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The U.S. Court of Appeals just delivered another blow to a rather-clever-but-cunning play by Allergan, the pharmaceutical giant, to game the patent system.

A recent study was published estimating that killings of unarmed black Americans contribute to an excess of 55 million poor mental health days per year. Is this estimation accurate?

In science and health, we are often looking for results that are considered to be “statistically significant.” The golden rule is if the p-value is less than 0.05, then the result is statistically significant, or “publishable.” However, the interpretation and use of p-values is often misconstrued.
What is a p-value?

There is a fair amount of confusion about the terms "pharmaceutical fentanyl," "illicit fentanyl," and "fentanyl analogs." Read this and the confusion should go away. It is important to avoid inaccuracies here. Words can make a big difference. 

Rather than be critical of a study that produced unsurprising results, they can instead be leveraged to help address the problem. That can be done by family members using the findings to engage hospital personnel, in order to get their assistance in making sleep more of a priority for loved-ones under their care.

Some activists are claiming that a "cocktail" of harmless chemicals is somehow doing something greater than the individual harmless chemicals can. These people don't just deny chemistry, toxicology and biology. They deny simple arithmetic.

South African track star Caster Semenya is in the middle of a controversy that she had no part in making. Her testosterone levels are naturally very high, and the International Association of Athletics Federations won't let her run certain races unless she takes medication to lower her testosterone. Should she have to take performance detracting drugs?

America's birthday is also, tragically, its deadliest day. Here's why hospital emergency rooms staff up for that celebratory weekend every year. 

Antibacterial surfaces are one way that we are fighting back against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In one type of surface – naturally found on dragonfly wings – tiny pillars physically rip bacteria apart.

Lake Okeechobee, in South Florida, is being plagued by an enormous algae bloom. But what's causing the problem is not algae: it's a plant-like pathogen called cyanobacteria. Blooms from this type of bacteria are dangerous because they release a variety of deadly neurotoxins, which can kill humans and animals. 

The liquid 1-bromopropane, also known as n-propyl bromide, is colorless and slightly soluble in water. It also has a sweet odor and it quickly evaporates into the air when released to the environment. Meanwhile, it has a range of industrial uses.

Enrollment in the humanities is collapsing. Why? Probably because (1) there's a widespread belief that humanities degrees should be avoided; (2) the humanities generate too much nonsensical research; and (3) the humanities, and academia in general, are politically biased.

Simply removing "identifiers" from our data does not ensure privacy. We willingly give information through our phones and transactions, which can be used to re-identify our information.

Maintaining blood sugar within a normal range is part of the work of the pancreas – and humans with diabetes just do not do it as well. An advanced technology mimics the function of the pancreas far better and it's entering clinical trials. We are witnessing a tremendous advance in treatment.

Unless it's a strategic resource, like food, energy, or science, we're all for letting the free market find the best solution. If supplement hucksters can have an easier time in a dictatorship like China, this is one time we should have no problem letting communism win.

Aging at home rather than in a nursing home can be more satisfying for individuals and their family and may reduce the cost of care. But what to do when Mom and Dad are not at the top of their game? Passive monitoring will play an increasingly larger role. 

In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. That's a staggering number -- almost double the number of car crash fatalities and nearly quadruple the number of homicides. Most drug overdoses involved some type of opioid.

Obstetrical Violence refers to the coerced treatment of a mother during childbirth, without an informed, voluntary consent. But the coercion is by the State, not a physician. And the words will inflict unnecessary violence on the doctor-patient relationship.

The pain relief counter in your pharmacy can be a confusing place ... enough so to give you a headache. But actually, it can all be very simple. There are four over-the-counter painkillers, some of which can be taken together and some of which can't. Here's the scoop, presented in a way that's easy to swallow. 

Those who oppose vaccinations represent a form of tyranny, which occurs when a vocal minority overrides a complacent majority. Therefore, logic dictates that it's time to be less complacent.

Another study, this time with female patients experiencing heart attacks, suggests female physicians have better survival outcomes than their male peers. What does this mean for pay inequity? 

Diabetes is not one monolithic disease. A new study shows that age of onset, and duration, can make a big difference in the presence and effect of diabetes' frequent companion: cardiovascular disease.

For those looking for another way to sculpt their bodies, there's a new, high-tech device that has great promise. But to use it, you'll need to get naked in front of a full-length mirror-scanner-computer that sends all your measurement data to the Cloud. Is this amazing – or is the idea so intrusive that, in the name of getting in better shape, this has really gone too far?

Like a broken clock that accidentally gets the time right, California has finally stumbled upon the correct approach to coffee. Sort of. After widespread mockery and condemnation, the Golden State has had an epiphany: Maybe coffee doesn't cause cancer. The FDA agrees.

A recently-released study touting how preoperative oral treatment can lower the risk of suffering postoperative pneumonia appears to have bitten off more than it can chew.