sugar water spiked with 15 percent alcohol, along with plain sugar water. The spurned males chose to drink the alcohol mixture 70 percent of the time, compared to their sexually satisfied peers, which chose the alcoholic mix only 50 percent of the time.

Getting their drink on might not be the best decision for a frustrated fly. A neurobiologist at Pennsylvania State University found that repeated exposure of males fruit flies to alcohol vapor put them into a sexual frenzy. The drunken Drosophila got so worked up they stopped caring what gender they were courting. Males chased each other around, serenading their beau with wings vibrating out the traditional fruit fly courtship song. However, even if the males caught up with a female, their rate of successful copulation went down with the more alcohol they had inhaled.

Female fruit flies, on the other hand, got no kick from the alcohol vapors. Mere alcohol didn’t thrill them at all. They showed little change in behavior, possibly because females do little to court males.

Extract from Article: http://news.discovery.com/animals/animals-on-drugs-pictures-130118.htm

Teach for America This is slight off topic from medicine, but this is something I truly believe in. Our nation prides it self in equal opportunities. However this is not always the case.  We see great inequalities in our education system everyday.  There is an ever-growing gap between different socioeconomic, racial, and gender groups.  And mind you this is the twenty first century.  We can observe this gap right here in our community.  In the Los Angeles Unified School District we have over 700 thousand students, and over 700 operating schools, within these schools we see high funded private schools that send numerous students to the most prestigious universities across the nation, while we also see low income high schools struggling to keep their students from dropping out.  This is not what equal opportunity is.  I have recently began working with the Teach for America Recruitment team, in hopes of joining the corps when I graduate (Medical schools allow for 2 year deferrals!).  I truly believe in the importance of education and especially find its correlation with health interesting. This sort of opportunity seems too good to pass.  I’m going to be a person who changes the world, but first I’m just hoping to change an individual’s world.

Teach for America

This is slight off topic from medicine, but this is something I truly believe in.

Our nation prides it self in equal opportunities. However this is not always the case.  We see great inequalities in our education system everyday.  There is an ever-growing gap between different socioeconomic, racial, and gender groups.  And mind you this is the twenty first century.  We can observe this gap right here in our community.  In the Los Angeles Unified School District we have over 700 thousand students, and over 700 operating schools, within these schools we see high funded private schools that send numerous students to the most prestigious universities across the nation, while we also see low income high schools struggling to keep their students from dropping out. 

This is not what equal opportunity is. 

I have recently began working with the Teach for America Recruitment team, in hopes of joining the corps when I graduate (Medical schools allow for 2 year deferrals!).  I truly believe in the importance of education and especially find its correlation with health interesting. This sort of opportunity seems too good to pass. 

I’m going to be a person who changes the world, but first I’m just hoping to change an individual’s world.

Hand Transplant So when we think about transplants, we automatically think about internal organ transplants first, like the heart, lungs, liver, etc. We usually don’t think of tissue and cell transplants that people get. Here’s a great example of a man named Clint Hallam who received a hand transplant from a deceased donor in 1998.  Hallam lost his hand in circular-saw accident at Rolleston prison in 1984, where he was serving time for fraud. The original replant (the reattachment of the severed limb) didn’t take, and he had his hand amputated. A surgery team led by Australian Earl Owen and Frenchman Jean-Michel Dubernard transplanted a new hand on 23 September 1998 in a 13-hour long operation in Lyon, France. After an initial period of over two years in which he could move and even write with the fingers of the new hand, Hallam voluntarily stopped taking his immunosuppressive drugs. The hand was amputated on 3 February 2001. Either way it’s pretty impressive to see how much medicine can do to help people. And more importantly, how much we can help others even after we pass.

Hand Transplant

So when we think about transplants, we automatically think about internal organ transplants first, like the heart, lungs, liver, etc.

We usually don’t think of tissue and cell transplants that people get. Here’s a great example of a man named Clint Hallam who received a hand transplant from a deceased donor in 1998. 

Hallam lost his hand in circular-saw accident at Rolleston prison in 1984, where he was serving time for fraud.

The original replant (the reattachment of the severed limb) didn’t take, and he had his hand amputated.

A surgery team led by Australian Earl Owen and Frenchman Jean-Michel Dubernard transplanted a new hand on 23 September 1998 in a 13-hour long operation in Lyon, France.

After an initial period of over two years in which he could move and even write with the fingers of the new hand, Hallam voluntarily stopped taking his immunosuppressive drugs. The hand was amputated on 3 February 2001.

Either way it’s pretty impressive to see how much medicine can do to help people. And more importantly, how much we can help others even after we pass.

Transplant Prices

One of the driving forces for illegal organ trafficking and for “transplantation tourism” is the price differences for organs and transplant surgeries in different areas of the world. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, a human kidney can be purchased in Manila for $1000–$2000, but in urban Latin America a kidney may cost more than $10,000. Kidneys in South Africa have sold for as high as $20,000. Price disparities based on donor race are a driving force of attractive organ sales in South Africa, as well as in other parts of the world. 

In China, a kidney transplant operation runs for around $70,000, liver for $160,000, and heart for $120,000. Although these prices are still unattainable to the poor, compared to the fees of the United States, where a kidney transplant may demand $100,000, a liver $250,000, and a heart $860,000, Chinese prices have made China a major provider of organs and transplantation surgeries to other countries.

In India, a kidney transplant operation runs for around as low as $5000.

Money seems to be a constant issue in whatever aspect of medicine you work in. You can be a patient who thinks you are paying too much, or a surgeon who thinks you’re not getting paid enough. The price that’s put into saving someone’s life… should it be this controversial of an issue?

Article “Progeria affects 200-250 children worldwide, but research into the disease could offer clues on cellular function and how it affects human aging and other age-related diseases. This week, a study about a possible treatment was published in Science Translational Medicine. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the authors.” How exciting is this!

Article

“Progeria affects 200-250 children worldwide, but research into the disease could offer clues on cellular function and how it affects human aging and other age-related diseases. This week, a study about a possible treatment was published in Science Translational Medicine. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the authors.”

How exciting is this!

Imperforate Anus (repair) Imperforate Anus is a congenital defect where the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. Imperforate anus may occur in several forms. The rectum may end in a blind pouch that does not connect with the colon. Or, it may have openings to the urethra, bladder, base of penis or scrotum in boys, or vagina in girls. A condition of stenosis (narrowing) of the anus or absence of the anus may be present. The problem is caused by abnormal development of the fetus, and many forms of imperforate anus are associated with other birth defects. It is a relatively common condition that occurs in about 1 out of 5,000 infants. The surgery was done laparascopically. First the bowel was cut away from any tissue and membrane and moved into position in order to pull through to the anus area. The area is then checked with muscle stimulator in order to check the availability of the sphincter. Then a small incision is made and then they put a tapered bar in order to pull out the bowel to the surface of the anus. Then it is stitched into place. The bowel needs to be checked to see if any part is twisted to make sure no twisting occurs.The surgery was pretty amazing. It was such a life threatening condition, and it was so rewarding to see the surgeon talk to the baby’s parents afterwards and to be able to tell them everything went great.p.s. the baby’s bottom looked so sore, poor kid.

Imperforate Anus (repair)

Imperforate Anus is a congenital defect where the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. Imperforate anus may occur in several forms. The rectum may end in a blind pouch that does not connect with the colon. Or, it may have openings to the urethra, bladder, base of penis or scrotum in boys, or vagina in girls. A condition of stenosis (narrowing) of the anus or absence of the anus may be present.

The problem is caused by abnormal development of the fetus, and many forms of imperforate anus are associated with other birth defects. It is a relatively common condition that occurs in about 1 out of 5,000 infants.

The surgery was done laparascopically. First the bowel was cut away from any tissue and membrane and moved into position in order to pull through to the anus area. The area is then checked with muscle stimulator in order to check the availability of the sphincter. Then a small incision is made and then they put a tapered bar in order to pull out the bowel to the surface of the anus. Then it is stitched into place. The bowel needs to be checked to see if any part is twisted to make sure no twisting occurs.
The surgery was pretty amazing. It was such a life threatening condition, and it was so rewarding to see the surgeon talk to the baby’s parents afterwards and to be able to tell them everything went great.
p.s. the baby’s bottom looked so sore, poor kid.

Pupula Duplex (Eyes With 2 Pupils) Liu Ch’ung was a Chinese emperor that was featured in a episode of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!” because he had two irises/pupils in each of his eyeballs.It’s basically a condition that is called “pupula duplex” — which means in Latin: “double pupil” Just like the Alexandria’s Genesis, this is a legend, and there hasn’t been any recent cases recorded.  What do you think would happen if you had this condition? Would you be able to see? Would you have double vision? Would you be blind?

Pupula Duplex (Eyes With 2 Pupils)

Liu Ch’ung was a Chinese emperor that was featured in a episode of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!” because he had two irises/pupils in each of his eyeballs.It’s basically a condition that is called “pupula duplex” — which means in Latin: “double pupil”

Just like the Alexandria’s Genesis, this is a legend, and there hasn’t been any recent cases recorded. 

What do you think would happen if you had this condition? Would you be able to see? Would you have double vision? Would you be blind?

New Way of Seeing Through a Body By using a laser light, an infrared camera, and extremely tiny particles the Stanford researchers developed a way to look deeply and with greater clarity into the workings of a living, breathing body. This is so COOL! check more out through the link. http://news.yahoo.com/s//yblog_localsfbg/20110621/ts_yblog_localsfbg/stanford-researchers-find-new-way-to-see-through-body?bouchon=807,ca

New Way of Seeing Through a Body

By using a laser light, an infrared camera, and extremely tiny particles the Stanford researchers developed a way to look deeply and with greater clarity into the workings of a living, breathing body.

This is so COOL! check more out through the link.

http://news.yahoo.com/s//yblog_localsfbg/20110621/ts_yblog_localsfbg/stanford-researchers-find-new-way-to-see-through-body?bouchon=807,ca

Jaundice Baby A Jaundice Baby is a… yellow baby. Color is a big key of medicine, a discoloration of anything can serve as a huge sign of an underlying disease. attention to detail is a key part being able to diagnose patients. Just like cyanosis, jaundice can have many different causes. One of the more common causes of jaundice comes from biliary atresia. Biliary atresia occurs when the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not develop normally. It is not known why the biliary system fails to develop normally.  The bile ducts help remove waste from the liver and carry salts that help the small intestine break down (digest) fat. In babies with biliary atresia, bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. this can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver, which is deadly if not treated. The treatment for this is an operation called the Kasai procedure, done to connect the liver to the small intestine, going around the abnormal ducts. It is most successful if done before the baby is 8 weeks old. However a liver transplant may still be needed. I will be talking about this more later…   

Jaundice Baby

A Jaundice Baby is a… yellow baby.

Color is a big key of medicine, a discoloration of anything can serve as a huge sign of an underlying disease. attention to detail is a key part being able to diagnose patients.

Just like cyanosis, jaundice can have many different causes. One of the more common causes of jaundice comes from biliary atresia. Biliary atresia occurs when the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not develop normally. It is not known why the biliary system fails to develop normally.  The bile ducts help remove waste from the liver and carry salts that help the small intestine break down (digest) fat. In babies with biliary atresia, bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. this can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver, which is deadly if not treated.

The treatment for this is an operation called the Kasai procedure, done to connect the liver to the small intestine, going around the abnormal ducts. It is most successful if done before the baby is 8 weeks old. However a liver transplant may still be needed. I will be talking about this more later… 

 

Residents are Funny.

So in this shadowing surgeon thing, I also get to see residents, and follow them around to see what their lives are like. They have 80 hour work weeks, they’re under constant stress from the attendings, and they still have so much more to learn. But one thing I learned, is that they have fun nonetheless, in their own sort of geeky resident way.. and I’m jealous. here are some stuff that went on during a lunch.

Resident 1: ask him about his finger (points to resident 2)
Resident 2: so, I had my trauma rotation at county… and I had to give this guy a rectal exam. While my finger was up his butt, he decided to turn around and sit on my finger. So I had a HUGE sprained finger, all black and blue for a couple weeks, and couldn’t even move it. 

few moments later..
Resident 3: Do you guys notice the bump on your middle finger?
Resident 4: I think everyone has it, it’s from writing…
Resident 3: Well I think mine’s ugly, and I don’t really write anymore, we type everything. I wanna get rid of it, do you think we can just surgically remove it?
All 10~Residents: (talking in unison about what their thoughts about removing it, whether it can be done, or what procedures should be taken, ‘it’s just a callous’, ‘who cares’, ‘it should be easy because its just on the surface’)

Surgeons seem to just wanna cut… and yeah they’re dorks.
Was this not as funny as I thought it was? Maybe I’m just a big dork too..