Delicious LiveJournal Links for 3-14-2009
Mar. 14th, 2009 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrewducker-
In the heart of the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan the Darvaza Gas Crater or The Burning Gates give off a glow that can be seen from miles away during the dark night. The large crater is a result of a Soviet gas exploration accident in the 1950â™s. It was created when a Soviet drilling rig was drilling for natural gas fell into an underground cavern resulting in a crater which today measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. The huge crater was set alight shortly after being discovered and has been burning ever sinse. The smell of burning sulfur can be detected from a distance and becomes quite strong as you near the hot edge of the crater.
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More research needed, obviously. Interesting though.
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You have always wanted to her the digits of Pi sung beautifully in harmony, haven't you? Thought so.
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A storm in a font.
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Damned if you do, damned if you don't...
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Just to give you a sense of scale
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 10:58 pm (UTC)How are they measuring improvement? Expectation of a postive effect could be what they are measuring rather then a positive effect...
Also a researcher building an "I was initially skeptical but" strawman... Hmmmm not usually a good sign...
no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-15 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-16 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 11:18 pm (UTC)"Before rushing out and demanding HBOT from your doctor or buying your own HBOT system, be aware that this is ONE short term, unreplicated research study conducted by a person who has staked much of his reputation on the effectiveness of HBOT. Consider:
* Dr. Rossignol is "the" proponent of HBOT, and has been speaking at conferences all over the world in support of the treatment. Clearly, he has a personal and professional stake in seeing that the outcomes of a research study are positive.
* The present study was funded by the International Hyperbarics Association, a trade group of private hyperbaric therapy centers. Clearly, they have a similar stake in seeing positive outcomes.
* The present study lasted for only four weeks, while HBOT treatments usually last much longer. It's not clear whether there are consistent or long term gains at all.
* Granted that HBOT is surely safer than some alternative treatments, it is not without risk.
* It is unclear why and how HBOT would make a difference for children with autism. The theory is that the system reduces inflammation in the brain - but that theory is controversial and unproven.
* Home HBOT systems are not the same as hospital systems, and using such a system outside of a medical setting may be useless or even potentially dangerous.
* No insurance company will cover the very high cost of HBOT for autism, as it is considered an experimental and unproven therapy.
Could HBOT actually be a useful tool for treating autism? It's absolutely possible. But until Dr. Rossignol's work has been replicated by researchers with no personal stake, with funding that comes from a neutral source, I'd recommend extreme care in getting involved with the treatment. Certainly, if you're choosing between funding a well-researched therapy versus trying out HBOT, I'd stick with the tried and true."
no subject
Date: 2009-03-15 09:33 pm (UTC)