Porphyria is actually a group of diseases, all pertaining to the metabolism of porphyrin rings that, along with iron, are responsible for the oxygen-carrying properties of hemoglobin--an ingredient in blood. It is a very rare genetic disorder, and is in no way contagious.

Although it never a good practice to harm vampires (being a hunter won't get you any points on this newsgroup), let alone kill them, some of the more favored methods of destroying a vampire are included in section [2.04] in the Traditional FAQ located at http://www.altvampyres.net/newsgroup/faq.

Again, there are many different possible routes of becoming a vampire in the mythology. Some of the more prevalent routes are included in section [2.05] in the Traditional FAQ located at http://www.altvampyres.net/newsgroup/faq.

A psychic vampire is a living person who "drains" others emotionally. Depending on the version, this may be an empathic drain (i.e., literally feeding on the emotions or 'life-force' of others) or it may be a metaphorical drain (someone who "takes" emotionally without giving anything back; a "user"). The victims of a psychic vampire become lethargic and depressed, and, should they be drained too much, may become suicidal.

The interior of a lysosome is more acidic than the cytosol, and lysosomal enzymes are more active at low pH than at neutral pH.

From time to time, somebody posts a request like this to the group. Before you go about doing this yourself, consider the following scenario: _If_ vampires do exist, they may not be exactly what you have been led to expect from books, films, and role playing games. Anybody on this group who might have the power to 'turn' you would be putting him/herself in grave danger (no pun intended) by exposing his/her true nature.

Vampyre" is an older spelling of the word 'vampire' and was used predominantly during the 1700 and 1800s. Its use in the group's title is to provide a more "Gothic" feel - not to mention, making it damned difficult for newbies to find us :-)

The first case of BSE, or Mad Cow Disease was discovered on 12/23/03 in the US. The purpose of this FAQ is to educate about the disease terminology in cattle. For human health and current political issues concerning BSE, please visit with your local health care provider or refer to local/national/Internet news sources.

The disease is named after the German neurologist named Dr. Alois Alzheimer. He had a female patient who was suffering from a severe alteration in her mental function, similar to what he had often seen in the very old and senile. She had memory loss, difficulty speaking, was confused and had lost judgment and reasoning ability. When Dr. Alzheimer performed an autopsy on her brain, he found it to be smaller and lighter than normal.

There is a strong negative association with the derogatory term "leper." In the United States the disease's name has been changed officially to Hansen's disease.

The H5N1 strain of avian flu has been found in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Malaysia, and North Korea. More recently it has spread to Russia and Kazakhstan. In 2003, there was an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N7 strain in the Netherlands and Germany.

The five-year survival (the amount of people alive five years after detection of the disease) is 14% and, until now, has NOT changed significantly in the past 25 years.

Yes, unfortunately. There are two types. The "Buffy wannabe", and the real hunters and slayers. These are the professional type of hunter.

In the U.S., ALS is known as Lou Gehrig's disease because the famous baseball player, Lou Gehrig, died from the disease in 1941. Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees and was one of the best baseball players ever. He got ALS in 1939 at the age of 38.

There is a strong negative association with the derogatory term "leper." In the United States the disease's name has been changed officially to Hansen's disease.