CAN YOU BE KILLED
BY HOUSEHOLD
APPLIANCES
FALLING INTO
YOUR BATH?
Finding: CONFIRMED
Explanation: Just like mattresses, hair dryers come with a stern warning: Drop one in a
bathtub, and it could electrocute someone who's taking a soak. The electricity flowing
through the cord could jump to the tub's metal drain, sending electricity through a
person's highly conductive body. For that reason, hair dryers today are also manufactured
with ground fault interrupters that immediately shut down the appliances if they end up
waterlogged.
But MythBusters Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage realized that there are loads of
electrical devices sitting around bathrooms nowadays, so they tossed a radio, television
and, of course, a couple of hair dryers into a bathtub to see whether the situation would
have lethally shocking results.
For safety's sake, Jamie and Adam molded a ballistics gel bath dummy to be the guinea
pig and rigged it up to an amperage meter to measure the amount of current running
through it. At 6 milliamps of jolts, the dummy would be pronounced dead.
The radio, television and hair dryer without a ground fault interrupter all electrocuted the
drenched dummy, confirming the household appliance myth.
But thankfully, the modern hair dryer with the safety device also worked like a charm,
shutting off before sending any lethal shock waves through the bathtub water.
As seen in "MythBusters: Killer Quicksand"
CAN YOU MAKE A
BUMPY RIDE
SMOOTHER BY
DRIVING FASTER
Finding: CONFIRMED
Explanation: Certain parched, unpaved roads in Australia are known as washboards
because of their bumpy surfaces. In the 1960s, nuclear physicist Keith Mather determined
that the uneven Outback terrain develops through a combination of wheels displacing
loose sand and grit and the weight of the tires indenting the roadway with rivets.
Anecdotal evidence has suggested that driving faster over the washboard thoroughfares
makes for a smooth ride, because swifter wheels should glide across the washboard peaks
instead of dipping into troughs. Speed-loving MythBusters Kari Bryon, Tory Belleci and
Grant Imahara took to the road to test this hypothesis.
The trio constructed a washboard surface to drive across and set up high-speed cameras
to monitor the tire motion. Grant cranked up a 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and
cruised across the corrugated surface at 5 miles per hour, then at 70 miles per hour. The
high-speed camera footage revealed that the faster-moving wheels literally move across
bumps in the road, and Grant concurred that the speedier test run felt much smoother.
The MythBusters did warn that if a driver encounters a major bump — say, a pothole —
along a normal paved road, slowing down for the sudden bounce is a wise idea for the
vehicle's suspension. But if you find yourself cruising on a washboard road in the
Australian Outback, put the pedal to the metal and enjoy the ride.
As seen in "MythBusters: Shattering Subwoofer."
Neurologist
http://science.education.nih.gov/lifeworks.nsf/alphabetical+list/Physician,+Neurologist?
OpenDocument&ShowTab=All&
Job Description
According to the AAN, a neurologist treats the following neurological disorders: Stroke,
Pain, Headache, Epilepsy, Tremor, Sleep disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, Multiple sclerosis, Brain and spinal cord injuries, Brain tumors, Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Neurologists are principal care providers or consultants to other doctors. When a person
has a neurological disorder that requires frequent care, a neurologist is often the principal
care provider. People with disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease,
seizure disorders or multiple sclerosis may use a neurologist as their principal care
doctor. In a consulting role, a neurologist will diagnose and treat a neurological disorder
and then advise the primary care doctor managing the person's overall health. For
example, a neurologist may act in a consulting role for conditions such as stroke,
concussion, or headache.
Neurologists can recommend surgical treatment, but they do not perform surgery. When
treatment includes surgery, neurologists may monitor the patients and supervise their
continuing treatment. Neurosurgeons are medical doctors who specialize in performing
surgical treatments of the brain or nervous system.
An accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective treatment. Diagnosis involves
getting a detailed health history of the patient, and neurological tests for vision, strength,
coordination, reflexes, and sensation. Sometimes, further tests are needed to reach a
diagnosis. Some common neurological tests are:
Computerized tomography or computer-assisted tomography (CT or CAT scan): This test
uses x-rays and computers to create multi-dimensional images of selected body parts.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI is an advanced way of taking pictures of
the inner brain.
Transcranial Doppler (TCD): This test uses sound waves to measure blood flow in the
vessels of the brain.
Neurosonography: This test uses ultra high frequency sound wave to analyze blood flow
and blockage in the blood vessels in or leading to the brain.
Electroencephalogram (EEG): The EEG records the brain's continuous electrical activity
through electrodes attached to the scalp.
Electromyogram (EMG): An EMG measures and records electrical activity in the
muscles and nerves.
Evoked Potentials: This test records the brain's electrical response to visual, auditory, and
sensory stimulation.
Sleep Studies: These tests are used to diagnose specific causes of sleep problems.
Cerebral Spinal Fluid Analysis (Spinal Tap or Lumbar Puncture):This test is used to
check for bleeding, hemorrhage, infection, or other disorder of the brain, spinal cord, and
nerves.
Working Conditions
According to the Occupation Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition, "Increasingly,
physicians are practicing in groups or health care organizations that provide backup
coverage and allow for more time off. These physicians often work as part of a team
coordinating care for a population of patients; they are less independent than solo
practitioners of the past.
Over one-third of full-time physicians and surgeons worked 60 hours or more a week in
2008. Only 8 percent of all physicians and surgeons worked part-time, compared with 16
percent for all occupations. Physicians and surgeons must travel frequently between
office and hospital to care for their patients. Those who are on call deal with many
patients’ concerns over the phone and may make emergency visits to hospitals or nursing
homes. "
Salary Range
According to the American Academy of Neurology and the Medical Group Management
Association’s 2006 Physician Compensation and Production Survey, in 2005 the median
annual earnings of neurologists were $216,199. Those in the 25th percentile earned
$182,287 and those in the 75th percentile earned $288,962 .
Education
According to the AAN , "A neurologist's training includes an undergraduate degree, four
years of medical school, a one-year internship, and three years of specialized training.
Many neurologists also have additional training in one area of neurology such as stroke,
epilepsy, or movement disorders. This is called a subspecialty. " Recommended high
school classes include Computers and Electronics, Biology, Mathematics, English,
Chemistry, and Physics. Postsecondary instructional programs include English
Language, Psychology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computers and
Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry.
According to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, patients can be assured
that an ABPN board-certified neurologist or child neurologist has specialized skills and
knowledge to diagnose and treat specific problems and to provide medical management
for a range of problems, including emergencies and long-term care of chronic
neurological disorders.
Core Competencies for Neurology include
1. Basic neuroscience that is critical to the practice of neurology
2. Pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric and neurological disorders and
familiarity with the scientific basis of neurology
3. Treatment for neurologic disorders and diseases across the lifespan.
Job Outlook
According to the Occupation Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition, "Employment of
physicians and surgeons is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations
through the year 2018 due to continued expansion of health care industries. The growing
and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as
consumers continue to demand high levels of care using the latest technologies,
diagnostic tests, and therapies. In addition to employment growth, job openings will
result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2008-18
period.
Demand for physicians’ services is highly sensitive to changes in consumer preferences,
health care reimbursement policies, and legislation. Demand for physician services may
also be tempered by patients relying more on other health care providers for some health
care services. In addition, new technologies will increase physician productivity.
Telemedicine will allow physicians to treat patients or consult with other providers
remotely. Increasing use of electronic medical records, test and prescription orders,
billing, and scheduling will also improve physician productivity.
Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physicians and surgeons are
expected to be very good. Reports of shortages in some specialties or geographic areas
should attract new entrants, encouraging schools to expand programs and hospitals to
expand available residency slots. However, because physician training is so lengthy,
employment change happens gradually. In the short term, to meet increased demand,
experienced physicians may work longer hours, delay retirement, or take measures to
increase productivity, such as using more support staff to provide services. Opportunities
should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, because some physicians find
these areas unattractive due to less control over work hours, isolation from medical
colleagues, or other reasons.
Unlike their predecessors, newly trained physicians face radically different choices of
where and how to practice. New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and
more likely to take salaried jobs in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks.
References





O*Net Online @ http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/29-1063.00\
American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology online at
http://www.abpn.com/downloads/core_comp_outlines/core_psych_neuro_v4.1.pdf
The Brain Matters Website @ http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.1
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11
Edition, Physicians and Surgeons, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm
The salary range found under the Job Description tab was approved by the American Academy of
Neurology and taken from the 2006 Physician Compensation and Production Survey with
permission from the Medical Group Management Association, 104 Inverness Terrace East,
Englewood, Colorado 80012;. www.mgma.com. Copyright 2006.
Fact Check: Yes,
Pregnancy Can Kill
By: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
19 October 2012 - A Republican congressman's claim that advances in science and
technology mean pregnancy no longer threatens a woman's life and health doesn't stand
up to scientific scrutiny.
In fact, conditions ranging from ectopic pregnancy, in which an embryo implants outside
the uterus, to preeclampsia, which causes skyrocketing blood pressure and can lead to
strokes and seizures, can and do threaten the lives of pregnant women. Preeclampsia and
gestational high blood pressure occur in about 6 percent to 8 percent of U.S. pregnancies,
according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
While those conditions are common, many individual cases have complications as well,
said Alison Cahill, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Washington University
School of Medicine in St. Louis.
"As a high-risk obstetrician, I see many women, in addition to those things, who have
pre-existing conditions, so other illness or medical problems that then make their
pregnancy high-risk," Cahill told LiveScience.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) told reporters Thursday night that he is anti-abortion without
exception for rape, incest, or life or health of the mother, Radio 720 WGN in Chicago
reported. He defended his stance on the life-and-health exceptions by saying, "This is an
issue that opponents of [pro-] life throw out there to make us look unreasonable. There is
no such exception as life of the mother and as far as health of the mother, same thing,
with advances in science and technology, health of the mother has become a tool for
abortions for any time under any reason."
Statistics tell a different story. In fact, though pregnancy-related deaths fell dramatically
in the 20th century, they have been on the rise since 1987, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. There were 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987.
By 2003, that number had risen to 14.5 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Better recordkeeping may account for some of the rise, according to the CDC, but an
increase in chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity may also
explain the increased risk of complications.
And despite Walsh's comments, pregnancy complications can't always be solved by
modern technology. Ectopic pregnancy, for example, affects 19.7 out of every 1,000
North American pregnancies, according to a paper published in February 2000 in the
journal American Family Physician. In these cases, embryos almost always implant in the
fallopian tubes, the connection between the ovaries and the uterus. The fallopian tubes
aren't capable of supporting a pregnancy; a growing embryo will rupture them, which can
cause uncontrollable bleeding. There is no technology available to save these
pregnancies.
Some ectopic pregnancies miscarry on their own, but most require a surgical or medical
abortion to prevent those life-threatening ruptures.
Preeclampsia is another pregnancy condition that stumps modern medicine. The
condition usually develops after 20 weeks of gestation for reasons not fully understood.
The only treatment is delivery.
Embolism (when a clot blocks a blood vessel), hemorrhage and the exacerbation of preexisting conditions such as diabetes or heart disease are the top causes of pregnancyrelated death, according to a 2003 paper published in the journal Obstetrics &
Gynecology. That study also found that pregnancy complications are not equalopportunity killers. Black women were nearly four times as likely as white women to die
because of pregnancy. Teens and women in their late 30s or older were also at higher risk
of pregnancy-related deaths.
Pregnancy can also turn chronic conditions into life-threatening ones. Cardiovascular
disorders such as pulmonary hypertension and vessel abnormalities can be worsened by
pregnancy, Cahill said. Pre-existing liver and kidney diseases can also threaten expectant
mothers' lives.
"I wish that modern science and modern medicine cured all of those things, but
unfrotuatnely that's just simply not true," Cahill said.
Walsh joins several other politicians this election cycle in glossing over scientific fact in
pursuit of an ideological point. In August, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) claimed that the
female body "has ways to try to shut that whole thing down" in regards to pregnancy
from rape. (Akin walked back his comments after a public outcry.) And earlier this
month, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), a member of the House Committee on Science, Space
and Technology, said that he believes the Earth is 9,000 years old, calling evolution, the
Big Bang Theory and embryology "lies straight from the pit of hell."
http://www.livescience.com/24127-fact-check-walsh-pregnancy-can-kill.html
Electrons' Elusive
Hideouts Imaged for
First Time
By: Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Senior Writer
02 October 2012 - For the first time, scientists have peered down to the level of a single
electron and observed quantum states that had only been theorized before.
Researchers imaged the magnetic orbits of electrons called Landau levels, which were
predicted in 1930 by Nobel Prize winner Lev Landau. These orbits represent the curved
paths electrons travel when exposed to very strong magnetic fields.
Previously, scientists had confirmed the levels exist by measuring the changes in electric
current that result when electrons switch from one Landau level to another. However, no
one has been able to see these levels until now.
"We are the first to have actually done what's called scanning tunneling microscopy and
really look at individual states," said physicist Rudolf Roemer of England's University of
Warwick. Roemer was a member of the research team, led by Koichi Hashimoto of
Japan's Tohoku University, that reported the achievement in a paper published in the
Sept. 14 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.
Tinier circles
When charged particles, such as electrons, are put inside a magnetic field, they travel
along curved paths, ultimately making a circle. As the magnetic field gets stronger and
stronger, these circles get smaller and smaller. The smallest possible circles for the
electrons to travel in are the Landau levels.
To image these levels, the physicists looked at electrons on the surface of a
semiconductor material. Then they used scanning tunneling spectroscopy to look for the
possible locations of electrons.
This technique images a sample by allowing electrons to try to pass into it at different
locations. If the location contains a feasible state for an electron, the particle will be able
to jump into that state through a process called tunneling, confirming that it exists; if the
location does not hold a potential electron state, there's nowhere for the electron to tunnel
into. In the resulting image, light areas represent the locations of possible states, while
black spots show the lack of electron states.
The pictures produced by Hashimoto and his team look remarkably like theoretical
simulations predicted they would.
"I was very much hoping it would come out like that, and of course we were surprised the
agreement was so good," Roemer told LiveScience. "The agreement is even
quantitatively so good."
Such images were never possible to make before because scanning tunneling
spectroscopy has never been so advanced. Each pixel in the team's pictures represents
more than a half-hour of data taking, Roemer said.
"You really have to have a very good experimental setup, and you have to have lots of
time," he said.
Redefining the kilogram
And Landau levels aren't just an esoteric curio. They could be put into practical use to
help redefine the kilogram, the fundamental unit of mass in the International System of
Units (SI). While most SI units are defined by relations between fundamental constants
that can be reproduced anywhere to derive the correct value, the kilogram is currently
defined by a golf ball-size lump of metal kept in a vault in France.
Scientists want to change that by defining the kilogram in terms of the weight it would
take to counterbalance an electromagnetic force produced by a magnetic coil. The
strength of this force is partly dependent on the von Klitzing constant, which is itself
linked to Landau levels.
"Imaging Landau levels doesn't help set up the balance, but it strengthens the
understanding of the underlying theory we have, that the von Klitzing constant is a
universal constant, and it tells us it's really true," Roemer said. "We can look at these
states and really find them there."
http://www.livescience.com/23639-electron-quantum-landau-levels-imaged.html
This
experimentally
imaged photo
is the first to
show Landau
Level 1, a
circular orbit
for electrons
inside a strong
magnetic field.
CREDIT:
University of
Warwick
Connection Between
Hawaii's Dueling
Volcanoes Explained
ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2012) — A new Rice University-led study finds that a deep
connection about 50 miles underground can explain the enigmatic behavior of two of
Earth's most notable volcanoes, Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The study, the first to
model paired volcano interactions, explains how a link in Earth's upper mantle could
account for Kilauea and Mauna Loa's competition for the same deep magma supply and
their simultaneous "inflation," or bulging upward, during the past decade.
The study appears in the November issue of Nature Geoscience.
The research offers the first plausible model that can explain both the opposing long-term
eruptive patterns at Mauna Loa and Kilauea -- when one is active the other is quiet -- as
well as the episode in 2003-2007 when GPS records showed that each bulged notably due
to the pressure of rising magma. The study was conducted by scientists at Rice
University, the University of Hawaii, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the
Carnegie Institution of Washington.
"We know both volcanoes are fed by the same hot spot, and over the past decade we've
observed simultaneous inflation, which we interpret to be the consequence of increased
pressure of the magma source that feeds them," said lead author Helge Gonnermann,
assistant professor of Earth science at Rice University. "We also know there are subtle
chemical differences in the lava that each erupts, which means each has its own plumbing
that draws magma from different locations of this deep source.
"In the GPS records, we first see inflation at Kilauea and then about a half a year later at
Mauna Loa," he said. "Our hypothesis is that the pressure is transmitted slowly through a
partially molten and thereby porous region of the asthenosphere, which would account
for the simultaneous inflation and the lag time in inflation. Because changes in pore
pressure are transmitted between both volcanoes at a faster rate than the rate of magma
flow within the porous region, this can also explain how both volcanoes are dynamically
coupled, while being supplied by different parts of the same source region."
Gonnermann said the transmission of pressure through the permeable rock in the
asthenosphere is akin to the processes that cause water and oil to flow through permeable
layers of rock in shallower regions of Earth's crust.
"When we fitted the deformation, which tells us how much a volcano inflates and
deflates, and the lava eruption rate at Kilauea, we found that our model could
simultaneously match the deformation signal recorded over on Mauna Loa," said James
Foster, co-author and assistant researcher at the University of Hawaii School of Ocean
and Earth Science and Technology. "The model also required an increase in the magma
supply rate to the deep system that matched very nicely with our interpretations and the
increased magma supply suggested by the jump in CO2 emissions that occurred in late
2003."
Mauna Loa and Kilauea, Earth's largest and most active volcanoes, respectively, are
located about 22 miles apart in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of
Hawaii. They are among the planet's most-studied and best-instrumented volcanoes and
have been actively monitored by scientists at USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
(HVO) since 1912. Kilauea has erupted 48 times on HVO's watch, with a nearly
continuous flank eruption since 1983. Mauna Loa has erupted 12 times in the same
period, most recently in 1984.
"To continue this research, we submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation
(NSF) earlier this summer to extend our study back in time to cover the last 50 years,"
Foster said. "We plan to refine the model to include further details of the magma
transport within each volcano and also explore how some known prehistoric events and
some hypothetical events at one volcano might impact the other. This work should help
improve our understanding of volcanic activity of each volcano."
Gonnermann said there has been disagreement among Earth scientists about the potential
links between adjacent volcanoes, and he is hopeful the new model could be useful in
studying other volcanoes like those in Iceland or the Galapagos Islands.
"At this point it is unclear whether Hawaii is unique or whether similar volcano coupling
may exist at other locations," Gonnermann said. "Given time and ongoing advances in
volcano monitoring, we can test if similar coupling between adjacent volcanoes exists
elsewhere."
Study co-authors include Michael Poland and Asta Miklius, both of HVO; Benjamin
Brooks of the University of Hawaii; and Cecily Wolfe of the University of Hawaii and
the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
The research was supported by the USGS and the NSF. The Kilauea and Mauna Loa GPS
networks are supported by grants from the USGS, NSF and NASA and operated in
collaboration by the USGS, Stanford University and the Pacific GPS Facility at the
University of Hawaii.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University. The original
article was written by Jade Boyd.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please
contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Helge M. Gonnermann, James H. Foster, Michael Poland, Cecily J. Wolfe, Benjamin A.
Brooks, Asta Miklius. Coupling at Mauna Loa and Kīlauea by stress transfer in an
asthenospheric melt layer. Nature Geoscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1612
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121023134810.htm
A unique change in the outer covering of the
virus found in two HIV infected South African
women enabled them to make potent
antibodies which are able to kill up to 88
percent of HIV types from around the world.
(Credit: © Jezper / Fotolia)
Lava flows from Pu'u 'O'o Crater on Kilauea.
(Credit: USGS)
Unique Feature of HIV
Helps Create Antibodies,
Researchers Discover
ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) — A new AIDS study, published Oct. 22 in the journal,
Nature Medicine, describes how a unique change in the outer covering of the virus found
in two HIV infected South African women enabled them to make potent antibodies which
are able to kill up to 88% of HIV types from around the world. The ground-breaking
discovery suggests an important new approach that could be useful in making an AIDS
vaccine.
The study, performed by members of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in
South Africa (CAPRISA) consortium, involves scientists from Wits University, the
National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg, the University of
KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Cape Town, who has been studying, over the last
five years, how certain HIV-infected people develop very powerful antibody responses.
These antibodies are referred to as broadly neutralising antibodies because they kill a
wide range of HIV types from different parts of the world. This CAPRISA team initially
discovered that two KwaZulu-Natal women, one of whom participated in the CAPRISA
004 tenofovir gel study, could make these rare antibodies.
Through long-term follow-up laboratory studies on these two women, the team led by
Wits researchers and Centre for HIV and STI at the National Institute for Communicable
Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service based scientists Dr Penny Moore and
Professor Lynn Morris, discovered that a sugar (known as a glycan) on the surface
protein coat of the virus at a specific position (referred to as position 332) forms a site of
vulnerability in the virus and enables the body to mount a broadly neutralizing antibody
response.
"Understanding this elaborate game of 'cat and mouse' between HIV and the immune
response of the infected person has provided valuable insights into how broadly
neutralizing antibodies arise," says Moore.
Morris, Head of AIDS Research at the NICD explained: "We were surprised to find that
the virus that caused infection in many cases did not have this antibody target on its outer
covering. But over time, the virus was pressured by body's immune reaction to cover
itself with the sugar that formed a point of vulnerability, and so allowed the development
of antibodies that hit that weak spot."
"Broadly neutralising antibodies are considered to be the key to making an AIDS
vaccine. This discovery provides new clues on how vaccines could be designed to elicit
broadly neutralising antibodies. The world needs an effective AIDS vaccine to overcome
the global scourge of AIDS," said Professor Salim Abdool Karim, Director of CAPRISA
and President of the Medical Research Council, in his comments on the significance of
the finding.
While their existence has been known for a while, highly potent forms of broadly
neutralizing antibodies against HIV were only identified about 3 years ago. Until now, it
was not known how the human body is able to make broadly neutralizing antibodies.
This study discovered one mechanism by which these antibodies may be made. To make
this discovery, the research team studied the target of some of these antibodies, a sugar
that coats the surface protein of HIV, forming a site of vulnerability. By tracing back the
evolution of the virus that elicited these antibodies, this team showed that this particular
weak point was absent from the virus that first infected these women.
However, under constant pressure from other less powerful antibodies that develop in all
infected people, their HIV was forced to expose this vulnerability over time. This allowed
the broadly neutralizing antibodies to develop.
Analysis of a large number of other viruses from throughout the world, performed in
collaboration with scientists from the University of North Carolina and Harvard
University, suggest that the vulnerability at position 332 may be present at the time of
infection in about two thirds of subtype C viruses (the subtype most common in Africa).
Hence, if a vaccine is developed to target this glycan only, it may not be able to
uniformly neutralize all subtype C viruses; as a result AIDS vaccines may need to attack
multiple targets on the virus.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of the
Witwatersrand.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please
contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Penny L Moore, Elin S Gray, C Kurt Wibmer, Jinal N Bhiman, Molati Nonyane, Daniel J
Sheward, Tandile Hermanus, Shringkhala Bajimaya, Nancy L Tumba, Melissa-Rose
Abrahams, Bronwen E Lambson, Nthabeleng Ranchobe, Lihua Ping, Nobubelo Ngandu,
Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Salim S Abdool Karim, Ronald I Swanstrom, Michael S
Seaman, Carolyn Williamson, Lynn Morris. Evolution of an HIV glycan–dependent
broadly neutralizing antibody epitope through immune escape. Nature Medicine,
2012; DOI: 10.1038/nm.2985
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121022081141.htm
Photo Gallery:
Big Cats
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/big-cat-pictures1.htm
Amur leopard
(Panthera pardus orientalis) are one of
the rarest and most endangered big
cats. There are less than 40 known
Amur leopards left in the wild.
altrendo nature/Getty Images
Black panthers
are actually black-coated
(melanistic) leopards and not a
distinct species. Leopards are the
most widespread members of the
cat family.
Tim Flach/Getty Images
Canada lynx
(Lynx canadensis) sleeps in rock
crevices and caves during the day
and hunts at night. Its main source
of food is the snowshoe hare, but
it also eats rodents and birds.
Matthias Breiter/Getty Images
Margays
are found in forested areas from
northern Mexico to northern Argentina
and Uruguay. The margay grows to be
40 inches (102 centimeters) long,
which includes a 16-inch (41centimeter) tail.
JH Pete Carmichael/Getty Images
Bobcats
are found in forested, swampy, or
semiarid regions of North America,
from southern Canada to central
Mexico. The bobcat is named for its
short, "bobbed" tail and is related to
the lynx.
Peter Lilja/Getty Images
Caracal
is a golden cat that lives in dry
regions, from Africa to India.
When a caracal is ready to attack,
it turns its ears toward its back, but
doesn't completely flatten them (as
seen in the picture).
Tom Brakefield/Getty Images
Snow leopard
lives above the timberline in
the high mountains of central
Asia. It feeds on wild sheep,
musk deer, rabbits, birds and
more.
James Martin/Getty Images
Cougar
is known by many names,
including mountain lion, puma,
painter, panther and catamount.
They are good leapers and tree
climbers.
Panoramic Images/Getty Images
Jaguarondi
(Felis yagouaroundi tolteca) is a
wildcat native to Arizona and
Mexico.
Konrad Wothe/Getty Images
Ocelots
can be found from southern Arizona
and Texas to northern Argentina. The
short fur of the ocelot is buff or gray
colored and is spotted with black dots
and oblong patches of dark brown and
black. These small cats are endangered
due to the destruction of their habitat
and the hunting for its fur.
Pete Oxford/Getty Images
http://www.sjfert.com/index.php/patient_
resources/ectopic_pregnancy/
http://theconcussionblog.com/what-is-a-concussion/