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 'deep'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:54:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096204&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-perspective-of-the-clinical-trial-that-you-need-to-know%2F2011.08.04 There are big companies like Quintiles that run clinical trials around the world. There are local clinics that specialize in clinical trials and make a lot of money at it. There are, of course, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers who depend upon the results to gain marketing approval for new products. People in all those groups know a lot about trials. But the perspective that counts is the view from you and me – patients. Most of us do not enroll in clinical trials. We don’t want to get too up close and personal with anything “experimental.” And often our doctors never tell us about available trials anyway since it can be a lot of paperwork for them. Given that most people don’t enroll in trials and new science is delayed because of it and also because most people ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096204 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:00:38 +0100 5096204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077768&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F29%2Fdbs-for-depression-still-mixed-results%2F Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment long used for Parkinson’s disease. But in the past decade, some researchers have also examined its use for the treatment of severe clinical depression. Severe major depression is a serious problem in society, because some studies estimate that up to 30 percent of those who attempt to be treated for it find they have “treatment resistant” depression — that is, traditional treatments simply don’t work very well. Deep brain stimulation has mixed results. As we reported on back in February, a long-term followup of 20 patients found an average response rate to DBS of 64 percent. Not shabby, but also not the hopeful, guaranteed cure it was once held out to be. Maiken Scott, the behavioral health reporter for Philadelphia... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077768 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:39:07 +0100 5077768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078078&cid=t_110669_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FdgC389KX3tw%2F Have you even wondered why you just simply can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try? Or, maybe, why you feel so cranky and unproductive throughout the day? These could all be symptoms of a lack of sleep. We sleep for a reason, not because we can but because we must. Our bodies were designed to work hard all day and then recoup and recharge overnight while we sleep. In this new age, everybody is always on the go, trying to catch up with a fast-paced society that is solely interested in profit-making. All of us want to have major success and to be at the top of our game but, I’m sure, not at the cost of our health. The Benefits of Sleep: Doctors all over, including those at Harvard and NYU’s School of Medicine, have found that sleep is good for many reasons, including: ... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078078 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 06:06:56 +0100 5078078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077690&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-best-time-to-be-treated-for-a-dvt%2F2011.07.28 You know I am a cancer survivor – 15 years down the road from a leukemia diagnosis and enjoying a 10 year remission. So whenever something seems weird about my health it’s cancer coming back, right? Wrong! Just how wrong was proven last night. I am writing this from my hospital bed in Seattle. The first symptom of a possible problem came three days ago when I had soreness in my right calf. A pulled muscle? Maybe. But I had not noticed straining it. Back at the gym the next day I had soreness again but thought it was no big deal. Last night it was worse. It hurt some to walk. I got home and, after my wife and son were asleep, got ready for bed. I had a slight fever and then noticed the right calf was not only sore, but swollen and warm. Very strange. I’d never seen that before. Trying... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077690 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:00:02 +0100 5077690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062304&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fthe-situation-of-the-energy-efficiency-gap%2F Brandon Hofmeister just posted his fascinating paper, “Bridging the Gap: Using Social Psychology to Design Market Interventions to Overcome the Energy Efficiency Gap in Residential Energy Markets” (forthcoming  19 Southeastern Environmental Law Journal 1 (2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * For decades, economists and energy policy analysts have noticed the existence of an “energy efficiency gap” – a significant underinvestment in energy efficiency measures whose benefits outweigh their costs – among residential consumers. Promoting energy efficiency is generally the most cost-effective manner to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to meet future energy demand, while simultaneously promoting economic growth and reducing poverty. Economists have attempted... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062304 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:20:28 +0100 5062304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050712&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-july-22-2011%2F Yesterday, I was stuck in traffic when I had to consciously take a deep breath and go to my happy place so I wouldn’t freak out at the scene in front of me. There were three or four cars spread out in an accident across four lanes. A tow truck was on the right and its driver was cautiously, but assertively attempting to stop cars from hitting him as he walked valiantly across the freeway to help a car get towed. I was amazed by two things. First, that merely putting up his hand “sort of” stopped track. The second is that it didn’t stop cars completely. As I sat there, I saw cars wiggle next to me on my right almost hitting the truck driver in the process. I saw him make it to the shoulder lane, briskly carrying a crying little boy who had been in the car and helping... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050712 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:25:15 +0100 5050712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997631&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Flong-term-efficacy-of-deep-brain-stimulation%2F Buffer New long term data on efficacy of deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depression are available. The first follow up data up to 1 year were already promising. Published research about deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depression showed that six months after surgery, 60% of patients were responders and 35% met criteria for remission, benefits that were largely maintained at 12 months. The average response rate to DBS after two and three years were 46,2% and 75%. More than one-third of patients were in remission at year 3. But what’s more convincing functional impairment in the areas of physical health and social functioning progressively improved up to the last follow-up visit. The Mayberg group published a follow up for 6 patients after 6 months and they... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997631 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:01:50 +0100 4997631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952983&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2F6-simple-ways-to-reignite-your-relationship%2F “How do we reignite our relationship?” is one of the most popular questions couples therapist Terri Orbuch, Ph.D, gets asked. And it makes sense since it actually concerns all couples. Yes, you read that right: All couples struggle with a stale relationship. “Passionate love is the love of arousal, excitement, newness and mystery, and [it] happens at the beginning of a relationship,” said Orbuch, author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great. On average, passionate love tends to decline after 18 months, she said. That doesn’t mean that “passionate love goes to zero,” but it does decline once we’ve gotten to know our partner, what they like to do, what their routines are and so on. The newness — which fuels passion — dies down, sh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952983 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:06:05 +0100 4952983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893579&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fthe-regulatory-situation-of-smoking%2F From The Independent: More than half a century after scientists uncovered the link between smoking and cancer – triggering a war between health campaigners and the cigarette industry – big tobacco is thriving. Despite the known catastrophic effects on health of smoking, profits from tobacco continue to soar and sales of cigarettes have increased: they have risen from 5,000 billion sticks a year in the 1990s to 5,900 billion a year in 2009. They now kill more people annually than alcohol, Aids, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. * * * The West now consumes fewer and fewer of the world’s cigarettes: richer countries have changed – from smoking 38 per cent of the world total in 1990, they cut down to 24 per cent in 2009. Meanwhile, the developing world&#8... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893579 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:09:40 +0100 4893579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862447&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fextensor-hallucis-longus%2F The extensor hallucis longus is one of the muscles in the anterior leg that is used to extend the great toe. The proximal attachment (origin) is the fibula and interosseus membrane. The distal attachment (insertion) is the distal phalanx of the great toe. The nerve supply to the muscle is the deep fibular nerve. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862447 Tue, 24 May 2011 06:00:16 +0100 4862447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852804&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fextensor-digitorum-longus%2F The extensor digitorum longus is one of the four muscles in the anterior compartment of the lower leg. Its main action is to extend the lateral four toes (i.e., move “toes to nose”). It is also involved in dorsiflexing the the foot. The proximal attachment (origin) of the extensor digitorum longus are the tibia, the anterior fibula and the interosseous membrane. The distal attachment (insertion) are the middle and distal phalanges of the lateral four toes. Nerve supply is via the peroneal nerve. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852804 Mon, 23 May 2011 06:00:54 +0100 4852804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852805&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ftibialis-anterior%2F The tibialis anterior muscle is a major anterior leg muscle whose main action is dorsiflexion and inversion of the foot (i.e., “toes to nose” and turning foot inward.) The proximal attachment (origin) of the muscle is the tibia. The distal attachment (insertion) of the muscle is the medial cuneiform bone of the ankle and also the first metatarsal. The innervation of the muscle is the deep peroneal branch of the fibular nerve. Tibialis anterior muscle is shown in red (illus. courtesy Wikipedia) (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852805 Sun, 22 May 2011 06:00:24 +0100 4852805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797801&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F07%2Fa-stress-relieving-article-for-professionals%2F I was trying to do it all on my own: I know how to meditate. I know how to do my job. I am an addictions counselor. I arrived at the UVA mindfulness meditation meeting because something inside me told me that I wasn’t OK. I was in a lot of internal pain — otherwise known as being extremely stressed. I take my life experiences very seriously. I try not to let them get by without noticing. I don’t always know how to ask for help, or know if I even need help at times. I didn’t consciously know what I was asking for that night, I just showed up, along with a few others, both meditation teachers showed up… and Help showed up. Lessons learned while sitting… Letting go. I listened as the lady across from me explained her work as walking in deep water wearing cloak upon c... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797801 Sat, 07 May 2011 13:18:43 +0100 4797801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696685&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fgetting-the-love-you-want-over-and-over-again%2F In his New York Times bestseller, Getting the Love Your Want, psychologist Harville Hendrix explains why people who grew up in homes — well, a little like the one in the 2006 flick Little Miss Sunshine — without proper emotional nurturing seek dysfunctional relationships as adults. He explains the low brain — our more reptilian thought process that can’t handle anything different than what it already knows and reverts to fear as its primary gear — and the new brain, the cerebral cortex that is conscious, alert, able to reason and think logically. He writes: What we are doing, I have discovered from years of theoretical research and clinical observation, is looking for someone who has the predominant character traits of the people who raised us. Our old brain, trapped in t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696685 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:05:02 +0100 4696685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696571&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fpulmonary-embolism-pe%2F Pathophysiology 1) migration of thrombus or other materials to pulmonary arterial vasculature 2) most common cause is venous thrombus – from “deep veins” of iliac, femoral, and pelvic systems 3) factors that contribute to arterial and venous thrombus formation classically described as Virchow’s triad – stasis of blood, vessel wall injury, hypercoagulable state 4) generally – big embolism, big complications. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696571 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:47:47 +0100 4696571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693291&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-plastic-surgery-solution-to-angry-face-syndrome%2F2011.04.07 I must say when I first read the title of this article (full reference below) I thought it was a joke. Apparently, I was just unaware this syndrome exist. The authors state, “The finding of frontal bossing, deep radix, straight nasal dorsum, and an over projection of the nasal tip constitutes the angry face syndrome.” (photo credit, from article) The authors note, “When the syndrome components of frontal bossing, a deep radix, and nasal tip projection are present but include a significant nasal dorsal hump (instead of a straight dorsum), the angry face syndrome does not apply. Somehow the dorsal hump negates the message of anger to the observer.” Their solution is a rhinoplasty (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living* (Source: Better... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693291 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4693291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684442&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F06%2Fmarjorie-kelly-speaks-at-harvard-law%2F Marjorie Kelly, Senior Associate at the Tellus Institute, speaks today at Harvard Law School.  The event is sponsored by SICKLE (Jon Hanson’s Corporate Law Class), Title: “What Comes Next? The demise of shareholder primacy and the seeds of new corporate design.” When: Wednesday, April 6, 12:15-1:15 PM Where: Langdell South Here’s a bio of Marjorie Kelly: Marjorie Kelly is a modern revolutionary who wants to democratize economics. She argues that our current economic system is an aristocracy run by corporations that pay shareholders as much as possible and employees as little as possible—while ignoring the public good. CEOs aren’t all bad guys, Kelly says, they’re just operating in a system that forces them to put profits above everything else. That’s what s... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684442 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:01:00 +0100 4684442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622300&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F23%2Fsending-the-wrong-message%2F Joe D’Amico probably had the best of intentions when he set out to eat an all-McDonald’s diet for thirty days leading up to the L.A. Marathon. And, in fact, as a result of internet buzz, his “food challenge” ended up raising $26,000 for Ronald McDonald charities. At the race a few days ago, D’Amico set a personal record and improved his cholesterol levels in the process! So a clear win-win-win! But isn’t there some Grinch out there to point out the dark side of all of this? Not at the Huffington Post, which has been nothing but complementary (see here and here), . . . leaving it to the Situationist to rain on everyone’s parade. Why am I skeptical about this stunt? Well, for starters it fits in quite neatly with previous strategies by big tobacco an... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622300 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:01:28 +0100 4622300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605930&cid=t_110669_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FmomsnzcNFt4%2F Neurons in the brain transmit information by exchanging electrical and chemical signals. What would happen if these electrical signals were transformed by applying an external current? Could this help boost brain functions? In this article, Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is reported to help people solve brain-teasers. In the study weak currents altered the activity of neurons in the anterior temporal lobes through electrodes on the scalp. Read more In this other article another technique was used: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS works by generating a magnetic field that passes the scalp and the skull. In the study an exploratory use of TMS combined with cognitive training was tested for a few months on 8 Alzheimer’s patients. The results were promising. Read ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605930 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:39:52 +0100 4605930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570548&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F5-avoidable-air-travel-health-risks%2F2011.03.10 For those of you planning air travel to your next medical conference (and ACP Internist isn’t too shameless to plug Internal Medicine 2011 — we hope to see you there), TIME reports that there are five health risks that are rare yet have recently happened. Tips on avoiding these maladies include: – E. Coli and MRSA on the tray table. Microbiologists found these two everywhere when they swabbed down flights. Bring your own disinfecting wipes. – Bedbugs in the seat. British Airways fumigated two planes after a passenger posted pictures online about her experience. Wrap clothes in plastic and wash them. – Sick seatmates. Everyone has experienced (or been) this person. Wash your hands. – Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Tennis star Serena Williams experienced a p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570548 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4570548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4552076&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F05%2Fcapture-animated%2F From storyofstuffproject: The Story of Citizens United v. FEC, an exploration of the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy. For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Deep Capture – Part VI,” “Deep Capture – Part VII,” “Situationist Corruption,” “The Situation of Corruption,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Judges,” “The Situation of Earmarks,” “The Situation of Judging – Part I,” “The Situation of Judging – Part II,” “The Captured Situation of Justice,” “News about the Captured Situation of Food Policy,” “The Corporate Situation of Universities,” “The Deeply Captured Situation of Spilling Oil,” “Tushnet on Teles and The Situation of... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4552076 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:06:26 +0100 4552076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4552072&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F05%2F7-reasons-charlie-sheen-may-hate-alcoholics-anonymous%2F In one of the myriad interviews he gave over the last week, Charlie Sheen said clearly that he hates AA. A lot of people have trouble with Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is full of people and people can be messy and flawed. The human train wreck formally known as Charlie Sheen is a common sight in the AA meeting halls. The only difference between Mr. Sheen and other self-absorbed, delusional, frantic addicts is the size of the audience to which they rant. These people do not last long in AA. They mock the Fellowship and the 12 Steps (PDF) as too religious or simplistic. AA is beneath them. Here are a few possible reasons why Charlie Sheen might hate AA so much. Reasons Why Charlie Sheen May Hate AA He would have to admit he is powerless. He would need to embrace Humility. Deep tissue Change wo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4552072 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:13:27 +0100 4552072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549753&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpulmonary-embolism-if-it-can-strike-serena-williams-it-can-ace-anyone%2F2011.03.04 News that tennis star Serena Williams was treated for a blood clot in her lungs is shining the spotlight on a frightfully overlooked condition that can affect anyone — even a trained athlete who stays fit for a living. Williams had a pulmonary embolism. That’s doctor speak for a blood clot that originally formed in the legs or elsewhere in the body but that eventually broke away, traveled through the bloodstream, and got stuck in a major artery feeding the lungs. (To read more about pulmonary embolism, check out this article from the Harvard Heart Letter.) Pulmonary embolism is serious trouble because it can prevent the lungs from oxygenating blood — about one in 12 people who have one die from it. “No one is immune from pulmonary embolism, not even super athletes,” says ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549753 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:00:19 +0100 4549753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525057&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F27%2Flegal-socialization-and-the-news%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about a chapter (forthcoming inIdeology, Psychology, and Law, edited by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson) by Mitchell Callan and Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay. In the second post on the topic (copied below), LLM candidate David Simon discusses legal socialization. * * * Imagine you and your neighbor share a fence along a common border, part of which demarcates the boundary between both properties and “the wilderness.” The fence benefits both of you because it keeps out the livestock-killing coyotes. One day, a shared and critical part of the fence collapses onto your property, leaving your yard open to coyotes, who may eat your livestock. Without legal recourse, how might you resolve... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525057 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 04:20:50 +0100 4525057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498274&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-experts-raise-alarms-about-aggressive-marketing%2F2011.02.19 A paper published in the February issue of Health Affairs – discussed at length in an article in the New York Times – contains the sort of blunt, plain-spoken language you seldom read in academic journals. The authors, who include some of the most prominent neuroscientists and ethicists in the world, warn that manufacturers are misusing the FDA’s humanitarian device exemption to promote deep brain stimulation as a “treatment” for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, they make clear that deep brain stimulation is very much an experimental procedure. Research is still at an early stage, and the risks to patients are not well defined. When suffering is severe and no other treatment has provided relief, there is value in making available an intervention like deep b... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498274 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:00:39 +0100 4498274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495250&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F18%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-february-18-2011%2F This article looks at the big D (as in denial), when it can be good for us and when it can be hazardous to our health. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495250 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:09:02 +0100 4495250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445789&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fm_hmrwp8Zdo%2F By Jim HarperBoeing subsidiary Narus reports on its Web site that it "protects and manages" a number of worldwide networks, including that of Egypt Telecom. A recent IT World article entitled "Narus Develops a Scary Sleuth for Social Media" reported on a Narus product called Hone last year: Hone will sift through millions of profiles searching for people with similar attributes --- blogger profiles that share the same e-mail address, for example. It can look for statistically likely matches, by studying things like the gender, nationality, age, location, home and work addresses of people. Another component can trace the location of someone using a mobile device such as a laptop or phone. Media advocate Tim Karr reports that "Narus provides Egypt Telecom with Deep Packet Inspection equipmen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445789 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:22:18 +0100 4445789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414519&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-a-new-treatment-for-hard-to-control-high-blood-pressure%2F2011.01.29 An unexpected discovery out of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, UK showed that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can lower blood pressure, even in cases in which drugs are unsuccessful. The discovery reportedly occurred when a 55-year-old patient received a deep brain stimulator to treat his pain from central pain syndrome that developed after a stroke. At the time of the stroke, the patient was diagnosed with high blood pressure, which could not be controlled despite taking four different drugs. The deep brain stimulator was largely unsuccessful at controlling the patient’s pain, but amazingly it decreased his blood pressure enough that he could stop taking all four medications. Researchers confirmed the effects of the deep brain stimulator by turning it on and off over a three-year period,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414519 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:00:01 +0100 4414519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411481&cid=t_110669_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F28%2Fnursing-times-2010-vol-107-no-3%2F This article comprises of a short briefing on safe and effective care for patients on anticoagulant therapy. Contact the Library for a copy of this article Filed under: Journals Tagged: Anticoagulant Therapy, Cardiac Thromboembolism, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Drug Therapy, Pulmonary Embolism, Thrombophilia, Venous Thromboembolism (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411481 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:57:57 +0100 4411481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377622&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F20%2Fmarketing-cigarettes%2F In this study, researchers led by senior investigator Todd Heatherton, PhD, and graduate student Dylan Wagner of Dartmouth College set out to determine whether the parts of the brain that control that routine gesture could be triggered by simply seeing someone else smoke. The authors found that seeing this familiar action — even when embedded in a Hollywood movie — evoked the same brain responses as planning to actually make that movement. These results may provide additional insight for people trying to overcome nicotine addiction, a condition that leads to one in five U.S. deaths each year. “Our findings support prior studies that show smokers who exit a movie that had images of smoking are more likely to crave a cigarette, compared with ones who watched a movie without them,&#... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377622 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:53:08 +0100 4377622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372096&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fa-horror-movie-for-palinites%2F Despite my love of cinema, I tend to always fall behind on catching the latest movies. Case in point: during the past weekend, I finally had the opportunity to see The King’s Speech, which my own grandmother watched and wrote me about . . . last year. As a sort of New Year’s resolution, I’m attempting to be a bit more up-to-date on this front, and, thus, I’m going to dedicate this blog post to a film that hasn’t even been released yet, but that should be of interest to Situationist readers. What caught my attention about the preview for the film was that it seemed as if it could easily be modified into a Sarah Palin 2012 political advertisement. In the opening frames, we watch Senate candidate David Norris (Matt Damon) as he first crosses paths with the ballet dancer Elise Sellas... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372096 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:01:22 +0100 4372096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294728&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F27%2Fmotivated-skepticism%2F Ezra Klein recently wrote a great post for the Washington Times about some of the political-psychological dynamics shaping current policy debates.  Included in it was as a helpful summary of the research commonly featured on the Situationist.  Here are some excerpts. * * * When we’re faced with information or ideas that accord with our preexisting beliefs about the world, we accept them easily. When the ideas and information cut against our beliefs, however, we interrogate them harshly, subjecting them to endless scrutiny and a long search for contrary evidence which, when found, we accept uncritically. Let’s start with an amusing experiment that [Situationist Contributor] Peter Ditto, a political psychologist at the University of California at Irvine, and David Lopez, a psyc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294728 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 04:01:18 +0100 4294728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294711&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F26%2F8-ways-to-pitch-perfectionism%2F Although it can lead to imperfect — or even damaging — consequences, many of us strive for perfection anyway. Procrastination, ironically enough, is one of those unfortunate consequences. “In our pursuit of unreachable standards, we endlessly spin our wheels rather than move forward. In some cases, we never even start. The quest for perfection can be so intimidating that our productivity screeches to a halt,” said Debbie Jordan Kravitz, professional organizer and author of Everything I Know About Perfectionism I Learned from My Breasts. For some people, perfectionism can become all-consuming, so “reaching perfection is all they can see, feel, want or even need,” she said. Fear of failure is part of perfectionism. It stops us from seeking adventure and exploring... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294711 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 13:57:21 +0100 4294711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4287468&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F24%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-december-24-2010%2F It’s the day before Christmas and just a week until the end of the year. How are you holding up? Are the festive melodies of Christmas music sounding like a broken record right about now? Is traffic getting to you? Are crowded shopping malls and pushy shoppers trying to get to the head of line pulling on your last strand of patience? Fed up with family obligations and obligatory gift giving? Here is something to embrace. Through the chaos, frustrations, grief and disappointments, there is and will always be peace. It may not be delivered to you on a silver tray, shiny and easy, and beautifully wrapped like a present on Christmas morning. But the joy of everlasting peace regardless of circumstances is worth a whole lot more. While you’re dashing away toward your next event,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287468 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:43:13 +0100 4287468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285227&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F23%2Fmeeting-again-for-the-first-time%2F It’s Friday afternoon, and that means clinic. It’s 1 p.m., and that means I’m walking to get Samantha from the waiting room for our therapy session. I take a deep breath before I open the door, and find myself looking forward to our session. “Hello, Samantha,” I say, “I’m Dr. Hufford. Come on back.” I always reserve the same room for our work, hoping that it will help her to remember that we’ve met before. Samantha and I have met many times before, but for her, every session is like meeting again for the first time. She is stuck in an unrelenting present, experiencing life about an hour at a time, before her anterograde amnesia — an inability to remember new events — sweeps the memories away, floating just out of her reach. “Cognitive difficulties”... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285227 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:44:29 +0100 4285227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258927&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F15%2Fthe-inherited-situation-of-racial-inequality%2F Discussion about (In)Equality,” “The Interior Situational Reaction to Inequality,” “The Situation of Mortgage Defaults,” “The Situation of the Mortgage Crisis,” and “The Interior Situation of Intergenerational Poverty.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258927 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:01:14 +0100 4258927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225249&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhelp-for-inhaling-medications%2F2010.12.03 Cambridge Consultants and India’s Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) have developed a new dry powder inhaler. According to the companies, the device delivers an even, consistent drug dose deep into the lungs regardless of how strong the inhalation is performed by the patient. From the press release: The device employs a novel de-agglomeration engine to separate the drug from the lactose ‘carrier’ particles. Based on a highly efficient airway design, the patented drug separation mechanism has successfully completed clinical trials and demonstrated that it is capable of delivering significantly more of the drug to the deep lung than traditional inhalers. In practice, this will minimise side effects from drug build-up in the back of the throat, reduce non-systemic ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225249 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:00:30 +0100 4225249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175793&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fmerchants-of-denial%2F GoogleTalks:  Author David Michaels visits Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Ca, to discuss his book “Doubt is Their Product: How Industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your Health.” * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Corporate Situation of Universities,” “The Greasy Situation of University Research,” “The Deeply Captured Situation of Spilling Oil,” “Tushnet on Teles and The Situation of Ideas – Abstract,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “The Situation of Medical Research,” “The company ‘had no control or influence over the research’ . . . .,” “The Situation of University Research,” “Captured Science.” (Source: T... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175793 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:33:52 +0100 4175793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172127&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fnews-about-the-captured-situation-of-food-policy%2F From the New York Times: Domino’s Pizza was hurting early last year. Domestic sales had fallen, and a survey of big pizza chain customers left the company tied for the worst tasting pies. Then help arrived from an organization called Dairy Management. It teamed up with Domino’s to develop a new line of pizzas with 40 percent more cheese, and proceeded to devise and pay for a $12 million marketing campaign. Consumers devoured the cheesier pizza, and sales soared by double digits. “This partnership is clearly working,” Brandon Solano, the Domino’s vice president for brand innovation, said in a statement to The New York Times. But as healthy as this pizza has been for Domino’s, one slice contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat, which... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172127 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:01:16 +0100 4172127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164558&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-2008-economic-crisis%2F Charles Furgeson has produced a powerful documentary, “Inside Job,” about the deep capture of financial (de)regulation.  Here’s the trailer. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Deeply Captured Situation of the Economic Crisis,” “Our Stake in Corporate Behavior,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “De-Capturing the FDA,” “The Situation of Talk Radio,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” and “The company ‘had no control or influence over the research’.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164558 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4164558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155268&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F11%2Fthe-norfolk-four-and-the-situation-of-false-confessions%2F From Frontline: Why would four innocent men confess to a brutal crime they didn’t commit? FRONTLINE producer Ofra Bikel (Innocence Lost, An Ordinary Crime) investigates the conviction of four Navy sailors for the rape and murder of a Norfolk, Va., woman in 1997. In interviews with the sailors, Bikel learns of some of the high-pressure police interrogation techniques — including the threat of the death penalty, sleep deprivation, and intimidation — that led each of the “Norfolk Four” to confess, despite a lack of evidence linking them to the crime. All four sailors are now out of prison — one served his sentence and the other three were granted conditional pardons last summer — but the men were not exonerated as felons or sex offenders. The case raises disturb... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155268 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:01:37 +0100 4155268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139294&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F06%2Fthe-political-situation-of-the-economic-inequality%2F In Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer – And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class, Jacob S. Hacker of Yale and Paul Pierson of Berkeley argue that America’s money-addicted and change-resistant political system is at the heart of the enormous and rapidly growing income inequality that they say is undermining America’s economic and political stability. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139294 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:05:05 +0100 4139294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119102&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F28%2Fthe-corporate-situation-of-universities%2F The Utne Reader recently had a post summarizing and linking to a “spate of recent stories that reveal how a trio of heavies—Big Oil, Big Agriculture, and Big Pharma—are pulling strings at U.S. universities.”  Here’s a sample: * * * • The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on “The Secret Lives of Big Pharma’s ‘Thought Leaders,’” also known as key opinion leaders, or KOLs: the influential academic physician-researchers who are paid by drug companies to basically shill for their brands—but not overtly, of course. That would be unseemly. Instead, they deftly blend their conflicting roles and realize substantial payouts for their credibility-lending efforts. “The KOL is a combination of celebrity spokesperson, neighborhood gossip, and the popular kid in... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119102 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:39:28 +0100 4119102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098075&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fthe-situation-of-precision-targeted-ads%2F Robert Wright posted an interesting commentary on the New York Times Opinionator last night in which he argued that the arrival of HTML 5, which “will allow sites you visit to know your physical location and will make it easier for them to keep track of your browsing and shopping history,” may be “the salvation of journalism.” As he explains, “The willingness of advertisers to spend the money that sustains journalists has always depended on having information about the reader.”  And modern technology, with its ability to track individual consumer behavior, has made it possible to tailor and target ads towards specific individuals.  In Wright’s words, What if God [or Google or Yahoo], knowing exactly who every Slate reader is, and what kinds of products and services he’s a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098075 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:01:07 +0100 4098075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074161&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F16%2Fthe-greasy-situation-of-university-research%2F This report identifies eight major areas where these contracts leave the door open to serious limitations on academic freedom and research independence. Here are just a few brief highlights: In nine of the 10 energy-research agreements we analyzed, the university partners failed to retain majority academic control over the central governing body charged with directing the university-industry alliance. Four of the 10 alliances actually give the industry sponsors full governance control. Eight of the 10 agreements permit the corporate sponsor or sponsors to fully control both the evaluation and selection of faculty research proposals in each new grant cycle. None of the 10 agreements requires faculty research proposals to be evaluated and awarded funding based on independent expert peer rev... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074161 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 04:01:32 +0100 4074161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053351&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F09%2Fyou-spoke-we-ignored-it%2F A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post in which I questioned the practice of corporations (1) selling a narrative that the American public is made up of rational actors, exercising free choice, in an open market, while, at the same time, (2) working hard to “limit choice and confuse or reduce the knowledge of potential buyers.” This morning, while cleaning up my office, I came across the following excerpt that I’d clipped from an article by Barry Berman, the Walter H. “Bud” Miller distinguished professor of business and director of the Executive M.B.A. program at Hofstra University’s Zarb School of Business: If you ask customers whether they want more variety, I can tell you right now what they’re going to say: Yes.  After all, who doesn’t think they want a lot of choices? ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053351 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 04:01:26 +0100 4053351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036730&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F10%2F06%2Fvirtual-deep-brain-stimulation%2F This is an excellent cartoon film showing the procedure of implanting deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. It teached me a lot about the operation. It’s an interactive application made by the Ohio State University. It’s amazing, want to be a neurosurgeon now. Thanks Mind Hacks Related posts:New Innovations in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Hands on Blog For Deep Brain Stimulation Learn Deep Brain Surgery. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036730 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 06:41:37 +0100 4036730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001715&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F26%2Fthe-captured-situation-of-justice%2F Michael S. Kang and Joanna Shepherd recently posted the important paper “The Partisan Price of Justice: An Empirical Analysis of Campaign Contributions and Judicial Decisions” on  SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Do campaign contributions affect judicial decisions by elected judges in favor of their contributors’ interests? Although the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. relies on this intuition for its logic, it has been until now largely a proposition that has gone empirically untested. No longer. Using a dataset of every state supreme court case in all fifty states over a four-year period, we find that elected judges are more likely to decide in favor of business interests as the amount of campaign contributions that they have r... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001715 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 04:01:32 +0100 4001715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994342&cid=t_110669_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlEBBvNl8zQw%2F That’s the issued raised in an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine, which praised a new study of a bloodthinner, but carped that there was a lack of information about the cost. In doing so, the editorial writers underscored the growing debate about the cost effectiveness of medicines and the extent to which this issue should play in treatment decisions. To wit, the study of 3,002 people found that Arixtra, which is sold by GlaxoSmithKline for dealing with deep vein thrombosis and embolism, helped people with superficial-vein thrombosis in the legs. The condition worsened in 1.3 percent of those on a placebo for 45 days but just 0.2 percent of those on the med. The upshot: Arixtra prevented one in 88 patient froms having a more dangerous, but rarely fatal clot (see the ab... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994342 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:43:51 +0100 3994342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983369&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fdeep-vein-thrombosis-dvt-classic-clinical-triad%2F Virchow’s triad – endothelial injury, stasis, hypercoagulable state (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983369 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:46:49 +0100 3983369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965506&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fsituationist-corruption%2F Molly J. Walker Wilson recently posted her article, “Behavioral Decision Theory and Implications for the Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Jurisprudence” (Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 31, p. 679, 2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * America stands at a moment in history when advances in the understanding of human decision-making are increasing the strategic efficacy of political strategy. As campaign spending for the presidential race reaches hundreds of millions of dollars, the potential for harnessing the power of psychological tactics becomes considerable. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has characterized campaign money as “speech” and has required evidence of corruption or the appearance of corruption in order to uphold restrictions on campaign expenditures. Ulti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965506 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3965506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961785&cid=t_110669_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fabetalipoproteinemia-classic-clincial-triad%2F Sensory ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa, loss of deep tendon reflexes (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961785 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:23:51 +0100 3961785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3959972&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F12%2Fjim-sidanius-returns-to-harvard-law-school%2F On Monday, September 12th, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) is hosting a talk by Professor Jim Sidanius entitled “Under Color of Authority: Terror, Intergroup Violence, and the Law.” Professor Sidanius, a Harvard University professor in the departments of Psychology and African and African American Studies, focuses his research on the political psychology of gender, group conflict, and institutional discrimination, as well as the evolutionary psychology of intergroup prejudice.  He runs the Sidanius Lab in Intergroup Relations, which conducts research regarding intergroup relations, social inequality, hierarchy, stereotyping, ideology, and prejudice. Professor Sidanius will be speaking about ways in which the legal system has been, and continues to... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3959972 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 04:01:06 +0100 3959972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885389&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F19%2Fhow-many-scientists-does-it-take-to-rediscover-thoreau%2F If you haven’t heard of Henry David Thoreau, you might be forgiven for thinking he has nothing to teach us from his time on this planet 150 years ago. I think that perhaps the 5 scientists who thought they might learn something about the brain and attention by taking a little camping trip could have figured this out by revisiting Thoreau’s writings: I come home to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home. I thus dispose of the superfluous and see things as they are, grand and beautiful. I have told many that I walk every day about half the daylight, but I think they do not believe it. I wish to get the Concord, the Massachusetts, the America, out of my head and be sane a part of every day. - Henry David Thoreau, Journal Even 150 years ago, Thoreau was writing about the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885389 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:15:39 +0100 3885389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848682&cid=t_110669_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fhigh-frequency-of-sleep-spindles-in.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848682 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:57:00 +0100 3848682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845160&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F09%2Frenata-saleci-on-the-paradox-of-choice%2F A common theme of The Situationist and of the scholarship of Situationist Contributors is the “choice myth” in western culture.   Here is a video of Professor Renata Saleci, who employs sociology, psychoanalysis, and philosophy, to offer a slightly different version of that familiar theme. For a sample of related Situationist posts, go to “Sheena Iyengar on the Situation of Choosing,” and the  links in that post.   To review the hundreds of Situationist posts discussing the “Choice Myth” click here., (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845160 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:01:02 +0100 3845160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831411&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F06%2Fwhy-do-lawyers-acquiesce-in-their-clients%25e2%2580%2599-misconduct-part-iv%2F This is Part IV of my series, exploring the reasons why lawyers acquiesce in their clients’ frauds and other misconduct.  For background, please access Part I, Part II and Part III of this series.  In this segment, I will focus on the relationship between lawyers’ “role ideology”—normative visions about their professional role—and the inclination to “go along to get along” when their high status clients (or, more accurately, high-paying client representatives) want to engage in financial shenanigans that impact our capital markets. Don’t think this is an issue?  It is now 2010 and we are still recovering from the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.  No doubt, some lawyers looked the other way when their client representatives wanted to engage in ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831411 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:34:13 +0100 3831411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816462&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-august-3-2010%2F What happened to the simple things? Things like staring off in space, hearing nothing but the sounds of the leaves whistling in the trees and sipping a hot cup of black tea. While I definitely can’t complain about all the conveniences technology has brought (including the new Kindle my husband’s bought), I do feel out of sorts when I’m too connected to the outside world and disconnected from simplicity. And it seems that the more time I spend plugging into the online world, the harder it is for me relax when I am away. Yesterday, for example, I spent the day biking. I was surrounded in nature. There was nothing but the ground below me, trees around me and the deep blue sky above me. Yet, I couldn’t shake away my thoughts. My brain seemed to be downloading new inform... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816462 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:27:22 +0100 3816462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3813049&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fsheena-iyengar-on-the-situation-of-choosing%2F From Ted Talks: “[Situationist friend] Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices — and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions.” * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Sheena Iyengar on the Situation of Choice,” “Sheena Iyengar’s Situation and the Situation of Choosing,” “Sheena Iyengar on ‘The Multiple Choice Problem,’” “Can’t Get No Satisfaction!: The Law Student’s Job Hunt – Part II,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Our Decisions,”and “Just Choose It! “  To review all of the Situationist posts that discu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3813049 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 04:01:26 +0100 3813049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802458&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F30%2Fattributional-divide-top-10%2F This article, the first of a multipart series, argues that a major rift runs across many of our major policy debates based on our attributional tendencies: the less accurate dispositionist approach, which explains outcomes and behavior with reference to people’s dispositions (i.e., personalities, preferences, and the like), and the more accurate situationist approach, which bases attributions of causation and responsibility on unseen influences within us and around us. Given that situationism offers a truer picture of our world than the alternative, and given that attributional tendencies are largely the result of elements in our situations, identifying the relevant elements should be a major priority of legal scholars. With such information, legal academics could predict which indiv... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802458 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:01:43 +0100 3802458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784322&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F23%2Fthe-toxic-situation-of-cosmetics%2F From the storyofstuffproject: The Story of Cosmetics, released on July 21st, 2010, examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. Produced with Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard, the seven-minute film by The Story of Stuff Project reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives. The film concludes with a call for viewers to support legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Our Carcinogenic Situation,” “The Situation of Bottled Water,” “‘Flow&#8... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784322 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:01:57 +0100 3784322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776456&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F21%2Fthe-deeply-captured-situation-of-medicine%2F From PBS’s Need to Know: Prescription drug Avandia was once the top-selling diabetes drug in the world — and it still helps more than half a million Americans balance their blood sugar levels. But a Food and Drug Administration panel dealt the drug a blow this week that may have some diabetes sufferers questioning whether they want to use it. The debate focused on whether Avandia, which is acknowledged to be one of the most effective drugs for treating Type 2 diabetes, comes with dangerous side effects: An increase in a patient’s chance of suffering a stroke or heart attack, and dying from it. In the end, while a majority of the 33-member panel did agree that Avandia, compared to other diabetes drugs, does increase risk for cardiovascular problems, they didn’t agree that it inc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776456 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:24:41 +0100 3776456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764201&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fthe-deeply-captured-situation-of-spilling-oil%2F From TED.com:  The Gulf oil spill dwarfs comprehension, but we know this much: it’s bad. Carl Safina scrapes out the facts in this blood-boiling cross-examination, arguing that the consequences will stretch far beyond the Gulf — and many so-called solutions are making the situation worse. * * * * * * “The Deeply Captured Situation of the Economic Crisis,” “Our Stake in Corporate Behavior,” “Tushnet on Teles and The Situation of Ideas – Abstract,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Reclaiming Corporate Law in a New Gilded Age – Abstract,” “The Illusion of Wall Street Reform,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “The Situation of Medical Research,” “The Situation of Ta... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764201 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:01:37 +0100 3764201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750117&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F14%2Fsituationist-political-science-and-the-situation-of-voters%2F Joe Keohane wrote an outstanding article, “How Facts Backfire: Researchers discover a surprising threat to democracy: our brains,” for the Boston Globe last week.  Here are some excerpts. * * * It’s one of the great assumptions underlying modern democracy that an informed citizenry is preferable to an uninformed one. “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789. . . . Mankind may be crooked timber, as Kant put it, uniquely susceptible to ignorance and misinformation, but it’s an article of faith that knowledge is the best remedy. If people are furnished with the facts, they will be clearer thinkers and better citizens. If they are ignorant, facts will enlighten them. If they are mistaken, facts w... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750117 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:16:26 +0100 3750117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743470&cid=t_110669_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV090.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Eric F. Donaldson On episode #90 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, Rich and Eric discuss identification of viruses in Northeastern American bats, vaccinia virus infection after sexual contact with a military vaccinee, and identification of a new flavivirus from an Old World bat in Bangladesh. Download TWiV #90 (64 MB .mp3, 89 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Radio. Links for this episode: Vaccinia virus infection after sexual contact with vaccinee Smallpox vaccination overview Smallpox vaccine lesions (jpg) Smallpox hospital, Roosevelt Island, NY (photo 1, photo 2) Isolation of a flavivirus from bats in... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743470 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:14:19 +0100 3743470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710622&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fadvertisement-space-for-sale-call-now%2F I have written in the past about the dangers of corporate sponsorship and the blurring of the lines between advertising and “content.”  Three years ago, in an op-ed in the Washington Post, for example, I was highly critical of several corporate deals for shows at the National Gallery of Art—in particular, Target’s prominent sponsorship of an exhibit of Jasper John’s target paintings.  As I argued, The corporation as art critic may be inevitable. The wealthy members of society, in their role as patrons, have always had a profound influence on the course of art. But the current trend does not sit well with me. If financial realities force museums to cede control to corporate America, art may lose its magic. The artists and works to be celebrated will not be those that inspire, ex... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710622 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:01:27 +0100 3710622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687068&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F184511%2F Obama To Appeal Drilling Ruling: After the New Orleans federal courts denied a six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling, the Obama administration promised to appeal it. (Huffington Post) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687068 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:45:30 +0100 3687068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671977&cid=t_110669_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F06%2F17%2Fblanche-lincoln-as-scarlett-ohara-blue-you-good-dog-you%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Blanche Lincoln as Scarlett O’Hara: Blue, You Good Dog You. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: blanche lincoln, blue dog, chaos theory, deep south, democrat, political cartoon, scarlett o'hara, southern belle (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671977 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:06:20 +0100 3671977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3656763&cid=t_110669_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV086.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Eric Delwart In episode #86 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent and Rich travel to the Blood Systems Research Institute in San Francisco to speak with Eric Delwart about his work on virus discovery. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code TWIVPOD to receive $75-$500 off a Drobo. Receive 50% off the manufacturers suggested retail price of a Drobo S or FS at drobostore.com. Just fill out the questionnaire here. Download TWiV #86 (59 MB .mp3, 81 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Radio. Links for this episode: List of Dr. Delwart’s open-access journal articles (pdf) – to find each on... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3656763 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 14:41:40 +0100 3656763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633588&cid=t_110669_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F06%2F06%2Fto-kill-a-mockingbird-turns-50-but-where-is-harper-lee%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Turns 50, but Where Is Harper Lee? This summer America celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but don’t count on an appearance by the reclusive author, 84-year-old Harper Lee of Monroeville, Ala. She hasn’t granted an interview since 1964. She never gives speeches. She’s rarely seen outside of her hometown. And she’s apparently made her peace with her status as a one-book author. Harper Lee set the bar so high that subsequent books could never really leave its shadow. In point of fact she once told her cousin, “When you have a hit like that, you can’t go anywhere but down.” But you could say the same for anyone who touch... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633588 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:12:21 +0100 3633588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633516&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F06%2Fthe-palliative-function-of-ideology%2F Jaime Napier is an Assistant Professors of Psychology at Yale University. Her primary research interest is the effects of societal injustice, including how members of advantaged and disadvantaged groups diverge in their perceptions and explanations of injustice; how political and religious ideologies may ameliorate the outrage associated with perceived injustice; and the consequences of accepting or rationalizing injustice on individual subjective well-being and self-esteem. At the third annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, which took place in March of 2009, Napier’s fascinating presentation was titled “The Palliative Function of Ideology.” Here’s the abstract: In this research, we drew on system-justification theory and the notion that conservative ideology ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633516 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:01:59 +0100 3633516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625608&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F03%2Fthe-situation-of-poor-education%2F What is the cause of the educational disaster in central Africa? Nicholas D. Kristof had an interesting take in his N.Y. Times column, Moonshine or the Kids?, published last week. According to Kristof, “[I]f the poorest families spent as much money educating their children as they do on wine, cigarettes and prostitutes, their children’s prospects would be transformed. Much suffering is caused not only by low incomes, but also by shortsighted private spending decisions by heads of households.” In the article, Kristof profiles a Congolese family, the Obamzas (yes, you read that right).  The family is behind on its $6-a-month rent and cannot afford to send the three Obamza children to school at a cost of $7.50 a month.  The Obamzas do, however, spend $10 a month on cellphone usage and... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625608 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:01:48 +0100 3625608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560301&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F12%2Four-carcinogenic-situation-and-what-to-do-about-it%2F This report summarizes the Panel’s findings and conclusions based on the testimony received and additional information gathering. The Panel’s recommendations delineate concrete actions that governments; industry; the research, health care, and advocacy communities; and individuals can take to reduce cancer risk related to environmental contaminants, excess radiation, and other harmful exposures. Key Issues for Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk Issues impeding control of environmental cancer risks include those related to limited research on environmental influences on cancer; conflicting or inadequate exposure measurement, assessment, and classification; and ineffective regulation of environmental chemical and other hazardous exposures. Environmental Cancer Research Research on enviro... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560301 Wed, 12 May 2010 13:27:39 +0100 3560301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556173&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F12%2Four-carcinogenic-situation-and-what-to-do-about-it%2F This report summarizes the Panel’s findings and conclusions based on the testimony received and additional information gathering. The Panel’s recommendations delineate concrete actions that governments; industry; the research, health care, and advocacy communities; and individuals can take to reduce cancer risk related to environmental contaminants, excess radiation, and other harmful exposures. Key Issues for Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk Issues impeding control of environmental cancer risks include those related to limited research on environmental influences on cancer; conflicting or inadequate exposure measurement, assessment, and classification; and ineffective regulation of environmental chemical and other hazardous exposures. Environmental Cancer Research Research on enviro... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556173 Wed, 12 May 2010 13:27:39 +0100 3556173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545630&cid=t_110669_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fblackout-girl%2F “A common story. A rare twist. When the American dream becomes her secret nightmare, Jennifer Storm begins the dark descent into addiction. Then she discovers that the same events that destroy her also create her. Written in a humble, raw voice, Blackout Girl helps us remember where we came from–and why.” –Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More, The Grief Club, and other bestsellers. “Where the hell am I? How did I get here?” Beginning at the age of 12, Jennifer Storm asked herself these questions many times after waking from alcohol-induced blackouts. During her teens and early twenties, Storm turned to alcohol to deal with the traumas in her life. In addition to alcohol, she also experimented with drugs, and eventually began using crack to dea... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545630 Fri, 07 May 2010 15:59:53 +0100 3545630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494366&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F22%2Fthe-state-of-shareholder-power-in-the-situation-of-citizens-united%2F Who is speaking when a corporation talks? Can a corporation represent all of its shareholders and workers in political speech? How will corporations decide who to represent?  In “Corporate Governance Redux in the Light of Citizens United,” Robert A.G. Monks will detail  the history of corporate personhood and how this case relates to corporate governance. * * * Come hear Mr. Monks, shareholder activist, author, corporate governance advisor, and HLS alum, for a lunch-time discussion of the state of shareholder power after Citizens United (04/22/10).  The talk will be held in Austin West at Harvard Law School (12pm-1pm).  Lunch will be provided. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494366 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:01:22 +0100 3494366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487151&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F20%2Fthe-frontline-of-citizens-united%2F What are the implications of corporate personhood after the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizen’s United? Get the story from behind this term’s most talked-about case from the lawyers who argued in district court and wrote the Supreme Court briefs. How did the FEC develop it’s position? What is at stake? What role do agency lawyers place in a high-profile case? What are the FEC’s next steps in light of the decision? * * * David B. Kolker and Kevin A. Deely, Associate General Counsels for the Federal Election Commission, will speak today (04/19/10) at Harvard Law School (12pm-1pm, Austin East).  Lunch will be provided. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487151 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:01:52 +0100 3487151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482949&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fde-capturing-the-fda%2F Harvard Law Student, Jason Iuliano, recently posted his forthcoming article, “Killing Us Sweetly: How to Take Industry Out of the FDA” (forthcoming Journal of Food Law and Policy) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * For more than a century, the Food and Drug Administration has purported to protect the public health. During that time, it has actually been placing corporate profits above consumer safety. Nowhere is this corruption more evident than in the approval of artificial sweeteners. FDA leaders’ close ties to the very industry they were supposed to be regulating present a startling picture. Ignoring warnings from both independent scientists and their own review panels, FDA decision makers let greed guide their actions. They approved carcinogenic sweeteners such ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482949 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:01:50 +0100 3482949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3480830&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F18%2Fbill-moyers-journal-watch-listen-pbs-2%2F Here is an outstanding 30-minute video interview about the sources of the financial crisis.  The interview should resonate with regular readers of The Situationist and those otherwise familiar with the “deep capture” hypothesis. From Bill Moyers Journal: “How did Big Finance grow so powerful that its hijinks nearly brought down the global economy – and what hope is there for real reform with Washington politicians on Wall Street’s payroll? Bill Moyers talks with authors Simon Johnson and James Kwak, two of the nation’s most respected economic experts and authors of the new book 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltodown.” * * * Here’s a sample of the transcript: James Kwak: I think there are two things. There’s a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3480830 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:01:26 +0100 3480830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471741&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fsimple-stress-relievers%2F Sometimes you just don’t have time to get a massage or experience an elaborate meditation technique. You just need quick and simple stress reduction. These five simple solutions allow you to relax and relieve a little stress, even at the office or on the go. Take Deep Breaths Close your eyes and take ten deep breaths through your nose. Concentrate just on your breathing. This mini meditation is a surefire way to chill you out. Say It With Music Play a CD of whatever kind of music helps you relax. Even listening to a song or two will help you calm down and relieve stress. Walk It Off Even just a ten- or 15-minute walk, particularly through a park or other scenic location, is an easy way to blow off some steam and let go of stress. Ditch Your Routine Eat your lunch outdoors, drive a di... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471741 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:36:29 +0100 3471741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408452&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F26%2Fthe-situation-of-bottled-water%2F From the Story of Stuff: The Story of Bottled Water, releasing March 22, 2010, employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industrys attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see ““Flow” and the Situation of Water,” and the links that post... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408452 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:01:37 +0100 3408452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403847&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F3-cool-things-4%2F Three things we like, in no particular order, from Blisstree to you (today they’re all in Detroit): Bureau of Urban Living – Affordable housewares in midtown Detroit, with an enviro-friendly focus. Mies van der Rohe Apartments at Lafayette Park – High-rise apartment superblocks that are actually cool, east of downtown Detroit. And the National Historic Register of Places likes them, too. Good Girls go to Paris Crepes – A Detroit crepe shop started by a former French teacher who craved something besides Coney Dogs and deep-dish pizza to sate her Francophilia. photo: dwell.com Post from: BlissTree 3 Cool Things (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403847 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:00:48 +0100 3403847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403944&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F25%2Fflow-and-the-situation-of-water%2F From Wikipedia: Flow: For Love of Water is a 2008 documentary film by Irena Salina. The film concentrates on the big business of privatization of water infrastructure which prioritizes profits over the availability of clean water for people and the environment. Major businesses depicted in the film are Nestle, The Coca-Cola Company, Suez, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first video below is the trailer.  You can watch the movie in 9 (roughly 10-minute) sections after the jump. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Global Climate Change and The Situation of Denial,” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403944 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:01:38 +0100 3403944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395195&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fwhat-does-situationism-mean-for-law%2F Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson was recently interviewed by Big Think.  Here is his answer to the following question: “What are some of the changes that the legal system should be making?” * * * * * * To watch the first part of Hanson’s BigThink interview, see “Jon Hanson on Situationism and Dispositionism,” which also contains other related Situationist links. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395195 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:16:47 +0100 3395195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370438&cid=t_110669_101_f&fid=38979&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCrzegrlnet%2F%7E3%2FMv3e_Bb9G6Y%2F We would fight to scrape the pan and eat the melt-in-your-mouth fudge bits left after mom was done.  After it cooled, the fudge squares were dumped over a huge bowl of popcorn which four small children devoured during the annual playing of “The Wizard of Oz,” on television in the days before VCRs or streaming video. As an adult, who moved back home against all odds, my life is now more about reliving the traditions created for my siblings and I by my mother. This winter, I spent countless hours with Ben trying to remember the names of the birds which swarmed our feeders.  With my mother’s cancer treatment wrecking her body this summer, I took the time to sit with her and relearn to knit.  Time normally spent writing or engrossed in social media, I spent remembering why... crzegrl, flight nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370438 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:46:42 +0100 3370438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359065&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fthe-policy-situation-of-obesity%2F In 2004, Peter Jennings hosted an outstanding report, titled “How To Get Fat Without even Trying,” in which he explored some of the situational factors, including federal government agricultural policies and food industry practices, that  are contributing to Americas  obesity epidemic. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Snacking,” “The Benefit of Knowing Your Eating Sins,” “The Situation of Body Image,” “Big Calories Come in Small Packages,” “The Situation of Eating – Part II,” “The Situation of Eating,” “The Situation of the Dreaded ‘Freshman 15′,” “Our Situation Is What We Eat,” “Social Networks,” “Common Cause: Combating the Epidemics of Obesity a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359065 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:00:59 +0100 3359065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322430&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F02%2Fthe-century-of-dispositionism-part-iii%2F From BBC Website : Adam Curtis’ acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. * * * To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests? * * * The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund’s devoted daughte... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322430 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:58:24 +0100 3322430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290858&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F20%2Fclarence-darrow-on-the-situation-of-crime-and-criminals-2%2F “Crime and Criminals: Address to the Prisoners in the Chicago Jail” (1902) Preface This address is a stenographic report of a talk made to the prisoners in the Chicago jail. Some of my good friends have insisted that while my theories are true, I should not have given them to the inmates of a jail. Realizing the force of the suggestion that the truth should not be spoken to all people, I have caused these remarks to be printed on rather good paper and in a somewhat expensive form. In this way the truth does not become cheap and vulgar, and is only placed before those whose intelligence and affluence will prevent their being influenced by it. —Clarence Darrow Crime and Criminals If I looked at jails and crimes and prisoners in the way the ordinary person does, I should not spe... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290858 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:43:14 +0100 3290858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283646&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F18%2Fthe-century-of-dipositionism-part-ii%2F From BBC Website : Adam Curtis’ acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. * * * To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests? * * * The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund’s devoted daughte... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283646 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:10:10 +0100 3283646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269734&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F13%2Fthe-century-of-dipositionism-part-i%2F From Wikipedia: Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, changed the perception of the human mind and its workings. His influence on the twentieth century is generally considered profound. The series describes the ways public relations and politicians have utilized Freud’s theories during the last 100 years for the “engineering of consent.” * * * Freud himself and his nephew Edward Bernays, who was the first to use psychological techniques in public relations, are discussed. Freud’s daughter Anna Freud, a pioneer of child psychology, is mentioned in the second part, as is one of the main opponents of Freud’s theories, Wilhelm Reich, in the third part. * * * Along these general themes, The Century of the Self asks deeper questions about the roots and metho... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269734 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:34:05 +0100 3269734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254519&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F09%2Foptimal-target-for-deep-brain-stimulation-for-depression%2F This article also describes a detailed method for a more standardized method for targeting the SCG with DBS for depression. This is to technical to reproduce in this post but those working with DBS for depression should have a look at this procedure. From this study it is still not clear whether DBS of other brain areas might be more superior in efficacy. And is brain area more important than clinical features of the patient or do the areas differ for different types of depression? All very interesting questions and topic for more research on DBS. Hamani, C., Mayberg, H., Snyder, B., Giacobbe, P., Kennedy, S., & Lozano, A. (2009). Deep brain stimulation of the subcallosal cingulate gyrus for depression: anatomical location of active contacts in clinical responders and a suggested gui... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254519 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:08:18 +0100 3254519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235912&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F03%2Fbarry-schwartz-on-the-situation-of-incentives%2F Barry Schwartz is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. Barry Schwartz studies the relationship between economics and psychology, delivering startling insights into modern life. In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance — where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before — are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite: He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today’s western world is actually making us miserable. Infinite choice is paralyzing, Schwart... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235912 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:01:04 +0100 3235912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200501&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F23%2Four-stake-in-corporate-behavior%2F Situationist Contributor David Yosifon published a thoughtful and timely op-ed,  in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle. Here are some excerpts. * * * Corporations are crucial institutions in our society. Consumers rely on them for everything from the basic provisions of food and clothing to the more dispensable delights of computers and cell phones. Workers rely on them for jobs. Communities need them for a tax base. Shareholders rely on them for profits that fund retirement, or entrepreneurial activity. We all have a stake in effective corporate operations. Yet corporate directors are not required, indeed are not allowed, to put the interests of any party above shareholders in their decision making. Now the Supreme Court has declared that the First Amendment forbids us from restri... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200501 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:01:30 +0100 3200501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156524&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F09%2Ftaking-the-situation-of-consumers-seriously%2F Situationist Contributor David Yosifon recently posted his superb article, “The Consumer Interest in Corporate Law,” (43 UC Davis Law Review 253-313 (2009)) on SSRN.  It’s an important, well written, and very situationist analysis of the influence of corporate law and corporations on consumers. Here’s the abstract. * * * This Article provides a comprehensive assessment of the consumer interest in dominant theories of the corporation and in the fundamental doctrines of corporate law. In so doing, the Article fills a void in contemporary corporate law scholarship, which has failed to give sustained attention to consumers in favor of exploring the interests of other corporate stakeholders, especially shareholders, creditors, and workers. Utilizing insights derived fr... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156524 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:01:49 +0100 3156524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133653&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F31%2Fnicole-stephens-on-%25e2%2580%259cchoice-social-class-and-agency%25e2%2580%259d%2F Nicole Stephens is a Ph.D. student in Social Psychology at Stanford University. Her research focuses on the ways in which sociocultural contexts – such as those delineated by social class, race, and gender – shape the experience and the consequences of choice. In one line of research, she examines how people of different social classes define and respond to choice. In a second line of research, she examines how the common American belief that individual choice drives all actions blinds people to the sociocultural sources of inequality. At the third annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, which took place im March of 2009, Stephens’s fascinating presentation was titled “Choice, Social Class, and Agency.” Here’s the abstract: Across disciplines we tend to assu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133653 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:01:24 +0100 3133653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115156&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F23%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-for-schizophrenia%2F In short, a recent article proposed to do deep brain stimulation for schizophenia. Schizophrenia has positive-, negative- and cognitive symptoms (see the figure above). The authors propose the DBS for positive symptoms. Their approach is based on current models of the neurocircuitry of psychosis . They hypothesize: that chronic, high frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the hippocampus or the nucleus accumbens (NAc), through stabilization of dopamine (DA) release in the striatum, may improve positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. I checked Clinicaltrials.gov but no one is doing a trial with DBS and schizophrenia yet. Their hypothesis is based on the assumption that hippocampal hyperactivity early in the course of the illness leads to excessive dopamine release and the app... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115156 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:30:53 +0100 3115156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089365&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_nucleus_accumbens_deep_brain_stimulation_decreases.htm Conclusions: We demonstrate antidepressant and antianhedonic effects of DBS to NAcc in patients suffering from TRD. In contrast to other DBS depression studies, there was also an antianxiety effect. These effects are correlated with localized metabolic changes. (Glossary link added; ed.) Source... Copyright © 2010 Society of Biological Psychiatry Published by Elsevier Inc. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089365 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:11:00 +0100 3089365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3059777&cid=t_110669_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FQceSw22bV-c%2F Blood clots that form most often in the leg are a concern after surgery. This is one reason why nurses try to get patients up and about as soon as is possible after surgery. For those who can’t, they usually have their legs exercised for them and they may have to wear special compression stockings.The biggest danger from these types of clots, called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is that they can break away from the vein wall and travel to the lungs, where they become pulmonary emboli. A pulmonary embolus can cause death if it’s not treated quickly.Researchers in the United Kingdom used records of 947,454 middle aged women from the Million Women Study to check for admissions for surgery, how many developed a DVT and/or a pulmonary embolus after surgery, and how many died as a resu... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3059777 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:12:10 +0100 3059777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039856&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fsurgery_for_mental_ills_offers_both_hope_and_risk_1.htm By BENEDICT CAREY One was a middle-aged man who refused to get into the shower. The other was a teenager who was afraid to get out. ...But leave they eventually did, traveling in desperation to a hospital in Rhode Island for an experimental brain operation in which four raisin-sized holes were burned deep in their brains. More... Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039856 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:20:00 +0100 3039856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999698&cid=t_110669_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fstudy-shows-connection-between-gum-disease-and-memory-problems%2F We know that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for American adults. It also causes an increased risk for health problems, from heart attack and stroke to diabetes complications and low-weight births. But new evidence shows that periodotnal disease can impair mental function, outside of the established connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s or dementia. The newfound link may stem from inflammation in the body that originates in the mouth. The study, led by Dr. James Noble, involved 2,350 subjects of various  genders who were tested for periodontal disease, then underwent a series of mental skills assessments. Adults over 60 with a high level of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen that causes gum disease, were three times more likely to forget a three-word sequen... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999698 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:21:32 +0100 2999698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999617&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Fthe-situation-of-the-invisible-hand%2F Yesterday, Paul Rosenberg published an intriguing situationist piece at Open Left about the context and meaning of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand.”   Here are some excerpts. * * * What if Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” argument doesn’t mean what we think it means?  What if it doesn’t mean that everything else but the “free market” can and should be ignored?  What if if Smith actually depended on social and historical context in order to make his argument in the first place? What if it was an argument deeply dependent on what . . . The Situationist blog calls “the situation”? In fact, that’s exactly what happened! Recently, Berkeley economist Brad DeLong posted “Yet Another Note on Adam Smith’s &#8216... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999617 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:01:50 +0100 2999617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995785&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdeep_brain_stimulations_offers_hope_for_severely_depressed.htm May work even when other treatments have been unsuccessful University of Bonn Thanks to a new method there is a reason for hope for patients with very severe depression. Physicians at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne used deep brain stimulation to treat ten patients with very severe depression whose symptoms had not improved after previous psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy treatment. The results of their study are published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. The researchers implanted electrodes in the patients' Nucleus accumbens which plays a key role in as the brain reward system. The reward system helps us remember good experiences and puts us in a state of pleasant anticipation. Without a reward system we would not forge any plans for the future as we would not be able to en... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995785 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:10:00 +0100 2995785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993813&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F11%2F15%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-animation%2F Excellent animation of deep brain stimulation thanks to the Cleveland Clinic Related posts:Hands on Blog For Deep Brain Stimulation There is a new blog with the written hands...Hands on Experience with Deep Brain Stimulation for Depression Recently I found a hands on experience blog for...New Innovations in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery A great step forward, patients don’t have to be... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993813 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:15:47 +0100 2993813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977360&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F10%2Fbarbara-ehrenreich-on-the-sources-of-and-problems-with-dispositionism%2F From GRITtv: “Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book looks at the downside of looking on the bright side, which she says has undermined America.” * * * * * * * * * To read a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Barbara Ehrenreich – a Situationist,” “The Motivated Situation of Inequality and Discrimination,” “Thanksgiving as “System Justification”?,” “Cheering for the Underdog,” “Ayn Rand’s Dispositionism: The Situation of Ideas,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” “Promoting Dispositionism through Entertainment – Part I, Part II, & Part III,” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977360 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:01:47 +0100 2977360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2970270&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F07%2Fthe-corporate-situation-of-the-prison-population%2F In the video below, Free Speech TV’s news magazine program SourceCode looks inside the private prison boom, and at the growing opposition to for-profit private prisons, jails, and detention centers. * * * * * * Stephen Colbert recently parodied the trend. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Conference on the Free Market Mindset,” “The Situation of Solitary Confinement,” “The Situation of Punishment (and Forgiveness),” “Clarence Darrow on the Situation of Crime and Criminals,” “The Situation of Punishment,” “Why We Punish,” “The Situation of Death Row,” and “Lessons Learned from the Abu Ghraib Horrors.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2970270 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:01:34 +0100 2970270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908680&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fnew-kind-of-brain-stimulation-for-treatment-resistant-depression%2F In a recent online publication about another form of brain stimulation in treatment resistant depression showed promising results. The electrodes are placed on the brain instead of in the brain as with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): A new neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Bilateral epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation (EpCS) was found generally safe and provided significant improvement of depressive symptoms in a small group of patients The location for Brain Stimulation in EpCS targets electrical stimulation to the anterior frontal poles and the lateral prefrontal cortex. Two different places on both hemispheres, resulting in four separate paddle leads which are connected to two small generators surgically implanted in the upper... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908680 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:06:34 +0100 2908680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2894577&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F15%2Fthe-categorical-situation-of-money%2F At the Third Annual Law and Mind Sciences Conference at Harvard Law School, titled “The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology, and Consequences,” (March 7, 2009) Christine Desan’s presentation was titled “Legal Categories of Thought.”  Desan is a  Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where she has taught since 1992. Her areas of interest include American constitutional history, legal and political thought, civil procedure, and statutory interpretation. In her presentation, Professor Desan describess the rich variety of ways that the law categorizes different kinds of liquidity — including coin, banknotes, bonds, dollars, and securities, and explores some of the ways that legal doctrine has disciplined our thought, including our assumptions about ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2894577 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:01:28 +0100 2894577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890715&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F14%2Fbarbara-ehrenreich-a-situationist%2F Barbara Ehrenreich’s terrific, highly situationist, new book is now on the shelves, Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America. From a related Time Magazine article here’s a brief sample of her writing on the topic of optimism. * * * If you’re craving a quick hit of optimism, reading a news magazine is probably not the best way to go about finding it. As the life coaches and motivational speakers have been trying to tell us for more than a decade now, a healthy, positive mental outlook requires strict abstinence from current events in all forms. Instead, you should patronize sites like Happynews.com, where the top international stories of the week include “Jobless Man Finds Buried Treasure” and “Adorable &#821... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890715 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:01:59 +0100 2890715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855729&cid=t_110669_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdeter-risk-for-periodontal-disease-reduce-risk-of-heart-attack-with-diet-and-exercise%2F Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss in the US. However, the heart-health link to periodontal disease has become an even hotter topic , and rightfully so. We now know that gum disease can increase a person’s risk for a long list of overall health conditions, some of which are serious – heart attack, stroke, diabetes complications, low-weight birth, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and respiratory diseases. “The Gingivitis Diet,” at www.HealthyFellow.com reviews these interesting developments and research on this topic. One study showed that of 1200 older men, those who consumed increased caortenoids (a type of antioxidants found in bright fruits and veggies) had reduced proclivity for periodontitis. Journal of Clinical Periodontology Another stu... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855729 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:14:15 +0100 2855729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846432&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F30%2Fthe-situation-of-metaphors%2F Drake Bennett had a superb article, “The surprising ways that metaphors shape your world,” in Sunday’s Boston Globe. Here are some excerpts. * * * [W]hether they’re being deployed by poets, politicians, football coaches, or realtors, metaphors are primarily thought of as tools for talking and writing–out of inspiration or out of laziness, we distill emotions and thoughts into the language of the tangible world. We use metaphors to make sense to one another. Now, however, a new group of people has started to take an intense interest in metaphors: psychologists. Drawing on philosophy and linguistics, cognitive scientists have begun to see the basic metaphors that we use all the time not just as turns of phrase, but as keys to the structure of thought. By taking thes... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846432 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:01:34 +0100 2846432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839003&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F28%2Fthe-situation-of-credit-card-regulation%2F Situationist Contributor Adam Benforado recently published the following op-ed, titled “Time to Rein in Tricks of the Financial Trade,” in Cap Times. * * * I have a confession: I teach contract law, and I do not understand everything in my credit card agreement. If business law professors are getting lost in the fine print of consumer financial products, we have a fundamental problem. Back in the early 1980s, the average credit card contract filled up a single page. Today, a similar agreement runs to more than 30. These contracts are designed to maximize company profits by hiding costly traps for consumers in a dense forest of confusing provisions and mysterious words like “LIBOR” and “Cash Equivalent Transactions.” It is no wonder that a 2006 study by t... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839003 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:01:16 +0100 2839003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828280&cid=t_110669_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FSXYuoWYDvYk%2F It’s a known fact that African Americans have a higher risk of some illnesses, such as hypertension (high blood pressure) but researchers have discovered that they are also at a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots in the deep veins, usually the legs. This also puts them at a higher risk of pulmonary embolism, which is the result of a clot breaking loose and going to the lungs. Dr. Garth Graham from the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, spoke about minorities and DVTs at the Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) Annual Meeting. The Venous Disease Coalition is a network of people who are working together to help raise awareness of venous disease. They offer this quick quiz so you may see if you are at an increased risk of... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828280 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:44:25 +0100 2828280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814492&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Fhey-dove-talk-to-your-parent-2%2F [This post was first published in October of 2007.] Several weeks ago, as part of its much lauded “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty,” Unilever released “Onslaught,” a video (above) examining disturbing images of women in beauty-industry advertising. The video ends with this admonition to parents: “Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does.” It’s a powerful video with a disturbing collection of images. The situation of our daughters — and, by the way, our sons — seems both overwhelming and diabolical. Read the comments about the film on the Dove website discussion board, and you can feel the love and gratitude that viewers, particularly mothers, feel toward Dove for this film. Skimming the first ten comments, one finds these re... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814492 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:01:38 +0100 2814492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814477&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34730&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fmore-on-red-book.html I got my wish; I got to read the rest of the NYTimes Magazine article, "The Holy Grail of the Unconsious" by Sara Corbett about Carl Jung, on the patio with coffee, a bagel and lox, on a gorgeous Sunday.The article left me thinking-- perhaps it left me longing-- and maybe this will be more of a journal entry then of a blog post. You'll forgive me for being a bit raw.I read the article and I was drawn in-- I want to read the Red Book-- the soon to be published work of Jung about his own exploration of his unconscious. Much of Jung's journey occured during a difficult period in his life, and Corbett writes:Whatever the case, in 1913, Jung, who was then 38, got lost in the soup of his own psyche. He was haunted by troubling visions and heard inner voices. Grappling with the horror of some of ... Shrink Rap blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814477 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:53:00 +0100 2814477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793231&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2Fnew-innovations-in-deep-brain-stimulation-surgery%2F A great step forward, patients don’t have to be awake during the procedure. This video shows a clear description of the old and new procedure for deep brain stimulation (DBS). In the old procedure a frame has to applied after which a brain mapping procedure has to follow, up to 6-8 hours while the patient has to be awake. At the end the patient has to undergo a MRI to see whether the electrodes are in the right place. All very tedious and time consuming. The new procedure takes place in the MRI with anesthesia and takes less time (50%). Have a look at this new procedure in the video. Is there new hope for Parkinson’s patients? Imaging scientist, Alastair Martin, and neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul Larson, have teamed up to develop a way to perform Deep Brain Stimulation surgery that&#82... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793231 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:49:52 +0100 2793231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782084&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_clinical_guidelines_for_the_management_of_major_de_.htm Conclusions: There is most evidence to support ECT as a first-line treatment under specific circumstances and rTMS as a second-line treatment. Evidence to support VNS is less robust and DBS remains an investigational treatment. Source... Copyright © 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782084 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:34:00 +0100 2782084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2770162&cid=t_110669_113_f&fid=34933&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpalmdoc.net%2F%3Fp%3D2572 Harvey wrote in to say that Deep Pocket Series has recently released a new app Stroke Scale. The software helps you evaluate patients with stroke using systems like the Cincinnati Stroke Scale, Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen, ABCD Score, NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Glasgow Coma Scale. It even lets you save the scores and helps you track your patient’s progress over time. Click here for a demo video A free Coupon Code is available to the first iPhone/iPod Touch user who agrees to write a review of the application for the Palmdoc Chronicles. The coupon code can be used from the US only. If you are interested please email me, and put Stroke Scale in the subject. from the Palmdoc Chronicles Deep Pocket Series: Stroke Scale (Source: The Palmdoc Chronicles) The Palmdoc Chronicles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2770162 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2770162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2725187&cid=t_110669_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fboing-boing-boing.html Get the code:-Cut and pastefrom this littleboxy thing below One heck of a fun day!I just wish I'd had the video to hear those squeals......all the way up.....and all the way down.....again and again and again. Now that's my kind of proprioceptive input.In addition today, if you have a spare moment or are looking for other autism sites you may with to nip along to "Nurse Practitioner" where you can investigate a "list" of diverse sites about "autism."And don't forget to add your name to the "book giveaway" and spare a thought for "Nonna."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=2725187 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:17:00 +0100 2725187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682028&cid=t_110669_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Ftop-dentist-websites-by-tnt-dental%2F This week, at http://TIPS.TNTDental.com, dentists who want to boost their website traffic NOW can read practical tips on how to make it happen. TNT Dental suggests a professional website analysis, which they offer totally free. The TNT SEO experts will review your site with you and point out problems that affect your search engine optimization. Once that’s done, you can pursue ideas to supplement your website’s search engine strategy. Learn more about these topics in this week’s TNT TIPS blog… Having realistic traffic expectations Optimizing your dental blogs Pay-per-click advertising campaigns Leveraging your expertise Social networking Advertising your site in collateral Read “Boost Your Dental Website’s Traffic NOW!” and visit TNT Dental onlin... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682028 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:20:51 +0100 2682028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670883&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdbs_deep_brain_stimulation_for_ocd_reviewing_the_evidence.htm Psychiatry Weekly 200 Aug 3;4(17) DBS for OCD: Reviewing the Evidence and Proceeding with Care Goodman WK. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are well known, though uncommonly used, treatments for several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Many of the reasons for the limited use of these novel, devise-based treatments concern their invasiveness, of course. Dr Wayne K. Goodman, a leading OCD researcher, explains the most important similarities and differences between these two treatments: "VNS and DBS are both interventions aimed at modulating activity in the brain. They both involve surgery. DBS is more invasive and involves greater risks, because, in contrast to VNS, it requires one or t... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670883 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:35:00 +0100 2670883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602041&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdeep_brain_stimulation_device_gains_european_approval_for_tr.htm Jeff Warren & Jon Pike Medtronic's Reclaim® Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Therapy has received CE (Conformite Europeene) Mark approval for the treatment of chronic, severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is the first time that a deep brain stimulation device has gained approval in Europe for the treatment of a psychiatric disorder. Reclaim DBS Therapy is an adjustable, reversible and non-drug therapy that uses a surgically implanted medical device, similar to a pacemaker, to deliver carefully controlled electrical pulses to targeted areas of the brain. The stimulation can be programmed and adjusted to find the most appropriate type and amount of stimulation for each patient to maximize symptom control and minimize side effects. For OCD the anatomical ta... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602041 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:11:00 +0100 2602041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598275&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F14%2Fsituational-branding-effects%2F Situationist contributor Grainne Fitzsimons conducted a fascinating study in collaboration with Gavan Fitzsimons and Tanya Chartrand on the effects of popular company logos on human behavior.  In the following video Gavan and Tanya describe the study. * * * * * * To read some related Situationist posts, see “The Unseen Behavioral Influence of Company Logos,” “The Situation of Repackaging,” and “The Big Game: What Corporations Are Learning About the Human Brain.” To read other Situationist posts on marketing, click here; for those on priming, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598275 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:01:21 +0100 2598275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591527&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F11%2Fdr-david-kessler-waxes-situationist%2F Tara Parker-Pope recently had a terrific article, titled “How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains,” in The New York Times.  Thanks to the many readers who forwarded us the link to this article, recognizing it’s situationist message.  Here are some excerpts. * * * As head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. David A. Kessler served two presidents and battled Congress and Big Tobacco. But the Harvard-educated pediatrician discovered he was helpless against the forces of a chocolate chip cookie. * * * “Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me?” Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.” The result of Dr. Kessler’s quest is a fascin... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591527 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:01:55 +0100 2591527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588161&cid=t_110669_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F10%2Fbritish-journal-of-hospital-medicine-2009-vol-70-no-7%2F This article looks at risk factors and prevention of venous thromboembolism. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Posted in Journals Tagged: Deep Vein Thrombosis (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588161 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:40:17 +0100 2588161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584207&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fin_session_with_wayne_k_goodman_md_deep_brain_stimulation.htm Primary Psychiatry. 2009;16(7):24-26 Wayne K. Goodman, MD, interviewed by Norman Sussman, MD What is deep brain stimulation (DBS)? DBS is a neurosurgical technique. It is an invasive procedure and requires producing one or two bore holes in the cranium and inserting leads and electrodes. The patient is typically awake during the procedure. The only anesthetic given-a mild sedative or anxiolytic-may be local for the scalp, where the incision is made. The second part of the operation involves tunneling the wires that connect to the electrodes under the skin and to the device itself. This device is very similar to a cardiac pacemaker. It is generally implanted in the chest wall, in the same fashion as with a cardiac pacemaker.More... © 2009 Primary Psychiatry a Publication of MBL Communi... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584207 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:01:00 +0100 2584207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584230&cid=t_110669_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FSeg4Qoc5dgQ%2F We seem to be hearing more and more about blood clots these days, particularly associated with warnings when traveling. But what is it you need to be aware of? Blood clots, called deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are clots that form deep in veins, most often in the legs. These clots sit along side of the vein, slowing down blood flow as the blood passes, but more dangerous - they can break off the wall and follow the blood to your heart and lungs. When theses clots reach your lungs, they are called pulmonary emboli (plural for embolism), and these can cause death. People at highest risk for DVTs are those who recently had surgery below the waist, who are immobile, overweight, smoke, or just had a child within the previous 6 months. Some types of medications may also increase the risk of clotting... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584230 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:54:00 +0100 2584230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570575&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F03%2Fthe-situation-of-food-the-movie%2F From Michael Phillips’ Chicago Tribune review: Several things — too many, probably — are going on in “Food, Inc.,” all connected. Kenner begins by tracing the impact of 20th Century American fast food on industrialized food production, and notes that when McDonald’s brought factory assembly-line strategies into practice, everything changed. McDonald’s became a universe of beef-purchasing power unto itself. Their cows, like so many millions of other feedlot residents, consume corn instead of grass; the humans in our increasingly obese nation eat a ton of corn as well, courtesy of high-fructose, heavily subsidized corn syrup found in everything from ketchup to Twinkies to Coke. As a Brooklyn, N.Y., doctor in another food doc, “King Corn,”... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570575 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:01:40 +0100 2570575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570576&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F02%2Fbill-moyers-journal-watch-listen-pbs%2F From Bill Moyers’ Journal:  “Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich sits down with Bill Moyers to talk about the influence of lobbyists on policy, the economy, and the ongoing debate over health care.”  See the interview on the video below.  From the interview, here is a bit of what Reich had to say about trends in wealth distribution. * * * “The fact of the matter is that, as late as 1980, the top 1 percent by income in the United States had about nine percent of total national income. But since then, you’ve had increasing concentration of income and wealth to the point that by 2007 the top 1 percent was taking home 21 percent of total national income. Now, when they’re taking home that much, the middle class doesn’t have enough purchasing power to keep the econo... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570576 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:36:29 +0100 2570576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556162&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fmayo_reviews_deep_brain_stimulation_for_psychiatric_disorder.htm John Murphy Pioneering therapeutic trials to investigate the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in hard-to-treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome are underway at multiple medical centers around the world, according to a review in the June 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "Deep brain stimulation has long been seen as valuable for controlling movement disorders," according to the review, written by Susannah Tye, PhD, Mark Frye, MD, from the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and Kendall Lee, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic Department of Neurosurgery. "It now is being investigated for hard-to-treat psychiatric disorders," according to the authors. "Early results indicate the effect on depression and obsessive compulsive disorder i... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556162 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:29:00 +0100 2556162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452685&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fdeep_brain_stimulation_expanding_its_reach_to_new_patients.htm By Andreas von Bubnoff Under the skin, a battery is surgically implanted — generally within the upper chest. From the battery, wires snake up to the head, to tickle different targets deep inside the brain. Such is the hardware for deep brain stimulation — the equivalent of a cardiac pacemaker for the mind. Until recently, deep brain stimulation was approved in the U.S. only to treat certain movement disorders, primarily those of Parkinson's disease, for which it diminishes tremors and rigidity and improves mobility. To date, more than 60,000 patients worldwide have had the devices implanted. But now use of the technique seems set to mushroom. More... Copyright 2009 Los Angeles Times (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452685 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:54:00 +0100 2452685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441690&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F28%2Fself-esteem-in-recession-six-steps-to-recovery%2F Seven Steps To Accept A Compliment With Grace. Why is a compliment almost as hard to take as criticism? When I was a kid my well-intentioned Mom taught me to discredit compliments. “Oh, no, I’m not pretty, clever, smart, nice…” To do otherwise would be conceited, a cardinal sin to a young Catholic girl. Q: What’s the result of too much compliment denial? A) A starving, shriveled self-esteem dying for some good nurturing, B) A great big gap is left in your self-esteem (where the compliment would go) that is filled with bad, abusive junk, C) You risk annoying your relatives and friends who just want you to see what they see, or, (you guessed it) D) All of the above. If we refuse to let people tell us how fabulous we are where does that leave us? It leaves us wi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441690 Thu, 28 May 2009 09:00:12 +0100 2441690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441641&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fsustained_improvement_of_treatmentresistant_depression_seen.htm This study profiles 21 patients with DBS therapy in the area of the brain known as Brodmann Area 25, most of whom have completed one year of post-surgery evaluation. At six months, 62 percent of the patients experienced at least a 40-percent decrease in symptoms of depression as measured by a standardized test called the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Of these patients, 92 percent maintained this improvement at their last follow-up visit (typically at one year). Additionally, 71 percent of all patients in the study exhibited at least a 40-percent decrease in symptoms of depression as measured by the Hamilton scale. "Typically these patients do not maintain responses to traditional approaches such as medications and electroconvulsive therapy," said Peter Giacobbe, MD, psychiatrist wi... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441641 Fri, 22 May 2009 08:04:00 +0100 2441641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2404960&cid=t_110669_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F13%2Fdeep-vein-thrombosis-%25e2%2580%2593-prevention-for-travellers-%25e2%2580%2593-management%2F Title: Deep vein thrombosis – prevention for travellers – Management Source: Clinical Knowledge Summaries The Skinny: Considers the risk of Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a result of long distance travel detailing those groups at greater risk and preventive measures that can be taken. Date of publication: May 2009 Publication type: Clinical Knowledge Summary Acknowledgement: http://cks.library.nhs.uk Posted in Clinical Knowledge Summary Tagged: Deep Vein Thrombosis, Risk Factors, Travel (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2404960 Wed, 13 May 2009 08:40:54 +0100 2404960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405521&cid=t_110669_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FY--vKwEGa0c%2F Summer breaks are coming soon to many lucky people. For some, this means staying at home and relaxing, for others it means traveling to visit family and friends or to explore new places. Of course, when we travel, we want to stay healthy so we get vaccinations if we need and we be sure to take necessary medicaitons with us, but what about unforeseen problems, like deep vein thrombosis (DVT)? What’s that you say? DVTs are blood clots that form in deep veins in your body - most commonly in the legs, but they could happen anywhere a deep vein exists. The vein sits along the vein wall and, if big enough, it can slow or block blood flow. But worse, if it breaks off - it could travel to your lung and cause a pulmonary embolism , a clot in your lung, which could lead to death. What has this... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405521 Mon, 11 May 2009 08:34:26 +0100 2405521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367425&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fdeep-ecologists-might-get-their-human.html The Deep Ecology Movement wants to reduce the human population to 500 million. The genocidal implications of this idea are obvious--although DEs usually say they would like to see it done via voluntary birth control (fat chance), or perhaps a pandemic will do the trick. This is not only a rejection of human exceptionalism, but it is to embrace explicit anti-humanism.Enter a possible swine flu pandemic. From the story:A new swine flu strain that has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico has "pandemic potential," the World Health Organization chief said Saturday, and it may be too late to contain the sudden outbreak.The disease has already reached Texas and California, and with 24 new suspected cases reported Saturday in Mexico City alone, schools were closed... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367425 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:14:00 +0100 2367425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367339&cid=t_110669_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F25%2Frivaroxaban-for-the-prevention-of-venous-thromboembolism%2F Title: Rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism Source: NICE The Skinny: This guidance is about when rivaroxaban should be used to reduce the risk of thromboembolism in adults who have surgery to replace their hip or knee joints in the NHS in England and Wales. It explains guidance (advice) from NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). It does not cover using rivaroxaban to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism in adults who have had other types of surgery. Documents For healthcare professionals: TA170 Venous thromboembolism - rivaroxaban: guidance (23p, 190.93 Kb) TA170 Venous thromboembolism - rivaroxaban: guidance (MS Word format) (23p, 553.5 Kb) TA170 Venous thromboembolism - rivaroxaban: quick ref guide(2p, 42.73 Kb) Documents For patient... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367339 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:57:47 +0100 2367339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365113&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fmore_advanced_deep_brain_stimulation_electrodes_being_develo.htm Katrien Marent At this week's Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE) conference, the independent nanoelectronics and nano- technology research center IMEC presented a new design strategy for brain implants, which it used to create a prototype multi-electrode stimulation and recording probe for deep-brain stimulation. Brain implants for electrical stimulation of specific brain areas are used as a last-resort therapy for brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease, tremor, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Today's deep-brain stimulation probes use millimeter-size electrodes. These stimulate, in a highly unfocused way, a large area of the brain and may produce significant unwanted side effects. "To have a more precise stimulation and recording, we need electrodes that are as small as in... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365113 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:58:00 +0100 2365113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356933&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fwjs-skink-at-earth-day-party.html As usual, I find myself the skunk at the party. As the world celebrates Earth Day, that term has become a bit ominous. Environmentalism is devolving into an increasingly anti-human movement that could end up costing the human race dearly. I have a piece on the matter in today's NRO called "Homo Sapiens, Get Lost." Here are a few excerpts: Over the last few hundred years in the West, the moral foundations of society were profoundly pro-human. Judeo-Christian moral philosophy and secular humanism both promoted human flourishing and the protection of individual rights as primary purposes of society. But in recent years we have witnessed a rebellion against "human exceptionalism"--the view that ultimate moral value comes with being a member of the human species...Here and abroad, environmental... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356933 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2356933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348440&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F13%2Fthe-situation-of-confabulation%2F Helen Philips had a nice article  titled “Mind fiction: Why your brain tells tall tales,” in the October 2006 issue of New Scientist.  Here are some excerpts. * * * The kind of storytelling my grandmother did after a series of strokes . . . [n]eurologists call . . . confabulation. It isn’t fibbing, as there is no intent to deceive and people seem to believe what they are saying. Until fairly recently it was seen simply as a neurological deficiency - a sign of something gone wrong. Now, however, it has become apparent that healthy people confabulate too. Confabulation is clearly far more than a result of a deficit in our memory, says William Hirstein, a neurologist and philosopher at Elmhurst College in Chicago and author of a book on the subject entitled Brain Fiction .... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348440 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:01:09 +0100 2348440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313507&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2FsNzuOyGgta0%2Fapa-monitor-we-dont-need-no-stinking.html The American Psychological Association publishes two monthly publications for members, the well-regarded journal American Psychologist, and the APA's newspaper, Monitor on Psychology. I've been having issues with The Monitor for as long as I can remember. At times, I think the magazine makes claims that are not at all substantiated by evidence, which really bothers me. Why? Because psychology is supposed to be a science; it is what separates psychologists from life coaches or snake oil salesmen. I usually skim the Monitor for about 30 seconds per month, but when I saw the cover for this month's issue, my intuition told me to look out for voodoo. The title: Brain imaging: New technologies for research and practice. So I browsed through the glossy pages, looking for something to catch my ey... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313507 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:02:00 +0100 2313507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258103&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F12%2Ftushnet-on-teles-and-the-situation-of-ideas-abstract%2F Mark Tushnet’s excellent review of Steven Teles’s book, “The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement” (forthcoming 87 Texas Law Review, 2008) is now available on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Steven Teles’s book, The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement, is a case study of ideological challenge. Teles, a political scientist, emphasizes the institutional dimensions of such challenges. Relying on interviews and internal documents produced by conservative organizations, he examines the development of conservative litigating groups (i.e., conservative public interest law firms), the growth of the Federalist Society, and the embedding of law and economics within the legal academy. There have been similar studies of liberal public interest law firms an... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258103 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:01:13 +0100 2258103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211547&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F25%2Flarry-lessigs-situationism%2F Samuel Jacobs, a senior at Harvard College and associate managing editor of The Harvard Crimson, recently interviewed Larry Lessig for the Ideas section of The Boston Globe.  The conversation illustrated Lessig’s situationist perspective of corruption.  Here are some excerpts. * * * ROD BLAGOJEVICH ACCUSED of trying to sell a Senate seat. Dianne Wilkerson stuffing cash into her shirt. A Harvard doctor taking huge consulting fees from drug companies. This past year ended with a collection of new examples of a very old problem: corruption. Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford intellectual-property scholar recently hired away by Harvard Law School, believes he may have some solutions. Lessig, who has built a reputation as a leading advocate for free culture and loosening copyright laws, surp... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211547 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:01:30 +0100 2211547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200874&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Ffda_approves_deepbrain_stimulator_for_ocd.htm The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved a humanitarian device exemption for the first implantable device that delivers intermittent electrical therapy deep within the brain to suppress the symptoms associated with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Medtronic Inc's Reclaim™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system uses a small pulse generator to create electrical stimulation which blocks abnormal nerve signals in the brain. This small battery-powered device is implanted near the abdomen or the collar bone and connected to four electrodes implanted in the brain. Two device systems may be implanted to stimulate both sides of the brain or one device may be implanted with two lead outputs. Human device exemptions facilitate the development of medical devices intende... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200874 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:05:00 +0100 2200874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194865&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F18%2Fdepression-peeking-over-the-cliff%2F Anyone who’s had depression even once has to be aware of it creeping into their lives once more. Will it hit like a ton of bricks? Will it slide in from the back door? Everyone’s experiences are probably different, and particular to their patterns and diagnosis. One thing’s for sure. It’s still out there. This isn’t meant to scare you, making you fearful of the slightest bad mood or sad feeling. To have feelings is to be human, though it can seem sometimes like feelings are the enemy. Being aware of what is healthy and what crosses the line to depression can help you live a full life. How close do you get to the edge of the cliff? People with a history of depression need to remember that there is a deep canyon of pain and confusion on the map. No, this is noth... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194865 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:00:21 +0100 2194865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188401&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-free-market-mindset-conference%2F “I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in the firms. . . . I found a flaw . . . in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works.” ~Alan Greenspan * * * The market collapse has brought not only financial crisis but a crisis of faith in what Ronald Reagan famously called “the magic of the market place.” If the current state of the U.S. economy makes clear that former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s faith in free markets was misplaced, the question remains: what was it about free markets that proved — and still continues to prove — so alluring to econo... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188401 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:01:09 +0100 2188401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172927&cid=t_110669_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F02%2F10%2Fconference-on-neuroprosthetic-devices%2F The First International Conference on Neuroprosthetic Devices will take place at National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan on March 19th and 20th, 2009. The mission of this newly founded conference is to foster West-East interaction and collaboration in the rapidly advancing clinical use of neuroprosthetics. The specific aim of the first conference is to expose unique technological and neurological research opportunities in Taiwan. National Chaio Tung University is one of the best universities in Taiwan and is located right next to the world-famous HsinChu Science Park hosting hundreds of biotechnology, semiconductor, and electronics companies. The conference sessions will cover several key areas in the neuroprosthetic development, such as deep brain stimulation for treatment of Park... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172927 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:08:10 +0100 2172927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2173246&cid=t_110669_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Ffor-what-its-worth.html Today, I realised that i had not allowed anonymous coments on this blog. I've changed that, in the spirit of open-ness and all; I'd rather you i.d'd yourselves; it lends a certain degree of responsibility to commenting, but from now on, if you wanna remain hidden in the shadows... go ahead. (Source: The KnifeMan) The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2173246 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:48:00 +0100 2173246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2083909&cid=t_110669_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fi-learn-about-georgia-guidestones.html I gave a speech on Sunday hitting on the threats to human exceptionalism. I brought up my concern about deep ecology's call to reduce humankind to under 1 billion, as well as Spain passing the Great Ape Project, Switzerland's "plant dignity," and Ecuador's granting rights to Nature.During the Q and A, an audience member asked me what I thought of the Georgia Guide Stones. I had never heard of them, but promised to look it up. Here is what I found. From Wikipedia, I learned that that huge granite monoliths were erected by unknown persons in 1979, written in different languages. The Stones' message pushes one world government, and may involve occultism, issues with which we don't concern ourselves here. Some of it is feel good pabulum. But some of the directives do appear to chillingly call ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2083909 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:56:00 +0100 2083909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999417&cid=t_110669_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F29%2Fagainst-freedom-of-commercial-expression-abstract%2F Tamara Piety has an interesting new article, titled “Against Freedom of Commercial Expression,” in 29 Cardozo Law Review 2583 (2008), which you can download on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Preservation of freedom of expression is properly understood as one of the bulwarks of our constitutional liberty. Yet the prohibition on government regulation of expression has never been considered absolute. One area of less than absolute protection is found in the commercial speech doctrine. Government may regulate commercial speech for its truth where such regulation advances a substantial governmental interest which is advanced by the regulation and there is a good fit between regulation’s aims and the regulation itself. Some argue that even this intermediate level of ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999417 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:54:10 +0100 1999417