Tuesday, November 23, 2004
New Female Sterilization Technique Quicker, Easier and Cheaper
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New Female Sterilization Technique Quicker, Easier and Cheaper:
""Mayo Clinic gynecologists have discovered that hysteroscopic sterilization, a new method of plugging the fallopian tubes to prevent conception, will save patients money compared to laparoscopic tubal ligation, the most commonly used method of sterilization for women. This technique involves inserting a nickel-titanium and stainless steel springlike device into the fallopian tubes using a hysteroscope, a tiny, fiberoptic camera. The metal device encapsulates and holds in place white polyester fibers able to cause scarring and thus block the fallopian tubes within 12 weeks, preventing the possibility of future pregnancy.""
Of course, it's still not as easy as a man having a vasectomy, but this technique would not require laparoscopy and would thus be safer for the woman.
[Via Science Blog - Science News Stories]
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
"I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6"
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Here's a Seal's perspective on all the attention being paid to the issue of a Marine supposedly shooting a wounded terrorist in Fallujah:
""Here is your situation Marine. You just took fire from unlawful combatants shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these kind of idiots, and like taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fireteam's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason. Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room, and you're already speaking english to each other and its loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist that was just shooting at you from a mosque playing possum. What do you do?
You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what."
Sunday, November 14, 2004
45,800,000 American Adults (Still!) Smoke
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""In 2002, a total of 45,800,000 US adults (22.5%) were current smokers, a decrease from 24.1% in 1998, and an estimated 46 million adults were former smokers (1). For the first time, more adults had quit smoking than were still smoking""
Many more details in the MMWR Report: Great American Smokeout --- November 18, 2004
[Via Medical News Today]
Vioxx Non-Cox2 Effect Demonstrated
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It's worth pointing out that discussion of a drugs action typically focus on one known effect. That there may be others and that those can be harmful is amply demonstrated by the Vioxx example. An article just published in the journal 'Atherosclerosis' may explain what the second effect is in the case of Vioxx:
Sulfone COX-2 inhibitors increase susceptibility of human LDL and plasma to oxidative modification: comparison to sulfonamide COX-2 inhibitors and NSAIDs
Bottom line: "Abnormal changes in the structure or shape of lipids caused by Vioxx, especially in LDL, may explain why they are more susceptible to oxidative damage, and therefore, contribute to cardiovascular damage. Similar effects on susceptibility of lipids to oxidative damage have been observed with cigarette smoking, diabetes and in patients who have had a recent heart attack."
[Via Medical News Today]
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Veteran's Day
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It's Veteran's Day. Allow me to point you to a moving tribute to America's fighting men and women: http://www.clermontyellowribbon.com/untilthenflash.htm
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Many People Won't Do What They're Told
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The New York Academy of Medicine: News & Publications: Terrorism Response Plans Will Not Protect Many Americans, New Academy Study Finds:
""Called Redefining Readiness: Terrorism Planning Through the Eyes of the Public and funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, this year-long study gave the American people their first opportunity to describe how they would react to two kinds of terrorist attacks: a smallpox outbreak and a dirty bomb explosion. The rigorous study involved in-depth conversations with government and private-sector planners, 14 group discussions with diverse community residents around the country, and a telephone survey of 2,545 randomly selected adults in the continental United States. ""
Bottom Line: only about 40% would actually do as they are told and go to a smallpox vaccination center for fear of a) catching the illness form the crowds there and b) concern over side effects. The public would do worse in dealing with a dirty-bomb (radiation) attack.
[Via The Atlantic Monthly]
Tuesday, November 9, 2004
Obesity Triples Prescription Drug Costs
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FOXNews.com - Health - Obesity Triples Prescription Drug Costs:
""For normal-weight men, monthly prescription drug costs for heart disease-related drugs were $9.89 and for other drugs, $12.96. For overweight men, monthly prescription drug costs for heart disease-related drugs were $18.41 and for other drugs, $20.86. For obese men, monthly prescription drug costs for heart disease-related drugs were $42.02 and for other drugs, $38.29.""
Data apparently presented during an ongoing AHA meeting.
Saturday, November 6, 2004
Cold-Eeze Lawsuit Over Anosmia
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Colde-Eze subject of lawsuit for allegedly ruining the sense of smell. Recall I've posted about how well I think Cold-Eeze works. I guess I'll stick to the lozenges...
[Via medpundit]
Friday, November 5, 2004
Americans flock to Canada's immigration Web site
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From Reuter's News Agency:
":The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President George W. Bush's election win this week.
"When we looked at the first day after the election, November 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.
On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.
Bush's victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.""
[Via Drudge]
Thursday, November 4, 2004
Gulf War Syndrome Cause Probably Found
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Gulf War Syndrome Cause Probably Found:
""The New Scientist is reporting that after extensive studies by researchers at the Veterans Administration, the cause of Gulf War Syndrome has been possibly traced to exposure to Sarin gas.""
[Via The Command Post]
Monday, November 1, 2004
Poland Attracts Plastic Surgery 'Tourism'
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Poland Attracts Plastic Surgery 'Tourism'
""A rising number of Germans and others from western Europe are traveling to Poland - and other new EU members such as Hungary and Slovakia - to pay less for plastic surgery, fertility treatment and dental work."
...[snip]...
"Breast enlargement, for instance, starts at around $3,200 in Poland, but runs between $6,150 and $9,800 in Germany. A nose job costs $2,000 to $2,500 in Poland, $4,900 to $7,400 in Germany.""
[Via My Way News: ]
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Oct Dec
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