MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'academic'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:06 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181922&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F08%2F31%2Fbeware-of-conflicts-of-interest%2F Buffer In this short talk, psychologist Dan Ariely tells two personal stories that explore scientific conflict of interest: How the pursuit of knowledge and insight can be affected, consciously or not, by shortsighted personal goals. When we’re thinking about the big questions, he reminds us, let’s be aware of our all-too-human brains. Buffer   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181922 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:48:24 +0100 5181922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182066&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FcHHww-Xin4g%2F (Editor’s note: Pathways responsible for higher-order thinking in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), or executive center of the brain, remain vulnerable throughout life—during critical early-life developmental windows, when the PFC fully matures in the early 20s, and finally from declines associated with old age. At all ages, physical activity and PFC-navigated social connections are essential components to maintaining brain health. The Experience Corps, a community-based social-engagement program, partners seniors with local schools to promote purpose-driven involvement. Participating seniors have exhibited immediate short-term gains in brain regions vulnerable to aging, such as the PFC, indicating that people with the most to lose have the most to gain from environmental enrichment.) Over ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182066 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:18:19 +0100 5182066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174744&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbeyond-iq-series-8-what-is-goal-setting.html Background comment regarding this series Interest in social-emotional learning and resiliency training (click here and here for just two examples) in education has shown a recent uptick on activity. Given this activity, IQs Corner is starting a series to explain the previously articulated Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), which was a model ahead of it's time (IMHO). The imporance of non-cognitive (conative) characteristics in learning have been articulated since the days of Spearman, the father of the construct of general intelligence. Richard Snow's work on the concept of "aptitude," which integrates cognitive and conative individual difference variables, is the foundation of the Beyond IQ MACM. Non-cognitive (cognitive) characteristics of learners are important for lea... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174744 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:11:00 +0100 5174744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158869&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F08%2Fbrain-imaging-studies-report-more-positive-findings-than-their-numbers-can-support-this-is-fishy%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 13 August 2011 While the authorities are distracted by mass disorder, we can do some statistics. You’ll have seen plenty of news stories telling you that one part of the brain is bigger, or smaller, in people with a particular mental health problem, or even a specific job. These are [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158869 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:14:52 +0100 5158869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159440&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbeyond-iq-series-7-academic-motivation.html Background comment regarding this seriesInterest in social-emotional learning and resiliency training (click here and here for just two examples) in education has shown a recent uptick on activity. Given this activity, IQs Corner is starting a series to explain the previously articulated Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), which was a model ahead of it's time (IMHO). The imporance of non-cognitive (conative) characteristics in learning have been articulated since the days of Spearman, the father of the construct of general intelligence. Richard Snow's work on the concept of "aptitude," which integrates cognitive and conative individual difference variables, is the foundation of the Beyond IQ MACM. Non-cognitive (cognitive) characteristics of learners are important for lear... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159440 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:21:00 +0100 5159440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158874&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-goes-up-non-profit-hospital-ceo.html We have frequently discussed the disconnect between incentives, particularly total compensation, given to the leaders of health care organizations and their roles, or lack thereof, in improving the health care of their patients or the public. One measure of that disconnect is how leaders' pay continues to defy gravity while the economy continues to suffer, and health care dysfunction continues to fester.In particular, total compensation given to CEOs of ostensibly not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems is increasingly passing the magic $1 million mark. A round up including two recent articles and others from the last four months that we have not discussed before revealed more "million dollar babies" amongst the ranks of these leaders.  (Note that most of the data... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158874 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:37:00 +0100 5158874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139701&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5dtKfNMRi2s%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonEarlier this summer, I released a study comparing the performance of California’s charter school networks with the amount of philanthropic grant funding they have received. The purpose was to find out if this model for replicating excellence was consistently effective. The answer, regrettably, was no. But a new study we are releasing today finds that there is at least one place where better schools HAVE consistently scaled-up: Chile. Thanks to that nation’s public and private school choice program, chains of private schools have arisen, and they not only outperform the public schools, they also outperform the independent “mom-and-pop” private schools. For anyone interested in replicating educational excellence, this study by a team of Chilean sch... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139701 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:09:48 +0100 5139701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130829&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F08%2F14%2Ftop-gun-peregrine-falcon%2F Buffer Unfortunately not a real top gun, only 20% of attacks are successful, nevertheless stunning footage of one such bird diving through the sky over London in order to try and catch a pidgeon. Buffer   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130829 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:38:08 +0100 5130829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096365&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F08%2F03%2Fwhy-personal-genomics-didnt-live-up-to-the-expectations%2F Buffer George Church talks about where the future of personal genomics is headed and what research has yielded so far. Decoding the human genome did not yield what people initially expected. In this lecture George Church talks about where the future of personal genomics is headed and what research has yielded so far. Buffer   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096365 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:49:06 +0100 5096365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077786&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2Fthe-origins-of-pleasure%2F Buffer Very inspiring, funny talk starting with a nice anecdote about a Dutch art collector selling a Vermeer to a nazi in World War 2. Why do we like an original painting better than a forgery? Psychologist Paul Bloom argues that human beings are essentialists — that our beliefs about the history of an object change how we experience it, not simply as an illusion, but as a deep feature of what pleasure (and pain) is. Buffer   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077786 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:51:13 +0100 5077786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069472&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmed-school-applicants-is-the-interview-becoming-as-influential-as-the-grades%2F2011.07.27 This week the Times ran a leading story on a new med school admission process, with multiple, mini-interviews, like speed dating. The idea is to assess applicants’ social, communication and ethical thinking (?) skills: …It is called the multiple mini interview, or M.M.I., and its use is spreading. At least eight medical schools in the United States — including those at Stanford, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Cincinnati — and 13 in Canada are using it. At Virginia Tech Carilion, 26 candidates showed up on a Saturday in March and stood with their backs to the doors of 26 small rooms. When a bell sounded, the applicants spun around and read a sheet of paper taped to the door that described an ethical conundrum. Two minutes later, the bell sounded aga... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069472 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:00:31 +0100 5069472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069530&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Flunch-wars-win-the-battle-for-our-childrens-health%2F Oh how happy I was to see the new book Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Heath by Amy Kalafa, producer of the award-winning documentary “Two Angry Moms.” I get on my soapbox all too often about this very issue, because I have one child who is so sensitive to food that teachers can tell if he ate a cookie at lunch, and the other possesses about as much will power as I have when it comes to saying no to cinnamon-flavored soft pretzels. Why, in the world, would they offer seven-year-olds the option to buy Klondike bars, cinnamon-flavored soft-pretzels, Doritos, and Gatorade? I think the answer has to do with budgets. But in the process we are raising fat kids whose academic progress is compromised by all the crap they shove in their ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069530 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:56:50 +0100 5069530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069544&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-characteristics-of-outstanding-mentors%2F Buffer In Academia it’s common knowledge that a critical component of academic success in health sciences is promoted by a mentor. A lot of health science institutions have invested in formal mentoring programs for faculty and trainees. But what makes a mentor and outstanding mentor from the perspective of a mentee. What are the key characteristics of these outstanding mentors? From qualitative research of the important qualities of outstanding mentors as described by their mentees’ letters of nomination for a prestigious lifetime achievement award inmentorship, the key characteristics are: Admirable characteristics of mentors included descriptions of outgoing and interactive personalities, kindness, and justness as in ethical fair and honest It’s important how they guide th... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069544 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:21:47 +0100 5069544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050747&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fthe-impact-factory-song%2F Buffer Received a mood lifting email written by one of my distinguished colleagues from Britain which I couldn’t resist publishing here for my readers. The colleague is Peter Tyrer. I call upon ZDoggMD to write some music to it, preferably hip hop. I thought that, despite our best intentions, we are all in the Impact Factory together and perhaps we need to have a British Journal of Psychiatry song we could sing to our potential contributors, which I know includes all of us, so here it is: The Impact Factory Song There comes a time of year Which for some yields joy and cheer Whereas for others it brings gloom And impending signs of doom I refer to the end of June It’s the Impact Factor tune Which we dance to tho’ we fear Its strains may cost us dear In promoting our allian... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050747 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:37:03 +0100 5050747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050915&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FbcsIvOBs0_c%2F Although ADHD used to be considered a disorder of childhood, follow-up studies indicate that between 30% and 60% of children with ADHD continue to experience symptoms and impairment in adulthood. And, even when ADHD symptoms decline over time, many individuals continue to experience significant impairment in important areas of functioning. For example, children with ADHD have poorer academic achievement as adolescents compared to their peers and this trend continues into adulthood. Research pertaining to occupational functioning is limited but available data clearly points to poorer employment histories in adults with ADHD. Predictors of occupational outcomes in individuals with ADHD have not been carefully investigated, however. A recent study conducted in Norway with a large sample of ad... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050915 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:36:52 +0100 5050915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028140&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2dLM3P5-hxQ%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonThe brass ring of education reform is to find a way to ensure that the best schools routinely scale-up to serve large audiences, crowding out the mediocre and bad ones. Over the past twenty years, the United States and Sweden have taken two very different approaches to achieving that goal, which I wrote about in a recent op-ed. In the U.S., our main strategy has been for philanthropists to fund the replication of what they deem to be the academically highest-performing networks of charter schools. In a recent statistical analysis of California, the state with the most charter schools, I discovered that this is not working out particularly well for us. There is no correlation between charter school networks’ academic performance and the philanthropic funding they&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028140 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:01:53 +0100 5028140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968581&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F24%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-june-24-2011%2F To tell you the truth, memories of my early school days are a mixed range of slightly traumatic to idiotic. In some ways, I had more drama in my life at age 8 than I did at age 28. These are the tales I love to tell new friends and laugh with old ones about how crazy our public and private school experiences were. Besides batting away cockroaches in our filthy gum-filled desks, I was always crying from mean teachers who scolded us for putting hands in our pockets or not getting math. The teachers were so strict that one of my classmates peed in his pants because he took our teacher’s warning that, “no one can leave this room until you’re finished with your assignment” literally. Did I mention this was private school? Public school ended up being a lot better for me.... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968581 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:38:15 +0100 4968581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960118&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fmeditation-for-slow-learners%2F You can’t read too many health headlines anymore before you run across a story extolling meditation’s many health benefits: from calming anxiety to increasing resilience, from lowering blood pressure to building immunity. Meditation does it all! And is being embraced in practically every medical field. But what is it? I’m a bit of a slow learner, so even as I promised myself two years ago that I would start each day with 20 minutes of meditation, I am still thumbing through books trying to figure out how, exactly, you do it. I have learned much from Elisha Goldstein’s Psych Central blog, “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.” Because I believe, on some level, that all forms of meditation are about creating space. And Elisha reminds his readers of that by continually repeating the mea... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960118 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:16:50 +0100 4960118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883688&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F05%2F30%2Fdata-visualization-the-new-art-for-the-21st-century%2F Buffer Interesting visualization, am I the only one enjoying them? Also for the looks of it. Artist Aaron Koblin takes vast amounts of data — and at times vast numbers of people — and weaves them into stunning visualizations. From elegant lines tracing airline flights to landscapes of cell phone data, from a Johnny Cash video assembled from crowd-sourced drawings to the “Wilderness Downtown” video that customizes for the user, his works brilliantly explore how modern technology can make us more human. Buffer   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883688 Mon, 30 May 2011 05:21:19 +0100 4883688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852822&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F05%2Fexistential-angst-about-the-bigger-picture%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 21 May 2011 Here’s no surprise: beliefs which we imagine to be rational are bound up in all kinds of other stuff. Political stances, for example, correlate with various personality features. One major review in 2003 looked at 38 different studies, containing data on 20,000 participants, and found that overall, [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852822 Mon, 23 May 2011 12:44:33 +0100 4852822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797764&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fwere-only-in-it-for-money-big.html Discussion of some examples of what may happen to whistle blowers is here.  The survey mentioned earlier (here) showed that about one-third of faculty fear they may be punished for speaking  out. Leadership of academic medical centers by businesspeople - Ill-informed management may result from leaders who have no background or training in actual health care.  Leaders of teaching hospitals and universities become millionaires -  A recent example is here, and more may be found here.  Leaders of academic medical centers and the parent universities of medical schools often make more than $1 million a year in the US.  When such amounts are in play, executives may focus more on short-term measures that lead to even more pay than on upholding the mission. M... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797764 Sat, 07 May 2011 16:13:00 +0100 4797764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794951&cid=t_126181_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-in-the-classroom%2Fchildhood-adhd-can-create-serious-academic-challenges-for-young-children.php Many of the challenges of childhood ADHD revolve around inattention, thought hyperactivity and impulsive behavior are not far behind. For those with childhood ADHD the structured world we live in is a challenging place filled with academic and social challenges. Some will succeed on their own despite these challenges, while many others will fail unless some form of effective help is found. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and can provide serious hurdles for children in a school setting. These children tend to be very creative but fail to have the ability to focus on things that aren’t of interest to them. On the other hand things they find interesting will grab their attention in almost an obsessive way making it hard to change gears at times. Another point in... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794951 Thu, 05 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4794951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780272&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fwho-is-really-bullying-academic-leaders.html Universities, which are supposed to discover and disseminate knowledge, ought to be the foremost defenders of free speech and a free press.  However, in the past decades, university executives have become notorious for trying to control speech that offends their political sensibilities (for numerous examples, see the FIRE - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education web-site.)  It seems that academic leaders get even more upset when their or their faculties' conflicts of interest are criticized, as demonstrated by updates about two important cases we have discussed.Columbia UniversityWe recently posted about reactions at the university to revelations in the movie "Inside Job" that the Dean of the Business School and one of its prominent professors failed to disclose ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780272 Tue, 03 May 2011 19:46:00 +0100 4780272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759039&cid=t_126181_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlVjvoT8rNwo%2F The sad case of Dan Markingson appears to have no end. The latest twist is playing out as an issue of academic freedom at the University of Minnesota where, seven years ago, researchers ran a clinical trial in which the 26-year-old participated. But the circumstances surrounding his participation and subsequent death led to widely publicized allegations the university put its own interests first. One university researcher also consulted for AstraZeneca, which sells the drug and sponsored the study. And researchers were allegedly under pressure to bolster enrollment. These details emerged following a lawsuit filed by Markingson’s mother, who objected to her son’s participation because he was already mentally ill and possibly incompetent, but was enrolled anyway. Her lawsuit went nowher... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759039 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:16:18 +0100 4759039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747603&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzgxhrmmdCgg%2F By Ilya ShapiroLately I seem to have been blogging — and filing briefs – a fair bit on campus First Amendment issues, regarding both students and professors.  The threats to free speech and academic freedom stretch far beyond the halls of Widener Universty and concern more than just the rules of political correctness. This month, UCLA’s James Enstrom (34 years a professor) is fighting his dismissal from UCLA for submitting a paper to a regulatory board that denied that diesel particulates cause 2,000 premature deaths in California per year.  The scientific literature published subsequent to his initial findings support his thesis and the conclusions his work refuted turned out to be written by a fraud who received his Ph.D. from a diploma mill.  In short, he was f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747603 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:36:50 +0100 4747603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734108&cid=t_126181_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FGw3SydNx1Wc%2F Own the wound is a collection of videos on wound care created by Michelle Lin the guru behind Academic Life in Emergency Medicine. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734108 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:34 +0100 4734108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723806&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fonline-health-information-can-be-more-trustworthy-than-printed-texts%2F2011.04.17 Recently Ed Silverman of Pharmalot considers the case of a ghost-written medical text’s mysterious disappearance. The 1999 book, “Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychopharmacology Handbook for Primary Care,” (reviewed in a psychiatry journal here) came under scrutiny last fall when it became evident that the physician “authors” didn’t just receive money from a relevant drug maker, SmithKline Beecham; they received an outline and text for the book from pharmaceutical company-hired writers. poster for the X-Files Now the book’s listing is gone from the website of STI (Scientific Therapeutic Information), the company that provided the authorship “help.” I tried to get a copy of the handbook on Amazon.com, where it’s currently out-of-stock. The book ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723806 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:00:58 +0100 4723806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696702&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fpoem-storm-about-alternative-medicine%2F Official animated movie of Tim Minchin’s 9-minute beat poem Storm. Written and performed by Tim Minchin. This is a poem “Storm,” a rant about the miseries of alternative medicine, and the delights of skepticism.   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696702 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:33:15 +0100 4696702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696591&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fmedinformaticsmd-and-dr-roy-poses-in.html I have considered Dr. Roy Poses' Dec. 14, 2010 post "The Lancet Emphasizes the Threats to the Academic Medical Mission" (with its hyperlinks to source posts and articles) an excellent summary of many of the pathologies we address at Healthcare Renewal, especially with regard to the academic mission and the disruption of the integrity of the medical literature by commercial interests. His post is consistent with what might be considered our mission statement:Addressing threats to health care's core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power. Advocating for accountability, integrity, transparency, honesty and ethics in leadership and governance of health care.The Wall Street Journal published the following letter to the editor authored by me today in which I cit... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696591 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:15:00 +0100 4696591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693245&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fmedinformaticsmd-and-dr-roy-poses-in.html I have considered Dr. Roy Poses' Dec. 14, 2010 post "The Lancet Emphasizes the Threats to the Academic Medical Mission" (with its hyperlinks to source posts and articles) an excellent summary of many of the pathologies we address at Healthcare Renewal, especially with regard to the academic mission and the disruption of the integrity of the medical literature by commercial interests. His post is consistent with what might be considered our mission statement:Addressing threats to health care's core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power. Advocating for accountability, integrity, transparency, honesty and ethics in leadership and governance of health care.The Wall Street Journal published the following letter to the editor authored by me today in which I cit... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693245 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:15:00 +0100 4693245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636659&cid=t_126181_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F5PvEgH1s4QA%2F The pharmaceutical industry has traditionally established ties to doctors during their formative years in residency programs, but more recently, drugmakers have been shunned by several high-profile academic medical centers over concerns of undue influence on medical practice. Now, a new study in Academic Medicine finds that a wide array of family medicine residencies are taking similar steps. The researchers conducted a nationwide survey of family medicine residencies to determine the extent and type of industry interactions with trainees and to identify so-called pharma-free residencies that avoided iindustry influence. And so they e-mailed four questions to residency directors or coordinators at all 460 accredited US family med residencies. In all, 286 replied. The findings: 75 residenc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636659 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:11:57 +0100 4636659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615111&cid=t_126181_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FUPk6PtyjgnI%2F It's time for the enigmatic eleventh edition of the LITFL Review --- a weekly round up of the best and brightest in emergency medicine and critical care on the web. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615111 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:03:22 +0100 4615111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600535&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fenough-about-physician-empathy%2F2011.03.16 Is anyone else tired of hearing about how important empathy is in the doctor-patient relationship? Every other day it seems a new study is talking about the therapeutic value of empathy. Enough already! It’s not that I don’t believe that empathy is important — I do. I also believe the data that links physician empathy with improved patient outcomes, increased satisfaction, and better patient experiences. A recent study released in Academic Medicine reported that “patients of physicians with high empathy scores were significantly more likely to have good control over their blood sugar as well as cholesterol, while the inverse was true for patients of physicians with low scores.” Findings from this study by Hojat, et al. are consistent with a 2009 study by Rakel, et al. which f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600535 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:00:36 +0100 4600535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482825&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-psychology-of-advertising%2F How often have you seen a teeth-whitening ad that shows the person with bright, white teeth as more attractive — sexier even? Or viewed an ad for a green cleaning product that made you fearful that using a chemical product would harm your kids? Or just think of any product — diet food, skin care, insurance company, car, medication — that features celebrity testimonials or the words of other consumers who’ve achieved “incredible results.” For these common advertising ploys, you can thank John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism here in America. After getting fired from his academic post at Johns Hopkins, Watson began working for one of the biggest advertising agencies in New York City, J. Walter Thompson. (He was dismissed for his scandalous divorce. Short story: He fell in lo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482825 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:00:37 +0100 4482825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455308&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Ftransitioning-from-trainee-to-faculty%2F Wish I had know this before when starting in Academia. Really starting your career after all the training you’ve been through, a real challenge. How to start of on the new job. Important strategies from the medical literature, management practices and hands on experience for “on-boarding”: Start early, meaning getting toknow your organisation before your start date. You won’t be able to do it once started, finding the patient, your way around the hospital etc. Minimize distractions. Be sure everything like housing, daycare options, installment of your Internet connection is taken care for before you start or organize it to be taken care of. You won’t be able to do it once started. Set up your office and get to know hospital systems before you start and minimi... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455308 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:29:04 +0100 4455308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441989&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F06%2Fmaslow-revisited-the-hierarchy-of-chakras%2F What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization. – Abraham Maslow In psychology, physiology, and medicine, wherever a debate between the mystics and the scientifics has been once for all decided, it is the mystics who have usually proved to be right about the facts, while the scientifics had the better of it in respect to the theories. – William James In the 40 years since Abraham Maslow’s death, the impact of his thinking about human needs and potential is still resonating in business and academic circles. Maslow’s original writings first appeared in a 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation, and helped frame what drives us. It was drawn from his careful review and observation of those known for their greatness, and others, students in particul... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441989 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 13:36:18 +0100 4441989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429067&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F02%2F02%2Fwhen-to-start-power-point-for-a-presentation%2F Usually we start right of with opening power point and start making slides. In the video above the argument is made that this habit is to soon, it explains clearly why. Several other methods used when making a presentation calls for makings slides far way up on the road to building your presentation. The presenter in this video is known for his Extreme Presentation Method. With this previous link you can see the 10 steps for building a presentation with this method. You can also download a pdf file of the Extreme Presentation Method overview and print it out. I have reviewed the book mentioned on the website here: The Extreme Presentation Method. Surely other methods are also available for making a presentation, another one is Beyond Bullet Points or Resonate by Nancy Duarte, her company m... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429067 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:27:22 +0100 4429067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424239&cid=t_126181_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FVwkHirwnKXU%2F Is the Utopian College of Emergency for Medicine about to ditch 'Life in the Fast Lane' and take their online presence elsewhere? Find out here... (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424239 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:33 +0100 4424239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389225&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F23%2Fhow-did-this-ancient-baby-egyptian-mummy-die%2F A 3D video made from a CT scan reveals how a baby mummy died. Museum Secrets, is a six-part series on History Television. It uncovers the mysteries of museums such as the Vatican, the Louvre and Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum.   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389225 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:08:35 +0100 4389225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361081&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F18%2F10-myths-about-leadership%2F Last year I had the pleasure of temporarily leading our psychiatry department. It was a difficult but in the end rewarding job. That’s probably why a recent publication in Healthcare Executive drew my attention: The 10 most common myths about leadership. Leadership and management are the same dynamic.Leadership is more about vision, culture and values within an organization. Management is about executing plans, details and GTD. Having a big title (CEO, CFO, VP) makes you a leader. Titles only help you getting things done but there is no relationship between titles and leadership. Leaders can motivate others. Your task as a leader is to create an atmosphere in which your employees get motivated. Leadership is easier than management. Leading can be very complicated and hard work Leade... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361081 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:43:07 +0100 4361081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4324819&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F08%2Frap-guide-to-evolution%2F The Rap Guide to Evolution is Baba Brinkman’s comedy rap science show and full-length album, winner of the Scotsman Fringe First Award for outstanding new writing at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe. The Rap Guide uses hip-hop music and culture to communicate concepts from modern evolutionary theory. A grant from the Wellcome Trust has provided the initial funding to make 12 rap music videos based on the album tracks, making sense of artificial selection, sexual selection, unity of common descent, the evolution of aggression and altruism, and much more.   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4324819 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:30:55 +0100 4324819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318291&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhy-would-directors-of-health-care.html We recently posted about 36 well-paid top executives in the University of California system, including leaders of medical schools, academic medical centers, and public health, who threatened a lawsuit if their pensions were not increased according to what they claim was a promise made to them in 1999.Riddle me this: why would a group of directors of for-profit corporations that provide health care goods and services. plus a director of a leading biotechnology trade group, and the director of a leading mutual fund family band together to support this demand, thus to push for bigger pensions for these top managers of the University of California system?Here is a list of the directors, and their corporations:-  Mark R Laret, director of Varian Medical Systems and Nuance Communicatio... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318291 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0100 4318291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318379&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F06%2Fhow-the-brain-works-while-it-is-improvising%2F Interesting talk from surgeon Charles Limb, MD, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins. Musician and researcher Charles Limb wondered how the brain works during musical improvisation — so he put jazz musicians and rappers in an fMRI to find out. What he and his team found has deep implications for our understanding of creativity of all kinds. Thanks Scope, medical blog, Stanford University, an interesting blog, should be in your RSS reader.   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318379 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:35:31 +0100 4318379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304933&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F03%2Fwhat-is-a-good-bodyguard%2F Learned something new about field dependence and field independence. These are individual differences in learning style. There is a difference in how people perceive discrete items within a surrounding field. People at the one end of the extreme where perception was strongly dominated by the prevailing field were designated “field-dependent.” Field-dependent learners see the forest. At the other extreme, people were considered “field-independent”, if they experienced items as more or less separate from the field. Whereas field-dependent people see the forest, field-independent learners see the tree within the forest. Bomb disposal experts should be field independent whereas anti-terror units should be field dependent. What are bodyguards made of? Bodyguards were com... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304933 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 07:09:35 +0100 4304933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294729&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F12%2F29%2Fthe-progress-bar-illusion%2F Simple optical illusions can make it seem like the progress bars on your file downloads are moving faster than they actually are (see video above). Ripple effects and pulses of light are among the tricks computer programmers can use to keep you waiting those extra seconds.   Related posts:Light and Depression: Round Up Reorganizing Computers (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294729 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:24:54 +0100 4294729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277798&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhigh-heels-short-skirts-and-recruiting.html Once again, you just can't make this stuff up.  Here is the New York Times description of new state of the art in recruiting donors for bone marrow transplant.On its face, it seemed reasonable enough: a bone marrow registry sending recruiters to malls, ballparks and other busy sites to enlist potential donors. But the recruiters were actually flirtatious models in heels, short skirts and lab coats, law enforcement officials say, asking passers-by for DNA swabs without mentioning the price of the seemingly simple procedure. And the registry, Caitlin Raymond International, was paying up to $60,000 a week for the models while billing insurance companies up to $4,300 per test. In New Hampshire, where prosecutors say thousands of people appeared to have provided swabs, the attorney general... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277798 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:08:00 +0100 4277798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258807&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Flancet-emphasizes-threats-to-academic.html Discussion of some examples of what may happen to whistle blowers is here.  The survey mentioned earlier (here) showed that about one-third of faculty fear they may be punished for speaking  out.  Leadership of academic medical centers by businesspeople - Ill-informed management may result from leaders who have no background or training in actual health care.  Leaders of teaching hospitals and universities become millionaires -  A recent example is here, and more may be found here.  Leaders of academic medical centers and the parent universities of medical schools often make more than $1 million a year in the US.  When such amounts are in play, executives may focus more on short-term measures that lead to even more pay than on upholding the mission. ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258807 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:30:00 +0100 4258807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258930&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F12%2F14%2Fvisualizing-the-brain%2F You are looking a visual reconstruction (from array-tomography data) of synapses in the mouse somatosensory cortex, the part of the cerebral cortex that is responsive to sensation. Neurons are depicted in green; multicolored dots represent separate synapses. More about this video on Scope Stanford School of Medicine   Related posts:Female Academics Pioneers in Science Stanford cardiologist answers your questions on YouTube Visualizing Data (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258930 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:57:09 +0100 4258930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258808&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhealth-professionals-for-new-century.html A major article just published in the Lancet urged global reform of health care education  [Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA, Cohen J, Crisp N, Evans T et al. Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world.  Lancet 2010; 376: 1923-1958.  Link here.]The problems it recognized included"Pitifully modest" spending for health professional education, compared to overall health spendingHealth care systems that are "dysfunctional and inequitable," due in part to "commercialism in the professions," leading to "breakdown ... especially noteworthy within primary care, in both poor and rich countries."For profit medical education leading to "a so-called de-Flexnerisation process ... in which low-quality professional ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258808 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:19:00 +0100 4258808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253209&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F12%2F13%2Fhow-to-run-a-succesful-research-faculty%2F Besides patient care and education, research is also an important part of a med school. Funding and keeping a research department alive in medicine is very complicated. Below are some suggestions from a approach as published in a recent article from the Advances in Health Sciences Education. It’s my own interpretation of the suggestions made in this readable and excellent publication by Randy R. Brutkiewicz. Use 1. Research faculty development seminars, or “brown bag lunches” around these topics: Features and use of the ‘‘guide for applying for research grants’’ for new Research Faculty (specific for each institution) Balancing grants and kids How to recruit personnel to your laboratory Mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows Helping trainees get to... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253209 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:56:16 +0100 4253209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233133&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fduke-divinity-students-protest-pay-of.html This may be a first.  A small group of Duke University divinity students publicly protested the compensation given to some top university leaders, specifically including the Chancellor for Health Affairs.  According to the Raleigh-Durham News-Observer:Theo Luebke strolled the plaza outside Duke's Bryan Center on Thursday afternoon with a bucketful of apples and a tale of woe.'Come on! Everyone's in this together! Get your apples!' he exhorted students passing by during the lunchtime rush. 'With all the cuts we have around here and all the bonuses we have to give to the big guys, we need to raise all the money we can.'Luebke isn't really the Depression-era fruit peddler his costume suggested. Luebke and a couple of other Duke divinity students hawked apples, ostensibly to raise mo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233133 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:58:00 +0100 4233133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225185&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Facademic-medical-center-crime-wave.html Every large group or organization has a few bad apples.  My web searches constantly turn up stories of individuals working in health care who behave unethically or commit crimes.  I do not generally discuss these cases on Health Care Renewal, since they seem unavoidable, and their sporadic appearance does not necessarily have anything to do with systemic problems in health care.However, in the last week, I noted four cases of rather exceptionally bad behavior by individuals working in large hospital systems, and the severity and proximity of these cases made me wonder if they reflect some new trend.Pennsylvania State University Faculty Member Charged with RapeAs reported by PennLive.com,Former Derry Township, Dauphin County, doctor Dr. Robert L. Yarwood stands accused of using hi... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225185 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:16:00 +0100 4225185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219700&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Famerican-medical-schools-are-only-in-it.html We recently discussed the plight of young medical faculty.  It appears that their plight is even worse than we imagined.Last month, an abstract was presented at the Annual  Conference on Research in Medical Education at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges, in a session entitled "Your Career is More than Your Specialty."  The citation would be: Pololi L, Ash A, Krupat E.  Faculty Values in the Culture of Academic Medicine: Findings of a National Faculty Survey.The authors described a large survey, of over 5000 faculty at 26 US nationally representative medical schools, done as part of the National Initiative on Gender, Culture, and Leadership in Medicine (known as C ‐ Change) project.  The overall response ra... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219700 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:28:00 +0100 4219700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214036&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fconfidentiality-clause-or-oath-of.html The advancement of modern scientific medicine depends on the search for and dissemination of truth. Academic medicine, like the rest of academia, ought to be based on openness, transparency, and academic freedom. The 1940 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure opened with:The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Yet we have written about dark clouds of secrecy spreading over medicine and health care. The increasingly powerful leaders of health care increasingly use opacity and secrecy to keep what they are doing out of the public eye. We have frequently discussed the anechoic effect, how it is just not done to discuss certain topics, particularly those related to the adverse effects ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214036 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:27:00 +0100 4214036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214192&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-november-30-2010%2F I caught the movie Love and Other Drugs over the weekend. Did you see it? I have to say it surprised me by it’s uncharacteristically non-romantic romantic comedy. Although it was funny and about love, it broached the topic in such a poignant and refreshing way, I was taken aback. There was something Jake Gyllenhaal’s character Jamie said towards the end of the movie that really stuck with me. He said that in a parallel universe the two of them would be healthy and perfect and would worry about superficial things like feeling guilty about hiring someone to clean their house. (Not to spoil it for you if you haven’t seen the movie, but it is mentioned in the movie’s description that one of them is ill.) Yet, he said he would rather be the couple they were now. As I get... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214192 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:27:07 +0100 4214192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200565&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-taste-of-canadian-healthcare-on-chicago%25e2%2580%2599s-south-side%2F2010.11.24 This past September, a group of medical residents at my institution began seeing primary care patients at a free clinic down the street from our tertiary academic medical center (“hospital clinic”). Far from my expectations, the care we are able to provide at our free clinic is in many ways better than our hospital clinic. Somewhat paradoxically, the experience has given me a taste of what the practice of medicine is like in single-payer healthcare systems like Canada’s. When I volunteered to start seeing patients at a nearby free clinic, I had little idea what I was signing up for. The term “free clinic” conjured up memories as a medical student in East Baltimore tending to patients at a local homeless shelter with severe frostbite or at a student-run clinic rummaging through th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200565 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:00:41 +0100 4200565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190237&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F22%2Fwhat-do-women-want%2F This study used black and white images with masculinized and feminized white British men and women. The participants had to select a face believed to fit a description of high dominance or high prestige male. Participants rated items on the man’s social and reproductive behaviors on an 11-point decile scale from 0% to 100% based on the ‘‘personality characteristics described in this passage.’’ Three items asked how attractive women would find the man for a brief sexual affair, short-term (2 month) relationship, and a long-term relationship. Participants rated the likelihood of each male exhibiting a specific behavior in 14 items developed by the first author to assess variation in risk taking and reproductive strategies. Participants were 210 students (105 male, 105 female) from... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190237 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:43:41 +0100 4190237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179286&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fwho-you-gonna-call-how-should-young.html To prepare a workshop on conflicts of interest in health care, I wrote a case of a faculty member offered a proposition that might provide a conflict of interest:Consider a health care researcher called by a commercial health care corporation's marketing department. The department representative proposes paying the researcher as a consultant to write a scholarly article on a specific policy topic of interest to the company. The implication is that the article should be favorable to the interests of the corporation in this arena. The corporation would be delighted to give the researcher editorial and staff assistance in writing the article and getting it published.Who you gonna call?The researcher is concerned that getting this consultancy might be a conflict of interest. What organization ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179286 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:17:00 +0100 4179286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179366&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fhow-not-to-use-powerpoint%2F A funny PowerPoint Presentation about PowerPoint Presentation Mistakes. Thanks BoingBoing   Related posts:How to create a Great PowerPoint Presentation PowerPoint in Education Slide:ology, the art and science of creating great presentations (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179366 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:25:38 +0100 4179366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175799&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fgratitude-among-married-couples%2F When did you lastly thank your spouse? Gratitude is an excellent booster for your relationship, it improves the other well being both psychologically as well as physically. It gives him or her more satisfaction, and activates pro-social behavior. So go and do it. An individual who expresses gratitude is not only providing a positive expression to a partner, but is also conveying an acknowledgement of, and appreciation for, the partner. Someone who is expressing gratitude to a spouse is essentially celebrating the benefits that their spouse has brought to their life, which has the potential to leave the spouse feeling understood, appreciated, and empowered to continue providing effective and appreciated support in the marriage. Meanwhile let me tell you about some recent findings of a study... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175799 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:21:25 +0100 4175799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172129&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fcan-brain-scans-tell-us-who-makes-a-good-chief-executive%2F Can we use brain scans to select SEO’s. I don’t think so, do you? So is there a chance that a recruitment industry which already uses psychometrics will now look to other techniques, including perhaps brain scanning? One headhunter is sceptical. Read more over at BBC News, interesting piece, the start of neuroeconomics. Sound like a promising rising field of science, wish I had the time to look into this.   Related posts:Brain Blogging, Forty-Seventh Edition Does Brain Training Help? 101 Fascinating Brain Blogs (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172129 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 06:32:43 +0100 4172129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167946&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaYZJk6lyp0k%2F By Mark A. CalabriaTuesday the Senate Banking Committee meets for the second time to consider the nomination of Peter Diamond to a seat on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Since Professor Diamond was first nominated, he has been awarded the Nobel prize in economics. Putting aside his academic qualifications, and his misguided views on Social Security, Professor Diamond is not qualified to be a Fed governor for one very simple reason: he is from a Federal Reserve district that already has representation on the Fed.  Paragraph 10-1 of the Federal Reserve Act requires that: In selecting the members of the Board, not more than one of whom shall be selected from any one Federal Reserve district, the President shall have due regard to a fair representation of the financial, agri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167946 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:03:14 +0100 4167946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168015&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F15%2Fnarcissism-and-academic-dishonesty%2F Academic dishonesty is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. Examples are: Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author (person, collective, organization, community or other type of author, including anonymous authors) without due acknowledgment. Fabrication: The falsification of data, information, or citations in any formal academic exercise. Deception: Providing false information to an instructor concerning a formal academic exercise—e.g., giving a false excuse for missing a deadline or falsely claiming to have submitted work. Excellence in academics is highly valued in our societies. It delivers power, status, privileges and appreciation. It could also challenge narcissists because they are depended on power a... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168015 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:36:44 +0100 4168015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151880&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F08%2Fintroducing-the-psychology-of-teenagers%2F I’m pleased to introduce The Psychology of Teenagers with Ann Naragon, Ph.D. The Psychology of Teenagers blog will be covering a wide variety of topics, all of them having to do with teens and adolescents. Topics will include: Academic concerns in middle and high school Motivation and procrastination Adolescents and relational aggression Social groups, peers and popularity Transitions in adolescence Dr. Ann Naragon received her degree in educational psychology from Temple University and specializes in adolescent development, relational aggression, and achievement motivation. You can learn more about her here and give her a warm welcome over at the new blog — The Psychology of Teenagers. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151880 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:44:08 +0100 4151880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133855&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F11%2F02%2Fmorningness-versus-eveningness%2F Interesting topic: morningness versus eveningness. My self I am a morningness person. Early to rise, get most of the work done in the morning. In colloquial terms, individuals oriented towards morning types were often labelled ‘‘Larks”, and individuals oriented towards eveningness were labelled ‘‘Owls” Morningness and eveningness is part of our chronotype. Besides heritable factors our chronotype also depends on gender, age, culture and social and environmental zeitgebers. A zeitgeber is any exogenous (external) cue that synchronizes an organism’s endogenous (internal) time-keeping system (clock) to the earth’s 24-hour light/dark cycle. The strongest zeitgeber, for both plants and animals, is light. Girls and women are more morning oriented than boys and men Morni... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133855 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 06:35:46 +0100 4133855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119105&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F10%2F27%2Fwhat-will-happen-after-resonate-in-presentations%2F I am reading a new book by Nancy Duarte: Resonate ( link to amazon.com). This is her next book after Slide:ology, the art and science of creating great presentations which a reviewed a while back. This new book is all about telling a story during your presentation. That’s the new hype in books on presentations. Wanted to review this new book but many were much faster than me. The author, Nancy Duarte blogged about one of the reviews in her blogpost: Two Years of Research, Forty-Six Words. The conclusion of that review is: The conclusions are: Don’t be too cerebral. Tell stories. Figure out what the audience cares about. Create common ground with them. Move back and forth between opposing ideas to create energy. Deliver facts but put them in context and make them shocking if possibl... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119105 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 06:15:53 +0100 4119105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098081&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Ffemale-academics-pioneers-in-science%2F Interesting video with an interview of two female scientists and how their career developed. When Carla Shatz, PhD, and Helen Blau, PhD, came to Stanford in 1978, they were two of the first women to be hired on the tenure tract for basic science faculty. Over the decades, as their professional and personal paths have diverged and converged, they have remained friends. In this video, they discuss the courses their paths have taken and reflect on the rewards and challenges of their lives as scientists. Thanks Scope, Stanford University of Medicine. Related posts:Twitter Lists of Health and Science Stanford cardiologist answers your questions on YouTube 6 Reasons why Female Doctors won’t Reach Senior Ranks (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098081 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:37:55 +0100 4098081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098082&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fthe-brain-in-our-gut%2F Did you know you have functioning neurons in your intestines — about a hundred million of them? Food scientist Heribert Watzke tells us about the “hidden brain” in our gut and the surprising things it makes us feel. Related posts:Counting is done in the parietal part of the brain Food for the Brain Does Brain Training Help? (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098082 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:28:14 +0100 4098082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013112&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fmore-tales-of-hospital-executive.html I have collected another series of stories from the wild and wacky world of health care executive compensation.  These are from three different hospitals/ hospital systems, ordered from smallest to largest.Jefferson HealthcareThis story, from Jefferson County, Washington state, came from the Peninsula Daily News:When Mike Glenn takes over the Jefferson Healthcare CEO office Oct. 4, he will be receiving $225,000 annually to run the 25-bed publicly funded hospital.And he will become the highest-paid public official in Jefferson County.Jefferson Healthcare's budget is $65 million, and it employs 360 full-time workers and about 550 part-timers.Note that the amount above is apparently salary, not total compensation, which could well be higher.Lakeland Regional Medical CenterThis story, fro... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013112 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:24:00 +0100 4013112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993828&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F09%2F-petitioners-ask-osha-to-regulate-resident-physician-work-hours.html By KATHERINE MATOS On September 2, Assistant Secretary David Michaels for Occupational Safety and Health received a petition requesting that OSHA regulate resident physician and subspecialty resident physicians. “Depending on the type of residency, physicians-in-training can work anywhere from 60... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993828 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3993828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983438&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F09%2F20%2Finternet-and-videogames-improve-reading-skills-and-visual-spatial-skills-in-children%2F Well yes, but only for those children initially low in these skills. Gender, race and income did not influence the relationship between videogaming, Internet use and academic performance in children. Computers and Internet access are available in almost all schools in the US, 87% of children between 12 and 17 use the Internet, 71% of online youth in this age group rely on the Internet for school projects, 88% of the children believe they benefit from Internet for school performance, 34% downloaded study aides from the Internet, 57% used a home computer to complete school assignments. But does the Internet and videogaming benefit academic performance in children? They studied this question in 482 youth form 20 middle schools spread throughout the southern lower peninsula of Michigan. They m... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983438 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:27:33 +0100 3983438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976542&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F09%2F17%2Four-natural-sleep-cycle%2F A short talk about our inner clock. To short for some of the commenter’s, but you can easily find more information on sleep and your inner clock In today’s world, balancing school, work, kids and more, most of us can only hope for the recommended eight hours of sleep. Examining the science behind our body’s internal clock, Jessa Gamble reveals the surprising and substantial program of rest we should be observing. Related posts:40 Facts about Sleep 6 Sleep Aids Without Pills What Shrink Rap uses for sleep medication (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976542 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:10:14 +0100 3976542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961850&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F09%2F13%2Fwhen-leaders-sacrifice-group-goals-for-the-sake-of-self-interest%2F The recent financial crisis is partly due to leaders abusing their power for self-interest. CEO’s and other leaders are responsible for the promotion and welfare of their clients and workers. Instead of wielding their power for the greater good, leaders might be tempted to use their power in self-serving ways. What makes leaders use their power not to promote the welfare of others but to use it to enhance their personal interest and to increase their power an domination? An evolutionary view on leadership: The relationship between leaders and followers reflects a social contract wherein followers trust leaders to make decisions that benefit the group and leaders agree to pursue actions that are in the group’s best interests. The prevalence of leadership throughout history and acros... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961850 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:31:03 +0100 3961850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946400&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Flogical-fallacies-in-defense-of-million.html We recently posted about the latest example of generously paid health care leaders, million dollar plus hospital CEOs in the Baltimore area (here).  Such stories are appearing more often in the media, and increasingly generating skeptical, anguished, or angry responses.  Defending Millionaire Hospital CEOsSo it should be no surprise that the defenders of rich hospital CEOs are starting to rally.  The Baltimore Sun published two letters defending the million dollar plus compensation received by many local hospital CEOs.  But what arguments they made.First, let us examine in detail  the arguments made by Carmela Coyle, "president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association."  She opened with this description of hospitals as organizations:Famed management expert... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946400 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:23:00 +0100 3946400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3938392&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F09%2F07%2Fdaydreaming%2F A daydream is a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake. Some people may devote 50% of their awake time with daydreaming. Recently a case study was published in which a 36 year old female has a long history of excessive daydreaming. As a child between 4 to 10 years of age she would spend periods of free time, sometimes several hours, walking in circles shaking a string, while imagining creative stories in which she was the central focus, i.e., ‘‘just like playing school with other kids, but in my head.” Extensive psychiatric and somatic investigations could not find anything wrong with her. Daydreaming is often associated with hypnotic susceptibility, creativity, dissociation, past trau... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3938392 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:00:13 +0100 3938392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942744&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F09%2F-and-the-best-job-in-academic-medicine-goes-to-.html By BOB WACHTER, MD With all due respect to the Pentagon, humankind has not invented a more complex organization than the modern academic medical center. The combination of high tech and high touch, the Byzantine regulations, the toxic medico-legal environment,... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942744 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3942744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929217&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjo0l_Dif__s%2F By Neal McCluskeyMatt Yglesias thinks my assertion that we would be better off economically if education money stayed with taxpayers rather than going to public schools and universities is “totally insane.” Ouch! Now, I can actually understand this, because many people have difficulty envisioning things other than what they’ve always known. But have I really gone all Crazy Eddie? If government didn’t spend taxpayer dough on education, would the poor be much worse off than they are today? Can we never over-invest in schooling because education is just so important? Does the college wage premium mean we should never ratchet down subsidies for college education? And is it at least possible that spending more and more public dough doesn’t lead to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929217 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:38:37 +0100 3929217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920789&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fmore-hospital-ceos-join-millionaires.html As we predicted, more stringent requirements by the US Internal Revenue Service for financial reporting by not-for-profit organizations, including hospitals and hospital systems, have produced an enlarging parade of revelations of obese pay packages for hospital leaders.  The latest report came out courtesy the Baltimore Sun:Baltimore-area hospital CEOs and presidents boast seven-figure salaries, club and gym memberships, and paid financial planning and tax services as part of compensation packages from their nonprofit employers.According to a survey of Baltimore-area hospitals, the highest-ranking executives were often the recipients of financial payouts and perquisites that many private-sector companies have abandoned in the face of intense public debate about excessive CEO pay. The... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920789 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:09:00 +0100 3920789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3866995&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F08%2F15%2Fthe-secret-powers-of-time%2F Found this on another blog: How Stuf Works. Found it very interesting so had to share it with you, enjoy. Related posts:Photographs Of Secret Sites The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain The Secret of Wisdom (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3866995 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 08:51:15 +0100 3866995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858156&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fyoung-doctors-who-lie%2F2010.08.11 This is something: A study published in the July 20, 2010 Annals of Internal Medicine finds that 5 percent of residency applications contain plagiarized content. The study from Boston’s Brigham & Woman’s Hospital is based on the personal statements of nearly 5,000 residency applicants that were matched against a database of published content. The authors comment that the study is limited, among other things, by the fact that it was done in just one institution. It makes me wonder if the number is artificially high or potentially too low. So why would medical students lie? (more…) *This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858156 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:00:14 +0100 3858156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805818&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpre-med-vs-liberal-arts-dont-know-much-biology%2F2010.07.30 Study painting, drama or the “soft” social sciences and you’ll probably be a pretty good doctor anyway. Mt. Sinai School of Medicine has been doing it for years and compared students in a special liberal arts admissions program to its traditional pre-med students. For years, Mt. Sinai has admitted students from Amherst, Brandeis, Princeton, Wesleyan, and Williams colleges based on a written application with personal essays, verbal and math SAT scores, high school and college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. No MCAT is required. Students need to take one year of biology and one year of chemistry and maintain (swallow hard) a “B” average. They later get an abbreviated course in organic chemistry and medical physics. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805818 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:17:36 +0100 3805818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802342&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fhospital-ceo-as-debt-collector.html Last year we noted that the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) required more detailed reporting starting in 2009 by US not-for-profit organizations. Many US health insurance companies/ managed care organizations, most hospitals, nearly all medical associations, nearly all disease advocacy organizations, all health care charities, and nearly all medical schools are not-for-profit organizations. We suggested then that this reporting might lead to more transparency about the leadership and governance of these organizations.  The 2009 990 forms seem to be trickling into public view, sometimes leading to some striking disclosures about how US not-for-profit health care organizations are lead.The California Watch blog just reported about the interesting part-time job of a hospital CEO:The fo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802342 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:17:00 +0100 3802342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790766&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F27%2Fconversations-on-consciousness%2F This is the trailer of the film: Just Trial and Error. In an attempt to understand consciousness, filmmaker Alex Gabbay invites sculptor Antony Gormley, eminent neuroscientists Prof Brian Butterworth and Dr Beau Lotto and internet entrepreneur Twain Luu – whose study of the ‘global brain’ makes fascinating reading – to explore its meaning and how it affects their area of work. Structured in a non-linear way, the four protagonists present insights on the human brain, global consciousness, the role of the internet, perception, the space art occupies, etc. While the subjects weave in and out of each other to create the arguments, each interviewee has his or her own narrative arc. Related posts:The Neuroscience of Interpersonal Space 6 Human Anatomy Sites Scientia P... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790766 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:42:13 +0100 3790766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786172&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2Fwhen-ideas-have-sex%2F Excellent talk, humorous. Sex in biological evolution author Matt Ridley shows how, throughout history, the engine of human progress has been the meeting and mating of ideas to make new ideas. It’s not important how clever individuals are, he says; what really matters is how smart the collective brain is. Related posts:Video on Ideas for coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder Neuroanthropology Wednesday Round Up #82 Evolution of Life in 60 Seconds (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786172 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:12:59 +0100 3786172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786130&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-reliable-is-health-information-on-the-web%2F2010.07.24 Recently some Science-Based Medicine (SBM) colleagues (David Gorski, Kimball Atwood, Harriet Hall, Rachel Dunlop) and I gave two workshops on how to find reliable health information on the Web. As part of my research for this talk I came across this recent and interesting study that I would like to expand upon further: Quality and Content of Internet-Based Information for Ten Common Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Diagnoses. The fact that the article focuses on orthopedic diagnoses is probably not relevant to the point of the article itself, which was to assess the accuracy of health information on the Web. They looked at 10 orthopedic diagnoses and searched on them using Google and Yahoo, and then chose the top results. They ultimately evaluated 154 different sites with multiple reviewers fo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786130 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:00:13 +0100 3786130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784323&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F24%2Fa-headset-that-reads-your-brainwaves%2F Amazing stuff, reading the mind with EEG? Tan Le’s astonishing new computer interface reads its user’s brainwaves, making it possible to control virtual objects, and even physical electronics, with mere thoughts (and a little concentration). She demos the headset, and talks about its far-reaching applications Related posts:Human Computer Interfaces Better Matched to our Brains and Body (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784323 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:07:58 +0100 3784323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784392&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fresearch-bytes-7-23-10-psychology-and.html Gottfredson, L. S. (2010). Lessons in academic freedom as lived experience. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(4), 272-280.What is academic freedom, what guarantees it, and what would you do if your university violated yours? Few of us academics entertain these questions or ponder possible answers. This leaves us individually and collectively vulnerable to encroachments on our right to free and open inquiry. I use a case study from 1989–1994 to illustrate how violations of academic freedom develop, the typical pretexts used to justify them, and what is required to halt and reverse them. My aim is to help scholars recognize when academic freedom is at risk and how better to safeguard it in daily academic life. To this end, I describe the general social mechanisms that operate both... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784392 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:58:00 +0100 3784392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743576&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F11%2Fmedlibs-round-2-6-is-up-at-laikas-medliblog%2F This months edition of MedLib’s Round, a blog carnival of “excellent blog posts in the field of medical information” is about Peer Review, Impact Factors & Conflict of Interest, Social Media, Blogs & Web 2.0 tools and Electronic Health Records and the clinical librarian. Nice read on Laika’s MedLibLog Related posts:MedLib’s Round First Edition Finding Credible Health Information Online: MedLibs Round 1.8 MedLib’s Round 1.5: the best of medical librarianship (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743576 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:32:43 +0100 3743576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726653&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F06%2Funder-representation-of-women-in-academic-bioscience%2F Although 50% of women receive graduate degrees in biology in the US only 27% of faculty members is female. In Europe conditions are far worse on academic careers for women, especially in the medical academic workforce. Only 1 in 10 medical clinical professors are women in the United Kingdom (UK). No female professor was employed in 6 medical schools. The newer medical schools had a better gender balance than some of the more established schools. For the lower ranks in medical academia these numbers are somewhat higher but still much lower than for men. In FTEs lecturers in 2005: 36% were women, senior lecturers and readers: 25% were women. In 2005 there were a total of 3365 clinical academics, of whom 21% were women. ADVANCE grants, a program at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726653 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:35:49 +0100 3726653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3724488&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F04%2Fa-3d-atlas-of-the-universe%2F For the last 12 years, Carter Emmart has been coordinating the efforts of scientists, artists and programmers to build a complete 3D visualization of our known universe. He demos this stunning tour and explains how it’s being shared with facilities around the world. Related posts:Sharing the Love for the Universe Photos of The Universe in 3D Dr Shock went Ice Skating (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3724488 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:37:16 +0100 3724488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699453&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fprofessional-integrity-for-sale-sure.html Some chiropractors also practice homeopathy. According to Frank King, D.C., many more should be doing just that:Homeopathy is an energetic form of natural medicine that corrects nerve interferences, absent nerve reflexes, and pathological nerve response patterns that the chiropractic adjustment alone does not correct. The appropriate homeopathic remedies will eliminate aberrant nerve reflexes and pathological nerve responses which cause recurrent subluxation complexes.Not only does homeopathy correct nerve interferences, it empowers the doctor of chiropractic to reach the entire nervous system. What this means is that we can now better affect the whole person, and all of the maladies that affect us. Homeopathy’s energetic approach reaches deep within the nervous system, correcting nerve ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699453 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:35:00 +0100 3699453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617914&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F06%2F01%2Fbring-on-the-learning-revolution%2F Took me sometime to appreciate this talk but when having enough time and listening and watching this talk I find it very interesting. Besides interesting it’s also funny and I now understand why my son doesn’t wear a watch. It’s mostly about personalized learning. Personalized Learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning support to meet the needs and aspirations of individual learners. Personalization differs from differentiation in that it affords the learner a degree of choice about what is learned, when it is learned and how it is learned. This does not mean unlimited choice, since learners will still have targets to be met. However, it gives learners the opportunity to learn in ways that suit their individual learning styles. In this poignant, funny ... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617914 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 06:43:09 +0100 3617914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592280&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F24%2Fhow-to-design-the-ultimate-tedtalk-with-statistics%2F Sebastian Wernicke turns the tools of statistical analysis on TEDTalks, to come up with a metric for creating “the optimum TEDTalk” based on user ratings. How do you rate it? Readers may have noticed I’m a fan of most of the TEDTalks especially those about science in it’s broad sense and as far as these talks cover topics of interests to me. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TEDTalks covers topics as science, business, evelopment and the arts Related posts:The Extreme Presentation Method: Advanced Presentations by Design The Minds of Autism Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592280 Mon, 24 May 2010 06:48:55 +0100 3592280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3590394&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F23%2Fnew-images-of-the-sun%2F Very detailed images of the sun. Related posts:Neuro Images The Year’s Most Amazing Scientific Images Students capture stunning images of Earth (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3590394 Sun, 23 May 2010 06:48:12 +0100 3590394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549388&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F10%2Feverything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-body-piercings%2F Do you have a body piercing somewhere? Do you like body piercings? I know of some colleagues who change their hair, the color or size when switching jobs. There’s even a Dutch psychiatrist who thinks that rigorous change of hair style predicts the onset of schizophrenia. More recent is the publication of a review on body piercing and psychopathology. This systematic review discusses 23 studies on body piercing and psychopathology. Prevalence of body piercings is 6,8% to14% in the general population Among adolescents prevalence is reported between 4,3% and 51% Females are more likely to display body piercings than males The highest rate of body piercings is in the age group of 14-24 years of age Having body piercings is associated with high risk behavior such as alcohol use, smoking ... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549388 Mon, 10 May 2010 06:12:44 +0100 3549388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546908&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F09%2Fhow-great-leaders-inspire-action%2F Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers — and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling. Related posts:Dual Action not Better Than Mono Action Antidepressants Biomimicry In Action Love is Great for Creativity, Sex for Analytical Thinking (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546908 Sun, 09 May 2010 08:12:11 +0100 3546908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542679&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Fsharing-the-love-for-the-universe%2F Growing up in New York City, Neil didn’t get to see much of the night sky — it’s lost in the 24-hour glow of neon signs and skyscrapers. When he was nine, his parents took him to the Hayden Planetarium at the Natural History Museum. When the lights dimmed and the voice-over thundered “We Are Now in the Universe,” the experience hit Neil like an asteroid. It was as if the universe was calling him. And after walking dogs every day to save up for a telescope, he has been answering ever since. See Neil deGrasse Tyson’s homepage or his office with all kinds of fun stuff here Related posts:Photos of The Universe in 3D Love is Great for Creativity, Sex for Analytical Thinking The Brain in Love (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542679 Fri, 07 May 2010 06:44:59 +0100 3542679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538194&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F06%2Ftourists-2-0-web-2-0-in-travel-and-tourism%2F When I am traveling the planning mostly is done behind my computer these days. Computers in Human Behavior has a new special issue coming up about studies on the impact of web 2.0 and how these web 2.0 tools change the profile, the role and behavior of tourists. Examples of applications in web 2.0 and tourism are: tripadvisor.com (a customer review website) is currently regarded as a major travel intermediary online social networks such as facebook.com are frequently used for developing and promoting the services of many destinations and tourism suppliers and/or for enabling travelers to get support and travel advice from each other social networks such as youtube.com and flickr.com have become major mass (social) media for disseminating and testing tourism market campaigns as well as col... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538194 Thu, 06 May 2010 06:29:19 +0100 3538194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533926&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F04%2Fscientia-pro-publica-28-is-up-at-mauka-to-makai%2F This blog carnival collects together the best non-technical science writing that has appeared around the blogosphere in the last few months, to promote and celebrate science, nature or medicine blogs written for the public. It’s up at Mauka to Makai Related posts:Scientia Pro Publica 24 is up Scientia Pro Publica #14 is up at Genetic Inference Scientia Pro Publica 9 (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533926 Tue, 04 May 2010 20:07:00 +0100 3533926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526741&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgo-to-a-famous-hospital-get-better-care%2F2010.05.03 Hospital rankings matter. Specifically, those published in the U.S. News & World Report carry additional weight. Hospitals use these numbers in advertising campaigns, and patients often choose hospitals based on these rankings. But does a high place really mean you’re getting better care? Not necessarily. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526741 Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:24 +0100 3526741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519409&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Finvestigations-indictments-and-guilty.html Some of the US most prestigious academic medical centers have been receiving unusual scrutiny lately.Mount Sinai Medical Center and New York - Presbyterian Hospital.As reported first by the Wall Street Journal,Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that bid rigging and fraud at Mount Sinai Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital resulted in the hospitals awarding contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to outside contractors.Purchasing officials at the hospitals, two of the city's largest and most prestigious, are alleged to have gotten more than a million dollars in payments from companies that were then given lucrative contracts to perform work such as re-insulating pipes and removing asbestos, according to documents filed in the Southern District of New York. Ni... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519409 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:29:00 +0100 3519409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515442&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F29%2Fmental-health-care-at-harvard%2F This article is also remarkable because, in part, of the frankness displayed by a senior staff member at Harvard University. John D. “Jay” Ellison is the secretary of the Harvard Administration Board, the committee setup to review students who want to return to the school after taking a leave of absence. “If we have a case where a student is considered capable of coming back, but can’t resume full studies, we hesitate.” said Ellison. “Harvard is an academic institution, not a mental institution or a halfway house.” [...] “This may sound cold, but my job is not to care about the specific circumstances of a student’s case,” Ellison said. “I need to know what their requirements were, and if they complied.” Cold? Nah, you merely sound like a bureaucratic robot. Sugges... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515442 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:39:31 +0100 3515442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508267&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F27%2Fautobiographical-odor-memory%2F Everyone has experienced the recollection of memories by some smell or odor. Sometimes these memories have to be fetched from a long long time ago not without difficulty. Often smelling something nice makes me wonder of what it reminds me off. But is this also evidence based or just sentimental crap? According to a recent review not all of this is just nonsense. This review especially interested me due to it’s creative use of research design and theories about memory. Autobiographical memory across the life span can be divided into intervals across the life span. Over all the age distribution of memories evoked by verbal information is divided in the following phases: childhood amnesia, the bump, and recency or forgetting. Childhood amnesia is why we can’t remember almost anyth... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508267 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:11:26 +0100 3508267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504972&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F26%2Fdoes-brain-training-help%2F Brain-training computer games are a multimillion pound industry. But this week, a study published in Nature suggests they may not live up to their promise. Neuroscientist Adrian Owen teamed up with the BBC popular science programme ‘Bang Goes The Theory’ to recruit more than 11,000 volunteers for a massive online experiment. To read the story in full, go here Besides getting better at the game your training does brain training improve cognitive functioning? Want to know, have a look at this video. Related posts:Brain Training for Elderly Better On Paper or Computer? 10 myths about training your brain demistified Video Games Affect The Brain, Good or Bad? (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504972 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:55:09 +0100 3504972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494265&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Ffailed-leaders-of-citigroup-as-leaders.html When we began this blog, I never dreamed I would do so much writing about finance and the financial services sector of the economy, but,...  The Governance of CitigroupThe discussions and revelations generated by the global financial collapse/ great recession continue to provide insights into the ongoing health care crisis.  Let me start with a small item from the Dow Jones Newswire this week:The California Public Employees' Retirement System said it opposes the re-election of two Citigroup Inc. (C) directors, in part because of their roles in the recent financial crisis. The nation's largest public pension fund, which owns about 61.2 million Citigroup shares, plans to cast 'withhold' votes for board nominees Andrew Liveris, chairman and chief executive of Dow Chemical Co. (... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494265 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:30:00 +0100 3494265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487152&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F20%2Fis-memory-for-music-special%2F Unfortunately not. After reviewing the literature the author of the review: Is Memory for Music Special, hesitantly had to admit that memory for music is not special. Popular music is not better remembered than other kinds of stimuli learned in young adult hood. Setting text or lists to music is not a better way to remember them. Music is not a better Mnemonic device. Music is not processed differently from other kinds of stimuli and as such is not better remembered than language processing or visual cues. Memory theories can be applied to both musical stimuli and nonmusical stimuli. However,music does facilitate semantic memory in patients with dementia and in healthy older adults and this effect, although small in magnitude, is not limited to familiar melodies. The author nevertheless ke... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487152 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:55:44 +0100 3487152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479779&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FKnK9-Tih--g%2F We have received 40 excellent entries to the inaugural Brain Fitness Innovation Awards describing pioneering initiatives to apply neuroplasticity-based findings and tools to a variety of purposes/ age groups through the lifespan: academic performance, sports performance, professional performance, healthy aging, clinical and mental health purposes. Most came from organizations based in North America, but we were glad to see also a good number coming from Europe and Asia Pacific. More information here: Brain Fitness Innovation Awards. Winners will be announced on May 24th at the State of Brain Fitness Innovation Webinar. Registration ($25) is open now, and participants with also be able to access the Executive Summary of our 2010 market report, and the LinkedIn private group SharpBrains Netw... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479779 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:27:26 +0100 3479779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471737&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwamu-worry-more-overlaps-between.html Investigations of the failures of major US financial corporations during the global financial meltdown continue to paint a picture of bad leadership.  The latest failed corporation to get public attention was Washington Mutual (WaMu).  As described by the Los Angeles Times, Before Washington Mutual collapsed in the largest bank failure in U.S. history, its executives knowingly created a 'mortgage time bomb' by making subprime loans they knew were likely to go bad and then packaging them into risky securities, a congressional investigation has found.In some cases, the bank took loans in which it had discovered fraudulent activity -- such as misstated income by borrowers -- and rolled them into mortgage securities sold to investors without disclosing the fraud, according to the rep... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471737 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:44:00 +0100 3471737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467833&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F14%2Findividual-differences-in-empathy%2F Empathy or the ability to appreciate someone else’s emotions and express this emotional awareness is a capacity that differs amongst individuals. Cognitive empathy refers to imaginatively understanding another person’s thoughts, feelings and actions. Emotional empathy is feeling the emotion of another person, but maintaining a compassionate, other-focused perspective Cognitive empathy can be tested with facial expression recognition. High scores on empathy is associated with higher accuracy at brief exposure of six different emotional expressions presented in 42 pictures during 50 milliseconds each picture. When these facial expressions of 6 different emotions were shown for a longer duration the social skills was significantly related to accuracy instead of the empathy score. Diff... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467833 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:40:32 +0100 3467833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460230&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F12%2Fscientia-pro-publica-24-is-up%2F This blog carnival collects together the best non-technical science writing that has appeared around the blogosphere in the last few months, to promote and celebrate science, nature or medicine blogs written for the public. It’s up at 360 Degree Skeptic Related posts:Scientia Pro Publica #14 is up at Genetic Inference Scientia Pro Publica 9 Scientia Pro Publica is up at Lab Rat (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460230 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:12:09 +0100 3460230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424925&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F31%2Fthe-magic-of-the-placebo%2F Another interesting talk about placebo, the placebo effect clearly explained with a magic trick Sugar pills, injections of nothing — studies show that, more often than you’d expect, placebos really work. At TEDMED, magician Eric Mead does a trick to prove that, even when you know something’s not real, you can still react as powerfully as if it is. (Warning: This talk is not suitable for viewers who are disturbed by needles or blood.) Related posts:The Placebo Effect Explained in a video The placebo effect, dopamine and reward 7 Reasons for placebo controlled trials in depression (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424925 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:17:47 +0100 3424925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420441&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4XM3Iy_0f0M%2F By Neal McCluskeyCongratulations Delaware and Tennessee — you’ve won the Race to the Top beauty contest! Of course, the grading was subjective and will be disputed by lots of states that haven’t won. Well, haven’t won yet — there’s a second round to this, remember. So what do the victories for Delaware and Tennessee mean? The edu-pundits will no doubt be reading deep into the results over the coming days, trying to determine what they portend for the future of RttT, federal education policy generally, and politicians across the country.  And there are some juicy political leads worth following, including the possibility that the winning states were chosen because they have Republican congress members who could be pivotal in getting bipartisan support for the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420441 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:58:47 +0100 3420441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398864&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fmembers-of-board-of-now-bankrupt-lehman.html In our own Providence Journal, Michael Hiltzik commented about the Valukas report on the fall of the once proud Lehman Brothers.  He asserted that one of the lessons learned from the case is the "folly of relying on self-discipline and self-regulation in the financial markets," particularly given the irresponsibility of the top leaders of financial corporations. In particular, I’d love to hear an argument for allowing any of Lehman’s independent directors, who seem seldom to have asked a penetrating question, ever to serve on a corporate board again.As I write, those 10 directors, who pulled down better than $100,000 cash a year to sit jointly in the driver’s seat for Lehman’s race to disaster, still boast at least 15 company directorships among them. Does this make ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398864 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:41:00 +0100 3398864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3386924&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F21%2Fnature-by-numbers%2F A short movie inspired on numbers, geometry and nature, by Cristóbal Vila. Go to www.etereaestudios.com if you are looking for more information: the theory behind the movie, stills and screenshots showing the work in progress. Related posts:Pi-Day and Irrational Numbers Nature Video of David Attenborough on Darwin Putting Numbers into Images (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3386924 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 07:34:40 +0100 3386924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378562&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F18%2Fmy-blog-is-carbon-neutral%2F They’ve calculated that a blog with 15,000 visits a month has a yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 8lb. To neutralise these emissions they have created “My blog is carbon neutral” buttons so bloggers can demonstrate that they care about the environment and the carbon footprint of their blogs. They’ve found a solution to make blogs carbon neutral and contribute to environmental issues as a blogger. How? They plant trees in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California for our project to neutralize the carbon footprint of blogs. Someone checked this claim with the Arbor Day Foundation, you can read it here: Recycle Bill. From their email: Thousands of wildfires burned down many national forests over the past ten years and... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378562 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:18:05 +0100 3378562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370400&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9MDjQ3CZOvo%2F By David BoazRelated to my post below on whether last-second shots with time expiring, while good for basketball, might be bad for governance, Steven Horwitz offers a compelling hypothetical in academic governance at Coordination Problem: …Nonetheless, the leadership insists this curriculum change is crucially important to the future of the institution and if only the Faculty Senate would pass it and put it in place, the faculty and students would then realize just how good it is.  In fact, the faculty leadership, working with the clear approval of the president and VPAA, are now scouring Roberts Rules of Order to find a series of sure-to-be controversial parliamentary maneuvers to get the Faculty Senate to approve the new curriculum without it ever going to the full faculty, and p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370400 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:51:48 +0100 3370400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354378&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F11%2Fresearchers-discover-kids-dont-like-homework%2F Our friends over at the Association for Psychological Science made sure that a new study about video games would get out (because, you know, it’s about video games and kids, and that always seems to get people’s attention), so we took a look and published a news story earlier today about the study. This, however, is an example of a fairly silly study that provides little additional insight into the impact video games may have in a child’s world. The researchers compared two groups of boys ages 6-9 — those who received a video game system for the first time in their lives, and those who got none. They found that the boys who got a video game system, unsurprisingly, had lower reading and writing scores at the end of the 4 months study compared to the boys who had no v... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354378 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:31:49 +0100 3354378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354400&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F11%2Fchart-wars%2F Good discussion about the use of graphics and charts in presentations, thanks Extreme Presentation. No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354400 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:42:55 +0100 3354400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350352&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F10%2Fskinput-a-touchscreen-on-your-arm-and-hand%2F We present Skinput, a technology that appropriates the human body for acoustic transmission, allowing the skin to be used as a finger input surface. In particular, we resolve the location of finger taps on the arm and hand by analyzing mechanical vibrations that propagate through the body. We collect these signals using a novel array of sensors worn as an armband. This approach provides an always-available, naturally-portable, and on-body interactive surface. To illustrate the potential of our approach, we developed several proof-of-concept applications on top of our sensing and classification system. No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350352 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:35:34 +0100 3350352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350258&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUbaWkbQpyek%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonDiane Ravitch is a leading education historian. Her work in that field is characteristically thorough and well-researched, and her books The Troubled Crusade and The Great School Wars, in particular, made significant contributions to our understanding of U.S. education history. On the presumption that Ravitch is as much an expert on policy as she is on history, her latest book, recounting her change of heart on certain policy questions, has garnered enormous media attention. I suggest, with all due respect, that this presumption is a mistake. Unlike her thorough and rigorous historical writing, Ravitch’s policy opinions were never grounded in a systematic and comprehensive review of the relevant evidence. They should never have been given credence in the first place. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350258 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:41:51 +0100 3350258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346523&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F03%2F09%2Fpersonality-and-retirement%2F Who retires gracefully, who adjusts to retirement easily and who doesn’t. Which personality traits play a part in successful retirement? The five factor model of personality or the Big Five can be used to see how personality traits are linked to how people adjust to retirement. It has been done in the past for other life transitions. The researchers not only used the Big Five but also the Satisfaction with Life Scale and questionnaires devised to measure reasons for retirement and the quality of experiences in retirement. These questionnaires were all part of an online survey on which 365 individuals responded, of whom 86 were close to retirement and 279 were already retired. From this research extraversion was found to relate to life satisfaction while still at work but not during r... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346523 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:15:46 +0100 3346523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298461&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FF2DhcXaUKsY%2F Here you have the February edition of our monthlyeNewsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, using the box in the right column. The recent SharpBrains Summit witnessed the convergence of Benjamin Franklin’s words (”Man is a Tool-Making Animal”)  with neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal’s  (”Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain.”) The neuroplasticity revolution that may well transform education, training, healthcare, aging, is under way. New Tools Will the Apple iPad Be Good for your Brain: Prof. Luc Beaudoin lays out key criteria to assess Apple iPad’s potential value for our cognitive fitness, and judges the iPad aga... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298461 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:24:23 +0100 3298461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272967&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F15%2Fwomen-online-shopping-shop-till-you-drop%2F Personally I like online shopping mainly because it’s easy, fast and convenient, you can shop when you want to anywhere you want to. There’s a gender gap in online shopping. More men than women engage in online shopping and make online purchases while in the offline world women love to shop. Until recent very few studies were done on gender differences in online shopping and gender differences in online shopping attitude. From recent research we learn that online shopping is not as attractive or appealing to women as it is towards men. Women have more positive attitude towards conventional shopping than online shopping. Men’s attitude doesn’t differ between online of conventional shopping. On the cognitive level which is the most important in the attitude of women... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272967 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 07:44:00 +0100 3272967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248701&cid=t_126181_150_f&fid=36939&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscientific-misconduct.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpetition-academic-bullying.html I'm taking a break while sorting out a few other things. However this seems a worthwhile petition to 10 Downing Street.The case referred to in the petition appears to be that of Dr. Howard Fredrics, formerly of Kingston University. The case of Howard Fredrics is an important one - most especially so to writers who seek to call the leadership of academic institutions to account for their actions.We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to instigate an open enquiry into allegations of workplace bullying / harassment in institutions of higher education and concerns about the way the judicial system has dealt with complaints about such bullying and with those who protest (publicly or otherwise) about wrongdoing by their employers; the enquiry to be conducted with a view to addressing iss... Scientific Misconduct Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248701 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:08:00 +0100 3248701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239618&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F04%2Fsuper-bowl-sunday-domestic-violence-your-health%2F It’s that time again… When Super Bowl Sunday dominates the U.S. headlines, and people plan their Sunday evenings around a get-together, party, or the game. It’s also a good time to look at two stories related to Super Bowl Sunday. The first is the largely debunked myth that domestic violence calls spike around Super Bowl Sunday and other drinking holidays of the year (like New Year’s). Snopes originally tracked down the myth and showed it to be nothing more than another urban legend. Since their last update on the myth in 2005, however (and our article 4 years ago), there’s been further research examining the myth. A 2007 study by Oths & Robertson examined 2,387 crisis call records covering a previous 3-year period. They supplemented the call records with... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239618 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:53:23 +0100 3239618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239638&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F04%2Fwhat-to-do-with-business-cards-in-this-digital-era%2F Business cards are still around, I get them often, they’re nice and they do have advantages as can be read on geek!daily: they’re customizable, trivial to distribute, and cards are static. Digital alternatives like Poken and My Name is E don’t seem to have enough success, only nerds and geeks not your average academic or business man has any of them. There are alsoother ways to use the internet to create, share and use your business card, but again not in much use by doctors, scientists and academics. I often ask myself how to get a grip on these business cards of which the social calling cards like moo cards were a recent hit. Several different options exist for digitalizing your paper business cards or social calling cards: You can get a business card scanner. They are... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239638 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:10:29 +0100 3239638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235914&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F03%2Fpresentationzen-design-book-review%2F PresentationZen Design the new book about principles and techniques for presentations by Garr Reynolds is a follow up from Presentation Zen reviewed in a previous post on this blog. This book is more practical, not a step by step instructions but it has many good examples and offers good advice. For instance which fonts to use, between all those fonts on your computer about 6-8 will do the trick. It boils down to 6-8 fonts and your all set. Instructions how to use Kuler for generating a color theme. How to communicate with color but also how to acquire good colors for your presentation based on the content and message you want to get across. How to use images and especially videos during presentations. The book is full of very useful and new examples, tricks and advice. The chapter on pre... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235914 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:26:33 +0100 3235914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227860&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F01%2Fwhat-humor-style-do-you-have%2F Did you know there is a sense of humor questionnaire? It’s called the Humor Styles Questionnaire and distinguishes between four styles of humor. Affiliative, use of humor to amuse others and facilitate relationships Self enhancing, use of humor to cope with stress and maintain a humorous outlook during times of difficulty Aggressive, use of sarcastic, manipulative, put-down, or disparaging humor Self-defeating, use of humor for excessive self-disparagement, ingratiation, or defensive denial The first two positive styles are negatively correlated with anxiety and depression and positively correlated with self-esteem, extraversion, openness and agreeableness. The last two are negatively correlated with agreeableness and conscientiousness and positively correlated with neuroticism, ho... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227860 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:33:40 +0100 3227860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216663&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F28%2Fthe-formula-for-life%2F Where you live: It impacts your health as much as diet and genes do, but it’s not part of your medical records. Bill Davenhall shows how overlooked government geo-data (from local heart-attack rates to toxic dumpsite info) can mesh with mobile GPS apps to keep doctors in the loop. Call it “geo-medicine.” Related posts:Charles Darwin And The Tree Of Life BBC’s Darwin season featured ‘Charles Darwin and the Tree... Evolution of Life in 60 Seconds The Evolution of Life in 60 Seconds is an... Google Apps Tricks If your like me, having 5 e-mail accounts, a... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216663 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:03:53 +0100 3216663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216640&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Fadhd-and-mixed-handedness-college-treatment%2F It’s been a rough week for kids and young adults with ADHD — attention deficit disorder. Attention deficit disorder is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Someone with ADHD has a hard time focusing and concentrating on work or school work, often finds it difficult to sit still and concentrate in meetings or classes, and will often act in an impulsive manner that they later regret. It’s estimated that between 3 to 9 percent of school-aged children and young people suffer from ADHD. First came news on Monday that a significant portion of college campuses’ health services do not offer a way for their students to be treated for ADHD with medication. Attention deficit disorder can be treated successfully a number of different ways, of course, a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216640 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:43:13 +0100 3216640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208467&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F26%2Fprezi-a-new-way-of-presenting%2F If you have to present a conference room presentation but people expect a slideshow or you just don’t want to loose the beamer and the feel of presenting, you can use Prezi. Conference room presentation is a presentation for small groups like presenting a study design, case presentation, results from a study but also if you want to persuade, sell to, or change behavior of a smaller group you will need a conference room style presentation. Usually in a conference room presentation printed slides with lots of detail are more adequate. You can talk your audience through the printed sheet. Prezi is zooming sketches on a digital paper. You can jump and zoom in and out. In Prezi, your presentation is one, very large canvas, and you tell your story by panning around it and zooming in and o... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208467 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:47:38 +0100 3208467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3205114&cid=t_126181_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F77NYriYG8sU%2F An unusual joint hearing of two committees in the Minnesota legislature - the Commerce and Labor and the Business, Industry and Jobs committees - will take place today to debate three bills designed to improve doctors’ prescribing skills, reduce the influence of pharmaceutical companies and perhaps reduce overall drug spending by consumers. The undertaking pits a recently formed advocacy group, the Minnesota Prescription Coalition, which favors evidence-based prescribing, fewer conflicts of interest issues in medical field, and reduced spending on prescription drugs, against an array of drugmakers and doctors, including some from the Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators, who claim their relationship with industry results in better patient care. The proposed bills would s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3205114 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:31:31 +0100 3205114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189218&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2Fhow-to-break-the-world-breath-holding-record%2F an amazing, highly personal talk from magician David Blaine describing what he went through in order to break the world breath-holding record. It will change your concept of what a human body is capable of Video from TEDMED 2009, TED’s medicine-themed conference, are finally starting to be released on the Web. Related posts:“Stand By Me” by Musicans from around the World The Playing For Change project made this film of... How A Virus Invades Your Body When you get the flu, viruses turn your cells... Street Art with end of the world perspective See the making of in the video above: Edgar... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189218 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:47:37 +0100 3189218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189127&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEF95PnA1WaE%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday’s the day that states must submit their applications to the U.S. Department of Education to compete for round-one “Race to the Top” grants. But no worries if your state’s a little behind: Not only will there be another application round for the $4.35-billion dash-for-cash, but as President Obama announced today, he wants a $1.35-billion sequel to what was supposed to be a one-time, stimulus-funded contest. The important question, of course, is whether sponsoring this race is worthwhile for federal taxpayers. The clear answer is no. Sure, in response to RttT states have been raising charter-school caps, allowing teachers to be evaluated using student performance, and instituting other changes, but they’ve done little of rea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189127 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:59:06 +0100 3189127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189219&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F19%2Fresearch-blogging-awards-2010%2F Seed Media Group’s Research Blogging Awards honor the outstanding bloggers who discuss peer-reviewed research. With nearly 1,000 blogs registered at ResearchBlogging.org and 8,500 posts about peer-reviewed journal articles collected, it is time to recognize the best of the best. Any blog that discusses peer-reviewed research is eligible for nomination, and the winners will be determined by votes from their peers in the Research Blogging community. All finalists will be highlighted on ResearchBlogging.org, and winners will receive cash prizes totaling $2000. Nominate youryour favorite science blog. Voting will be open from February 25 to March 11, 2010. Related posts:Researchblogging.org, the interview Dave Munger (left) and Research Blogging advisory team member... Cancer Research Blo... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189219 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:33:12 +0100 3189219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171880&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKvR1Gg2EWpM%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonHHS has finally released the second installment of its series of studies on the persistence of Head Start effects. Its finding (see page xiv): virtually all academic effects disappear by the end of 1st grade. There is only one positive statistically significant finding out of eleven academic outcomes measured, the size of that effect is minuscule by recognized standards (it’s half way between zero and what most social scientists consider “small”), and the confidence in the finding is low by recognized standards. (Many authors would categorize it as “insignificant” rather than “significant” — it’s only significant at a 90% confidence interval, not the more common 95% confidence interval). We have spent more than $100 billion on the p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171880 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:32:02 +0100 3171880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3157583&cid=t_126181_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FqtPLqziw02M%2F In this study, typically developing students were tested for their IQ and working memory at 5 years old and again when they were 11 years old. They were also tested on their academic attainments in reading, spelling and maths. Findings and Educational Implications The findings revealed that a child’s success in all aspects of learning is down to how good their working memory is regardless of IQ score. Critically, working memory at the start of formal education is a more powerful predictor of subsequent academic success than IQ in the early years. This unique finding is important as it addresses concerns that general intelligence, still viewed as a key predictor of academic success, is unreliable. An individual can have an average IQ score but perform poorly in learning. Some psychologist... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3157583 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:38:48 +0100 3157583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3157549&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F10%2Fwhere-does-your-hamburger-come-from%2F PopTech 2009: Michael Pollan from PopTech on Vimeo. Author and activist Michael Pollan is a passionate advocate for sustainable food. In his compelling talk at PopTech, he explores how our industrial food system is keeping us overly dependent on fossil fuels, destroying our environment, and making us sick. Breaking this cycle requires fundamentally changing our relationship to food – and eating more meals together. This presentation was made in collaboration with Duarte Design. You can read about the making of this presentation on their blog here. Amazing presentation on an important topic. For his speaking agenda and giving the Sun Food Agenda presentation have a look at the schedule here. Related posts:Presentation Update 2 In previous posts we made the distinction between ballr... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3157549 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:11:04 +0100 3157549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156525&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F09%2Fthe-secrets-to-longevity-or-how-to-live-to-be-100%2F Should you eat organic meat or tofu, should you run marathons? Watch this video how to become older than 100 years of age. Be prepared to be disappointed about how much you can influence this aging thing. Just enjoy yourself. To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. At TEDxTC, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100. Related posts:I Hope They Had The Time of Their Live THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156525 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:25:32 +0100 3156525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142494&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fone-small-step-towards-reducing.html Two articles, one in the New York Times by Duff Wilson, the other in the Boston Globe by Liz Kowalczyk, brought the issue of the conflicts of interest generated by leaders in academic medicine sitting on the boards of health care corporations to wide attention.  The news was that Partners Healthcare, the large hospital network that includes two of Harvard University's main teaching hospitals, for the first time is limiting the role its leaders can take on such boards of directors.  As written by Duff Wilson,The owner of two research hospitals affiliated with the Harvard Medical School has imposed restrictions on outside pay for two dozen senior officials who also sit on the boards of pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. The limits come in the wake of growing criticism ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142494 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:26:00 +0100 3142494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136608&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F01%2F02%2F2009-left-overs-of-recommended-reading%2F When cleaning up my RSS feed reader (GReader) found some entries of great value saved for recommended reading. Hope you enjoy them Harvard: Computers in Hospitals Do Not Reduce Administrative or Overall CostsSource: Research Blogging - Health - EnglishMy Notes The researchers concluded that the immense cost of installing and running hospital IT systems is greater than any expected cost savings. Much of the software being written for use in clinics is aimed at administrators, not doctors, nurses and lab workers. Additionally, as currently implemented, hospital computing might modestly improve process measures of quality but does not reduce administrative or overall costs.Harvard researchers recently released the study Hospital Computing and the Costs and Quality of Care: A National Study, w... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136608 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:10:28 +0100 3136608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3120474&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F25%2Fall-about-metaphors%2F This lecture explains everything you wanted to know about the fascinating fixture of human language: metaphors. The cognitive process, examples, effects etc. No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3120474 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:47:03 +0100 3120474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111373&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fspun-silly-academic-medical-center.html Over the weekend, the New York Times reported on how prestigious academic medical centers advertise cancer care.  Here are some examples,Prostate Cancer Surgery at Mount SinaiA print advertisement for prostate cancer surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan is typical of the way many elite research and teaching hospitals sell hope to the public. 'Our newest prostate specialist, Dr. David Samadi, has pioneered a minimally invasive approach that allows him to retain the highest cancer cure rates with the lowest risk of side effects,' says the ad.Highest cure rates. Lowest risk. What evidence does the medical center have to back up such superlatives?The ad’s claims are based on the successful results of Dr. Samadi’s operations and testimonials from his patients, said Jane Z... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111373 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:49:00 +0100 3111373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096826&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPOXrOhebBeI%2F By Neal McCluskeyI’ve been fretting for some time over the growing push for national curricular standards, standards that would be de facto federal and, whether adopted voluntarily by states or imposed by Washington, end up being worthless mush with yet more billions of dollars sunk into them. The primary thing that has kept me optimistic is that, in the end, few people can ever agree on what standards should include, which has defeated national standards thrusts in the past. So far, the Common Core State Standards Initiative – a joint National Governors Association/Council of Chief State School Officers venture that is all-but-officially backed by Washington — has avoided being ripped apart by educationists and plain ol’ citizens angry about who’s wri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096826 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:07:30 +0100 3096826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092762&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F16%2Fpersonality-traits-and-political-attitude%2F The relationship between personality and political preferences is not the simple relation between conservatism and negative personality traits on the one hand and liberalism and positive personality traits on the other hand. Personality is understood as the combination of innate dispositions and personal experiences that guides behavior in a stable and predictive manner. Behavior is also determined by environmental circumstances. In this way it is plausible to presume that personality and politics seem related to each other. More recent research shed some more light on this relationship. The relationship is not assumed to be strictly causal. It seems likely that the relationship between personality traits and political attitude is in part the expression of the same underlying genetic liabi... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092762 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:35:29 +0100 3092762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067137&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Flove-is-great-for-creativity-sex-for-analytical-thinking%2F Most people think that love and sex are tightly related. Nevertheless the size of the overlap between these two varies with culture, history, education and social values. In the United States, males report having less problems imagining sex without love than females do; in China, however the link between love and romance seems to be generally less pronounced than in Western cultures; and in the West, the views of sexuality and love differed between the Victorian and the Freudian eras On a neurobiological level the brain systems for love, sex and attachment communicate and coordinate with one another. But if love and lust aren’t completely the same, what different psychological effects do they have in humans? Researchers from The Netherlands and Germany proposed a cognitive model for... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067137 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:40:18 +0100 3067137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056722&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F04%2Fneuroanthropology-round-up%2F From this excellent weekly round up I especially liked: Do countries with more mental illness have more suicides? From Neuroskeptic Although not all suicides are related to mental illness, unsurprisingly people with mental illness do have a much higher suicide rate than people without. So, all other things being equal, the rate of mental illness in a country should correlate with the suicide rate. Of course, all other things are not equal, and other factors might come into play such as the quality of mental health services. Mapping the Glutamate Receptor Want to know what it’s all about the glutamate receptor? Should be interesting not only to neuroscientists. How creativity springs from a choreographed set of mental events from Seedmagazine Kooper didn’t have time to think —�... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056722 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:55:30 +0100 3056722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048194&cid=t_126181_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F02%2Fediting-medical-journals-a-course-in-oxford%2F Two weeks ago I went to a course about editing medical journals. You can read all about this course on the website of the firm of one of the excellent teachers: Pippa Smart (what’s in a name). The other instructor was Dr Domhnall MacAuley is the Clinical Editor (Primary Care) with the BMJ, and was previously the editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He’s an enthusiastic experienced teacher about medical journal editing. What I’ve learned for the board of our journal? We should improve our contacts with reviewers and possible authors Redesign our website and lay out of the journal and integrate both We should encourage participation of younger editors We should publish accepted articles directly on our website and also have epub ahead Do a reader survey? If y... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048194 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:36:04 +0100 3048194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048067&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwe-are-unable-to-share-documents.html In my post "Academic Freedom and ED EHR's Down Under: Another Update and a Welcome Development" I reported on the Univ. of Sydney's somewhat belated support for academic freedom, and the reappearance of an essay on ED electronic health records problems in NSW by one of its informatics faculty, Prof. Jon Patrick, after an apparently government-initiated attempt at censorship.A new update of the paper "A Critical Essay on the Deployment of an ED Clinical Information System - Systemic Failure or Bad Luck" version 6, has now been posted by Dr. Patrick at this link on his department's web pages (a direct link at this time to the PDF is here).The press has started to take notice. A piece in the Sydney Morning Herald entitled "Health department accused of censorship" appeared on Nov. 28 here.That... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048067 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:50:00 +0100 3048067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044706&cid=t_126181_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwe-are-unable-to-share-documents.html In my post "Academic Freedom and ED EHR's Down Under: Another Update and a Welcome Development" I reported on the Univ. of Sydney's somwehat belated support for academic freedom, and the reappearance of an essay on ED electronic health records problems in NSW by one of its informatics faculty, Prof. Jon Patrick, after an apparently government-initiated attempt at censorship.A new update of the paper "A Critical Essay on the Deployment of an ED Clinical Information System - Systemic Failure or Bad Luck" version 6, has now been posted by Dr. Patrick at this link on his department's web pages (a direct link at this time to the PDF is here).The press has started to take notice. A piece in the Sydney Morning Herald entitled "Health department accused of censorship" appeared on Nov. 28 here.That... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044706 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:50:00 +0100 3044706