A More Graphic Argument for Global Warming Concerns

Global warming. Nothing chills a room full of people quicker than when that topic comes up for discussion. The debate rages on. I have noticed a new tactic among many of the “deniers”. They have embraced a term that has entered the lexicon of late and made it their own. That term is “junk Science” and it tends to roll of their tongues just a little too easily and with ever increasing frequency. It is my observation that most people who use the term just don’t understand or like science. Since they have no use for it that they can see, they call it junk.

Many good people have tried many an effective means of trying to instill a knowledge or an appreciation of science where none exists. One of my favorite tools in this effort is the visual aid. One such as the following that starkly contrasts the past with the present.

You would think an image showing the early explorers arriving at the North Pole on foot with supplies pulled by dog teams displayed along side a present day picture of the North Pole would have some sort of impact. In 1909 it required a trek with a dog team to reach the North Pole and in 2009 you could send your parents there on a freestyle cruise ship. Something changed but this does not seem to cause worry amongst those so quick to dismiss the concept of global warming.

But I think I have just found something that might at least give them a moment’s pause. Scientists have shown us for years evidence of species relocating into new areas that were previously inhospitable to them because of the temperature or other climate restrictions. As the atmosphere warms, their ranges expand. We now have West Nile Virus endemic through the U.S. and it was never even reported there before 1990. We have seen Dengue Fever return to the U.S. for the first time in nearly a century. But this weekend I learned of a new pest that many people feel is moving closer to us. This one my denier friends you are going to want to hear about. You might even want to re-think your whole opposition to funding the Global Warming impact studies. I give you The Human Bot Fly.

Until this past weekend I had never heard of this insect. Trust me it will now be a long time before I forget it. This past weekend Juan Carlos asked me what I knew about Human Bot Fly infection. My response was, “Huh?”. One of his classmates had just posted on her Facebook page that she had recently returned from a vacation in the Yucatan and had contracted a Human Bot Fly infection that had just resulted in her having a larvae extracted from the back of her head. Once I gotten over the amazing revelation that there really are no boundaries as to what a person will post about themselves on a Facebook page we immediately went to Google for information and oh boy what we learned!

This fly is rather large and very distinctive looking in its appearance so problem solved, just avoid it. The more I read, the more I realized this is a nasty little creature. The female knows she must get her eggs into a host species if they are to survive. There are many different types of Bot flies. Some infect rodents, others cattle and there is a reason this particular one is called the Human Bot Fly. Yes, her eggs are destined for us. Because Bot flies realize they have no chance of installing their eggs into the unwilling host themselves, they have learned how to get others to do it for them. The female employs a process known as phoresis. Immediately after copulating she traps a mosquito or some other small blood feeding fly and she glues 50 or so eggs to their abdomen before she releases the captive. The relieved kidnap victim flies off and finds the appropriate host and when it begins to feed on the host the temperature sensitive eggs begin to hatch. The larvae then enter the host through the insect bite or even along a hair follicle. Some can even just burrow into the skin and they remain inside the host growing and developing until they are mature.

Once they have spent 5 to 10 weeks maturing they then work to the surface and drop to the ground where they molt and develop into an adult fly and repeat the process.

In Brazil the species that infects cattle has been responsible for millions of dollars damage to their milk and leather industries. The problem has been widespread for many years in South America but the Bot flies are now moving farther north. As temperatures increase so does their range. The orange area on the map shows their range as of 2002. Now they have been reported in Belize and Yucatan Mexico. Not just the cattle and rodent Bot flies but also the Human Bot fly.

I finally came to accept the Africanized (so called Killer Bees) bees got here and took over our hives and ruined our honey production in this country. I have made détente with the dreaded iguanas here in Florida but I am not ready to have alien possession of my subcutaneous tissues become a way of life. Check out the video below of the guy getting the larvae removed from his elbow following his Belize vacation.

Okay my Global Warming denying friends, don’t say we didn’t ask you to pay attention

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knQGq5V_cUs

NEW - Pharma Guidelines re: Trade Show Giveways

Hi all,

Since the “no more pens and pads” rule has been put into place by PHARMA Guidelines many folks have been speculating on what is going to pass muster as give ways. Walking the exhibit halls at several recent shows including ICCAC in San Francisco, ISDA in Philadelphia, AABB in New Orleans and AASLD in Boston I was curious to see how different companies and organizations were treating the guidelines.

One observation that became quickly apparent is you can readily distinguish between which companies sold prescription drugs and which companies did not. If the companies were not promoting a prescription product they seemed to be carrying on business as usual and pens, pads and a whole array of branded trinkets were being handed out no problem. But, when you were at a booth where prescription drugs were promoted it was apparent that people are still coming to grips with how to proceed in this new environment. Not a pen or pad among them but there was an interesting array of alternative practices.

Beginning at ICAAC I noticed that the coffee / refreshment bars are still being provided and they certainly seem to be doing their job to attract people into the exhibit areas. I silently thanked God that some civility remained in this world and coffee had not been entirely banned. I noticed many companies had a small discrete but clearly visible sign that displayed the message if you are from Vermont, Massachusetts (and sometimes a third state that seemed to vary but New Hampshire and even California were often added to the sign) we …….

Insert one of several variations including

…. ask you not to partake of our refreshments as it is a violation of your state laws

… must inform you it may be in conflict of your state laws etc, etc

You get the idea but they generally politely fulfilled their obligation of making people aware of the laws they were complying with today.

But I did find that a few had managed to come up with a giveaway that had at least some perceived relevance. I collected a number of CDs that had animated mechanism of action videos. Schering was one I received at ICAAC that I thought was very well done and would be useful in educating medical team members and even patient and consumer groups. Pfizer was offering what they claimed to be very nice disease state photo collections and slide decks. They were nicely packaged and while they were what they claimed to be, they really were lacking in substance that I thought would be useful if I were a practitioner looking for a quick source of materials to put together for a balanced clinical presentation. The slides were of excellent quality on the Pathogen disk. But there were only 4 images, in several formats. Still they at least accomplished the goal of putting the Pfizer brand on a promotional piece that had just enough utility that it would survive the trip back from the meeting and into a place on the shelf or desk where it will be seen and recognized for years to come. Mission accomplished Pfizer!

All in all I think I was impressed with what several companies did to come up with as an item that will outlive the show and make it back to where it will be a subliminal reminder of a corporate commitment for years to come. Face it, most of us never get rid of our reference sources no matter how little the contribution or outdated the material. My perfect example that is despite having a current edition of all the reference texts I use in my work I still have shelves of outdated materials that I just can’t seem to part with yet. This includes a 1970 Human Blood Cell Morphology Chart put out by Abbott Laboratories back when the stem cell was still just a theory! Nostalgia, I hear it can be treated with intervention. I should possibly consider this. But promotions do live on, occasionally in infamy.

But when I got to AASLD I found there was a whole different way of handling the Pharma Guideline. Welcome to what I call “ Apartheid 2.0 - The Pharmaceutical Solution”. As I strolled the exhibits I walked into one booth that had lots of traffic going on inside its cleverly arranged stylish walls that were decorative on the outside but did not readily reveal anything about the company or give a clue as to what was going on inside that booth. I was greeted by a smiling representative standing between me and what was I judged by the contented and happy chatter carrying on behind her was a very amicable group of people being happily engaged in some sort of fun activity. She looked at me, smiled and said, I am sorry but this is only for non-U.S. attendees. She waved her arm to point to an empty booth down the corridor being manned by one rather bored woman sitting on a stool and playing with her Blackberry. She told me that was for the U.S. attendees.

As I walked away curious as to what was going on behind that wall that I was not privy to I knew one thing, I did not care if they were giving away coffee, massages or even a high colonic but I instinctively knew I had just been given the bum’s rush and I had no intention of stopping to visit with bored Miss Blackberry reader no matter what they were promoting. Note to companies taking this approach …… hello, do you not know a snub when you deliver one? I bet you recognize it when you receive one. Think about it, do you ever forget it. I know I don’t.

I did not go to AHA in Orlando but I just saw this one. Pfizer, I thought you were on the high road with those slide decks and educational material. They were at least something that had a chance to add a little value but come on now, how did you ever make the leap from “ Pens are bad” to “Poster size Photo of the Doctor is good”? Somehow the logic escapes me.

Stay tuned to see what the next show season of post new PHARMA regulations delivers.

Any questions or comments about guidelines or my comments, send me an email at L.Lynam@theLynamGroup.com or visit my website at http://www.thelynamgroup.com/. The Lynam Group - where Comprehensive Biotech Consulting Services begin.