Disqus - Friends of Rashid

Re: HowTo: Getting started with the OPML Editor

profvrr — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:20:36 -0000

I cannot download the Mac version of OPML because "static.opml.org cannot be found". I've had this problem for over a week. What's wrong?

Re: More on vaccines

profvrr — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:58:26 -0000

Good question. You might want to look at the FDA report on the safety
of Gardasil (http://www.fda.gov/cber/saf.... To
summarize, 16 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed in
the US. As of the end of June 2008, there have been 9,749 reports of
adverse events following vaccination, of which 94% were classified as
reports of non-serious events, and 6% as serious events. Non-serious
events include fainting, pain at the injection site, headache, nausea
and fever.

There have been 20 deaths associated with vaccination, but there is no
common pattern to the deaths that would suggest they were caused by
the vaccine. In cases where autopsy, death certificate and medical
records were available, the cause of death was explained by factors
other than the vaccine. Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has also been
reported in individuals following vaccination with Gardasil, but there
is no evidence that Gardasil has increased the rate of GBS above that
expected in the population. Blood clots have been reported in people
who have received Gardasil. Most of these individuals had risk factors
for blood clots such as use of oral contraceptives which are known to
increase the risk of clotting.

Based on this information, FDA and CDC conclude that Gardasil
continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits outweigh its
risks. Based on the information above, which is available to the
public, I would concur.

Re: TWiV #2 - Polio is not dead at virology blog

profvrr — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:16:25 -0000

Thanks for listening, and for the suggestion. We will certainly talk
about Chikungunya very soon, it's a fascinating problem.

Re: This Week in Virology - TWiV at virology blog

profvrr — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:50:40 -0000

Hi Edward,

Thank you for your comments on TWiV. It is our hope to have more people learn about viruses by listening to our discussions, and it seems that this is working for you! Keep listening and tell your friends about it too.

Vincent Racaniello

Re: TWiV #5 - Herpesviruses at virology blog

profvrr — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:47:42 -0000

Thanks for your support! Hope you will continue to listen and post comments. Good luck with your Ph.D.

Re: TWiV #7 - Viruses in video games at virology blog

profvrr — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:37:32 -0000

Thanks, AJ! Appreciate it. If you have an iPhone, you might want to look at Virus - a game of infection.

Re: TWiV 4: Rabies

profvrr — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:08:16 -0000

Hope you found the rabies netcast useful...let us know if you want to hear about other viruses!

Re: TWiV 4: Rabies

profvrr — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:27:57 -0000

Sell it on eBay. I'll send you a copy of the new edition when it comes
out - no charge.

Re: TWiV 8: HIV resistance, Google flu, measles in Gibraltar, viral batteries

profvrr — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:06:58 -0000

Thanks for your list! I'll have to check them all out. Who knows, one might make our podcast of the week.

Re: TWiV #9 - Fever! The discovery of Lassa virus

profvrr — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:30:28 -0000

Thanks Alan! In addition to entertainment I hope you also learn
something....I certainly do when I prepare for the episodes!

Re: TWiV 4: Rabies

profvrr — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:08:41 -0000

Yes, I'll send you a copy of the new edition. Just email me your
address to: vrr1@columbia.edu. That's a one after vrr.

Re: TWiV 9: Fever! The discovery of Lassa virus

profvrr — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:40:44 -0000

Hope you enjoy 'Fever!'. The first of the genre.

Re: TWiV 9: Fever! The discovery of Lassa virus

profvrr — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:44:18 -0000

Thanks. I also like Futures in Biotech, although the recording quality
often is suboptimal.

Re: Why should scientists blog and podcast?

profvrr — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:48:13 -0000

Thanks for the link. It's very useful to see how others feel about this issue. Also telling that we need to explain why we are doing this - guilt?

Re: TWiV 10: Bats, elephants, and AIDS

profvrr — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:10:35 -0000

Yes, especially the scientific world, very small indeed.

Do you like the book?

Re: Why should scientists blog and podcast?

profvrr — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:59:42 -0000

I am very grateful to hear that you find virology blog useful. It's
always great to hear from readers. You might also be interested in our
virology podcast, "This Week in Virology", at www.twiv.tv.

Vincent

Re: TWiV 10: Bats, elephants, and AIDS

profvrr — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:41:16 -0000

Hi Daniela,

Thank you very much for the nice comments. It's always good to hear
that the podcast being appreciated.

You ask an excellent question, one that we will discuss on the next
episode. But in case you would like to know the answer now, here it
is: all the viruses of humans that we know of today originated from
animal viruses, as I said on the podcast. This is because all the main
types of viruses probably evolved long before humans were on earth. In
some cases, there are still animal reservoirs for human viruses. For
example, it is believed that measles viruses evolved from a related
virus of cattle, rinderpest virus, about 5000 years ago. Today both
viruses exist in both animal species. However, in some cases like
poliovirus we do not know what was the original animal virus.
Therefore we conclude that after entering humans from an animal, this
virus died out in the animal population. We don't know the reason for
the extinction of the virus in the animal population, but there are
many possibilities: the animal species may have become extinct, or the
virus evolved not to infect that host any longer.

Re: TWiV 10: Bats, elephants, and AIDS

profvrr — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:44:12 -0000

Steven,

It is believed that some viruses have in fact crossed from plants to
animals. The evidence comes from two different viruses with circular
ssDNA genomes: circoviruses of animals and nanoviruses of plants.
Based on sequence analysis, it is likely that nanovirus was
transferred from plant to vertebrate perhaps when the animal was
exposed to infected plant sap. This transfer may have established the
circovirus family. How often this occurs is not known.

Re: Science blogging: a reader’s view

profvrr — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:39:09 -0000

You're welcome! Your post was excellent; it highlighted how important
science bloggers can be to budding scientists.

Re: TWiV 11: Elite controllers, mosquitoes, and winter vomiting

profvrr — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:35:54 -0000

It has been reported that CCR5 (and other chemokine receptors) can facilitate infection by myxoma virus , vaccinia virus, and other poxviruses. (Lalani, A. et al. use of chemokine receptors by poxviruses. Science 286:1968-1971. 1999). If true for variola (smallpox virus), then smallpox is the leading candidate for the selective pressure responsible for fixation of the CCR5delta 32 HIV-resistance allele in modern Caucasians. Perhaps the survivors of smallpox epidemics are “enriched” for CCR5 mutations.

Re: Dick Despommier in Time magazine

profvrr — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:06:11 -0000

It's so important that the first prototypes work. Many people are
skeptical of the feasibility (cost) of VF. I'll let Dick know about
your comments.

Re: TWiV #11 – Elite controllers, mosquitoes, and winter vomiting

profvrr — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:32:50 -0000

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Re: Discovery of viruses

profvrr — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:05:37 -0000

Sorry about that....but it's that time of year...do you think it's rhinovirus, adenovirus, paramyxovirus, or coronavirus?

Have a great holiday.

Vincent

Re: Discovery of viruses

profvrr — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:14:29 -0000

Thanks so much for your comments. I'm glad you like the blog, but it is certainly improved by reader participation like yours. That's the way the social web works.

I would be happy to include poxvirus in the list of discoveries on this post. I haven't come across this history in any of my readings so I depend on your recommendations. Based on your comments, I would put 1918 as the year for poxvirus - but please let me know your thoughts. I don't have any of the publications you refer to.

Re: Discovery of viruses

profvrr — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:54:05 -0000

Based on MaryROdom's comment, I looked into the discovery of poxviruses and found a 1904 reference that is probably the latest year for discovery. Therefore I have inserted vaccinia virus into the list above at this year. The reference is: Magrath, GB and Brinckerhoff, WR. 1904. On the occurrence of Cytorcytes variolae, Guarnieri, in the skin of the monkey inoculated with variola virus. J. Med. Res. 11:173-179. If anyone has an earlier date, please let me know and I'll post it.