| Potentially Good Bird Flu News
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| Date and Time |
- | Jan. 26th, 2006, 11:44 pm | |
| Current Mood |
- |  sleepy | |
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| University of Pittsburgh researchers announced they have genetically engineered an avian flu vaccine from the critical components of the deadly H5N1 virus that completely protected mice and chickens from infection. Avian flu has devastated bird populations in Southeast Asia and Europe and so far has killed more than 80 people.
Because this vaccine contains a live virus, it may be more immune-activating than avian flu vaccines prepared by traditional methods, say the researchers. Furthermore, because it is grown in cells, it can be produced much more quickly than traditional vaccines, making it an extremely attractive candidate for preventing the spread of the virus in domestic livestock populations and, potentially, in humans, according to the study, published in the Feb 15 issue of the Journal of Virology and made available early online.
"The results of this animal trial are very promising, not only because our vaccine completely protected animals that otherwise would have died, but also because we found that one form of the vaccine stimulates several lines of immunity against H5N1," said Andrea Gambotto, M.D., assistant professor in the departments of surgery and molecular genetics and biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and lead author of the study.
full story | |
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| Free Humorous Nerdy Icons
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| Date and Time |
- | Dec. 17th, 2005, 12:41 pm | |
| Current Mood |
- |  nerdy | |
| Current Music |
- | budgies in conference | |
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(at least I think they're funny)
 
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| Staying In
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| Date and Time |
- | Jul. 11th, 2005, 12:05 pm | |
| Current Mood |
- |  depressed | |
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I canceled my endocrinologist appointment today because I thought it was more important to see my primary care doctor. I accidentally double booked them for today. However, I just canceled my appointment with my primary care doctor. It's too hot out and I have no clean clothes that are appropriate for the temperature. The heat, lack of cool clothing, and my genetic hyperhidrosis would make going out in the middle of this oven of a day extremely hellish. I don't have enough faith that I'll actually get enough help from my primary doctor to justify going in the current conditions. I am considering canceling my therapy session for today as well. I just do not want to venture out in the heat.
I haven't mentioned hyperhidrosis on LiveJournal before, because up until about a month ago I didn't even know that it existed. My brother was recently diagnosed with it. My niece and nephew apparently have it as well. I knew that I had excessive sweating on my face, bottom, and feet. I must use baby power, especially on my bottom, to avoid getting a rash from the sweat. But, I didn't know that this was a disorder. I just thought I happened to be intolerant to heat.
When I say excessive sweating, I don't mean just a little sweatier than normal, I mean that I'm drenched in conditions that are just slightly hotter than normal. Activities such as brushing my hair can also trigger it. When it gets extremely hot, the experience is utterly miserable. On the scale of things, it is by far not the worst genetic disorder one can have. However it does make life that much more sucky. I've always had a habit of avoiding situations that would be to hot. A high of 95°F (35°C, 308K) is enough to keep me from venture out during the day unless it is an absolute necessity. The winter is little better than the summer. There are few things I look less forward to than getting onto a heated bus in my winter garb. Everywhere I go in the winter has the heat cranked and I must immediately shed all layers. Spring and fall are the best seasons for me, because it is generally temperate inside and out.
I cannot afford any of the treatments for hyperhidrosis and proper treatments are hard to get covered. I have bigger things to deal with anyway, hyperhidrosis just makes them harder to deal with.
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