INTERESTING TIMES

Phew. Seems like I am constantly on the edge, but I keep passing, so I guess I'm doing something right. I even got honors in a couple classes, including the one in which I was shaking so hard that it was really tough to draw blood. Phew. Now I'm officially an ND3. I am still on the 4 year track, slated to graduate in 2011 with a lot of clinical experience already under my belt. I can't relax yet. I'm studying biochemistry today, in preparation for the Basic Science Boards. August 5. I'll get to relax after that.

I will be taking the first ever case-based NPLEX exam for ND's. What this means is that instead of having five sections (pathology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology) it will have many cases each with 5 questions relating to the case. This makes it more interesting to me. I am studying biochemistry by looking up metabolic dysfunctions and understanding their chemical pathogenesis.
( biochemistry nerdiness: mucopolysacchariosis nutshell )

New data shows that vitamin D has more biochemical actions that anticipated:
--inhibits the synthesis of inducible nitric oxide synthase
--increases intracellular glutathione levels-->helps remove mercury & other toxins from your body
--could be used to Tx neurodegenerative and neuroimmune diseases
--induces glioma cell death-->good for management of brain tumors?

According to Dr. Cannel, founder of the Vitamin D Council, in an interview:
--vitamin D is not a vitamin, but rather the only known substrate for a powerful repair and maintenance steroid hormone that is involved in numerous functions of your body and organs
--like all steroid hormones vit D regulates your body by turning your genes on or off
--you have about 2,000 genes that are directly influenced by vitamin D

SOURCES
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T3K-45BCJ53-7&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=36fe7df09fbacd4b33fe816072a1793d
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/04/how-sunshine-and-vitamin-d-can-help-you-eliminate-mercury.aspx

When it gets hot, I like to go jump in the river. The Oregonians think the river is too dangerous, too polluted. I was repeating this viewpoint minutes ago, while sitting in a kiddy pool in my back yard with one of the young reporters who lives downstairs. She told me that in late July there was a toxic algae bloom in the Tualatin River. The Tualatin flows into the Willamette at Lake Oswego.

Public Health officials advised boaters and swimmers to stay away from it, and put up signs to warn people to keep out and keep their animals away. The USGS reports that 8-9 dogs/year die of drinking blue-green algae infested water.
( the toxins they aren't reporting about because they are so scarey )

PGE1--reduce allergies, prevent inflam, increase stomach mucous prod, decrease BP, improve nerve fx, help promote immune response (which one? I think she means Th1 response)
( nerdy stuff )