While Dems are frantically trying to separate themselves from Obama and his failed presidency, Teh Won himself is offering up rich fodder for Republican campaign ads.
What It’s About – Scott Brown ad [:37]
Mistake – Pat Roberts [:36]
In music, as in politics and religion, I tend to be an uptight traditionalist, which is why I don’t care for most modern concert music. But I love the music of Eric Whitacre, whose beautiful compositions for voice, choir, orchestra, and various instrumental ensembles prove that “modern” does not have to mean discordant, vulgar, transgressive, profane, disturbing, or ugly. Whitacre composed “October,” a short piece for concert band, in 2000. He said, “Something about the crisp autumn air and the subtle changes in light always make me a little sentimental, and as I started to sketch I felt the same quiet beauty in the writing. The simple, pastoral melodies and the subsequent harmonies are inspired by the great English Romantics, as I felt this style was also perfectly suited to capture the natural and pastoral soul of the season.”
Here it is, performed by the Emory Wind Ensemble:
As always happens with beautiful music, “October” has been transcribed for many instruments and combinations of instruments, from solo piano to full orchestra and everything in between. I especially like this version for string quintet and percussion, with all the parts played by two musicians:
Eleven years after its composition, Whitacre reworked “October” into a choral piece, “Alleluia.” There are many lovely performances of it available, but my favorite is this one, sung by a gentleman whose virtuosity and vocal range are nothing short of astonishing:
(If you’d like to know more about Eric Whitacre, check out his website here.)
Filed under Loose Pollen
CHRONIC ILLNESSES
Hepatitis C virus persists chronically in the liver in about 85% of those infected. This chronic infection can be treated with medication. Overall, 50–80% of people treated are cured. The primary route of transmission in the developed world is intravenous drug use, while in the developing world the main methods are blood transfusions and unsafe medical procedures. No vaccine is available.
HIV is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV. There is no cure or vaccine; however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection is 9 to 11 years.
ACUTE ILLNESSES, NO VACCINES
Ebola affects humans and other primates that causes an acute illness that is one of the most lethal on the planet. Fruit bats are believed to be a carrier and may spread the virus without being affected. Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread between people, as well. Male survivors may be able to transmit the disease via semen for nearly two months. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. Typically, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash follow, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys. Around this time, affected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally. The virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected human or other animal. Spreading through the air has not been documented in the natural environment. No specific treatment for the disease is yet available. Depending on the outbreak, lethality has been recorded at between 30% and 70%.
SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic (animal) origin. Between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS in southern China spread rapidly to other countries, causing 8,273 cases and 775 deaths in multiple countries. As of 2013, there is no cure or protective vaccine for SARS that is safe for use in humans.
ACUTE ILLNESSES, VACCINES
Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, and is followed by swelling of salivary glands. Before the routine vaccination program was introduced in the United States, mumps was a common illness in infants, children and young adults. It is now a rare disease in the United States. There is no specific treatment for mumps; most people recover fully, but some (particularly adults) may develop complications as serious as deafness.
Measles is caused by one of the most contagious viruses out there. In 1980, before widespread vaccination, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year globally. Vaccination programs have resulted in a massive reduction in measles deaths worldwide. In 2012, there were 122,000 measles deaths globally. Death rate in infected individuals is 1%-3%, but the actual rate varies widely by age, health and quality of medical care.
Sources:
Comments Off on Infectiousness, Lethality and Biohazard Levels for 6 viruses
Filed under Ebola
Transmission to humans from Ebola’s wild natural reservoirs is rare; outbreaks are often traceable to a single case where an individual has handled the carcass of a host animal. Human-to-human infection primarily has occurred only in individuals who have had contact with infectious patients or with their corpses. The disease has a 21-day incubation period.
The virus was discovered in 1976; two outbreaks in 1972 were identified later based on antibodies in villagers’ blood and anecdotal evidence of the periods of sickness. Natural Ebola outbreaks prior to 2014 have been restricted to Central Africa.
Naturally occurring outbreaks (confirmed cases/deaths among confirmed cases):
Gabon:
Republic of the Congo:
Gabon/Rep. of the Congo (straddled border):
Dem. Rep. of the Congo [aka, DRC; formerly Zaire]:
South Sudan:
Uganda:
Other known Ebola infections have been far less lethal.
The 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (EOWV) has not followed the pattern.
Sources:
Filed under Ebola