Our enemy's enemy

Carbon Dioxide – Our Common “Enemy”

Health effects of brief and prolonged exposure to carbon dioxide continue to be a concern for those of us who manage this pollutant in closed volumes, such as in spacecraft and submarines. In both examples, considerable resources are required to scrub the atmosphere to levels that are considered totally safe for maintenance of crew health and performance. Defining safe levels is not a simple ta...

Ageism: we are our own worst enemy.

In 1969, Butler (1969) first coined the term "ageism" to confront "prejudice by one age group toward other age groups" (pp. 243). As with other "isms," such as racism and sexism, ageism leads to bigotry and discrimination, though it is a very distinct beast in that, for the most part, other "isms" refer to those different from ourselves: distinct, mutually exclusive, and impervious groups. Conv...

Deadliest Enemy: Our War against Killer Germs

I the world of infectious diseases, there are many microorganisms that regularly infect humans. However, certain infectious diseases have special significance to society and persons therein. In Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker’s book Deadliest Enemy: Our War against Killer Germs, the explicit purpose is to provide “a new paradigm for the threats posed by infectious disease outbreaks in th...

Patient assistance programs: information is not our enemy.

K en johnson of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Myrl Weinberg of the National Health Council take issue with findings from our survey of drug company–sponsored patient assistance programs (PAPs).1 Our disagreement is partly the result of a healthy debate on how best to structure our health care system. More problematic are the commentaries’ mischaracterizations ...

Molecular Armory of S. Typhi: Deciphering the Putative Arsenal of Our Enemy