November 20, 2009
Category: Atheism
I am so pissed off. I didnt get out of the lab until quarter till 6 tonight, so there was no friggen way I could get down to OU to see Barker (feed/potty Arnie, feed/potty me, 15 mph on I-35... I would have gotten there by the time his presentation was over. Why the hell is it that on Friday nights I have loose, whatever plans, I can sneak out early at 4, but the Friday I want to leave early, I end up being wrapped up in BL-3 till 5 fourty-fucking-five???? RAAAAAGE!!!)
So I was all hyped up for some quality atheist entertainment, and Im at home instead.
...
So Im going to bitch about w00mynz in atheism.
------------
PZ is awesome.
He gave me (and other female atheists) plugs on Pharyngula, and irl/online interviews when we were nobodies (I HAS BLAG I R FAMOOSE NAU!!!), and he hasnt even been properly certified by SciBlogs REAL Feminists(TM)*!
My first link from PZ was on my debate with Lenny Horowitz.
Please note he made no mention of 'Guys shes a girl we need to support her!!'
He didnt say anything about my gender.
Just my arguments and a general 'Hurrah!' for support.
*thumbs-up*
While later he and I a conversation on bloggingheads-- We both threw back lots of ideas for things to talk about, and PZ was very adamant about giving me an opportunity to talk about being a woman in science.
Well, the thing is, I probably have a very different view of that than most people (not just women), so I didnt really want to, but PZ kicks ass and wanted to give me the opportunity.
*thumbs-up*
I would be crushed if I found out PZ didnt really like (or even listen to) my debate, but felt the need to link to more female bloggers, and I was good enough.
I would be crushed if I found out PZ didnt really want to talk to me on blogging heads cause we could clear the air on epigenetics, or he wanted to lol about our antics with Creationists, but just scanned his blog-roll for some female, cause he felt 'man guilt'.
So when atheist/skeptical groups are looking for speakers, I want them to say 'Oh Ive heard Abbie gives really good presentations on Creationism... maybe she will give a speech about being a scientist in a Red State!' or 'Weve never had anyone talk about HIV Denial, Abbie would be informative and funny!'
I would even be happy if they said 'Abbie is hot! Lets get her to perform a Rock Band concert for scholarships to AAI!'
*wince* I would rather be run over by a bus than be picked randomly off a list of 'FEMALE ATHEISTS' to fill a guilty diversity quota. "Um... I guess Abbie can talk about Creationism... we have 900 other people talking on it... whove been doing it longer... and were at Dover... but... um... shes got a vagina... soooo...."
I dont think this is what PZ means in his post at all, but I think it could be an easy knee-jerk reaction for organizers of these events-- "AAAH! We need more women!! Name more women!! Who? Ill Google her! Good enough-- whats another one???", so Im saying it straight up:
You want me for my expertise/perspective/body, fine.
Dont ask me just because Im female.
That would make me feel stupid, useless, and used.
Note-- WOOMYNZ opinions offered on ERV might differ from your local WOOMYNZ, so please consult and react accordingly.
* WHITE D00D!!! WHIIIIITE D0000000DE!!! D0000000000000DE!! *collapses in a pile of shoes, puke, and delusions*
Posted by ERV at 8:00 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 19, 2009
Category: Immunology
I hate how the 'new' Technorati doesnt let you see everyone whos linked to you. Sometimes, smaller blogs with less traffic write a neat post and link to me, but I dont 'see' the post unless I happen to catch one of their readers clicking to me on SiteMeter.
*FROWNY FACE AT TECHNORATI*
I just happened to catch an interesting post at this blag, Shiningthelights Blog. Dude might be nuts, I dunno. But I do like a Q they brought up (a month ago, *FROWNY FACE AT TECHNORATI*):
Is a mouse leukemia virus contaminating vaccine reagents the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Now, this Q might be coming from a place of deep distrust of all vaccines or the government or whatever-- I dunno. Doesnt matter. Can you answer that Q? Then its a good learnin opportunity, even if it comes from a place of crazy.
Do I think XMRV came from a contaminated cell line? It was one of my posts that got referenced, Oops: Contaminated cell-lines from the NIH.
No.
But thats partially because I think XMRV has shit (or is one of many components, almost shit) to do with Chronic Fatigue.
Its also because there are a gazillion cell lines with +gazillion uses-- And TZM-bls have nothing to do with vaccines. Like I said in that post, problems with that cell line are restricted to people using them as indicator cells for HIV-1 infection. Thats it. Thats all we use those cells for.
But still, how do we know? Can we be certain XMRV wasnt introduced to the population via vaccines?
Well, first we can wipe all the bacterial vaccines off the list (diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal, haemophilus influenzae type b, pertussis). Bacterial vaccines arent anywhere near cell lines.
Then we can knock out anything grown in yeast (HPV, Hepatitis B).
And measles, mumps, and influenza are grown in eggs.
Polio is a sturdy little mo-fo. The stuff we have to do to it to 'kill it' would blow the brains out of a wussy, fragile, enveloped retrovirus like XMRV (I just have to use a teeny tiny bit of formaldehyde to kill HIV-1 in the lab).
The people who have CFS now are too old to have gotten the chicken-pox or rotavirus vaccine, so Im not looking them up.
So... we are left with Rubella and Hepatitis A. They are the only ones attenuated/grown in human cells... but theyre lyophilized, and have formaldehyde... Thatll pretty much kill XMRV.
I guess technically, that evil 'formaldehyde' is actually kinda protecting you from wayward/undetected/undiscovered viruses in vaccines...
Even ignoring that the epidemiology of XMRV in vaccines-->CFS doesnt make sense, Im not concerned that vaccines meant for human use have XMRV in them.
*shrug*
But it was a good question!
Posted by ERV at 9:00 PM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 18, 2009
Category: Douchebaggery!
Hi Bill!
I think Ive figured out why youve been... unresponsive... to the Skeptical communitys efforts to educate you on vaccines.
All the people addressing you have been cranky old men.
Apparently you dont swing that way.
I hearby offer to give you a personal crash-course in immunology, virology, and why scientists are so 'into' vaccines.
In my bikini.
Skeptic community gets you to quit spouting anti-vaccine BS on TV (and 'Twitter'), you get an out for admitting youre wrong ('34D! Id believe anything she said!') and can put this topic behind you.
Call my people.
Yours in Christ,
Abbie
Posted by ERV at 10:00 PM • 47 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 16, 2009
Category: Virology
100 years ago, American Chestnut trees grew up and down the East coast. Great wood, nommy nuts, awesome! Unfortunately, an epidemic of an Asian fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, basically wiped them out.
Asian Chestnut trees are resistant to the Asian fungus, so theoretically we could 'save' the American chestnut industry by planting Asian trees here... but they dont have the same beneficial features of the American species.
How can we save the American Chestnut?
Solution 1 (in progress)-- Keep crossing Asian Chestnut trees with American chestnut trees until you get a tree with American characteristics and Asian fungus resistance (or take a shortcut and make a GMO).
Solution 2-- While Solution 1 is going, give currently surviving American Chestnut trees a therapeutic vaccine. Therapeutic vaccines dont prevent infection like the vaccines you are familiar with (like MMR, which prevents measles/mumps/rubella), they are given post-exposure to limit pathogenesis.
American Chestnut trees with Asian fungal lesions are given a 'vaccine' in the form of more fungus... but this fungus is infected with a fungal virus, hypoviridae. The virus goes on to infect all of the fungus infecting the tree, weakening the fungus so the trees immune system can kill it off!
Fleas on the backs of fleas!
You cant use virus/fungus as a prophylactic vaccine, as plants dont have an adaptive immune system like we do (they dont 'remember' pathogens theyve seen before). But this therapeutic 'vaccination' strategy can keep the American Chestnut population alive long enough for the breeders to find a permanent solution!
Posted by ERV at 8:33 AM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 15, 2009
Category: Atheism
Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation is going to be speaking at OU this Friday!
November 20
6:30 pm
Dale Hall
I-35 is Hell in the evening rush hour (last time I went to Norman we were going 15 mph. on an interstate. RAAAAAAGE!!), plus its a Friday, so all you OKCers make sure you leave early enough to get there on time!
Dan is going to be speaking on 'How to be good without God'.
Know what will be funny? If CFI cancels their invitation cause they insist Dans speech be pre-approved, and he wont change stuff they dont like, and then he shows up anyway, and we all beat-up/mace Annie Gaylor...
Too bad that wont happen, cause OUs CFI is made up of some fun, open-minded kids, and its not a troupe of morons.
lol!
Posted by ERV at 12:49 PM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 13, 2009
Category: Virology
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, 'visionary' scientists like Francis Collins thought 'genetic diseases' were coming to an end. Because they believed in 'OGOD', 'one gene, one disease' (lol, *blink*), they were sure identifying 'disease' genes would... somehow... give us the ability to cure said diseases.
Unfortunately, even ignoring the technical issues weve had with gene therapy, OGOD isnt exactly how genetic diseases work. Yes, some are caused by one dysfunctional gene, like X-linked ALD I wrote about earlier, but many more are caused by a constellation of genes, environmental stressors on those genes, infectious agents colliding with malfunctioning genes at just the right time...
I dont want you all to get the impression that treating/curing genetic diseases is going to be as 'easy' as the previous post made it out to be.
This is the case with a form of blindness-- Lebers congenital amaurosis (LCA). People born with this disease progressively go blind in infancy-childhood. There are numerous forms of LCA caused by a combination of 13 genes. Where do you start when youre trying to treat a multifactorial disease? Take small steps. Simplify it.
Researchers knew 6% of all LCA cases are caused by a defective RPE65 gene. Without this enzyme, you cant metabolize Vitamin A (EAT YOUR CARROTS!), you go blind.
So they started there:
Age-dependent effects of RPE65 gene therapy for Leber's congenital amaurosis: a phase 1 dose-escalation trial.
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 12:00 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 10, 2009
Category: Virology
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-linked ALD) is a demyelination disease in little boys. The kids are usually dead before they hit adolescence.
:(
The demyelination mechanism is not the same as the demyelination disease you all have heard of, MS. With X-linked ALD, the kids dont have a functional ABCD1 gene. This means they cant break down very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and they end up accumulating in the brain and screwing with the cells in charge of keeping up myelination, oligodendrocytes and microglia. Screw those guys up, screw up your myelin, screw up signal transduction in your brain and CNS.
X-linked ALD can be treated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. You all can tell from the Wikipedia page, this isnt something you want to do unless you literally have no other options--
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains a risky procedure with many possible complications; it has traditionally been reserved for patients with life-threatening diseases. While occasionally used experimentally in nonmalignant and nonhematologic indications such as severe disabling auto-immune disease and cardiovascular disease, the risk of fatal complications appears too high to gain wider acceptance.
Know what might be a better option, especially for kids who cant find transplant matches?
Retroviral gene therapy.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene Therapy with a Lentiviral Vector in X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 8:49 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 6, 2009
Category: General Science • Politics
Though only a handful of ERV readers are from Oklahoma, I know all of you are familiar with the handiwork of Senator Randy Brogdon.
He was the fellow who recently tried to get Creationism taught in Oklahoma public schools (FAIL).
Dude is a fucking IDiot (and just plain old idiot) who hates science:
I am also disgusted with the yearlong one-sided celebration of Darwinism that OU is sponsoring on their campus.
Disgusted? Really? Not 'disappointed', or 'dismayed', or 'intrigued, so Im going to check it out', but
disgusted? Fantastic.
So what happens when you combine:
1. Anti-science
2. New found hatred of the US federal government
3. Xenophobia/racism
4. Infantile inability to delay immediate gratification for long-term goals
???
Attacks on university professors performing federally funded research!
(link-- might not work, video #1 isnt embedding, and is occasionally disappearing, way to go 'News 6')
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 10:30 AM • 41 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
November 4, 2009
Category: Evolution • Virology
Professor Santiago Elena, one of the profs who presented at the Viral Evolution conference I went to last fall, is featured in a nifty video about watching evilution in action!
Evolution of Life: Evolution before our eyes
Just like I use evilution in the lab to understand the population dynamics of HIV-1 to create an HIV-1 vaccine, Dr. Elena uses evolution to understand how viruses evolve and adapt in plants, which will help us protect our crops.
Evolution isnt just about retarded monkey-fish-frogs. Understanding it has a direct impact on your quality of life.
Hat Tip to Teh Evilutionary Biologist!
Posted by ERV at 12:00 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'm a graduate student studying the molecular and biochemical evolution of HIV within patients and within populations. I also study epigenetic control of ERVs.
