We creep closer to Spring. Soon we will change the clocks (can't wait). And yesterday, while on the lookout for some sign of the thaw, I noticed new shoots on one of my potted plants out back. First new green thing I've seen. I'm taking it to the bank.
And here is a little bit of what else happened.
- Food Safety is the Watch Word of the Week – Not only did FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg issue an open letter to the industry as the agency sent out 17 Warning Letters to the food industry, but there was also an announcement that the agency, USDA and CDC would be holding a public meeting later this month (March 30) with the aim of reducing foodborne illnesses. This came about also during a week when a new study was released stating that the cost to the US economy for foodborne illnesses is $152 billion.
- Adaptive Clinical Trial Design Draft Guidance – Not exactly moving at light speed, the FDA issued a draft guidance on adaptive clinical trial design. The agency held a workshop on this in November 2006.
- Interesting Medical Journal Use of YouTube – The British Medical Journal has had a YouTube channel for some time and while I was browsing through my YouTube subscriptions, I discovered that the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) also has a channel now, though I haven't seen anything for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In any case, here is a video that the BJM put up on why researchers should be submitting their work to this journal and I thought it was an intersting use of YouTube – as a recruiter.
