Science news related to our knowledge again

Assalamualaikum. In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful.

Engineers Patch a Heart: Tissue-Engineering Platform Enables Heart Tissue to Repair Itself

Malaria Mosquitoes Accurately Find Their Way to Smelly Feet

Stress May Make You Itch (you may want to check out what LFA is, if you've forgotten Dr Imad's lectures)

Insight Into HIV Immunity May Lead to Vaccine (to recall what ADCC is all about, you may go here)

Why More Species Live in Amazon Rainforests: Evolution of Treefrogs Sheds Light on the Mystery (not for Medic students, but this is a question I've been thinking, interesting to know)

Last but not least, thanks to PBL group 9 and 10 for making my day. You guys are really awesome. :D Love you all!!!

.

Too lazy to create a title

Assalamualaikum. In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful.
Too lazy to create a name for this link
Note after reading:
Nelfinavir is a protease inhibitor. Now let's revise our Pharmacology a bit - Oh c'mon it won't hurt a bit.
Here's the mnemonics (don't pronounce it as "pneumonics" please...) for protease inhibitors:
Nenek (Nelfinavir) India (Indinavir) pakai Sari (Saquinavir) naik LoRi (Lopinavir + Ritonavir) pagi-pagi (AM - amprenavir).

OK. That's all for today. See you all folks next time, same time, same place... InsyaAllah. x)

Science news that may concern us

Brown Recluse Spider: Range Could Expand in N. America With Changing Climate

C. Difficile Colonization Accompanied by Changes in Gut Microbiota: Study Hints at Probiotics as Treatment (What's a probiotic? Click here)

Worm Studies Shed Light on Human Cancers

Bird Flu Leaves The Nest -- Adapting To A New Host

Salmonella Utilize Multiple Modes of Infection: New Mechanism That Helps With Invading Host Cells Discovered

Research on 'Iceman' Wim Hof Suggests It May Be Possible to Influence Autonomic Nervous System and Immune Response (you may be wondering how the ANS is related to immune system, I think we learnt it in Psycho class, or click here)

That's all for today. My eyes are blur already - watched too much videos.

IMR on Fire

Fire at IMR: Short-circuit the likely cause

Andrew Sagayam - The Malay Mail 

 Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 13:32:00


KUALA LUMPUR: An electrical short-circuit was believed to be the cause of a fire at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Jalan Pahang here yesterday morning.


The fire was said to have started at 10.30am from a research laboratory storeroom on the second floor of a block at the institute.

Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Azizan Ismail said no one was injured.



A member of the staff who noticed smoke billowing out of the unit alerted the department's headquarters in Jalan Maharajalela here.

"Seventy-two firemen in 12 fire engines from the Chow Kit, Sentul, Pudu and Selayang fire and rescue stations went to the scene," he said.


"Because of the chemicals in the laboratory, the firemen used foam instead of water to put out the blaze by 3.30pm. The affected second floor was closed for restoration and repair works."

Azizan said damage to the laboratory was largely internal.


p/s: hope u all can "ambek cakna" this thing as Pak Nasa always told us about IMR

This not the real pic. k..

Please do Appreciate... :)

After a long journey of thinking, I come to a conclusion that posting this article to the Zenith’s blog is the best thing. It is not my blog; I know that, but it is OUR blog, so I hope everyone do read this article… 

"And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): 'If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; but if you show ingratitude, truly my punishment is terrible indeed'"  **Surah Ibrahim verse 7.

This verse mainly talks about (what i understand) are gratitude = saying thanks = appreciate = not taking things for granted.

Please do appreciate! That is what my parents always tell me to do. Be an appreciative person. It is very easy, just say thank you. But, ACTION speaks louder than voice, so please act like you really appreciate it. For examples (in our batch); 

1. if there is microbiology tutorial the next day, please read notes in advance; that is how we show we really appreciate what doctors do, they set-up microtest in order for us to get great marks in exam. Appreciate!

2. if there would be training at 5.30pm (coach or captain says so), as interbatch will be on 27TH MARCH,so please be there at 5.30pm! That's how we appreciate people, simple thing- be on time! Show them we really care about the whole interbatch thing. Appreciate!

3. if MSC, our ONLY academic society organize something, please do attend, show to them that we appreciate what they did and support them, who else will support MSC if not her members?: Well, of course, you yourself do not ask them to do this and that, but they want to do it because they appreciate you as their friends, juniors, seniors and much more their brothers and sisters. 

Just now was held Anatomy's Workshop, but attendance is really sad, only half of participant really did come. Not to mention, 1st year, having the biggest number of students  compare to other batch, i would rather say, it was a disappointment to see their participation in this workshop. It as if, committees, majority of it are 1st year students, did not give any impact for them to appreciate what their friends did in order to make this workshop successful. And maybe because of that, many of our friend called one day before workshop to cancel their name, thus making all things upside down. The committees really did much for this workshop.The catering bureau- survey each and every corner to get the lowest prices available, but tasty so that they can give participants meal the whole day! Special task- survey each gift-shop to give you the best-est gift there is (but within budget of course!); the doctors- sacrifice their day off for YOU!; seniors- give their free time for YOU!etc (and many2 more). Paying just RM5 for that purpose does not really fit you, it should be at minimum of RM20 and above, but again MSC and IIUM sponsored them for you. And also, it is okay if you cannot come due to   emergency, but if it is due to : want to enjoy holiday....want to study ( i  am a medical student what..)....lazy; then please ask yourself, how can senior which are much3 busier than you + your friends which is in the same CLASS with you can join this program? Allah gives each and every of us 24 hrs/7 days; what did you do with them?

Ok, I better stop now, em...maybe this happen because we lack sense of belongings with each other. Individualist-ism predominates our batch (that is what i can deduce). Please, i beg brother and sisters, A Muslim will not become faithful until he loves to give what he wants to have to other Muslims; so imagine if you yourself conducting a program, and your friends do not come and support you, what will you feel? Welfare bureau is trying to enhance ukhwah by doing therapy, i just can pray the best  to come out of it.Our batch leaders always talk about congregational prayer, how we are family, etc.. "We are a team, Zenith 14 Team; a family where each one of us support another; we are all in this together"....i hope that day will come....

Anyway, thanks to committees and to those who come! It's been a great day having you all to support us. We really and truly appreciate it. And also for those who do not come, I really want to believe that you all did not mean it intentionality, i believe you all have had your own valid reasons. Let's start all over again! :) zero-zero. Let's support each other! :) From committee of anat's workshop, we really sorry for all mistakes that we may had done throughout this program, Thanks again, Jazakallahu khairan kathira! :)

Pray for them

A daily scene in any Egyptian protest. They are not trying to stop the protest they are trying to kill every hope in change in the country-July 21 2010

January 29, 2011

Live From the Egyptian Revolution

by Sharif Abdel Kouddous


Share676Cairo, Egypt—I grew up in Egypt. I spent half my life here. But Saturday, when my plane from JFK airport touched down in Cairo, I arrived in a different country than the one I had known all my life. This is not Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt anymore and, regardless of what happens, it will never be again.

   In Tahrir Square, thousands of Egyptians–men and women, young and old, rich and poor–gathered today to celebrate their victory over the regime’s hated police and state security forces and to call on Mubarak to step down and leave once and for all. They talked about the massive protest on Friday, the culmination of three days of demonstrations that began on January 25th to mark National Police Day. It was an act of popular revolt the likes of which many Egyptians never thought they would see during Mubarak’s reign. "The regime has been convincing us very well that we cannot do it, but Tunisians gave us an idea and it took us only three days and we did it," said Ahmad El Esseily, a 35 year-old author and TV/radio talk show host who took park in the demonstrations. "We are a lot of people and we are strong."

   In Cairo, tens of thousands of people--from all walks of life--faced off against riot police armed with shields, batons, and seemingly endless supplies of tear gas. People talked about Friday’s protest like a war; a war they’d won. "Despite the tear gas and the beatings, we just kept coming, wave after wave of us," one protester said. "When some of us would tire, others would head in. We gave each other courage." After several hours, the police were forced into a full retreat. Then, as the army was sent in, they disappeared.


   The military was greeted warmly on the streets of Cairo. Crowds roared with approval as one soldier was carried through Tahrir square today holding a flower in his hand. Dozens of people clambered onto tanks as they rode around the square. Throughout the day people chanted: "The people, the army: one hand."

   While the police and state security forces are notorious in Egypt for torture, corruption and brutality, the army has not interacted with the civilian population for more than 30 years and is only proudly remembered for having delivered a victory in the 1973 war with Israel. A 4pm curfew set for today was casually ignored with people convinced the army would not harm them. The police were a different story. Their brutality the past few days--decades in fact--has been well documented.


   Saturday, some of the police forces were holed up inside their headquarters in the Interior Ministry building near the end of a street connected to Tahrir Square. When protesters neared the building, the police began firing live ammunition at the crowd, forcing them to flee back to the square. Three bloodied people were carried out. "The police are killing us," one man yelled desperately while on the phone with al Jazeera from outside the building. When the firing stopped, defiant protesters began approaching the building again. In the background, the smoking, blackened shell of Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party headquarters served as an ominous reminder of their intentions.


   At this point it seems clear the people are not leaving the streets. They own them now and they are refusing to go until Mubarak does. They chanted, "Mubarak, the plane is waiting for you at the airport," and "Wake up Mubarak, today is your last day."


   At one point, a rumor spread through Tahrir Square that Mubarak had fled the country. A massive cheer rippled through the crowd. People began jumping up and down in joy. One man wept uncontrollably. When it turned out not to be true, the cheers quickly ended but it provided a brief glimpse of the sheer raw desire for Mubarak’s ouster. Reports now indicate that Mubarak’s two sons and his wife, Suzanne, have fled Egypt, as have some of his closest business cronies. Many people believe that is a sign that Hosni will not be far behind.


   There is a great sense of pride that this is a leaderless movement organized by the people. A genuine popular revolt. It was not organized by opposition movements, though they have now joined the protesters in Tahrir. The Muslim Brotherhood was out in full force today. At one point they began chanting "Allah Akbar" only to be drowned out by much louder chants of "Muslim, Christian, we are all Egyptian."


   As the sun set over Cairo, silence fell upon Tahrir square as thousands stopped to pray in the street while others stood atop tanks. After the sunset prayer, they held a 'ganaza'–a prayer for those killed in the demonstrations. Darkness fell and the protesters, thousands of them, have vowed to stay in the square, sleeping out in the open, until Mubarak is ousted.
Meanwhile, across Cairo there is not a policeman in sight and there are reports of looting and violence. People worry that Mubarak is intentionally trying to create chaos to somehow convince people that he is needed. The strategy is failing. Residents have taken matters into their own hands, helping to direct traffic and forming armed neighborhood watches, complete with checkpoints and shift changes, in districts across the city.


   This is the Egypt I arrived in today. Fearless and determined. It cannot go back to what it was. It will never be the same.




_Sharif Abdel Kouddous is a senior producer for the radio/TV show Democracy Now.


Follow him on Twitter at @sharifkouddous._






http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/1/29/live_from_the_egyptian_revolution_by_sharif_abdel_kouddous
 
p/s: please pray for them, i believe the chaos will not end in a short time

Zenith Porta; Vol 1

(Assalamu'alaikum wbt. This is simply a re-posting of the Zenith newsletter, 'Zenith Porta'. The original edition was first released and posted - on the board outside Lecture Hall 1 - on 10 Nov 2010. If you didn't manage to read it, here are the article that were available on that issue. - PnI)

ZENITH PORTA
Vol 1. 10 Nov 2010.

How to succeed in medical school (part 1)

Okey! The most important thing in our life is learning how to learn. The essential question one should ask oneself is "How do I study?". How do YOU study?

For those who do not know HOW they study, maybe you can ask yourself these questions:

· How well can I remember something that I have learned?

· How aware am I to my learning techniques?

· How do I know that I have known enough?

· Are there any internal or external factors that affects my willingness to study?

· Which portion of VARK am I using for my studying?

Visual practice

Auditory practice

Read/write preferences practice

Kinesthetic practice.

Lastly, the ultimate question that you have to ask yourself is:

WHY I AM TAKING MEDIC? WHAT DRIVES ME TO DO THIS?

Easy questions but hard to answer, right? That is the reason why this column is established. InshaAllah this column will enlighten you on these questions…

Which of the answers below most describes you?

I am taking medic due to :

1. · Science is fascinating! I love to learn why disease can happen!
2. · I can have many patients to attend and I am always on the move!
3. · Exams! That is the major reason why people are trying to cram everything in their head.
4. · I like being appreciated by showing that I learn/know more than anybody, that is the reason why I love to study before lectures
5. · I love the excitement of stress-condition, which is studying!

So, can you reason with yourself now? Do you see what drives you the most?

InshaAllah, we will continue and explore this further in the next session.

IOF used "cell phone procedure"

Nazareth-Israeli media website "Walla" talking in Hebrew revealed that Israeli occupation forces targeted every Palestinian citizen who used his personal cell phone during war on Gaza. What so called "cell phone procedure", in which the military orders were to kidnap every Palestinian who has cell phone and in case of breaking the orders , he will be killed for suspecting of sending important field information about Israeli occupation soldiers for men of Palestinian resistance. The fighters of the Israeli military unit "Givati", soldiers and officers have shot every Palestinian who talked by the cell phone, and in many cases they wounded seriously.

UPDATE YOUR MIND

Corruption reports

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is still studying the Auditor-General's Report 2009 and does not dismiss the possibility of opening more investigation papers based on the report. The Auditor-General's Report as mentioning that the Defense Ministry had spent RM300,000 on buying luxury items for the VVIP room, including RM95,880 on wallpaper, by using an allocation from the First Economic Stimulus Package. Three of the investigation papers were opened in Johor, six at the MACC headquarters, two in Terengganu and one each in Sarawak and Selangor.

FACT

The first owner of the Marlboro Company, Wayne McLaren, died of lung cancer.

YOUR MOTHER.

Your Mother is..

The DENTIST who uses a string.

The TEACHER who teaches about life.

The CHEERLEADER at all sports activities.

Your Mother is..

The LAUNDRY LADY who keeps you dressed so nice.

The DISHWASHER who never complains.

The CHAUFFEUR for all social events.

Your Mother is..

The TOOTH FAIRY who rewards you for your pain.

The HEALER of your first broken heart.

The KLEENEX that dries the tears.

Your Mother is..

The PRAYING HANDS that guide spiritually.

The GUARDIAN ANGEL who keeps you safe.

The best GIRLFRIEND who puts real meaning into "I Love You".

A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?’ The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Woman is the only creature that can bring up individuals in her lap,

And the paradise is under the feet of your mothers..

-hnnh-

Something interesting

Assalamualaikum.

Here are some interesting things I'd like to share. They are all about what we've learnt but they are not coming out for exams, definitely. They are just recent discoveries.

Enjoy!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120151641.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120124951.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120085521.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118113445.htm (this looks more interesting compared to others)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144003.htm (defensin has been mentioned in the Abbas Immuno book, under the chapter for Innate Immunity, if I'm not mistaken)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120171409.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120171409.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120124955.htm (but still it doesn't explain why do we feel sleepy in class :P )
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118143220.htm (I don't think I understand this)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120142350.htm (Kaposi sarcoma virus)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119162509.htm (hey guys this is interesting, like Pokemon!)

There is a lot more interesting stuff, but I'm afraid I'll get shot for putting those up (there are just way too many!)

Latest news on our beloved Brother

Assalamualaikum

1. Due to advice from the Doctor, Zahin will probably be taking leave until the next academic year (He won't be joining us for block 3 & block 4. InsyaAllah, he'll restart next year with our junior batch). He is a bit sad about that, so please keep on praying for him to be strong and recover well. His sister mentioned that she'll suggest that he join a tahfiz class during his time away.

2. To the Brothers: His sister requests that we collect the things in his apartment, because they are all going back to Kota Bharu this Tuesday (4th Jan). If possible, please pack up all his things for him. For more info, please contact Afiq Arshad.

3. We won't be seeing Zahin for a long time, so we should go visit him and try to cheer him up. In my opinion, it would be rude and difficult for his family if we keep going to their house, so I suggest that we pick a specific time and date where we can all go. Please discuss and confirm this matter on FaceBook, and we will contact Zahin's family to inform them about it.

• Sisters can go visit him too.
• If possible, bring something for Zahin (gifts, food, religious books, etc)

That's all.

TRANSPLANTATION !

WORLD TRANSPLANT RECORDS!


KIDNEY

1. Living Related Allograft

• longest surviving : 33 yrs, 11 months
• youngest recipient : 1day
• oldest recipient : 74 yrs
• oldest donor : 93 yrs

2.  Cadaveric Allograft

• longest surviving : 32yrs 2 months
• longest surviving (2nd treatment) :  29 yrs, months
• oldest surviving recipient : 88 yrs
• youngest surviving recipient : months
• oldest recipient : 81 yrs
• oldest donor : newborn

BONE MARROW / STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION

1. begin in 1968 - living related siblings

• severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
• Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS)
• advanced leukemia

     2.  previous studies in animals showed

• low incidence of GVHD will result high graft survival rates
• if  donor and recipient is histocompatible (i.e. compatible)

     3.  BMT is a major breakthrough in the treatment of a variety of malignant & non-malignant hematological disorders:

      a routine procedure at: 

• > 275 centres worldwide
• > 5000 annually
• total : > 95000

Medical Student Intervarsity 2010

Last weekend, on 13 November 2010, several of our batchmates proudly carried the name of IIUM Medical Students and played at the Medical Student Intervarsity 2010 tournament. Alhamdulillah, with the generosity and blessings of Allah SWT, our university won the Overall Champion (Juara Keseluruhan) and was elected Pasukan Harapan Tahun Hadapan.

Let us commend our friends and seniors, who were never afraid to take on a challenge and never gave up. This spirit, perseverance and passion are the qualities every Medical student should have. All members of Zenith family must also learn from them and never back down when any obstacle comes in our way. Put our heart and soul in everything we do.

Play for Allah. Study for Allah.

May our batch be able to send more players for future sports tournaments.

Better start practising now!

Happy Eid ul-Adha! Let's forgive each other in this great month of Zulhijjah.

And don't forget, Minitest is less than 2 weeks away!

Here are a couple of pictures from during the tournament: