• From PLoS Tech, comes a post Article Level Metrics-Learning to Walk, Run & Do Algebra, featuring links to a recent presentation by bibliometics scholars intended to “provide some guidance and best practices for researchers and research administrators on how to use – and not use – bibliometrics to assess individuals”. The post includes a helpful list of 10 Don’ts.
• The decision by Blue Cross of California to not cover proton beam therapy for prostate cancer has generated some discussion about effectiveness, cost and coverage… Gary Schwitzer of Health News Review writes, Individual insurers doing what feds haven’t in refusing to pay for proton therapy?. Austin Fract has a few posts on this as well on his own blog, and one on JAMA Forum. What do you think?
• Carl Zimmer has an interesting article on gene therapy on Wired.
• A post on Xeconomy,  Why Good Drugs Sometimes Fail: the Bexxar Story, quotes Anas Younes of MSKCC.
• The NY Times reviewed George Johnson’s new book, The Cancer Cronicles: Unlocking Medicine’s Deepest Mystery.
• Science magazine covered federal regulator’s efforts to deal with a rise in fecal transplants here.

Can you guess the theme of this mid-summer Blog Buzz?

• Last month, Myriad sued companies that had released competing BRCA tests in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on the patenting of human genes. Timothy B. Lee of Wonk Blog discussed the two universities that also signed on to these lawsuits because of their financial interests in patents and licensing with Myriad (and scolds them). Now one of the companies, Ambry Genetics, is countersuing Myriad for acting in bad faith to maintain a monopoly. A clear explanation and links to the case are on The Pathology Blawg.
• Apple lost the e-book price fixing case and the Department of Justice later proposed guidelines on how to enforce the ruling. Publishers have since filed a brief arguing against the DOJ’s suggestions, and David Pogue wrote that the end of the color Nook means trouble on the e-book horizon.
• Have you seen this fascinating Nature News item “Archaeology and the Milk Revolution”? A genetic mutation allowed some people to digest milk and just a few thousand years later, roughly one third of all people can digest milk. WOW!
• Check out this ScienceDaily item on a study of librarians’ attitudes toward search engines and how it changed over time along with their professional identity.

• Our colleagues at Taubman Health Sciences Library have written a great overview of the new Altmetrics in Scopus. Complete with screenshots and clarifications from Elsevier reps, it is a nice tour if you haven’t had a chance to dig in yourself yet. They also mentioned the new ALM (Article Level Metrics) Reports at PLoS, who are encouraging users (funders, researchers, and librarians) to give them feedback on the new reports and tools.
• There is a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project on family caregivers (now 39% of adults) and their use of technology.  Caregivers are much more likely than others to search for certain types of information online.

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