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You bet your life : from blood transfusions to mass vaccination, the long and risky history of medical innovations / by Offit, Paul A.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Four months into the coronavirus pandemic, as the death count surged, the FDA made a risky decision: it approved an anti-malarial drug as a treatment for coronavirus, despite limited data on its efficacy or side effects. A month later, the FDA withdrew its recommendation, but by then, the damage had been done. The drug was ineffective and sometimes even lethal. The mistake was hardly a one-off. As virologist Paul. A. Offit shows in You Bet Your Life, from antibiotics and vaccines to x-rays and genetic engineering, risk, and our understanding of it, have shaped the course of modern medicine, paving the way for its greatest triumphs and tragedies. By telling the stories of the events--and of the frequent hypocrisy and cravenness of the characters at their center--Offit shows how risk, and failure, have driven innovation, and importantly, how by examining our mistakes we can make better medical predictions and decisions going forward. From the outlandish origins of blood transfusions, which began with humans receiving blood for barnyard animals, to the the disastrous debut of the first polio vaccine, and the backstabbing and infighting that surrounded early gene therapies, he captures the drama that surrounds medical research, the way ego and laziness can collide with science, and ultimately how those factors should inform what we choose to do and have done to us in the clinic. The history is fascinating in its own right, but the worldwide rush to create a coronavirus vaccine only makes learning from the lessons of history essential. Weighing the uncertainties of a treatment against its potential benefits is one of medicine's greatest ethical dilemmas, and Offit examines it from every angle. He explores not just how patients and their families respond to risk but how everyone from physicians and researchers to universities and regulators do, too, and how that ultimately determines what treatments are put forward. Not everyone has the same goal. And too often the patient's health is secondary. But as Offit shows, we can all minimize risk and failure by learning how to recognize conflicts of interest, to draw inferences from animal models, and to evaluate risk, even when we have limited data. Along the way, Offit asks who should decide what risks are acceptable, and who should pay when the results are fatal. In the end, however, Offit argues that we are gambling whatever we do--and that we need to take that seriously, whether we pursue a treatment or decide to do nothing at all. The answers aren't simple, and the outcomes are life or death. Examining these questions with the compassion of a pediatrician and the rigor of a scientist, Offit reminds us that we all have a role to play in ensuring that medicine upholds its very first principle: to do no harm"--
Subjects: Medical ethics.; Risk assessment.; Pharmacology, Experimental.; Drugs;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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On belonging : finding connection in an age of isolation / by Samuel, Kim,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Humanity is at an inflection point. Stress, disconnection, and increasing environmental degradation have people yearning for more than just material progress, personal freedom, or political stability. We are searching for deeper connection. We are longing to belong. On Belonging is an exploration of the crisis of social isolation and of the fundamental human need to belong. It considers belonging across four core dimensions: in our relationships with other people, in our rootedness in nature, in our ability to influence political and economic decision-making, and in our finding of meaning and purpose in our lives, with lessons on how to create communities centered on human connection. A trailblazing advocate and thought leader on questions of social connectedness, Kim Samuel introduces readers to leaders around the world who are doing the work to cultivate belonging. Whether through sports, medicine, music, business, culture, or advocacy, the people and programs in this book offer us meaningful lessons on building a world where we all feel at home"--
Subjects: Alienation (Social psychology); Belonging (Social psychology); Social integration.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The last trial / by Turow, Scott,author.;
"At 85 years old, Alejandro "Sandy" Stern, a brilliant defense lawyer with his health failing but spirit intact, is on the brink of retirement. But when his old friend Dr. Kiril Pafko, a former Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, is faced with charges of insider trading, fraud, and murder, his entire life's work is put in jeopardy, and Stern decides to take on one last trial. In a case that will provide the defining coda to both men's accomplished lives, Stern probes beneath the surface of his friend's dazzling veneer as a distinguished cancer researcher. As the trial progresses, Stern will question everything he thought he knew about his friend. Despite Pafko's many failings, is he innocent of the terrible charges laid against him? How far will Stern go to save his friend, and--no matter the trial's outcome--will he ever know the truth? Stern's duty to defend his client and his belief in the power of the judicial system both face a final, terrible test in the courtroom, where the evidence and reality are sometimes worlds apart"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Legal fiction (Literature); Criminal defense lawyers; Nobel Prize winners; Insider trading in securities; Murder;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 3
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Murder in Rose Hill / by Thompson, Victoria(Victoria E.),author.;
"Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private investigator husband, Frank, must shine a light on the truth and catch the fiend who killed a young reporter in this new entry in the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mystery series. Louisa Rodgers is working as a magazine reporter and is hoping midwife Sarah Malloy can help her. New Century Magazine, like Colliers and McClure's, is branching out into investigative articles on pressing social issues. Louisa explains that she is researching the dangers of patent medicines. She had been walking through the neighborhood in search of people addicted to such nostrums to interview when she saw the sign for the clinic. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-called medicines that hurt much more than they help. A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from a man who introduces himself as Louisa's father. Bernard Rodgers explains that Louisa has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Her family found Sarah's card among Louisa's effects, and now it is up to Sarah and Frank to catch a cold-blooded murderer"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Novels.; Brandt, Sarah (Fictitious character); Malloy, Frank (Fictitious character); Midwives; Murder; Private investigators; Reporters and reporting; Women journalists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Biomimicry : when nature inspires amazing inventions / by Menu, Séraphine.; Walker, Emmanuelle.; Waters, Alyson,1955-;
"Discover how bats led to the development of radar, whales inspired the pacemaker, and the lotus flower may help us produce indestructible clothing. "Biomimicry" comes from the Greek "bio" (life) and "mimesis" (imitation). Here are various and amazing ways that nature inspires us to create cool inventions in science and medicine, clothing design, and architecture. From the fireflies that showed inventors how LEDs could give off more light to the burdock plant that inspired velcro to the high speed trains of Japan that take the form of a kingfisher's sleek, aerodynamic head, there are innumerable ways that we can create smarter, better, safer inventions by observing the natural world. Author Seraphine Menu and illustrator Emmanuelle Walker also gently explain that our extraordinary, diverse, and awe-inspiring world is like a carefully calibrated machine and its fragile balance must be treated with extreme care and respect. "Go outside," they say, "observe, compare, and maybe some day you'll be the next person to be struck by a great idea.""--Provided by publisher.Grades 4-6LSC
Subjects: Biomimicry; Technological innovations;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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National Geographic science of everything : how things work in our world :from cell phones, soap bubbles & vaccines to GPS, X-rays & submarines / by National Geographic Society (U.S.);
"This clearly written and profusely illustrated book explains the science behind all the machines, gadgets, systems, and processes we take for granted. The perfect book for techies--young or old, male or female--who read Popular Science and Wired or watch "How It Works" and "How It's Made." National Geographic answers all the questions about how things work--the science, technology, biology, chemistry, physics, and mechanics--in an indispensible book that reveals the science behind virtually everything. How does the voice of a distant radio announcer make it through your alarm clock in the morning? How does your gas stove work? How does the remote control open your garage door? What happens when you turn the key in the ignition? What do antibiotics really do? Divided into four big realms--Mechanics, Natural Forces, Materials & Chemistry, Biology & Medicine--The Science of Everything takes readers on a fascinating tour, using plain talk, colorful photography, instructive diagrams, and everyday examples to explain the science behind all the things we take for granted in our modern world"--
Subjects: Science;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The victory garden / by Bowen, Rhys,author.;
As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a "land girl," tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It's here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of devastating news, they are her saving grace. Emily's lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified -- and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny." -- Dust jacket flap.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Victory gardens; World War, 1914-1918; Pregnancy;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The last trial [sound recording] / by Turow, Scott,author.; Lloyd, John Bedford,narrator.; Hachette Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by John Bedford Lloyd."At 85 years old, Alejandro "Sandy" Stern, a brilliant defense lawyer with his health failing but spirit intact, is on the brink of retirement. But when his old friend Dr. Kiril Pafko, a former Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, is faced with charges of insider trading, fraud, and murder, his entire life's work is put in jeopardy, and Stern decides to take on one last trial. In a case that will provide the defining coda to both men's accomplished lives, Stern probes beneath the surface of his friend's dazzling veneer as a distinguished cancer researcher. As the trial progresses, Stern will question everything he thought he knew about his friend. Despite Pafko's many failings, is he innocent of the terrible charges laid against him? How far will Stern go to save his friend, and--no matter the trial's outcome--will he ever know the truth? Stern's duty to defend his client and his belief in the power of the judicial system both face a final, terrible test in the courtroom, where the evidence and reality are sometimes worlds apart"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Thrillers (Fiction); Legal fiction (Literature); Criminal defense lawyers; Insider trading in securities; Murder; Nobel Prize winners;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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We can do better : urgent innovations to improve mental health access and care / by Goldbloom, David S.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A leading psychiatrist and mental health expert reveals important issues in mental health care today and introduces innovations to revolutionize and improve mental health for everyone. Mental health care systems are failing to deliver proven treatments in a timely manner, and the consequences, for individuals and societies, are dire. In this urgent book, world renowned psychiatrist and mental health care expert Dr. David Goldbloom outlines proven innovations in medicine and health care delivery that we could benefit from today--if we only had the will to share, use, and fund these brilliant tools. Using fictional--but all too real--examples of people suffering from various mental illnesses, from depression to opioid addiction, and drawn from his real-life experiences in this field, Goldbloom reveals the barriers to care and other faults in mental health care systems. He then shows the simple, yet startlingly effective innovations we never knew existed that can help people now. Smart, candid, and persuasive, What Will It Take? Is a timely call for improving mental health care with innovations for better access to and quality of help--a roadmap to better well-being for everyone."--
Subjects: Mental health services.; Mental health services;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Children of the black glass / by Peckham, Anthony.;
In an unkind alternate past, somewhere between the Stone Age and a Metal Age, Tell and his sister Wren live in a small mountain village that makes its living off black glass mines and runs on brutal laws. When their father is blinded in a mining accident, the law dictates he has thirty days to regain his sight and be capable of working at the same level as before or be put to death. Faced with this dire future, Tell and Wren make the forbidden treacherous journey to the legendary city of Halfway, halfway down the mountain, to trade their father's haul of the valuable black glass for the medicine to cure him. The city, ruled by five powerful female sorcerers, at first dazzles the siblings. But beneath Halfway's glittery surface seethes ambition, violence, prejudice, blackmail, and impending chaos. Without knowing it, Tell and Wren have walked straight into a sorcerers' coup. Over the next twelve days they must scramble first to save themselves, then their new friends, as allegiances shift and prejudices crack open to show who has true power.Ages 10-14.
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Action and adventure fiction.; Siblings; Parent and child; Obsidian; Quests (Expeditions); Adventure and adventurers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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