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Caduceus
Newsletter: Spring 2009.15, Week of
April 27 Dr.
Stan Eisen, Director Home
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Caduceus
Newsletter Archives: |
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Table of Contents: 9. Marginalia: Hip Hop Darwin, from http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/55622/ . |
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1. ACS/BBB/PHP (American Chemical Society,
Beta Beta Beta/Preprofessional Health Programs) Activities. |
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· Tuesday, April 28 (BIOL 103): Annual Chocolate Tasting Session, Room J-10, 2 to 3:30 p.m.(!) |
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2. Pearson
Higher Education announces its 2009 Allied Health Student Scholarship
Contest. |
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Subject: 2009 Allied Health Scholarship Award
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3. The |
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The FIU College of Medicine is excited to be making preparations to welcome the inaugural class this August. At the same time, we are also getting ready to accept applications for the 2010 entering class. We know that if you have not already received your copy of the MSAR, you will be receiving it shortly, and we wish to call your attention to an error in the prerequisites as published in the MSAR with regard to the math requirement. The FIU College of Medicine requires two semesters of Calculus OR two semesters of Statistics OR one semester of Calculus AND one semester of Statistics. We do not require two semesters of Calculus. We hope that you will share this information with your students. The prerequisites listed on our website http://medicine.fiu.edu are correct, and the math requirement has not changed. Additionally, please note that Cell Biology is no longer a prerequisite, although we do recommend the course, as it is excellent preparation for the first year. Given our mission, unique curriculum, and banner first cycle of 3,332 applications for only 40 seats (we will also have 40 seats next year), please encourage your students to apply early. If at any time you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and encourage your students to e-mail us at med.admissions@fiu.edu Thanks so much for your assistance. Barbra A. Roller, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Student Affairs |
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4. The
Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine will have a
Student Information at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami on Saturday,
May 2. |
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5. Chili
peppers add spice to life, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/14/chili.record/index.html
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LONDON, England -- Painfully hot, they make your eyes water, your heart race and can turn your face embarrassingly red.
Chilies have been used for many millenia both for their medicinal benefits and exciting flavor.
Once only a staple of cuisine from far flung regions of the world, chilies can now be found in almost any dish around the globe. Last week an Indian woman wolfed down 51 "ghost chilies," -- the world's spiciest -- in two minutes and smeared the seeds on her eyes for an entry into the Guinness World Records. Anandita Dutta Tamuly, 28, achieved the bizarre and fiery undertaking in
the Indian north-eastern state of Assam.
She was cheered on by British chef Gordon Ramsay, who also attempted a bite of the hot stuff before begging for water. A single seed can cause watering eyes, as well as a burning sensation in the mouth that can last up to five hours. A chili's spiciness is measured in Scoville units; the number of times a chili extract must be diluted in water in order for it to lose its heat. The "ghost chili", also known as bhut jolokia, has more than 1 million Scoville units, while Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units and jalapeno peppers from 2,500 to 8,000 units. Chilies have formed part of the diet in the Americas since approximately 7,500 BC and owe most of their fame to their sometimes unbearably spicy flavor. But they have also long been recognized for their health benefits. Scientific research --and legend-- have attributed health wonders to chilies over the years. Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on explorer Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, first wrote about the pepper's medicinal effects back in 1494. Below we look at effects eating chilies has on the body. Skin Other than for its flavor-enhancing qualities, chili is, oddly enough, used to fight the summer heat. As the chili causes extreme sweating and blood rushing to the face, it cools the body down when the sweat evaporates, making it useful for combating heat. These same heat inducing properties are said to have a cumulative effect and over time are believed to alleviate pain when used in treatments for anything from arthritis and psoriasis to shingles and severe burns. Brain The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when eaten or
applied on the skin are called capsaicinoids. When consumed, capsaicinoids connect with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and releasing endorphins, called the body's "natural painkillers" and "happy hormones." Stomach Chilies have long been associated with soothing the digestive system, by acting as stomach cleansers. According to the UK Food Guide, chili helps to settle stomach upset and encourages the production of good digestive acid. Chili aficionados believe the fruits can also induce weight loss because the substance that makes them "hot" speed up the body's metabolism. However, one study by the American Institute of Cancer Research performed in Mexico showed in 2003 that a high consumption of chilies (approximately nine to 25 jalapeno peppers per day) is in fact associated with stomach cancer. Immune system Red chilies contain high amounts of carotene and vitamin C. It is said that chilies contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Chili peppers are also a good source of vitamin B6 and are very high in potassium, magnesium and iron, giving them a reputation for naturally boosting the body's immune system.
Heart and other cardiovascular effects A 2006 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that after adding chili to the diet, bad cholesterol, that can often lead to heart problems, took a longer time to develop into heart diseases. Ed.
Note: And here is a picture of
what your mouth feels like if you’re unaccustomed
to ghost chilis:
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6. RateADrug.com
offers internships and scholarships as part of their PreMed Prescription
Rating and Experience Program (PPREP).
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PreMed Prescription
Rating and Experience Program (PPREP) sponsored by
RateADrug.com Internships,
scholarships available Would you
like to gain hands-on patient experience and participate in a large scale
study on side effects and benefits of common prescription and
over-the-counter medications? Here's a chance to add an impressive credential
to your med school application and resume.
You could also win your choice of a $1500 cash scholarship or MacBook
Air. RateADrug.com
is accepting 2-4 students from each university into its PPREP intern program.
Interns will administer 5-minute surveys to prescription drug users, keep a
blog of their findings, and submit a statistical evaluation of a prescription
drug or group of drugs from their participant base. Upon successful
completion of their 90-day internship, participants will receive an
evaluation and Certificate of Completion from RateADrug.com's Medical
Advisory Board. The top 25 interns will have their biographies featured on
the RateADrug website. The top intern will each receive their choice of a
$1500 cash scholarship towards tuition or a new MacBook Air. RateADrug.com
is not affiliated with the FDA or any pharmaceutical companies. Unlike most
other health-related websites, it does not accept advertising from drug
companies. RateADrug.com aims to create the world's largest user-generated
database of side effects and benefits of prescription and over-the-counter
medications through 5-minute user surveys and reviews collected on its
website. Sara
Estrin, PPREP Co-founder and pre-med graduate from the "Studies
have shown bias in clinical trials in favor of the sponsors of the
research—the pharmaceutical companies. Recently, research conducted at UCSF's
Health Policy Studies showed negative results of clinical trials, even when
found, were often under-reported or not reported at all. "RateADrug's
surveys are designed to uncover a drug's hidden benefits and side effects. We
believe our research will significantly reduce the time between a drug's
release and the discovery of its full effects," Sara says. "Interns
in the PPREP program can make a real difference by contributing to this
unbiased study. This will be a worthwhile endeavor for any student interested
in pursuing a career in medicine." To be
eligible for acceptance into the program, you must be enrolled in a
pre-medical or health program at an accredited university. Participants are selected based on the
quality of their application and degree of motivation. You can
learn more and apply at RateADrug.com http://rateadrug.com/StuInstruction.aspx. |
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7. The
“morning-after pill” will be available without a prescription to women 17
and older, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/22/plan.b.age/index.html
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "morning-after pill" will be available without a prescription to women 17 and older, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The minimum age has been 18.
Plan B, also called the morning-after pill, is intended to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. On March 23, a federal court ordered that Plan B, an emergency contraception pill, be made available over the counter to those 17 and up, the agency said in a statement on its Web site. The agency will not appeal that order, the statement said. In the order, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman also asked the agency to consider whether the pill should be available to women of all ages without a prescription, saying that such a determination is best left to the expertise of the FDA rather than a federal district judge. And he rebuked the FDA for apparently departing from its own procedures with respect to making decisions on the pill's over-the-counter status, noting the "unusual involvement of the White House in the Plan B decision-making process." The plaintiffs in the case presented "unrebutted evidence of the FDA's lack of good faith" toward the application to switch Plan B from prescription to non-prescription use, the judge wrote. "This lack of good faith is evidenced by, among other things, (1) repeated and unreasonable delays, pressure emanating from the White House, and the obvious connection between the confirmation process of two FDA commissioners and the timing of the FDA's decisions; and (2) significant departures from the FDA's normal procedures and policies ... as compared to the review of other switch applications in the past 10 years," Korman wrote. In August 2006, the FDA approved the sale of Plan B without a
prescription to those 18 and older, but those 17 and under needed a
prescription to obtain it. But, the agency said in Wednesday's statement, "in accordance with the court's order, and consistent with the scientific findings since 2005 by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA sent a letter to the manufacturer of Plan B that the company may, upon submission and approval of an appropriate application, market Plan B without a prescription to women 17 years of age and older." "No useful purpose would be served by continuing to deprive 17-year-olds access to Plan B without a prescription," Korman wrote in his order. "Indeed, the record shows that FDA officials and staff both agreed that 17-year-olds can use Plan B safely without a prescription. The FDA's justification for this age restriction, that pharmacists would be unable to enforce the prescription requirement if the cutoff were age 17, rather than 18, lacks all credibility." Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said in a statement that the FDA's announcement is "a strong statement to American women that their health comes before politics. And that's the way it should be. This decision is common-sense policy that will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and protect the health and safety of all women."
The morning-after pill -- made by Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals -- is intended to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. It works by stopping ovulation and decreasing the chances that a fertilized egg will attach to the uterus. When used within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it can lower the risk of pregnancy by almost 90 percent, the maker says. Critics charge that the drug's action amounts to an abortion, and they opposed making it available over the counter. |
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8. The question
is: Just how much in debt will I be
when I graduate from medical school? Here’s
one example: The |
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9. Marginalia: Hip Hop |
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Hip hop DarwinThe 19th century scientist that changed our understanding of biology gets a modern day makeover[Published 17th April 2009 03:37 PM GMT] This year, biologists,
philosophers, and historians have been celebrating Charles Darwin's birth and
his profound contributions to biology. As the year of
Pass the mic to Baba Brinkman, a
former English literature student and Canadian hip hop artist. Brinkman has
made a career out of fusing hip hop and classical literature, with a
discography nine albums deep, including a critically acclaimed rap version of
The Canterbury Tales. The artist has now
trained his pen and his mic on evolutionary theory with "The Rap Guide
to Evolution," which uses remixed beats, comedic storytelling, and rap
poetry to make the science behind evolution accessible and interesting to a
wide audience. |
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Dr. Stan Eisen,
650
E-mail: seisen@cbu.edu
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/
Caduceus Newsletter Archives: http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Caduceus.html