Antiviral therapy
A recent development which seems to hold great hope is the discovery of the cell-product which has been named interferon, made at the National Institute for Medical Research by Dr Alick Isaacs and his co-workers. Interferon may be of great value in preventing the multiplication of viruses. It is prepared by treating influenza virus with ultraviolet rays so that it is not killed but its vitality is impaired. It is then mixed with animal cells and the interferon produced prevents the reproduction of the fresh live virus. Moreover, when fresh, live, normally infective virus is mixed with cells which have been treated with interferon, more interferon is produced by them. The bearing of this discovery has yet to be fully explored, but there is clearly a possibility that it might provide a large-scale process for producing an important therapeutic reagent against viral infection.
Not a bird, not a plane鈥�
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There has been a considerable splash of publicity about Mr Cockerell鈥檚 hovercraft owing to a mistaken identification thereof with 鈥渇lying saucer鈥� designs. Details have not yet been released for publication. It must suffice here to say that the general idea of craft supported on an air cushion is not new. Mr Cockerell鈥檚 contribution relates to means of increasing the lift obtainable for a given horse-power, with all the effect that such an increase has on payload. When details are published the means will be seen to be of almost spectacular simplicity. It is likely that a lot of very clever people will want to kick themselves for not having thought of it first.
From The New 杏吧原创, 1 January 1959
