From owner-schistosoma@net.bio.net Tue Nov 11 22:00:00 1997 Path: biosci!biosci!not-for-mail From: BIOSCI Administrator Newsgroups: bionet.organisms.schistosoma Subject: BIOSCI/bionet miniFAQ & Fundraiser Date: 12 Nov 1997 08:51:06 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 248 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Approved: greveld@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Distribution: world Message-ID: <64cmpq$79d@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net (LAST REVISION: 30-JUL-95) >This BIOSCI "miniFAQ" is designed to answer the questions that come up >the *most frequently*. The main BIOSCI FAQ (Frequently Asked >Questions) is accessible on the World Wide Web at URL >http://www.bio.net/. > >If you can not find an answer to your question in this or other >documentation, the BIOSCI technical support staff answers e-mail >queries sent to > > biosci-help@net.bio.net > >We can only answer questions about the use of the newsgroups and >mailing lists. We unfortunately do not have the staff to do Internet >information searches or answer scientific questions. Please post >those to the appropriate BIOSCI/bionet newsgroups. > > > Contents: > -------- > 0) BIOSCI NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!! > > 1) Using the WWW to access the BIOSCI/bionet newsgroups. > > 2) What to do about "spams," i.e., junk mail, ads, etc. > > 3) Examples of subscribing and unsubscribing to the mailing lists. > > 4) The BIOSCI user address and research interest directory. > > >0) BIOSCI NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!! >------------------------------ >BIOSCI's government funding has been expended, and we are now >operating solely from advertising revenue that we have raised from our >Web site at http://www.bio.net/. We need just a few minutes of your >time to help us serve you. > >You can do two important things which will take very little time for >you individually and will immensely help us continue to help you. > >First, please use our WWW system at http://www.bio.net/ to access the >archives. You can post or reply to messages via your Web browser as >described in item #1 below. Your usage helps attract sponsors. If you >contact any of our sponsors, please be sure to thank them for >supporting BIOSCI. It is critical for them to get this feedback if >they are to continue their sponsorship for the long term. > >Second, if you work for a company or organization that provides >products or services of interest to the biology community, please pass >this message on to your marketing or marketing communications >department or other appropriate group. Please ask them to help >support BIOSCI by sponsoring our Web site and explain the uses and >benefits of the system to the biology community. If they are >interested, they can then contact us for further information at our >tech support address, biosci-help@net.bio.net. > > >1) Using the WWW to access the BIOSCI/bionet newsgroups. >-------------------------------------------------------- >As of 10 December 1995, all BIOSCI/bionet full newsgroups are >accessible through the World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.bio.net. >One can read and reply publicly or privately to both recent postings >and archived messages through one's Web browser if it is configured >properly to send e-mail. Each newsgroup is equipped with its own WAIS >index. The main BIOSCI home page also has access to the BIO-JOURNALS >Table of Contents database WAIS index and the BIOSCI user address >database described in another item further below. > > >2) What to do about "spams," i.e., junk mail, ads, etc. >------------------------------------------------------- >BIOSCI is a set of parallel USENET newsgroups (the "bionet" groups), >mailing lists, and a hypermail archive at URL http://www.bio.net/. >The same postings are distributed on all media (except for a small >number of mailing-list-only groups at net.bio.net). Unfortunately it >is becoming a despicable practice on the Internet (by a few people out >to make a fast buck) to do automated mass postings to thousands of >newsgroups and mailing lists. These attempts to grab free advertising >are refered to as "spams" in the usual, somewhat boneheaded, net >terminology. USENET is more susceptible to this practice, and many >spams originate on the USENET groups and then are passed on to the >mailing lists. However, spammers also get lists of mailing addresses >and hit these too, so neither medium is immune. > >What should you do personally if you get junk mail? >--------------------------------------------------- >Just delete it and move on without reading it further. Filing a >protest is becoming increasingly useless because spammers are often >disguising the addresses where the messages are sent from. Unless you >really understand Internet mail systems, your attempt at protest by >sending replies to the message will often end up being sent to the >address of an innocent person that the spammer is victimizing. > >What can BIOSCI/bionet do to protect its newsgroups? >---------------------------------------------------- >The only solution currently available is to moderate the newsgroup. >If this newsgroup is already moderated, then you are in good shape. >Moderation protects the USENET distribution from about 95% of the >spams that are being sent to date and protects the mailing lists >completely. Moderation means, however, that someone has to take the >time to review each message before it goes out. We have set up >software here that simply allows the moderator to forward to an >address at net.bio.net messages that (s)he wishes to have distributed. >This takes no more time than that needed to read the message and pass >it on, say about 1 min. per message. > >Most newsgroups currently have a discussion leader who is responsible >for their newsgroup. The discussions leaders and their e-mail >addresses are listed in the BIOSCI Information Sheet which is >available on the Web at http://www.bio.net/. If a newsgroup is being >hit with too many junk postings, please contact the discussion leader >for that group and see if there is interest in moderating the group. >Please do not assume that by simply posting a complaint to the >newsgroup itself, anyone on the BIOSCI staff will act on your >complaint. With close to 100 newsgroups to run, the BIOSCI staff has >to rely on the discussion leaders of each newsgroup to report problems >directly to us at biosci-help@net.bio.net. > >We will moderate any of our newsgroups if the discussion leader tells >us that the readership of the group wishes to do so and if a moderator >is willing to do the work. For most BIOSCI/bionet groups, this >entails only a few minutes of work each day. > >Moderating a newsgroup will resolve probably 95% of the junk postings >on the USENET distribution. Unfortunately there are easy ways for >determined spammers to override the moderation mechanism on USENET, >but we can protect our e-mail subscribers from unwanted postings if >the newsgroup is moderated. You can also access our newsgroups over >the WWW at URL http://www.bio.net. While this Web interface will not >stop spammers from trying to post to the groups, this will give you >yet another way, besides using USENET news, to keep the junk out of >your personal mail files. For those of you with local USENET news >systems, the Web interface will also give you faster access to new >newsgroups and recent postings. > > >3) Examples of subscribing and unsubscribing to the mailing lists. >------------------------------------------------------------------ >PLEASE NOTE: The BIOSCI management does NOT act on >subscription/unsubscription requests that are posted improperly to the >newsgroups and mailing lists. People who do this only bother everyone >on the lists to no avail. Please be sure to follow the proper >procedures below. > >Gory details are in the BIOSCI Information sheets on the Web at >http://www.bio.net. Below we give an example utilizing the >METHODS-AND-REAGENTS list at both of our two BIOSCI sites: > >Users in the Americas and Pacific Rim countries who use the BIOSCI >------------------------------------------------------------------ >node at computer net.bio.net: >---------------------------- > >A) Determine the "listname" which is the <=8 character mail address > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > for the group. These can be found in the BIOSCI Info. Sheet. For > the METHODS-AND-REAGENTS group the mailing address is > methods@net.bio.net. The listname is the portion of the address to > the left of the @ sign, i.e., "methods". The listname is used with > the "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" commands illustrated below. > >B) Mail all commands in the body of a mail message addressed to > biosci-server@net.bio.net. Do NOT send commands to the newsgroup > posting addresses! Leave the Subject: line blank, any text on it > will be ignored. > >C) In the body of your message put one or more of the following > commands with an "end" command on the last line, e.g., > > subscribe methods > unsubscribe methods > end > > Do NOT put your e-mail address or other text on these lines. The > server only allows you to cancel your subscription if the address > on your mail header matches the address on our mailing list. > Please ask for help at biosci-help@net.bio.net if your address has > changed, e.g., if you know you are on the list but the server tells > you that you are not a member. > > >Users in Europe, Africa, and Central Asia who use the BIOSCI node at >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >computer daresbury.ac.uk (also known as dl.ac.uk): >------------------------------------------------- > >To subscribe and unsubscribe to/from the BIOSCI lists, you need to >specify the full USENET newsgroup name with "bionet-news." prepended. >The USENET newsgroup names are listed in the BIOSCI Information sheet >on the Web at http://www.bio.net/. For the METHODS-AND-REAGENTS list >the USENET newsgroup name is bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts, thus the >appropriate commands are > > sub bionet-news.bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts > > unsub bionet-news.bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts > >These commands are included in a message addressed to mxt@dl.ac.uk, >NOT to the newsgroup mailing addresses. As usual, include the text in >the body of the message as text on the Subject: line is ignored. > >To unsubscribe from all the lists at the UK node, use > > unsub bionet-news > >Please note that if the address in the list is different than the one >in your mail message header, you will not be able to unsubscribe by >this method. If you have problems, please mail biosci@daresbury.ac.uk. > > >4) The BIOSCI user address and research interest directory. >----------------------------------------------------------- >Please take this opportunity to add your name, address, and research >interest information to the BIOSCI User Address Database if you have >not already done so. > >You can fill out the address form directly through our Web page at URL >http://www.bio.net/adrform.html. > >The address database is reindexed nightly for WWW access (the URL is >http://www.bio.net/). If you are not directly on the Internet but can >reach it by e-mail, please use our waismail server to access the user >directory. waismail use is described above. You can also request a >user address form by e-mail from biosci-help@net.bio.net. > >Please check your database entry from time-to-time to see if your >address information is still up-to-date. Because of our limited >personnel resources, we ask that you resubmit a *complete* form to >revise your entry; we only replace complete entries and do not have >resources to edit old forms. > > Dr.Christoph G.Grevelding Tel.:(49)-211-81-13070 Genetic Parasitology Fax :(49)-211-81-12333 Institute of Genetics (49)-211-81-12279 Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Universitaetsstrasse 1 40225 Duesseldorf e-mail: Christoph.Grevelding@uni-duesseldorf.de http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/MathNat/ Parasitologie/gen_para.htm From owner-schistosoma@net.bio.net Mon Nov 17 22:00:00 1997 Path: biosci!biosci!not-for-mail From: "Dr. Christoph Grevelding " Newsgroups: bionet.organisms.schistosoma Subject: BioToolKit Date: 17 Nov 1997 23:38:36 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 36 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Approved: greveld@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Distribution: world Message-ID: <64rgls$cb2@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear Schisto members! A new web-site has been announced recently in the bionet.genome.gene-structure mail newsgroup that is very intersting for all researchers working in the molecular biology section. It has been introduced by Cynthia S. Smagula (biota@biosupplynet.com> and containes about 500 key molecular biology research tools which are now available to researchers at http://www.biosupplynet.com/cfdocs/btk/btk.cfm. Surfing to this site, I found molecular biology databases,information retrieval tools, data analysis applications and structural visualization tools. The three sections, Nucleic Acid Analysis, Genome Resources, and Protein Structural Imaging and Analysis, can be browsed quickly via pop-up menus that group applications by function. This site provides a well organized way to get up-to-date links to key web resources. I find it useful for those of you that are working in the field. Sincerely Christoph Grevelding (Moderator of Schisto) Dr.Christoph G.Grevelding Tel.:(49)-211-81-13070 Genetic Parasitology Fax :(49)-211-81-12333 Institute of Genetic & (49)-211-81-12279 Center for Biological and Medical Research Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Universitaetsstrasse 1 40225 Duesseldorf e-mail: Christoph.Grevelding@uni-duesseldorf.de http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/MathNat/ Parasitologie/gen_para.htm From owner-schistosoma@net.bio.net Tue Nov 18 22:00:00 1997 Path: biosci!biosci!not-for-mail From: "Dr. Christoph Grevelding " Newsgroups: bionet.organisms.schistosoma Subject: Infection Date: 19 Nov 1997 02:25:30 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 101 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Approved: greveld@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Distribution: world Message-ID: <64ueqq$kfs@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear Schisto members! Several months ago, after Wilfried Haas sent a message about schisto- infections, Christopher Bayne sent out a general query asking for news about either laboratory infections or field infections among schisto research workers. He has now collected the responses, and has sent a summary which is forwarded below. If you want to reply to this message, please send your e-mail to the newsgroup. The moderator Forwarded message of Christopher Bayne: Some time ago, Newsgroup members received word from Wilfried Haas about accidental infections with schisto. An excerpt from his message follows: "Therefore, schisto-workers, think about a possible schistosomiasis, when you need considerably more willpower to rise from your bed in the morning than usual, when you need willpower to mobilize your strenth to go up the stairs, or also when you have extraordinary problems to follow lectures! However, be prepared, that you have to perform many schisto-diagnoses with negative results, after descibing these symptoms to your coworkers!" Nine people responded to my query, though two of these merely asked how I expected to determine relative frequencies of infections if I learned only about positive data. In fact almost all who responded also mentioned how many people were involved and how many years they have worked with schistosomes. Here (with names with-held) are the results: 1. Three or four people over 10 years regularly handling cercariae - no known infections. 2. Sixty or more people over 27 years handling fercariae - no known infections. 3. Forty or more people over 25 years - no known infections. 4. One person became infected during field work in Tanzania, and treats himself regularly after potential exposures. 5. Several people over 20 years in a lab in which millions of cercariae are handled weekly; 2 technicians became seropositive in this time. There were no other symptoms. The individuals were treated with Praziquantel. Infections were thought to be due to torn gloves. 6. One response (no lab infections) mentioned only that divers in Lake Malawi are being infected increasingly often, coinciding with harvesting of snail-eating fish. Implication: leave natural agents of biological control alone. 7. I attach an excerpt (slightly edited) from the remaining response. Considered along with Haas' original one, it should make us all think! "...although we have never had accidental infection in the two labs in which I have worked on schisto for the last 20 years, we have found 2 graduate students and 2 post-doc workers to have (or probably have in one case) naturally acquired schisto infections. The two students were both from schisto endemic countries, one Egyptian and the other East Africian. Both had been absent from endemic areas for at least 6 months before being diagnosed. One had been feeling generally unwell, with abdominal pain and tiredness for some time, and asked to be examined for eggs. We found S. haematobium (not kept in the lab). This made the second student consider that he had the same general feeling of lethargy and weakness since before he arrived in England (maybe for over 18 months). We found that he had S. mansoni eggs in his faeces. Both reported a rapid improvement after treatment. Both post-doc workers were presumed infected on holiday, one in Tunisia and the other in Mali (both had been swimming in natural water bodies). One felt unwell for the 6 months since her return from holiday and requested diagnosis (S. haem. eggs found), and other had also suffered weakness, particularly in the mornings, tireness and general abdominal discomfort. When she donated blood to the lab for the isolation of eosinophils, it was found that her eosinophil count had increased 10-fold from the previous times that she had donated blood before her holiday. We failed to find schisto. eggs in her faeces or urine, and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London also failed to detect eggs. However, in the absence of any other detectable infection or physiological problems, she was drug treated for suspected schistosomiasis. Her eosinophilia disappeared within 4 weeks and she also recovered her full strength within this time. The common feature of all these cases was the general feeling of weakness and lethargy (particularly in the mornings), with some abdominal discomfort, usually discribed as a general vague discomfort, but some moderately severe pain in one or two of the individuals. Even though the people infected could be considered 'experts' on schisto, and at least three of them realised that they had been potentially exposed to schisto, they had felt unwell for between 3 and 18 months before considering the possibility that they had schistosomiasis. The egg counts in all cases were very low. Clearly the symptoms of low grade schistosomiasis do not remind biologists working of the subject of the symtoms they generally read about in the text books. I don't know if Medic's are more aware of these symtoms." THANK YOU for responding to the query. This ends my involvement with distributing information on schisto infections. Christopher J. Bayne, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2914, USA TEL: 541-737-5352. FAX: 541-737-0501 e-mail: baynec@bcc.orst.edu From owner-schistosoma@net.bio.net Wed Nov 19 22:00:00 1997 Path: biosci!biosci!not-for-mail From: Jay Chamblin Newsgroups: bionet.organisms.schistosoma Subject: Re: Infection Date: 19 Nov 1997 23:40:51 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 44 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Approved: greveld@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Distribution: world Message-ID: <650pi3$lbm@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Schisto group, In connection with Christopher Bayne's interest in schisto infections among schisto research workers, though I'm too late for the sample pool, I offer myself as another datum point in the negative column. I worked for nearly 4 years as a technician in the early '60's at the Walter Reed Army Inst. of Rsch in the Dept.of Medical Zoology under Dr. Elvio Sadun and John Bruce on developing a flourescent-antibody survey test for schistosomiasis utilizing whole cercariae. I was in charge of maintaining S. mansoni in the lab as well as coordinating an epidemiological WHO project in Ethiopia in which I tested thousands of blood samples (saline-extracted from dried samples collected in the field on blotter paper) for antibodies to schistosomes. In working with the live cercariae preparing the flourescein-labelled antigen, I took standard precautions (rubber gloves and long sleeves). My only exposure to viable cercariae of which I was aware occurred when I was splashed on my wrist while assisting a worker exposing a monkey to the organism. Over time, I did test weakly positive on the FA test for schisto and I discovered a chronic eosinophilia along with some fatigue awhile afterward, but was stool-neg.for ova.The blood finding and fatigue were attributed to allergies I developed to lab animals. These anomalies disappeared when I left Walter Reed and I have not experienced any symptoms since then. I seem to recall (don't hold me too critically to these details) that one of our workers prior to my association with WRAIR became infected and could not explain it. The puzzle was solved some time later when he was showing photographs of himself with some locals horsing around in an open fountain in front of the School of Tropical Medicine in San Juan, where he was attending a conference. He was informed that it had recently been discovered that the fountain was found to harbor a resident snail and cercariae population which was accounting for a pocket of unexplained mansoni infections in the area. I enjoy hearing from you, Jay Chamblin Dr.Christoph G.Grevelding Tel.:(49)-211-81-13070 Genetic Parasitology Fax :(49)-211-81-12333 Institute of Genetic & (49)-211-81-12279 Center for Biological and Medical Research Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Universitaetsstrasse 1 40225 Duesseldorf e-mail: Christoph.Grevelding@uni-duesseldorf.de http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/WWW/MathNat/ Parasitologie/gen_para.htm