Corpus Callosum is written by a psychiatrist at a small community hospital somewhere in midwestern USA. Email to cc.scienceblogger at gmail dot com.
October 31, 2006
Category: Politics
The Washington Post reports that there may be changes in Washington lobbying practices, if the Democrats take control of Congress. ...If Democrats gain the 15 seats they need to win control of the House -- and most analysts think they...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:29 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 30, 2006
Category: Neuroscience
The Neurocritic has the latest edition of The Synapse. It's nicely done. Info of the next one, and instruction for submission, are at Jake's place, here....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:01 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Computing
The latest issue of Fast Company has an article about Gordon Bell, who is running a project to digitize and record all of the information he generates and encounters in the course of his life. He calls the project MyLifeBits....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:17 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Photos of Interest
This is a mother Tapir and her offspring, as photographed in the Hagenbeck Zoo, in Hamburg, Germany. Ailton was four weeks old at the time. The photo is from National Geographic....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:28 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 29, 2006
Category: Science News
Art Z over at Cheerful Curmudgeon links to an interesting story about subterranean bacteria that derive energy from radioactive uranium. "What really gets my juices flowing is the possibility of life below the surface of Mars," said Tullis Onstott,...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:22 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Neuroscience
A while back, I wrote about the new treatment for ADHD that is under development, NRP104. The original post is here. In that post, I reviewed the pharmacology of NRP104. The basic idea is that the company took an old...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:15 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 28, 2006
Category: Politics
I knew the economic news was bad, but I did not know how bad, until I saw this article in The Economist, thanks to a link from Brad DeLong. EVERYONE knows that America's economy is slowing. Thanks to the bursting...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:24 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 27, 2006
Category: Medicine
Just for kicks, in case anyone cares, and is not already familiar with these sites, here are a few that I use: Merck Medicus is a great site. I had to provide some medical license information, so I don't think...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:40 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Psychiatry
It is never easy to make decisions about the use of medication by women who are pregnant. For the vast majority of drugs, the manufacturer's statement says something to like this: 'Product X should only be used if the benefit...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:28 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Personal
Shelled edamame (soy beans) can be found in all natural food stores, Asian grocery stores and the natural food sections of most supermarkets. Tahini is sesame paste and can be found in the same places. The crushed ice keeps the...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:25 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 26, 2006
Category: Social Commentary
A bunch of others beat me to it (1 2 3), so I did not blog about Limbaugh's offensive diatribe against Michael J. Fox's advertisement. But Limbaugh's latests statements are sufficiently offensive that I want to take a moment to...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:08 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 25, 2006
Category: Personal
I want a robot vacuum cleaner that goes around the room by itself, saying "Warning! Warning! Alien Approaching!"...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:04 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Bioethics
Now, there is another element in the controversy. What happens if a corporation essentially buys an undue degree of influence in the formulation of treatment guidelines? Treatment guidelines have always promoted controversy in medical practice. Most physicians like the idea...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:54 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 24, 2006
Category: Medicine
Nature News reports on a preliminary study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. The study indicates that the cholesterol-lowering drugs in the statin family may protect against lung damage caused by cigarette smoking. The...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:06 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Medicine
That's the title of an article in the New York times. It is about clusters of illness that are discovered by people posting on the Internet. The concern is that some of these might by "psychosomatic," more properly known as...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:33 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Politics
The British are famous for the clever turn of the phrase, and the headline writers at the BBC are among the best. Search for least-worst option in Iraq By Paul Reynolds World affairs correspondent, BBC News website A "helluva mess"...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:49 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 23, 2006
Category: Social Commentary
I just love this cover. I haven't actually read the magazine in over 30 years, but this cover is a gem....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:00 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Science in the Media
More headline comparisons: College kids add on pounds past 1st year San Jose Mercury News, USA - 15 hours ago AP. BOSTON - The "Freshman 15" is more like 5 to 7, but it is followed by the "Sophomore 2 or...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:52 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 22, 2006
Category: Armchair Musings
Here are two headlines about the same subject: Meds Help Preschoolers with ADHD Psych Central News Editor Tuesday, Oct, 17, 2006 Study warns of risks of preschool Ritalin Associated Press Posted on Fri, Oct. 20, 2006 Both articles were written...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:40 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 21, 2006
Category: Personal
HowManyOfMe.com There are: 3 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name? I knew there was at least one other. I used to get threatening letters and phone calls from bill collectors, because he had...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:33 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 20, 2006
Category: Medicine
One of the most hotly marketed supplements in the Complimentary/Alternative Medicine arena is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). Just as a quick index, a Yahoo search for DHEA turns up over three million hits, and an impressive array of advertisements. Many of...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:12 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 19, 2006
Category: Environment
No, it is not the name of a new rock band. It is a phenomenon that is increasing in frequency in the world's oceans. The dead zones are areas with very low oxygen content, so low that nothing can live...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:33 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 18, 2006
Category: Science News
There has been talk of this for a while. At first, I did not think it would be feasible, but it appears that progress is being made: Doc at a Distance By Jacob Rosen and Blake Hannaford Robot surgeons promise...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:07 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 17, 2006
Category: Politics
Answer: They both look the other way. A recent article in Wired details how Kevin Poulsen caught a registered sex offender by scanning MySpace profiles. MySpace Predator Caught by Code ...I've been invited here to witness the end-game of...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:32 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 16, 2006
Category: Social Issues
Hedwig's recent post got me to thinking. Poverty, Nature and Progress Category: Cultural Observation • Environment • Ethics • Politics Posted on: October 15, 2006 1:56 PM, by "GrrlScientist" Wealth accumulated by First World countries is largely based on...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:24 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 15, 2006
Category: Science News
NASA is working on a new type of speech recognition. Rather than analyzing sounds, it detects nerve impulses in the throat. The user does not have to speak out loud. Instead, the user merely thinks about speaking, much as one...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:12 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 13, 2006
Category: Humor
Look for even more pedestrian and bicycle accidents because of this: I can't hear you: Sony's new Walkman blocks out noise BY DANIEL DUNAIEF DAILY NEWS BUSINESS EDITOR Sony's new Walkman wants to bring in 'da music an throw out...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:19 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Bioethics
I ran across a press release (1 2) pertaining to a journal article (‘Hitting Highs at Rock Bottom’: LSD Treatment for Alcoholism, 1950–1970) on the use of LSD for treatment of alcoholism. When I saw it, I thought I'd blog...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:25 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 12, 2006
Category: Computing
KDE 3.5.5 released. On 11 October 2006, the KDE Project released KDE 3.5.5. For packages, please visit the KDE 3.5.5 Info Page and browse the KDE 3.5 Requirements list. KDE is going to celebrate its 10th anniversary. On 14th October...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:48 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 11, 2006
Category: Photos of Interest
These are patterns seen in a salt desert in Iran. I shrank the images. In order to get the full effect, you need to see the full-size images. Note these are multi-megabyte files, which is why I only show a...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:01 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Photos of Interest
Snow is in the forecast for this week. It probably won't be this bad, but you never know. Image courtesy of NASA. ...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:58 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 10, 2006
Category: Social Issues
An initiative to introduce the teaching of Intelligent Design in Michigan schools suffered a setback today. The state Congress was supposed to issue new curriculum guidelines recently. In September, the guidelines were delayed. Nobody knew for sure how it would...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 5:01 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 9, 2006
Category: Environment
To be perfectly fair, I should note that not all Republicans are opposed to protection of the environment. For example, there is an organization known as Republicans for Environmental Protection. One of their members even published an editorial: Conservation Starts...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:08 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 8, 2006
Category: Computing
Linux has long been the champion of cute names. For example, right now I am downloading (via bittorrent) Sabayon Linux, which is named after an Italian dessert (Zabaglione). I must say, though, that the best name for a Linux distribution...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:29 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Politics
One thing I saw a couple of days ago, in Kalamazoo, was a protest near the office of their US Representative, Fred Upton. It was a small protest, put on by the Pink Patrol. I did not stop to see...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:06 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 7, 2006
Category: Photos of Interest
Charming... Thai snake charmer Khum Chaibuddee bids to set a world record in king cobra-kissing in Pattaya....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:13 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Personal
I just got back from my brother's photography exhibit at Dancing Cranes. It was part of what they call the Art Hop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A bunch of artistic types agree to exhibit their works in various upscale shops in...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:15 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 6, 2006
Category: Medicine
This is outside my area of expertise, so I won't comment on this, other than to say that it pretty much speaks for itself. The article is from the journal Pediatrics. No Evidence of Persisting Measles Virus in Peripheral Blood...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:22 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Psychiatry
This is another one of those pilot studies that may or may not go anywhere. Even if it doesn't it might contribute to our theoretical understanding of major depression. One nice thing about it is that scopolamine is old; presumably,...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:43 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 5, 2006
Category: Politics
Rupert Murdoch is a damn liar. Is there a journalistic board of ethics? Can Fox's broadcasting license be revoked? I know Ed and David are already all over this, but it is just so offensive, I had to join the...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:04 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Psychiatry
Imagine what kind of money you could make, if you had a $15,000 device that could slow the progression of Alzheimer disease. The following clip is from a Medscape news article. (Free registration is required to view it, but that...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:51 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 4, 2006
Category: Photos of Interest
Caltech grad student Aron Meltzner used satellite imagery for his research on the Aceh earthquake and resultant tsunami. Not only did this result in a nice publication, he got a nice write-up featured at NASA's Earth Observatory site. Rise...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:47 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Medicine
N-[4(2-Amino-4-hydroxy-pteridin-6-ylmethylamino)-benzoyl]-L(+)-glutamic acid is the name of a vitamin. Since the full name is a bit awkward, it is more commonly known as folic acid, or folate. The common name is derived from the Latin word for leaf (follium). It...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:41 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Science in the Media
The Union of Concerned Scientists announced the winner of their Scientific Integrity Editorial Cartoon Contest: Dr. James Lachlan MacLeod, Associate Professor of History at the University of Evansville. According to his webpage, MacLeod studied history at the University of Edinburgh,...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:24 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 3, 2006
Category: Social Commentary
The best commentary I've seen so far about predatorgate is in the Bangor Daily News: Tuesday, October 3, 2006 - Bangor Daily News As deplorable as former Rep. Mark Foley’s advances at pages are, if Congress uses the salacious details...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:12 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Social Issues
"College Town 'Poverty' Exposed:" Exposé or Rant? The Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a story a couple of weeks ago, which dealt with the issue of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) going to college towns. The article ran in Sunday's Ann...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:59 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 2, 2006
Category: Energy
Jonah and Kevin have already chipping in on this topic. Bob Lutz, the VP of General Motors, turned a few heads. Not with an eye-catching new auto design, but with a comment in the Wall Street Journal: "I'd say the...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:22 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Humor
HOOPESTON, Illinois -- A small-town theater owner says he was not trying to send Hollywood a message when he shut down for two weeks rather than show box-office leader "Jackass 2" or other new releases that he calls "drivel." But...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:28 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Psychiatry
This is from the journal Menopause. The link goes to the abstract; a subcription is required for full access. It is a pilot study with results that are not robust enough to use in routine clinical decision-making, but it does...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:29 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Social Issues
Except I think it was a different DeVos. As linked by Mark Maynard, the irascibly analytical frontman for the Monkey Power Trio, Rolling Stone has an article that states: ...The godfather of the Dominionists is D. James Kennedy [link added],...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:04 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 1, 2006
Category: Humor
Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand. -- Mark Twain HT: Ratboy's Anvil...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:23 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
