"As a result of extraordinary price increases to provide UpToDate access for our distributed community of UW Health Sciences students, faculty and staff across the Pacific Northwest Region I have had to make the painful decision to cancel this heavily used resource. In spite of extensive negotiations with the publisher over the past two years we simply were unable to negotiate a price that our Health Sciences Libraries budget could afford. The price for UW is much higher than for other institutions, in large part, because we are a regional health sciences center with regular faculty and students across Washington State as well as in other states throughout the WWAMI region. This means that simple onsite access as provided by some Health Sciences Libraries (e.g. walk into the Health Sciences Library physically and access the resource) will not work for many of our students and faculty who would need to get into a car to come here or worse, fly for several hours!"For more details about the specifics of this situation at the University of Washington, visit the UW UpToDate alert page. As a medical student spending the majority of his third year outside of Seattle, I am particularly aware of the crux of this issue. What I want to know is how they can charge so much money for what is basically a bunch of review articles. Just how much are their writers being paid? Do the authors get paid per hit? I kindof doubt it. The last time I checked, basic science professors don't get paid jack for writing review articles. (Actually, I just (this evening) reviewed the preprint proofs for a review article I was the first author on. Far from being paid, we had to pay the journal because we include color plates...)
Unfortunately, gun control is not so much of an issue in the current political environment. I'll still have to learn how to treat gunshot wounds...
I'm not sure if it really satisfies the rules of the meme, but it's what came to mind. I'm tagging Bunnies With Sharp Teeth, Dear Science, Dogs Bark At Night and Lid Upon My Head. If you are dying to figure this one out, take a minute and think about what Sarah said.
BlogShares is a fantasy stock market where weblogs are the companies. Players invest fictional dollars on shares in blogs. Blogs are valued by their incoming links and add value to other blogs by linking to them. Prices can go up or down based on trading and the underlying value of the blog.I hope my stock is rising. Judging though from the amount of time (not very much!) I've had to make posts recently, I'd bet the value is holding steady or dropping. Some blogs I read have 20,000 readers in one day. It took me ten months.
This very photo - larger than life - was there smirking at me. His head was about 16 inches across. Just hanging on the wall. Looking over all I was doing. Listening to every word from my mouth. As President, John McCain will work to advance federal research into autism, promote early screening, and identify better treatment options, while providing support for children with autism so that they may reach their full potential.He also has an entire policy platform built on autism which you can read here. I noticed that autism is the only disease he specifically mentions in his health platform. Basically he argues that federal money needs to be spent on learning about and combating autism. Pretty harmless, right? I'll get back to McCain in a minute. Obama has also pledged support of autism research. He says he will:
Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.I like this statement better. Instead of just spending money on research, he recognizes that the autism epidemic can be attributed to "broadened diagnostic criteria." Rather than to promise cures and treatments, he suggests "we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism." Oh yeah, he also supports spending a billion dollars on autism research.
More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.
"It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise amongst children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines." He added that there’s "divided scientific opinion" on the matter, with "many on the other side that are credible scientists that are saying that’s not the cause of it."What's wrong with this? Plenty of other people will tell you what's wrong with this. The upshot is that he is using language of the controversy to lend scientific credibility to an idea that is not scientific. It is therefore ironic that McCain wants to
dedicate federal research on the basis of sound science resulting in greater focus on care and cure of chronic disease.Sound science. That's a good name for a nerd rock band.
Old-tyme readers may recall that I enjoy cataloging nature around my apartment. Blog posts and art projects are my primary documentation. One of my favorite little birds is the common bushtit. Not only is the bird's name funny, it is a fun bird to watch. I often see them traveling in groups of 15-30 birds, hopping between bushes and trees in search of insects and berries. As very social birds, they tend to cheep up a storm. Last year, one of my birding friends alerted me to the fact that these birds build amazing nests. I never imagined that North American birds constructed anything other than, well, birdnest shaped nests. Bushtits build socks! Employing nature's wonder-material (spider webs) as the main structural element, these little birds build deep (and toasty) sacks.
Evidently, bushtit nests are warm enough that the jelly-bean sized eggs need only be incubated 40% of the day. The nests are used for a period of 8 weeks and support two broods each year. If they are disturbed, adults will abandon the nest and build a new one. It takes 3-5 days for a nest to be built. In urban areas, crows like to tear apart the nests and devour the babies; some observers report that the crows do this 'just for fun.' Humans also tend to collect these nests. Sadly, a week after I snapped this photo, the nest was gone. Someone clipped the branch from which it hung. I have since spotted two other bushtit nests in the area. Hopefully, those socks will support a few broods before falling victim to predators.Is it "trolling" to use the Socratic method to lead people to novel understanding? Is it trolling to force people outside their comfort zone in particular domains, as a means for encouraging personal growth? Is it trolling to vigorously advocate for and defend positions using coherent arguments based in fact and logic? Is it trolling to identify bu#$&it as such? Being comfortable all the time is no way to grow, to expand one's capacities, one's scope of knowledge and expertise.Right on!
The one about Ceasar Chavez is good. So is Goodnight Moon.
The entire collection of specimens has dulled, even accounting for the differences in lighting. (The artist apologizes for having a day job.) This clearly represents the dulling effect that the increasing rancor has on common citizens. Another striking finding is the bold assault of the red berries with mold. Earlier observations identified some of the mold as being blue, suggesting the possibility of formerly red voters crossing over. (If no one has coined the term, "Obama Republicans," let me take this opportunity to do so.) Today, however, the white snowberries show intense degradation. In fact, it appears as though small gremlins have spun cocoons in that sample. Snow. Fresh. Pure. These all could be represented by this specimen. These all are no longer present in the race. Biting attacks, political dirt and stale refrains now dominate. It is still unclear which berry correlates to which candidate. Perhaps the dear reader can offer a suitable explanation.
Fortunately, there was someone on the other side of the brick wall trying to get out, or trying to help me through. I'll probably never know.
In November 2006 I had the pleasure of hosting Neal Lane for a visit to the University of Washington. The UW's Forum on Science Ethics and Policy invited the former NSF Director and Bill Clinton's science advisor to speak about the future of science in America. He and a large number of science superstars have come out in support of ScienceDebate 2008. Here is a video of him making a case for it.
Hey Seattleites! The Science Policy at the UW social group is meeting this week in the back room of the College Inn Pub. It's an informal meeting where you can chat about, discuss or argue science and politics. Students, faculty, staff and members of the local community are all welcome. If I weren't in Snow-can, WA, I'd be there. Get more info at www.fosep.org.Walking through Dulles Airport not long after losing the 2004 election, John Kerry was stopped by a supporter. The man shook Kerry's hand and told the senator that he was an evangelical. "I voted for you," he said, "and so did a lot of evangelicals. But you could have gotten more of us if you'd tried." Kerry was floored. Evangelical Democrats?
No wonder Kerry fared worse among evangelicals than any other Democratic nominee in modern history, losing the votes of nearly four out of five. To engage a constituency, a campaign needs to at least know it exists.
Even so, the Democratic nominee this fall will have advantages Kerry never did. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a lifelong Methodist with years of experience teaching Sunday school in Arkansas who's married to the party's most prominent evangelical Democrat. Obama, a committed Christian, is more thoughtful and relaxed talking about religion than any other Democratic politician. Most important, they'll have the support of a party that is slowly starting to see that there are many faces of the faithful.
There is a reason to make friends on the other side of the aisle. We may not all agree on everything, but a lot of us agree that something needs to change. Let's find that small voice of hope and use it to tie us together in common cause.
He called Mr. Obama a “person of substance” and the “first liberal evangelist in a long time.”Let's hope the trend of his support by the electorate follows from his past two bids:
The president who came to office with the most glittering array of experiences had served 10 years in the House of Representatives, then became minister to Russia, then served 10 years in the Senate, then four years as secretary of state (during a war that enlarged the nation by 33 percent), then was minister to Britain. Then, in 1856, James Buchanan was elected president and in just one term secured a strong claim to being ranked as America's worst president. Abraham Lincoln, the inexperienced former one-term congressman, had an easy act to follow.And I was just rewarming to Hillary Clinton...
Actually, I didn't need any of the above to get this image. Instead, I found a nice picture with the help of Mr. Google, then I rotated it in Photoshop to get to just the right angle, then voila! A striking representation of what I saw in the Spokane sky tonight. Well, except that the craters and plains on the moon's surface are in the wrong location...
Seeking scientists who can capture the attention and imagination of AP Biology students in east-central Wisconsin. Duties include posting one or more 500-1000 word entries to a weblog and participating in the online comments section. Candidates need not be local. Compensation in the form of warm fuzzies.
Look for more here soon.
If you had to write your memoirs in 6 words, what would they be?This was based on a book called: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, edited by Smith Magazine. Since I've been struggling to get my oral case presentations down to a concise 3 minute overview, this is a pertinent exercise for me. I started out with a list, but it sounded too much like a personal ad. I challenged myself too a sentence. My working six-word autobiography is:
An increasing number are taking steps to bring civility and even hospitality to the emergency room, in part because, for all their turmoil, they remain vital points of entry for paying patients whose eventual admission accounts for needed revenue.So not only is the ER a place to provide health care, it is the point of entry for revenue producing units - I mean patients. So we better make them happy or they will take their care (and reimbursements) elsewhere! Unfortunately the article focuses on remodeling costs and a laundry list of NY City ER's that are under construction.
You don't know how catchy that sounds until you speak it aloud. Say it with me, "Science Debate 2008." Now with syncopation. Now in a group with your friends. There we go - that should be enough to convince you. If not, continue reading.
Maybe I am jealous of his success. Maybe I just really despise drug company commercials. Maybe it's because simvastatin (the generic form of Zocor) is way cheaper and has the same effect as Lipitor. Maybe it's because Jarvik looks like Randall from Monsters, Inc.
Washington voters: You're up!Voters can participate in both the party caucuses and the Presidential Primary as long as they participate on behalf of the same party.Is there anything else you need to know? Well, you should probably have a good idea of who to vote for pretty soon. If you haven't made up your mind, Clinton (Pier 30 warehouse Thursday), Obama (Key Arena Friday) and McCain (Before the 2/19 primary) will all be visiting the state in the coming days. Michelle Obama will visit Spokane and Janet Huckabee will be in the state for two nights. Ron Paul may also be making another stop. (He's been in WA quite a bit already.) Look for them! This Seattle P-I article has the most current details so far.
Both major parties plan to hold their caucuses on Saturday, February 9, 2008, ten days before the primary. The parties will invite voters to participate in the caucuses and will require participants to sign an oath declaring their party affiliation.
Voters participating in the Presidential Primary will be asked to sign an oath submitted by the political parties indicating that the voter has not participated in the other party’s caucus process. Each party will receive a list of voters who chose to affiliate with that party in the primary.
This is the last state for me in my little live blogging adventure. While 30% of the precincts have Clinton winning 51% of the vote, the exit polls break pretty hard for Obama. So, without any press agency calls, I'll dispense with that part of my entry and skip straight to the nostalgia. For that, I have one word: Philmont.
As the results come in by dog sled from Alaska, it seems as though Obama has picked up another giant Western state. Now that I am clearly rooting for Obama, I guess I can dispense with the attempts as objectivity. If only he could do better in that giant western state called California!
My favorite memory in Arizona is visiting my great aunt and uncle in Tuscon for Thanksgiving about 5 years ago. I also met up with a good friend from high school who was studying galactic gravitational lensing for an astronomy PhD at the University of Arizona. Sure the Grand Canyon is cool, but I had a better time with friends & family.
