Science Blogs (316)

....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.

.....as opposed to otherwise.... Recently went to one of those new coffee shops that form an alternative to the usually ueber liberal caffeine haunts. A growth industry. This one is named Covfefe, after an apparent blotched tweet by our supreme POTUS dear leader. Trump mugs, coffee bags, bumper stickers, pens/pins, flags, etc. , and the types of characters one might expect to meet there. The crowd were talking excitedly about President Trump's responses to Covid19. There was the usual dissing of the dissing of Trump. But no shortage of conspiracy talk. To anyone with a modicum of biological or medical knowledge, the theories were ridiculous. But I just listened, in line with my personal evolution in this present life. But I digress. These folks were absolutely convinced that the virus was created in, pick your foe, a weapons lab in NK, PRC, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, or by CIA types. Got me thinking about how and why folks assume their knowledge. Believe whatever we may, but if several personal factors around this are lacking, we might be in support of great errors, or worse. These would include: attention to the value of experience, verses novel info;- realization that science only can provide information, which must be subjected to scrutiny;-that when such "knowledge" gets turned into policy, the policy makers are far from their own political biases;-any policy must be evaluated for efficacy in an ongoing fashion;- and much more. And two other items. Where is our humility in any of this? And perhaps most importantly, what does grandmother have to say about the issue?

No. This blog is not about supernodels.

I just wanted to let you know about an upcoming celestial event.

Tomorrow 3 planets, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will rise near the horizon
in very close proximity in the southeast sky around 1:15 am 3/18/2020
and no bright stars will appear near, so they should be quite visible.

If you have one, get your telescope, or binoculars out.

You may also enjoy some close-ups;

----...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.

.....which along with so much else for MAGA, our B and D POTUS is pushing for hard. As usual, he has a strong wind on his nose, but oddly, in this case, it's not by the alt leftie biased media wonks and editors, but by the US Air Farce's backward thinking old men. Lots of backward thinking old men in the blogs these days, my friends. Islam, the RCC. Of course, once the media get wind of how it's another example of great leadership, we expect TD-HDS to fully kick in, and they'll reflexively all be bellyaching as usual. So, why this? Seems like the one party state Red Chinese are already modifying the age old linear approach to a space military, relying on upgrades in the same old stuff, such as ICBM's and nuclear weapons. The PRC, the same folks who allow whistleblower physician to die in relative youth, and punish such for spreading early warnings on Wuhan Corona Virus.As with such conservative Army thinking prior to WWII, where more effective tanks, and aircraft were poopooed by backward thinking generals, such lack of foresight took many lives. Sherman tanks were ineffective for frontal assaults on much larger NAZI Tigers, requiring costly infantry movements to allow the Shermans BEHIND the Tigers, where the latter were vulnerable. Army generals were used to infantry, not mechanized maneuverable heavy armour, let alone tank buster Stutkas, as were the Krauts. Repeat of murderous trenches, a generation earlier via linear tactical thinking. A real sixth branch of the US military, wholly independent of the Air Farce, is what's called for. Not stupidly merely an extension of existing air power. Systems will then abandon linear wasteful venues, for fully integrated ones. Cyber will be linked to beam weapons will be linked to high altitude surveillance, and so forth. Side benefits, always part of new military tech, will include asteroid protection, beamed down clean microwave based electric power, Cis-moon path protection, same for folks residing in space, and possibly even clean solutions to our soon to cause real conflicts water shortages. Radical, foresightful thought. The Donald and minions. Lets hear the spin against it from the ueber alt lefties.

I used to work for a custom cabinet shop that did a lot of projects for designers.
Typically, they would ask how soon they could get a wall unit and the boss would (sarcastically) reply "Quicker than you can write the check."

Earlier in the week, China announced they would build a 1,000 bed hospital in Wuhan city within 10 days as necessary for the corona virus.

The media in the first few days showed lots of photos and videos of earth moving equipment clearing land at the site. Several days of playing the same videos actually became annoying.

The due date is February 3. What's the update... got hospital?
Checking early today, I see the same photos from day one.

The whole world is watching.

Maybe they are on schedule, but if I were doing an update on the project I'd be using a new set of photos. Perhaps there is a holdup on funding...

Okay, later this evening, I found some updates.

...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.