Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness. An organic…

A genetic rearrangement through loss of segments of DNA (chromosomes), bringing sequences, which are normally separated, into close proximity. Loss of a section of the genetic material from a chromosome. The size of a deleted material can vary from a single nucleotide to sections containing a number of genes. A type of chromosome mutation in…

Undergoing degeneration : tending to degenerate; having the character of or involving degeneration; causing or tending to cause degeneration. A change of tissue to a less active form, degeneration. Progressive destruction of cells due to disease or aging process. Degenerative disorders encompass a gradual and ongoing deterioration of both the physical structure and operational capacity…

Family of antimicrobial peptides that have been identified in humans, animals, and plants. They are thought to play a role in host defenses against infections, inflammation, wound repair, and acquired immunity. Based on the disulfide pairing of their characteristic six cysteine residues, they are divided into alpha-defensins and beta-defensins. Destructive peptides (groups of amino acids)…

Unconscious process used by an individual or a group of individuals in order to cope with impulses, feelings or ideas which are not acceptable at their conscious level; various types include reaction formation, projection and self reversal. Unconscious intrapsychic processes serving to provide relief from emotional conflict and anxiety. Conscious efforts are frequently made for…

In cancer, the first occurrence of cancer in the body. A Latin expression meaning ‘‘from the beginning’’. In law, anew. Used to indicate that a court will hear the entire case, not just review the record of the lower tribunal.  

Extensive collections, reputedly complete, of references and citations to books, articles, publications, etc., generally on a single subject or specialized subject area. Databases can operate through automated files, libraries, or computer disks. The concept should be differentiated from factual databases which is used for collections of data and facts apart from bibliographic references to them.…