User 283977's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/283977/comments http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-777783 777783 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:24:45 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36951-quick-chat-21-11-23-09?source=feed#comment-777529 777529 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:47:28 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36951-quick-chat-21-11-23-09?source=feed#comment-777348 777348
Gold futures rose to another new high past $1,186 an ounce Wednesday, getting a fresh lift after a report said India may buy more gold from the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. dollar slid to a key level against the euro.

India's Financial Chronicle newspaper reported that the nation's central bank may buy the 201.3 tons of gold the IMF is selling on terms now being negotiated.

Such a purchase, if realized, would follow India's acquisition of 200 metric tons of IMF gold for $6.7 billion. That was almost half the total sales volume of 403.3 metric tons that the IMF's executive board approved in September.

www.marketwatch.com/st...]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:59:16 -0500
Gold futures rose to another new high past $1,186 an ounce Wednesday, getting a fresh lift after a report said India may buy more gold from the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. dollar slid to a key level against the euro.

India's Financial Chronicle newspaper reported that the nation's central bank may buy the 201.3 tons of gold the IMF is selling on terms now being negotiated.

Such a purchase, if realized, would follow India's acquisition of 200 metric tons of IMF gold for $6.7 billion. That was almost half the total sales volume of 403.3 metric tons that the IMF's executive board approved in September.

www.marketwatch.com/st...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-777333 777333 They are rapidly expanding and diversifying their production scale.
What does this say about what SVA management is seeing with respect to sales projections?

(November 25) Sinovac Expands Vaccine Capabilities with New JV

SVA inked a joint venture (JV) agreement to establish Sinovac Dalian Vaccine Technology. The JV will research, develop, produce, and commercialize human-use vaccines. Sinovac will contribute its expertise and experience in developing and commercializing world-class vaccines; Dalian Jin Gang Group will contribute its land-use rights, manufacturing facilities, and established operating infrastructure.

Sinovac Biotech will make an initial cash contribution of 60 million RMB ($8.8 million). Dalian Jin Gang Group’s asset contribution, inclusive of its manufacturing facilities, production lines, and land-use rights, has an appraised value of 140 million RMB ($22.5 million). Equity interest is divided 30% and 70% between Sinovac and Dalian, respectively. Sinovac will increase its equity shares to 55% in exchange for a cash contribution of 50 million RMB ($7.5 million), on or before December 31, 2010.

According to Weidong Yin, chairman, president, and CEO of Sinovac, the JV provides a “highly efficient platform to expand our manufacturing capacity, diversify our production capabilities, and increase our operational scale. By leveraging the favorable investment environment, Dalian's relatively low operating cost, and its existing facilities, this JV enables Sinovac to cost-effectively establish manufacturing platforms for live attenuated vaccines and vero cell cultured vaccines, thus adding another important manufacturing site for Sinovac's vaccine products.

Sinovac representatives will assume key positions at the JV including chairman, GM, head of R&D, and financial director. Sinovac Dalian will be headquartered in Dalian, Liaoning Province. The campus currently contains two vaccine production lines—one for the vero cell cultured vaccines and one for live attenuated vaccines—and has capacity to house approximately six different production lines.

Sinovac Dalian's development pipeline is expected to be composed of vaccines for rabies, mumps, varicella, and rubella. The Dalian-based facility has a designed annual manufacturing capacity of 20 million doses of vero cell cultured vaccines and 20 million doses of live attenuated vaccines.
www.genengnews.com/new...]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:52:56 -0500 They are rapidly expanding and diversifying their production scale.
What does this say about what SVA management is seeing with respect to sales projections?

(November 25) Sinovac Expands Vaccine Capabilities with New JV

SVA inked a joint venture (JV) agreement to establish Sinovac Dalian Vaccine Technology. The JV will research, develop, produce, and commercialize human-use vaccines. Sinovac will contribute its expertise and experience in developing and commercializing world-class vaccines; Dalian Jin Gang Group will contribute its land-use rights, manufacturing facilities, and established operating infrastructure.

Sinovac Biotech will make an initial cash contribution of 60 million RMB ($8.8 million). Dalian Jin Gang Group’s asset contribution, inclusive of its manufacturing facilities, production lines, and land-use rights, has an appraised value of 140 million RMB ($22.5 million). Equity interest is divided 30% and 70% between Sinovac and Dalian, respectively. Sinovac will increase its equity shares to 55% in exchange for a cash contribution of 50 million RMB ($7.5 million), on or before December 31, 2010.

According to Weidong Yin, chairman, president, and CEO of Sinovac, the JV provides a “highly efficient platform to expand our manufacturing capacity, diversify our production capabilities, and increase our operational scale. By leveraging the favorable investment environment, Dalian's relatively low operating cost, and its existing facilities, this JV enables Sinovac to cost-effectively establish manufacturing platforms for live attenuated vaccines and vero cell cultured vaccines, thus adding another important manufacturing site for Sinovac's vaccine products.

Sinovac representatives will assume key positions at the JV including chairman, GM, head of R&D, and financial director. Sinovac Dalian will be headquartered in Dalian, Liaoning Province. The campus currently contains two vaccine production lines—one for the vero cell cultured vaccines and one for live attenuated vaccines—and has capacity to house approximately six different production lines.

Sinovac Dalian's development pipeline is expected to be composed of vaccines for rabies, mumps, varicella, and rubella. The Dalian-based facility has a designed annual manufacturing capacity of 20 million doses of vero cell cultured vaccines and 20 million doses of live attenuated vaccines.
www.genengnews.com/new...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-777202 777202 www.bloomberg.com/apps...

However, NVAX does indeed use caterpillar cells.... here is some more information on the issue....

VLP Technology:
NVAX scientists need only the genetic sequence of a virus to quickly create a VLP vaccine against it. Because VLPs do not contain viral nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), they cannot replicate, and therefore present no threat of infection to a person being vaccinated. Two of the leading developers, Novavax (NVAX), of Maryland, and Medicago, of Quebec City, have taken VLP flu vaccines all the way through preclinical animal testing and into human clinical trials.

However, the two companies use different manufacturing processes. Medicago grows its VLPs in transgenic tobacco plants, which are simple to manipulate, fast to grow, and easily raised in high-tech greenhouses that can be built almost anywhere. The company injects full-grown tobacco plants with genetic information from a target virus, and the plants produce VLPs in their biomass that can be extracted a few weeks later. No doubt this is the reason Philip Morris (PM) is their partner.

Novavax uses an insect cell-culture approach, growing its VLPs in a line of identical "immortalized" cells taken 20 years ago from a caterpillar called a fall armyworm. The armyworm cells are injected with a recombinant baculovirus - a virus that only infects insects--that is tweaked to resemble a targeted flu virus. The cell responds by producing and secreting VLPs that have a shell identical to that of the flu virus but contain no flu RNA. The process is performed in disposable, ready-to-use equipment.
www.technologyreview.c.../

Medicago looks like a promising company, but I suggest great caution with respect to buying their stock due to their exchange listing.]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:34:33 -0500 www.bloomberg.com/apps...

However, NVAX does indeed use caterpillar cells.... here is some more information on the issue....

VLP Technology:
NVAX scientists need only the genetic sequence of a virus to quickly create a VLP vaccine against it. Because VLPs do not contain viral nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), they cannot replicate, and therefore present no threat of infection to a person being vaccinated. Two of the leading developers, Novavax (NVAX), of Maryland, and Medicago, of Quebec City, have taken VLP flu vaccines all the way through preclinical animal testing and into human clinical trials.

However, the two companies use different manufacturing processes. Medicago grows its VLPs in transgenic tobacco plants, which are simple to manipulate, fast to grow, and easily raised in high-tech greenhouses that can be built almost anywhere. The company injects full-grown tobacco plants with genetic information from a target virus, and the plants produce VLPs in their biomass that can be extracted a few weeks later. No doubt this is the reason Philip Morris (PM) is their partner.

Novavax uses an insect cell-culture approach, growing its VLPs in a line of identical "immortalized" cells taken 20 years ago from a caterpillar called a fall armyworm. The armyworm cells are injected with a recombinant baculovirus - a virus that only infects insects--that is tweaked to resemble a targeted flu virus. The cell responds by producing and secreting VLPs that have a shell identical to that of the flu virus but contain no flu RNA. The process is performed in disposable, ready-to-use equipment.
www.technologyreview.c.../

Medicago looks like a promising company, but I suggest great caution with respect to buying their stock due to their exchange listing.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36951-quick-chat-21-11-23-09?source=feed#comment-775443 775443 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:15 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-775402 775402
The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the United States, health experts said on Friday. But they stressed that influenza, especially a pandemic, could hit several peaks in a single season. They said weeks or months more of disease could be expected, Dr. Anne Schuchat told a news conference. "I wish I knew if we had hit the peak. Even if a peak has occurred, half the people who are going to get sick haven't gotten sick yet".

Meanwhile - Flu activity is widespread in 43 states now, down from 46 last week and 48 two weeks ago. Flu cases also appear to have peaked in the U.K. and parts of Western Europe, BUT (ed: my emphasis) infections are on the rise in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, the World Health Organization said. Pandemics occur in waves. In the 1957-58 flu pandemic, one wave peaked in the fall and was followed by a second wave in January".
www.medicalnewstoday.c...]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:33:07 -0500
The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the United States, health experts said on Friday. But they stressed that influenza, especially a pandemic, could hit several peaks in a single season. They said weeks or months more of disease could be expected, Dr. Anne Schuchat told a news conference. "I wish I knew if we had hit the peak. Even if a peak has occurred, half the people who are going to get sick haven't gotten sick yet".

Meanwhile - Flu activity is widespread in 43 states now, down from 46 last week and 48 two weeks ago. Flu cases also appear to have peaked in the U.K. and parts of Western Europe, BUT (ed: my emphasis) infections are on the rise in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, the World Health Organization said. Pandemics occur in waves. In the 1957-58 flu pandemic, one wave peaked in the fall and was followed by a second wave in January".
www.medicalnewstoday.c...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-775380 775380
NanoViricides, Inc. (NNVC) announced that Dr. Eugene Seymour, MD MPH, CEO of the Company, presented lifetime data from the recent FluCide™ animal study on November 19th at the Influenza Congress USA 2009 in Washington, DC. These data clearly established that the new version of FluCide™ is superior to the older version. The data also showed extremely large survival lifetime improvement compared to an extended therapy using oseltamivir (Tamiflu® Roche).

The Company has previously shown that a previous version of the FluCide drug candidate was highly effective against two different clades of the H5N1 bird flu virus, in addition to being highly effective against H1N1 in the mouse model. The Company has recently improved the FluCide drug candidate, creating what it believes to be a single drug candidate against all forms of influenza. The Company believes that the data we presented at the Influenza Conference establish this pan-influenza drug candidate as a leading anti-influenza drug in development.
www.medicalnewstoday.c...]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:24:26 -0500
NanoViricides, Inc. (NNVC) announced that Dr. Eugene Seymour, MD MPH, CEO of the Company, presented lifetime data from the recent FluCide™ animal study on November 19th at the Influenza Congress USA 2009 in Washington, DC. These data clearly established that the new version of FluCide™ is superior to the older version. The data also showed extremely large survival lifetime improvement compared to an extended therapy using oseltamivir (Tamiflu® Roche).

The Company has previously shown that a previous version of the FluCide drug candidate was highly effective against two different clades of the H5N1 bird flu virus, in addition to being highly effective against H1N1 in the mouse model. The Company has recently improved the FluCide drug candidate, creating what it believes to be a single drug candidate against all forms of influenza. The Company believes that the data we presented at the Influenza Conference establish this pan-influenza drug candidate as a leading anti-influenza drug in development.
www.medicalnewstoday.c...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-775355 775355
Dr. Debra Parsons at Kid Care West in Cross Lanes, was met with reactions of doubt from local health officials last month when she said she had contracted H1N1 twice.

Parsons first came down with the virus, complete with all the telltale symptoms, in August. Her son became ill at the same time with the same symptoms. Figuring they had the same bug, Parsons tested herself to see what it was. Parsons was positive for H1N1.

Parsons and her son recovered, but in October they started having the same symptoms, but they became much worse. They were both tested this time, and the results were the same - they were positive for H1N1.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, and John Law, spokesman for the West Virginia Division of Health and Human Resources, were skeptical of Parsons' claim.

So the specimen from the Parsons' second flu test was sent to the CDC in Atlanta, where it underwent a preliminary strain reaction test. Parsons says that test is the "gold standard" in differentiating between seasonal and swine flu. That sample came back a couple weeks ago, and it was positive for H1N1. The CDC then requested a specimen from Parsons' August flu test. Last Friday, the results of that test came back positive for H1N1.
www.dailymail.com/News...

(ed: this seems quite unusual, but it does raise an interesting and equally scary issue - if swine flu mutated, would it be possible to catch it twice?) ]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:08:17 -0500
Dr. Debra Parsons at Kid Care West in Cross Lanes, was met with reactions of doubt from local health officials last month when she said she had contracted H1N1 twice.

Parsons first came down with the virus, complete with all the telltale symptoms, in August. Her son became ill at the same time with the same symptoms. Figuring they had the same bug, Parsons tested herself to see what it was. Parsons was positive for H1N1.

Parsons and her son recovered, but in October they started having the same symptoms, but they became much worse. They were both tested this time, and the results were the same - they were positive for H1N1.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, and John Law, spokesman for the West Virginia Division of Health and Human Resources, were skeptical of Parsons' claim.

So the specimen from the Parsons' second flu test was sent to the CDC in Atlanta, where it underwent a preliminary strain reaction test. Parsons says that test is the "gold standard" in differentiating between seasonal and swine flu. That sample came back a couple weeks ago, and it was positive for H1N1. The CDC then requested a specimen from Parsons' August flu test. Last Friday, the results of that test came back positive for H1N1.
www.dailymail.com/News...

(ed: this seems quite unusual, but it does raise an interesting and equally scary issue - if swine flu mutated, would it be possible to catch it twice?) ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/493388-fara_sa/36455-join-a-seeking-alpha-user-group?source=feed#comment-775274 775274 I would be interested in participating. Here are a few starting points…

Table Tool:
The table tool in the Instablogs needs to be improved. How about letting people create a table in MS Excel, and than letting them paste it in so that each of the cells are separately accessible. The key features of a table that users are going to want are 1 - the data can be copied and pasted into an Excel spread sheet, and 2 - people can copy their own Excel spread sheet into the field and have it act as a table.

Links:
I would like to see "LINKS" handled the way they are handled in the top portion of an instablog NOT the way they are handled in comment fields
Specifically, If you copy and paste a link into an instablog, and than copy that copy of the link, you get the full link.

However, if you copy and paste a link into a comment field, and than try to copy that copy of the link, you get a truncated link.

Spell Checker:
I would like to have a spell checker....

Graphics and Tables in Comment Edit Fields:
How about letting people paste graphics and tables into comment fields. In other words, what is the reason for having two different kinds of edit fields in the first place? It seems to me that the richness of comments could be substantially increased if commentators were allowed to paste in tables and graphics.

User Ignore Button:
Please provide a GLOBAL user controlled ignore button. Global means if a user puts someone on global ignore, they don't see any of their comments anywhere. I think its much better to allow users to decide who they want to hear from or not hear from as opposed to having someone on SA's staff trying to perform a "censoring" function.

Networking Visualization:
Networking visualization tool. If anyone is interested, I will be delighted to describe some networking tools.]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:35:22 -0500 I would be interested in participating. Here are a few starting points…

Table Tool:
The table tool in the Instablogs needs to be improved. How about letting people create a table in MS Excel, and than letting them paste it in so that each of the cells are separately accessible. The key features of a table that users are going to want are 1 - the data can be copied and pasted into an Excel spread sheet, and 2 - people can copy their own Excel spread sheet into the field and have it act as a table.

Links:
I would like to see "LINKS" handled the way they are handled in the top portion of an instablog NOT the way they are handled in comment fields
Specifically, If you copy and paste a link into an instablog, and than copy that copy of the link, you get the full link.

However, if you copy and paste a link into a comment field, and than try to copy that copy of the link, you get a truncated link.

Spell Checker:
I would like to have a spell checker....

Graphics and Tables in Comment Edit Fields:
How about letting people paste graphics and tables into comment fields. In other words, what is the reason for having two different kinds of edit fields in the first place? It seems to me that the richness of comments could be substantially increased if commentators were allowed to paste in tables and graphics.

User Ignore Button:
Please provide a GLOBAL user controlled ignore button. Global means if a user puts someone on global ignore, they don't see any of their comments anywhere. I think its much better to allow users to decide who they want to hear from or not hear from as opposed to having someone on SA's staff trying to perform a "censoring" function.

Networking Visualization:
Networking visualization tool. If anyone is interested, I will be delighted to describe some networking tools.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-773992 773992 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:55:08 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-773759 773759 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:23:41 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-773740 773740 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:12:24 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-773350 773350 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:43 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-773246 773246
(November 23) Great Western Minerals Group Reports a 123% Increase in the Resource Estimate at Hoidas Lake

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (GWMGF) is pleased to announce the results of the Company's new NI 43-101 Technical Report for its Hoidas Lake project prepared by Barr Engineering Company ("Barr").

The Company reports that the overall resource estimate increased by 123% to 2,560,835 tonnes from the previous value of 1,150,000 tonnes. This includes an increase of over 1200% in the Measured category to 963,808 tonnes from the previous estimate of 80,000 tonnes, and an increase of 49% in the Indicated category to 1,597, 027 tonnes from the previous estimate of 1,070,000 tonnes.

(1) Total Rare Earth Elements -TREE- include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, lutetium, yttrium and ytterbium.

(2) Total Rare Earth Oxide-calculated from TREE for comparison purposes by the Qualified Person (as defined below).

Eighty seven percent of the average value of TREE is made up of lanthanum, cerium and neodymium with neodymium grades averaging 0.42% of the measured and indicated resource. This high proportion of Nd (used in permanent magnet electric motors) supports the economics of the Hoidas Lake project and moving forward with a preliminary economic assessment report.

Jim Engdahl, President and CEO of Great Western Minerals Group said "We are certainly pleased to report these results to our shareholders. Our belief always was that we could at least double the resource estimate for this project and this report certainly confirmed that. This reinforces our belief that this could be a much larger deposit since we have drilled a relatively small portion of the property. Once we receive the results of our ongoing metallurgy we will be able to complete the remaining items for a preliminary economic assessment report."
www.benzinga.com/press...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:47 -0500
(November 23) Great Western Minerals Group Reports a 123% Increase in the Resource Estimate at Hoidas Lake

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (GWMGF) is pleased to announce the results of the Company's new NI 43-101 Technical Report for its Hoidas Lake project prepared by Barr Engineering Company ("Barr").

The Company reports that the overall resource estimate increased by 123% to 2,560,835 tonnes from the previous value of 1,150,000 tonnes. This includes an increase of over 1200% in the Measured category to 963,808 tonnes from the previous estimate of 80,000 tonnes, and an increase of 49% in the Indicated category to 1,597, 027 tonnes from the previous estimate of 1,070,000 tonnes.

(1) Total Rare Earth Elements -TREE- include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, lutetium, yttrium and ytterbium.

(2) Total Rare Earth Oxide-calculated from TREE for comparison purposes by the Qualified Person (as defined below).

Eighty seven percent of the average value of TREE is made up of lanthanum, cerium and neodymium with neodymium grades averaging 0.42% of the measured and indicated resource. This high proportion of Nd (used in permanent magnet electric motors) supports the economics of the Hoidas Lake project and moving forward with a preliminary economic assessment report.

Jim Engdahl, President and CEO of Great Western Minerals Group said "We are certainly pleased to report these results to our shareholders. Our belief always was that we could at least double the resource estimate for this project and this report certainly confirmed that. This reinforces our belief that this could be a much larger deposit since we have drilled a relatively small portion of the property. Once we receive the results of our ongoing metallurgy we will be able to complete the remaining items for a preliminary economic assessment report."
www.benzinga.com/press...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-773217 773217 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:45:14 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-773163 773163 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:18:10 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-773161 773161
Origin Agritech (SEED) +40% premarket after the China Ministry of Agriculture granted it a Bio-safety Certificate on Saturday, making it the first genetically-modified corn-seed product in China. SEED's phytase is used as an additive to breakdown phytic acid in corn. ]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:15:24 -0500
Origin Agritech (SEED) +40% premarket after the China Ministry of Agriculture granted it a Bio-safety Certificate on Saturday, making it the first genetically-modified corn-seed product in China. SEED's phytase is used as an additive to breakdown phytic acid in corn. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-773051 773051
optionsgirl: Did you catch this? European deaths are doubling every two weeks

www.bloomberg.com/apps...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:57:13 -0500
optionsgirl: Did you catch this? European deaths are doubling every two weeks

www.bloomberg.com/apps...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-771864 771864 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:38:14 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-771862 771862 Makkah (AFP) - Swine flu has killed four pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for the Haj, the health ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency on Saturday. The ministry said a Moroccan woman, a Sudanese man and an Indian man - all aged 75 - had died from H1N1, as had a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria. It said the four had not followed “recommended procedures, especially vaccination against swine flu.”

Health ministry spokesman Dr Khaled Marghlani told AFP the four victims were all suffering from health problems already, including cancer and respiratory illness. Marghlani said 16 other cases of swine flu infection among pilgrims had been detected, and that “four are in hospital in critical condition.” Twelve people suffering from the disease had recovered completely after treatment, he said.
________________
Previous news said that in order to enter Saudi Arabia for the Haj you needed a paper saying you had been vaccinated against H1N1. I hope they are following their own procedures. All those people in close proximity ….. ]]> Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:36:19 -0500 Makkah (AFP) - Swine flu has killed four pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for the Haj, the health ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency on Saturday. The ministry said a Moroccan woman, a Sudanese man and an Indian man - all aged 75 - had died from H1N1, as had a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria. It said the four had not followed “recommended procedures, especially vaccination against swine flu.”

Health ministry spokesman Dr Khaled Marghlani told AFP the four victims were all suffering from health problems already, including cancer and respiratory illness. Marghlani said 16 other cases of swine flu infection among pilgrims had been detected, and that “four are in hospital in critical condition.” Twelve people suffering from the disease had recovered completely after treatment, he said.
________________
Previous news said that in order to enter Saudi Arabia for the Haj you needed a paper saying you had been vaccinated against H1N1. I hope they are following their own procedures. All those people in close proximity ….. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-771847 771847 An FDA federal advisory committee narrowly rejected a new type of influenza vaccine made in insect cells, requesting additional safety data before moving forward, Reuters reports.
www.medicalnewstoday.c...

This must be NVAX. No surprise here, NVAX has not even started clinical trials in the US. The primary investment play for NVAX is Mexico and India, particularly India where NVAX's partner is already building a new manufacturing facility for their VLP approach. ]]> Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:24:36 -0500 An FDA federal advisory committee narrowly rejected a new type of influenza vaccine made in insect cells, requesting additional safety data before moving forward, Reuters reports.
www.medicalnewstoday.c...

This must be NVAX. No surprise here, NVAX has not even started clinical trials in the US. The primary investment play for NVAX is Mexico and India, particularly India where NVAX's partner is already building a new manufacturing facility for their VLP approach. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-771802 771802 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:52:23 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-770869 770869 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:16:52 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-770700 770700
The Iran think is absolutely unthinkable. If that happens, the price of oil will go through the roof and that will sink everybody. I guess I will move out of my metallurgical coal play (CNX) and move back into BP just in case. I will still keep (BTU).

I looked at Seed too… holy c***… I hope they know what that are doing… once the food chain is modified everything that eats it has the potential to be modified as well.

I am reminded of one of the old Daemon movies where the anti-Christ used patents on genetically modified seed stock to end up controlling the worlds food supply.

Maya as soon as I saw plasma gasification, I thought about the disposal of radioactive waste. If that could be done, it would eliminate one of the primary problems with nuclear power. Plasma gasification can apparently handle low to moderate levels of radioactive waste but not fuel rods… yet… I think Russia is working on that while our leaders think the best solution is burying the stuff…. Jssss… I hope your Mom and Sis are doing well. ]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:24:43 -0500
The Iran think is absolutely unthinkable. If that happens, the price of oil will go through the roof and that will sink everybody. I guess I will move out of my metallurgical coal play (CNX) and move back into BP just in case. I will still keep (BTU).

I looked at Seed too… holy c***… I hope they know what that are doing… once the food chain is modified everything that eats it has the potential to be modified as well.

I am reminded of one of the old Daemon movies where the anti-Christ used patents on genetically modified seed stock to end up controlling the worlds food supply.

Maya as soon as I saw plasma gasification, I thought about the disposal of radioactive waste. If that could be done, it would eliminate one of the primary problems with nuclear power. Plasma gasification can apparently handle low to moderate levels of radioactive waste but not fuel rods… yet… I think Russia is working on that while our leaders think the best solution is burying the stuff…. Jssss… I hope your Mom and Sis are doing well. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-770544 770544 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:12:35 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-770535 770535
Cytokine Storm -
When our body detects foreign micro-organisms indicating an infection, our body might respond by over-protecting the site of infection. The body may race so many antibodies to the infection site that they collect in what is known as a cytokine storm.

A cytokine storm, or "Hypercytokinemia" is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells.
www.wisegeek.com/what-...

A positive feedback loop means that as something increases, that increase stimulates further growth.

What makes younger people more susceptible to H1N1 is that their vigorous immune systems pour out antibodies to attack the new virus. That can inflame lung cells until they leak fluid, which can overwhelm the lungs.

This vulnerability in the young is reminiscent of the Spanish flu of 1918. That strain of flu also struck mostly healthy young adults.]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:55 -0500
Cytokine Storm -
When our body detects foreign micro-organisms indicating an infection, our body might respond by over-protecting the site of infection. The body may race so many antibodies to the infection site that they collect in what is known as a cytokine storm.

A cytokine storm, or "Hypercytokinemia" is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells.
www.wisegeek.com/what-...

A positive feedback loop means that as something increases, that increase stimulates further growth.

What makes younger people more susceptible to H1N1 is that their vigorous immune systems pour out antibodies to attack the new virus. That can inflame lung cells until they leak fluid, which can overwhelm the lungs.

This vulnerability in the young is reminiscent of the Spanish flu of 1918. That strain of flu also struck mostly healthy young adults.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/192595-optionsgirl/36583-quick-chat-20-11-19-09?source=feed#comment-769767 769767 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:22:12 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-769194 769194 China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up. China's official count of swine flu cases is nearly 70,000 reported illnesses and 53 deaths, although even Beijing acknowledges the outbreak is much larger than the numbers show.

On Thursday, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, director of Guangzhou's Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said in the Guangzhou Daily newspaper "I totally don't believe the total number of swine flu deaths have been reported nationwide." There has been a dramatic spike in Chinese swine flu cases recently, and those reported by the government are only "minimum numbers," Dr. Michael O'Leary, WHO's top representative in China, has told The Associated Press.
www.chinapost.com.tw/c...]]> Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:01 -0500 China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up. China's official count of swine flu cases is nearly 70,000 reported illnesses and 53 deaths, although even Beijing acknowledges the outbreak is much larger than the numbers show.

On Thursday, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, director of Guangzhou's Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said in the Guangzhou Daily newspaper "I totally don't believe the total number of swine flu deaths have been reported nationwide." There has been a dramatic spike in Chinese swine flu cases recently, and those reported by the government are only "minimum numbers," Dr. Michael O'Leary, WHO's top representative in China, has told The Associated Press.
www.chinapost.com.tw/c...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/283977-user-283977/35649-current-swine-flu-news-concentrator-november-13-xx-part-4?source=feed#comment-769187 769187
(November 20) Mutated virus of H1N1 found in Norway.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health on Friday said it discovered mutated versions of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

One mutation of the virus caught a special interest. "It has been found in two patients who died from the new influenza (H1N1) and in one patient with severe influenza disease," it said. "These were the two first patients who died from the new influenza in Norway. Some of those who died later have been examined without finding the same mutated virus." The institute says the mutation could possibly make the virus more prone to infect deeper in the airways and thus cause more severe illness.

"We have analyzed approximately 70 viruses from confirmed Norwegian cases and found the mutation in ONLY (ed: emphasis is mine) these three patients. Based on what we know so far, it seems that the mutated virus does NOT circulate (ed: emphasis is mine) in the population, but might be a result of spontaneous changes which have occurred in these three patients." Stene-Larsen says there is no indication that the mutation has any importance for the effect of the H1N1 vaccine or the effect of antiviral treatment.
news.bnonews.com/wxip]]> Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:35:27 -0500
(November 20) Mutated virus of H1N1 found in Norway.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health on Friday said it discovered mutated versions of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

One mutation of the virus caught a special interest. "It has been found in two patients who died from the new influenza (H1N1) and in one patient with severe influenza disease," it said. "These were the two first patients who died from the new influenza in Norway. Some of those who died later have been examined without finding the same mutated virus." The institute says the mutation could possibly make the virus more prone to infect deeper in the airways and thus cause more severe illness.

"We have analyzed approximately 70 viruses from confirmed Norwegian cases and found the mutation in ONLY (ed: emphasis is mine) these three patients. Based on what we know so far, it seems that the mutated virus does NOT circulate (ed: emphasis is mine) in the population, but might be a result of spontaneous changes which have occurred in these three patients." Stene-Larsen says there is no indication that the mutation has any importance for the effect of the H1N1 vaccine or the effect of antiviral treatment.
news.bnonews.com/wxip]]>