Category: The Other Things
-
The other founding fathers: the SUPERINTENDENTS of insanity
Picture this: While the rest of America was busy manifesting destiny, these thirteen madcap mind-menders were cooking up a scheme to rule the nation’s noggins. They met in Philadelphia, because where else would you start a revolution of the psyche? It’s like they looked at the Founding Fathers and thought, “Pfft, amateurs. Watch this!” These…
-
The Goldwater Rule: A Tale of Psychiatric Scandals and Ethics
This is the tale of the Goldwater Rule that proves sometimes the doctors are crazier than the patients! In the sweltering summer of 1964, the psychiatric community found itself at the center of a scandal that would shake the very foundations of professional ethics. Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate for president, was about to become…
-
The Dark Side of the Scalpel: A Sinister History of Prison Plastic Surgery
In the shadows of correctional facilities, a chilling chapter of medical history unfolded – one that modern narratives conveniently gloss over. Prison plastic surgery programs, far from being benign attempts at rehabilitation, were rooted in disturbing practices that blurred the lines between science and sadism. The Beautification Delusion The origins of these programs stretch back…
-
Evans blue
T-1824 or Evans blue, often incorrectly rendered as Evan’s blue, is an azo dye that has a very high affinity for serum albumin. Because of this, it can be useful in physiology in estimating the proportion of body water contained in blood plasma. It fluoresces with excitation peaks at 470 and 540 nm and an emission peak at 680 nm. Evans blue dye has been used as a viability assay on…
-
Lactalbumin aka whey protein
Lactalbumin, also known as “whey protein“, is the albumin contained in milk and obtained from whey. Lactalbumin is found in the milk of many mammals. There are alpha and beta lactalbumins; both are contained in milk. Targeted small scientific studies suggest that certain types of lactalbumin (whey protein) may improve immune responsiveness and increase levels of glutathione systemically in animals and which…
-
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) aka abrineurin
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or abrineurin, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the BDNF gene. BDNF is a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, which are related to the canonical nerve growth factor (NGF), a family which also includes NT-3 and NT-4/NT-5. Neurotrophic factors are found in the brain and the periphery. BDNF was first isolated from a pig brain in 1982 by Yves-Alain Barde and Hans Thoenen. BDNF…
-
Flame Test
A flame test is relatively quick test for the presence of some elements in a sample. The technique is archaic and of questionable reliability, but once was a component of qualitative inorganic analysis. The phenomenon is related to pyrotechnics and atomic emission spectroscopy. The color of the flames is understood through the principles of atomic electron transition and photoemission, where varying elements require distinct energy levels (photons)…
-
Tobacco-derived 4R-cembranoid confers neuroprotection against LPS-induced hippocampal inflammation in mice (decreases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines; improves memory function; activates STAT3, Akt1, and CREB phosphorylation; and upregulates the mRNA levels of ORM2, GDNF, and C3) independent of the α7 nicotinic receptor
Rojas-Colón, L.A., Dash, P.K., Morales-Vías, F.A. et al. 4R-cembranoid confers neuroprotection against LPS-induced hippocampal inflammation in mice. J Neuroinflammation 18, 95 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-021-02136-9 LPS: Lipopolysaccharide “4R protects the hippocampus against inflammation and memory impairments triggered by LPS by lowering TNF-α and IL-1β levels and activation of the Akt1 and CREB signaling pathways. Astrocyte proteins involved in neuronal survival also…
-
Tobacco-derived 4R-cembranoid protects neuronal cells from oxygen-glucose deprivation by modulating microglial cell activation
Fu, Hefei et al. “4R-cembranoid protects neuronal cells from oxygen-glucose deprivation by modulating microglial cell activation.” Brain research bulletin vol. 179 (2022): 74-82. doi:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.12.007 In the search for novel compounds to treat neurodegenerative diseases, we found that 4R-cembranoid, an extract from tobacco leaves, may be a lead compound with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. 4R belongs to the…
-
Patent for protecting and treating organophosphate-induced neuronal injury with tobacco-derived cembranoids and analogues
Ford, Byron, Ferchmin Peter, Eterovic, Vesna, Methods and compositions for protecting and treating neuroinjury (Patent), United States Grant US-8530525-B2 Assignee: Central University of the Caribbean, Morehouse School of Medicine, Status: Active, Expires 2031-05-19, Document history 2013-09-10 Publication date, 2010-07-01 Filing date, 2009-07-14 Priority date. Funded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute on Minority Health and…
-
Identification of cembratriene-4,6-diol as antitumor-promoting agent from cigarette smoke condensate
Yutaka Saito, Haruo Takizawa, Sumie Konishi, Daisuke Yoshida, Shigenobu Mizusaki, Identification of cembratriene-4,6-diol as antitumor-promoting agent from cigarette smoke condensate, Carcinogenesis, Volume 6, Issue 8, August 1985, Pages 1189–1194, https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/6.8.1189
-
Tobacco use is negatively associated with the risk of developing skin cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, endometrial carcinoma, or breast cancer (negatively associated with means less disease associated with)
Impact of tobacco smoking on the risk of developing 25 different cancers in the UK: a retrospective study of 422,010 patients followed for up to 30 years. Jacob L, Freyn M, Kalder M et al (2018) Impact of tobacco smoking on the risk of developing 25 different cancers in the UK: a retrospective study of…
-
Evidence of the protective effect of smoking against thyroid cancer
Cigarette smoking and the risk of thyroid cancer. Kreiger N, Parkes R. Cigarette smoking and the risk of thyroid cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2000 Oct;36(15):1969-73. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(00)00198-2. PMID: 11000579. Thyroid cancer risk and smoking status: a meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control Cho YA, Kim J. Thyroid cancer risk and smoking status: a meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control.…
-
Cigarette smoking significantly reduces risk of endometrial cancer especially among postmenopausal women
Cigarette smoking and the risk of endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis. Zhou B, Yang L, Sun Q, Cong R, Gu H, Tang N, Zhu H, Wang B. Cigarette smoking and the risk of endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2008 Jun;121(6):501-508.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.01.044. PMID: 18501231.
-
Smoking is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension during pregnancy
The puzzling association between smoking and hypertension during pregnancy Zhang J, Klebanoff MA, Levine RJ, Puri M, Moyer P. The puzzling association between smoking and hypertension during pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Dec;181(6):1407-13. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(99)70384-4. PMID: 10601921.
