Going Viral
November, 2011 - Vol. 1, Issue 12
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News in Life Science Technology
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Vaccine doesn't increase the short term risk of developing shingles
A study presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual meeting showed that Zostavax, the live attenuated shingles or herpes zoster vaccine, does not increase the short term risk of developing shingles. The study tracked nearly 7,000 patients over the age of 60 who received the live zoster vaccine between 2006 and 2009.
Caused by the same virus that is responsible for chickenpox in children, shingles can remain dormant through adulthood and manifest itself as a painful, blistering rash. Nearl y one in 50 older adults with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are also affected by shingles.
Experts say Zostavax is especially effective in reducing the risk for older individuals who do not receive immunosuppressive medications. For those who do receive immunosuppressive medications, the risk of shingles decreases after a six-week period due to natural protective antibodies that fight the infection.
Read more
How good is the influenza vaccine?
Since 1967, more than 5,700 studies have focused on determining the effectiveness of flu vaccines. A recent review of these studies, however, concluded that due to improper assessment methods, many flu vaccines don't protect as well as is generally perceived.
The review of the studies determined that the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine is 59 percent effective for individuals 18-65, meaning 41 out of 100 people immunized in that age group are still susceptible to the flu. The infectious, attenuated vaccine is 83 percent effective, but only in children ages six months to seven years old.
Data are lacking for several vaccines including the inactivated vaccine for two to 17 year olds and adults 65 and older, which are significant groups needing protection from influenza to prevent serious illness and death. Data were also lacking for the attenuated vaccine in the eight to 17 years old group.
Due to the surprising ineffectiveness of flu vaccines, the question of how the public will respond is raised. Many people may feel it is not necessary to receive a flu shot and the author suggests better influenza vaccine options need to be explored in the future.
Read more
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Virus of the Month: Human Metapneumovirus
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First identified 10 years ago in the Netherlands, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) can cause both upper and lower respiratory tract infections in people of all ages worldwide. hMPV is classified as a negative single-stranded RNA virus in the Pneumovirinae subfamily of the Paramyxoviridae family. It is genetically similar to the avian pneumoviruses A, B and particularly type C. The virus has its greatest effect in young children, accounting for two to 12 percent of pediatric respiratory illnesses, but it is capable of infecting again in late childhood or adult life.
Illness typically develops within days of hMPV infection, but the virus is difficult to distinguish from other viral-associated bronchiolitis illnesses such as RSV, influenza and parainfluenza. The majority of children infected with the virus have a severe cough, rhinorrhea or severe fever. The virus is milder in adults and is characterized by a cough, hoarseness, congestion or rhinorrhea.
hMPV is most likely to spread through close contact with respiratory secretions or by contact with items that have the virus on them. In the U.S., the virus typically spreads in late winter or early spring.
Identification of hMPV involves reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. Alternative approaches include a number of antibody-based detection methods.
There is currently no antiviral treatment for hMPV infection. Medications that can relieve symptoms are fever reducers, antihistamines and, in severe cases, breathing treatments. While it does not commonly result in death, hMPV can be very serious for those with chronic illnesses and for infants.
The following online resources were utilized for this section of Going Viral:
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InDevR in Brief
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ampliPHOX® delivers results for low-density microarrays
Over the past decade, InDevR has developed a range of technologies to revolutionize microbiological analysis. Now, we're excited to announce the availability of a breakthrough microarray detection technology. ampliPHOX® Colorimetric Detection Technology provides visual colorimetric readout for low-density and diagnostic microarray applications in minutes. Using a miniature reader that weighs less than three pounds and a netbook controller, ampliPHOX has high impact for glass substrate microarrays based on DNA, proteins, antibodies, miRNA, peptides and aptamers.
ampliPHOX provides equivalent sensitivity to fluorescence with a simple colorimetric readout. The ampliPHOX process takes just 15 minutes to complete. After biotinylated targets are captured, a proprietary solution is added. A light-initiated chemical reaction then forms solid polymer spots on the microarray. When the ampliPHOX Reader illuminates the array, polymer grows selectively from locations where the biotinylated targets were captured. The process can be seen with the naked eye and imaged by the ampliPHOX Reader.
ampiPHOX delivers fast, visible results at one-tenth the cost of a fluorescence reader. No capital equipment is required to begin using the technology. Each ampliPHOX starter kit contains everything necessary to generate results quickly and reordering supplies from InDevR is simple through online shopping.
For a limited time only, InDevR is offering a FREE ampliPHOX Reader, netbook and software with the purchase of 10 reagent kits! Order 10 reagent kits for delivery over a maximum of 18 months and you will receive everything you need to conduct sensitive, easy-to-use detection of low-density microarrays.
Click here to learn more about the ampliPHOX technology and our special limited time offer!
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Green Ideas
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What's the greenest way to dry your hands?
The restroom is one space that every business, hospital and nonprofit has. Believe it or not, even this area of the building can "go green" and save money on operation costs.
The life cycles of hand-drying methods (meaning the environmental impact the methods' products have over their use periods) have been the focus of a recent MIT study. There are many seemingly sustainable options to choose from and the myriad of options can make it difficult to choose what is best for the environment.
MIT, commissioned by Dyson, evaluated the environmental impact of 100 percent recycled content paper towels, 100 percent virgin content paper towels, cotton towels on a roll, a generic dryer, and three Dyson dryer models. The Airblade, a cold-air driven model, was named the most environmentally friendly hand drying method by using a tallying system that ranked environmental impact. (The higher the number, the greater the impact.) The worst methods were paper towels because of the production, packaging and transport involved and generic hand dryers because of the energy used during drying.
While the researchers stated that it's difficult to compare the methods, they said it does "address the gap" between the effects different hand drying methods have on the environment.
How does your office dry its hands? One simple change could make a world of difference.
Read the full article here.
InDevR would like to learn more about things you are doing to make your business and our planet a little "greener". Feel free to send any tips or solutions to info@indevr.com. They may be featured in an upcoming issue of Going Viral! |
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