Monthly Archives: March 2013

Links 3/28/13

Posted on March 28, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: The Senate does something right Cliff Swallows Evolve Shorter Wings Near Highways Now, Voyager How laziness and a lack of #scicomm undermines the #openaccess movement Other: Where’s all the hippie punching? (absolute must-read) Ezra Klein’s Biggest … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 3/28/13

Input and Output…

Posted on March 28, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

…elephant style. Daily input: Daily output: (observed at the National Zoo) That’s a lot of output.

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Hospital Infection and Profit

Posted on March 28, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

No, this is not the name of a new microbiology journal. Instead, it is one reason why hospital-acquired infections (‘HAI’) in the U.S., compared to many other countries, have not decreased. According to a Clostridium difficile (‘C diff’) expert at … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, CDC, Public Health | 2 Comments

Links 3/27/13

Posted on March 27, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Senate Delivers a Devastating Blow to the Integrity of the Scientific Process at the National Science Foundation (first they came for the political scientists?) Watch these giant deep-sea isopods go about their day (awesome video) Natural … Continue reading →

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A Question About the HeLa Genome and Privacy

Posted on March 27, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Since I’m putatively on vacation, this will be a quick hit, and I’ll admit up front I haven’t been following all of the back and forth. It seems to me the controversy about the release of the HeLa genome without … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Human Decency, Genomics | 3 Comments

When Carbapenem Resistance Is Sneaky

Posted on March 27, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Because what we really need are more ways to have carbapenem resistant enterobacteriaceae (‘CRE’), which are bacteria resistant to all penicillin derivatives–and almost always resistant to just about every other antibiotic. While the two ‘famous’ types of carbapenem resistance genes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, KPC, NDM-1, VIM | Comments Off on When Carbapenem Resistance Is Sneaky

Links 3/26/13

Posted on March 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Do Uninteresting Papers Really Need Peer Review? Failure to Replicate NIH: Parental leave longer than 3 months is a “life choice,” doesn’t count as “real” maternal leave (Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.) So noob, you put in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 3/26/13

Tragic Influenza-Related Factoid of the Day

Posted on March 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

From the Boston Globe (boldface mine): Roughly 100 children die in an average flu season. One exception was the swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010, when 348 children died. The CDC recommends that all children ages 6 months and older be … Continue reading →

Posted in Influenza, Public Health, Vaccination | 1 Comment

Yes, the Patent System Is Broken: The Human Genomics Edition

Posted on March 26, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

From Genome Medicine (boldface mine; open access): The scope and eligibility of patents for genetic sequences have been debated for decades, but a critical case regarding gene patents (Association of Molecular Pathologists v. Myriad Genetics) is now reaching the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Genomics | 5 Comments

Links 3/25/13

Posted on March 25, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Researchers Publish Improved Neanderthal Genome Who Lives Longest? Seeking Profit for Taxpayers in Potential of New Drug Analysis: Antibiotics crisis prompts rethink on risks, rewards Other: A controversial mural depicts an unequal city Shrugging off Atlas: … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 3/25/13