moominmuppet

Ohio Dispatch: Anti-Union Law Divides John Boehner's GOP District -- Ohioans, don't forget to VOTE on Tuesday!! NO on Issue 2!!

People who took at least one of their blood pressure medications before going to bed had a reduced risk of circulatory problems compared with morning pill poppers. Katherine Harmon reports
After being followed for an average of about five and a half years, people who were taking at least one of their blood pressure meds before bed were only about a third as likely to have had serious circulatory problems as other patients. -- It's a substantial enough difference, and enough folks are on BP meds, that I really wanted to draw attention to this one.

More than 20 cases of the life-threatening bacterial infection leptospirosis have been reported in Detroit-area dogs in the past three weeks, according to Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health.
As cases of disease in dogs decreased and because of the vaccine’s potential for adverse reactions, vaccine use diminished and it no is longer given to all dogs. However, Bolin said this outbreak demonstrates that leptospirosis remains a significant risk for dogs.
“There is something we can do now to prevent this disease and that is to vaccinate," she said. "Dog owners need to contact their veterinarian to get more information regarding vaccination."

Why I Decided to Live With Roomates at Age 37: How Living With Others Is Good for My Wallet, Health and Happiness -- Very, very true to my experiences.

Huge Crowd Circles White House to Protest XL Pipeline

Three common mistakes in medical journalism

The Phantom Tollbooth Turns 50 (and they're making a documentary about it!)

Holy crap, have I not yet gotten around to linking to Hyperbole and a Half's excellent comic on "Adventures in Depression"?

"Wichita:" Will a TV Series About Dr. Tiller's Life Depict the Integrity By Which He Lived?
More: Forthcoming HBO Special on Dr. Tiller

Internet startup Nextdoor launched a social network Wednesday designed to strengthen communities by connecting real-world neighbors. -- I really like this idea.

Ten Years After the Patriot Act, a Look at Three of the Most Dangerous Provisions Affecting Ordinary Americans

The [drug overdose] death of a woman taking part in the Occupy Vancouver protest at the city's art gallery has led the city's mayor to announce the protest movement's tent city will be cleared.

Dead again? Lake Erie in trouble

Arab Spring activists win human rights award

Sweden’s shameful transgender sterilization rule

Unions geared up for Ohio referendum vote

INFO POST! WOMEN'S HEALTH: Menstruation & You

Researchers investigate link between autoimmune diseases and wounds that don't heal

A study being presented Sunday, Nov. 6 at the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Chicago, finds that many lupus patients with low socioeconomic status are unable to attend scheduled appointments with physicians due to daily obstacles. -- These kinds of issues are a problem for many people with chronic illnesses, and I think it's an underappreciated issue in a society where common medical practice is to "fire" patients who miss too many appointments.

A new Facebook-like Web portal turns doctors and patients into research collaborators

Antlions are real? Not something Tove Jansson made up? -- Huh. I have learned something today. Also did not know that was what "doodlebugs" were.

5 Terrible Ideas That Solved Huge Global Problems

I had always wondered what kind of person actually thinks these stupid little books have any sort of credibility. They seemed so cartoonish and so much like a strawman version of even fundamentalist Christianity, that I really couldn’t imagine someone actually taking them seriously. To this day, it still seems inconcievable to me that someone could look at a Chick tract and say "That’s some good theology right there!"
Well, it took me 10 years but I found where the people who like Chick tracts hang out.

Protest organizer on NYPD infiltrators: ‘We’ll take them’

Party animal (MaddowParty Hedgehog pics)

The Doctor Whos of Whoville

Study finds specific gene linked to cold sore susceptibility

Official assessments of a doctor's professionalism should be considered carefully before being accepted due to the tendency for some doctors to receive lower scores than others, and the tendency of some groups of patient or colleague assessors to provide lower scores, claims new research published on bmj.com today.

Scientists including those from Queen's University have discovered that taking regular aspirin halves the risk of developing hereditary cancers.

Some birth control products, including contraceptive pills, rings and patches for women, carry a significantly higher risk of blood clot than low-dose medications, US regulators said Thursday.

Discomfort with sexuality in general, and homophobia in particular, have played an insidious role in delaying needed HPV vaccine recommendations for boys, writes Dr. Ilan H. Meyer of The Williams Institute.
Related: A large, international clinical trial led by doctors at the University of California, San Francisco indicates that a vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective, according to a study reported in the Oct. 27, 2011 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.

Also somewhat related: Women with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke even when no conventional risk factors for CVD are present.

Friday Weird Science: Piercing the Paleolithic Penis (better article than the one I linked yesterday)

How do smelling salts work?

Policing the 99%, Part 2

A weird chart comparing lewd graffiti in ancient Pompeii and 1960s Los Angeles

Tiny Worlds Inside Altoids Tins

Some Like It Taut -- From the Mixed-Up Porn Files of Mrs. Susie Bright

Vitamin B derivative helps diabetics with mild kidney disease

South Dakota Profits When Native Kids Get Thrown Into Foster Care

Wisconsin Republicans Eye Change To Recall Law

Sky Shadows: Mt. Rainier At Sunrise Casting Its Shadow ON THE CLOUDS ABOVE

Firefighter union chief considering run against Scott Walker

6 Bizarre Alien-looking Life Forms

Mom Threatens Lawsuit, Says Spokane City Bus Driver Kicked Teens Off for Talking About Bisexuality
More info: Off the Bus
Three passengers say they were kicked off a Spokane bus for discussing bisexuality
Resolution: STA says youths should not have been kicked off bus

People who use over-the-counter "thyroid support" supplements may be putting their health at risk, according to a study being presented at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Shades of Gray"
The moment we've all been dreading: the clip show!!!!!! Paramount demanded a cheap-ass episode, so we suffer through a series of Riker-focused clips. Can you feel the excitement????

The Copper IUD as Emergency Contraception: A Neglected Option

Man Who Allegedly Planned to "Lay Out Abortionists" Still Undergoing Competency Evaluation

Anti-Choice Infighting in Ohio Gets Uglier

New York's Universal Comprehensive Sex Ed Mandate: The Radical Notion Our Kids Might Learn Facts

Do U.S. Abortion Restrictions Violate Human Rights?

New study: body's resistance to food restriction is long term.

If Only Women Could Think For Themselves...!

This is what 138 years of Popular Science look like

Parents who joke and pretend with their toddlers are giving their children a head start in terms of life skills. Most parents are naturals at playing the fool with their kids, says a new research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). However parents who feel they may need a little help in doing this can learn to develop these life skills with their tots.

Benjamin Franklin: Writer, Inventor, Statesman & Ally
It was in his role as ambassador to France that Franklin also became the nation's first gay-friendly ambassador, helping a known homosexual escape prosecution and become a pivotal figure in the American Revolution.

Government needs to listen up on hearing aids

Op-ed: A New and Better Way of Preventing Bullying

Check Out This Amazing Photo of an Elizabeth Warren Volunteer Meeting

Communicating with patients who do not speak English is a challenge facing all health care providers. New research shows that even those physicians who say they are fluent in a second language may be overestimating their actual skills.

Researchers examine 21-year series of nipple sparing mastectomy cases and find no cancers

personality traits like curiosity seem to be as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school.

Twenty years after the landmark documentary Paris Is Burning, three new films examine the enduring appeal of underground LGBT culture.

It’s Complicated: 5 Puzzling International Borders

8 things white people will never know about travel

Through-the-nipple breast cancer therapy shows promise in early tests

The US Supreme Court will decide on November 10 whether or not to take up the case of President Barack Obama's historic health care law

It's Official: Fungus Causes Bat-Killing White-Nose Syndrome
Related: Infected bats can recover . . . with lots of help
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough people to nurse more than a tiny number back to health. -- If they were taking volunteers... (I love bats, and the WNS catastrophe has hit me on an emotional as well as ecological level)
More: Bat Die-Offs Affect Human Health and Economics

Our ‘Brethren in Struggle’, I Presume?
Here are a number of stories regarding men at Occupy demonstrations not acting so ‘revolutionary’, ranging from sexual assault to keeping the mic all to themselves.

Source found for immune system effects on learning, memory

Physicians preparing to deliver a baby look at fetal heart rate patterns to guide them in deciding whether or not to perform a C- section. But a new study by maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Intermountain Medical Center shows that those heart rate patterns may not be a good indicator of a baby's health, and in fact may lead to unnecessary interventions and higher costs. (there have also long been complaints that most fetal monitors require women to remain lying on their backs, which is a position very likely to trigger the exact symptoms of fetal distress that it's monitoring for, thereby likely creating self-fulfilling prophecies that are increasing our c-section rates)

Study finds that annual screening with chest x-ray does not reduce rate of lung cancer deaths

Access to legal aid depends a lot on where you live, report says

60,000 peer-reviewed papers, including the first peer-reviewed scientific research journal in the world, are now available free online. The Royal Society has opened its historical archives to the public. Among the cool stuff you'll find here: Isaac Newton's first published research paper and Ben Franklin's write-up about that famous kite experiment. Good luck getting anything accomplished today. Or ever again.

Bold Stroke: New Font Helps Dyslexics Read [Slide Show]

I'm often asked to resolve some confusion: the scientific literature claims that eyes evolved multiple times, but I keep saying that eyes show evidence of common origin. Who is right? Why are you lying to me, Myers? And the answer is that we're both right.

Bummer: Feds Stonewall Pot Treatments For Traumatized Vets

Why are most people right-handed?
Related: Lefties far more likely to have sleep disorders

A torrent of cash--some of it anonymous--is gushing into Ohio as the fight over Gov. John Kasich's anti-union bill reaches a fever pitch.

Watching thousands of birds fly in a highly coordinated, yet leaderless, flock can be utterly baffling to humans. Now, new research is peeling back the layers of mystery to show how exactly they do it -- and why it might be advantageous to fly right.

What causes the large gap between rich and poor countries has been a long-debated question. Previous research has found some correlation between a nation’s economic prosperity and factors such as how the country is governed, the average amount of formal education each individual receives, and the country's overall competiveness. But now a team of researchers from Harvard and MIT has discovered that a new measure based on a country's collective knowledge can account for the enormous income differences between the nations of the world better than any other factor.

Taking the Pill for 10 years can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by almost half (45 per cent), new research part-funded by Cancer Research UK shows today.

Intense pressure to meet accountability goals in mathematics and English is limiting time for science, and teachers and schools do not have the infrastructure support needed to consistently provide students with quality science learning opportunities.

Daylight Saving Time Explained

The Awful Truth About Women’s Lives in Prison

The Geography of Inequality
Protections for American LGBT parents and their children are all over the map, according to a report released Tuesday by progressive think-tanks and LGBT advocacy groups.

Why I want a mushroom burial when I die

Fat? Who Cares! Why Weight Doesn't Matter
A major expert speaks out on how weight-loss efforts are statistically futile--and how you can boost your health big time without dropping a pound.

Obama's Student Loan Initiative Details

Yoga eases back pain in largest US study to date

High-dose vitamin D may not be better than low-dose vitamin D in treating MS

Native bees are better pollinators than honeybees

Riker is large and in charge, Wes cheats (but he calls it "improvising," so that's okay...), Data busts a guy up, Pulaski is obnoxious and arrogant while accusing someone else of being obnoxious and arrogant, Picard actually makes a mistake, and Worf threatens to be irritated. As an added bonus: Armin Shimerman and Aaron Pierce from 24!

NSAID use associated with lower colorectal cancer mortality rates among postmenopausal women

Coffee consumption associated with decreased risk for basal cell carcinoma

UK: Gay men blood donation ban lifted (for men who haven't had sex with a man in the past year) -- It's progress.

How the Post Office Deciphers Bad Handwriting

CT scans for lung cancer screening may be beneficial in detecting COPD

Women suffer from premature orgasm, too

Technology titans and political activists gathered here on Tuesday to find ways to ensure that the Internet is used as a tool for human rights instead of as a weapon of oppression.

Tasmanian Devils Might Survive Cancer Scourge

Linking of mutations in 12 genes to ovarian cancer may lead to more effective prevention

Many Alzheimer's patients get drugs with opposing effects

Sushi Plate Detects Radioactivity in Seafood

This is the face of obesity. -- And this is a kick-ass post.

The Maddening Effect of South Carolina’s Proposed Voter ID Law

Moving to a Better Neighborhood Can Be as Effective as Drugs in Preventing Obesity and Diabetes, Study Suggests

A substance from bacteria can lead to allergy-free sunscreen

'Junk DNA' defines differences between humans and chimps

Rutgers professor uses lichen to help cities go green

Yogurt consumption reduces cardiovascular disease precursor

Neurobiological mechanism behind anorexia/self starvation found in mouse

Piecing together the priceless 'Cairo Genizah'

Nearly half of physician practices do not meet national standards for 'medical homes'

Research group finds ancient deep sea mud volcano as possible site for origin of life

Male bowel cancer patients need more information about erectile dysfunction

More evidence that allergies may help in fighting brain tumors

Can breastfeeding reduce pain in preterm infants?

Cells are crawling all over our bodies, but how?

Whole communities in Africa could be protected from pneumococcus by immunising young children

Study reveals for first time true diversity of life in soils across the globe, new species discovered

A sensible, balanced amount of free time is key to happiness in our consumer society

A study focusing on the family and friends of people who were suicidal has highlighted the main challenges they face when trying to judge whether a person is in danger and decide what they should do about it.

Breastmilk a natural stem cell therapy

You're not so anonymous: Medical data sold to analytics firms might be used to track identities

Stigma adds to burden of psychosis

Annual cancer screening tests urged less and less

After pregnancy loss, Internet forums help women understand they are not alone

Study links pollutants to a 450 percent increase in risk of birth defects

Double duty: Anti-HIV topical gel also protects against herpes virus

Scientists are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called "microplastic" pollution -- bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin -- that they now have detected on ocean shorelines worldwide.

Relationships more important than genetic ties when deciding who cares for aging family, study finds

Care for mentally ill veterans is as good or better than in other health systems, study finds -- I'd call that "Damned by faint praise"

Mental health relief efforts often overlooked in wake of disasters

Bed bug insecticide resistance mechanisms identified

Blame backbone fractures on evolution, not osteoporosis

Commonwealth Fund Commission national health care scorecard: US scores 64 out of 100

Platypus helps shed new light on mammalian evolution

Researchers say they can create grapefruit hybrid that won't interfere with medicine

Free LA medical clinic to draw 5,000 uninsured

Don't panic: The animal's guide to hitchhiking (on what makes a species most likely to be successfully invasive)

Can aromatherapy produce harmful indoor air pollutants?

Growing algae could clean the Chesapeake Bay and create biofuel

High to moderate levels of stress lead to higher mortality rate

Early mortality risk reduced up to 40 percent through increased physical activity and sports

Internists address dual concerns of privacy and protection of health data

Not buying cars but sharing them -- car-sharing is practiced in many major cities. And in the electromobile future, city dwellers will use lots of vehicles and infrastructure together -- that is the idea of Fraunhofer researchers. In the project "eMobility Together: Vehicles, Data and Infrastructure" or "GeMo" for short, researchers are working to make this vision a reality.

How well adults can detect if children are lying or reporting misinformation is no better than the odds of chance, reports a new Cornell study. The findings have implications for physical and sexual abuse investigations, which often rely heavily on children's eyewitness reports.

Exposure to chemical BPA before birth linked to behavioral, emotional difficulties in girls

"Living fossil" cycad plants are actually evolution’s comeback kings

Headaches take toll on soldiers

Researchers at the University of Leeds investigating the genetic causes of bipolar disorder have identified two new drugs -- one of which has already been found safe in clinical trials -- that may be effective in treating the disorder.

By measuring the isotopes in river water, scientists have determined that mountain glaciers contribute less than thought to downstream water supplies

As the "Arab Spring" turns to fall and New York's "Occupy Wall Street" protest continues to draw international headlines, a new model of social and political protest has emerged. Based on informal leadership and a multitude of voices, contemporary protests have the potential to become more widespread than ever before.

Midwestern USA at Night with Aurora Borealis

"Magic eye" pictures are sort of reverse illusions. Where most optical illusions challenge the brain to see what is actually there, a magic eye illusion requires the viewer to force their brain to do things differently to see a hidden image.

Sean Maher Reunites With Firefly Costar For New Film (in other words Maher and Fillion are both in Much Ado About Nothing)

Preacher's Daughter: Why Do We Have to Be "Born This Way"? -- Amen to all of this. In terms of protections and rights, I think it's much more profitable in the long run to look at analogies to religious freedom (you can believe I'm going to hell, but you don't have a right to discriminate against me) rather than taking an inherently apologist "we can't help it" approach that leaves room for people finding a way to "fix" us, and then demanding to know why we still want rights if we don't "have" to be queer anymore. I'm very happy to be queer. If I were given a choice, I would choose it again. Also, as a bisexual, I feel the risk of this argument especially acutely, since I would seem to be one of the people who might be able to "choose" to only engage in heterosexual relationships.

Disability Symbology

China Vaccinates 4.5 Million People Against Polio

Meet the Melting Vitruvian Man

Mountain beavers evolved thicker teeth to eat volcanoes

The Himalayas and the Andes are goldmines -- for solar power

Worf kicks ass at poker, is reunited with his ex-girlfriend, has violent Klingon sex on the holodeck, and gets his first command, as the TNG Rewatch hits "The Emissary," giving us one of the show's best-ever guest stars in the half-human half-Klingon K'Ehleyr.