Caduceus Newsletter:
Spring 2000.08, Week of March 27

 è 1. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers a service-connected scholarship program, the Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (UGSP), to students who are committed to pursuing careers in health research or basic biomedical science research.
è 2. World-Class Drug Information Free On The Internet
è 3. Received this week - CD-ROM's.
è 4. Gene Needed for Vision Identified. Reprinted with permission from the February 2000 issue of Baylor Medicine.
è 5. The Coon Creek Excursion - March 8, 2000.

 è 1. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers a service-connected scholarship program, the Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (UGSP), to students who are committed to pursuing careers in health research or basic biomedical science research.

 è 2. WORLD-CLASS DRUG INFORMATION FREE ON THE INTERNET

 From: "IMC Medical Education Services" <imcMedicalEducationServices@gsm.com>

Subject: WORLD-CLASS DRUG INFORMATION FREE ON THE INTERNET

Dear IMC Registrant:

Gold Standard Multimedia is pleased to announce the launch of Clinical Pharmacology 2000, the millennium's brightest new star in world-class drug information. We are even more pleased to inform you that you may now quickly and easily access this dynamic drug reference on the internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, absolutely free...just as you have utilized the Integrated Medical Curriculum's wealth of medical education materials these past few months. Simply visit our web site at http://www.gsm.com, and enter the Clinical Pharmacology 2000 portal. As an IMC user, you are already pre-registered on the Clinical Pharmacology 2000 web site with the same user name and password, so that you can immediately begin taking advantage of the program's significant new features and valuable content. If you've already sampled the "light" version of Clinical Pharmacology on IMC, we guarantee that you're going to love the new Clinical Pharmacology 2000 application, in which all the features of the acclaimed CD-ROM are fully developed and enhanced. You will discover a brand new interface, expanded coverage, greater versatility, and much more, including:

*Clinically-oriented monographs on all U.S. drugs, including off-label uses and dosages

*Enhanced product ID section with over 1,000 new digital product photos, plus information on NDC codes, Orange Book equivalencies, complete physical description, preservatives, flavors, routes, strength, packages, and classifications

*Powerful reporting capabilities for drug interactions, adverse reactions, contraindications, cost data, and IV compatibilities

*Advanced search features for drug look-up by indication, contraindication, adverse effects, and therapeutic classification

*A complete medication records section to track and analyze any patient's drug therapy regimen

*OBRA-compliant patient information, plus Spanish patient information on the top 200 prescription drugs

*Hard-to-find information on nutritional products, herbal products, and new and investigational drugs

*A comprehensive drug comparison utility

*State-specific prescription writer

*Customizable, multiple choice quizzes

Click into Clinical Pharmacology 2000 today at http://www.gsm.com, and save time, enhance patient care, and reduce the risk of drug-related errors with the product named eHealthcareWorld's 1999 gold award winner for best online publication for professionals. We invite you to utilize Clinical Pharmacology 2000 to its fullest capacity, and to keep using Integrated Medical Curriculum for your medical education needs. We will continue to give you the answers you need, when you need them, right online, right at your fingertips, and all for free!

Regards,

Jon Seymour, MD
Chairman and President
Stan Reents, PharmD
Vice President, Clinical Programs

 è 3. Received this week - CD-ROM's

• Ross University School of Medicine.
• Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

These items are on file in S201. 

 è 4. Gene Needed for Vision Identified. Reprinted with permission from the February 2000 issue of Baylor Medicine.

 Baylor scientists, along with Stanford University Medical Center and California Institute of Technology researchers, have determined the gene required for the eye to see rapidly-moving objects. Their findings appear in the February 3 issue of Nature.

Researchers discovered that in mice the gene RGS9-1 turns off nerve cells in the retina after they have been activated by light energy. Photoreceptor cells are then able to return to a dark state so they can be re-activated by more light energy. The time it takes for the cells to respond to these changes makes seeing of moving objects possible.

In 1998, Theodore G. Wensel, Ph.D., Baylor Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, discovered the RGS9-1 gene, but its function wasn't proven until now. It was determined that a protein in photoreceptor cells could accelerate how fast the G-protein signaling was turned off. Recently, researchers found similar forms of the RGS (regulators of G-protein signaling) protein and suspected their function might be to turn off communication.

Caltech researchers created a mouse in which the RGS9-1 gene had been knocked out, or turned off. The mouse could not process rapid changes in light without the gene. In addition, the mouse's retinal cells that would normally turn off in less than one second remained activated for more than 20 seconds.

Additional research in this area could provide answers to cellular responses in other parts of the body. "Understanding the role of RGS proteins in pathways involved in drug responses and control of hormones might lead to new approaches to highly selective therapies for a wide range of diseases," Wensel said.

Wei He, a graduate student in Baylor's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, co-authored the paper. The National Eye Institute and the Welch Foundation sponsored the project.

 è 5. The Coon Creek Excursion - March 8, 2000.

Coon Creek is the location of a major fossil deposit indicating a shallow sea covering an area corresponding the Southeast United States. Numerous fossils, particularly of molluscs have been excavated from the site since the early 1900's. These fossils are approximately 60 million years old. What makes Coon Creek unique is that the shells are the actual shells of these animals, and NOT mineralized remains, casts, or molds. Here is what Analice Hosey, President of the CBU chapter of the American Chemical Society wrote about the excursion:

"Eight Biology and Chemistry majors and Dr. Eisen traveled to McNairy County to the Coon Creek Science Center. The day consisted of examining excavated material containing fossils from 60 million years ago, as well as sifting through material in Coon Creek. It was one of the few times that college students participate in the one-day program. Senior chemistry major Emily Biggs called the day, "Greatly informative." All of the participating students and faculty agreed that the best part of the day was seeing the Mosasaur fossil in Coon Creek. (The Mosasaur was a 55-foot long reptile-like creative similar to the modern-day Komodo Dragon.) Robert Appling and Dr. Eisen discovered a specimen of Exogyra while sifting through the mud of Coon Creek. It was the largest specimen retrieved that day, being approximately 4 inches in diameter."

Here's a few pictures:

Pat Broadbent, instructor, dispensing tools and collection bags

Looking for fossils in Coon Creek

Dewonia King cleaning fossils from the deposit

Robert Appling and his prized Exogyra (or is it Clammus maximus?)