#The Medicity institute

[reasonsforhope]

"The Biden Administration last week [early December, 2023] announced it would be seizing patents for drugs and drug manufacturing procedures developed using government money.

A draft of the new law, seen by Reuters, said that the government will consider various factors including whether a medical situation is leading to increased prices of the drug at any given time, or whether only a small section of Americans can afford it.

The new executive order is the first exercise in what is called “march-in-rights” which allows relevant government agencies to redistribute patents if they were generated under government funding. The NIH has long maintained march-in-rights, but previous directors have been unwilling to use them, fearing consequences.

“We’ll make it clear that when drug companies won’t sell taxpayer funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,” White House adviser Lael Brainard said on a press call.

But just how much taxpayer money is going toward funding drugs? A research paper from the Insitute for New Economic Thought showed that “NIH funding contributed to research associated with every new drug approved from 2010-2019, totaling $230 billion.”

The authors of the paper continue, writing “NIH funding also produced 22 thousand patents, which provided marketing exclusivity for 27 (8.6%) of the drugs approved [between] 2010-2019.”

How we do drug discovery and production in America has a number of fundamental flaws that have created problems in the health service industry.

It costs billions of dollars and sometimes as many as 5 to 10 years to bring a drug to market in the US, which means that only companies with massive financial muscle can do so with any regularity, and that smaller, more innovative companies can’t compete with these pharma giants.

This also means that if a company can’t recoup that loss, a single failed drug can result in massive disruptions to business. To protect themselves, pharmaceutical companies establish piles of patents on drugs and drug manufacturing procedures. Especially if the drug in question treats a rare or obscure disease, these patents essentially ensure the company has monoselective pricing regimes.

However, if a company can convince the NIH that a particular drug should be considered a public health priority, they can be almost entirely funded by the government, as the research paper showed.

Some market participants, in this case the famous billionaire investor Mark Cuban, have attempted to remedy the issue of drug costs in America by manufacturing generic versions of patented drugs sold for common diseases."

-via Good News Network, December 11, 2023

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

*tries to organize my thoughts*

*remembers i'm not in school and therefore beholden to neither heaven nor hell nor any man's grading system*

*joyously shredding & tossing all my carefully arranged 3x5 mental notecards into the air like so much beige confetti. raising my arms in victory, cheering raucously until i accidentally inhale bits of homemade confetti*

(*coughing up itty bits of paper like a cat evicting a hairball with a firm understanding of tenants' rights*) wait wat happens next

[enbycrip]

The Cass Report demonstrates a truly ridiculous ignorance of literally *anything* to do with not only trans lives, but basic medical treatment protocols.

You *cannot* do double-blind tests where an intervention very clearly has distinct observable effects. Medicine also frequently does not do double-blind tests when doing so would be a) basically impossible, and b) inhumane. It’s particularly common to measure efficacy of an intervention by follow-up and statistical analysis where children and young people are concerned because experimenting on kids is so fucking unethical.

The report is treating reports following established medical protocols as though they are some kind of pseudoscience. Literally the only reasons for this are either a) an ignorance of basic medical and research procedures so profound as to show an utter unsuitability to be involved in reporting on anything to do with healthcare or b) blatant disingenuousness to find an excuse to discard the results they don’t want to acknowledge. Which also renders them deeply unsuitable to report on anything to do with healthcare.

They have used to existence of nonbinary people as an excuse to deny under-25s transition care, treating our entire identity as some sort of adolescent identity crisis. As a 40-year old nonbinary person, I can only say how *utterly* this betrays a profound ignorance of trans culture and identity and/or a commitment to patriarchal and colonial gender norms so profound they are utterly unwilling to dive into the easily-available evidence of adults all over the world with nonbibary identities today, and the anthropological and historical evidence of cultures all over the world with an understanding of gender outside the binary.

And the recommendation that transition should be forbidden to people with mental illness or neurodivergence only betrays how deeply and profoundly transphobia is entwined with disableism. There is a line which literally says “transition did not affect manifestation of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder”. As if this was remotely relevant to anything other than pathologising both transness and neurodivergence.

It of course also attempts to ignore the reality that millions of British adults are seeking neurodivergence diagnoses through the NHS and being turned down or stuck on waiting lists that can easily be *seven* years long.

I am sick with fury and fear, and trying to mute my own reactions because I have a dissertation draft due in tomorrow I *need* to work on.

[pilot-doodles]

"The Doctor will see you now"

Recently, This old post of mine has more traction than usual. It made me want to retry that drawing. a lot has changed!

once again for @ribs-grow-back

[the-magpie-archives]

Like many of you, I am fascinated with the state of Jonathan Sims head archivist of the magnus institute London... In particular, his ribs! Many focus only on his missing two, but there are many more things to consider!

Jon's a fragile guy, I mean it's pretty much his whole canon appearance! For a man like him to be thrown around like a ragdoll for pretty much his entire time as archivist, he'd certainly have suffered more than a few broken ribs!

To contribute even more to the damage, after the unknowing, Jon was found with no pulse and not breathing, meaning he would have undergone CPR for at least 20 minutes. And trust me, THAT BREAKS RIBS.

Aside from bones, I can't imagine Jon's lungs are in the best state either. He's a long time smoker, was exposed to dangerous amounts of CO2, and survived a massive explosion followed by a collapsing building. Needless to say, these sort of things make it hard to keep lungs healthy!

Despite all the pain and horror, I like to think that Jon managed to stay looking at least relatively put together, so picture this:

A polite, slightly awkward office worker comes into your clinic. You decide that to diagnose properly, you'll need to do a chest X-ray! He's distracted, but readily agrees. After the brief wait, you get the images back, and see THE MOST FUCKED UP CHEST YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. A horrifying amount of healed fractures, warped and re-broken; two ribs are just straight up gone, both lungs scarred beyond survivability, and somehow this guy is just sitting there. Alive, as far as you can tell.

The man remains composed, and smiles politely as you stare at the X-rays, and you begin to think that maybe those aren't acne scars across his face.

[sillylittlejelly]

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒅𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅

[whumpandothercomfort]

The training companies that break unruly pets do sometimes run into pets that seem "unbreakable." Pets that drain a lot more time and energy than the company will make back. These pets are often sold unbroken to particularly sadistic owners, people who want their pets to fight back.

When they don't attract an individual's attention, though, they're typically sold to companies that work on scientific and medical advancements.

[insignificant457]

You ever think about how painfully awkward the ride home from the Institute must have been for the Augustus family?

I get the vibe that Darrow declaring his allegiance at the closing ceremony was kind of a rarity, so I assume everyone went home with their families for at least a little bit before they were offered jobs and positions in other houses.

And obviously I know this isn’t how it went down but in my head its just Augustus, mustang, the jackal, and Darrow in a car together. Augustus makes mustang and the jackal sit in the back so Darrow can have shotgun. The jackal keeps glaring daggers at mustang but she’s looking resolutely out the window pretending he’s not there. The silence is oppressive. Darrow tries to turn the radio on but Augustus slaps his hand away. Adrius asks if they can stop by the hospital to get his hand checked out but Augustus ignores him. Hospitals are for winners, he says. Darrow wants to die.

[uncanny-tranny]

I find that using more neutral language such as "people who menstrate" isn't just inclusive of trans people who fit the prerequisite condition, but also cis people. Saying something like "only women menstrate" ignores that many people start menstruating well before they are socially and legally recognized as adults. And obviously, this goes beyond menstruation; it includes pregnancy, certain cancers, and these things aren't barred by gender or (necessarily) sex assigned at birth. Neutral language for all bodies benefits trans people, intersex people, and cis people (younger and older) alike.

[obsessedbyneon]

Howard Hughes Medical Institute interior landscape, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Scan

[anomalymon]

My take on the systempunk thing is it really feels like this

Fakeclaimers: You need medical proof to prove your existence to me! Endogenics: The field of psychology is ableist towards systems which means a lot of it is under-researched, and an experience shouldn't require medical proof to be valid. Fakeclaimers: Psychology is everything, this is an institution we support. Endogenics: *Start to get a lot more medical backing and studies coming out during the 20s* Fakeclaimers: Actually the field of psychology is ableist towards systems, we don't support that institution, #systempunk

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

You might assume that Dr. Anthony Fauci, after 54 years working at the National Institutes of Health and helping save countless lives, has retired so he can rest. However, Dr. Fauci doesn’t have time to retire.

Last month, Fauci joined Georgetown University School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases as a Distinguished Professor. He was also appointed to the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

“I’ve also been busy lecturing and writing my memoir, and since I’ve been out of the NIH for seven months, I’m not following the ins and outs of the government, but I am paying attention to what’s going on with PEPFAR,” he tells me.

PEPFAR is the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was signed into law 20 years ago this summer by President George W. Bush. It serves as a conduit to providing HIV medications to individuals in impoverished nations who would otherwise lack access to these drugs.

When I spoke to Fauci a couple years ago on the 40th anniversary of the discovery of HIV, he cited the opportunity to be the architect of the program as one of his greatest achievements. "It is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history," he told me. "It's been an honor to help lead this. I really value my participation in this program that has already saved 15-18 million (in 2021) lives around the world."

“PEPFAR impact has been truly remarkable,” Fauci told me during our phone call Friday evening. "It is one of this country’s greatest global health policies in history. It’s been a resounding success, and has saved at least 25 million lives worldwide and it provides antiretroviral treatments for over 20 million people worldwide.”

However, groundless claims from anti-abortion activists have put the program in jeopardy. Conservative and anti-abortion groups sent a letter to Republicans in Congress who are responsible for PEPFAR’s reauthorization. The letter said that PEPFAR funds are “used by nongovernmental organizations that promote abortions and push a radical gender ideology abroad.” They provided no evidence to back their claim.

Also, the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation released a report that said Congress needs to “reassess” PEPFAR. The report claimed, “The Biden Administration has misused the program as a well-funded vehicle to promote its domestic radical social agenda overseas, as it has done with other foreign aid programs.” This so-called report also did not provide any proof.

As a result, Republicans in Congress are threatening not to reauthorize the program.

“The idea that this program would be interrupted, despite its overwhelming success, is unfortunate,” Fauci said. “There’s a real danger to associate the program with cultural issues as opposed to scientific ones that clearly show PEPFAR is saving lives.”

“It seems paradoxical that abortion rights groups who fight for life want to interfere with a program that has saved millions of lives,” Fauci pointed out. “If the program doesn’t function, lives aren’t saved, millions of them.”

Instead of castigating the program, shouldn't these groups, as well as all Americans, be celebrating the 20th anniversary of this milestone? “What’s ironic is that it was signed into law by a conservative Republican President, and it is without question George W. Bush’s greatest achievement. It took years to put together, in a bipartisan way, and it is one of the world’s signature global health initiatives. The thought of it not being authorized is not only dangerous, but disastrous.”

[snapcracklepop-myjoints]

ACAB in bio but when disabled people complain about doctors they say the issue isnt ableism in the medical field, its that disabled people are stupid and refuse to listen to doctors. well i think youre AB.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Hello! What happens biologically (anatomically) when a gallifreyan (time lord?) Is partially shot by a dalek?

(For clarity: what happened internally/biologically to the doctor when he was shot by a dalek in The Stolen Earth?)

What happens anatomically when a Gallifreyan/Time Lord is partially shot by a Dalek?

Ah, emergency medicine! My speciality! Thank you!

All Dalek shots will differ in their nature - different weapons, different ways to get shot, different places to get shot - so that has to be on a case-by-case basis, but we can definitely take a look at the specific example mentioned.

It's a little unclear exactly where the path of the shot was, so for this it's assumed it coasts along the ribs and ends just under the sternum on a straight, constant angle.

💥 Entry Point and Initial Damage

The Dalek energy blast first made contact with the Doctor’s torso, glancing from the mid-low left costal region (around the 7th to 8th rib ... ish). Upon contact, the energy blast:

Burnt through the skin and subcutaneous tissues, cauterising the wound instantly and preventing external bleeding. This likely caused immediate necrosis and damage to nerve endings.

Fractured and maybe partially vaporised the ribs at the point of impact, creating a concussive shockwave that propagated through the thoracic cavity, which might have caused the ribs to fracture inwards and potentially puncture a lung.

🔥 Internal Penetration and Pathway

The blast then traversed along the chest, following a path just below the sternum (breastbone). The energy blast then:

Damaged the intercostal muscles and nerves, causing immediate breathing difficulties and partial paralysis of the chest wall muscles. Gallifreyans have a lot of biological getouts, but this would've restricted the Doctor's ability to breathe when his lung probably couldn't expand/contract properly.

May have slightly penetrated the lower lobe of the left lung, causing pulmonary contusions (bruising) and possible alveolar rupture or a pneumothorax (if the ribs didn't do it already), leading to compromised gas exchange and hypoxia.

❤️ Heart(s) and Circulatory System

The close proximity to the sternum means the blast was darn close to the Doctor’s hearts, possibly causing:

Acute pericardial effusion (fluid buildup around the hearts) due to the shockwave and thermal effects, leading to very fast cardiac tamponade (compression of the heart due to fluid build-up).

Potential contusion to the left heart, specifically the left ventricle, causing a decrease in cardiac output, leading to the disruption of electrical conductivity. That translates to irregular heartbeats at best. This could have been the reason why he collapsed and stayed down, because his blood pressure would've immediately gone through the floor.

🌡️ Shockwave and Secondary Effects

The energy blast created a shockwave that propelled merrily through the Doctor’s body, exacerbating internal damage through kinetic transfer, and resulting in:

Probable spinal shock, temporarily disrupting neural signals to the legs and resulting in partial loss of function and control of the lower limbs.

Maybe damage to the diaphragm, causing yet more breathing problems and possibly spasms when we weren't looking.

Microtears in blood vessels, leading to internal bleeding.

Extended damage to the abdominal organs: The shockwave may extend into the abdominal cavity, causing bruising or mild trauma to other internal organs.

⚡ Pain and Neural Response

Dalek weapons are notorious for inflicting maximum pain:

The energy discharge damages nerve endings, causing excruciating pain radiating from the point of impact.

The intense pain triggers a massive release of stress hormones (like adrenaline), which can cause symptoms such as sweating, increased hearts rate, and further difficulty breathing.

⚠️ Shock Response

Gallifreyans bodies are quite hardy, but Daleks have been shooting them for a while, now. The Doctor’s body would've attempted to compensate for the injury, but the extent of damage overwhelmed these mechanisms.

The Doctor likely went into a state of physical shock very, very quickly.

🏫 So ...

The combination of direct damage from the Dalek blast, secondary shockwave effects, and the resultant pain and physiological responses culminate in a pretty instant death, even though it was a 'nick'. All this of course is theoretical.

Related:

Anatomy of a Dalek: Detailed description of the parts of a Dalek and what they do.

Gallifreyan CPR: Guide for reviving a Gallifreyan in cardiac arrest.

Gallifreyan Assessment Scoring System (GASS): Guide for assessing vital signs.

ABCDE Assessment: Guide for quickly assessing and treating a sick Gallifreyan.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired😴

[endy-merimo]

a little thing again

he's just like me fr fr

still experimenting with design and animatics as a whole thing

[nickysfacts]

It’s important to remember how the Holocaust targeted many groups of people, with LGBTQ+ individuals being one of its first victims.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈