Some wonderful news!
New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62797776)
"A malaria vaccine with "world-changing" potential has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.
The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease.
Crucially, say the scientists, their vaccine is cheap and they already have a deal to manufacture more than 100 million doses a year.
The charity Malaria No More said recent progress meant children dying from malaria could end "in our lifetimes"."
Quote from: Tank on September 08, 2022, 01:04:31 PMchildren dying from malaria could end "in our lifetimes"."
Well, if they are dying from malaria while "we" are not... Seems likely, is all the Asmo's saying ;D
the chinese are way ahead of the west on malaria
they isolated artimisinin from looking into old chinese traditional medicine books
Combine some roach goo with some powdered rhino horn, add a sprinkle of lizard foreskins and a eye of a blind bat, and voilà!
Nah... I shouldn't mock. Some traditional medicine has some validity. Sometimes.
Quote from: Asmodean on September 10, 2022, 04:37:59 PMCombine some roach goo with some powdered rhino horn, add a sprinkle of lizard foreskins and a eye of a blind bat, and voilà!
Nah... I shouldn't mock. Some traditional medicine has some validity. Sometimes.
I think every single example of folk medicine should be recorded and thoroughly investigated and researched. It's pragmatic medicine at its finest.
the antimalarial drug was a for real example.
Digitalis from Fox Gloves and Aspirin from Willow trees also come to mind.
yes and atropine from nightshades. and curare
one of the biggest losses from extinctions in tropical forests is natural pharmaceuricals
I totally agree. We haven't catalogued all of the organisms let alone examined their medical properties. :(
i knew an evolutionary ecologist who pointed out an uncomfortable truth once, which was that in terms of value to human society, it was better to let the arctic and antarctic die and concentrate on the tropical rain forests.
his argument was that species diversity in the polar regions is so low that benefits to humans based on flora and fauna were negligible, whereas in the tropics there was so much going on that it would be more unfortuneate to lose it.
the real point of his argument in the end is that we cant save everything-- its dying all around us-- and we re going to have to make hard decisions about what we want top concentrate on.
lots of the amazon is already gonbe beyond recovery, i have just read
Hm. I suspect that for every legitimate traditional remedy there be ten on par with homeopathy - or worse.
Quote from: billy rubin on September 10, 2022, 10:01:02 PMi knew an evolutionary ecologist who pointed out an uncomfortable truth once, which was that in terms of value to human society, it was better to let the arctic and antarctic die and concentrate on the tropical rain forests.
his argument was that species diversity in the polar regions is so low that benefits to humans based on flora and fauna were negligible, whereas in the tropics there was so much going on that it would be more unfortuneate to lose it.
the real point of his argument in the end is that we cant save everything-- its dying all around us-- and we re going to have to make hard decisions about what we want top concentrate on.
lots of the amazon is already gonbe beyond recovery, i have just read
I can agree with his logic.
Quote from: Asmodean on September 10, 2022, 10:07:11 PMHm. I suspect that for every legitimate traditional remedy there be ten on par with homeopathy - or worse.
If the ratio were 100:1 it would still be worth the recearch.
i dont put much credence in tiger whiskers or grinding fossil brachiopods for medicine, but herbal stuff is a whole different category. there are centuries of hands-on experimentation thst generate specific uses.
easy to test
nothing to lose
Noted some cautious wording in the article:
"We hope that this will be deployed . . ."
"the potential achievement that this vaccine could have if it's rolled out . . ."
Then there is the question of acceptance by those who would benefit. Still, sounds like excellent work by Oxford's team at the Jenner Institute.
What was the name of the movie that had a grumpy old research guy and an attractive woman exploring tropical medicines in the Amazon.? They found, after the story developed, ants that inhabited trees had some therapeutic juices.
the venom from ordinary american red harvester ants is hotter than from rattlesnakes
(https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/03/30/PSAT/579ba68e-5224-4a21-829c-a3afa77f88f3-Harvester_Ants-1.JPG?width=1320&height=854&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
^^^these are about a quaerter inch long
A vaccine would go a long way towards alleviating a vast amount of human misery in the countries that have the problem. I consider it a good first step, but I'd like to see the vector(s) eliminated. I realize that the mosquitoes in question provide a niche in the ecosystem, but unless the bloodsuckers are eliminated, they'll just spread other diseases, like zika, dengue fever, etc. I've seen where animals have died, unable to get to safety before they were sufficiently drained of blood. I'd bet money that if those mosquitoes were eliminated, some other insect would fill that niche. Bugs are quick that way.
Quote from: billy rubin on September 16, 2022, 02:17:10 AMthe venom from ordinary american red harvester ants is hotter than from rattlesnakes
(https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/03/30/PSAT/579ba68e-5224-4a21-829c-a3afa77f88f3-Harvester_Ants-1.JPG?width=1320&height=854&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
^^^these are about a quaerter inch long
How about these beauties?
Zompopos de Mayo.
(https://guanacos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/zompopo.jpg)
https://guanacos.com/los-zompopos-de-mayo-el-atractivo-de-invierno/ (https://guanacos.com/los-zompopos-de-mayo-el-atractivo-de-invierno/)
QuoteMay zompopos are from the ant family and we can notice it in their shape, but unlike them, they have wings. This species comes out when the first heavy rains occur, because for the males and the virgin queens it is the opportunity to mate.
https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalvador/Conozca-las-curiosidades-que-resguardan-los-zompopos-de-mayo-20160508-0067.html (https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalvador/Conozca-las-curiosidades-que-resguardan-los-zompopos-de-mayo-20160508-0067.html)
QuoteCastes of ants: the minimum workers (2 mm in length), the middle workers (10 mm in length), the major workers or soldiers (20 mm in length, with a much larger head), the males, and the queens.
Quote from: Icarus on September 16, 2022, 01:52:18 AMWhat was the name of the movie that had a grumpy old research guy and an attractive woman exploring tropical medicines in the Amazon.? They found, after the story developed, ants that inhabited trees had some therapeutic juices.
I remember this one!
QuoteMedicine Man came out in 1992 and was directed by John McTiernan who also directed Predator and The Hunt for Red October. Connery plays Dr. Robert Campbell a researcher working deep in the Amazon jungle who stumbles across a cure for the plague of the 20th century, cancer.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTI5MzkzNjI4MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTcyMzcxMQ@@._V1_.jpg)
Quote from: Dark Lightning on September 16, 2022, 02:38:55 AMA vaccine would go a long way towards alleviating a vast amount of human misery in the countries that have the problem.
On one hand, it absolutely would. On the other, there's the production and distribution logistics... And the unintended/semi-intended consequences if they are overcome, such as increasing population - possibly (even more) out of tact with the availability of resources, volatile political climate... And equally-volatile other climate. Yeah. It may well be substituting death by one disease for death by another - or disease for starvation. Or war. Or both.
I suppose one problem at a time is the only way to sensibly approach multivariate issues, so no rain upon the parade intended - I just think we should also approach it with a dose of realism. For instance, when someone says that "x million lives were saved by this here vaccine" does it account for how many of those very lives have ended untimely due to other factors..? "Saved from a fire, yes. Pats on the back all around. Shot in the head on the way out of the burning building, you say? Very sad, that, but do let us never mind." I think one can apply this logic to the general amount of misery in an area as well.
Still, that's defeatist talk, and that's bad. Because... I have no idea why, actually. There is cool science involved, and with it, eventually, perhaps the misery will lessen indeed. Personally, I think corruption has to go before there is any real chance of that, but I also think that in any given society, enough people will always look out for number one to make that difficult at best.
QuoteI consider it a good first step, but I'd like to see the vector(s) eliminated. I realize that the mosquitoes in question provide a niche in the ecosystem, but unless the bloodsuckers are eliminated, they'll just spread other diseases, like zika, dengue fever, etc. I've seen where animals have died, unable to get to safety before they were sufficiently drained of blood. I'd bet money that if those mosquitoes were eliminated, some other insect would fill that niche. Bugs are quick that way.
The above having been said, I do agree with this. On all counts, in fact. [Affordable] vaccine is better than no [affordable] vaccine. The Asmo is all for genocide when it comes to bitey things. When sufficiently genocided, other bitey things usually come crawling into the now-empty niche to sneak up on a unsuspecting Asmo and bite Him right in the middle of His divine Butt Cheek, which is not only unacceptable, but probably amounts to sexual harassment! :rant1:
Quote from: Asmodean on September 16, 2022, 12:11:08 PM... The Asmo is all for genocide when it comes to bitey things. When sufficiently genocided, other bitey things usually come crawling into the now-empty niche to sneak up on a unsuspecting Asmo and bite Him right in the middle of His divine Butt Cheek, which is not only unacceptable, but probably amounts to sexual harassment! :rant1:
:snicker:
cant find a text for this old short story, who speaks for man. cousins?
its a judgment day, and man is in the dock. three species need to speak for man, else he will be eradicated.
the dog immediately jumps to man's side.
the horse laughs and runs away.
the cat walks off because the man asked the dog first.
some other species speaks for man? i forget. things are looking bad.
finally a small voice is heard, far back. it is the mosquito.
i speak for man, says the small voice.
moral of the story ending