November 18, 2009
Written by: Dick Hanneman
There was an interesting story on the front page in the print edition of today's Wall Street Journal
with an eye-catching but gratuitously offensive and grossly inaccurate
headline: "Maybe Mummy Should Have Laid Off the Salt." We had to respond
:
There has been exactly one clinical
trial of the effect of low-salt diets on cardiovascular morality and
rehospitalization for congestive heart failure. That study confirmed
observational studies and showed conclusively that low salt diets produced greater mortality. See the article in Clinical Science, "Normal-sodium diet compared with
low-sodium diet in compensated congestive heart failure: is sodium an
old enemy or a new friend?
" It concludes: "The results of the present study show that a
normal-sodium diet improves outcome, and sodiumdepletion has
detrimental renal and neurohormonal effects with worse clinical
outcome...."
So, perhaps the mummy should have used more salt during life -- as well as the salts used in the mummification process.
It's headline writers like this that are responsible for newspapers coming in dead last in terms of consumer confidence
.
November 20, 2009
Written by: Brandon Borgna
Believe it or not, hopping on the "locavore" bandwagon isn't the most eco-friendly way to buy groceries. New research suggests that grocery retailers, not farmers markets, are the most energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial food source."Linear travel miles are not indicative...
November 20, 2009
Written by: Sarah Versaggi
As Americans nationwide gear up to give thanks at the holiday table, the Internet is bringing a cornucopia of opportunities to our communities and our lives. From unleashing job growth to keeping us connected and driving innovations that enhance health...
November 19, 2009
Written by: Brandon Borgna
Since 2000, the number of registered trucks on the road has increased by well over 1 million, yet federal statistics indicate that truck-involved crashes are at an all-time low. These industry-wide safety gains have caught the attention of state law...
November 16, 2009
Written by: Dick Hanneman
The Washington Post just released a story that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded that mammograms are unwise for younger women. Post reporter Rob Stein describes the USPSTF as "an influential federal task force" and "the federal panel that sets...
November 16, 2009
Written by: Brad Stotler
Intermodal freight movement has become all the rage since Warren Buffett's $26 billion investment in Burlington Northern Railroad, writes industry analyst John Schulz in a recent Gerson Lehrman Group report. "But how much freight, really, is going to be moved...
November 14, 2009
Written by: Dick Hanneman
William Grimes book Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York , reviews the City's rich ethnic heritage evolving out of humble beginnings as Nieuw Amsterdam. He cites the increasing popularity of "ethnic" dining as the City's greatest achievement as...
November 14, 2009
Written by: Dick Hanneman
Less than 2 years ago, China was paralyzed by a massive snowstorm resulting in $22 billion in economic losses, massive closures and disruption to transportation and travelers and significant loss of life and limb. News this week shows the wake-up...
November 13, 2009
Written by: Brandon Borgna
In the past year, Arizona, Georgia, Vermont and Virginia have all shuttered safety rest areas along their interstate highways to cope with budgetary shortfalls. While we often take safety rest areas for granted, people certainly take notice when they no...
November 10, 2009
Written by: Brad Stotler
The American Shipper Magazine reported on Nov. 9 that diesel particulate matter emissions at the Port of Los Angeles have decreased by 27 percent since 2005. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have measured port-related...