Monthly Archives: January 2015

Familial Mediterranean fever

Posted on January 9, 2015 by gcochran9

FMF is a recessive hereditary disorder caused by mutations in MEFV, the gene for the protein pyrin. Pyrin, produced in white blood cells,  inhibits inflammation, and the FMF mutations unleash inflammation to varying degrees. The disease manifests in painful inflammatory … Continue reading →

Posted in Ashkenazi Jews, Evolutionary Medicine, Genetics, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Low-Hanging Fruit: Nyekulturny

Posted on January 8, 2015 by gcochran9

A fundamentally new antibiotic, teixobactin, has been discovered, that may be useful against MRSA and other Gram-positive bacteria.  It works in mice.  A good thing, since antibiotic resistance is increasing common, while pharmaceutical companies don’t have much interest in developing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 24 Comments

Bad War

Posted on January 6, 2015 by gcochran9

The idea that soldiers are loathe to kill in battle –  that they shot to miss in the Civil War, that only 15% of Americans riflemen in WWII ever used their weapons, etc – reminds me  of the young lady … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 119 Comments