Flu drug ‘shows promise’ in overcoming resistance

image links to BBC article

Here’s the break down:

A new type of flu drug that can stop resistant strains in their tracks shows promise, say US researchers. It permanently blocks a key enzyme on the surface of the flu virus, stopping it from spreading to other cells.

The World Health Organization estimates that influenza affects three to five million people every year.

Resistance to the existing flu drugs Relenza and Tamiflu is becoming an increasing problem, largely due to their overuse.

A team of researchers from Canada, the UK and Australia developed a compound that binds to an enzyme on the surface of the flu virus called neuraminidase. The new class of drugs – DFSAs – permanently bind to the enzyme, blocking its action and stopping it from spreading further, the journal Science reported.

Prof John Oxford, a virology expert at Queen Mary, University of London, said the work seemed to be a significant step forward. “It is always nice to have an extra drug in the medicine cupboard and it would be reassuring if in the near future we had a second line drug.”

Thoughts:

Now we wait in a crouch position. It’s always easier for a disease to spread in times of over population. Perhaps the earth has had enough of our crap.

German town goes off the grid, achieves energy independence!

Image links to Treehugger article

“Imagine a town which no longer relies on fossil fuels or nuclear power, a place where residents reached into their own pockets to build their own energy grid, reaping the benefit of lower electric and heating prices from their investment. You are dreaming of Feldheim, a 100% energy independent town.”

To Live in a City Without Cars

Image links to Treehugger article.

I’ve been thinking about this article in a roundabout way lately and thought to search for it again. The city up for discussion is the ever so lovely Venice. There’s no auto of any kind here. You walk. Can you imagine how much healthier you’d be? And all the details you’d get to notice? It seems like a much calmer way for your brain. You could walk into the street without worrying about being hit with tons of steel and neither would animals. Deliveries and pick-ups are all done by hand cart. “Garbage in particular is fascinating; there is pickup every morning of something, plastics one day, paper the other and then garbage, all done by handcart. They have to do it quickly because of the rats. It is labor intensive but it is efficiently done.” Now what if we had a city like that here in the states? Have some spread out buildings. What if we had cobble stone walk ways to get to nearby shopping. You could ride your bike if you needed to go out a little further. Maybe a stretch of road connecting city to city that buses and semis use. Could you imagine the drop of pollution? There’d be no access of food buying at the grocery store because you could only buy what you could carry. All food could be fresh that day! Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like an awesome way to go! Will SimCity allow me to create this?

 

13 Year Old Finds a A Mutually Harmonous Solution For Lions And Cows in Kenya

Image links to Care2 article

With the ever dwindling count of lions in Africa one boy found a solution to keep both farmers and lions at an impasse. He started thinking up ways to scare away the lions. He tried everything from fires (which only seemed to help the lions) to scarecrows. Yet, the lions would find a way around because they “are very clever,” he says. Then he discovered they were scared of moving light. After taking apart his mother’s new radio (we don’t know what she had to say about that!), the young inventor rigged a few simple wires and light bulbs together to create a machine that would flash a series of lights, tricking the lions into thinking someone was walking around with a flashlight. The only thing he bought was a solar panel, which charges a battery that supplies power to the lights at night. He calls the system Lion Lights. Problem solved! One’s gotta figure that this is a temporary solution. They’re bound to eventually find that there’s no human at the other end of the flashing light.

Dog Rescued After Hit And Run in Bulgaria

Image links to Care2 article

Now named Lucky, he’s so happy and relieved that he just talks all day! The even has inspired nearby animal lovers to raise funds for the estimated 70,000 street dogs in the city of Sofia. The money is to go to vet clinics and rescue groups and improve the spay/neuter situation (some is often done poorly, resulting in some terrible deaths)

UK’s 50% deer cull to protect the countryside

Image links to BBC article

“Around half of the UK’s growing deer population needs to be shot each year to stop devastation of woodlands and birdlife, a group of scientists says.” As much as that statement bothers me, this article shows more than just a biased outlook that humans are better. “The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) commented that any cull must be carried out in a humane and controlled way and be supported by “strong science”. In a statement, the RSPCA said it was “opposed in principle to the killing or taking of all wild animals unless there is strong science to support it, or evidence that alternatives are not appropriate.”

“What we are advocating isn’t removing deer from the countryside – what we are advocating is trying to get on top of the deer population explosion and try to control the problems that are being caused. And in a way, [venison] provides a sustainable food source where you know where it comes from, you know it is ethically sourced, you know it is safe to eat, and that puts food on people’s tables. As much as I love deer, to be a meat eater but then to object to the culling and harvesting of deer seems to be inconsistent.”