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User: Kurofuneparry

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Comments · 63

  1. Summary doesn't know what enzyme is on Alcoholism Vaccine Makes Alcohol Intolerable To Drinkers · · Score: 1
    It uses enzyme when it means substrate. The enzymes make the changes, they are not the things changed.

    ...idiot....

  2. Re:Exactly What American Med Schools Want on Watson Goes To Medical School · · Score: 1
    Fourth year medical student here.

    The comments above are quite true and in no way exaggerated. Being a good physician after passing the USMLE or COMLEX is mostly coincidence. Then again ... I'm an idiot ....

  3. Not like any yogurt on Gut Bacteria Cocktail May End Need for Fecal Transplants · · Score: 3, Informative
    Med student here, just attended three meetings on this condition, and I've had a number of patients with this condition.

    This kind of treatment has been tested before and is an exciting possibility, but there have been failures in the past. Also, this is nothing like the yogurt cultures you know.

    ......... then again I'm an idiot .........

  4. Re:A question for the bio geeks.. on Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Beating Heart Muscle · · Score: 1

    Ah, pardon the misunderstanding

  5. Re:A question for the bio geeks.. on Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Beating Heart Muscle · · Score: 1

    You, sir, win all of the internets.
    ... Then again .... I'm an idiot .....

  6. Re:A question for the bio geeks.. on Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Beating Heart Muscle · · Score: 3, Informative

    While you are correct about many of the concerns from the stemming process, I was mainly talking about somatic mutations (like those caused by gamma radiation for example). The statement I made previously about these somatic mutations propagating no more in stemming than in breeding is still true. Also, the proto-oncogene concern is one that current research is already working toward limiting.
    My main concern with your statement is the argument that stem cells are MORE susceptible to random mutation than somatic cells. This is simply false. You argued that decreased activity is a protective attribute than for stem cells. In fact, most stem cells in the human body are LESS active than somatic cells as somatic cells do the work and (monopotent) stem cells like osteoprogenitor cells are mainly there to replenish and preserve genetic information. It's a biological axiom that sex cells (sperm and ova) have the highest importance in preserving genetic integrity and that's what we see experimentally: the sex cells have BETTER preservation of information, not worse.
    .... Then again ..... I'm an idiot ....

  7. Re:A question for the bio geeks.. on Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Beating Heart Muscle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Biochemist medical student here. Propagating genetic errors is certainly a concern here, but the same concerns exist for genetic transfer in breeding generally. While skin cell are exposed to more radiation, the cells preferred for sampling here are typically from buccal (mouth) sources or are relatively deeper than the layers where most melanoma form.
    Honestly, the more prime concerns are with imperfect "stemming" or imperfect conversion to heart cells.
    Then again ... I'm and idiot ....

  8. Re:Python on Ask Slashdot: What Language Should a Former Coder Dig Into? · · Score: 1

    Forget the arguments against dynamic languages because you said you're doing this as your own project.
    Forget the arguments for javascript because you're asking for a language to 'become native to'.
    The Python language is great and community is awesome.
    Then again... I'm and idiot.....

  9. Re:Calling 'shock' or 'electroshock' inaccurate on Mild Electric Shock To Brain May Boost Spatial Memory · · Score: 1

    Yes, in the sense that they're using it to try to determine which parts serve which function. Certain areas are dependent on the function of other areas, like Broca's area (mouth articulation for speech) being dependent on Wernicke's area (Word association/searching).

    Then again.... I'm an idiot.....

  10. Calling 'shock' or 'electroshock' inaccurate on Mild Electric Shock To Brain May Boost Spatial Memory · · Score: 2

    This is deep brain stimulation. They're running a constant or alternating current, not producing bursts of electricity or a 'shock'. I've administered the modern, anesthetized, calibrated version of electroshock in my medical training and this procedure described here is also very, very different.

    This is much more analogous to overclocking a part of the brain by preferentially stimulating it to work harder. This may be used to improve performance but those applications are still far away. This is most useful as a diagnostic tool or even more likely as a research tool to try to understand what various parts of the brain do.

    Then again.... I'm an idiot.....

  11. Re:Good on Muslim Medical Students Boycott Darwin Lectures · · Score: 1

    This is ignoring the point of the objection: Some pharmacists believe that the morning after pill is murder and that filling it just because it's their job is akin to soldiers in various atrocities saying that they were just following orders.
    Also, you seem to have misunderstood the post to which you were responding. They were agreeing with you.
    Then again..... I'm an idiot....

  12. Re:How about not admitting terrorist groups on US Defunds UNESCO After Palestine Vote · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Really? It seems with reports of shiite and suni violence from the official thugs in many middle east countries that Isreal would be the best country to support. Their record for religious freedom for Muslims beats that of their neighbors.

    Certainly both sides have made many mistakes but putting Hamas beside the Isreali government shows that they're not even in the same league. Supporting Isreal and expecting any others to recognize their right to live is a fundamental requirement for peace in the middle east if they're willing to have it.

    Then again.... I'm an idiot....

  13. A co-researher disagrees on Climate Change Skeptic Results Released Today · · Score: 0

    Another researcher working on the same project seems to disagree. Judith Curry is the second name on the paper according to the daily mail and she's contesting the analysis of his own data as incorrect with some rather strong language.

    Then again.... I'm an idiot.....

  14. Re:This can't be true! on Wealthy Americans Turning To Europe For Medical Treatment · · Score: 1

    Cuba has also been known to drop some off of reports and only serve a limited, privileged class. It's very easy to have great bang for the buck when you limit the bucks and only serve the ones you'd rather serve. Such a proposition isn't effective in a nation 'by and for' the people.

  15. Re:This can't be true! on Wealthy Americans Turning To Europe For Medical Treatment · · Score: 1

    Very poor methodology. The US actually has the best, what you're thinking of is 'best per cost'. That's very different. We're willing to pay for all kinds of treatments that aren't available in Cuba.

    If I were sick, I would want to be treated in the country that had the best absolute results, not the one that spent minimally. If I were very sick, I would want to spend every effectual dollar, not just the ones that a bureaucrat approved.

  16. Re:religion on Wealthy Americans Turning To Europe For Medical Treatment · · Score: 1

    Why on earth does this get points for insightful?

    This really isn't the issue. The treatments as given in the US are generally as good or better, with prostate cancer numbers being one of the classic examples.

    The real issue is that the FDA in the US is comparatively slow and over-cautious in allowing these alternative treatments. In other words, the problem is that the US has over-regulated healthcare presently and we would have the same advantages that the rich seek in Europe if we had more deregulation.

    Of all of the doctors that I've rotated with in medical school, each one that has spoken of the FDA has shared this opinion. Then again.... I'm an idiot...

  17. Re:Distasteful on Mac Users More Liberal Than Windows Users · · Score: 2

    There are two kinds of people: those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't. I'm one of the latter. (Jim Blinn)
    Then again, I'm an idiot....

  18. Re:Rate of degrading? on Graphene Super Paper Is 10x Stronger Than Steel · · Score: 2

    In college chem we had to do this same problem. Basically, at any normal temperatures and pressures you could break high level encryption by brute force methods sooner than notice any change in the diamonds weight by conventional methods.
    Graphite is very similar to diamond in this. Technically the reaction is favorable but the kinetics don't work..... then again, I'm an idiot.....

  19. Re:News? on Medicines Lose Effectiveness In Space · · Score: 1

    The job of NASA's physicians was to not allow astronauts into space if they were at all unhealthy. Even a suspicion of a coming flu was enough to ground an astronaut from a mission they'd spent years preparing for. Thus, medication has rarely been required in space and tests in space have always been limited and expensive. Then again.... I'm an idiot.....

  20. Re:Paracetamol tablets? on Medicines Lose Effectiveness In Space · · Score: 2

    As I responded elsewhere in the comments:

    We needn't think that microgravity affects chemical compounds to explain this. Many more gross physical quantities are often dominant in the effects of drugs. For example, bioavailability (absorption) of drugs can dominate with digoxin, aspirin etc. Thus changing GI motility is a big issue and could be affected by a lack of gravity. We STILL don't know how our GI tract separates gas from liquid and this could easily be gravity dependent.

    Other systems dependent on gravity include veins (the return of blood is gravity dependent especially in the legs) and lymphatic pumping (which is mainly motivated by eccentric/isometric or various contractions of the muscles that occur less in space. For many drugs the limiting factor is proper dispersal in the body (e.g. haloperidol, NSAIDS, antibiotics). Then again, I'm an idiot medical student.......

  21. Re:Treat Infection? on Medicines Lose Effectiveness In Space · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you haven't gotten the infection before you came on, you're not going to get sick from the microbes in space.

    This is not true. From a relevant Wikipedia article: The human body, consisting of about 100 trillion cells, carries about ten times as many microorganisms in the intestines. Any of this including the most benign cyanobacteria can lead to major infection. In fact, not taking in sufficient bacteria from the environment can be a cause of disease. It's an old disproved myth that "Avoiding illness is as simple as avoiding microbes."

    Additionally, this doesn't account for latent diseases like herpes and many other viruses. Then again ..... I'm an idiot in medical school ......

  22. Re:Without a definite reason... on Medicines Lose Effectiveness In Space · · Score: 1

    How would microgravity affect chemical compounds?

    We needn't think that microgravity affects chemical compounds to explain this. Many more gross physical quantities are often dominant in the effects of drugs. For example, bioavailability (absorption) of drugs can dominate with digoxin, aspirin etc. Thus changing GI motility is a big issue and could be affected by a lack of gravity. We STILL don't know how our GI tract separates gas from liquid and this could easily be gravity dependent.

    Other systems dependent on gravity include veins (the return of blood is gravity dependent especially in the legs) and lymphatic pumping (which is mainly motivated by eccentric/isometric or various contractions of the muscles that occur less in space. For many drugs the limiting factor is proper dispersal in the body (e.g. haloperidol, NSAIDS, antibiotics). Then again, I'm an idiot medical student.......

  23. Re:They obviously didn't poll any state government on Amazon Named the "Most Reputable Company" · · Score: 1

    Being "reputable" means not always placing your profit interests first and foremost.

    Drivel. Companies have a fiduciary duty to make a profit. "reputable" means how you go about trying to make a profit, not whether or not you prioritize making a profit. Then again .... I'm an idiot ......

  24. It's called MALDI on NASA Invents New Technique For Finding Alien Life · · Score: 1

    This is a good idea, but the summary and article make it sound like this is a new idea. The article shows that MALDI has been around for a while. Then again .... I'm an idiot .....

  25. Re:Wish my dentist had this... on SnowWorld VR Game Reduces Pain For Burn Patients · · Score: 1

    My dentist has had TVs in his ceilings for years. He, his hygienists and his patients all love it. I'm not sure why other offices haven't tried the idea. Maybe that's a business waiting to happen? Then again, I'm an idiot....