More trends in the search for health

Now lets play around a little:

Cures Cancer, Causes cancer

MMR

Quack Quack Quack

Head, shoulders, knees and toes (I suspect porn interference on this one)

Are asthma and allergies growing concerns? (Media: Yes; Google: No)

Who cares most about radiation poisoning? (Australia)

Who cares most about anthrax? (Chile) anthrax attacks? (USA and its allies)

What cancers do Aussies find trendy

Experiments with Google Trends.

I’m supposed to be working on my skills that can accurately tell public perception on health issues. Can Google help?

What cancers are Australians worried about? Have a little think, and then venture below the fold (if you want nice scary death stats).

I used the major four: Breast O, Lung O, Prostate O and Skin O. These are the cancers you hear mostly about day in day out. I also added kidney cancer O and brain cancer (-), because these two were on my mind from work-related projects.

Search terms did not use quote marks, doing so only removes the news reference results without significantly changing the main chart. Google Trends machinations also removed brain cancer, perhaps they should market that…

The results were … interesting:

Fair go, mate

moar funny pictures

Collectible card game without the cards

What, you don’t want to buy piles of expensive junk that takes up loads of space and only serves use in an imaginary fantasy world of questionable ethics?

PoxNora certainly wins points from me for attempting a “green” concept of hobby gaming.

You still spend money. But only if you want to. They have free sample-style play, which can certainly keep you amused and not at a significant disadvantage to premium players. No subscriptions either. When you do decide to cash in for some premium cards (“runes”) you don’t actually get anything corporeal.

Some people might be disappointed at that, but I think its refreshing. I just want to play games without a fuss. I don’t want a horde of plastic or cardboard I have to worry about storing during non-game time.

Have links at thee

Created with Spell with Flickr by kastner

What does the internet hold for us this week:

Six cases of shameless advertising (well ones that got caught). Four of which are consumer medications (alternative therapies) making claims that just aren’t backed up by any evidence.

Phsyicists are trying to steal the Cute Microbes trick, by developing plush particles. No! Physics is not cute and furry. It’s dangerous and explosivey. No one was ever hurt by cute and fuzzy biology – its organic and natural. Stop the persecutions!!!11! (via Bench Press)

Mmmm… Yellow Cakes

Who is Dr. Phwoooar? Seriously, can someone get a hold of this tract?

Placebo television. Works just like real television without really being television at all. Maybe?

On real television, guy from Top Gear is making a kids science show. Actually sounds good.

Cyprus is turning into a dessert. No sorry, a desert. Actually, that’s not good.

Disturbing image of the week.

Big fat taxonomy fail

That label says “Hippopotamus”.

Picture from Flickr.

Uploaded by Isthmene. Creative Commons (some rights reserved).

A day in client services

more chart hilarity

NITD

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Novartis Institute for Tropical Disease (NITD) is a Singapore-based tropical disease research institute created through a public-private partnership between Novartis and the Singapore Economic Development Board. Research at NITD focuses primarily on developing novel small molecule therapies for tropical infectious diseases that are endemic to the developing world, particulary dengue fever, malaria and tuberculosis.^[1][2]

History and mission

NITD was founded in 2002 as a public-private partnership between Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis and the Singapore Economic Development Board.^[1]

NITD states its goals are “to discover novel treatments and prevention methods for major tropical diseases.” Their website states they hope to have at least two drug candidates going through clinical trials in patients by the year 2012.^[2]

Novartis has also stated that the NITD will seek to make treatments developed by the NITD available without profit to the poor in developing nations in which these diseases are endemic.^[3]

Research

NITD is a small molecule drug discovery research institute.^[1]

Research is currently focused on three main diseases:^[2]

• dengue fever
• malaria
• tuberculosis.

NITD’s research model relies on global partnership with other research institutes.^[1] In 2008, NITD announced a 5-year collaborative research effort would be conducted in cooperation with the TB Alliance to develop new medicines for tuberculosis, including drug resistant tuberculosis.^[4]

Education

In addition to research, NITD is engaged in educational activities. It runs a research-based Master of Science program in fields related to infectious diseases in cooperation with National University of Singapore, University of Basel and Swiss Tropical Institute.^[5]

NITD also supports training opportunities for post-graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.^[2]

References

1. “About NITD“. Novartis AG (2008).
2. “Our mission“. Novartis AG (2008).
3. “Commitment to Patients Earns Novartis’ Dr. Daniel Vasella B’nai B’rith International’s Highest Award“. PharmaLive.
4. “Novartis symposium in Mozambique tackles emerging tuberculosis challenges” (Novartis media release)
5. “Master of Science in infectious diseases, vaccinology and drug discovery“. Novartis AG (2008).

External link

• NITD official website

Evidence for global warming #UM180109

moar funny pictures

Another cause for the recession we are not having

Everyone has quit their jobs in the vain hope they will become Tourism Queensland’s “island caretaker”/media ambassador on Hamilton island.

Free accomodation and a $110,000 pay packet in return to some media appearances and maintaining a blog seems a bit of a lark, but if you are thinking of applying (yes, you are) you will be up againsts some serious competition.

Since announcing the job last week on Monday, in a viral campaign masquerading as a media realease – the job’s website [www.islandreefjob.com] has been inundated with hits worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the website crashed in less than 24 hours. Sensing waning interest, the Queensland government revived media interest with a “fake video application” on the site.

The job will start in winter (oh no, maybe under 20 degrees), so the caretaker will have time to adjust to new routine and build up their local knowledge before the busy tourist season comes in.

It’s certainly a rather novel way of advertising a “normal”-ish job. This isn’t quite normal, but it’s not a reality show either (there doens’t appear to be any major network involvement). Would it work for other sorts of jobs?

Frankenfoods and anthrax

The SciBorg Seed-Cube has had another of their industry-sponsored blogs for a small while. At first it showed as an inaccessible anomaly in my rss feeder, but now it seems Invitrogen’s is live and screaming.

Yes, asking “What’s new in life science research” brings up doom and gloom. It started of with bioterrorism, and has now moved onto genetically modified organisms. While its certainly quite difficult to argue the merits of bioterror-orientated research (“just-in-case” is often as best as it gets), the merits of GMOs are all around us. Nutritional food. Economic boom. Less environmental impact of pesticides. Antibiotics. Biofuels. Extended shelf life.

Some of the recent discussion has been on labelling.

Labelling on GMOs I don’t see as a problem. At a basic level its as reasonable as allowing sellers to mark their food and products as “organic”, “98% fat free” or “heart-safe”. Consumers have a right to make informed decisions about their consumption, even if their decision is stupid.

I’m a bit disappointed with the Invitrogen/Seed blog though. These aren7t “new life research”. Bioterror is centuries old (plague-ridden bodies were “weaponised” during the Black Death). And even GMOs on the level with Bt-cotton and Monsanto’s dubious canola IP-debacles getting old hat. Where is something truly new – like synthetic life, personal genomics, or I don’t know, something more 2009, less 1999.

You know how I know you’re gay…

You paid $8,500 for a single textbook.

Yeah, you thought your  university science textbooks aren’t cheap. But, woah! Maybe a second-hand copy of this may only cost slightly less than 4-large.

Now, before anyone tries to convince me that this tome holds scientific merits that warrant a $18/page price tag, or that my commentary is blatantly homophobic, or that I haven’t seen the film I’m referencing, or that Chemical Shifts and Coupling Constants for Si-29 might qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping… and yes the reviews are compelling, but…

Take a gander at “also bought” section (possibly NSFW).

• Real Men DVD
  
• Guys Gone Wild: Hunk Hotel DVD
  
• Naked Boys Singing DVD
• Love Life DVD ~ Stephen D. Gill
• The Pool DVD

Hey, I’m just saying… Amazon.com thinks your gay (or enjoy all-male erotica) if you spend over $8500 on a physical chemistry text.

Hattip: In the Pipeline

(It’s when I post something like this I don’t wonder why work requested I remove my hyperlink from my internal employee profile)

Tiffany Day – two weeks late

Tiffany Day was January 6.

I’m sure she’ll be relieved to know (Although, St Tiffany was a guy, and his feast day was November 24)

Tiffany totally forgot to mention any of this when she was interviewed last Thursday’s Eve. Disappointed…

In her interview Tiffany confesses her thirst for blood, blames her father and wonders why anyone is interested in her at all.

To predict your next question – Tiffany is an astronomy student, Macquarie skeptic and contributor to the popular The Skeptic Zone podcast (and also a judo Olympian from Queensland. aha! Google has betrayed your secrets to me). She’s even available on a T-shirt. And hopefully she doesn’t find this blog post in any way disturbing.

Fun fact: Tiffany can either mean “manifestation of God”  from Greek, or “thin veil” or “gauze” in Old Middle English. Thanks, internets.

A month of Mondays

It’s that time of year again…

A meme I can live with

Happy New Year.

Here is hoping that 2009 can get its shit sorted out straight this time.

Let’s see where we are now with this meme. Props to GrrlScientist.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band – choirs count, right?
4. Visited Hawaii - so do airports?
   
5. *Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - I’ve done it on a bus
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. *Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. *Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors – My ancestors are from miscellaneous … I guess I haven’t been to Germany yet though
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - satisfaction from money alone?
38. *Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing — indoor, outdoor, with and without ropes
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant – I’ve shared my food with strangers at bars
44. *Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. *Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. *Kissed in the rain – only once we got inside
53. Played in the mud – I’m a boy, I probably ate it too
54. *Gone to a drive-in theater
55. *Been in a movie
56. *Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. *Taken a martial arts class
59. *Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen – Meals on Wheels…
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. *Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy – my family hoards
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades – wasn’t an organised tour, actually, I think we were lost
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. *Broken a bone — I am invincible
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. *Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. *Published a book – *sigh* someday, maybe
81. Visited the Vatican
82. *Bought a brand new car
83. *Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper – Oh, the shattered dreams of Idol 2007
85. Read the entire Bible – I’ve read Genesis and Revelations and large chunks of everything in between.
86. Visited the White House
87. *Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. *Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. *Ridden an elephant – camels, yes

Same as hers, I’ve asterixed the wants.