BMJ Christmas Edition

December 19, 2012 3:59 AM

Every year the British Medical Journal publishes a special Christmas edition.

• Why Rudolph’s nose is red: observational study
• The tooth fairy and malpractice
• Pain over speed bumps in diagnosis of acute appendicitis: diagnostic accuracy study
• Nutritional content of supermarket ready meals and recipes by television chefs in the United Kingdom: cross sectional study
• Case report of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
• Using a dog’s superior olfactory sensitivity to identify Clostridium difficile in stools and patients: proof of principle study
• Mortality in former Olympic athletes: retrospective cohort analysis
• A shaggy dog story

Previously.

posted by alby (16 comments total)

I like Cliff the diarrhea-sniffing beagle.
posted by pracowity at 4:43 AM on December 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

The scent dog angle is very cool. There was some research I read some years ago about cancer sniffing dogs which was described as promising for an early screen for some form of cancer. I guess the problem with it is that you'd need a whole lot of very well trained dogs in order for the technique to make it into the standard protocols.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:59 AM on December 19, 2012

I wonder if my dog would think I was strange if I made him start sniffing my poops (number 6)? He'd be like "hey what the hell? Yeah I know I like to do this but not as a job." Hahaha, I'm tired.
posted by Napierzaza at 5:00 AM on December 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

Conclusions Among former Olympic athletes, engagement in disciplines with high intensity exercise did not bring a survival benefit compared with disciplines with low intensity exercise. Those who engaged in disciplines with high levels of physical contact had higher mortality than other Olympians later in life.

This appears to confirm that, although you can increase your health and longevity by getting off the couch and being more active, it does not further benefit you to be a marathon runner.

Also, contact sports will kill you.
posted by vacapinta at 5:07 AM on December 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

I want to get a retired drug-sniffing dog to help me find dope, though maybe an actual monkey on my back would be more appropriate; it starts chattering and I know I've found the right people at the party. "Hey, dudes. Have you met my pal Spliffy? Spliffy says I'm in exactly the right place tonight."
posted by pracowity at 5:13 AM on December 19, 2012

I'm....confused what poo-sniffing dogs have to do with Christmas as such.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:45 AM on December 19, 2012

I wonder if my dog would think I was strange if I made him start sniffing my poops (number 6)?

If poops are your number six, I hope you seen a doctor about whatever 2-5 accounts for.
posted by biffa at 5:57 AM on December 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Type 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool
posted by pracowity at 6:00 AM on December 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Hey, dudes. Have you met my pal Spliffy?

Why isn't Spliffy The Weed Monkey already a comic book?
posted by eriko at 6:01 AM on December 19, 2012

I'm....confused what poo-sniffing dogs have to do with Christmas as such.

You've never heard the story of how Cliff the beagle helped Santa prevent mid-flight disaster by identifying two sick reindeer?

"There's Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen...
But Comet and Cupid are down with the shits, and
Our Rudolph can't possibly make up the load.
Let's hitch up the Bumble and all hit the road!"
Then they soared out of sight like a child-snatching eagle
All thanks to the nose of Cliff, Poo-Sniffing Beagle!

posted by pracowity at 6:22 AM on December 19, 2012 [5 favorites]

vacapinta: "Conclusions Among former Olympic athletes, engagement in disciplines with high intensity exercise did not bring a survival benefit compared with disciplines with low intensity exercise. Those who engaged in disciplines with high levels of physical contact had higher mortality than other Olympians later in life.

This appears to confirm that, although you can increase your health and longevity by getting off the couch and being more active, it does not further benefit you to be a marathon runner.."

hmm so you're saying moderation is important? who would have thought.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 6:26 AM on December 19, 2012

Five healthy volunteers (four men and one woman, mean age 30 (SD 8) years), of which one was exposed to a cocaine challenge to test vascular reactivity of the nasal mucosa,

One side benefit is that the "cocaine challenge" ensures repeat volunteers for the studies. They're really passionate about doing studies - but they can stop anytime they want! It's just that they don't want to right now.
posted by wolfdreams01 at 6:46 AM on December 19, 2012

I love the British serious magazine tradition of having a "let's let our hair down" Christmas special edition. it's usually a mix of the silly, the whimsical and the serious but obscure/dorky/left field that wouldn't make it into the magazine at any other time of year. the Economist Christmas double issue every year is a great example
posted by Bwithh at 8:07 AM on December 19, 2012

There was some research I read some years ago about cancer sniffing dogs

Already in use at the VUMC hospital in Amsterdam and a very nice doggie it was too, though you really don't want it to come over to you as that may just be the cancer he's greeting...
posted by MartinWisse at 8:29 AM on December 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Linked on the BMJ page - This is some study!

Muscular strength in male adolescents and premature death - "Participants 1 142 599 Swedish male adolescents aged 16-19 years were followed over a period of 24 years."
posted by marienbad at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Successful solo artists are twice as likely to die early compared to those in bands according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open reports.

The study looked at the careers of 1,400 European and North American rock and pop stars who were famous between 1956 and 2006 and found that the chances the chances of a European solo artist dying young was one in 10 - it was double that for American solo artists at one in five.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:42 AM on December 20, 2012 [1 favorite]