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 'funding'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:47:04 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096169&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZOrZ812LqXk%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanThe legislation signed by President Obama yesterday, as a solution to the debt ceiling debate, includes the possibility of cuts to military spending. But as Chris Preble points out, the legislation guarantees no defense cuts. Republicans will try to dump all the required cuts on non-defense areas. And the White House has already distanced itself from the prospect of any real defense budget cuts, as did Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Both support only the first round of cuts, which will at best halt Pentagon growth at roughly inflation. On The Skeptics blog, I take a more detailed look at deal’s likely impact on military spending. I also examine its political effect, arguing that it will cause at least four political fights. The first concerns war fun... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096169 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:29:42 +0100 5096169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960242&cid=t_91858_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FyRR9QNlUqb8%2F Last week, we wrote about research claiming antidepressants could make you more depressed. Italian professor of clinical psychology Giovannia Fava found antidepressants used over long periods of time can actually increase a patient’s chances of relapse more than if they were to take a placebo. Mixed messages on antidepressants and other psychopharmaceuticals seem to be increasingly prevalent. More people than ever are prescribed them—and have a vested interest in selling them. For a fascinating primer on how the psychiatric drug culture we know today came to be, check out this New York Review of Books piece by Marcia Angell. In it, Angell reviews three new books on the psychiatric industry (The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth, Anatomy of an Epidemic: Mag... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960242 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:43:57 +0100 4960242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934096&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJeehXKIZYnY%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonGerilyn Slicker, of the Fordham Institute, offers a brief review of my study of charter school philanthropy in the latest “Education Gadfly” mailing, including the following observation: Note, though, that this analysis is not without fault. The report doesn’t break down spending by pupil (only reporting aggregate grant-giving), nor does it account for student growth over time or for how long the charter networks have been operational. All three of these concerns are worth raising, and the first two of them were actually addressed in the paper itself. The aggregate vs. per-pupil grant funding question is discussed in endnote 15: Note that total grant funding, rather than grant funding per pupil, is the correct measure. That is because enrollment is endogen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934096 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:02:07 +0100 4934096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921427&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-who-report-more-than-1-billion-people-are-disabled%2F2011.06.09 The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank just revealed the first-ever global estimate of disability. The report suggests that at least 1 billion people are currently disabled, and about 1/5 of those are experiencing significant difficulties with their activities of daily living. Since  people with disabilities experience poorer health, lower educational achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, this vulnerable segment of the population needs much closer attention. I’m a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist by training, and there are only about 8000 of us in the United States. Some have called PM&R specialists: “primary care physicians for the disabled” and I think that&... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921427 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:37 +0100 4921427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902515&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2011%2F05%2F21%2Fhuman-computer-confluence.html (HC-CO) is an ambitious initiative recently launched by the European Commission under the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) program, which fosters projects that investigate and demonstrate new possibilities “emerging at the confluence between the human and technological realms” (source: HC-CO website, EU Commission).Such projects will examine new modalities for individual and group perception, actions and experience in augmented, virtual spaces. In particular, such virtual spaces would span the virtual reality continuum, also extending to purely synthetic but believable representation of massive, complex and dynamic data. HC-CO also fosters inter-disciplinary research (such as Presence, neuroscience, psychophysics, prosthetics, machine learning, computer science and engineering) ... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902515 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:03:00 +0100 4902515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872105&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2011%2F05%2Ffree-market-medicine-and-lab-tests%2F As my surgical experiences come to a close, I have now begun to receive all the bills for services that were provided to me. One bill shows what one national health care provider considers “fair payment” for laboratory testing performed prior to my surgery. I matched that bill up with my insurance explanation of benefits to determine which prices go to what tests. Click on the picture below to enlarge. Fees for the lab testing were discounted anywhere from 70% to 90% off the provider’s published rates. A CBC cost $8.12 PT/PTT (coagulation studies) cost a total of $10.15 A basic metabolic panel cost $8.12 Nearly $200 in “handling fees” was waived. They accepted five bucks instead of the $16.70 they charged for drawing my blood. In summary, it would have cost me... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872105 Thu, 26 May 2011 21:52:51 +0100 4872105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862634&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FovqaR0_pg1c%2F URL: http://www.mincava.umn.edu/The Minnesota Center against Violence and Abuse (MinCAVA) has information on these subjects: child abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, trafficking, workplace violence, youth violence and more. Most information is in PDF form, but some are in regular text or web pages. For: AnyoneTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Addiction, Anger, Behaviour Management, Child and Adolescent, Clinical Psychology, Common Factors, Depression, Emotional Health, Family Therapy, General Psychology, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Quality of Life, RelationshipsFeatures: Articles, Grants & Funding, Information, Links, Multimedia, Resources We are an online resource community only.  Our services are limited t... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862634 Wed, 25 May 2011 17:00:13 +0100 4862634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820911&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fstop-you-thieving-scientist.html – All scientists are thieves. They're stealing money out of the pockets of the poor unsuspecting public. At least that’s what one commenter said recently in response to a post on giving up tenure. But, is there just one country out there that has weak, ineffectual central government, is making few investments in science, infrastructure and people, and that also has a good economy? Just one? Selected from the latest science stories to hit DB’s virtual desktop @sciencebase. Related Posts:125 PhDs per second with superfast JanetScientists and social mediaTelepathic spamWhat killed Darwin?Resurrecting the flatlining pharma industryStop, you thieving scientist! is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog (Source: Sciencebase Science Blog) Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820911 Fri, 13 May 2011 07:12:00 +0100 4820911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642914&cid=t_91858_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2011%2F03%2F27%2Fferarro-was-concerned-that-only-some-can-afford-cancer-treatment%2F This was done in 2007, when Ms. Ferarro was in remission. She expressed concern in this video about the fact that drugs that allowed her to stay alive were not available for all. This continues to be the case. Unless you have a lot of money or good insurance, you may not be able to get the treatment many of us count on to keep us among the living. In this video, she’s getting Velcade and talks about research and funding. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642914 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:03:44 +0100 4642914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489641&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fkde81-kgKf4%2F Conclusions: This study finds that elementary students who were randomly assigned to attend the 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program were more likely to feel safe after school, no more likely to have higher academic achievement, no less likely to be in self-care, more likely to engage in some negative behaviors, and experience mixed effects on developmental outcomes relative to students who were not randomly assigned to attend the centers.   In light of its (at-best) impotence, did the program go away? Of course not! In FY 2010 it was appropriated $1.17 billion, and the Obama administration has asked for $1.27 billion for FY 2012. And this despite not just poor performance, but a pesky $14 trillion national debt. This is small potatoes, though, compared to some... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489641 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:58:48 +0100 4489641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489674&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhelp-fight-the-nih-budget-cuts%2F2011.02.17 Many of my regular readers may know that biomedical research in the United States is largely funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Please see this message from Dr. William Talman, president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), about proposed spending cuts to the NIH budget. Grant funding from the NIH is already hard to come by, and the proposed budget cuts will make it even harder. Whether you are a scientist, a student, or a member of the public interested in the future of science and medicine, I join with Dr. Talman in asking you to call your congressional representatives and ask them to oppose HR1. Also, if you have a blog I’d ask you to repost Dr. Talman’s call to action so that your readers can join in. Dear Colleague, For months t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489674 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:00:50 +0100 4489674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464647&cid=t_91858_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Ffather-climbs-mountain-for-autism%2F A father is going to climb Mt Kilimonjaro on February 27th to raise money for Autism.  Graham Kennedy is going to be raising money for a UK Based Charity Autism Concern which helps provide finances for services for children and adults on the Autism Spectrum.  Graham is the father of Sam who is on the Autism Spectrum. [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464647 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:40:13 +0100 4464647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405784&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2011%2F01%2Fgaming-obamacare%2F Remember my post a few months back about how some large companies were getting waivers so they didn’t have to pay into the new health care system? Things are getting worse.  According to this article on The Hill, the feds just granted new insurance waivers to more than 500 groups, bringing the total number of individuals covered by waivers to 2.1 million. The system just isn’t going to work. Let me get my soapbox out here. [Tap tap tap] Is this thing on? Good. First, there’s still this misconception that the “mandate” to purchase insurance will somehow translate into accessibility of medical care. It doesn’t work that way. I’ve said it before. Purchasing health insurance doesn’t mean that you have access to health care any more than purchasi... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405784 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:24:46 +0100 4405784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394514&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Feven-more-science-news-2.html Science news snippets from the net meanderings of David Bradley Fighting malaria without DDT = FAIL – Review suggests DDT essential in fight against malaria, despite claims for green approaches. A new research paper exposes allegedly false claims and misrepresentations of science by United Nations environmental organizations to stop successful uses of DDT and other public health insecticides in malaria programs. Adverse drug reactions are not an argument against modern medicine – The number of preventable adverse events from medical treatments is far too high. And even the idiosyncratic events — freak accidents, basically — mean we must always consider the rare but possible harms of the therapies we use. But as Harriet Hall has pointed out, we cannot look at d... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394514 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:00:05 +0100 4394514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253151&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3829 Jump to follow-up We hear a lot about lifelong education, and a good thing too. But we have a government that seems to think life ends at 18. The contrast between official attitudes to schools and post-school education is striking. The contrast is most striking in two areas: religious discrimination and public support for costs. Religous discriminatiion and selection The Universities Tests Act was passed on 18 June 1871, while William Gladstone (Liberal) was Prime minister. It was "An Act to alter the law respecting Religious Tests in the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, and in the Halls and Colleges of those Universities". Of course UCL was founded in 1826, partly as a place that was free of religious discrimination. Since 1871 it has been illegal for a university ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253151 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:23:18 +0100 4253151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251115&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3829 Jump to follow-up We hear a lot about lifelong education, and a good thing too. But we have a government that seems to think life ends at 18. The contrast between official attitudes to schools and post-school education is striking. The contrast is most striking in two areas: religious discrimination and public support for costs. Religous discriminatiion and selection The Universities Tests Act was passed on 18 June 1871, while William Gladstone (Liberal) was Prime minister. It was "An Act to alter the law respecting Religious Tests in the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham, and in the Halls and Colleges of those Universities". Of course UCL was founded in 1826, partly as a place that was free of religious discrimination. Since 1871 it has been illegal for a university ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251115 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:23:18 +0100 4251115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230165&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3789 Research quangos lead to mediocrity is the headline title of a letter to The Times appeared on 6 December 2010. It is reproduced below for those who can’t (or won’t) pay Rupert Murdoch to see it. The letter is about the current buzzword, "research impact", a term that trips off the lips of every administrator and politician daily. Since much research is funded by the taxpayer, it seems reasonable to ask if it gives value for money. The best answer can be found in St Paul’s cathedral. The plaque for Christopher Wren bears the epitaph LECTOR, SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS, CIRCUMSPICE. Reader, if you seek his memorial – look around you. Much the same could be said for the impact of any science. Look at your refrigerator, your mobile phone, your computer, your cent... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230165 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:28:13 +0100 4230165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230164&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F12%2Fdeath-panels-and-access-to-care%2F I read an article in the New York Times that underscores my argument that health care insurance does not and never will equal health care access. Our federal and state governments are being crushed by debt. There are many reasons for that debt, and addressing the reasons for the debt are a necessary aspect of decreasing the debt. For example, if a family household had overdrawn its checking account by several thousand dollars and their credit cards were maxed out, most people would consider it foolish for the family to purchase expensive cars, to donate large sums of money to charity, to go out to eat at expensive restaurants, or to continue purchasing large amounts of weapons to stockpile in its basement. When in debt, there are two options – earn more money or reduce spending. Usin... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230164 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 04:49:17 +0100 4230164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4207287&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbiotech-and-life-sciences-grant-program-only-a-few-crumbs-to-go-around%2F2010.11.29 After assuming control of the House in the mid-term elections, Republicans vowed to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, the health reform law signed by the “Big O” last March. Thank heavens, therefore, that the Boehners were too busy congratulating themselves to even notice those federal helicopters dumping $1 billion in cash on some needy biotech companies just as the election results were being tallied. Yep, it happened. Federal disbursements in the form of grants and tax credits were made last week, as required by a provision in the reform law known as the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program. According to the terms of this program, biotech and life sciences companies with less than 250 employees could apply for federal funds to cover research costs they had incu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4207287 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:00:34 +0100 4207287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4207295&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3761 One problem with the Browne report is that it didn’t consider the whole picture. It looked only at how to fund universities as they are now, and concluded that arts and humanities weren’t worth funding at all. What it failed to do (and to be fair, it wasn’t asked to do) was think what universities should be like. Perhaps that is just as well, given Browne’s views, but it means that the job is only half done. I have argued that the present system, which was essentially dictated by John Major’s conservative government, is simply not working for an age when 45 percent of kids go into higher education. It makes no sense to decide on a funding mechanism before deciding what sort of university system we want. Michael Collins is a lecturer in 20th Century history at... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4207295 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:55:23 +0100 4207295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105668&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-lies-of-medical-science-whats-an-e-patient-to-do%2F2010.10.25 There’s an extraordinary new article in The Atlantic entitled “Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science.” It echos an excellent article in our Journal of Participatory Medicine (JoPM) a year ago by Richard W. Smith, 25-year editor of the British Medical Journal, entitled ”In Search Of an Optimal Peer Review System.” JoPM, Oct 21, 2009: “….most of what appears in peer-reviewed journals is scientifically weak.” The Atlantic, Oct. 16, 2010: “Much of what medical researchers conclude in their studies is misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong.” JoPM 2009: “Yet peer review remains sacred, worshiped by scientists and central to the processes of science — awarding grants, publishing, and dishing out prizes.” The Atlantic 2010: “So why are doctors — to... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105668 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:09 +0100 4105668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119047&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2Fh-Mq-0psVec%2Fblue-skies-science-pie-in-the-sky.html Lucy Marcus is the Founder and CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting, Ltd, a company that endeavours to foster sustainable success for funding organisations. She is non-executive chair of the Mobius Life Sciences Fund and chair of the audit committee for BioCity Nottingham. As the Science is Vital campaign steps up a gear and British scientists brace themselves for funding cut announcements from government, Lucy Marcus talked to David Bradley about the downside to science spending cuts. You have quite a broad range of current positions, what 2-3 word phrase would you use to describe yourself professionally speaking? Hard to put into 2-3 words. I am the CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting, a non-executive director, and chair of Mobius Life Sciences. How did you become involved with the Mobius Life ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119047 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:00:57 +0100 4119047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060602&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3564 The proposals made here are intended to improve postgraduate education with little harm to undergraduate education and no extra cost. It is not intended to get the government off the hook when it comes to funding of either teaching or research. The recent Royal Society report, The Scientific Century: securing our future prosperity, makes it very clear that research funding in the UK is already low. There is a good summary of the financial case at Science is Vital. Even before cuts the UK invested only 1.8% of its GDP in R&D in 2007. This is short of the UK’s own target of 2.5%, and further behind the EU target of 3.8%. If you haven’t already, sign their petition. The article reproduced here is the original 800-word version of proposals made already on this... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060602 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:00:18 +0100 4060602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036903&cid=t_91858_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fits-not-about-jobs.html In case you have been sleeping for the past decade, there has been a big controversy over stem cell research - particularly that using embryonic stem cells. Its been a bit of a roller coaster - yes it can be federally funded, no it cant, yes it can, no it cant... and now its waiting on a Supreme Court decision. The research itself does get into some ground breaking stuff - diabetes, cancer, etc. Its also expensive - $200 million this year alone. But apparently the scientists doing the research are worrying about their jobs. Well yes that is a concern. Anyone's job can just go away. There are no guarantees for any job these days. A few thoughts here:Isn't the idea that ground breaking research might be put on hold a bit more disconcerting than the fact that 1300 people might have to find ne... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036903 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:07:00 +0100 4036903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022886&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fmedworm-goes-bust.html I did a stupid thing yesterday, rolled out some new code with an error that I hadn't spotted, which updated hundreds of MedWorm feeds with items from the alcoholism topic (yes I had tested the code first, but obviously not well enough). Now although I don't drink and would happily try and educate everyone on the risks of alcohol, this wasn't intentional, and needless to say there were a lot of 'unhappy campers' that were finding irrelevant information on their medical websites. The code has now been fixed I am happy to say and the feeds are updating now with the correct information, but there are so many it will take a few hours for this update to complete. So first I want to say a big 'Sorry! I'll try make sure this never happens again'. This should never have happened - the reason it did... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022886 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:30:00 +0100 4022886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954226&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2tcktPDy7DU%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonA story yesterday on CNNMoney.com describes the plight of Jenny Frank, who is young and eager to begin a career in teaching but hasn’t been able to land a job. It’s always sad to hear of people failing to find work in their chosen field, but the article in question completely misses a staggeringly important national story. As I mentioned this morning on Fox ‘n’ Friends: we have about 1.5 million too many teachers already! Since 1970, public school enrollment has barely budged–up just 9 percent. Over the same period, employment has doubled. We’ve added 3 million new government school jobs. Half of those are teachers, another quarter are teachers’ aides, and the rest are service personnel and bureaucrats. This hiring binge has ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954226 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:39:57 +0100 3954226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954228&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_xVwx6kegIc%2F By Mark A. CalabriaLike President Bush before him, Obama has a knack for taking the worst ideas of his opponents and making them his own.  It is truly bipartisanship in the worst of ways (think Sarbanes-Oxley, the TARP or No Child Left Behind).  The newest example is the President’s proposed “infrastructure bank.”  A bill along those lines was introduced a few years ago by then Senator Hagel, although the idea is far from new. First, let’s get out of the way the myth that we have been “under-funding” intrastructure.  Take the largest, and usually most popular, piece:  transportation.  Over the last decade, transportation spending at all levels of government has increased over 70 percent.  One can debate if that money has been spent wisely, but the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954228 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:03:26 +0100 3954228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907604&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-the-expiration-date-of-harvested-organs-be-extended%2F2010.08.26 Currently, once a donated organ has been harvested it only has a few hours on ice before it “expires.” Lengthening this time period would be an incredible breakthrough that would allow patients in a wider area to potentially receive a transplant and also it would reduce some of the insanity surrounding the time pressures of organ transplantation. One proposed method of extending an organ’s shelf life is to alter the internal cell biology to allow cells to live longer at lower temperatures. The State University of New Jersey Rutgers-Camden just received a $385,419 grant from the NIH to study an enzyme system, AMP phosphatase, and how it can potentially create cold-tolerant Drosophila. The enzyme was originally identified in ice worms as the key enzyme that allows them to s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907604 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:00:26 +0100 3907604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885331&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtVvBZIljiAY%2F Yesterday, FoxNews.com posted a story on what appears to be a growing problem for public school systems across the country: accommodating Muslim holidays. Unfortunately, the report didn’t contain the solution to the problem. It did, though, contain a very succinct discussion of the root of the problem; an example of the good intent that causes people to ignore the problem; and the kind of “solution” that is ultimately at odds with the most basic of American values. A quote from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg captured the essence of the problem: One of the problems you have with a diverse city is that if you close the schools for every single holiday, there won’t be any school. There you have the basic conundrum in a nutshell: Whenever you have a divers... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885331 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:03:02 +0100 3885331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757850&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fg0Zva-ruO1Q%2F By Tad DeHavenA recent paper by Veronique de Rugy examines how policymakers use various budgeting gimmicks to increase spending and obscure liabilities. One particularly abusive mechanism is the designation of supplemental spending as an “emergency.” The emergency designation makes it easier for policymakers to skirt budgetary rules, particularly “pay-as-you-go” (PAYGO) requirements. The following chart from the paper shows how supplemental spending, most of which was designated as “emergency,” has taken off in the last decade: As the chart notes, much of the increase is attributable to supplemental appropriations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush administration was rightly criticized by analysts across the ideological spectrum for funding the wars outside of the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757850 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:59:40 +0100 3757850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746748&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F07%2Fi-suppose-its-better-than-death-panels%2F Revealing article in Bloomberg online today about the latest way in which elderly patients are getting screwed by the system. Medicare reviews all admissions and if the patients don’t meet indications for admission, the hospital doesn’t get paid by Medicare. Medicare has also recently implemented a mercenary system called Recovery Audit Contractors (or RAC for short) in which third parties audit hospital charts to see whether Medicare “overpaid” for a patient’s visit. If the auditor finds an “overpayment”, the auditor gets to keep a percentage of that overpayment.  Just as an aside, most states have laws against percentage “fee splitting” such as this since paying someone on a percentage basis creates a conflict of interest that encour... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746748 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:11:09 +0100 3746748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695764&cid=t_91858_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F1hT45iGHl1s%2F Notice the nice new widget on my sidebar? It’s for a Kickstarter project that I just discovered. Actually, I’m discovering Kickstarter itself. It seems to be a place where those who need funding for various small projects go to get said funding. Funders (like myself) chip in a small amount (I pledged $27) to back the project. The project I funded has to do with food and cooking, but there are also film and art project, musicians who need backing for an album (do they still call them that?), etc. What I will get in return is a couple of recipes from a world cuisine of my choice, the hard-to-find ingredients used in the recipes, and information about how and why the included ingredients are important in that cuisine. My mouth is starting to water already… Filed under: elect... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695764 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:42:08 +0100 3695764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687099&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finside-the-nih-grant-review-process%2F2010.06.22 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world’s biggest sponsor of research in the life sciences. Today’s biologists, clinical researchers, and many others rely on the NIH for their funding. To help people better understand how the peer review process happens within the NIH, the agency’s Center for Scientific Review created the following video that includes samples of research being openly discussed by a number of scientists: Click here to view another video of tips for NIH grant applicants. *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687099 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:00:59 +0100 3687099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671671&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FypkWBVPe8Fw%2F By Neal McCluskeyFinished with my woman ‘Cause she couldn’t help me with my mind People think I’m insane Because I am frowning all the time - Black Sabbath, “Paranoid” According to the Fordham Institute’s Chester Finn, I and others like me are “paranoid.” So why, like Ozzy Osbourne, am I “frowning all the time?” Because I look at decades of public schooling reality and, unlike Finn, see the tiny odds that “common” curriculum standards won’t become federal standards, gutted, and our crummy education system made even worse. Finn’s rebuttal to my NRO piece skewering the push for national standards, unfortunately, takes the same tack he’s used for months: Assert that the standards proposed by the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671671 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:35:45 +0100 3671671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625508&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3120 I was asked recently to write a reply to an article about "research managers" for the magazine Research Fortnight. This is a magazine that carries news of research and has a very useful list of potential research funding agencies. The article to which I was asked to respond originally had the title “Researchers and Research Managers, a match made in heaven?“, before the subeditors got hold of it. It was written by Simon Kerridge, who is secretary of the Association for Research Managers and Administrators The printed version of his article can be downloaded here, and the printed version of my response here. My response, as submitted, is below with live links. This invitation came at a strangely appropriate time, just at the moment that every unversity is having serio... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625508 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:01:00 +0100 3625508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610332&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F05%2Ffree-market-transparency-on-the-horizon%2F Now THIS is what I’m talking about! From an article in ModernPhysician.com (registration required)… Pricing transparency gaining renewed interest Led by a physician lawmaker, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have shown renewed interest in mandating a boost in healthcare pricing transparency, including charges for physician services. More on pricing transparency from an article in The Hill. Rep. Steve Kagen, M.D., (D-Wis.) sponsored one bill (H.R. 4700) that would require all medical providers to openly disclose prices or face a financial penalty.”The “Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010” would finally allow patients to see the price of a pill before they swallow it.” Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) sponsored H.R. 4803 which is a little ... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610332 Sat, 29 May 2010 10:48:28 +0100 3610332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585617&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F05%2Fdr-whitecoat-goes-to-washington%2F Sorry about the sparse posting lately – have been away in Washington at an ACEP conference Just so Matt and others don’t think that all I’m all talk and no action, I’ll let you in on some things that I did at the conference. I attended some excellent lectures about leadership. Colonel Thomas Kolditz gave a great talk about leadership in extreme circumstances. He described his interviews with many soldiers, Iraqi prisoners, sports team captains and their teammates, and various other people in leadership positions to determine what makes a good leader. Why do people follow some leaders and not others? Commitment is important. If a leader doesn’t believe in a mission, neither will the rest of the team. Effective leaders work with the team – they get down i... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585617 Thu, 20 May 2010 18:20:45 +0100 3585617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467754&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F04%2Ffree-market-medicine%2F If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am an advocate of free market medicine. Force medical providers to advertise their prices like all the other businesses, let insurance cover catastrophic costs instead of everyday costs, and let market forces go to work. In order for the free market concept to work, though, we have to get rid of the third party obfuscation, though. Right now, not many people care about the cost of a product because they aren’t paying for it. Third party “middlemen” are paying for the product. I read a post on Kevin MD’s blog that puts free market principles into play. Take all of those who are suffering from low back pain. You want to know if something might be wrong. Do you need an MRI? That depends. Is the pain acute or chronic? Are... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467754 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:02:27 +0100 3467754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429194&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F04%2Fhealthcare-update-04-01-2010%2F Tort reform lessens the risk of medical malpractice, “but it doesn’t change the capriciousness of the legal system … and it hasn’t changed the nature of the risk.” “If there is ANY DELAY AT ALL in the diagnosis of a condition, then they label it as ‘malpractice.’” This Newsweek article explains very succinctly why defensive medicine is real – despite what the American Association for Justice’s mouthpieces would tell you. Ooops. One lawyer in the comment section says defensive medicine is a myth. Oh well. There goes my theory. It’s not really patient “dumping” — I helped her get out of the car. Florida surgeon cuts wrong duct during gallbladder surgery, then brings patient to another hospital in his ow... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429194 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:54:33 +0100 3429194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378450&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv1Dzs1stHts%2F By Tad DeHavenLast year, when the issue of defunding ACORN was a hot-button issue, I told countless radio talk show audiences that the focus should be on eliminating the underlying fuel that created the organization—the flow of federal subsidies. Chris Edwards pointed this out in September. If Congress simply stops subsidizing ACORN, its activists will reincorporate under new names and again become eligible for funds. Alas, that’s precisely what ACORN is currently doing. From FoxNews.com: One of the latest groups to adopt a new name is ACORN Housing, long one of the best-funded affiliates. Now, the group is calling itself the Affordable Housing Centers of America. Others changing their names include what were among the largest affiliates: California ACORN is now Alliance of Californian... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378450 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:08:54 +0100 3378450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358923&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fbmj-2010-vol-340-no-7744%2F Contents page Fade Fave: New figures show big discrepancies in GPs’ funding Fade Skinny: Figures released by a London primary care trust, as a result of a request made under the Freedom of Information Act, show huge differences in funding between general practices. The highest paid practices in Camden, north London, earn more than twice as much per patient as the lowest paid, with the figure for the base contract per patient ranging from as low as £57.72 (65; $90) to as high as £145.34. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, FoI, Funding, GPs (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358923 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:23:13 +0100 3358923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358964&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhMtsvk_vxmg%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonJay makes a number of good points in his blog post on the subject, but particularly effective is his likening of “voluntary” education standards to “voluntary” state speed limits tied to federal highway funding. When someone takes your money and will only give any of it back if you do as he says, are your actions really voluntary? That’s what the Obama administration and other “voluntary” standards advocates are proposing. More soon on the folly of imposing a single set of age-based education standards on the entire nation. Stay tuned. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358964 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:37:50 +0100 3358964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350234&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F10%2Ffunding-social-care-what-service-users-say%2F Title: Funding social care: what service users say Skinny: In 2009, 18 adult social care service users were brought together to explore proposals for funding social care in the future. This Viewpoint reports their views, including the public does not understand what social care is or who pays for it social care’s low political profile is linked with this lack of public understanding a false divide between social care and health care is perpetuated by conflicting funding arrangements general taxation is the best way to fund social care reject any withdrawal of existing universal disability benefits to fund means and needs tested social care Publisher: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Size of Publication: 12p Published: 09/03/2010 Filed under: Grey Literature, Social Care, Taxation Tagged: ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350234 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:48:42 +0100 3350234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331270&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJ-S76bBJhZY%2F By Tad DeHavenU.S. News & World Report’s columnist Paul Bedard reports that Transportation secretary Ray LaHood told him that it’s fun playing Santa Claus to states and cities around the nation. So let’s take a look at some recent examples of DOT gift-giving with federal taxpayers’ money: DOT’s Federal Highway Administration helped restore an old brewery in Petosi, Wisconsin with a $450,000 gift. That should make taxpayers want to drink. DOT is sending $116,000 to Calaveras County, California to restore a train that operated in the 1920s. Dolgeville, New York intends to use DOT stimulus money to repair sidewalks even though the village acknowledges that the new sidewalks will have to be torn up and replaced again due to impending water and sewage line upgrades. Keyne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331270 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:20:25 +0100 3331270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322362&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F03%2Ffocus-on-the-cost%2F Yeah, I agree with Howard Fineman. You got a problem with that? Read his Newsweek article about his experiences being admitted to an Argentinian hospital and how he believes we should be focused on the costs of health care in this country. His bill for a hospital stay with dehydration in Argentina: About $1500. Similar hospitalization in the US: $10,000 to $15,000 – if he was lucky. Money quote: “Most Americans have no idea how much their health care really costs, nor do they know how well it really works ….” We desperately need price transparency in our health care system. Look at the four systems in Pennsylvania that I reviewed in a previous post. If one hospital cost 4 times as much as another hospital for treating the same medical problem, would that affect anyo... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322362 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:05:43 +0100 3322362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314623&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2010%2F02%2Fbrinksmanship%2F I may end up eating my words about this. We’ll see. James Rohack, the current AMA President, made a post at Kevin MD about why patients should care about fixing the pending Medicare payment cuts. Basically his take on the matter was that if the cuts go through, many physicians will stop seeing Medicare patients and that some seniors on Medicare will have difficulty finding medical care. I tend to agree with him. I commented that we should let Congress cut Medicare payments. Stop fighting it. I won’t rehash everything, but suffice it to say that I think we need a crisis in medicine to get things straightened out right now. A Medicare pay cut of 21.2% has been looming over physicians’ heads for several months now. The same pay cut has come up in the past, but, through some ... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314623 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:06:23 +0100 3314623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246910&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FCYu6tHXL_Go%2Freceived-my-first-soliciation-regarding.html Got an interesting email the other day: What do the following research programs have in common? 1. Lost Ladybug Cornell (Cornell University, NY) 2. Museum of the Earth (Ithaca, NY) 3. Crossing Boundaries (Hobart and William Smith Colleges, NY) 4. High School Polar Outreach Project (Charleston, SC) 5. Go Inquire Project (George Mason University, VA) 6. Project Wetkids (University of Southern Mississippi) Answer: They decided to hire Next Interactives to develop a highly engaging research website to help fulfill their Broader Impact and Outreach requirements. Sound interesting? Simply reply to this email for a free website consultation. Regards, XXXX Outreach Project Manager Next Interactives LLC Our portfolio: www.nextinteractives.comThis seems to be focused specifically on the... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246910 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:28:07 +0100 3246910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231459&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUINy8eVRBo8%2F By Jim HarperI was pleased when I learned that Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig had asked to come speak to us at Cato. Julian Sanchez has done a terrific job of capturing some of the subjects highlighted by his visit last week. Lessig is very keen on public financing of elections. In the end, however, Lessig’s visit reminded me of a birthday party I attended many years ago — something had been wrong with the cream sauce on the tortellini. The day after Professor Lessig spoke to a small group of us at lunch, a friend forwarded me an email he had sent to his followers describing his visit to our “prominent conservative think tank.” His email, PowerPoint presentation, and talk were all framed as if we are on “the right,” which doesn’t sit well ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231459 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:18:04 +0100 3231459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231460&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNl1UEnSqIGc%2F By Richard A. EpsteinThis past week Professor Lawrence Lessig of the Harvard Law School dropped into the Cato Institute to give his stump speech on his new passion: the corruption in government. There is no question that he has picked a subject large enough to test his own ambitions, for the ever expanding size of government opens up new avenues for political intrigue that leave the defenders of small government like myself in tears, no matter which party is in power. Lessig and I, it seems, share a common bond on the identification of the disease. But his presentation to the Cato Institute did not reflect the chasm on the question of remedy. Lessig is a one-dimensional man. Once he thinks that public funding of elections is the cure for the political disease, he mounts his crusade. I... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231460 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:15:38 +0100 3231460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220513&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FF0xgKacsWZY%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonYesterday, the president proposed yet another big increase in federal education spending. The Washington Post quoted ”senior White House officials” as saying that the spending would boost “the nation’s long-term economic health.” I sent the story’s authors a blog post laying out the evidence that higher government spending hasn’t raised student achievement, and that if you don’t boost achievement, you don’t accelerate economic growth. Today, there is an updated version of the original WaPo story. It no longer mentions the stated goal of the spending increase. It doesn’t mention that boosting gov’t spending has failed to raise achievement, and so will fail to help the economy. But it does cite a single ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220513 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:17:25 +0100 3220513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216565&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZNKUU1UIcKY%2F By Adam SchaefferSpend more money on education, the President says? Actually, we should be looking there for savings . . . here are some of the numbers: State governments spent 35 percent of their general funds on K–12 education in 2007, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. In contrast, Medicaid — which is continually singled out as a problematic state-budget item, even though most Medicaid funds come from the federal government — accounted for just 17 percent of general-fund expenditures. Combined, state and local governments spend 27 cents of every dollar they collect on public K–12 education system, but only 8 cents on Medicaid. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216565 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:15:41 +0100 3216565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185315&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn9hrpQjOPG4%2F By Chris EdwardsI happened to catch the January 7 State of the State speech by Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont on C-SPAN. It was a sober and serious presentation that laid out the facts about higher taxes and excessive spending, which are problems in just about every state. Douglas on excessive education staffing Vermont: Since 1997, school staffing levels have increased by 23 percent, while our student population has decreased by 11.5 percent. The number of teacher’s aides has gone up 43 percent. The number of support staff has gone up 48 percent. For every four fewer students a new teacher, teacher’s aide or staff person was hired. There are 11 students for every teacher – the lowest ratio in the country – and a staggering five students for every adult in our schools. With personne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185315 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:38:12 +0100 3185315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182143&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F18%2Fhealth-service-journal-2010-14th-january%2F Fade Fade: DH drawn into row over GP practice expansion Fade Skinny: The Department of Health has been dragged into a row between NHS Kingston and one of its GP practices. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Posted in Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Costs, Current Awareness, Department of Health, Funding, GP Practices, Journals (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182143 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:23:23 +0100 3182143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111448&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Farpa-e.energy.gov%2Ffoa%2Ffoa-2-electrofuels.pdf The objective of this topic is to fund high risk, high reward research efforts that will revolutionize technologies that capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants, thereby preventing release into the atmosphere.  Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (BEEST). (DE-FOA-0000207). In this topic, ARPA-E seeks to develop a new generation of ultra-high energy density, low-cost battery technologies for long-range, plug-in, hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs). Relevant Dates Concept Paper Registration Deadline: January 15, 2010 Concept Paper Upload Deadline: January 15, 2010 at 5:00pm (EST) (2:00pm PST)* Full Application Submission Deadline: TBD *Submitting Division must register in advance at, and submit electronically to ARPA-E eXCHANGE. Re... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111448 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:05:00 +0100 3111448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106741&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2F900wSaaUSyY%2Fimportant-new-rules-for-nih-grant.html Just got this and thought it would be of interest to many people ... Dear NIH principal investigators, signing officials, and applicants, Are you planning to submit an NIH grant application?  If so, please note that all applications intended for due dates on or after January 25, 2010* require the use of new forms and instructions. Major changes include: ·         Restructured forms to align with review criteria ·         Significantly shorter page limits These changes apply to all competing applications, so whether you are submitting a new, renewal, resubmission or revision, you must take action now to ensure a successful submission!  1.      ... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106741 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:58:01 +0100 3106741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106742&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FeflOxUvAmN4%2Fu-of-california-seeking-proposals-on-uc.html Just got this email that might be of interest to some: The University of California Office of Research and Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the spring 2010 UC Discovery Grant Request for Proposals.The University of California Discovery Grant opportunity (UCDG) promotes collaborations between UC researchers and industry partners in the interest of supporting UC researchers and trainees, strengthening the state’s economy, and serving the public good. The UCDG is a matching grant mechanism; research projects are jointly funded by a UC Discovery Grant and a required industry matching contribution.All applicants must submit a Notice/Letter of Intent (LOI) between January 11-February 12, 2010. Full proposals are due on March 2.LOIs and proposals must be submitted using the onl... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106742 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:44:36 +0100 3106742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096787&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F17%2Fidentifying-a-fairer-system-for-funding-adult-social-care-2009%2F Title: Identifying a fairer system for funding adult social care Skinny: Evaluation of the recent Green Paper on adult social care. Asks: Is the Government taking steps to ensure that arrangements for the care and support of older people are fair? Is the Green Paper detailed enough to determine whether people on different incomes may ‘win’ or ‘lose’ under any new set of proposals? Publisher: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Published: 07/10/2009 Size: 12p Posted in Grey Literature, Inequalities in Health, Older People, Social Care, Supportive Care Tagged: Funding, Green Papers, Income, Inequalities, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Older People, Social Care (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096787 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:58:56 +0100 3096787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079545&cid=t_91858_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FdtEdW1PlX9U%2Fsenator-debbie-stabenow-michigan.html It will take you less than four minutes to tell your Senators and Congressperson that you believe legislation to support Alzheimer's caregivers is important. Four minutes to make a difference. Or you can sit back and do nothing. Are you the one that makes the difference?.... Thank you . . . . . . for contacting me to support funding for Alzheimer's disease research. I share your support for increased federal resources to fight this devastating disease. That is why I have requested that the Senate Appropriations Committee support a significant investment in Older Americans Act programs that include Alzheimer's disease research grants to states. In addition, this year's budget includes a $443 million increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will help continu... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079545 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:24:27 +0100 3079545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067336&cid=t_91858_167_f&fid=36994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition-news.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Falzheimers-society-bupa-research.html Alzheimer's Society and Bupa unite to improve lives of people with dementia - Alzheimer's SocietyAt last! Someone looking to address the serious lack of funding into Altzheimers - let's hope as much as possible goes towards research into preventative measures and protecting the brain rather than just all gobbled up by drug companies looking for a silver bullet that doesn't exist.Neil Hunt, Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society said,'One in three people over 65 will die with dementia, the aim of this partnership with Bupa is to jointly seek new, beneficial initiatives for people with dementia and their carers.'“Dementia research is seriously under-funded. Much more needs to be invested if we are to see the same advancements in dementia care and treatment as we have seen for cancer. By dela... Healthy Eating & Nutrition News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067336 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:57:00 +0100 3067336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048110&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2009%2F12%2Fthe-demise-of-american-health-care%2F A couple of news headlines paint a bleak picture about the future of healthcare in this country. First are some comments made by US Republican Senator George LeMieux. During a news briefing (video here), LeMieux expressed a concern that Obama’s healthcare plan would amount to “Medicaid for the masses” and would put all Americans on a government run or government controlled health care. The Palm Beach Post News also ran a story regarding a speech given by Senator LeMieux where he stated that the cost of the bill over the next 10 years was grossly understated due to “funny math”. He estimated the true cost of the bill to be more than $2.5 billion over 10 years rather than the projected $849 million. LeMieux stated that in order to decrease costs, the bill intend... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048110 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:13:55 +0100 3048110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106751&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FBM1pExTgrrg%2Fnsf-looking-for-grants-on-life-in.html Just got this email from the National Science Foundation saying that NSF is looking for more grants relating to responses of organisms/ecosystems to climate change. The Divisions of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) and Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) in the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF encourage submission of proposals that address the biochemical, molecular, cellular, genetic and/or organismal underpinnings of adaptation and biological feedbacks to climate change.  Interdisciplinary and systems level approaches to these problems are encouraged. A cross-divisional working group has been established to ensure that exciting proposals in this area receive adequate and appropriate attention.  Life on earth contributes actively to the forces involved in tr... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106751 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:39:45 +0100 3106751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023206&cid=t_91858_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FN6I0_uKkAA0%2F Really I have no idea what I am about to write. I was intending to do a whole what is mental illness type post, then thought frankly life is too short. So I am going to discuss a couple of things I came across recently and try to link them together for no good reason. The first is this little snippet, from Canadamerica. Depressed woman loses benefits over Facebook photos A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer’s insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook. If she had been on Myspace or Bebo I am sure she would have been fine. The insurance company did have this to say. Manulife wouldn’t comment on Blanchard’s case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: &#8... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023206 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:35:26 +0100 3023206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3003861&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Fpost-doc-position-brain-computer-interface.html A post-doc position (funded for 3+ years) is available immediately in the field of Brain-Computer Interface/Neural Engineering research. The successful candidate will be part of the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Research and Development Program at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York.  The research will primarily involve the use of signals recorded from the surface of the brain (electrocorticography (ECoG)) in humans to decode specific aspects of human cognition or behavior from ECoG signals, and to use  these signals for communication or control. The goal of this project is to build a system that extracts and uses these decoded signals in real time. This real-time implementation will be based on our BCI2000 system (http://www.bci2000.org), which has become the standard in t... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3003861 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:06:00 +0100 3003861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939383&cid=t_91858_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2F38T9uMvbCtY%2F I think I might be a bit late to the party here and everyone else might know about this already. Apparently they are either trying to or in the process of implementing payment by results in the UK (or just England?) mental health system. It looks like this would be used at a higher service funding level than individual nurses being paid for every depressed person they cheered up. There is a reasonably comprehensive article here: Payment by results in mental health: the current state of play in England ‘Payment by results’ is a method of paying for the services of hospitals and other providers. Plans are well underway to use it within the National Health Service (NHS) in England, and some health authorities began to introduce it in 2005. The author goes into more detail. Payment by r... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939383 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:18:40 +0100 2939383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923436&cid=t_91858_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F23%2Fovarian-cancer-research-funding-slashed-in-half-take-action-call-your-u-s-congressman-senators-today%2F As a result of a recent U.S. Senate mark-up, the funding for the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program (DOD OCRP) has been slashed in half from $20 million to $10 million. Research conducted under the DOD OCRP program is critical because it is solely dedicated to ovarian cancer. … Please help us [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923436 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:31:11 +0100 2923436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2901660&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fphylogenomics.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fwant-qick-100000-for-infectious-disease.html Just got this email from Uncle Bill GatesThis is a reminder that the deadline for submissions to Round 4 of Grand Challenges Explorations is November 2, 2009, a $100 million initiative to encourage bold and unconventional global health solutions.Anyone can apply, regardless of prior experience or institutional affiliation. Previous winners include graduate students, entrepreneurs at private companies, and creative thinkers from all fields of research.Click here to apply now.Initial grants will be $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to $1 million. Full descriptions of topics and application instructions are available at: http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorationsWe look forward to receiving innovative ideas from scientis... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2901660 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:12:00 +0100 2901660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879400&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2009%2F10%2Fhere-is-the-problem%2F ERP here again while WC recovers from the revelling in Boston Personally, I agree with medicare and insurance regulations that require that someone receive some REAL benefit in order to be covered for an admission to the hospital. Even the “social dispo” admits usually serve a purpose – preventing elderly or the otherwise helpless or nearly helpless from injuring themselves or insuring they get proper medical treatment like antibiotics or seizure medications. However, if you can be safely discharged from a medical AND social point of view (ie no admit-able diagnosis exists AND you can either care for yourself or someone is there to care of you (like in a nursing home), you should have to pay out of pocket if you (or your relative) demand you be admitted. You can’t j... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879400 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:33:03 +0100 2879400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862468&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTDQy8OgtSQM%2F . . . for congratulating himself by naming a federal grant program after himself. His $10,000,000 earmark request for the program is funded at $7,000,000 in the Labor/HHS appropriations bill. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862468 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:52:47 +0100 2862468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832151&cid=t_91858_88_f&fid=38959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epmonthly.com%2Fwhitecoat%2F2009%2F09%2Feffects-of-saving-money%2F In 2008, St. Johns Hospital and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens had a total of 119,883 outpatient department visits. In February 2009, the two hospitals went bankrupt and closed. In June 2009, the New York City Office of Policy Management published a paper showing that once St. Johns and Mary Immaculate Hospitals closed their doors, the patients that previously went to those hospitals didn’t just vanish. Instead, the patients flocked to other nearby hospitals which were already operating at capacity. Guess what happened? Those nearby hospitals – such as Jamaica Hospital in Queens, are now “overwhelmed.” According to the report, Jamaica Hospital’s daily census went up 50% — from 350 visits per day to “well over” 500 visits per day. On May 2... WhiteCoat's Call Room blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832151 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:07:43 +0100 2832151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814366&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Fthe-case-for-change-why-england-needs-a-new-care-and-support-system-engagement-findings-2009%2F Title: The case for change: why England needs a new care and support system – engagement findings Skinny: Summarises public and stakeholder responses to the Government’s ‘Care, Support, Independence’ engagement process about the future of adult care and support in England, which took place between May and November 2008. Includes debate on the question: what should be the balance of responsibility between the family, the individual and the Government? Report is divided into following chapters: Executive summary Stakeholder engagement events User-led organisations – stakeholder top-up engagement report Written responses from stakeholders Toolkit responses Citizens’ events Inclusivity research Website, email and letter responses Annexes Publisher: DOH Size of ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814366 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:54:06 +0100 2814366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796688&cid=t_91858_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fmoney-speaks.html No, this post isn't about the salaries of Autism Speaks' executives, although that interesting detail does seem to get mentioned a lot. Rather, it's about the online discussion of why autistic people don't like Autism Speaks, which—after more than three years—finally drew a response from Alison Singer on just what she was thinking when she made that infamous statement about driving off the George Washington Bridge with her autistic daughter Jodie in the car:From the Autism Science Foundation blog:The point I was trying to make in the film was that the lack of appropriate services and the thought of putting her in a terrible school made me want to drive off the bridge; not that Jodie did……After Jodie and I had visited several schools that day I remember I pulled the car over to the ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796688 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:49:00 +0100 2796688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737798&cid=t_91858_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FeAN4_t4eAeo%2F Diabetes is a scary enough disease, without worrying about whether your insurance coverage will continue or not. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about whether insurance will go up for diabetics, or whether some of us will even find it difficult to get coverage. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has created a list of common myths that diabetics have mentioned about health care reform and how it will affect them. They also include the truths so diabetics will have the right information to make the decisions for their health. I’m always so glad the ADA gets involved to spell things out for diabetics, and this is just one more reason we all benefit from them. Image: sxc.hu. Post from: Blisstree Myths of Health Care Reform for Diabetics (Source: A Hearty... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737798 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:53:55 +0100 2737798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702508&cid=t_91858_149_f&fid=35784&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheChemBlog%2F%7E3%2FBHnjQTsCq_c%2F So, in an effort to impress the nickers off my boss, I decided to tell him that I would go out to funding agencies and try to find some money for myself.  WELL… f. that.  Funding agencies have websites but they’re horrible and incomprehensible. Let’s start with the DOE, since Steve Chu is now the boss, one would expect that his old stomping ground would get a face lift: Never mind that it looks all Drudge Report, some of the listings aren’t even open anymore.  Like, the application deadline is in 3 weeks but you can only apply if you submitted a pre application two months ago. Lots of good use that’ll make. If you follow on to Grants.gov, you have the opportunity to search, with very little ability to narrow your search parameters, for grants from every f.i... The Chem Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702508 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:21:23 +0100 2702508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441253&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Frare-disease-research-gets-nih-funding%2F Drug companies are always keen to get on the bandwagon when it comes to diseases that affect millions. Makes sense, I guess. After all, when you running a business, you want to create product that will be used by the masses. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of rare and neglected diseases (around 6,000 according to the NIH) under researched and under treated because they only occur in a small percentage of the population. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is hoping to change this with a influx of funds - to the tune of $120 million over five years - through a new program called Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) This program has been set up to support and encourage researchers in government, academic, and companies to focus on the often called ‘orphan diseases.’ Bu... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441253 Thu, 28 May 2009 01:47:49 +0100 2441253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414719&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F16%2Fone-third-of-the-clinical-cancer-studies-report-conflict-of-interest%2F While many of us just recovered from the news that Elsevier was paid to produce fake Journals to promote pharmaceutical products, another news item has appeared about “conflicts of interests in scientific publications” This news is based on a new journal article from researchers from the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, published [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414719 Sat, 16 May 2009 22:02:19 +0100 2414719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382689&cid=t_91858_132_f&fid=35016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpeanutbutter.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F02%2Fcontent-syntax-and-semantics%2F These are the slides I gave at a DCC workshop entitled, “Digital curation 101″ which aimed to give and overview of what to consider regarding data curation and management in the context of applying for research funding. The presentation starts with definitions of content syntax and semantics, and example of how these concepts are being applied in the life-sciences, specifically proteomics. (Source: peanutbutter) peanutbutter blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382689 Sat, 02 May 2009 09:05:56 +0100 2382689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380734&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0Qzsts6wkpI%2F Billions and billions of dollars! Get yours today! I’ve written before about the massive lobbying game in Washington to get your own special interests written into the stimulus and budget bills. And about the efforts to pressure governments into spending that money NOW. Today a friend sent me a new piece of the incredible expanding stimulus economy. A publishing company has created a new newsletter on how to keep up with “ever-changing opportunities and the complex requirements to apply for them” — The Money for Main Street Monitor. Yes, for only $229 a year, with this special offer, you can keep up with the lucrative and ever-changing “new stimulus funding opportunities.” I’m omitting the specifics so as not to give this parasitical industry any... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380734 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:20:08 +0100 2380734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375950&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpushing-for-federal-funding-of-human.html "The scientists" used to tell us that all they want is leftover embryos for ESCR. That was never all they wanted, but the lie was a useful political tool to try and destroy the Bush federal funding policy. Once President Obama put that policy in the grave, I predicted the push would soon begin to fund human cloning research.Bingo. First we saw it pushed in the anything goes New York Times and the science journal Nature. And now, it is about to be brought forth as federal legislation. From the story in the Congressional Quarterly:As the Obama administration prepares to greatly expand the government's investments in embryonic stem cell research, the next big biomedical research debate in Congress is shaping up: whether to allow government funding of experiments using cloned human embryos.Two... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375950 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:57:00 +0100 2375950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347908&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fis-governor-of-virginia-anti-science.html This escaped my notice until it was brought to my attention by a regular SHS reader. Last month, Tim Kaine the Governor of Virginia, signed into law a bill that prohibits the state from funding embryonic stem cell research. From the story: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has signed a bill into law banning the use of some state funds for embryonic stem cell research. The move puts the DNC chairman at odds with President Obama, who signed an executive order earlier this month reversing the Bush administration's ban on federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells. [Me: They just can't get it right, can they? Bush restricted federal funding, he did not ban it. But loyal SHSers know that.]...The governor signed another piece of legislation Mon... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347908 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0100 2347908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347913&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpretense-about-limited-nature-of.html The NIH has released its proposed rules regarding funding for ESCR in the wake of the Obama revocation of the Bush funding restrictions. The media pretends that they contain firm ethical limits. From the story:The guidelines restrict funding of work on cells made using certain more experimental methods, such as creating stem cells from a human egg only, a process called parthenogenesis, and a cloning technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer.They also would prohibit funding of work on embryos created specifically for research purposes, with the aim of keeping the money going to work using cells taken from embryos that parents donated after they decided not to try to use fertility clinic embryos to create a pregnancy.They also lay out guidance to make sure parents know and agree to how... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347913 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0100 2347913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349593&cid=t_91858_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FIHDxa1ssBxU%2Fbyrd-alzheimers-center-on-ropes.html The Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute is desperate for state funding.The "Byrd", like an endangered species, is in danger of losing their federal designation as an Alzheimer's research center if they can't convince the Florida state legislature to pony up funding.The problem is the institute's prized designation as an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is up for renewal next month. As an ARDC, the Byrd Institute gets a five-year, $7.5 million grant, access to national research data, the prestige to attract top researchers, clinical trials and more.I'll have to go check, but I believe their are over 400,000 persons in Florida suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. It seems somewhat odd that the State wouldn't see the value of a research institution like the By... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349593 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:01:51 +0100 2349593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347922&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fstowers-institute-only-has-itself-to.html When the Stowers Institute Crowd financed and passed Amendment 2, it not only created a constitutional right to do human cloning research in Missouri, but as I pointed out during the campaign, it added a superfluous provision stating that if one kind of stem cell research received state support, other kinds could not be discriminated against. The purpose was--as we warned and the pro A. 2 debaters denied--to set the stage for state funding of Stowers and other efforts in the fields of ESCR and human cloning.The ploy expected legislators to fund unethical research so that ethical research could also be funded. But that tactic has blown up in its face. The Missouri Legislature funds life sciences, but carefully restricts its scope so as to not put taxpayer money into areas that would also re... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347922 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:16:00 +0100 2347922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313540&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F07%2Fnext-up-nonprofits-and-pharmaceutical-funding%2F Well, if you’ve been involved in the mental health field for any amount of time, you knew it was only a matter of time. U.S. Senator Charles Grassley first focused on the low-hanging fruit — researchers with unreported conflicts of interest (usually unreported money) from pharmaceutical companies, the same companies they conducted drug research for. Now he’s examining nonprofits in mental health, and first up is the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Senator Grassley has made clear that this isn’t a witch-hunt as much as a desire to get to the bottom of how the pharmaceutical industry funds its practices that makes it products so popular and widespread. It’s not about receiving money from pharmaceutical companies per se’, but rather being upfro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313540 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:22:04 +0100 2313540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313541&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F06%2Fmothers-act-to-drug-americas-moms-for-fake-postpartum-depression%2F Wake up, people who care about mental health. Wake up, people who work to prevent child abuse, people who work to prevent suicide, people who work to prevent preterm births, people who care about healthy families. Wake up, psychiatric professionals, nurses, gynecologists, pediatricians. Here’s an actual text of a communication being sent far and wide by the very loud and vociferous opposition to the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act to support increased funding, education and research for postpartum depression: “This MOTHER’S Act, with its innocuous sounding name will mandate “mental screening” for Pregnant women. This will lead to many more young mothers being labeled with fraudulent psychiatric conditions and many of them will be put on dangerous psychiatr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313541 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:36:01 +0100 2313541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284445&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fstem-cell-debate-is-over-ethics-not.html I have a piece in today's Sacramento Bee rounding out my critique of the Obama ESCR policy and his rescission of the Bush executive order requiring the Feds to fund alternative sources for funding of pluripotent stem cells. Some of this will be familiar to SHSers, but I think the points I make in the column are too little heard in the world beyond this blog. From my piece:From the moment President George W. Bush imposed federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, Big Biotech, patient advocacy groups, celebrities and the media have been obsessed with eviscerating the policy. Indeed, although the Bush administration funded about $175 million in grants for human embryonic stem cell research, and despite the literally billions poured into the field from public and private sou... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284445 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:29:00 +0100 2284445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2288988&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FP2dDkBIVMYI%2F I’ve been reading a lot of news stories all over the web talking about how great the $18 billion of EHR funding is going to be. They talk about the savings in health care (which are desperately needed) and the saved lives thanks to EHR. Most of them talk about the amazing increase in EHR adoption that will occur and how this money will bring doctors into the 21st century. I’ll admit that it’s a really nice story to tell. The idea is great and I really hope that it does work like they’re describing. However, I wonder if that story is being told, because it just sounds better. It sure is a lot more fun to hope and write that this is a new age of EHR adoption. Unfortunately, I think a lot of media people are just grabbing onto whatever story they find and aren’t ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2288988 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:49:21 +0100 2288988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272386&cid=t_91858_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fu7WoG_2DwyA%2F A recent report on MSN said President Obama “could support taxing some employee health benefits” in an effort to ” help pay for overhauling the health care system.“ I have a huge problem with this! As someone who has several chronic health conditions, I look for work that includes health coverage. Often I have skipped over more lucrative jobs because they didn’t offer health benefits. Since we already pay an income tax, it is beyond wrong to charge us for having health insurance. I don’t agree with this strategy, because it seems the average worker already foots the bill for a lot of things. Is there a better way to do this? What’s your opinion? Image from StockXchange. (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272386 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:00:27 +0100 2272386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258799&cid=t_91858_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fwhat-exactly-are-embryonic-stem-cells%2F Stem cells have been in the news a lot this week because of President Obama’s executive order lifting the Bush administration’s strict limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. But stem cells are quite confusing because they come in so many different forms, involve such complex terminology, and seem to require an advanced degree in science to understand. So let’s try to focus on some basic concepts that are relatively easy to understand, such as what stem cells are, why they are so important, and just what the differences are between embryonic and adult stem cells. In order to understand stem cells, you first have to know a bit about cells in general. Cells are the basic functional units of life. There are countless organisms that consist of just one cell, such... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258799 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:49:53 +0100 2258799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258256&cid=t_91858_112_f&fid=34799&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmwwak.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fon-healthcare-reform.html (My VBAC post is getting written, but I just have a few minutes, and this post only takes a few minutes).To me, it seems very wrong that our office pays $260 for an interpreter for 45 minutes to see a patient. It's wrong because the visit which I just saw the patient for is probably non-reimbursable, and if it's reimbursable at all, the reimbursment will be (Source: Midwife with a Knife) Midwife with a Knife blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258256 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:11:00 +0100 2258256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2243025&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F06%2Fstem-cells-for-dentin-bone-and-salivary-regeneration%2F Are you interested in learning more about the use of stem cells for dental therapies? Dentaltown, an ADA recognized continuing education provider, is offering  a self-instructional program titled “Stem Cells: Emerging Medical and Dental Therapies for the Dental Professional“.    There is no fee for the class and continuing education credits are available. Additional resources include: A list [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2243025 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:05:13 +0100 2243025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222955&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F83BXirwFN5A%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(320,213,663985,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() What causes Type 1 diabetes? Wouldn’t we all like to know! Scientists are looking at every avenue to figure out what causes the disease. In doing so, they hope to find a cure. One study is going to look at “200 newborns in Georgia and Florida with high-risk genes for type 1 diabetes will be enrolled over the next year in a long-term study to determine how genetics and environment cause the disease.” The study will cost $10 million, and go for five years. Tags: cure, Diabetes Management, diabetic, funding, newborn, studyShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222955 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:45:50 +0100 2222955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200623&cid=t_91858_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3PfAqxjTbi8%2F The current Obama administration is putting plenty of attention on HEALTH, and I’m not talking about health care and insurance, although hopefully we’ll have good news on those fronts in the next four years. What I’m talking about are money and heads of offices – two factors that dictate how U.S. research in genetics and health will be conducted and approached in the next four years. This week, when President Obama signed the Economic Recovery Act, the NIH got $10 billion in funds for research, medical education and patient care. Another $19 billion went to a health information technology initiative for creating electronic medical records. In the political front, who is going to replace Daschle as candidate for the Health and Human Services Secretary? The Wall Street Journal writ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200623 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:49:00 +0100 2200623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188418&cid=t_91858_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1119 Jump to follow-up This classic was published in issue 1692 of New Scientist magazine, 25 November 1989.  Frank Watt was head of the Scanning Proton Microprobe Unit in the Department of Physics at Oxford University. He wrote for the New Scientist an article on Microscopes with proton power. In the light of yesterday’s fuss about [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188418 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:47:42 +0100 2188418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2168411&cid=t_91858_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FrbwY6uRMG4A%2F The stimulus package currently in congress is set to double spending on special education, and as someone who went to one special education school that was overcrowded to the point they were renting classroom space and another school that could barley pay for new lightbulbs I’m against the stimulus package - heres why. We have one [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2168411 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:22:10 +0100 2168411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121477&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fobama-administration-already-pushing.html Uh, oh: Here it comes. Incoming Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Daschle wants to create a US Agency to control costs based on the UK's Orwellian-named National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which substantially controls the ethics and medical availability of care under the NHS. From a column in the Wall Street Journal:Here in the U.S., President-elect Barack Obama and House Democrats embrace the creation of a similar "comparative effectiveness" entity [as NICE] that will do research on drugs and medical devices. They claim that they don't want this to morph into a British-style agency that restricts access to medical products based on narrow cost criteria, but provisions tucked into the fiscal stimulus bill betray their real intentions.The centerp... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121477 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:29:00 +0100 2121477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115498&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fobama-not-to-rescind-bush-escr-funding.html I am not sure what to make of this. According to a Politico writer, President Obama many not rescind President Bush's embryonic stem cell funding executive order. He is going to leave it to the Congress. From the story:Obama pledged during the campaign to lift the restrictions, and political observers had expected him to move swiftly to reverse President Bush's 2001 executive order--most likely with his own executive order.But the president-elect suggested Friday that he would wait for Congress to weigh in on the issue. "Well, if we can do something legislative then I usually prefer a legislative process because those are the people's representatives," Obama said in a CNN interview. "And I think that on embryonic stem cell research, the fact that you have a bipartisan support around that i... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115498 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0100 2115498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2113390&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2F18%2Fundertreatment-of-mental-illness-causes-crime%2F You really have to wonder at what the folks over at White Coat Notes, a health blog by The Boston Globe, were thinking when they wrote this about a recently published study: Two thirds of prisoners nationwide with a mental illness were off treatment at the time of their arrest, according to a new study by Harvard researchers that suggests under-treatment of mental illness contributes to crime and incarceration. [emphasis added] How can a survey of current prisoners suggest any type of causal relationship between crime and a medical or health condition? Would anyone suggest that because the same survey data found that prisoners are 31% more likely to have asthma, 55% more likely to have diabetes, and 90% more likely to have suffered a heart attack, that people who have asthma and who ar... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2113390 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:32:05 +0100 2113390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104382&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fdont-worry-refusing-to-fund-humananimal.html With The Independent on a tear because moral concerns might have been behind the failure of scientists to garner public funding to conduct human cloning with animal eggs, we get this badly needed assurance. From the story: Reports in the British media that grant applications to create hybrid human--animal embryos for research were turned down on moral grounds, have been rejected by the funding bodies and scientists involved.The story broke in the Independent newspaper on Monday, which claimed Stephen Minger, a leading stem cell scientist at King's College London, said that the grant applications may have been blocked by scientists on the funding committees who are morally opposed to the creation of cloned hybrid embryos. But when Nature spoke to Minger he said the Independent misinterprete... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104382 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:05:00 +0100 2104382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2100834&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fwhining-scientists-always-get-their-way.html I posted yesterday about how "the scientists" in the UK are whining because their human/cow embryo cloning scheme has not been funded by the government. I said that once their whining hit the papers, things would change quickly, because in the UK--what the scientists want, the scientists get. That process of, ironically, imposing politics onto science funding is now well under way. From the story:The two research councils that have turned down requests to fund stem-cell studies using human-animal "hybrid" embryos are to be questioned by MPs on both sides of the House of Commons to explain why they have refused to issue the grants.As revealed by The Independent yesterday, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have declined ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2100834 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:53:00 +0100 2100834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097785&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fdenying-funding-for-humanhybrid-cloning.html "The scientists" in the UK are throwing a tantrum because their funding for the creation of human/cow hybrid embryos has apparently slowed. From the story:Britain's effort to lead the world in stem cell research with the creation of human-animal "hybrid" clones has ground to a halt through lack of funding less than a year after the controversial technique was legalised.Funding bodies are refusing to finance the research and existing projects have been run down to the point at which they may end completely within weeks. One of the researchers involved in the work said last night that the grant applications may have been blocked by scientists on the funding committees who are morally opposed to the creation of cloned hybrid embryos derived from mixing human cells with the eggs of cows, pigs ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097785 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:33:00 +0100 2097785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2098049&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F1FEm7aIcZkQ%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,280,492164,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Here’s some great news to start your day. The “Joslin Diabetes Center today announced it has received a $1 million gift from the Thomas Beatson Jr. Foundation to support Type 1 diabetes research.” Doesn’t that just bring a smile to your face? Mr. Beatson has had Type 1 diabetes for over 50 years. Wouldn’t it be great if his donation was just the incentive to put research over the mark in reaching a cure? This is fabulous news, of course, but you know that every little bit truly adds up. So even if you’ve got $10 here and there, and we all have $10, it can add up to a lot. Still, thank you Mr. Beatson! Tags: cure,... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2098049 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:26:08 +0100 2098049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052561&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fcirm-follies-continue.html What an expensive joke the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has become. Conflicts of interest are rife, leading to a Little Hoover Commission investigation. Management meltdowns have mixed with an incredible sense of entitlement and hubris. Hundreds of millions that were promised to go directly to research instead were diverted to help pay for some of the most expensive buildings money could buy. And then, as a reward for such a job well done, the CIRM head honcho, Robert Klein, demanded a $500 K salary per year, at at time when California can't even pay basic bills. Well, he is down to part time now--at $150 K per year when the state has a $42 billion dollar deficit.Now, it turns out that California's ludicrous mismanagement may make the constitutional right of the CIRM to b... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052561 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:59:00 +0100 2052561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2053056&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F-rNghRroIgw%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,633,352015,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Still need a present for Christmas? Don’t forget about the American Diabetes Association’s holiday catalog. There are many great gifts that also help fund a cure for diabetes. You can buy stuff like this comfort candle, this digital photo ornament, and this graceful living perpetual calendar. You can also give money to diabetes research in honor of someone you love. Get this certificate to show someone that you donated in honor of them. They are sure to appreciate it! Why not benefit diabetes research this year while you celebrate the joyful season? Tags: benefit diabetes, buying presents, Diabetes, diabetic, find a cure, funding, gift ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2053056 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:00:19 +0100 2053056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1991313&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FHZcfxAGQs6Q%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,565,303007,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Laila Ali is the spokesperson for the Kiss Diabetes Goodbye campaign, and if you have not participated in this yet, I highly recommend you do so! Here’s the “Kiss Diabetes Goodbye” message from the ADA: “During American Diabetes Month this November, help the American Diabetes Association raise $1 million to kiss diabetes goodbye. Fund researchers who are working toward a day without diabetes. Support diabetes education programs in communities across the country. Provide a voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.” Click here to donate and show your support! Tags: diabetic children, find a cure, funding, ge... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1991313 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:53:14 +0100 1991313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990548&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fnhs-meltdown-insufficient-training-in.html The NHS is collapsing from top to bottom. Now, we learn that its medical personnel have insufficient training in end of life care. From the story: Many terminally ill patients who want to die at home are being needlessly admitted to hospital, a public spending watchdog said on Wednesday. It said the majority of National Health Service doctors and nurses lack training in end-of-life care.The National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report that up to three quarters of people near the end of their lives had expressed a preference to die at home. But it said a lack of support services meant that many people died in hospital when there was no clinical reason for them to be there. "Dying people are often not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve and their wishes are often disregar... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990548 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:20:00 +0100 1990548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975582&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FY8ediy2Jlc8%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,638,272927,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() If you or a friend has diabetes, one of the best ways you can help in the cause for a cure is to become an advocate. There are numerous ways to get involved, whether it be with informing others about the disease, contacting lawmakers, or just spreading the word about the realities of living with this chronic illness. Here are some ways to get started as a diabetes activist. ~more Tags: ada, chronic illness, congress, contact legislatures, cure for diabetes, diabetes advocate, funding, get involve, inform people about diabetes, lawmakers, living with diabetes, spread the wordShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975582 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:04 +0100 1975582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961082&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FPHCvCTPfP4I%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,281,261329,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Wouldn’t we love to kiss diabetes goodbye? Boy, I would. I could kiss the cost, the stress, the misunderstanding, the pain, the body changes, the isolation, and the restrictions goodbye in an instant! I wouldn’t hesitate. The great thing about being alive today is that we don’t just have to sit around and wait for something to happen. We can make it happen. For the last several years, we have rec’d nothing but lip service from the current administration in regards to diabetes care. Diabetes continues to grow. And isn’t it sad, since for the last several years people keep saying we are close to a cure. Quite simply, we ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961082 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:08:07 +0100 1961082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1962565&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F14%2Fhealthcare-quality-and-healthcare-disparites-reports%2F The 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report indicate disparities in oral health care quality, access, and utilization for children. Since 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has produced an annual National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report.  These studies are a “report card” on the Nation’s health.  Several [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1962565 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:09:04 +0100 1962565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951771&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fheart-valves-may-one-day-be-made-from.html The Bush embryonic stem cell funding limitations will be histoire as of January 20, 2009. But the advances in ethical stem cell research, that I believe his policy did much to promote, will not abate. Now, umbilical cord blood stem cells have been used to create rudimentary heart valves. From the story:Stem cells collected at birth from the umbilical cord may help doctors fashion new heart valves for children born with heart valve defects.The tissue-engineered valves would have the advantage of growing with the child, the German researchers said. "If we replace a valve in a child, they will need surgery several times in their lifetime, because they will grow out of the devices, so the ultimate goal is to have a construct which is able to grow with the child and only have to do the surgery ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951771 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:18:00 +0100 1951771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939611&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FSATcA4nbAfQ%2F This is a very sweet and sad video that shows kids and their drawings about diabetes. I got diabetes as an adult, and I cannot imagine getting it as a kid. They go through so much. Take a look at this video. Tags: children, chronic disease, color, Diabetes, diabetic, drawing, funding, kids, needles, pain, Research, smallShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939611 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:00:51 +0100 1939611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933406&cid=t_91858_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2Fis8eRxa_z94%2F Just a reminder that today is voting day in America. So get out there and make your voice heard. Voting can mean important things for diabetics on things like funding, research, and health care costs. To help celebrate voting today, let’s have a little giveaway, shall we? I’ve got a DVD of Kathy Smith’s Power Walk for Weight Loss. Walking is a great exercise and diabetics can really benefit regular cardio workouts. Here’s a clip of the Power Walk DVD: Want to win? Leave a comment below. I’ll choose a winner at random on Thursday, November 20th and announce the lucky guy or gal the next day. Good luck! Tags: announcement, contest, Diabetes, dvd, free stuff, funding, giveaway, health care, sweepstakes, vote, walking, win, workoutShare This (Source: Diabete... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933406 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:35:05 +0100 1933406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1922178&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F31%2Fada-report-on-medicaid-symposium%2F In June of 2008, the ADA’s Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations (CAPIR) conducted a one-day Medicaid symposium at it’s headquarters in Chicago. The purpose of the symposium was to provide background information for attendees of the Access to Dental Care Summit, which is scheduled for March 2009. The primary goal of the Symposium [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1922178 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:15:39 +0100 1922178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933523&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2FyusvpAsvq6k%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeNIH Increases Support for High-risk Large-impact Biomedical ResearchFunding of Childhood Cancer, NF Research in JeopardyFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthLack of Health Insurance Increases Risk of Cancer DeathPhysician Profiling (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933523 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:48:29 +0100 1933523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901382&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2008%2F10%2F23%2Fdxarts-professorship-in-hybrid-arts-practice.html DXARTS | PROFESSORSHIP in HYBRID ARTS PRACTICE www.dxarts.washington.edu Pending budgetary approval, The Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) at the University of Washington is seeking to fill a tenured or tenure track faculty position in HYBRID ARTS PRACTICE. Rank is open, and we will consider hires from Assistant to Full Professor with tenure. Established in 2001, DXARTS is a pioneering experimental arts unit with exciting undergraduate and doctoral degree programs. DXARTS brings together faculty from Art, Music, Dance, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Biology, History of Ideas, and Design in a hybrid research environment dedicated to the invention and exploration of new forms of digital and experimental art. The successful candidate for this position... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901382 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:29:36 +0100 1901382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1896997&cid=t_91858_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F23%2Fon-networks-and-silos%2F A brief comment this morning, as I’m struggling with sinus problems and hayfever (oh the joys of spring!). I was thinking about the need to develop networks between groups of health providers working in different settings and different systems.  It seems sensible to me at least that we should be aware of what other providers have available within our communities - at least so we know the options for the people we are working with, even if we can’t directly refer to those providers because of funding issues.  But this is a vexed question because I work in a public facility, and traditionally the relationships between public and private facilities in New Zealand have been at arms-length. The managers of public facilities seem to view private practices as places of lush finances... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1896997 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:27:41 +0100 1896997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1848356&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F409443961%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeFunding of Childhood Cancer, NF Research in JeopardyFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1848356 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:29:11 +0100 1848356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1838662&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F29%2Fmillions-of-children-estimated-to-have-untreated-tooth-decay-new-report%2F On September 22, the Government Accountability Office released a report stating that more than 6.5 million children who are currently enrolled in Medicaid have problems with tooth decay.  Furthermore, children in Medicaid remain at higher risk of dental disease compared to children with private health insurance.  In fact, children in Medicaid were almost twice as [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1838662 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:34 +0100 1838662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1830855&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fcommunity-efforts-to-expand-dental-services-for-low-income-people%2F The Center for Studying Health System Change recently published an issue brief exploring the oral health of low-income people.  The brief identifies key barriers and attempts that are being made to provide dental services to these individuals. The report includes sections on: State Medicaid and SCHIP Policy Affects Dental Access Significant Gaps in the Dental Safety Net Community Efforts [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1830855 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:13:03 +0100 1830855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1810539&cid=t_91858_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F19%2Fchildrens-dental-health-new-pew-center-initiative%2F The Pew Center on the States is launching a major effort to improve access to dental care for disadvantaged children.  They are mounting a national campaign to raise awareness of the problem, recruit influential leaders to call for change, and showcase states that have made progress and can serve as models for reform. For additional information [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1810539 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:06:52 +0100 1810539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773189&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2F07%2Fmccain-vs-obama-on-mental-health-psychology-issues%2F Pages: 1 2 3 Next »     Single Page The United States is in the midst of its rite of choosing its next President. As a blog focused on mental health and psychology, we can’t help but wonder about the candidates’ commitment to mental health and psychological science. We should note that we hold no specific political agenda and endorse neither candidate at this time. Because this article is so long, we’ve provided an easy-to-read summary of our findings at they very end. One way to determine a candidate’s position on such issues is to send out a questionnaire about mental health policy issues and ask the candidates to fill it out. This is what NAMI does (and did a year ago for the two current candidates), and you can view the responses here. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773189 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:39:29 +0100 1773189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1769440&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F383877706%2F Conclusion My thanks to everyone that contributed articles — it’s been great hosting the Cancer Research Blog Carnival for a second time this year. Be sure to take a moment and let your fellow bloggers know this issue is available so that everyone’s hard work can be appreciated and enjoyed by all. The Cancer Research Blog Carnival is looking for future hosts. You can find both the hosting schedule and past editions at the Cancer Research Blog Carnival website. For more information on the U.S. investment in cancer research, you can read the NCI’s plan and budget proposal for fiscal year 2009. References Niederhuber JE. A look inside the National Cancer Institute budget process: implications for 2007 and beyond. Cancer Res. 2007 Feb 1;67(3):856-62. View abstract The ... Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1769440 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:49:31 +0100 1769440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1747362&cid=t_91858_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F379369218%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeThe Kanzius Machine: A Future Alternative to Chemotherapy?Funding of Childhood Cancer, NF Research in JeopardyIncreased Coffee Consumption Associated with Lower Risk of Liver CancerExactly What are Stem Cells?Neurofibromatosis: From Genes to Complications to Treatments (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1747362 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:24:36 +0100 1747362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720286&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fgrant-roundup-f.html Health IT funding news and links to resources. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720286 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:13:48 +0100 1720286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717079&cid=t_91858_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fcoming-mccain-change-in-escr-federal.html The stem cell issue sure didn't turn out to be as potent--or as important--as people expected this time last year. With the IPSC breakthrough, President Bush's funding limitations ceased to be a cutting edge issue in the presidential campaign. That won't matter to Senator Obama, since smashing everything Bush is a Democratic driving force. But apparently some involved with the issue think that Senator McCain may be softening in his opposition to the current policy. From the story:McCain's campaign did not respond to The Hill's questions or numerous attempts to obtain a comment for this article. In February, the campaign issued a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal standing behind his record but containing the language O'Steen quoted as evidence of McCain's flexibility on the issue."Jo... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717079 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:04:00 +0100 1717079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902918&cid=t_91858_132_f&fid=35001&url=http%3A%2F%2Farchive.nodalpoint.org%2F2008%2F08%2F14%2Flets_play_fantasy_science_funding Fantasy Science Funding is a fun game that anybody can play. You select a Science funding body of your choice, imagine yourself as its all powerful chief executive, and decide which areas of scientific research you would "hire and fire". What could be easier? Here is how Fantasy Science Funding works... read more (Source: nodalpoint.org - A bioinformatics weblog) nodalpoint.org - A bioinformatics weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902918 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:39:02 +0100 2902918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1689065&cid=t_91858_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FkbEbbL-9wK0%2F Tomorrow, August 7th, from 11 am to 3 pm EST, there will be a meeting of the Meeting of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Autism Strategic Plan Implementation Workgroup. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss budgetary requirements for the IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Research; workgroup findings will be forwarded to the IACC for consideration and discussion at the next committee meeting on November 21, 2008. You can listen in to the workgroup meeting through a conference call phone number and a web presentation tool on the Internet. Click this link to join the Webinar: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/921061447 [(Please note this information has been corrected, thanks to Regan] Or, call this conference call phone number: (888) 455-2920 ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1689065 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:23:41 +0100 1689065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728307&cid=t_91858_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F08%2F01%2Fin-memory%2F Randy Pausch, 1960-2008 I’ve been out of the loop. I just found out that 47-year-old professor Randy Pausch died of pancreatic cancer on July 25. I did not know him. On YouTube I watched his “last lecture,” and on March 13, I sent him this email: I thought about people like you after I was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in 2001. I thought: Why is everything breast and prostate? What about ovarian? What about pancreatic???  The idea of lethal “orphan” cancers — where the survivors don’t live long enough to make a fuss — continues to haunt me.  Like you, I went to Washington DC to lobby. The American Cancer Society happened to be holding a rally on Capitol Hill the same day. Survivors were marching and wearing banners that read: &#8... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728307 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:08:09 +0100 1728307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1658166&cid=t_91858_131_f&fid=35005&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Ffungalcompgenomics%2F%7E3%2F347809614%2F Report concludes that a fungal genome database is of "the highest priority". This is the title as listed in PubMed for this article from Future Medicine about the AAM report on charting future needs and avenues of research on the fungal kingdom. The need for a comprehensive database for information about fungi, starting at least with systematic collections of genomic and transcript data, is highlighted as a major need.  Really and sort of new database effort should strive to be more comprehensive and include genetic and population data (alleles, strains) and information like protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid interactions (as Pedro mentioned). But on top of that it, it needs to be comparative so that information from systems that serve as great models can be transferred to other fungal... Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1658166 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:01:00 +0100 1658166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1640209&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F20%2F3-is-a-magic-number%2F Third Sector Investment Programme: Strategic Partners 2009-10 - information pack for third sector organisations provides third sector organisations with information about the Department of Health Third Sector Investment Programme’s Strategic Partner Programme. Organisations should read the information carefully as there are changes to the funding streams available from 2009-10 following the Strategic Review of Department of Health funding of third sector organisations. The document will provide third sector organisations with information to help them decide if the Strategic Partner Programme is applicable to their organisation. It details the outcomes and activities that the Department of Health is seeking to invest in through more strategic relationships with third sector organisations ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1640209 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:43:33 +0100 1640209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1630976&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fjuly-grant-roun.html Listing of recent grants for healthcare technology... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1630976 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:41:09 +0100 1630976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625580&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F15%2Fask-the-right-questions-in-research-get-the-right-results%2F Epidemiologist David Michaels describes the problem with industry-funded research in today’s Washington Post. His point is one that needs emphasis — it’s not that companies interfere directly with the research they fund, it’s that they ensure the questions the research answers are biased in their favor: At first, it was widely assumed that the misleading results in manufacturer-sponsored studies of the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical products came from shoddy studies done by researchers who manipulated methods and data. Such scientific malpractice does happen, but close examination of the manufacturers’ studies showed that their quality was usually at least as good as, and often better than, studies that were not funded by drug companies. This discove... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625580 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:59:05 +0100 1625580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622038&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F15%2Fjournal-of-management-marketing-in-healthcare-14%2F This study examines how technological innovation is encouraged, and discouraged, in Canada and other selected Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, including the UK, France and the USA. The research uses The Conference Board of Canada’s Innovation Framework as an analytical tool in benchmarking the performance of Canada and other OECD countries in several areas of health innovation, including the innovation environment, and the creation, diffusion, transformation and use of knowledge. The results of this study are discouraging for Canada as it scores poorly in many important areas of technological health innovation. Substantial efforts are needed, and needed now, to revitalise health innovation systems and to refuel the capacity to commercialise heal... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622038 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:27:58 +0100 1622038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596492&cid=t_91858_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F330222338%2F A study on chelation, a controversial biomedical treatment for autism, has been put on hold, today’s Associated Press reports. Chelation, in which heavy metals are removed from the body, is based on the notion that mercury in vaccines can be linked to autism; an autistic boy, Abubakar Tariq Nadama, died in 2005 after receiving chelation treatment at the office of Dr. Roy Kerry in Pennsylvania. The chelation study was to be funded by the federal government and has been put on hold due to safety concerns, according to Dr. Thomas Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health. The Associated Press quotes Dr. Insel as saying: “So many moms have said, `It’s saved my kids.’” The Associated Press describes one 8-year-old autistic boy, Charlie, who rec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596492 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:33:14 +0100 1596492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596218&cid=t_91858_86_f&fid=34468&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrowsing.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fresearch-council-funding.html Two things that I noticed on the same day:1 - an interview on the BBC Today programme with the head of the STFC, about their recent funding awards - money for large pan-European projects, apparently, and little for basic research in universities. There is an audio piece from a Today journalist here.2 - an editorial in Nature about the drive to fund projects that involve industry, at the expense of basic research. The first made my ears prick up (while I was growing up, my father taught Physics). The second caught my eye (two facial metaphors for the price of one) - there is a place, of course, for collaboration with industry, but I do think industry and business should not determine what happens in education, and overemphasis (note my emphasis) on collaboration of this sort could do that. ... Browsing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596218 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:08:00 +0100 1596218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575412&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F03%2Fhavard-researchers-for-sale-take-2%2F Apparently after you’ve made it as a tenured professor at Harvard University, your first job is to secure some more funding for your research (despite Harvard being the richest school in the world). And what better way to do this than to ask for a little industry support? Critics have typically focused on the potential for a conflict of interest when researchers are funded by the pharmaceutical companies whose drugs they study. But there are many deep pockets in the world, and gambling companies have some of the deepest. Just ask Howard Shaffer, a world-renown researcher on compulsive gambling and a Harvard professor. Bloomberg pointed out yesterday how he has received over $9 million in industry money since 1996, in support of his research initiatives into gambling and gambling pr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575412 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:51:49 +0100 1575412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556288&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F30%2Fcreative-funding-solutions-for-mental-health-care%2F As we read our way through the detailed, insightful articles of The American Prospect’s special issue on the politics of mental health, we’ll share interesting tidbits from them. Taxpayers historically hate having to pay for public services through increased taxes of any kind. Many of us believe we are taxed enough as it is, and so finding funding for things that should be available in most states — like affordable mental health care — can be challenging. In the Pete Earley article about this topic, he reviews some creative strategies for funding mental health treatment these days, and recounts this amusing story of how difficult funding for public health concerns can be: Historically, mental-health funding has been a low political priority. In Wyatt v. Stickney... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556288 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:10:17 +0100 1556288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543092&cid=t_91858_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2008%2F06%2F25%2Fmaster-of-science-in-communication-technologies-for-human-co.html From the website In the last decades Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has radically changed the landscape of human communication. The widespread adoption of ICT-based communication and interaction tools in all types of organisations has brought to the foreground the necessity of new professional profiles. The MSc in Technology for Human Communication is one of the few masters worldwide that aims to satisfy this need, by forming specialists able to analyse, design, create, and maintain digital contents for multi-channel business communication (web site, blogs, web applications, mobile communication, digital television) evaluate and assess the effectiveness of digital products or communication, for example evaluate the quality and the usability promote digital products: search ... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543092 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:02:33 +0100 1543092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1537899&cid=t_91858_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F23%2Fthe-politics-of-mental-illness-in-america%2F The liberal-leaning The American Prospect has an in-depth look at the politics of mental illness in a stand-alone supplement in the summer double issue of the magazine. And it’s a doozy. “When you go to the hospital with a physical illness, people send flowers,” writes Elyn Saks. “When you go to a mental hospital with a mental illness, they don’t.” Saks, a legal scholar and professor at the University of Southern California, documented her own lifelong struggle with mental illness in a powerful memoir, The Center Cannot Hold (2007). She is one of eleven authors from a range of academic, journalistic, medical, and advocacy backgrounds who tackle issues extending from the bioethical questions raised by cutting-edge technologies that can ‘read’ abnormalities in our br... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1537899 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:40:19 +0100 1537899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1536445&cid=t_91858_115_f&fid=34672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpengrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fcentrally-funded-health-service-free-at.html This public information film from 1948, when the British National Health Service was founded, is a timely reminder of what it's all about....the hunt for a better funding model is never called off, with each new foray unfolding along similar lines. It begins with the NHS being judged as seriously underperforming. The real reason for this, whether admitted by the government of the day or not, is because not enough money is being spent on it. Early in the hunt comes sightings of the "bottomless pit" of insatiable healthcare demands, quickly followed by assertions that substantial increases in healthcare spending are "unsustainable." When asked for their advice, economists tell politicians that a tax based system provides governments and patients with the best deal. As a sideshow to the main ... www.MidEssexRay.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1536445 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:17:00 +0100 1536445