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 'bank'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:33 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181768&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0FaWo2NWsUM%2F By Sallie JamesLast week I blogged about Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) proposal to devote $20 billion of the Export-Import Bank’s funds to promoting manufacturing exports, and why that was a bad idea. But I realize that my recent call to “X Out the Ex-Im Bank” will be facing some very entrenched interests in Washington, and some well-funded lobby groups. The Bank has historically attracted bipartisan support, and a renewal of its charter sailed through the House Committee on Financial Services earlier this year. The Washington establishment loves this program. My friend and long-time Ex-Im Bank supporter Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics published a critique a few weeks ago of my analysis, and calls for a doubling of Ex-Im’s authorization cap (f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181768 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:03:53 +0100 5181768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139698&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fe2yDOuRLLa8%2F By Tad DeHavenTwo polls of likely voters released by Rasmussen Reports today indicate that the federal government’s corporate welfare programs should be prime targets for spending cuts. The first poll found little support for the Small Business Administration’s lending programs: A majority (58 percent) of likely voters said that the federal government shouldn’t guarantee loans issued by private lenders to small businesses. 23 percent said the government should back small business loans and 19 percent were unsure. A majority (59 percent) of likely voters said that reducing government regulations and taxes would be more helpful to small businesses than the government providing loans to small businesses that can’t obtain financing on their own. 22 percent said the government lo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139698 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:47:19 +0100 5139698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069579&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fare-job-boards-dead I recently attended a webinar which was almost like a State of the Union address for job boards and online recruiting. Just in the past two years this medium has evolved. The rise in unemployment has sent job seekers to the Internet in droves. Social media has started to play an increasing role in recruitment as well. LinkedIn especially has become the land for virtual headhunters. With all of these components in play, a rumor is going around that job boards are dead. This isn’t true. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069579 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:41:38 +0100 5069579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069820&cid=t_115828_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAz6PCNoGg6Q%2F The Kentucky attorney general has filed a lawsuit in a state court alleging that McKesson, one of the largest distributors, and First DataBank, which publishes a database for prescription drug prices, conspired to artificially inflate wholesales prices for more than 1,800 brand-name meds and, consequently, cost state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements. Specifically, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway alleges the companies concocted a scheme in which they “fraudulently inflated” the average wholesale prices published by First DataBank for the drugs, because they knew the Kentucky Medicaid program was required by law to use the inflated prices to calculate reimbursement to pharmacies and other providers. The lawsuit alleges the wholesale acquisi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069820 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:45:30 +0100 5069820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062226&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFGsoGrS2IEA%2F I’ve argued that the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill does not end “too-big-to-fail”, that is the belief that certain companies are implicitly backed by the government because policy-makers are unlikely to let said institutions actually fail. By naming some companies as ”systemically important” — as required by Dodd-Frank — the government is actually sending a signal as to who is likely to be bailed out. As evidenced by regulators’ behavior during the financial crisis, the prime beneficiaries would be the creditors of these companies, as even when shareholders and management suffered, creditors generally did not. This should allow such firms to borrow at a cost lower than firms not deemed systemically important. Given this funding... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062226 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:53:37 +0100 5062226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050821&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fresume-writing-101 There is a scene in the movie Legally Blonde where Reese Witherspoon’s character, Elle Woods, is asked if she has a resume. She does and immediately hands it over – on scented pink paper. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050821 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:10:50 +0100 5050821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050535&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0FczLaTHxGI%2F At the Encyclopedia Britannica blog, I take on the argument made, for instance, by President Obama in his Friday news conference: We should not be asking sacrifices from middle-class folks who are working hard every day, from the most vulnerable in our society — we should not be asking them to make sacrifices if we’re not asking the most fortunate in our society to make some sacrifices as well. I call that a fundamentally flawed argument: The main thing our government does these days, despite the lack of any constitutional authority for it, is tax some people and transfer money to other people. …But there is no moral equivalence in the two sides of the transfer system. On the one hand, the government takes money by force from people who have earned it. On the other hand, it g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050535 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:59:23 +0100 5050535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050536&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwUHSFnB7htA%2F When an entity is as mammoth and undisciplined as the $3.8 trillion U.S. federal government, it’s inevitable that its programs will be working at cross purposes. Just ask the civil aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company. Politicians love Boeing because it not only makes valuable products but it also exports billions of dollars worth around the globe. To give a boost to those exports and supposedly create more jobs in the United States, the federal government’s Export-Import Bank offers preferential loans to foreign governments and airlines to help them buy more Boeing aircraft. As my Cato colleague Sallie James documents in a new study, “Time to X Out the Ex-Im Bank,” the number-one user of the Ex-Im Bank is the Boeing Company. Of the 35 aircraft sales supported by Ex-Im in FY2010, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050536 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:52:02 +0100 5050536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952807&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwsPZxFTvNJQ%2F By Steve H. HankeThe rate of broad money growth (M3) in the United States is weak (see the accompanying chart).  The ultra-low federal funds rate (0.25%) has acted to keep a lid on broad money growth and, in turn, economic activity.  Yes, “low” interest rates imposed by the Fed are contributing to a credit crunch and anemic money growth.  But, wait.  This is counter-intuitive.  And if that’s not enough, it’s not what the textbooks tell us, either. While the Fed has pumped huge quantities of so-called high powered money into the economy, the U.S. is paradoxically facing a credit crunch.  Banks have utilized their liquidity to pile up cash and accumulate government bonds and securities.  In contrast, bank loans have actually decreased since May 2008.  And since credit is a s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952807 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:45:07 +0100 4952807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921427&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-who-report-more-than-1-billion-people-are-disabled%2F2011.06.09 The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank just revealed the first-ever global estimate of disability. The report suggests that at least 1 billion people are currently disabled, and about 1/5 of those are experiencing significant difficulties with their activities of daily living. Since  people with disabilities experience poorer health, lower educational achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, this vulnerable segment of the population needs much closer attention. I’m a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist by training, and there are only about 8000 of us in the United States. Some have called PM&R specialists: “primary care physicians for the disabled” and I think that&... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921427 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:37 +0100 4921427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841444&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkShohBnGGMw%2F By Ian VasquezA new World Bank working paper by Jean-Pierre Chauffour (author of the Cato book, The Power of Freedom: Uniting Human Rights and Development) finds that freedom is the root cause of development. In contrast to economic, political and civil freedoms, Chauffour finds that “beyond core functions of government. . . the expansion of the state to provide for various entitlements, including so-called economic, social and cultural rights, may not make people richer in the long run and may even make them poorer.” Freedom vs. Entitlements is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841444 Tue, 17 May 2011 16:03:28 +0100 4841444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829022&cid=t_115828_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fgreat-customer-service-from-citibank.html I am a CitiGold customer, and had some issues with the billing on my credit card which had not been resolved for quite a few months.I spoke to my Relationship manager, who promised to fix the problem. I am very confident she'll take care of this - but what I really liked is the fact that I can reach out and talk to a human being who will take ownership of the problem and solve it for me.It's such a pleasure to receive good customer service - it's become so rare these days ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829022 Sat, 14 May 2011 10:08:00 +0100 4829022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803058&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1326     Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer’s  son was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. He and his wife (at the time) decided to have stem cells transplanted from a healthy sibling to Carmani, who has the disease.  Its  been 4 years since then and all is well with the little boy once diagnosed with the devastating disease. “It teaches you how precious life really is,” Boozer said, remembering the profound effect of witnessing families losing their children. “You can’t really sweat the things that don’t matter.” You can read the entire article here. THere are many diseases that can be treated with stem cells and the list is growing all the time. Read here for a list of conditions treated with stem cells and consider banking your newbo... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803058 Mon, 09 May 2011 19:06:39 +0100 4803058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762756&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1288         The big day has arrived, your contractions are minutes apart, and you’re on your way to the hospital. The idea of finally getting to hold your perfect baby in your arms helps you through the contractions. Already your mind is dancing with visions of your baby’s future — first smile, first tooth, first word, first step, holidays, and sporting events. The furthest thoughts from your mind are the first illness or, should the unspeakable happen, your child ever became seriously ill. No parent wants to think their child might get sick someday but it is wise to consider the possibility. There is a decision available when your baby is born that could greatly influence his future health. It’s the decision to bank your infant’s cord blood. So much media attent... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762756 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:36:40 +0100 4762756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714728&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1269 Choosing where and how to bank your baby’s umbilical cord blood often brings many questions to light. For instance, if a transplant is needed, and you’ve stored your baby’s cord blood in a public facility, finding a match can be difficult. Private banks may charge a yearly fee after an initial payment. You might want to find one that only charges a one time fee.  After all, there are private banks and public banks and each has its own list of positives and negatives. Listed here are answers to some basic questions to help you make an informed decision on cord blood banking. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714728 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:56:22 +0100 4714728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693527&cid=t_115828_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FMR3XNzWHz5I%2F Have you ever thought about quitting your job to work for yourself? Maybe you have – but it seems like an impossible dream, and you know you can’t just walk out of your current job and hope for the best. Or maybe you can’t imagine quitting – you enjoy your work, you like your colleagues, and you want a steady income. Either way, think about starting a side business: it could have huge benefits for you. Here’s how. #1: Boost Your Bank Balance Few of us want less money. Chances are, you’re either trying to pay off debt, or trying to increase your savings. A side business lets you make extra money without chasing a promotion or asking for a raise at work. You don’t necessarily have to spend every evening and weekend on your business, either. Just a couple of ... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693527 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 06:48:51 +0100 4693527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684410&cid=t_115828_106_f&fid=34805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAwfulPlasticSurgery%2F%7E3%2FRYPKscnsfvs%2F This is completely off topic,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit MyWebsite.com for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Awful Plastic Surgery) Awful Plastic Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684410 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:42:36 +0100 4684410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565891&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1181 Cheers to the women in your life, those who surround you when you need them most, the women who raised you, nursed you, yelled at you and comforted you in times of need.  Yesterday was the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Not that we needed a day to recognize the power of women because we’ve all seen it firsthand , but just in case you’re having one of those days, the team over at Fitpregnancy.com has a  wonderful article expressing the power of women. Relax and enjoy! Also, remember  those who might benefit from cord blood transplantation. Those whose lives hang in the balance of the hope that cord blood cells collected at birth just might be their only answer. Baby JOhn is such patient. Here is a short video about his successful cord blood transplant. ... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565891 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:24:44 +0100 4565891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489656&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1144 As if you really needed one more thing to keep track of your every waking pregnant moment….Here are some blackberry apps to assist in counting the number of kicks per minute/hour/day and some to help you know the exact  amount of days until your due date ( as if that matters….) You can set reminders for appointments and write down questions to ask your health care  provider, set alarms when you need to start researching cord blood banks and start preparing the room for the momentous occasion. We all know that memory lapses are one of the facts of life about pregnancy. Have fun! Read about more apps here (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489656 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:46:10 +0100 4489656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482746&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1141 Choosing a name for your baby could be a wonderful exercise for your and your significant other.  Remembering loved ones who have passed or honoring those in our families is one way we choose the name.  This can get very sticky knowing your mother would want to you name him after  uncle Joe  (whom you never even met) or your great great grandmother gladys back in the old country…. Well first of all take a deep breath, luckily you have a few months to calm the waters.  Put together a list of possibilities,even the most outrageous, and put it away for a week or two and revisit it again then.  When you prepare your list of things to do while you’re  pregnant and for the hospital, add it to your list of things  so every time you check something off it will be right there, s... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482746 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:27:04 +0100 4482746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459941&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQR3poXuB5DM%2F By Juan Carlos HidalgoThe new Brazilian government of President Dilma Rousseff has announced spending cuts of 50 billion reais (approximately $30 billion) this year. This amounts to approximately 1.3% of the country’s estimated GDP for 2011. Despite good intentions, that is still a very timid effort in curbing the size of government in Brazil: Total government spending (including state and local levels) runs at almost 40% of GDP. Perhaps the timidity of the proposal is explained by the fact that curbing the size of government is not the motivation for the spending cuts. Nor is it to avoid a looming fiscal crisis. Brazil’s estimated budget deficit for 2010 was 2.3% of GDP; not good, but still a far cry from the fiscal woes of Europe or the U.S. Dilma’s reason for cutting spending lies... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459941 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:57:02 +0100 4459941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394688&cid=t_115828_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F24%2Fa-grand-old-montreal-building-enters-a-new-phase%2F When I read news from over the weekend that another former Montréal banking landmark is up for sale – there’s a wealth of information from this link – I found the photo (below) of “The Canadian Bank of Commerce” which I took a few years ago. (In 1961 it merged with The Imperial Bank of [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394688 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:19:13 +0100 4394688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382755&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSamESHnA_8M%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m not a big fan of central banks, and I definitely don’t like multilateral bureaucracies, so I almost feel guilty about publicizing two recent studies published by the European Central Bank. But when such an institution puts out research that unambiguously makes the case for smaller government, it’s time to sit up and take notice. And since these studies largely echo the findings of recent research by the International Monetary Fund, we may have reached a point where even the establishment finally understands that government is too big. The first study looks at real-world examples of debt reduction in 15 European nations and investigates the fiscal policies that worked and didn’t work. Entitled “Major Public Debt Reductions: Lessons From... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382755 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:37:43 +0100 4382755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377561&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1069 So there you are. In your ob/gyn’s  office, getting ready to hear your baby’s heartbeat, get measured and weighed. You’ve been discussing your birth plan with your doctor, making decisions such as whether you will be banking your baby’s umbilical cord blood and whether or not you will  have pain medication.  Have you ever left the ob/gyn office really wanting to know the sex of your baby but they just couldn’t tell you. Or you didn’t ask, or you got cold feet… Here are some fun ways to predict whether you’re carrying a boy or a girl…if you’re carrying low, it may be a boy or if the heart rate is higher it may be a girl… either way you will have a good laugh trying to predict the sex of your baby!  At parenting.com you w... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377561 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:33:10 +0100 4377561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272501&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F12%2F20%2Fjulian-assange-and-bank-of-america-sit-down-for-tea%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Julian Assange and Bank of America Sit Down for Tea. And by the way, your smart phone just got stupid. Filed under: Politics Tagged: bank of america, banks, julian assange, wikileaks (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272501 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:40:38 +0100 4272501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265683&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw5-DbLn6GR4%2F By Daniel IkensonIf you want to understand how global integration and cross-border investment have left U.S. trade policy in need of a new purpose, check out today’s Wall Street Journal article about the Apple iPhone’s complex production-supply chain.  (And then see this analysis for more depth and detail.) The story is both testament to the benefits of globalization and the latest indictment of a decrepit international trade flow accounting system that nourishes misleading trade skeptics and misinforms policy. Following in the footsteps of a groundbreaking and widely-cited 2007 UC-Irvine study, which disaggregated the components of a Chinese-assembled Apple iPod and assigned its constituent value to the companies and countries responsible for their production, two researchers at the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265683 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:20:10 +0100 4265683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190224&cid=t_115828_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F22%2Falone-for-thanksgiving-alone-for-christmas%2F The holidays are upon us once again, and for many, it’s a time of the year they spend alone. There are many reasons this occurs, whether it be because we can’t afford to go home, or we have no “home” to travel to. Sometimes we just find ourselves alone for the holidays. I’ve been alone for Thanksgiving, and I’ve been alone for Christmas. Sure, it’s easy to fall into a funk and begin to feel sorry for yourself and your situation. Sometimes it was by choice, and other times it wasn’t. In any case, when I was alone for Thanksgiving, I found a way to make the most of my situation and looked at it with from a very short-term perspective — I may be alone this year, but who knows what will happen by next year. It’s also a great time to d... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190224 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:47:12 +0100 4190224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074023&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkuP-cXewgo4%2F By Roger PilonIn a long essay in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, “What the Tea Partiers Really Want,” University of Virginia psychology professor Jonathan Haidt argues, as the subtitle puts it, that “the passion behind the populist insurgency is less about liberty than a particularly American idea of karma.” Taking his cue from Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe’s claim in their new book, Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto, that tea partiers “just want to be free, … so long as we don’t infringe on the same freedom of others,” Haidt notes that his research shows that while self-described libertarians agree most strongly with that view, liberals are not far behind, in contrast with the social conservatives “who make up the bulk of the tea party,” who are more tepid in ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074023 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:45:10 +0100 4074023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013146&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH6U5zwCeVMo%2F By Mark A. CalabriaA common defense offered for keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or something like them, is that the market simply cannot absorb the same level of mortgage lending without them.  The central flaw in this argument is that Fannie and Freddie themselves must be funded by the market.  So if the financial markets can absorb X in GSE debt, then the financial markets can absorb X in mortgages. Different market participants currently face different capital requirements for the same assets.  To some extent, Fannie and Freddie were a vehicle for shifting mortgage risk from higher capitalized institutions to less capitalized.  If the Obama administration and bank regulators are serious about closing “regulatory gaps” then all entities backed by the govt, implicit o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013146 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:21:31 +0100 4013146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972903&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5tvdJ_PA2S4%2F By Mark A. CalabriaDespite every major US bank being declared by regulators as “well capitalized” prior to the financial crisis, we still found ourselves watching the government plow hundreds of billions of capital into said banks.  How can this be?  The answer is quite simple:  we were lied to.  Maybe that’s a little harsh, after all these banks did meet the regulatory definition of “well capitalized”.  But when push came to shove, market participants rightly ignored regulatory capital.  After all you cannot use things like “deferred tax losses” to pay your bills with. It is hard to improve upon Martin Wolf’s observation in today’s Financial Times:  “This amount of equity is far below levels markets would impose if invest... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972903 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:03:49 +0100 3972903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954228&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_xVwx6kegIc%2F By Mark A. CalabriaLike President Bush before him, Obama has a knack for taking the worst ideas of his opponents and making them his own.  It is truly bipartisanship in the worst of ways (think Sarbanes-Oxley, the TARP or No Child Left Behind).  The newest example is the President’s proposed “infrastructure bank.”  A bill along those lines was introduced a few years ago by then Senator Hagel, although the idea is far from new. First, let’s get out of the way the myth that we have been “under-funding” intrastructure.  Take the largest, and usually most popular, piece:  transportation.  Over the last decade, transportation spending at all levels of government has increased over 70 percent.  One can debate if that money has been spent wisely, but the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954228 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:03:26 +0100 3954228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929219&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYQ9csW4yt14%2F By Malou InnocentFrom this week’s Washington Post: Afghanistan’s Central Bank has taken control of the country’s biggest and most politically potent private bank and ordered its chairman to hand over $160 million worth of luxury villas and other real estate purchased in Dubai for well-connected insiders, according to Afghan bankers and officials. Farther down the page the article continues: Kabul Bank previously had been shielded by the political clout of its shareholders who, in addition to Mahmoud Karzai [President Hamid Karzai’s brother, who partly owns Kabul Bank], include Haseen Fahim, the brother of Vice President Mohammed Fahim. If this hostile takeover wasn’t questionable enough, the article goes on to report: Kabul Bank’s biggest creditor, bank i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929219 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:03:43 +0100 3929219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914984&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPEdWlxY7HdM%2F By Gerald P. O'DriscollEvery August, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City sponsors a conference on monetary policy. It is the most valued invitation of the year for central bankers and Fed watchers. The Fed Chairman typically presents his views on monetary policy and the economy, and his talk inevitably makes headlines. (A select few reporters are invited.) This year, Ben Bernanke promised the Fed will do whatever it takes to aid the faltering U.S. recovery, and most of all to prevent deflation. The problem for the Fed Chairman is that the central bank is plainly running out of options, as some had the cheek to observe. He suggested the Fed could do more of the same (purchase long-term securities), or try something new and untested (tweak the interest rate it pays on bank reserves). Ber... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914984 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:18:38 +0100 3914984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957965&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Ficd10-qa Y2K threatened power outages, food and water shortages, bank failures – all of which would render folks around the globe cold, hungry, thirsty, and without any way to get money to quell those. That catastrophe never happened, but ICD-10 has since been compared to Y2K, warranted or not. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957965 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:02:06 +0100 3957965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902947&cid=t_115828_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F25%2Fproof-positive-generosity-as-a-business-model%2F Good works are links that form a chain of love. — Mother Teresa My nickname is eleven-fifty-nine. That is the time I show up at the bank on Saturdays. They close at noon. I know the tellers. They laugh each week when I come in. I laugh too. I always promise I will try to get there earlier next week. I never do.   Life just gets in the way. I went to the bank this past Friday. It is my writing day, and I was writing what you are now reading. I got there about 10 a.m. The tellers laughed, checked their imaginary or real watches and wondered out loud what day it was. I told them not to expect this from me again. As I filled out the deposit slip, an unkempt, scraggly man carrying a satchel got in line. I noticed the tellers paying attention to him and his sack. My anti-terrorism parano... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902947 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:39:58 +0100 3902947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750040&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3JD2HOguO0k%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA number of economists have been warning about the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policy, but defenders of the central bank often ask, ”if there’s an easy money policy, why isn’t that showing up in the form of higher prices?” Thomas Sowell has an answer to this question, explaining that people and businesses are sitting on cash because anti-business policies have dampened economic activity. Not only has all the runaway spending and rapid escalation of the deficit to record levels failed to make any real headway in reducing unemployment, all this money pumped into the economy has also failed to produce inflation. The latter is a good thing in itself but its implications are sobering. How can you pour trillions of dollars into the economy an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750040 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:42:05 +0100 3750040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644740&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-living-10-easy-ways-to-go-paperless%2F Take a look around your desk; you probably have piles and piles of paper just sitting there. These piles are a combination of bills, documents you feel you should keep but probably won’t ever need, catalogs, junk mail, and receipts. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed among all these former trees, especially if the whole thing is a disorganized mess. And wouldn’t your life be so much more eco-friendly if you could cut out paper entirely? Check out Lifehacker’s Guide to Going Paperless: photo: Thinkstock 1. Pay your bills online. Practically all utility companies have the option to pay your bill online. Take advantage. 2. Get your bank statements online. You’ll have a copy of your records in your account on your bank’s site. 3. Stop getting credit card offers ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644740 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:32:41 +0100 3644740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632260&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fxc77Kl2VykU%2F By Mark A. CalabriaAn insightful op-ed in yesterday’s Financial Times by Raghu Rajan (who will be presenting his latest book soon here at Cato), apparently was too much for Paul Krugman to bear.  What was Rajan’s great crime that so upset Krugman?  Rajan, correctly, pointed out that US policies, such as Fannie Mae and the Community Re-investment Act, were direct contributors to the financial crisis and that bankers shouldn’t be blamed for simply reacting to perverse government incentives. Now Krugman cannot bear to see CRA and Fannie questioned.  He claims that Rajan is relying on some blind faith that has been disproven by all thinking people.  Krugman offers two points (his supposed “facts”) that prove Fannie Mae and CRA are innocent. First, he argues t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632260 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:30:13 +0100 3632260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629618&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5Ij5q5GF5Jg%2F By Mark A. CalabriaOn the surface the failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would appear to have little connection to the fiscal crisis in Greece, outside of both occurring in or around the time of a global financial crisis.  Of course in the case of Fannie and Freddie, primary blame lies with their management and with Congress.  Primary blame for Greece’s problems clearly lies with the Greek government.  Neither Greece or Fannie would have been able to get into as much trouble, however, if financial institutions around the world had not loaded up on their debt.  One reason, if not the primary reason, for bailing out both Greece and the US’s government sponsored enterprises is the adverse impact their failures would have on the banking system. Yet bankers around the world ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629618 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:16:19 +0100 3629618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607628&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-can-we-make-ehrs-secure The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT awarded four Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. One of the projects is being led by Professor Carl Gunter of the Department of Computer Science and the Information Trust Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607628 Fri, 28 May 2010 13:12:18 +0100 3607628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552227&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fxyu01UtmFH0%2F By Mark A. CalabriaOne of the puzzles of Congressional efforts to “reform” our financial system to avoid future crises is the amount of attention to lenders who had nothing to do with the crisis (almost as puzzling as the inattention to many who did). Today’s Washington Post, for instance, details the efforts of payday lenders to fight back against both Senator Dodd’s new consumer agency and Senator Hagan’s amendment, that would essentially eliminate the consumer option of payday loans. In general, any efforts to restrict consumer choice is rarely likely to improve consumer welfare.  This has been repeatedly demonstrated in research on payday lending.  Senator Hagan played a key role in banning such products in North Carolina.  What was the result of that... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552227 Mon, 10 May 2010 18:36:00 +0100 3552227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538076&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5P7uroEV4wg%2F By Mark A. CalabriaWhen it comes to banking policy, there are few people I respect more than Jonathan Macey and Arnold Kling; so when these two, independently, argue that we should be breaking up the largest banks, it is idea that merits consideration.  Yet I still have my doubts. First, lets start with what we are fairly certain of.  There is a large empirical literature that suggest most US mega-banks are beyond their efficient size.  There is a good survey of the literature by former Fed Economist Allen Berger .  So, at a minimum, the academic literature suggests the largest banks are beyond a size that is justified by the social benefits. However, there is also a small literature that suggests more concentrated banking systems are more stable, and less prone to crisis.  Some of t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538076 Wed, 05 May 2010 18:30:52 +0100 3538076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508170&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8HNZ9mjg9tw%2F By Cato EditorsRecently, the Federal Reserve has significantly altered the procedures and goals that it had followed for decades. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) has introduced a bill calling for an audit of the Fed. Remarkably, there is significant opposition to such oversight, and the political prospects for undertaking such an audit are relatively bleak. In a new paper, Cato scholar Arnold Kling examines the processes and outcomes on which an audit should focus, and looks at opposition to the audit: We should document why the Fed took each step, what the expected results were, and whether those results were achieved. …The profit or loss of the Fed’s investments would provide a very helpful indicator of whether the Fed’s actions served the economy as a whole or merely transferred ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508170 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:36:50 +0100 3508170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499286&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F04%2F23%2Fregulate-the-banks-youll-spoil-the-fun%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Regulate the Banks? You’ll Spoil the Fun. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bailout, bank, bank regulation, chaos theory, foreclosures, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499286 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:53:35 +0100 3499286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499141&cid=t_115828_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdonor-eggs-and-donor-embryos-how-much.html We have a very active donor egg and donor embryo IVF program. Many couples want to know more information about our donors - their physical traits; educational background; special interests; religion , and so on.This is perfectly understandable - after all, this is an anonymous and confidential donation, and it's quite natural to be curious and learn as much as possible about the person who is making such an important contribution to your future family !Also, I think patients' expectations have been set by US clinics and donor agencies, which provide extensive and detailed online catalogs and lists of donors. However, I sometimes wonder what the value of all this is. In my opinion, these resemble a shopping list too much for my liking ( but given the consumer culture in the USA, where every... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499141 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:26:00 +0100 3499141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487186&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-will-web-coupons-affect-your-personal-health-information Stephanie Clifford's story in the New York Times tells how the massive, under-the-radar data mining industry just hammered the one of the last nails into the coffin of online "privacy". In case you are naïve enough to imagine you have any privacy at all online - this story proves you have none.   How will "web coupons" affect your personal health information, from prescriptions to DNA to diagnoses?   (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487186 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:26:20 +0100 3487186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463585&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D451 Here’s a peek at the conversation in Australia regarding the pros and cons of private and public cord blood banking. It’s so interesting how different parts of the world are in different places when it comes to this conversation. In the US, there’s legislation pending requiring OBGYNs to advise patients of the availablility of cord blood storage; in Australia, patients who are exploring it may feel ostracized. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/7052267/opinions-divided-over-umbilical-cord-blood-bank/ (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463585 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:10:00 +0100 3463585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463579&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FP-fm9O175ng%2F By Marian L. TupyThis month, two vice-presidents of the Czech National Bank (CNB) have made very serious allegations against the International Monetary Fund. Below is the summary of their claims so far: Speaking to the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard on April 2, Mojmir Hampl, the vice-president of the CNB, said that the IMF under Dominique Strauss-Kahn “wanted to expand its role in Eastern Europe and obtain new financial resources.” Hampl claimed that the IMF exaggerated problems with the financial systems in Eastern Europe. “We have always emphasized that the instability of the financial system [in 2008] was a Western European problem. That proved correct… According to a recent EU report, only nine out of 27 EU member states did not have to introduce any financial stabiliza... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463579 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:50:55 +0100 3463579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443665&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fdo-separate-bank-accounts-make-marriage-happy%2F Traditionally, a newlywed couple is expected to merge all aspects of their lives to form one solid unit going forward into (hopefully) marital bliss. What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine, right? Image: istockphoto Not so fast – especially when it comes to money. It’s becoming more and more popular for married couples to keep separate bank accounts. A practice that was unheard of a few decades ago, many experts are pointing to reasons why keeping finances separate but not necessarily equal is a good idea. In an advice column, LendingTree gives reasons why separate bank accounts may be the way to go in terms of the need for privacy, lowering the risk of financial ruin, and maintaining credit and a sense of freedom for both parties. And About.com points to the fac... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443665 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:45:25 +0100 3443665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408601&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Fthe-banks-are-back-break-out-the-chianti%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. The Banks Are Back! Break Out the Chianti. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bank regulation, banking reform, chaos theory, financial crisis, meltdown, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408601 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:33:50 +0100 3408601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322348&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D426 I read a blog today – wow, what a mouthful!  It’s written by a popular blogger in Singapore but it has just about every argument known to mankind about banking cord blood.  I almost believed she worked for one of the banks but I couldnt find any link or advertising. Here’s the blog entry on cord blood banking. http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/cord-blood-banks-scam-science-or-matter-of-faith/#comment-2548 In it, there was reference to slick and sleazy cord blood banks and how “buyer beware” is the name of the game. She writes from Singapore so I don’t know what the regulations are in that market.  I posted this response about the US : “In the US, the cord blood banking processing and storage requirements are regulated, so any bank that�... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322348 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:20:15 +0100 3322348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280160&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F02%2F17%2Fgoldman-sachs-at-your-service%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Goldman Sachs At Your Service. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bank, chaos theory, euro, goldman sachs, greece, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280160 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:10:10 +0100 3280160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275787&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D402 The State of Arizona has a nice brochure available as a pdf file that you can print or just read.  It also references our favorite not-for-profit organization in the study and discussion of cord blood banking, http://parentsguidecordblood.org/ Here’s the link to the brochure if you think it might help someone learn more about cord blood banking: http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/owch/pdf/cord/umbilical_crd_proof.pdf (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275787 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:52:13 +0100 3275787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259193&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F02%2F09%2Fhey-banks-lets-put-on-a-show%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Hey Banks, Let’s Put On a Show! Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bank, chaos theory, corruption, political cartoon, wall street (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259193 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:16:31 +0100 3259193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239674&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fupdates-meaningful-use-certified-ehr-technology-and-stimulus-bill On December 30, 2009, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released documents shedding light on what physicians and hospitals must do to qualify for electronic health records (EHR) incentive payments under the HITECH Act. To qualify for incentives, physicians and hospitals must be using “certified EHR technology” in a “meaningful manner.” (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239674 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:25:21 +0100 3239674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171890&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrBfejxnclPI%2F By Mark A. CalabriaPerhaps I am a little confused, but didn’t the Obama Administration tell the American public only months ago that TARP was turning a profit?   But now the same administration is proposing to assess a fee on banks to cover losses from the TARP. Maybe President Obama is coming around to the realization that the TARP has indeed been a loser for the taxpayer. He appears, however, to be missing the critical reason why: the bailouts of the auto companies and AIG, all non-banks. This is to say nothing of the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose losses will far exceed those from the TARP. Where is the plan to re-coup losses from Fannie and Freddie? Or a plan to re-coup our rescue of the autos? If the effort is really about deficit reduction, then it completely misses ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171890 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:29:00 +0100 3171890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163758&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOYThxYFeVl0%2F By Mark A. CalabriaIt’s easy to forget that the financial crisis was not simply one of American financial institutions getting into trouble; banks around the world found themselves on the brink of failure.  One of the more interesting cases is Landsbankinn, a privately owned bank in Iceland.  Landsbankinn also operated a branch in Britain and the Netherlands called “Icesave.”  When Icesave failed in 2008, the British government rushed in and covered the deposits of its British savers — a move that was neither requested by Landsbankinn or the government of Iceland.  Now the Brits are demanding that Iceland pay them to cover those expenses. For a brief moment it looked like that was exactly what was going to happen, as the legislature in Iceland passed a bill to pay ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163758 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:37:30 +0100 3163758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139111&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fachieving-meaningful-use Now that the Interim Final Rule (Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology) and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Medicare and Medicaid Programs Electronic Health Record Incentive Program) have been published, we can all finalize our policy and technology strategies for achieving Certification and Meaningful Use in our organizations and communities (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139111 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:10:46 +0100 3139111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089275&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D373 New research has discovered that mesenchymal stem cells from cord blood might be beneficial for patients with severe eye and corneal disease.  The study transplanted the stem cells in an attempt to restore transparency to the cloudy corneas of laboratory mice. Corneal disease is currently treated through cornea transplants.  Unfortunately, there is only a limited supply, leaving many patients without options. The human stem cells were transplanted into the corneal stroma of the mouse eyes.  The cleared the cloudiness from the corneas of the mice.  In addition, these cells survived for more than 3 months without much sign of graft rejection.  With any type of transplantation, rejection is one of the biggest concerns.  The body tries to reject things that it finds foreign.  In fact, w... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089275 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:54:45 +0100 3089275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075498&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F3YSllfd10Kw%2F The following post by Debbie Myers, Founder of Virtuarte, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Deborah E. Myers has more than 25 years of experience in international economic development, including advocacy, public policy and developing strategic partnerships. She has worked with major corporations, governments, non-government organizations, and international organizations to find solutions to problems facing the people and governments in the developing world. Events in Life often force you to step back and review where you are. In 2007 this is exactly what happened to me. I had spent the last 15 years working for three different multinational corporations, the last one for six years. As is often... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075498 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:02:09 +0100 3075498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075479&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmhO10FsBKMQ%2F By Mark A. CalabriaA recent policy forum here at Cato discussed the role of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in the financial crisis.  While the forum focused on the federal push for ever expanding homeownership to marginal borrowers, the analysis did not touch directly upon the question of whether CRA lending undermines bank safety. Fortunately this is a question that one economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas bothered to ask.  While his research findings were available before the crisis, they were clearly ignored. In a peer-reviewed published article, appearing in the journal Economic Inquiry, economist Jeff Gunther concludes that there is “evidence to suggest that a greater focus on lending in low-income neighborhoods helps CRA ratings but comes at the expense of s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075479 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:53:35 +0100 3075479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063249&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D366 The state of Oklahoma is looking at developing a public cord blood bank.  Unfortunately for residents of the state, there are not enough births in Oklahoma to justify a state public bank.  Right now, for Oklahoma and other smaller states, the only option for cord blood banking is going through a private bank.  While public banking is definitely a great option for some families, it isn’t widespread enough to make it a viable option for everyone.  This is another area where private banks come through for families. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063249 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:56:24 +0100 3063249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063254&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fs5FTtAEJp-Y%2F The following post by Glenna Crooks, PhD, founder and President of Strategic Health Policy International, Inc, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Glenna Crooks solves some of the toughest health care problems of our times by distilling chaos and complexity into recognizable and easily digestible, action-oriented insights. Her clients, businesses and governments around the world, have used her Centricity Principle™ approach to create successful organizational, national and global transformational strategies. It has been long recognized that the growth of a nation’s economy improves the health of its people. The converse is also true. Improving health is an economically wise and productive inv... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063254 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:09:52 +0100 3063254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056637&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FjyEw7n4hp5A%2F The following guest post by Maureen Lewis, Advisor to the World Bank’s Chief Economist, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Maureen was formerly the Chief Economist Human Development and Advisor to the Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank.  Much of her research, publications and policy work examine governance and efficiency in the social sectors, particularly health. Health is a concern in all countries.  But in the developing world poor women bear a disproportionate brunt of poor access and low quality health care. But the solutions to poor health in developing countries aren’t always obvious.  Moreover they vary across countries.  First, all developing countries aren’... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056637 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:01:18 +0100 3056637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056638&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euro.who.int%2FDocument%2FE88086.pdf The following post by Karen Nielsen, President of Nielsen & Associates, LLC, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Karen Nielsen has worked in the health care field for over 20 years, predominately focused on collaborative efforts between private and public organizations. Ms. Nielsen consults with industry and non-government organizations (NGOs) to identify and enable public health-centered solutions. A young girl in Africa awakens early to fetch water for her families’ daily needs. She will need to make multiple trips, carrying the largest volume possible to shorten the task. This daily ritual can take 3 hours or more. For these young girls there will be no school, basic necessities of life a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056638 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:53 +0100 3056638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048103&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FxpXcVTHGauE%2F The following post by Robin Strongin, Creator of Disruptive Women in Health Care, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. “As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality. No other policy is as sure to improve nutrition and promote health, including the prevention of HIV/AIDS. No other policy is as powerful in increasing the chances of education for the next generation. That is why discrimination against women of all ages deprives the world’s children—all of them, not just the half who are girls—of the chance to reach their po... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048103 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:05:29 +0100 3048103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048084&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHQqn4XqYCUI%2F John Kay’s column in yesterday’s Financial Times criticizes government guarantees to banks because they involve hidden but large costs. According to Kay: Such guarantees distort competition: sheltered banks outperform rivals not because of greater efficiency, but because capital becomes cheaper to obtain. Sheltered banks gain too-big-to-fail status, which creates barriers to entry for smaller, more efficient banks. Relief from business risk leads to more risk taking, AKA moral hazard. Cheaper private risk management incentives are reduced within and outside the bank. Other kinds of government guarantees, such as social insurance, also involve large hidden costs. Social Security and Medicare’s guarantee of a paid holiday with medical care for the rest of retirees’ lives generates ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048084 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:23:22 +0100 3048084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036938&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D344 The scientific journal Cell Transplantation has 2 studies that have explored umbilical cord blood stem cell treatments for lung and heart disorders.  Both studies were conducted using animals so they are very preliminary, but they offer great potential for future treatments. In one study, researchers investigated the therapeutic benefits of transplanting human umbilical cord blood (UCB) mensenchymal stem cells (MSC) into newborn laboratory rats with oxygen-deprived lung injury.  They found that the cells have a protective effect against hyperoxia-induced lung injury, likely due to anti-inflammatory effects.  These results might eventually lead to the discovery of treatments for hypertoxic neonatal lung disease, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature human infants. Another research t... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036938 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:57:18 +0100 3036938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026667&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D347 M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories is on Facebook.  Stop by and visit our Facebook page and become a fan.  Our Facebook page is a great way to keep up with the latest about cord blood banking, what’s happening with M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood and what the scientific community is learning about cord blood stem cells. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026667 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:19:36 +0100 3026667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023095&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F35PMRhE5m3I%2F I’ve just started reading a new article by economists at the World Bank and the Peterson Insititute. The gist of the paper is that greenhouse gas emission targets will have little effect on “carbon leakage”, the apparently-largely-theoretical phenomenon whereby carbon-intensive industries move to less regulated jurisdictions in response to stringent emissions regulations in their original home.  So we can strike that off our list of worries. The authors do reach the conclusion, though, that output of energy-intensive products will decline in response to emissions cuts and the political temptation for “carbon tariffs” will be strong (see here why that is a bad idea). Basing the carbon tariffs on the carbon content of imports–as opposed to, say, the carb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023095 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:10:35 +0100 3023095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992654&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSbYiyF-YLk4%2F Over at Downsizing Government, we focused on failures in the following departments and agencies this week: Export-Import Bank: Call it the “Boeing Bank” HUD: Federal Housing Administration woes continue and housing subsidies for the dead Transportation: High-speed rail lobbyists squabble over taxpayer loot Also, in addition to losing more money, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lose their inspector general. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992654 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:28:19 +0100 2992654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016925&cid=t_115828_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F6lLEi6_Ck78%2F This study was carried out – where else? – in Switzerland, where 7 million individuals exchange 20 – 100 million banknotes each day. Thomas Y, Vogel G, Wunderli W, Suter P, Witschi M, Koch D, Tapparel C, & Kaiser L (2008). Survival of influenza virus on banknotes. Applied and environmental microbiology, 74 (10), 3002-7 PMID: 18359825 (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016925 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:13:28 +0100 3016925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977273&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8Zy8En-qHt4%2F On its front page today, the Washington Times reports that expanded powers for the Federal Reserve are being opposed by “odd allies.”  The Fed’s imperial over-reach for additional regulatory powers is being opposed by Democrats and Republicans, and liberals and conservatives alike.  As well it should be.  As Senator Shelby observed, “Anointing the Fed as the systemic-risk regulator will make what has proven to be a bad bank regulator even worse.” The regulation of financial services failed conspicuously to prevent the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  The Fed failed most conspicuously as it was charged with oversight of all the major banks, including notably Citigroup and Bank of America. Bank regulation now functions to insulate banks f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977273 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:28:21 +0100 2977273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2930959&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwnBLwpHHETs%2F How and when should the Fed unwind the enormous monetary expansion it undertook in response to the financial crisis and recession? The WSJ reports [$]: As the Federal Reserve’s next meeting approaches in early November, an internal debate is brewing about how and when to signal the possibility of interest-rate increases. The Fed has said since March that it will keep rates very low for an “extended period.” Long before it raises rates, however, it will need to change that public signal to financial markets. Because the recovery is so young and is expected to be so weak, many central bank officials are comfortable, for now, keeping rates very low. But they are beginning to strategize about how to walk away from the “extended period” language. My suggestion is t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2930959 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:48:27 +0100 2930959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920173&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D317 Researchers at Duke University are looking at the possibility of treating children. using cord blood, before they are born.  The scientists are exploring the treatment of metabolic diseases including Krabbe disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), Pelizaeus-Maerzbacher Disease (PMD), Tay-Sachs disease, or Sandoff disease. The babies will be treated, while in utero, using stem cells from banked cord blood that have been treated to accelerate and and improve the process of engraftment.  The transplant is relatively simple.  The stem cells will be injected directly into the baby’s abdomen at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. The babies will be tested after birth to determine if donor cells are present and if they are working to repair the malfunctioning genes.  If not, the baby may be e... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920173 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:32:26 +0100 2920173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916081&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FziYjmUwKyB8%2F According to reports, executives from bailed out companies Citigroup, Bank of America, GM, Chrysler, GMAC, Chrysler Financial and AIG are going to see major pay cuts this year, which will be enforced by the president’s “pay czar,” Kenneth R. Feinberg. WaPo: NEW YORK — The Obama administration plans to order companies that have received exceptionally large amounts of bailout money from the government to slash compensation for their highest-paid executives by about half on average, according to people familiar with the long-awaited decision. The administration will also curtail many corporate perks, including the use of corporate jets for personal travel, chauffeured drivers and country club fee reimbursement, people familiar with the matter have said. Individual per... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916081 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:30:50 +0100 2916081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916085&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvG64SGU-Y8w%2F Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, has shocked the staid world of British banking by raising the possibility of breaking up the UKs big banks. Mr. King is no socialist, but a worried banking regulator. He is worried about “the sheer creative imagination of of the financial sector to think up new ways of taking risk.” Around the world, regulators and finance ministers are hoping that banks will grow their way out of their current mess. To do so, however, banks will in fact need to seek new ways of taking on risk. It is called going for broke: the upside goes to stockholders and managers, and the downside to taxpayers. Mr. King knows that it is a “delusion” that regulators can control bank risk-taking. Whether one agrees with his solution, at least he recog... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916085 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:19:30 +0100 2916085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2905073&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F10%2F19%2Fchaos-theory-the-bonus-on-wall-street-nothing-could-stop-it%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: The Bonus on Wall Street: Nothing Could Stop It! Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: bailout, bank, economy, political cartoon, wall street bonus (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2905073 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:52:35 +0100 2905073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879758&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbig-pink-bus-battles-breast-cancer%2F Because of my blog a lot of people contact me to tell me about their efforts to promote breast cancer awareness or other initiatives to battle breast cancer. Actually most of them are worthwhile. I am always amazed by the devotion and dedication people have in helping others. I am even more amazed when I hear about a story like the one that was on my local news today. A woman in her 40’s was diagnosed with breast cancer just after leaving her job. She had no health care and no income. She actually did some research to look for a place she could go to die; there was no way that she was going to be able to afford treatment. With a little help from her local cancer society, she found a program that treated women with cervical or breast cancer that had no health insurance, it saved her l... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879758 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:39:52 +0100 2879758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851750&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5mFvHNabPSs%2F In the last few days, we have witnessed an almost unprecedented chorus of warnings about inflation prospects by senior Fed officials. Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher said the Fed must be prepared to tighten monetary policy by raising short-term interest rates with “alacrity.” President Charles Plosser of Philadelphia had spoken of the need to raise interest rates before unemployment returns to normal in order “to prevent the Second Great Inflation.” The comments of the two Reserve Bank presidents reinforce those made by Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. Financial markets are confused because the Fed’s policy-making committee (the Federal Open Market Committee) had just indicated its intention to keep interest rates low for an extended period. The inflation warning... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851750 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:24:51 +0100 2851750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803902&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D270 Expectant parents often wonder when they need to decide if they are going to bank their baby’s cord blood and when they need to register with a cord blood bank.  While you can decide anytime during your pregnancy, we recommend beginning your research early in your second trimester.  You want to have time to examine your options and not feel rushed. You should be able to gather information packets, make any phone calls, check out some unbiased sources and maybe even talk to your pregnant friends and your health care provider. In addition, if you wait until the last minute to register, your cord blood bank may need to charge a rush fee to ensure that your cord blood collection kit makes it to you before the arrival of your baby.  Since even scheduled babies sometimes arrive early, y... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803902 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:01:08 +0100 2803902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2758164&cid=t_115828_177_f&fid=38134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbabybound.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F02%2Fchase-bank-can-suck-my-dick%2F **this post as nothing to do with anything.  But I’m mad.  So deal. OK.  I’ve been a Wamu banker for over 10 years.  I have a platinum account with them and have done a great deal of business with them.  I have a total 6 accounts with them!  So naturally, you would think that if there was something suspicious with my account, they would be more than happy to help me right?  O I’m so sorry to tell you this, but you would be dead wrong. When Wamu was purchased by Chase, everything went to hell in a hand basket. We have recently been the lovely recipients of bank fraud.  Somebody has been transferring our money around and then withdrawing it.  Like 5 times a day.  For a month.  Awesome right? You would THINK that the bank would help us out.  Its so obvious that i... B a b y B o u n d blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2758164 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:15:13 +0100 2758164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709106&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D227 Last month, MinnPost ran an opinion piece discussing cord blood donation and the difficulties with donating cord blood in different states. According to the article, there are only 22 states that offer public cord blood banking options. These options are only available through certain hospitals. This is why it is sometimes difficult to find a match in the public cord blood banks, especially for minority patients. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709106 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:44:12 +0100 2709106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699554&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D229 As we all know by now, there’s a movie out, My Sister’s Keeper, that dramatizes the experience of a family trying to save a child with Franconi anemia by having a child whose stem cells matched and were successfully transplanted into the sick child.  Though the movie has been criticized by its variance from reality, and its studious avoidance of topics such as political roadblocks, the Times writer Lisa Belkin, was certainly touched by the decisions parents need to make – financial and emotional – to create a world worthy of their wonderful children.  Read Ms. Belkin’s own words for a picture of the conflicts and courage sometimes required to navigate parenthood from the very beginning. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699554 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:51:21 +0100 2699554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688619&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D216 On our cord blood banking blog, we want parents-to-be to have the whole story, not just information that serves our lab.  Here is a Web site with information about donating cord blood. The site reports that about “20% of patients that need a transplant to replace their blood-forming cells receive cord blood that was donated to a public cord blood bank.” (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688619 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:48:47 +0100 2688619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2681855&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D213 A scientist at the Loyola University Health System, last month, received a grant from the Amgen Foundation. Dr. Aileen Go is researching the use of cord blood as a treatment for leukemia and lymphoma patients who are 55-75. Dr. Go is exploring the expansion of cord blood stem cells to allow a single cord blood sample to treat an older adult. In the past, older adults have required the combination of multiple cord blood samples to provide enough stem cells for treatment. This type of research is very valuable for families who have banked their cord blood. Since there doesn’t appear to be any “expiration date” on cord blood, the ability to expand the stem cells may eventually allow cord blood to be used multiple times throughout the child’s life. (Source: Cord Blood N... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2681855 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:06:08 +0100 2681855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670777&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKWDLblAIeX0%2F One of the obstacles to reducing mortgage foreclosures is that so many of the homes being foreclosured upon are not occupied by their owners.  Approximately 20 percent of homes are vacant investor-held properties, while according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition another 20 percent are occupied by renters. Addressing the issue of renter occupied foreclosures has been one of the harder nuts to crack.  We should have no sympathy for vacant homes purchased purely for speculative gain – the best course of action for those homes is foreclosure, or even better, speculators should be expected to continue paying those mortgages even in the face of losses.   Where homes are currently rented however, it may be in the interest of both the bank and the renter to continue that... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670777 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:28:11 +0100 2670777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645253&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D186 We’re sure you’ve heard of it or seen it in your doctor’s office. The digest-sized magazine has lots of cute ads to look at while you’re waiting to be seen by your OB (and we know how long that can take…). But the best part is the website. You can go to your region – or other regions – and find out about products and services available for future parents. I know someone who lives, to quote her, “not near anything” in Minnesota. She surfs around The Bump website looking in major urban areas for services and ideas that aren’t necessarily local (what with the internet and all). Makes her feel like she isn’t “not near anything” and plugged into the new news mainframe for parents-to-be. You may recognize The Bump because it’s the sister site to The Knot (weddings) an... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645253 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:59:21 +0100 2645253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634343&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D188 The Chicago Tribune published a short and helpful summary of the dos and don’ts of banking and donating cord blood, including some cautious advice on donating to public banks.  The article references three private cord blood banks – because they’re big, no other reason – which reveals the limited scope of the press when considering options for their readers.  Still, it’s a good summary in case you’re introducing the idea to your doctor, spouse or mother-in-law. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634343 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:16:41 +0100 2634343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613838&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fk4KyMt3g-yk%2F More than 250 economists have signed an “Open Letter to Congress and the Executive Branch” calling upon them to “defend the independence of the Federal Reserve System as a foundation of U.S. economic stability.” Allan Meltzer is not a signatory to the petition and he has explained why not.  The Fed has frequently not shown independence in the past, and there is no reason to expect it to do so reliably in the future.  Professor Meltzer has just completed a multi-volume history of the Fed and knows all-too-well of the Fed’s willingness to accommodate the policies of administrations from FDRs to Lyndon Johnson’s.  I would add that the Fed’s behavior under Chairman Bernanke breaks new ground in aligning the central bank’s policy with Treasury’s.  Much of what the Fed has... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613838 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:37:06 +0100 2613838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610883&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQ_5DIr8K6-k%2F Rory Stewart has a terrific piece in the London Review of Books arguing that Beltway foreign-policy thinkers are “minimising differences between cultures, exaggerating our fears, aggrandising our ambitions, inflating a sense of moral obligations and power, and confusing our goals” when it comes to Afghanistan: Policymakers perceive Afghanistan through the categories of counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, state-building and economic development. These categories are so closely linked that you can put them in almost any sequence or combination. You need to defeat the Taliban to build a state and you need to build a state to defeat the Taliban. There cannot be security without development, or development without security. If you have the Taliban you have terrorists, if you don�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610883 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:06:29 +0100 2610883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576535&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D168 We recently discovered a new foundation dedicated to educating parents about cord blood banking.  The Save the Cord Foundation was formed by 2 bio-tech and pharmaceutical executives who recognized the value of cord blood.  They are working to ensure that every baby’s cord blood is collected. The Save the Cord Foundation encourages parents to bank their baby’s cord blood, whether they use a public or private cord blood bank.  The founders recognize that cord blood is a valuable resource and should be saved for every baby. Check out the Save the Cord Foundation.  It is another unbiased source to help you decide if you want to bank your baby’s cord blood.  Remember, educated parents are in the best position to make their own decisions.  Good luck! (Source: Cord Blood N... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576535 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:26:37 +0100 2576535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570385&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRXqlqo8xVqY%2F Technically, it was the companies which raised their fees.  But they did so to anticipate new legislative restrictions on fees taking effect.  Congress wanted to cut costs for consumers, but ended up costing them instead. Reports the Washington Post: Credit card companies are raising interest rates and fees seven months before new rules go into effect that will limit their ability to do so, much to the irritation of Congress and consumer advocates. Chase, for instance, will raise the minimum payment required of some of its customers from 2 percent to 5 percent of the statement balance starting in August. Chase and Discover have increased the maximum fee charged for transferring a balance to the card to 5 percent of the amount, up from 3 and 4 percent, respectively. Bank of America last ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570385 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:22:23 +0100 2570385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553004&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D149 A few weeks ago, we wrote about a federal bill to educate expectant parents about cord blood banking.  Ohio is not even waiting for the federal government to consider it, the state is in the process of passing its own legislation. Cord blood banking is an important opportunity for expectant parents and it is beneficial for them to have unbiased information about such options.  According to the legislation, doctors in Ohio will be required to educate their patients about cord blood storage precess and will provide information to help with the decision process. Parents in Ohio parents will have all of the information available to them in order to make an informed decision about banking baby’s cord blood. M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories is in favor of any programs that encourage the ... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553004 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:48:13 +0100 2553004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510242&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D158 CTV recently ran a story about a young Canadian boy, Lucas Blake, who is searching for a stem cell match.  Lucas is suffering from Fanconi anemia, an inherited disorder where the patient’s bone marrow is unable to manufacture new blood cells.  His father is Jamaican and his mother is Portuguese, making a mixed race match even more challenging.  Since a cord blood match requires matching DNA markers and HLA antigens, it is even more difficult to find a stem cell match for a mixed-race patient. A few years ago, the family was excited to learn that they were expecting a baby.  Their older son was not a match for Lucas, maybe the new baby would be.  The family might be able to use the new baby’s cord blood to treat Lucas.  Unfortunately, the new baby was not a match and, he t... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510242 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:59:55 +0100 2510242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473197&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbblJhOh0tG8%2F Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform questioned Ken Lewis about Bank of America’s purchase of Merrill Lynch and the subsequent injection of tens of billions of taxpayer funds into Bank of America. While much of the hearing focused on Lewis’ leadership of Bank of America, the hearing also touched upon the more important questions of government regulators pressuring BoA to purchase Merrill even after BoA realized that Merrill’s losses were greater than expected. One of the basic tenets of sound regulation, exercised in the public interest, is that regulators remain at “arm’s length” from the entities they regulate. As defined by Black’s Law Dictionary, “arm’s length” relates to “dealings between two parties who are not related or not ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473197 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:00:10 +0100 2473197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469434&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqcP4g6o0A-Y%2F According to the Argentine daily La Nación [in Spanish], the World Bank warned yesterday about “corruption, money laundering, inflation, indebtedness and nationalizations in Argentina.” Then the WB went ahead and approved a series of loans to the country for approximately $2 billion. The Argentine minister of Labor said that the credits were “a good sign of confidence” by the World Bank on the country. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469434 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:23:57 +0100 2469434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452365&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D144 Popular Science recently published an in-depth article on stem cell research and some of the treatments that scientists are exploring with stem cells. While a large part of the article is dedicated to embryonic stem cells, the writer includes quite a bit of information on cord blood stem cells as well. It is a great article and offers a wonderful explanation of the different types of stem cells that are currently being explored. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452365 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:19:54 +0100 2452365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452929&cid=t_115828_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fstem-cells-from-wisdom-teeth-save-lives%2F This video shows us Megan Brown, a young cancer survivor, who had her wisdom teeth extracted. StemSave will preserve Meagan’s stem cells in case she needs them in the future. Having already experienced life with cancer, she is taking the simple precaution of stem cell preservation to improve her chance of recovering should she become ill again. Stem cells can be used in treating MS, Parkinson’s, liver and heart disease, and many other serious health problems. Find more videos like this on PennWell Dental Group The Stem Cell Blog reports that a boy was cured of sickle cell anemia with the use of stem cells , and a heart attack victim found new hope when her stem cells were used to a repair her damaged heart muscle. Another YouTube video reports that stem cells from an umbilical cord... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452929 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:06:36 +0100 2452929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398598&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fzo5LWewVdPc%2F Even with the stress tests completed, the Obama Administration lacks an exit strategy for its deepening involvement in supporting these banks. What the administration needs to do is give the American people a road map for getting out of the business of owning banks. However, instead of a roadmap, the Administration keeps digging more potholes. Secretary Geithner’s recent remarks, in which he suggested imposing additional requirements before letting banks repay their TARP obligations, raise serious questions regarding the administration’s desire to actually exit the current situation. Treasury should reconsider its position and not only allow banks to repay, but encourage them to do so. The quicker we get these institutions out from under the government, the quicker our financial marke... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398598 Thu, 07 May 2009 15:34:19 +0100 2398598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364923&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMX9DiBhDkbQ%2F I happen to own shares in Bank of America, so I’ve just received a proxy statement for the upcoming annual meeting. The Board of Directors recommends that I authorize them to vote my shares FOR an uncontested slate of candidates for the board. Usually I go along with such proxy requests. But this time I thought: Why should these people get something like $250,000 a year to take orders from President Obama and Secretary Geithner? It’s become pretty clear that the Obama administration intends to use the bailout money to control private companies. He intends to tell companies what cars to make, how much to lend, how much to charge for credit cards, what to pay their executives, what kinds of bonuses are acceptable, and other crucial management decisions. So I decided to write in ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364923 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:56:00 +0100 2364923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356855&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fx3CqYWp1u64%2F Do trade and economic growth conflict with human rights? Too often, human rights advocates present development as incompatible with rights. So-called development agencies like the World Bank often ignore rights, including personal choice, when they push for top-down growth strategies around the world. Jean-Pierre Chauffour will speak at the Cato Institute tomorrow on his new Cato book, The Power of Freedom: Uniting Human Rights and Development, where he takes the human rights and development “communities” to task for working at cross purposes and muddled thinking. Sign up here or watch online to hear him present a development agenda that respects the full range of human rights. Susan Aaronson of George Washington University will comment. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356855 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:33:32 +0100 2356855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347749&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D118 With the investigation of embryonic stem cells as potential treatment for diseases, stem cells have become very controversial.  Parents wonder if banking their infant’s cord blood will be controversial.  The short answer is no.  Cord blood stem cells are used to nourish a baby while the baby is in-utero.  Once the baby is delivered, the cord blood stem cells typically become medical waste. This “medical waste” can be saved to treat a number of different diseases and is not controversial at all.  The controversy revolves around the use of embryonic stem cells which are grown from existing embryos.  Many religions believe that these stem cells compose a living being, making the use of them unethical.  Since cord blood stem cells do not develop into a human, there is ... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347749 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:37:05 +0100 2347749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347873&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6749 “Sperm should be subject to the same product liability laws as car brakes, according to a US judge who has given a teenager with severe learning disabilities the go-ahead to sue the sperm bank that provided her with a biological father.”read more | digg story from the Malaysian Medical Resources Sperm Bank Sued Under Product Liability Law (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347873 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2347873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306648&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D109 Last week, US representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Wally Herger (R-CA), Artur Davis (D-AL), Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced the Family Cord Blood Banking Act.  This act will amend Internal Revenue code to add cord blood banking services as a qualified medical expense.  This would allow individuals and couples to pay for umbilical cord blood banking services through flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) or the medical expense tax deduction. Cord blood is used to treat more than 70 diseases in adults and children.  Since it can only be banked during a baby’s birth, it makes sense for it to be a qualified medical expense.  This legislation could make this an option for more families facing... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306648 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:53:51 +0100 2306648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272568&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=34621&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthcareGuy%2F%7E3%2FXmN_ZJv3zBw%2F510 In this fourth installment explaining clinical interoperability in plain English, Charlie Harp talks about semantics or the “meaning of data”. Charlie is the CEO and founder of Clinical Architecture and has spent the last twenty years designing and developing software solutions in the healthcare industry.  Here’s what he had to say in his final part of a series I’ve be doing on interoperability. Clinical Interoperability – The Antics of Semantics Semantic interoperability deals with the actual “language” contained in the conversation between applications. Solving the syntactic interoperability issue by using a standard message format does not mean that the terms used by one application are the understood by the other. A computer can't understand thisApplications Can’t ... The Healthcare IT Guy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272568 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:49:11 +0100 2272568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270268&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D97 M.A.Z.E. cord blood bank recently posted an interesting case study on a patient whose parents banked his cord blood with M.A.Z.E.  The baby was born with cerebral palsy and his cord blood was used as treatment. Read the cord blood case study. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270268 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:09:49 +0100 2270268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218533&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F26%2Frare-form-of-ovarian-cancer-not-getting-inspirational-13-yr-old-down-you-can-help%2F GASPORT, NY: Strong Show of Support –Rare Cancer Not Getting Girl Down “By Bill Wolcott, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal GASPORT - Meghan Redenbach, 13 [year old], honor student and athlete, has a rare form of ovarian cancer, fibrosarcoma. There are only 30 documented cases of this cancer diagnosed in the United States, according to the family, and the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218533 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:29:04 +0100 2218533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190677&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F540260840%2Flawful-frame-of-banks-of-stem-cells-in.html The conservation of the stem cells is an essential question born with the increase of the samplings of stem cells of the umbilical cord especially but equally placenta. In France, specific and strict rules exist in case of samplings of organs or of fabrics. To be able to reflect on the nature and the lawful system of the banks of stem cells, it is necessary to ask himself the question of the nature of the stem cells themselves. The stem cell is an integral part of the human body because it is unity. It is unavailable, as the human body in his entire one, and cannot do the object of a bill of sale or the object of a contract of property right. The possible lonely act is the donation of stem cells. This statute has a direct consequence on the nature of the banks of stem cells. They must have... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190677 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:32:37 +0100 2190677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153826&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcats-and-dogs-can-we-find-unity-healthcare-it-change This blog first appeared at The Health Care Blog. - Ed. Those of you paying attention for the past few days might have noticed on the one hand a sense of optimism and unity as Barrack H. Obama, somewhat somberly, began his Presidency. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153826 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:48:31 +0100 2153826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121720&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D5941 Apparently size does matter, the size of your bank balance that is. Scientists have found that the pleasure women get from making love is directly linked to the size of their partner’s bank balance. They found that the wealthier a man is, the more frequently his partner has orgasms. “Women’s orgasm frequency increases with the income of their partner,” said Dr Thomas Pollet, the Newcastle University psychologist behind the research. He believes the phenomenon is an “evolutionary adaptation” that is hard-wired into women, driving them to select men on the basis of their perceived quality. The study is certain to prove controversial, suggesting that women are inherently programmed to be gold-diggers. I expect furious comments from the fairer sex. Fire away from the Malaysian M... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121720 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2121720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153831&cid=t_115828_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Flets-reboot-americas-health-it-conversation-part-2-beyond-ehrs This blog entry first appeared at The Health Care Blog. -Ed. Yesterday we tried to put EHRs into perspective. They're important, and we can't effectively move health care forward without them. But they're only one of many important health IT functions. EHRs and health IT alone won't fix health care. So developing a comprehensive but effective national health IT plan is a huge undertaking that requires broad, non-ideological thinking. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153831 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:02:16 +0100 2153831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075856&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D71 When a couple banks their infant’s cord blood, they usually sign a contract that either includes 20 years of cord blood storage or guarantees the annual storage fee will not change for a set number of years.  Since the technology for cord blood expansion is moving rapidly, most people expect to store their infant’s cord blood after that time.  They want to know what happens to their cord blood storage fee after that agreement terminates. Most cord blood companies will charge the annual fee that they are charging new families at that time.  Because of this, while you will not be able to tell what the fee will be, you will be able to tell whether it will be in the high range of storage fees or the low range. Look at the bank’s current storage fee.  If it is on the high ... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075856 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:45:35 +0100 2075856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046730&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fpension-scam-greed-crooks-and-fat-cats.html "It’s not us that will suffer, it’s your poor old pension fund"George ParrMike Denham at Burning our Money is, once again, looking at public sector pensions.Britain's £1 trillion plus unfunded public pensions liability is a huge ticking time bomb buried in the heart of our public finances. And every now and again the ticking gets alarmingly louder.Burning our moneyThe financial crisis worsens. Gordon Brown doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus. In his dreams. The world is unimpressed. Gordon is borrowing against our childrens’ future. The pound tumbles. Of course, "...that does not mean that the pound here in Britain, in your pocket or purse or in your bank, has been devalued."Old Labour economic theory I remember where I was when the last Labour Prime Minister bar two said... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046730 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:03:00 +0100 2046730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984799&cid=t_115828_82_f&fid=34667&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaryngoscope.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fplatelet-shortage.html Interesting email this week:This is a reminder that Thanksgiving is next week. We anticipate severe platelet shortages for the first week of December. Platelet availability will be VERY tight December 1-4. Monday and Tuesday will be the worst days since there will be virtually no blood donations Thursday-Sunday. If you have elective surgeries with high anticipated platelet needs, I would recommend rescheduling for the following week. I guess I never thought of that, but it makes sense.Platelet availability is dependent on recent (last 4-5 day) platelet donations. The week immediately after Thanksgiving and the Christmas-New Year holidays are always characterized by platelet shortages due to low whole blood donations in the preceding week. (Source: i'm so sleepy) i'm so sleepy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984799 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:19:00 +0100 1984799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1970828&cid=t_115828_177_f&fid=38134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbabybound.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F18%2Fwell-well-i-see-ive-hit-a-nerve%2F For the record, Mark and I are still in a fight.  But also for the record, I suspect it will end soon.  (Thankfully he does not read my blog and therefore is still miserably stewing at his desk at work.) Thank you all for the great advice.  I will definitely look into some adjustments to our current agreement.  Most notably, Mark’s new lack of plastic to wear down his pockets.  He cut his card in half in some sort of passive aggressive attempt at getting me to shut the fuck up not be mad at him.  Of course it didn’t work.  What a dum dum. I must say, it is oddly comforting to know that there are other people out there that struggle with this same issue.  It makes me feel better knowing that Mark isn’t the only fuckwit out there and that it is clearly a genetic dis... B a b y B o u n d blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1970828 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:42:27 +0100 1970828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1970829&cid=t_115828_177_f&fid=38134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbabybound.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F17%2Fi-might-need-a-sedative-soon%2F Do all couples fight about money?  Cause Mark and I are fighting right now about this very topic. I don’t seem to be winning and well?  That never happens.  WTF? I am in charge of our money.  Why?  Because I actually put bills in a filing cabinet rather than the bottom of a gym bag.  End of story. Mark likes to pretend our bank account is like a water faucet:  always there, never empty, tastes great with crystal light white grape. I want him to think of it as a drinking fountain at the park:  always available, but should be approached with caution and never ever touched with his bare hands. I cannot seem to beat this concept into his pea size brain get him to understand and its driving me insane.  Every time I look at our account, I get angry.  There’s always withdra... B a b y B o u n d blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1970829 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:31:40 +0100 1970829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906458&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D55 Parents will often ask what is our method of cord blood collection.  We used a closed system because we believe it is the best way to prevent contamination.  The blood is collected in a bag and transferred through a tube into another bag for processing.  This prevents the cord blood from ever touching the air so it cannot be contaminated.  Although some laboratories still use the syringe method of collection, the closed method is becoming the industry standard and will soon be required of all labs. Your health care provider should try to collect as much blood as possible.  This way, you have a better chance of getting a higher CD 34+ count.  When the blood is finally moved into bags for storage, a number of separate vials are kept so that if the blood is ever considered of transplant... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906458 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:45:58 +0100 1906458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859613&cid=t_115828_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fwordless-special-exposure-wednesday.html Do the math! Who needs words?1+ 2= 3I do have some words over at my other site, "Alien in a foreign field" called "GMT"If you enjoy caption competitions and photographs, you may wish to nip along to"DJ Kirkby" over at "Chez Aspie" and test your brain power.If you like what you read, send it to someone in 'need.' (Source: Whitterer on Autism) Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859613 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:58:00 +0100 1859613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852736&cid=t_115828_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F410446213%2F The House has just passed the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act” and you may want to flip to page 270 to read Section 301, which is called the Extension and Modification of Research Credit. This little chunk of legislative verbiage renews a federal tax credit for corporate R&D, which had expired last year. Now, though, the credit is revived, because it’s retroactive to this past January 1. Why does this matter? Well, had the credit been in place this year, corporate earnings would have benefited from lower tax rates. Of course, we are now in this year’s fourth quarter, so the retroactive credit can give drug and device makers a nice earnings boost. And they stand to get a lift next year as well, since the credit was extended through December 31, 2009. Of co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852736 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:44:25 +0100 1852736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833745&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D52 Parents who are deciding whether to bank their baby’s cord blood have so many sources of information, but often don’t know what to believe.  While cord blood bank sites can be valuable sources of information, they are first and foremost developed to sell the company’s services so might be considered biased.  There is an unbiased source of information that can help parents to determine if cord blood banking is right for them. The site is the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood.  According to its mission statement, the site was developed to provide parents with impartial education about cord blood medical research and cord blood storage options.  This site is a great non-commercial resource for information about cord blood banking. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833745 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:00:32 +0100 1833745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734694&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D47 One of the questions frequently asked of our cord blood coordinators is, “Why do you need to know about my travel history?”  This is because one of the questions on our health history form asks about parents’ travel history outside the U.S.  We ask this because the NY State Department of Health requires that we keep this information on record.  The information is important in case a health advisory were to be issued for a certain country for a specific period of time (similar to Great Britain during the mad cow scare).  If that were to happen, all of the records would be available. Any cord blood bank that is licensed in NY State is required to collect this information.  It is important to guarantee the safety of all of the cord blood in our care. (Source: Cord Blood... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734694 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:03:17 +0100 1734694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668763&cid=t_115828_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F350995062%2F The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has received a $250,000 multi-year grant from the J.P. McCarthy Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to benefit its J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank. The grant, which will be given in $50,000 increments over five years, will help enhance the collection area and expand the capacity to help people in need of cord stem cell transplants - non-embryonic stem cells that are extracted from the umbilical cord and placenta following the birth of a child. The J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank at the Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of two public cord blood banks in Michigan and the only center in the state with the National Marrow Donor program registry designation that requires compliance with the highest standards in cord blood banking.... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668763 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:20:20 +0100 1668763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593920&cid=t_115828_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F329241327%2F The Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC), founded in 1978, is one of the oldest and largest such facilities in the world. Check out what it is and what is does with this fascinating two part video tour… Tags: Harvard Brain Bank, Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, HBTRCShare This (Source: Alzheimer's Notes) Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593920 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:05:47 +0100 1593920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492359&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F304166774%2F Some women end up with a bountiful stash of frozen breast milk — be it from oversupply, a baby in the NICU, or an infant who turns out to be allergic to something in the milk pumped so far. Some of those women are moved to donate the excess milk to a non-profit milk bank. In the past few days, I have heard two women express (no pun intended) frustration at the restrictions posted on women who wish to qualify as breast milk donors. One, whose oversupply and dairy-free diet could certainly have benefited a milk bank, was turned away because she had lived in Great Britain in the ’80s. Another wrote to tell me her story, and to explain why she supports informal breast milk sharing or donation. Her daughter was born premature at 30 weeks gestation. Fortunately the baby is doing wel... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492359 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:46:18 +0100 1492359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475761&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D25 If you are considering cord blood banking, a great resource is The Parents Guide to Cord Blood.  This is a non-profit site that was put together about ten years ago to provide unbiased information about cord blood banking.  Many of the sites that claim to be unbiased are actually produced or sponsored by specific cord blood companies.  Dr. Verter, who developed The Parents Guide to Cord Blood is familiar with all of the cord blood banks and provides information to parents who are confused about the cord blood field.  When speaking with parents who sound confused or concerned, I will sometimes suggest they visit The Parents Guide to Cord Blood to help them get some guidance from an impartial observer. (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475761 Wed, 28 May 2008 13:17:26 +0100 1475761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466435&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D24 Parents sometimes contact us wanting to donate their baby’s cord blood without understanding the difference between public and private cord blood banks.  Private cord blood banks are organizations that parents pay to store their cord blood.  The cord blood can only be accessed by the parents or child (after he/she turns 18) if they want to use it.  A public cord blood bank is an organization that accepts donated cord blood.  If a parent chooses a public bank, he gives giving his baby’s cord blood to the bank.  The cord blood might be used for treatment of someone who is sick or research.  One misconception is that parents believe they can store with a public bank and then access the cord blood once it is needed.  This is unlikely.  Even if the cord blood is not used for... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466435 Fri, 23 May 2008 18:19:40 +0100 1466435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461179&cid=t_115828_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F295532041%2Fsleepy_brains_zone_out_at_work.html If you've felt your brain drifting off like bubbles in the wind ... you'll be interested in a new study that shows why it happens. A post yesterday by Julie Steenhuysen at Reuters ... which pointed out why brains shut down at work ... intrigued me. New studies by David Dinges ... from the University of Pennsylvania – School of Medicine show surprising facts about sleep deprived brains. rsearch concluded that ... quite unaware ... tired people tend to shift back and forth between alertness and dramatic lapses of attention and visual processing.Can you spot potential problems here?Here's the skinny: 1. Lack of sleep leads to depression more than people realize. 2. Your brain rewires for work while you sleep.3. Sleep deprivation creates disaster... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1461179 Thu, 22 May 2008 04:29:42 +0100 1461179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1287857&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F247727926%2Fbeginning-of-face-transplants-in-us.html Last year WBP discussed the first-ever, medical breakthrough face transplant in 2005, that transformed the quality of life for a French woman mauled by her pet Labrador retriever. That patient—whose... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1287857 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:34:12 +0100 1287857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1243428&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fbank-robbers-and-grave-robbers.html I want to juxtapose two things that happened to me today. Make of the juxtaposition what you will.I read an article in a newspaper.The BankrobbersPublicity shy British philanthropistI am no economist. I know little of high finance. Having issued that caveat, my strong view is that the government should either have trusted the market and let Northern Rock go to the wall, or they should have nationalised it on day one of the crisis. They did neither. Or both. Or a bit of this. And a bit of that. And lots more free publicity for that well-known philanthropist, Sir Richard Branson. In the end, even Gordon could not face giving Northern Rock to the vultures. So, finally, and too late, he nationalised it. What did the prevarication cost the taxpayer?To Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, and Sla... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1243428 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:11:00 +0100 1243428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1230433&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F234631420%2F When I got an email informing me that there was a ceremony this evening to name the Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England as the official winner of the Ideablob $10,000 giveaway, I almost didn’t believe it! I ran right over to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog and sure enough, there was the announcement, explaining that the top vote getter had been disqualified and the milk bank had won! Huge congratulations to Tanya and all those working hard to start up the new milk bank, and a huge “thank you” to all of you who voted in the contest! I am so happy for all those involved and impressed yet again by how breastfeeding supporters across the nation pull together to make a difference! Tags: activism, breastfeeding, donor milk, IdeaBlob, lactation, lactivism, Lactivist, mothe... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1230433 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:19:46 +0100 1230433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1154096&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F217424778%2F All it takes is a few moments of your time to vote for the funding proposal for the Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England on IdeaBlob. If enough people vote (and it only took 600 votes for last month’s winner), the fledgling milk bank receives $10,000 that will be used to buy processing and storage equipment, establish a “Milk Money” fund to help families whose insurance does not cover the processing fees for donor milk, and develop marketing materials for the milk bank. Need more information? Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog is spear-heading the effort, after inspiration from The Lactivist. For information on non-profit donor milk banks in general, visit the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Keep in mind that in addition to or instead of becomi... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1154096 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:27:50 +0100 1154096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150644&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fcorruption-and-world-banks-health-care.html On this blog, since all our bloggers are based in the US, we tend to focus on health care corruption, conflicts of interest, and mismanagement within our own country. However, we know these problems are global. Anyone doubting that in the least should read the 2006 Global Corruption Report by Transparency International, which dealt solely with health care corruption. (For a quick summary, see our post here.) The report asserted that:Corruption - alongside poverty, inequity, civil conflict, discrimination and violence - is a major issue that has not been adequately addressed.... It leads to the skewing of health spending priorities and the leaching of health budgets, resulting in the neglect of diseases and those communities affected by them; it also means that poor people often decide agai... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150644 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:52:00 +0100 1150644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096768&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F200595581%2F You do not have to be a breast milk donor to help support your local non-profit mother’s milk bank! Give your time! Many of the milk banks associated with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America rely on the assistance of volunteers. For example, this article in the Orange County Register describes how the Mother’s Milk Bank of San Jose is seeking volunteers for home or office locations in Orange County, California, to serve as “Mother Hubbard” milk depots for the collection of donor milk and distribution of pumping supplies and support. Check out the contact information below for volunteer opportunities in your area! Some of the hospital-based (yet still non-profit) milk banks may not require the same type of volunteer services or may require you to vol... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096768 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:02:51 +0100 1096768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064998&cid=t_115828_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Flow-income-seniors-and-disabled-people.html Seniors on low fixed incomes and disabled people who are struggling with high prescription costs and healthcare costs can turn to The National Food Bank for groceries. The national network of community locations providing groceries is called America's Second Harvest. Local warehouses have grocery supplies through the National Food Bank which are distributed at community locations.To find a distribution center near you enter your zip code into the search box at the website for The National Food Bank, or search for your town plus "food bank."The website explains that 5.9% of seniors,or 1.5 million households, struggle with "food insecurity." This term means when "access to food is limited by lack of money and other resources." Nearly 3 million seniors are served by the Food Bank each year.As... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064998 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:21:00 +0100 1064998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=808630&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F19%2Fsix-hours-locked-in-a-bank%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Daily NewsIn a case of stunning ineptitude, staff at an Orange County branch of Bank of America locked in an elderly diabetic woman after closing at the end of the day on Wednesday. The woman, Marian R. Prescher (73), went to the bank late Wednesday to access the contents of a storage box she keeps there. The bank shut up shop at 6 p.m., and employees apparently forgot to check the private room that she was in before leaving.Around that time - I'm not clear on whether it was before she was locked in or perhaps as a result of being locked in - Prescher's blood sugar dropped into the danger zone. Fortunately, Prescher was discovered around midnight by a cleaning crew, whose members found her in diabetic shock - "unconscious and cold to the touch," according to a ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=808630 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 808630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=800028&cid=t_115828_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F144288506%2Fget_your_science_blogging_while_its_fres.php It arrived a little early, but it's here now, the latest, greatest edition of Tangled Bank is now posted over at Fish Feet. Go now and get caught up on the best science blogging of the past fortnight. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=800028 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:30:16 +0100 800028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797964&cid=t_115828_107_f&fid=35762&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Fgrrlscientist%2F%7E3%2F143866110%2Ftangled_bank_blog_carnival_now_3.php tags: science, nature, medicine, tangled bank, blog carnivals Aaand yet another blog carnival was published today. This time, the 86th edition of the Tangled Bank blog carnival is now available. They also include a submission from me, so be sure to go over there to see what all the noise is about. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)) Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797964 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 03:28:09 +0100 797964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=707213&cid=t_115828_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F129363777%2Fare_they_brain_dead_on_your_pl.html In "Our System Isn't Set Up for Death" Tom Vander Well reminded us that it’s Friday and time to chuckle.In Tom’s words …  “This little transcript has been making it around the blogosphere and e-mail lists.” Nobody seems to know its origin…. Do you?A young man calls Citibank because they keep sending bills and finance charges to his dead relative:Family Member: "I am calling to tell you she died in January."Citibank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."Family Member: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections."Citibank: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."Family Member: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"Ci... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=707213 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 02:11:26 +0100 707213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675456&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F13%2Fjanuvia-actos-set-to-benefit-from-avandias-plight%2F Filed under: Type 2, Drugs, ResearchAvandia, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, has been in the news of late following the release of controversial study results which concluded the drug leaves patients at an increased risk for heart trouble. My fellow blogger Bev has touched on the conundrum now facing diabetics on Avandia regimens. You can quit taking Avandia, but then what? Thousands of Americans are now facing this predicament and many have opted to switch their prescriptions to something else. The Philadelphia Inquirer is running a feature about this and talks to some diabetics who have opted for the "try something else" route. The Inquirer profiles, among others, pharmacist Ben Briggs, 59, who switched to Merck's Januvia in the wake of the Avandia scandal, but was sorely disappoin... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675456 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 675456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=577049&cid=t_115828_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D2078 I am 100% with Dato’ Dr Chua Soi Lek who has rightly spoken up against the current Cord Blood Banking Hype. In Malaysia, the only active Cord Blood Banks are the private ones which provide the service to cryopreserve (freeze) your newborn’s Cord Blood stem cells for purported “insurance against future illnesses”. “The ministry is concerned about the craze and increasing demand for cord blood storage. The misunderstanding among the public has become quite serious. If there is a potential (for its use), the ministry will study it. “But right now there is no medical evidence on the use of the blood’s stem cells for treatment of diseases and conditions,” he said after chairing a meeting with representatives from 25 private Penang hospitals at Dorsett Hotel... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=577049 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 07:56:20 +0100 577049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=624652&cid=t_115828_97_f&fid=35601&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mrhunnybun.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fbank-holidays.html I don't like Bank Holidays even when I do not have to go to work. The Doctors' surgery is closed, the pharmacy where I work is closed, and all the patients panic. Hundreds of patients who are just slightly off-colour troop to see the doctor with their collection of minor ailments. The same happens before every other Bank Holiday too. Yes, of course most of these patients could self-medicate, but they wouldn't want to risk being ill over Easter, would they? Far better to be ill when you should be at work.....that seems to be the general theory.After the surgery the next stop is me. Normally sensible people decide to stockpile an extra supply of their medication- "just in case" and decide to take two month's worth of their repeat medication. I do not work in a hugely busy pharmacy, but we we... A day at the pharmacy. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=624652 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:24:00 +0100 624652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=504334&cid=t_115828_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F104753213%2F The Taipei Physical Education College (TPEC) plan to collect the saliva of exceptional (Taiwanese) athletes, like New York Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, so that their DNA can be analyzed for super-athletic genes. The TPEC Ace Athlete Genome Bank already has DNA from Taiwanese athletes who’ve won Olympic medals. Taekwondo fighter Chen Shi-Hsin has been found to have the insertion (I) polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme gene (ACE), typically found in male athletes. ACE plays a role in regulating blood pressure and fluid-electrolyte balance. Professor Hsu Tai-Ke wants to use genetic analysis to identify other children who have the potential become a “second Wang Chien-Ming.” Such a simplistic view of the genome and human behavior. I’m guessing Chien-Mi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=504334 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:47:30 +0100 504334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486696&cid=t_115828_135_f&fid=35045&url=http%3A%2F%2Faidsblog.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F06%2Fhousekeeping.html Just a few odds and ends before the July 4 holiday weekend begins...Tomorrow is the submission deadline for the first ever International Carnival of the Pozitivities AIDS Blog Carnival. If you've seen (or written) any good blog posts on AIDS topics please consider submitting them to the carnival.The World Bank Private Sector Development Blog has an interesting post on why global health issues may deserve higher priority than climate change. They remind us that it would take an Aceh-sized earthquake and tsunami every month to keep pace with the number of deaths caused by AIDS alone.The AIDS Awareness Blog links to a Reuters story that India is going to attempt to verify UN reports that in 2005 the country overtook South Africa as the country with the most residents living with HIV. Understa... AIDS Combat Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486696 Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:22:00 +0100 486696