The Influenza Primer Design Resource: a new tool for translating influenza sequence data into effective diagnostics.

Background: Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and multiple occurrences of zoonotic infection and deaths in humans have sparked a dramatic increase in influenza research. In order to rapidly identify and help prevent future influenza outbreaks, numerous laboratories around the world are working to develop new nucleotide-based diagnostics for identifying and subtyping influenza viruses. While there are several databases that have been developed for manipulating the vast amount of influenza genetic data that have been produced, significant progress can still be made in developing tools for translating the genetic data into effective diagnostics.

Experimental and computational studies of the metal-metal stretching vibration in X(3)MMX(3) compounds (X = alkoxide, alkyl, amide).

Raman spectra of a number of triply bonded M(2)X(6) (M = Mo, W; X = alkoxide, alkyl) compounds have been obtained. Several exhibit a band assignable to the metal-metal stretching vibration nu(M)(M). This band was not identified in earlier studies of the M(2)(NMe(2))(6) compounds.