Allergy, Vitamins

Contrary or Contradictory

A forthcoming “Perspectives in asthma” paper in “JACI” by Litonjua and Weiss will be about the vitamin D hypothesis. Although the authors find that

Evidence exists that vitamin D induces a shift in the balance between TH1 and TH2-rype cytokines toward TH2 dominance

they make a largely unexpected turn by saying that vitamin DEFICIENCY may be to blame for the asthma epidemic. The basic argumentation is

We hypothesize that as populations grow more prosperous and more Westernized, more time is spent indoors and there is less exposure to sunlight leading to vitamin D deficiency…

Given the immediate and effective vitamin D production in skin and its longterm availability by fat stores I cannot follow their last conclusion. Continue reading Contrary or Contradictory →


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Allergy, Vitamins

The history of vitamin D discovery, industrial production and marketing

There is a new German dissertation about Vigantol (R) excellently written by Jochen Haas and just published at Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft “Vigantol, Adolf Windaus und die Geschichte des Vitamin D”. Altogether 425 pages, it contains a biographical sketch of Windaus (p 32-83), a detailed summary of the juristical questions about irradiating ergosterin (p 96-154), a detailed history of the pharmaceutical production (p 155-238) and finally a chapter about marketing of different brands by Merck (p 238-281). Continue reading The history of vitamin D discovery, industrial production and marketing →


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Joke, Philosophy

Science skills

Theodor Fontane is characterizing Adolf Menzel:

Gaben, wer hätte sie nicht.
Talent, Spielzeug für Kinder.
Erst der Ernst macht den Mann,
Erst der Fleiß das Genie.

Skills, everyone has quids.
Talents, toys of the kids.
Seriousness makes a man,
dilligence the genius span.

sorry for my translation ;-)


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Allergy, Joke

Historical research on hayfever

It seems that Google has several interesting books that may be downloaded if you are using a proxy located somewhere in the U.S. A. It is quite interesting to see that there are many more books out there than I thought before:

g1.png g2.png g3.png g4.png

Most interesting is certainly the 1880 2nd edition of Blackley’s “Hay fever” Continue reading Historical research on hayfever →


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Allergy, Vitamins

Why the allergy epidemic did not already start 1935 in Germany

moblog – I have now spent another day at the Berlin Document Center browsing through hundreds of RKI pages – manuscripts, correspondence, bills and personal files. My goal was to find out why the allergy epidemic did not already start off 1935 in Germany when vitamin D synthesis was already possible on a large scale.
Indeed, I found evidence that at least 3 companies radiated at that time yeast derived ergosterin by UV quartz lamps – I.G. Farben, Nordmark-Werke and Deutsche Vitamin Gesellschaft. The number of companies in this field Continue reading Why the allergy epidemic did not already start 1935 in Germany →


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Software

The first slide please

Thousands and millions of talks start with the “first slide please” although there is no “slide” at all. This post, however, is more about my problems to manage the 300 slide shows here while making a new one. I found some nice software, that can re-index my old PP slides, and let me drag and drop to a new slide show. Costs for Slide Executive are ~79€. Is there any alternative? Continue reading The first slide please →


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Allergy, Genetics

DNA to heal asthma?

A new nature medicine review has listed clinical trials targeting toll-like receptors. These including 3 preclinical studies using cpG-ODNs against TLR9 by Dynavax Astra-Zeneca, Coley / Sanofi-Aventis and Idera / Novartis. Lets wait and see…


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Allergy

Pax5 and allergy

Transcription factor Pax5 is a key regulator for the B cell lineage (it may even be reponsible for redifferentiation from B to T cells according to new research from the Busslinger lab). As human CD23a, the low affinity IgE receptor, has a functional Pax-5-binding site, there could be a relationship to allergy inheritance. So far I have only looked into Pax-8 while Pax-5 might be even more important.


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Allergy

No proof of hygiene hypothesis

Yahoo News writes “Doubts cast on hygiene hypothesis“. As far as I know YN highlights the first experimental study of the hygiene hypothesis. Although the authors could achieve a reduction of respiratory infections by controlled randomized hygiene intervention, there was no effect on later asthma or allergy.


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Genetics, Philosophy

Want to work with you

Over and over I am flooded with emails like

Let me introduce myself to you. I am xxxxxxxxxx, completed M. Sc Micro Biology. At present I am working as a research Fellow in Centre for xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx, India. How are you sir? I am your student. How can I mean, in January 2005 you come to India. At that time your engaged some class to us in xxxxxxxxx College, Axxxxxxxx. Presently I am working on Genetics of “xxxxxxxxxxxx” under the esteemed guidance of Dr. xxxxxxxxxxx and Dr. xxxxxxxxxx. I am very much interested to do PhD. Herewith, I am sending my curriculum Vitae as attachment to your kind perusal. I assure you, I shall work with at most devotion and sincerity to give you satisfaction and also I am confident that I can lead PhD successfully with the experience I gained during my research work at xxxxxxxxx. Given a chance I will prove my caliber.

Continue reading Want to work with you →


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