My favorite rock guitarist of all time, Brian May never quite finished his PhD in Astronomy before going off and becoming a big star with Queen. But this year, he finally did. Here's an interview with him in the Los Angeles Times.
But for pure enjoyment, here's 9 minutes of him rocking out at Wembley in 1986. (I'm in the audience somewhere). Think about the complexity of playing everything once and hearing it three times...amazing.
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Over half of Americans think the next U.S. President should support. . .access to electronic medical records.
Compared to gas prices, the economy and the war in Iraq, this is, needless to say, a fairly minor issue. Even within the issue of healthcare reform, access to EMRs, as digital medical records are known, it's small potatoes.
Yet a survey released by Kaiser-Permanente at the Information Therapy Conference in Washington shows that a majority of Americans agreed that providing people with online access to their own medical records should be a "top priority" for the next US President.
If a baby is slow in coming through the birth canal, or becomes stuck, it is necessary to ensure that the baby is delivered as quickly as possible, often within a few seconds. In these situations forceps or a vacuum device (ventouse) may be attached to the baby’s head. Forceps may also be used to protect a delicate skull in premature babies, or assist the birth of the head when the baby is breach (bottom first). Forceps cannot crush or damage a baby’s skull as they have a lock on them that prevents them from closing too far. They come in different sizes and shapes to suit both mother and child. The two arms of the forceps are slid separately around the baby’s head, and are then locked into position on the outside. Once in position, the baby’s head can be turned to a more favourable position, and easily slid out of the birth canal (vagina). A ventouse is a suction cap that fits onto the baby’s scalp and applies traction to the head as the mother pushes. The doctor cannot pull too hard because the vacuum seal will break if s/he does so. This form of intervention is far more uncomfortable for the mother than the baby, as the baby is being removed from a trapped position into the outside world. Additional pain relief or anaesthetics are usually given to the mother during the procedure.
or vacation? No. Operation!The St. Petersburg Times takes a look at a Boca Raton based Insurance company, United Group Programs, which has begun providing insurance packages to employers which covers treatment overseas. And there's also one more interesting tid-bit.
Also in the works is the formation of the first Medical (more...)
sends hundreds of expectant mothers abroad for maternity servicesUK's Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb, MP, Norfolk, does some investigating into how the NHS shipped 269 pregnant women abroad for maternity care. Says Lamb,"The exact cost of sending these women abroad last year are unknown but data (more...)
The American Institute of the History of Pharmacy will host a conference entitled New Perspectives in Pharmaceutical History on Oct. 17-18, 2008, at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Here is the description from the web site:
The evolution of the modern pharmaceutical enterprise over the long twentieth century—from its early intersection with the image and later the structure of scientific research, to its dramatic postwar expansion and late-century saturation of medical and marketing media—has implications that stretch far beyond the traditional history of pharmacy and medicine to impact broader social, cultural, economic, business, legal, regulatory, and political developments. This conference seeks to foster and reflect on the growing body of pharmaceutical scholarship across historical disciplines and encourage novel theoretical and methodological developments by featuring newer scholars alongside more established figures in the field.
So after making cracks about Strength through Joy last week, it appears that plans to change the health of the nation are happening. Not here of course, but the NY Times tells us about Japan:
Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.
Eat for health
Increase your intake of phyto-oestrogens: soy products are a good source; 300ml of soya milk or 100g of tofu per day (from non-genetically modified/organic sources) are recommended.
Minimise your consumption of xeno-oestrogens by choosing chemical-free/organic foods and avoiding foods stored in plastic containers or packaging.
Limit your intake of the following fats which may increase breast cancer risk: trans-fatty acids/hydrogenated fats (in margarines, refined/processed oils, baked goods, snack foods, crackers and cookies) and saturated fats (from whole-fat dairy products and red meats).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for global cooperation, political commitment and creative solutions to counter what it describes as the silent epidemic of counterfeit medicines. At an international conference in Rome the body is aiming to put together a global task force to focus on legislation, law enforcement and innovative technology solutions. Dr Howard Zucker, WHO assistant director general for health technology and pharmaceuticals, (more...)
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