Kidney Punch

Totally Underwhelming

John Pickering • Jul 25, 2013

• grants,
• National Science Challenges

What do you get when you cross dozens of New Zealand’s best scientists with a myriad of Ministry officials?  The answer is the underwhelming reports from the 10 June workshops of the National Science Challenges. If every there was need for proof that science by committee does not work, here it is.  Each report consists … Continue reading » … Read More

Prostate cancer and omega 3

John Pickering • Jul 12, 2013

• $100Dialysis,
• cancer,
• Fatty acids,
• omega 3,
• Phospholipids,
• Prostate Cancer,
• Supplements

The media is in a feeding frenzy with reports of a link between Omega 3 and Prostate Cancer.  Here’s a sample: Link Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk Confirmed (Science Daily) Omega-3 supplements ‘could raise prostate cancer risk’ (Telegraph) Omega-3 supplements linked to prostate cancer (Fox) Omega 3 could increase cancer risk … Continue reading » … Read More

The legend of Chris Martin: Part II

John Pickering • Jul 11, 2013

• Average,
• Chris Martin,
• cricinfo,
• Cricket,
• ESPN CricInfo,
• Fun,
• Mann-Whitney,
• Mean,
• Median,
• statistics

Chris Martin was Not-out a remarkable 50% of the time.  That is, 52 times out of 104 innings.  Is this a record?  I don’t know an answer, so I sent off an email to the gurus at Cricinfo to see if they do.  Michael Jones replied that “Yes it is” for batsman with over 100 … Continue reading » … Read More

Nelson Mandela is on dialysis

John Pickering • Jul 06, 2013

• $100Dialysis,
• Acute Kidney Injury,
• Dialysis,
• Kidney Attack,
• my work,
• Nelson Mandela

CNN is reporting Nelson Mandela is on dialysis. http://t.co/HZTIlmGrtO.  This means he is suffering from Acute Kidney Injury, the disease I study.  Having to have dialysis is very serious. Unfortunately, survival rates are only about 50% by this stage, less in the very elderly.  Dialysis is not a treatment, merely a support for the kidney to … Continue reading » … Read More

The legend of Chris Martin: Part I

John Pickering • Jul 05, 2013

• $100Dialysis,
• batting,
• Chris Martin,
• cricinfo,
• Cricket,
• ESPN CricInfo,
• graphs,
• statistics

His innings may be over, but the legend lives on.  Chris Martin retired this week from international cricket. He was a legend with ball and he was a legend with bat, for quite different reasons.  His Test batting average of 2.36 was the worst ever of any international cricketer who batted in more than 15 … Continue reading » … Read More

Open letter for a professional association regarding impact factors

John Pickering • Jul 03, 2013

• impact factors,
• Nephrology,
• Professional Association

Dr John Pickering Department of Medicine University of Otago Christchurch Christchurch New Zealand Dr Peter Kerr Editor Nephrology Journal of the Asia Pacific Society of Nephrology 3 July 2013 Re:  Open letter regarding the Nephrology journal’s use of impact factors Dear Dr Kerr As an occasional referee for Nephrology and member of the ANZSN affiliated … Continue reading » … Read More

Too little pee

John Pickering • Jun 26, 2013

• $100Dialysis,
• Acute Kidney Injury,
• Acute Renal Failure,
• AKI,
• Fluids,
• Intensive Care,
• kidney,
• Kidney Attack,
• my work,
• Urine

This week’s post is really about the coloured stuff & why too little of it is dangerous.  Note, I say coloured stuff because it aint just yellow – check out this herald article if you don’t believe me (or just admire this beautiful photo). Story time A long time ago, when Greeks wore togas, and … Continue reading » … Read More

Significantly p’d

John Pickering • Jun 20, 2013

• $100Dialysis,
• Health,
• Keeping it simple,
• medicine,
• P,
• RCT,
• significance,
• statistics,
• trials

I may be a pee scientist, but today is brought to you by the letter “P” not the product.  “P” is something all journalists, all lay readers of science articles, teachers, medical practitioners, and all scientists should know about.  Alas, in my experience many don’t and as a consequence “P” is abused. Hence this post.  … Continue reading » … Read More

Science New Zealand

John Pickering • Jun 15, 2013

• Flipboard,
• media,
• New Zealand

I’ve started a new Flipboard magazine called “Science New Zealand.”  Does anyone want to be a co-curator so we can collect news & commentary about NZ science & scientists in one place? See http://flip.it/6v48t Tagged: Flipboard, media, New Zealand, Science … Read More

A more complete equation

John Pickering • Jun 10, 2013

• Abortion,
• Economics,
• fluoridation,
• folic acid,
• politics,
• Public Health,
• vaccination

  Lots of chat from fellow science bloggers (see here, here, here and here) about fluoridation following the recent Hamilton City Council decision. Naturally most of the posts focus on the science and the logic (or otherwise) of the arguments around fluoridation.  I have no knowledge about fluoridation per se and have nothing to add to the science. … Continue reading » … Read More