Last Commented Science Blogs (319)

So I try to introduce tidbits of other things into each lecture. Here, I relate how my grieving is lessened by the dear hearts of the young ladies in the busy beaver front row of the class. Very busy beaver. The loss, over just one month, of both of two wonderful kitties, weighs heavily on this otherwise hardened racist/sexist/multiphoboc Vierk heart. Miss Angel, huntress extraordinaire Maine coon cat, still presenting the women next door with all sorts of prey---voles, moles, mice and yes, the odd chipmunk as well---even during her frail last days. And huge calico Miss Lilly, who left us just yesterday, community greeter suprema, who on her last days, nearly blind, and barely still able to walk, sat on the front lawn in the warm mid spring sun, allowing passers by to scratch her on the favorite spot, under the chin. Purring right to the very end.
And how about these young budding pubic health students, now numbering almost 20, in their loose blouses and short skirts, all with the flashy red FM heels a going, informing me of their great sacrifice to help with the C-19 pander demic. It brought tears to these old eyes to hear that each and every one of these civic minded angels, is forgoing the use of undies, while sitting up front with your epididimis prof, just so that the fabrics can be better used for masks in the war against the great enemy, the deadly virus, as now called by our dear leader, Mr. Trump. With youth such as this, all I can say is,--- what a country! Chases away the kitty loss blues.But enough digression.
Now then, just how does evidence emerge from Epid? Again there are several levels of validity of such evidence, corresponding to the designs of the respective study approaches. At the most basic level, as with our cousin scientists, the demographers, descriptions of populations of individuals, some quite sophisticated, can yield very useful information. From predicting the clinical/hospital needs of a community, as in Health services Epid, to generating novel hypotheses, for analytical investigators, this research is vital. With these data, the more analytically minded crowd can employ various study designs, to explore the relationships between health/disease in these populations, and various factors of interest. And here's the kicker. In the more natural sciences, one can compare groups of lab animals, both control and groups exposed to the factors under study, PROSPECTIVELY, and see where the cards fall. But in Epid, methods exist to perform such investigations using historical data, as well as going forward.
The scope of these designs are beyond this course level, but your teacher would be happy to explain all of them, in his office, after class, but only to students, sequentially, one hour each, as individuals. Here, these approaches however will be named, so google away. Again, from most basic, to sophisticated, these include: ecological (correlations only) designs; cross sectional (lacking time dimensionality) investigations; case control studies-enabling the investigation of historical relationships, if only for one illness at a time; cohort designs, both forward and backward looking, by analogy with research with lab animals. And sometimes, these approaches can be combined, as in nested case control within cohort studies, say of defined worker populations.
Now the so called gold standards of these investigations are the various types of clinical trials, which strictly speaking, takes us into the field of clinical Epid. Often described as multi arm, randomised, blinded, power driven, etc., investigations,-- these are used to study the efficacy of medical interventions, such as new drugs, and diagnostic and surgical technologies. And taking all of this now to the realm of public health, we see the community clinical trials, which often are useful for policy decisions. Next time, this leads into the topics of epidemics.
By the way, my lovely beavers, the perfumes are great. class over.

We sometimes see bloggers vapidly copying often biased fake news reports on one topic or another, distinguished only in their one track attacking of our Brilliant and Dazzling, promise keeping, Ivy League graduate, President Trump. In the ensuing back and forth of postings, these syndrome victims then display only marginal education on most related topics, having to do with their initial copied blog text or videos, and always with a striking inability to appreciate other sides of the argument. Often these writings involve scientific, medical and even psychiatric themes.

Although roundly accepted as the hairdressers of medicine, psychiatrists have made a valid clinical observation now and again. One of the most robust relates to the strength of the fixed beliefs, and behaviors, in the delusional syndromes. These victims have traditionally focused on delusions having strong popular exposure in various media. Examples, often humorous, are from radiation, space visitors, and such. These folks are almost always fun to listen to, initially at least, and almost never dangerous. In one subtype, however, delusions of jealousy, usually of a spouse's imagined extramarrital adventures, violence has occured.

In the Trump Derangement-Hilary Deficit Syndromes, which often rise clinically to delusional diatheses, these trends are strong indeed. So when we see even a slight change in their presentations, it is noteworthy.

We now see statements from such sad cases as---"if Trump is reelected". It's hard to over emphasize how different this is from their usual take on the political world, and accordingly, at variance with the evolution of validly diagnosed delusional syndromes. We at the Vierk Institute are intrigued, and are on it. Typically, those who suffer from delusional syndromes will only relax their fixed beliefs with the use of powerful antipsychotic agents, and even then, only partly so. Talk therapies won't touch it at all. Is there a Nobel Prize somewhere in this astute clinical finding? Stay tuned.

First off, I have to thank Jim for bringing this to my attention. In fact, other than from Jim, I have not heard a single thing about this comet. It was discovered in late December....for whatever that means.

I have been kinda watching things on a daily basis as more and more information becomes available about it. What they say about it, as it become closer and closer to our sun, it is melting more and more. This is a comet, it is ice. So, as it heats up, it melts. Scientists say that the more it melts, the more light it will reflect, being easier to see in space.

The ancients feared comets...claiming they bring disease and destruction.

Now, this is where I start wondering a bit...because, I am no scientist and I am no astrologer.

But, the way I read about this comet, it will becoming near Earth.

Even if there is no physical collision from the hard physical form of the comet, is it possible the Earth could pass through the plume that is being melted off it? If so, is the Earth going to just pass through water vapors (because comets are reported to be frozen ice)...or....is there a possibility that some microbes may exist in this plume?

From what I understand, asteroids are somewhat able to be detected where it comes from...because we have a asteroid belt around us. But comets on the other hand come from deep space...and from what I understand, scientists don't know where they come from. Like I mentioned earlier, this comet was reported to be just discovered in December.

Anyway....just some thoughts here.

Thanks Jim.

Happy Saturday all.

In an effort to continue bombastically to bomb away at neophytes, and to have all our shamelessly wasteful research grants re- funded, we here at VI International are no strangers to sensational science, especially if it's basically a hunk of trash. Digressing.

Long overdue are the early findings announcements of early findings, being announced early, right here and now. But in the saintly fairness of the Director, since one new syndrome describes Him, we'll begin there. Some may have noticed here, his obsessive compulsive preoccupation with liberal hypocrisies, certainly only a bit less an impairment than the now world famous Trump Derangement- Hilary Deficit Syndrome. A certain hottie Northlands Norwegian Nursie has even used the word Syndrome in reference to our dear leader himself. Peace be upon her curvaceous little backside.

At first, we thought a totally descriptive name for the syndrome would be best. One of out hottie overpaid interns came up with---"Annoying Little Wanker Thinks He's Sherlock Holmes on Exposing Liberal Hypocracy Syndrome " Sure, a spot on description of his illness, but a bit of a mouthful. Not to mention a pretty crappy acronym.

So our creative, but vastly overpaid and underworked HR hangabouts suggested---"Detective Shorty Liberal Hypocrisy Syndrome," which soon emerged as, "Short Wanker Anti -liberal Detective Syndrome"---SWADS, abbreviated.

And if the glove fits, wear it well.

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....sadly, stopped long ago in several ways for me, and for little big Vierk, who can't even complain about things. We see this term used by media pundits and others, often inappropriately. But it's a simple concept, easily caught by all, except perhaps by the odd, VERY odd, hottie red kneed nurse, cheapo lower class wench with an expensive car name, and certain ueber angry, virtue signaling, failed guitarists. But I digress. Basically, the phrase comes from simple mathematics, basic algebra really, and refers to the little letter/number above and right to another such 'base' number/letter. Used in many branches of the physical sciences, the concept is often very helpful in biological research, with reference to changes in population size. Nuff said for now, as with too many more big words and concepts, the above identified bimbos will quip, "I refuse (couldn't follow) to read what you wrote, but I hate it all anyway." Two factors underlie the concept---size of a population, and measures of time, although more refined statistical approaches exist. Anyone who has worked in microbiological or insect science will be quite familiar. Well, our favorite virus provides us with a cautionary tale of exponential growth. Your stalward director of the Vierk Institute hasn't personally verified the data, but it seems that it may have taken almost two months time, from case number one, for the population size of humans afflicted with Covid 19 to reach 100,000 souls. The next 100K took 11 days, and the next, merely FOUR DAYS, peebles! Epidemiologically writing, this indicates we are still on the frightening 'up swing', and does big little Mr. Vierk ever hate to hear that term. But public health measures, widely adhered to, will make things start to 'shrink' once again. OK. OK, little feller, I'll try not to use such words either.

Almost daily, I read some comparison to the statistics of the number of influenza deaths compared to coronavirus. That makes me want to question their logic. Oh... there is no logic, so it must be a politically motivated comment.

You're comparing apples to oranges.

Hmmm...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first coronavirus diagnostic test that can be conducted entirely at the point of care.

The test from California-based Cepheid will deliver results in about 45 minutes — much faster than current tests that require a sample to be sent to a centralized lab, where results can take days.

The test has been designed to operate on any of Cepheid's more than 23,000 automated GeneXpert Systems worldwide, of which 5,000 are in the U.S., the company said. The systems are already being used to test for conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis.

The systems do not require users to have specialty training to perform testing and are capable of running around the clock.

"An accurate test delivered close to the patient can be transformative" and can "help alleviate the pressure" that the COVID-19 outbreak has put on health facilities, David Persing, Cepheid's chief medical and technology officer, said in a statement.

"People in general are frustrated with the turnaround time. They don't know their status until days later. Knowing your status quickly ... will allow much better decisionmaking" and help doctors choose the best treatment, Persing said in a video on the company's website.

The test initially will be used primarily by hospitals, the company said, but the FDA's "emergency use authorization" covers all “patient care settings,” including doctors’ offices.

The test will begin shipping next week.

...Common head cold virus, as if on mega doses of high potency steroids, people. Which features? Rates of infectivity, now that we know there's people to people spread? When and length of infectivity, ---presyndromtic, symptomatic or during convalescence? Mutation rates, and by what routes? Animal reservours? Arthropod and other vectors? Natural history of virus---convalescent states, harboring in CNS? All not likely .Droplet, fomites or other methods of spread, just for starters. But just as important, as in the SARS outbreak, which humanity just barely squeaked by, 15 years ago, also a King Kong among corona types---what I now name "POLITICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY". In SARS, weeks passed before barely effective Chinese public health efforts began. Doctors were silenced, and during hospital international inspections, patients allegedly were taken out and window shades drawn down ambulanced about, till the clip board bean counter nurses left. And as we Yanks did to the over run Europe during the last two wars, we were the true Calvary, We, this DEMOCRATIC, HIGH PERSONAL FREEDOM state, with others. So, one party state leaders were running things, as always, in the PRC. In total medical ignorance, reluctance to seek or even trust the epidemiologists, fear of loss of tourist money, and perhaps public panic. But again, true to form, this last had little to do with concern for public health or effective control measures, and a ALL to do with these leaders' deadly fear of popular backlashes against them. But don't just take my words for it. Tiannamen tanks, PLA troupes and machine guns. And bodies galore. All covered up, and can't ever appear in school text books. Yep, bad/corrupt/fearful government can be as powerful an epidemiological factor as can the characteristics of the infectious agent. But don't take my words for it---just stay tuned. Wearing masks, etc., THIS scientist, on the way home, if I don't stay here to help out the Azorean officials.

----...the powerful glorious Sun.... Sadly, my formidable formal full scientific training doesn't include astrophysics, much less heliography, but I do know which end of my telescope to look into. And how to monitor sunspots, an important feature of amateur radio communications, and much, much more. The latter vary in their frequency of cycles and density, over the decades. But every century or so, these features of solar magnetic storms, and probably much more, get much more misbehaved. Sometimes they seem to correlate with periods of climate changes. As recently? Now, who knows how important are the roles all this, including mass coronal ejections, play in recent alleged or real climate changes? But it is striking how little we hear about the Sun's role in it all. The few real solar studies scientists have little to say, and when so, it's often muted and in lockstep. "No, no, it's all man made carbon/methane emissions." And by implication, the evil corporate capitalists. Hey there, Crazy Bernie. So I'm humbly thinking, why not more attention is being paid to the possible effects of such an all powerful good neighbor. Sure, some of the greenhouse gas theories make sense to me, but seems like there just might also be an elephant in the living room as well. But what do I know?

I have tried to make silver nanoparticles with silver nitrate, silver, and PVP but it failed. If I add Rit dyes (Wine, etc) to PVP with hot solution 80 degrees C with Potassium Hydroxide a polymer quickly forms. It is not over yet I plan to do more PVP type polymers with cookie cutters in a few months to make 2D-3D shapes.

When White urethane paint is added the Methylene blue that turned Purple goes bright yellow was NOT expecting that but it is cool.

Mind some of the mess yes I need to clean some it up. My own youtube channel.