Well, ding-dangit, I nearly missed my own celebration thread!

A funny little anecdote y'all might appreciate: I am doing a research project on detecting RNA sequences in certain forms in transit in-vivo in real time, the implications of which suggest that the methods I'm developing could be used to detect with great specificity a number of infectious diseases, as well as some genetic diseases.

Anyways, a few weeks ago, I present my project to some people outside of my lab. Afterwards I'm talking about possible applications, and when I talk about detecting certain genetic diseases, somebody says, "So....like lupus?" My co-worker (who also watches House and has seen all the sifts about 'em) looks at me, and mutters under his breath, "It's never lupus..." and we both start cracking up.

Now all the other labs think we're weird. Thanks, VideoSift! Here's to a 100 more.

Don't get your undies all in a bunch, Bl.

"Sorry a viral advertising scam for a scanner darkly attempting to masquerade as real science."

Are you referring to a rumor started by a comment made by a Slashdotter noting the similiarity between Margellons and Dick's writing, a rumor that was subsequently spread around the net as fact? Hmmmmm....

You're right, the JAAD did print two letters and commentary. In scientific communities, letters are submitted as such, and not as papers, which would carry much more weight in the scientific and medical communities, because there is no real data to support them.

Of course, the CDC doesn't really lend any credence to the whole viral advertisement idea, and as JD mentioned, they're launching a proper investigation into the possibility of the disease.

The disease may be be a result of delusional parasitosis, sure, and likely is. But that does not mean that there is no benefit nor use to properly researching the disease, be it a psychological phenomenon or a parasitic infection, nor is it proof or even indication that the disease is being used as a marketing tool. There's a reason there are infectious disease experts seriously researching this disease, and it's not because they want to help sell a movie that's been out for nearly a year.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

From your linked article gluonium:
The main causes of neonatal mortality in developing countries are infectious diseases (36% of cases): pneumonia, tetanus and diarrhoea. Premature births (27%) and asphyxia (23%) are also major causes of infant mortality. In 60 to 80% of deaths, the child’s weight is very low, a condition related to the mother’s state of health.

So again, I would say that the causes are a reflection of poor health, nutrition and disease. I will battle your Google-fu with a bit of my own:

"For the Netherlands, as the only country with a sizable proportion of natural childbirths (home birth as proxy)…Dutch national perinatal statistics from 1986 …found that perinatal mortality rates were much higher for obstetricians in hospitals than for midwife-attended home care or midwife-attended hospital care, at all levels of risk when controlling for gestation, maternal age and parity" (p. 17---from studies by Treffers and Laan 1986 and Tew and Damstra-Wijmenga 1991).