Today's Malady: When it's not what eats you...

Here's one I stumbled across about a year ago.

The Gourmand Syndrome.


It sounds like a joke. Someone suffers a stroke -- or a brain tumor or
a traumatic head injury -- and is suddenly transformed into a gustatory
hedonist...

There isn't enough information available for me to make this a more in-depth feature at the present, but nonetheless, I thought it was interesting.

ScienceLink: Parasites!

Interesting site. Many graphic images.

Ohio State University's Department of Biological Sciences presents:
Parasites and Parasitological Resources.

MaladyLink: The Sights and Sounds of Schizophrenia

"You've lost your medicine... and you need a refill?"


The textbook description of schizophrenia is a listing of symptoms:
delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior. But what
does schizophrenia really feel like?

From 2002.

MaladyLink: Guided Tour of the Colon

Just for you, These pics, which brought back fond childhood memories of "Fantastic Voyage".

MaladyNews: building a better bladder

This just in:

From the Boston Globe:
Bladders rebuilt using patients' own cells.

BBC News: Q&A about the Lab-Grown Bladder

ScienceLinks: Mycology!

Some links from the world of mycology.

Tom Volk tells us about his "Fungi of the Month". Also, lots of resources: including links to the worlds of academic and non-professional (hobbyist) mycology.

Dr. Fungus introduces us to the world of medical mycology: where fungus and human meet, with often disastrous results.

More to come as I find it.

MaladyNews: some old, some new.

From January's Medical News Today:
Chinese children are better able to control impulsive behaviour than their North American counterparts, a new Queen's University study shows.

From the Boston Globe:
Tonsillectomy may improve sleep, ADHD for some.

From NineMSN:
Scientists claim they have created stem cells from testicular germ cells.

Nature: It's that time of year again!

Spring is springing, and that means it's time for the vernal pools!

Vernal pools are shallow depressions which become filled with water during the winter months, and dry out during the summer months.

Vernal pools are unique ecosystems of their own, upon which some species - for example, fairy shrimp - are dependent for all or part of their life cycle. These tiny filter-feeders are uniquely adapted to this environment. For one, the pool provides them an ecosystem that is free from fish predation. For another, the fairy shrimp grows quickly, and its cysts can remain dormant as the pool dries out; the cysts hatch when the vernal pool refills. However, it is not unknown for fairy shrimp to last for decades.

The Vernal Pool Association is a good site for learning about vernal pools.