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 'australian'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:16 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560204&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fis-that-foul-odor-of-dity-socks-im.html We at Healthcare Renewal have had experience with the corporate sock puppets. They are shills, a person working on behalf of a company, attempting to use distraction, ad hominem, misdirection and other psyops tactics to attack points of view they don't like. They also plant memes their sponsor finds desirable.They are universally anonymous in their postings.One got careless and got nailed via IP forensics, as at my Jan. 2010 post "More on Perversity in the Healthcare IT World: Is Meditech Employing Sockpuppets?" and my semi-satirical followup post a few days later, "Socky the Meditech Sockpuppet on Vacation?" after he/she disappeared after exposure.A Healthcare Renewal reader with an MBA at that time non-anonymously related the following (emphases mine):In reading this thread of comments I... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560204 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:48:00 +0100 4560204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532507&cid=t_133643_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F28%2Fmrs-australia-quest-finalist-veronica-cristovao-is-raising-ovarian-cancer-awareness-down-under%2F Mrs. Australian Quest Finalist Veronica Cristovao is raising ovarian cancer awareness “Down Under,” and she hopes to use the pageant as an international platform to further her ovarian cancer advocacy. Did you know that February is national Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Australia? According to the Australian National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, approximately 1,200 [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532507 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:06:18 +0100 4532507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309618&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FjP9fR2-7Vhk%2F The Australian Resuscitation Council has release its 2011 resuscitation guidelines and flowcharts. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309618 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:24:24 +0100 4309618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233229&cid=t_133643_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F06%2Fsex-important-to-older-men-stop-the-presses%2F Here’s a news flash for you — people like sex. Even older people. Wow, what an astounding insight into human behavior. I think some people have this conception that older people are somehow, like, not normal. Like they don’t have all the same needs, wants and desires as a younger person does. Like aging itself is some sort of disorder or disease that needs separate studying and understanding. I’ll let you in on a little secret — most older folks don’t feel their age. Most middle-age folks don’t feel their age. Once you hit 25 or so, many people (most?) seem “stuck in time” in terms of their own self-image and what they imagine others see them as. Most people simply don’t seem to feel their chronological age. So your grandparents ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233229 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:31:18 +0100 4233229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159242&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstem-cell-researchers-turn-skin-into-blood-could-help-cancer-treatment%2F2010.11.12 From The Australian: Stem cell researchers have found a way to turn a person’s skin into blood, a process that could be used to treat cancer and other ailments, according to a Canadian study published today. The method uses cells from a patch of a person’s skin and transforms it into blood that is a genetic match, without using human embryonic stem cells, said the study in the journal Nature. Wow. Very cool. I wonder if hopefully someday this could be a replacement for random blood donation? *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159242 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:00:50 +0100 4159242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929218&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcIecKUx-rM0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellHere’s a Reuters story about the Australian Tax Office harassing Paul Hogan, better known to Americans as Crocodile Dundee, because of a tax dispute. The grinches at the tax office took advantage of Hogan’s return for his mother’s funeral to hold him hostage, refusing to let him leave the country until he coughs up some cash. It appears that the tax police in Australia are just as politicized and above the law as the IRS. Hogan has never been charged with tax evasion and there are plenty of signs that the bureaucrats want to make him a high-profile victim to justify the amount of money that has been squandered in a probe of supposed offshore evasion. Actor Paul Hogan, star of the “Crocodile Dundee” movies, has vowed to continue fighting ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929218 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:02:34 +0100 3929218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816400&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkiller-grand-rounds-from-down-under%2F2010.08.03 Better Health’s Grand Rounds this week is hosted by the ever-so-crafty Life in the Fast Lane team of Australian physicians at the Utopian College of Emergency for Medicine. These docs “take great pleasure in sharing their medical experiences, clinical knowledge and insights into waiting-room medicine with health-conscious technophiles to facilitate the learning process by providing diverse and hopefully entertaining reading material.” It’s always worth a read (and a chuckle), no doubt. With the theme of ”Killer Posts” (just a hint — hate to blow the surprise), this edition of Grand Rounds is sure to educate in more ways than one! Experience it HERE. (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816400 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:00:19 +0100 3816400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3570060&cid=t_133643_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FeNQ5UJZLh9c%2F A controversy appears to be emerging in Australia over payments made to parents who have enrolled children as young as six months old in H1N1 flu vaccine trials sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. In some instances, parents were enrolling three children at a time and receiving $900, according to The Herald Sun, which notes the payments may breach national ethical guidelines. Parents of healthy children up to 10 years old are receiving $300 for each child to participate in the trial, which involves two needles, two blood tests and medical monitoring for each child. A spokeswoman for AusTrials, which runs the trials for Glaxo, confirmed to the paper that the payments were made and that, so far, 110 children participated. However, an anonymous critic complained to the Sun that parents were, effecti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3570060 Mon, 17 May 2010 15:40:16 +0100 3570060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3563963&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnanopatches-the-future-of-vaccine-delivery%2F2010.05.13 Professor Mark Kendall of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and his team have been investigating a novel way to deliver vaccines. Their method makes use of nanopatches, which are fingernail-sized dermal patches with microscopic projections on their surface that hand vaccine off directly to the antigen-presenting cells just below the surface of the skin. The scientists’ recent work in mice has shown that an immune response equivalent to that achievable by needle and syringe can be reached using 100 times less vaccine. Not only does the nanopatch appear to be a more effective delivery method, it’s also cheaper to produce and doesn’t require refrigeration, adjuvants or multiple doses. (more…) *This blog post was originally published... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3563963 Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:01 +0100 3563963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560497&cid=t_133643_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fa58OBJH2UCM%2F Overwhelmed and overworked, medical students must then sort out the barrage of overtures from sales reps. But what do they make of these interactions? A paper in the Australian Medical Student Journal found that most med students have “considerable exposure” to promotion, and generally view gifts as acceptable, but only certain gifts (see page 54). Meals and textbooks are deemed more acceptable than stethoscopes, social outings and paid travel to conferences, suggesting students do attach some negative value to gifts that are viewed as more expensive, unnecessary or influential. And while most view promotion as biased, students insist it has little effect on their prescribing, but is more likely to influence their colleagues (I’m objective, you’re not?) “This ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560497 Thu, 13 May 2010 12:17:26 +0100 3560497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545475&cid=t_133643_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Flonely-teens-communicate-more-online%2F New research recently published suggests that teens who are lonely communicate more online than teens who aren’t so lonely. Perhaps this should be filed in the “No duh” section of research findings about online behavior, but it actually answers a long-standing question — Does the Internet make people more lonely, or do lonely people turn to the Internet for solace? The answer, from this study anyway, appears to be the latter — lonely people communicate online significantly more than non-lonely people do. The Australian researchers (Bonetti et al., 2010) arrived at this finding by gathering survey data from 626 children and teens (10 to 16 years old). The surveys assessed subjects’ frequency of communication online, as well as loneliness (via an abbreviat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545475 Fri, 07 May 2010 16:45:53 +0100 3545475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395089&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fblisstree-video-of-the-day-3%2F Health Care Reform is no joke. When it comes up, tensions do, too. But however you feel about Sunday’s Congressional vote, be grateful you don’t have these kids’ health problems: Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395089 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:35:40 +0100 3395089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239851&cid=t_133643_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F04%2Fanother-study-links-being-overweight-with-lowest-risk-of-death%2F When it comes to official advice about body weight, the norm is still to base recommendations on the body mass index (weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres). We are traditionally encouraged to conform to a ‘normal’ or ‘healthy’ BMI of 18.5-24.9. It is amazing to me just how rarely (if [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239851 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:45:05 +0100 3239851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556084&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6rQKd6uQKIk%2F Washington’s willingness to toss security guarantees about the globe like party favors has encouraged other nations to do little for their own defense.  From the European, Japanese, and South Korean standpoint, why spend more when the Americans will take care of you? But it looks like Australia takes a different view, and is willing to do more to defend itself and its region.  Reports the Daily Telegraph: The latest defence White Paper recommends buying 100 advanced F-35 jet fighters and 12 powerful submarines equipped with cruise missiles, a capability which no other country in the region is believed to possess. The “potential instability” caused by the emergence of China and India as major world powers was cited as the most pressing reason for this military build-up. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556084 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:34:39 +0100 2556084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424223&cid=t_133643_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F4w2zKqh3D2g%2F I feel that this post should come with a disclaimer like you see on so many products. Like the iron that sells with the disclaimer, “don’t press clothes while wearing,” or the nut cake you buy that says, “may contain nuts.” Or, my particular favorite, the stuntmen flipping their cars over three or four times, driving off a canyon and then land in the middle of a parking lot, ready for work, with the disclaimer “professional stunt drivers on a closed course, do not attempt at home.” Anyway, I’ve gone off track here. I have a “Don’t Try This at Home” story out of Australia. It’s about a quick thinking doctor, a boy with a head injury, and a handyman’s drill. I’ll give you a moment to stop squirming… Hea... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424223 Wed, 20 May 2009 01:38:38 +0100 2424223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389663&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fu_GvvHGufTc%2F No individual today is more effectively challenging the foreign aid establishment and the harm it inflicts on Africa than Dambisa Moyo, Zambian author of Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is Another Way For Africa. She spoke at a recent Cato book forum and has been ubiquitous in the media. For a sense of her views, here’s an interview I recommend that she recently did with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389663 Tue, 05 May 2009 17:04:41 +0100 2389663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284545&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsandnsurf.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F03%2Ftoxicology-conundrum-005%2F A 20 year-old male was walking in rural New South Wales (Australia!) when he noticed a brown-coloured snake. He was startled and stepped backwards onto a tree branch which snapped under his weight. He then saw the snake slither away. Relieved that the danger had passed, he walked on. A few minutes later he glanced [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284545 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:00:02 +0100 2284545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2212758&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprecordialthump.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F02%2F24%2Fand-the-winner-is%2F prn penguin!!! That’s right, the event that cast a long shadow over the recent Oscar awards has come to a close. And, with the counting of votes completed and checked and rechecked, we can see that prn penguin has deservedly been crowned the inaugural winner of the Australian Medical Blog Award (2009). An excerpt from the gracious acceptance speech of this “sometimes irritatingly enthusiastic RN”: Finally a thank you to the other medical bloggers out there. This award process has opened my eyes to a few Australian blogs that I was unaware of. Now I’ve seen some pretty self-indulgent, crappy blogs before - honestly, who gives a rat’s arse about your back porch renovations - but there are some great health blogs out there. Some offer humour. Some offer education. Some ... AEQUANIMITAS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2212758 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:36:05 +0100 2212758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2170626&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprecordialthump.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F02%2F09%2Faussie-medical-blog-awards%2F Well, I’ve extracted myself from beneath the Sri Lankan rock I’ve been hiding under for the last month. Now I’m in freezing Lancashire following a mad-cap rush to the Northern Hemisphere. I found out the old man picked up a mystery illness in Angola and was (eventually - but that’s another story…) admitted under the loving care of the NHS. He’s on the mend now - there’s nothing a “she’ll be right” attitude can’t overcome - and because it’s too cold to go anywhere, I’ve found myself back in front of a computer. Firstly, I’d like to send my regards to all those back in Australia affected by the terrible bushfires - a truly shocking Saturday. Kia Kaha to all my Australian friends. Secondly, to my surprise I&#8... AEQUANIMITAS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2170626 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:48:22 +0100 2170626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2034654&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprecordialthump.medbrains.net%2F2008%2F12%2F11%2Fproblems-in-toxicology-005%2F A 20 year-old male was walking in rural New South Wales (Australia!) when he noticed a brown-coloured snake. He was startled and stepped backwards onto a tree branch which snapped under his weight. He then saw the snake slither away. Relieved that the danger had passed, he walked on. A few minutes later he glanced down at his shin and saw two bleeding scratch marks. With growing concern he walked 4 km to the nearest ambulance station. A volunteer ambulance officer applied a compression bandage to his leg and immobilized it with a splint prior to transferring the anxious young man to the nearest hospital. Four hours after the bite, he had blood tests taken that were all normal. The doctor assessing him calls you to find out if the patient can be discharged now. Questions 1. Can the patient... AEQUANIMITAS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2034654 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:31:32 +0100 2034654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1915805&cid=t_133643_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsandnsurf.medbrains.net%2F2008%2F10%2F29%2Faustralia-vernacular-adolescent%2F Australian vernacular contextualized to the adolescent   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1915805 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:58:00 +0100 1915805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1521999&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fgday-bruce.html An angry reader draws my attention to the following excerpt from a paper written by an Australian psychiatrist about marital problems experienced by doctors. The reader, who is not an NHS BLOG DOCTOR fan, clearly derived great pleasure from the quotation. Sadly he spoilt his point by not referring to its context but it still makes for interesting reading.Narcissistic personalityOne variation of the preceding marital constellation emphasises the doctor’s narcissistic rather than obsessional personality characteristics. Often, (though not invariably), the doctor is a male, who, from childhood, was deemed by his family to be special. He might have been seen as the natural heir to his father’s medical practice, or was perceived as the family’s ‘saviour’, whose achievements would comp... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1521999 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:46:00 +0100 1521999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500002&cid=t_133643_134_f&fid=35137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiabetesupdate.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Faustralian-study-65-is-not-normal-and.html This is a very brief post about the Australian study you'll be hearing a lot about this week, ADVANCE. That's the one that found that lowering blood sugar to "normal" did not prevent heart disease in people with diabetes. I've gotten some mail asking me to comment on it, so here goes:1. Normal blood sugar in this study was defined as an A1c of 6.5%. This represents an average blood sugar of 140 mg/dl (7.7 mmol/L). With the technique used to lower blood sugar in the Australian study that average was most likely achieved by having the blood sugar seesaw between 85 and 200 mg/dl. Looking at the graphs relating heart disease to blood sugar you can easily see that the 6.5 A1c is far from normal. Studies show that with ever 1% rise over 4.7% heart disease risk increases greatly. You can check ou... Diabetes Update blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500002 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:50:00 +0100 1500002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338207&cid=t_133643_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F261364825%2F A senior member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists resigned as convenor of its 2009 Congress after his peers unanimously voted down a proposal to dump drug-company sponsorship, The Australian reports. The college was forced last week to appoint two co-convenors to replace Malcolm Battersby, a fellow of the college. RANZC president Ken Kirkby says the college’s more than 20 councillors were not given enough reason to change a policy that complied with the industry’s code of conduct on sponsorships. The policy allows drugmakers to bid against other potential sponsors for naming and signage rights at the event. “They all felt the proposal lacked substance and wasn’t a suitable way to go,” he tells the paper. “It hadn’t g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338207 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:11:33 +0100 1338207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331301&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fpetas-word-is-not-its-bond.html PETA is trying to destroy the Australian wool industry via boycott because, as I wrote here a few years ago, of an unpleasant but necessary animal husbandry practice called mulesing needed (at present) to prevent an awful maggot infestation known as fly strike. The Australian wool industry eventually sued PETA, and as is often the case in such suits, eventually PETA and the industry settled, as a part of which it agreed to call off its boycott while attempts were made to find an alternative to mulesing. Naturally, PETA soon broke its word.Well, it has done it again, only this time announcing a boycott from a manufacturer that doesn't even use wool from the merino sheep in question. From the story: Matalan, a discount chain with about 200 stores across Britain, agreed to the boycott after m... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331301 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:42:00 +0100 1331301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169595&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F23%2Fscience-communication-our-national-debate%2F The Australian, our national newspaper, is usually not my preferred read but does have a good higher education section. Our new government has just thrown out an assessment exercise named the Research Quality Framework (RQF) - it will be replaced with something very similar, no doubt. Disturbingly, Thomson Scientific were given a licensing agreement by the previous government to supply the data for the RQF. Imagine my delight to find newspaper articles discussing the shortcomings of impact factors, the rise of Google Scholar and the open-source software of Anne-Wil Harzing: Research Review Heats Up “…commercial rivals such as Elsevier’s Scopus database and software built on Google Scholar have entered the market while the rise of research assessment linked to promotion a... What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169595 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:35:37 +0100 1169595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1156742&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F17%2Fthink-free-then-think-again%2F ThinkFree is an online office productivity application in the same style as Google Docs and Zoho. I read a favourable review and was all set to try it out… …when I discovered that for those of us in Australia or New Zealand, ThinkFree is distributed exclusively via BigPond - the internet service provided by Telstra, our largest telco. Which means: not a BigPond customer, no access to ThinkFree. ThinkFree? Think again: it’s now a BigPond exclusive ThinkFree Not So Free for Aussies and Kiwis We have a saying in Australia: all telcos are bastards. Now you know why. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1156742 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:52:46 +0100 1156742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146897&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F215587746%2F Here’s a shout-out to Australian readers! The rest of us could learn from the Australians, who are taking a proactive approach to gaining support for breastfeeding in public. Rather than expressing outrage and staging nurse-ins (which do have their place) after an incident occurs, the Australian Breastfeeding Association is promoting the “Feel Free to Feed Campaign” in an effort to grow support for breastfeeding mothers at home, in public, and in the workplace. The Campaign The campaign aims to raise the public profile of breastfeeding, making it more acceptable and accessible to new mums and their babies. The focus is on three key awards that support breastfeeding away from home: the ABA’s Breastfeeding Welcome Here and Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditatio... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146897 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:37:55 +0100 1146897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1049844&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F26%2Fah-yes-the-election%2F I suppose a brief comment on our recent Australian election is in order, although I prefer not to litter the blog with personal politics. The collage at left, culled from the weekend newspapers, summarises it for me. It is quite uplifting when after a long, stale and conformist period in history the populace turns around en masse and says “enough, time for change”. The Labor Party talked the talk during their campaign on science issues: higher education, IT infrastructure, skills shortages, maths/science degrees, technology development and action on climate change. Let’s just hope they deliver on some of those policies. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1049844 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:07:28 +0100 1049844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814189&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F21%2Fred-bull-overdose-stops-mans-heart%2F Filed under: Diet, Products, Men Heart HealthEver wondered what would happen if you overdosed on Red Bull? Answer: your heart could stop ticking. I am not kidding.Australian man, Matthew Penbross (28), found that out recently after drinking eight of the super-highly caffeinated beverages during a five hour period. I guess eight is his unlucky number, because after downing that last one he collapsed. An ambulance was called and the first aid crew found Penbross having a heart attack. Realizing his heart had stopped, they had to use a defibrillator to get his heart pumping again. The obvious question: why was he drinking so much darn Red Bull?? Answer: he was competing in a motocross (motorcycle racing) event and wanted to get his adrenalin pumping. "It was to get a bit of a buzz and keep do... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814189 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 814189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=794198&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F12%2Fmcdonalds-slaps-healthy-heart-on-big-mac-ads%2F Filed under: Diet, Obesity, Nutrition, ProductsListen. You can't make this stuff up. According to an Australian news source, McDonald's is slapping a healthy heart logo on its products, even the famed-for-its-fat Big Mac. How could you happen, you ask? Well, it's all about money, apparently. McDonald's pays the Australian Heart Foundation $330,000 annually. I guess this is considered a donation of sorts. In return, McDonald's gets to use the heart foundation's healthy heart logo. What has shocked and angered consumer advocates and medical professionals is that McDonald's is using the logo and other heart-related imagery (like sesame seeds arranged in a heart shape atop a burger bun) on advertisements for its entire product line, not just for the healthier offerings on the menu. (And, yes, ... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=794198 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 794198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764993&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F29%2Fmediterranean-diet-beneficial-for-diabetics%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Diet, Lifestyle, ResearchI was intrigued by a recent Swedish study reporting that people on a so-called "Stone Age" diet had more stable blood sugar levels than those on a Mediterranean diet. An intriguing claim, because it's so often said that Mediterranean-style eating is super-healthful. Let's also admit it is a delicious way to eat: yes, pasta and bread is there, but it's balanced out by tons of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil. The Stone Age way is a bit more spare: we're talkin' meat, fish, and lots of whole grains, berries and nuts. Nary a sliver of Parmesan in sight.However, the results of yet another study, this time from Australia, indicates Mediterranean-style eating is a good choice, especially for diabetics. Researchers from the Univers... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764993 Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 764993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764992&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F29%2Fseaweed-coated-implants-work-say-johns-hopkins-researchers%2F Filed under: Type 1, Drugs, ResearchIn the past, I've blogged about an Australian experiment using implants that could, theoretically, eliminate the need for type 1 diabetics to use insulin shots. Researchers said it's possible to implant seaweed-coated capsules containing insulin-producing cells in the abdomen. The cells produce insulin, but the tiny pores in the seaweed do not allow immune system cells to pass through and destroy the cells. Allie has also looked at a related issue: experiments that surgically attach kelp-coated islets to the liver for the same purpose.Sounds pretty brilliant. But could it really work? The verdict looks like "Yes." According to the results of a new Johns Hopkins University study, such implants could be helpful for type 1 diabetics whose bodies otherwise r... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764992 Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 764992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764202&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F28%2Faustralian-aborigines-make-headway-in-diabetes-struggle%2F Filed under: Type 2, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise, SupportIt's often said that grass-roots level initiatives are what will turn the tide on the spread of type 2 diabetes. Here's an example of a grass-roots success story: Catholic News reports that Australian Aborigines from the Mowanjum community of Western Australia are benefiting from the introduction of a type 2 prevention and management program. Titled "Indigenous communities beat diabetes," (that could be a bit of an overstatement), the article describes the impact of the program in Mowanjum community in Western Australia. Successes include the introduction of a comprehensive diabetes education program aimed at young people with diabetes. The program, which is organized by Aboriginal development group Unity of First Peoples Australia, al... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764202 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 764202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=741401&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F07%2F18%2Fold-media-worthless-opinions-pointless-debate-farce%2F Stepping away from my usual content to mention in passing the Australian screening of “controversial” climate change “documentary” The Great Global Warming Swindle. Most notable not for the film but the reactions afterwards. Read the rest. . . (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=741401 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:51:30 +0100 741401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675443&cid=t_133643_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F16%2Fstand-up-and-your-blood-glucose-goes-down%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Research, ExerciseStand up when you talk on the phone, it lowers your blood sugar. Fold the laundry standing up. If you're going fishing, leave the chair with the fancy cupholders at home. Light exercise may help cut the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Australian researchers studying 173 non-diabetic adults found the longer participants spent on low-intensity activities, the lower their blood sugars. Surprisingly, the association between light exercise and reduced blood glucose was irrespective of moderate to vigorous activity levels. But do not throw out the treadmill. Researchers stressed light exercise should not replace the recommended 30 minutes of medium to intense daily exercise. Since I ruptured my achilles tendon last month... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675443 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 675443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611379&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F05%2F15%2Four-pitiful-broadband%2F clipped from theaustralian.news.com.au The OECD currently ranks Australia’s broadband performance at 17th in the world based on the number of subscribers per 100 using an internet connection faster than 64Kbps, Market Clarity said. Australia would immediately move up to 11th place based on raw subscribers numbers using a higher speed benchmark of 256Kbps, the firm said.   So broadband penetration is measured by the number of subscribers to a particular plan? What this typically useless, biased article fails to mention is that broadband plans in Australia are pitiful in terms of speed and quotas seen in comparable countries. Since when did 256 Kbps even count as broadband? So much for “market clarity”. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611379 Tue, 15 May 2007 01:55:18 +0100 611379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=582645&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F05%2F01%2Fstupidity-or-altruism%2F ‘Fair go’ not stupidity gives scammers millions: police Apparently, up to AUD 400 000 a month leaves Queensland, bound for Nigerian-based email scams. “I think the Australian culture is to give everyone a fair go and I think we give people the benefit of the doubt and I think because of that sometimes we’re more prone to be a victim to scams.” Non-Australians will miss the subtext of this story. You know how every country likes to joke that the residents of one particular region are - how to put this - not too smart? So it is with Queensland. It’s not true, by the way. So the good superintendent is just being protective of his residents. I’d suggest that stupid doesn’t mean “lacking in intelligence” - it means “prone to not... What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=582645 Tue, 01 May 2007 02:51:32 +0100 582645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=570861&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F26%2Fawful-science-reporting%2F Qld research questions evolution theories So much wrong, I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know why the ABC even bother having a science news page. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=570861 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:51:06 +0100 570861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551016&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F18%2Fits-a-big-call%2F …but Professor Grigg may be right when he states that: No fish on earth is of more interest than Queensland lungfish… This little creature has been in the news for some time now because a proposed dam has a good chance of driving it extinct. The logic of building a dam when there’s no rain to fall in it escapes me. Anyone have a favourite fish that they feel is more interesting? Feel free to comment (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551016 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 06:20:11 +0100 551016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=522514&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F05%2Ffire-on-the-reef%2F I often wish that I’d studied marine biology. Of course at school, I was told that there were no jobs in the field and I should do something “real”. Neither my advisors nor I seemed able to imagine that 10 years down the track, I might be living in a country with some of the best diving in the world and plenty of opportunity to explore the sea. I digress - the point of this post is to show you what a small electrical fault can do to a marine biology research station. Specifically Heron Island station, run by the University of Queensland for over 50 years. Reef research weathers island fire - UQ news release Pictures of the aftermath of the fire Fire Flattens Island Lab - news article from Science Heron Island Research Station - general information Happily there were no ... What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=522514 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:10:32 +0100 522514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=519836&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F04%2Falgae-munching-biologist-in-underwater-experiment%2F Via ABC News. Lloyd Godson will submerge himself in a box in wetlands near Albury-Wodonga, on the border of Victoria and New South Wales, for a fortnight. Mr Godson believes he will be able to survive by growing algae for food and to produce oxygen, and generate electricity by riding a stationarybike. OK then. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=519836 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 01:32:14 +0100 519836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=515457&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F02%2Fall-clear%2F It’s not every day that you wake up to a tsunami warning. I can report that the east coast of Australia is just fine, in case anyone was concerned. Spare a thought instead for the Solomon Islands. Web resources: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center; USGS Earthquake Hazard Program. Plenty of scope for data scraping and mash-ups at those two sites. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=515457 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:23:34 +0100 515457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513646&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F03%2F31%2Faustraliana%2F Non-science random thoughts this weekend: On this last day of March - 16.8 mm of rain for the month. March average = 139.5 mm. See some Brisbane climate stats. First weekend of the AFL season! Deep sadness as I realise that the first Swans game won’t be on TV here as it clashes with the Lions. Surely the great Grand Final rematch should be free to air in all states. Wonder how the Pixies sound after all these years? Looking forward to reports from the V Festival. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513646 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 05:02:35 +0100 513646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=484835&cid=t_133643_132_f&fid=35006&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnsaunders.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F03%2F07%2Fsciencecomputing-news-snippets%2F The UK government have decided to steal 68 million pounds from the science budget to pay for corporate failures. This is unprecented so far as I know - this is earmarked science money which is now being taken away. If there’s any legal recourse available to the UK research community, I hope that they’re pursuing it. In local news, the tentacles of the Fairfax media empire have reached Brisbane and according to issue #1 of the Brisbane Times, Australian university students are being offered Microsoft Office for AUD 75. The question is - why? Don’t they know that they could get Open Office for free? If not, they should be told. (Source: What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate) What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=484835 Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:10:06 +0100 484835