Costco Weight-Loss Program: Omission of Critical Data Puts Patients at (Financial) Risk
This week, the world learned that Costco Wholesale would start selling Novo Nordisk ' s newest, but vastly overpriced GLP-1 inhibitor medicine known generically as semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic and Rybelsus for Type 2 diabetes, and under the brand name of Wegovy for weight-loss for those with obesity without Type 2 diabetes). We learned of the Costco GLP-1 initiative from a press release from Costco ' s strategic partner known as Sesamehttps://sesamecare.com/ which is the entity which will connect patients with its network of thousands of outpatient healthcare providers nationwide who are more than w...
Source: Scott's Web Log - April 3, 2024 Category: Endocrinology Tags: 2024 biosimilars Costco GLP-1 inhibitor liraglutide semaglutide Sesame Source Type: blogs
In Other Words: What Being Unionized Means for Molecules
Did you know that molecules can be unionized? But it doesn’t mean they form a labor union. In chemistry, unionized (pronounced “un-ionized”) is the opposite of ionized, which means “electrically charged.”
Credit: NIGMS.
Unionized molecules don’t have electrical charges because they have the same number of electrons and protons. Ionized molecules, also called ions, become charged by gaining or losing electrons. Ions with extra electrons, known as anions, have a negative charge. Ions with fewer electrons than normal, called cations, have a positive charge.
Unionization’s Impacts
A molecule’s c...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - April 3, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques In Other Words Source Type: blogs
The Complex Interplay Between Intellectual Property and the Right to Science
Peter K. Yu (Texas A&M University), The Complex Interplay Between Intellectual Property and the Right to Science, 104 B.U. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2024): In April 2020, the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights released General Comment No. 25,... (Source: HealthLawProf Blog)
Source: HealthLawProf Blog - April 2, 2024 Category: Medical Law Authors: Katharine Van Tassel Source Type: blogs
Interview with Stefany Shaheen: Revolutionizing diabetes care through cell therapies
I had the extraordinary opportunity to chat with Stefany Shaheen, the Chief Strategy Officer of Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) and BioFab USA, about the transformative potential of cell therapies for individuals living with diabetes. Stefany shared her remarkable journey, insights on cell therapies’ current status, approval challenges, and how the diabetes community can contribute to advancing research in this field.
A few months before this discussion with Stefany, I had the opportunity to hear Dean Kamen speak at the recent ...
Source: Scott's Diabetes Blog - April 1, 2024 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Scott K. Johnson Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
The Best Beauty Advice From Science You Will Get Today (M)
Study tested the effects of poor sleep on two consecutive nights. (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - March 31, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Attractiveness Social psychology subscribers-only Source Type: blogs
More Fenland birding
Having spent a couple of evenings watching Starling murmurations with hundreds of thousands of birds, it was time to seek out some Aves in smaller numbers. I had a quick look in at RSPB Ouse Fen (Earith) as it was bright and sunny on Saturday morning. I was hoping to that there would be a chance that the Cranes would be showing. They weren’t but there was a Great White Egret, as ever, and a Chinese Water Deer, I had only fleeting, distant views of a solitary Marsh Harrier. I headed out to Chain Corner to check on the Whooper Swans, a few on the water and one that flew right over me.
Next on to a patch of flooded far...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - March 31, 2024 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Birds Source Type: blogs
The Long and Tortured History of Alpha-Synuclein and Parkinson ’s Disease
This study tracks the decades-long journey to harness alpha-synuclein as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Steven Zecola an activist who tracks Parkinson’s research and was on THCB last month discussing it, offers three key changes needed to overcome the underlying challenges.
A Quick Start for Alpha-Synuclein R&D
In the mid-1990’s, Parkinson’s patient advocacy groups had become impatient by the absence of any major therapeutic advances in the 25 years since L-dopa had been approved for Parkinson’s disease (PD).
The Director of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) se...
Source: The Health Care Blog - March 29, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy Medical Practice Parkinson's Disease Steven Zecola Source Type: blogs
SuRE R16 Program Funding Announcements and Upcoming Webinar
We’re pleased to announce that two funding opportunities for the Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) program have been reissued.
SuRE awards support investigator-initiated research projects in NIH mission areas and are open to faculty at institutions that award bachelor and/or graduate science degrees, receive limited NIH research support, and either serve a substantial number of students supported by Pell grants or are historically Black colleges and universities or Tribal colleges and universities. Faculty investigators who aren’t currently program directors/principal investigators (PD/PIs) of an active NIH res...
Source: NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 28, 2024 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Matt Mills Tags: Funding Opportunities Training/Fellowships/Career Development Preparing an Application Webinars Source Type: blogs
Investigating the Primary Cilium: Q & A With Xuecai Ge
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Xuecai Ge.
The brain is a large and complex organ, but some very small structures guide its development. Xuecai Ge, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), has devoted her career to understanding one of these structures called the primary cilium. In an interview, Dr. Ge shared how her childhood experience inspired her to study science and what makes the primary cilium fascinating.
Q: How did you first become interested in science?
A: When I was a little kid, my mom was a primary care doctor, and I saw her treat patients...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 27, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Cellular Processes Profiles Source Type: blogs
Upgrading your photographic workflow
Back in February, DxO sent me a beta version of their PureRaw4 software to test drive ahead of the official launch in March. So, having used version 3 for years, I was keen to incorporate the upgrade into my workflow. I’ve pushed it to the limit with a high-speed, low-light photo of a Mute Swan landing on a lake. This is the final result, below you can read how I got there from a very noisy RAW file straight out of the camera.
This is the final denoised and processed image – Mute Swan Landing
The bottom line is that PureRaw4 does an excellent job of basically knocking out noise to the equivalent of about three ...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - March 26, 2024 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Photography Source Type: blogs
Medical Economics
Sorry for missing a couple of days, been bizzy. Anyway, to continue with our trashing of the " discipline " of economics (which is actually more a branch of theology than a science),it should be obvious that Medicine exists in a world even
less like Economics 101 than most industries. To begin with, while our basic
needs for food, clothing and shelter are predictable and roughly similar for
everyone, our need for medical services is largely unpredictable, and it varies
radically from person to person and time to time. Some people go for decades
without really needing any at all, although there are some preventive measures
...
Source: Stayin' Alive - March 23, 2024 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Decoding the Mind: Basic Science Revolutionizes Treatment of Mental Illnesses
In this Director ’s Message guest authored by the Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, learn about NIMH's investments in basic neuroscience, genetics, and behavioral research that have helped improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses. (Source: NIMH Directors Blog)
Source: NIMH Directors Blog - March 21, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Authors: National Institute of Mental Health Source Type: blogs
What Is the Microbiome?
Have you ever noticed a skin care product advertised as “microbiome friendly” and wondered what that meant? The microbiome is the collection of all the microbes—including bacteria, viruses, and fungi—that live in a specific environment, such as on the skin or in the digestive tract.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterial species commonly found in the human intestine. While some strains of E. coli cause foodborne illness, others are helpful members of the gut microbiome.Credit: Mark Ellisman and Thomas Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California, San Diego.
It’s ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 20, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Cells Common questions Microbes Microbiome Source Type: blogs
Orange Tip – Anthocharis cardamines
I saw my first Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines) of 2024 on 17th March in Cottenham patrolling a roadside verge (Broad Lane).
Archive photo of male Orange Tip on Cuckoo Flower
This was the first report for Cambridgeshire and Essex butterflies this year, apparently. I have to admit I’ve not kept a personal record of first sightings of this species, but the Cambs & Essex page does, so I can give you a list of previous years.
4 Apr 23, 24 Mar 22, 30 Mar 21, 26 Mar 20, 28 Mar 19, 17 Apr 18, 28 Mar 17, 8 Apr 16, 8 Apr 15, 24 Mar 14, 25 Apr 13, 26 Mar 12, 24 Mar 11, 11 Apr 10, 5 Apr 09, 21 Apr 08, 12 Apr 07.
So, it l...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - March 19, 2024 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Lepidoptera Source Type: blogs
The Psychological Reason Behind Why Waiting Feels Like Torture (M)
From the DMV to the doctor's office, waiting can drive us crazy—but why? Science finally has the answer. (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - March 18, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Social psychology subscribers-only Source Type: blogs
