Antecedents and consequences of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic: A natural experiment in Japan -
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+With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies around the world have been introducing telework. However, Japan stands out for its low rate of telework implementation, and it seems there may be cultural factors that have hindered telework use in Japan during the pandemic. In this study, we aim to clarify the antecedents and consequences of telework in Japan, making use of the natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic to examine the following two questions: (1) What socio-psychological factors in workplaces were important for introducing telework in the first place? and (2) How did the implementation of telework subsequently influence socio-psychological factors in these workplaces? Three waves of an online survey were conducted among the same employees working for Japanese companies before and during the pandemic. We found that telework in Japan was more readily introduced in organizations characterized by meritocracy. We also found that the introduction of telework in Japanese companies did not have any negative effects but instead increased levels of independence, organizational commitment and perceived hierarchy mutability. We discuss how telework interacts with culture at both societal and organizational levels.
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The impact of publicly available COVID-19 information on commercial enterprise, government, and local establishments: A Case study in Poland -
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+The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on societies global, affecting numerous elements of existence, including the economy, governance, and public institutions. During such fitness crises, the availability of accurate and well timed records is essential for powerful choice-making and response techniques. This situation study makes a specialty of Poland and examines the effect of publicly available COVID-19 information on enterprise, authorities, and neighborhood institutions inside the United States of America. Inside the face of a rapidly evolving pandemic, governments play a vital position in offering information to the general public. They function a number one source of steerage, issuing guidelines, hints, and updates associated with COVID-19. Additionally, various records channels, along with legit websites, media outlets, and social media structures, make contributions to disseminating COVID-19 facts to the general public. The accessibility and dissemination of COVID-19 facts have large implications for businesses. As public perception and behavior shift in response to the pandemic, agencies need to adapt to changes in call for, supply chains, and patron alternatives. Moreover, compliance with authorityâs rules and tips turns into crucial for preserving operations and ensuring the protection of personnel and customers.
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Chaotic signatures in host-microbe interactions -
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+Host-microbe interactions constitute dynamical systems that can be represented by mathematical formulations that determine their dynamic nature. Dynamical interactions can be categorized as deterministic, stochastic, or chaotic. Knowing the type of dynamical interaction is essential for understanding the system under study. Very little experimental work has been done to determine the dynamical characteristics of host-microbe interactions and its study poses significant challenges. The most straightforward experimental outcome involves an observation of time to death upon infection. However, in measuring this outcome, the internal parameters and dynamics of each host-microbe interaction are hidden from the experimentalist. To investigate whether a time-to-death (time to event) dataset provides adequate information for searching for chaotic signatures, we first determined our ability to detect chaos in simulated data sets of time-to-event measurements and successfully distinguished the time-to-event distribution of a chaotic process from a comparable stochastic one. To do so, we introduced an inversion measure to test for a chaotic signature in time-to-event distributions. Next, we searched for chaos in time-to-death of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Pseudomonas entomophila, respectively. We found suggestions of chaotic signatures in both systems, but caution that our results are still preliminary and highlight the need for more fine-grained and larger data sets in determining dynamical characteristics. If validated, the occurrence of chaos in host-microbe interactions would have important implications for the occurrence and outcome of infectious diseases, the reproducibility of experiments in the field of microbial pathogenesis and the prediction of future microbial threats. ImportanceIs microbial pathogenesis a predictable scientific field? At a time when we are dealing with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) there is intense interest in knowing about the epidemic potential of other microbial threats and new emerging infectious diseases. To know whether microbial pathogenesis will ever be a predictable scientific field requires knowing whether a host-microbe interaction follows deterministic, stochastic, or chaotic dynamics. If randomness and chaos are absent from virulence, there is the hope for prediction in the future regarding the outcome of microbe-host interactions. Chaotic systems are inherently unpredictable although it is possible to generate short-term probabilistic models, as is done in applications of stochastic processes and machine learning to weather forecasting. Information on the dynamics of a system is also essential for understanding the reproducibility of experiments, a topic of great concern in biological sciences. Our study finds preliminary evidence for chaotic dynamics in infectious diseases.
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SARS-CoV-2 and its ORF3a, E and M viroporins activate inflammasome in human macrophages and induce of IL-1α in pulmonary epithelial and endothelial cells -
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+Inflammasome assembly is a potent mechanism responsible for the host protection against pathogens, including viruses. When compromised, it can allow viral replication, while when disrupted, it can perpetuate pathological responses by IL-1 signaling and pyroptotic cell death. SARS-CoV-2 infection was shown to activate inflammasome in the lungs of COVID-19 patients, however, potential mechanisms responsible for this response are not fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of ORF3a, E and M SARS-CoV-2 viroporins in the inflammasome activation in major populations of alveolar sentinel cells: macrophages, epithelial and endothelial cells. We demonstrated that each viroporin is capable of activation of the inflammasome in macrophages to trigger cell death and IL-1 release from epithelial and endothelial cells. Small molecule NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors reduced IL-1 release but weakly affected the pyroptosis. Importantly, we discovered that while SARS-CoV-2 could not infect the pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells it induced IL-1 and IL-33 release. Together, these findings highlight the essential role of macrophages as the major inflammasome-activating cell population in the lungs and point to endothelial cell expressed IL-1 as a potential novel component driving the pulmonary immunothromobosis in COVID-19.
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Full-spike deep mutational scanning helps predict the evolutionary success of SARS-CoV-2 clades -
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+SARS-CoV-2 variants acquire mutations in spike that promote immune evasion and impact other properties that contribute to viral fitness such as ACE2 receptor binding and cell entry. Knowledge of how mutations affect these spike phenotypes can provide insight into the current and potential future evolution of the virus. Here we use pseudovirus deep mutational scanning to measure how >9,000 mutations across the full XBB.1.5 and BA.2 spikes affect ACE2 binding, cell entry, or escape from human sera. We find that mutations outside the receptor-binding domain (RBD) have meaningfully impacted ACE2 binding during SARS-CoV-2 evolution. We also measure how mutations to the XBB.1.5 spike affect neutralization by serum from individuals who recently had SARS-CoV-2 infections. The strongest serum escape mutations are in the RBD at sites 357, 420, 440, 456, and 473âhowever, the antigenic impacts of these mutations vary across individuals. We also identify strong escape mutations outside the RBD; however many of them decrease ACE2 binding, suggesting they act by modulating RBD conformation. Notably, the growth rates of human SARS-CoV-2 clades can be explained in substantial part by the measured effects of mutations on spike phenotypes, suggesting our data could enable better prediction of viral evolution.
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Synthesis of Dendritic Cell-Targeted Polymeric Nanoparticles for Selective Delivery of mRNA Vaccines to Elicit Enhanced Immune Responses -
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+ABSTRACT: Recent development of SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccines to control the pandemic is a breakthrough in the field of vaccine development. mRNA vaccines are generally formulated with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) which are composed of several lipids with specific ratios; however, they generally lack selective delivery. To develop a simpler method selective delivery of mRNA, we reported here the synthesis of biodegradable copolymers decorated with guanidine and zwitterionic groups and an aryl-trimannoside ligand as polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) for encapsulation and selective delivery of an mRNA to dendritic cells (DCs). A representative DC-targeted SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA-PNP vaccine was shown to elicit a stronger protective immune response in mice as compared to the mRNA-LNP and mRNA-PNP vaccines without the selective delivery design. It is anticipated that this technology will be generally applicable to development of DC-targeted mRNA vaccines with enhanced immune response.
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Mycobiome analyses of critically ill COVID-19 patients -
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+Rationale: COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is a life-threatening complication in patients with severe COVID-19. Previously, acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with COVID-19 has been associated with lung fungal dysbiosis, evidenced by reduced microbial diversity and Candida colonisation. Increased fungal burden in the lungs of critically ill COVID-19 patients is linked to prolonged mechanical ventilation and increased mortality. However, specific mycobiome signatures associated with severe COVID-19 in the context of survival and antifungal drug prophylaxis have not yet been determined and such knowledge could have an important impact on treatment. Objectives: To understand the composition of the respiratory mycobiome in critically ill COVID-19 patients with and without CAPA and the impact of antifungal use in patient outcome. Methods: We performed a multi-national study of 39 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) with and without CAPA. Respiratory mycobiome was profiled using ITS1 sequencing and Aspergillus fumigatus burden was further validated using qPCR. Fungal communities were investigated using alpha diversity, beta diversity, taxa predominance and taxa abundances. Results: Respiratory mycobiomes of COVID-19 patients were dominated by Candida and Aspergillus. There was no significant association with corticosteroid use or CAPA diagnosis and respiratory fungal communities. Increased A. fumigatus burden was associated with mortality and, the use of azoles at ICU admission was linked with an absence of A. fumigatus. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that mould-active antifungal treatment at ICU admission may be linked with reduced A. fumigatus-associated mortality in severe COVID-19. However, further studies are warranted on this topic.
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Integrating stimulus-organism-response model and theory of planned behavior to explore athletesâ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster - A moderated mediation model -
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+This study aims to investigate the factors influencing athletes9 intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster in Mainland China by integrating the stimulus-organization-response (SOR) model and theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the theoretical framework. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents from the National Games of the People9s Republic of China. Hard-copy questionnaires were utilized to collect data, resulting in 981 valid responses. Descriptive analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that athletes9 subjective norm and knowledge significantly influence attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. Attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control are verified as full mediators between subjective norm, knowledge, and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Knowledge to commitment is the most powerful path to predict athletes9 intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Motivation moderates the relationships between knowledge, attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. The integrating model9s explanatory power is 83.2%. Athletes9 knowledge is crucial in shaping a positive attitude, commitment, and perceived control, enhancing their intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster.
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A SOLUTION TO THE KERMACK AND MCKENDRICK INTEGRO-DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WHICH ACCURATELY PROJECTS COVID-19 CASE DATA USING GOOGLE MOBILITY DATA AS AN INPUT -
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+In this manuscript, we derive a closed form solution to the full Kermack and McKendrick integro-differential equations (Kermack and McKendrick 1927) which we call the KMES. We demonstrate the veracity of the KMES using the Google Residential Mobility Measure to accurately project case data from the Covid 19 pandemic and we derive many useful, but previously unknown, analytical expressions for characterizing and managing an epidemic. These include expressions for the viral load, the final size, the effective reproduction number, and the time to the peak in infections. The KMES can also be cast in the form of a step function system response to the input of new infections; and that response is the time series of total infections. Since the publication of Kermack and McKendricks seminal paper (1927), thousands of authors have utilized the Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered (SIR) approximations; expressions putatively derived from the integro-differential equations to model epidemic dynamics. Implicit in the use of the SIR approximation are the beliefs that there is no closed form solution to the integro-differential equations, and that the approximation is a special case which adequately reproduces the dynamics of the integro-differential equations mapped onto the physical world. However, the KMES demonstrates that the SIR approximations are not adequate representations of the integro-differential equations, and we therefore suggest that the KMES obsoletes the need for the SIR approximations by providing not only a new mathematical perspective, but a new understanding of epidemic dynamics.
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Assessing the Impact of Mask Mandates on SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: A Case Study of Utah -
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+Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of face masks mandates has been intensely debated. Many methods have been used to demonstrate mask effectiveness, including one that compares the change in reproduction number following implementing and removing face mask mandates. Methods: Using data from Utah, we calculated the effect of mask mandates (EFm) in each local health district from before and after three key mandates: the Salt Lake and Summit County (SLSC) mask mandates enacted; the Utah statewide mask mandate enacted; and the Utah statewide mandate was lifted. Results: We found that most counties had a reduction in the growth rate of cases following the mandates. There were reductions in EFm in many counties after the introduction of the SLSC mask mandates and a more widespread reduction in EFm across the state following the statewide mandate. Lifting the mandates, many counties across the states saw an increase in EFm. Conclusion: Our data show mask mandates were an effective way to reduce transmission both within the jurisdiction they were enacted and in neighboring jurisdictions. We provide evidence to support mask mandates as a way to prevent transmission to be better equipped to respond to future pandemics.
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Drug Discovery in Low Data Regimes: Leveraging a Computational Pipeline for the Discovery of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Nsp14-MTase Inhibitors -
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+The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has led to significant global morbidity and mortality. A crucial viral protein, the non-structural protein 14 (nsp14), catalyzes the methylation of viral RNA and plays a critical role in viral genome replication and transcription. Due to the low mutation rate in the nsp region among various SARS-CoV-2 variants, nsp14 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. However, discovering potential inhibitors remains a challenge. In this work, we introduce a computational pipeline for the rapid and efficient identification of potential nsp14 inhibitors by leveraging virtual screening and the NCI open compound collection, which contains 250,000 freely available molecules for researchers worldwide. The introduced pipeline provides a cost-effective and efficient approach for early-stage drug discovery by allowing researchers to evaluate promising molecules without incurring synthesis expenses. Our pipeline successfully identified seven promising candidates after experimentally validating only 40 compounds. Notably, we discovered NSC620333, a compound that exhibits a strong binding affinity to nsp14 with a dissociation constant of 427 {+/-} 84 nM. In addition, we gained new insights into the structure and function of this protein through molecular dynamics simulations. We identified new conformational states of the protein and determined that residues Phe367, Tyr368, and Gln354 within the binding pocket serve as stabilizing residues for novel ligand interactions. We also found that metal coordination complexes are crucial for the overall function of the binding pocket. Lastly, we present the solved crystal structure of the nsp14-MTase complexed with SS148 (PDB:8BWU), a potent inhibitor of methyltransferase activity at the nanomolar level (IC50 value of 70 {+/-} 6 nM). Our computational pipeline accurately predicted the binding pose of SS148, demonstrating its effectiveness and potential in accelerating drug discovery efforts against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses.
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Real-world Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Against Infection and Severe Diseases in Children and Adolescents -
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+Background: The efficacy of the BNT162b2 vaccine in pediatrics was assessed by randomized trials before the Omicron variant9s emergence. The long-term durability of vaccine protection in this population during the Omicron period remains limited. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of BNT162b2 in preventing infection and severe diseases with various strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in previously uninfected children and adolescents. Design: Comparative effectiveness research accounting for underreported vaccination in three study cohorts: adolescents (12 to 20 years) during the Delta phase, children (5 to 11 years) and adolescents (12 to 20 years) during the Omicron phase. Setting: A national collaboration of pediatric health systems (PEDSnet). Participants: 77,392 adolescents (45,007 vaccinated) in the Delta phase, 111,539 children (50,398 vaccinated) and 56,080 adolescents (21,180 vaccinated) in the Omicron period. Exposures: First dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine vs. no receipt of COVID-19 vaccine. Measurements: Outcomes of interest include documented infection, COVID-19 illness severity, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), and cardiac complications. The effectiveness was reported as (1-relative risk)*100% with confounders balanced via propensity score stratification. Results: During the Delta period, the estimated effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine was 98.4% (95% CI, 98.1 to 98.7) against documented infection among adolescents, with no significant waning after receipt of the first dose. An analysis of cardiac complications did not find an increased risk after vaccination. During the Omicron period, the effectiveness against documented infection among children was estimated to be 74.3% (95% CI, 72.2 to 76.2). Higher levels of effectiveness were observed against moderate or severe COVID-19 (75.5%, 95% CI, 69.0 to 81.0) and ICU admission with COVID-19 (84.9%, 95% CI, 64.8 to 93.5). Among adolescents, the effectiveness against documented Omicron infection was 85.5% (95% CI, 83.8 to 87.1), with 84.8% (95% CI, 77.3 to 89.9) against moderate or severe COVID-19, and 91.5% (95% CI, 69.5 to 97.6)) against ICU admission with COVID-19. The effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine against the Omicron variant declined after 4 months following the first dose and then stabilized. The analysis revealed a lower risk of cardiac complications in the vaccinated group during the Omicron variant period. Limitations: Observational study design and potentially undocumented infection. Conclusions: Our study suggests that BNT162b2 was effective for various COVID-19-related outcomes in children and adolescents during the Delta and Omicron periods, and there is some evidence of waning effectiveness over time.
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How well do surveys on adherence to pandemic policies assess actual behaviour: measurement properties of the Dutch Covid-19 Adherence to Prevention Advice Survey (CAPAS). -
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+Background Survey data on adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures have often been used to inform policy makers and public health professionals. However, there is a lack of studies critically examining the validity and reliability of those self-reported measures. Aim We studied the measurement properties of the Covid-19 Adherence to Prevention Advice Survey (CAPAS), a novel questionnaire implemented in a repeated cross-sectional (i.e., âTrendâ) Study and a Cohort Study in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The CAPAS is a novel questionnaire developed in March 2020, with the aim to assess social activity and adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures. Items were formulated to minimise social desirability and aid memory retrieval. Based on the COSMIN framework, we investigated criterion validity by comparing trends of self-reported behaviour to trends in objective data. Responsiveness was assessed by studying whether self-reported behaviour changed following contextual (e.g., policy) changes. Test-retest reliability was examined over periods in which the context was stable. Results Overall, trends in self-reported behaviour closely corresponded to trends in external objective data. Self-reported behaviours were responsive to contextual changes and test-retest reliabilities were adequate. For infrequent behaviours reliability improved when measures were dichotomised. We were able to examine national representativeness for vaccination, which suggested a modest overestimation of on average 3.7%. Conclusions This study supports the suitability of using carefully designed, self-reported surveys (and the CAPAS specifically) to study changes in pandemic behaviours in a dynamic context.
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Tracking the development of COVID-19 related PsyArXiv preprints -
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+Given the need for a rapid and critical response from behavioural sciences during times of crisis, this study investigated the trajectory of all preprints posted to the repository PsyArXiv up to 19 May 2020 that were related to COVID-19 (n = 211). Specifically, we examined the traction, impact, quality, and diversity of these preprints as compared to PsyArXiv preprints unrelated to COVID-19 (n = 167) and articles published in psychology journal articles (n = 75) within the same time frame. Preprints related to COVID-19 had similar traction to published journal articles on COVID-19, but compared to preprints unrelated to COVID-19, the COVID-19 preprints were more likely to be subsequently published during a follow-up period (until 2 March 2021), were published more quickly, and received more citations. Preprints related to COVID-19 reported fewer open science practices than preprints unrelated to COVID-19, but more than COVID-19 journal articles. Primary affiliations for all article types predominantly originated from Western countries, but this was comparatively more for preprints (both related to and not related to COVID-19), even though preprints had more international authorship teams than journal articles. Overall, the results demonstrate that some of the structural problems in research are still in play despite the global effort to mobilise research efforts during the pandemic.
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Basic Psychological Needs, Quality of Motivation, and Protective Behavior Intentions: A Nationally Representative Survey -
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+This is a pre-print of a study published at Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2023.2257295. Objective: Citizensâ volitional engagement in protective behaviors is essential for successful pandemic management, as much of the required adherence is beyond authoritiesâ control and difficult to monitor. Building on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines how basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) related to COVID-19 behavioral measures is associated with the quality of motivation (autonomous vs. controlled), and whether this quality of motivation is predictive of the intention to wear a face mask and to avoid meeting others. Methods: Cross-sectional survey study involving a nationally representative sample (N = 2272) was conducted in Finland in May 2021, when protective behaviors were recommended to prevent acceleration of the epidemic. Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, linear regression analysis, and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. Results: All three psychological needs were positively related to autonomous motivation (all p<.001). Satisfaction of autonomy (ÎČ = .234) and relatedness (ÎČ = .402) had larger effects than competence (ÎČ = .091). Autonomous motivation (range Exp(B) = 1.82â3.55, p = .001) was consistently related to intention to wear a mask and intention to avoid meeting people. Controlled motivation (range Exp(B) = .66â.93, p = .001â.457) was associated with decreased protective behavior intentions. The effects of amotivation (range Exp(B) = .65â1.02, p = .001â.911) varied across analyses. Conclusions: Fostering autonomous motivation could increase adherence to protective behaviors in situations without clear mandates. The results also suggest that increasing perceptions of pressure or appealing to personal risk and fear may not advance adherence as effectively.
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Clinical Evaluation of the Panbioâą COVID-19/Flu A&B Panel - Conditions: COVID-19; Influenza A; Influenza B Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Panbioâą Sponsors: Abbott Rapid Dx Not yet recruiting
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A Multicenter, Adaptive, Randomized, doublE-blinded, Placebo-controlled Study in Participants With Long COVID-19: The REVIVE Trial - Conditions: Long COVID-19 Syndrome; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Interventions: Drug: Fluvoxamine Maleate 100 MG; Drug: Placebo; Drug: Metformin Extended Release Oral Tablet Sponsors: Cardresearch Recruiting
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Influence of Hypoxic, Normobaric and Hypobaric Training on the Immunometabolism of Post-covid-19 Athletes - Conditions: Normobaric Hypoxia; Hypoventilation; Normoxia Interventions: Other: Repeated sprint Sponsors: Faculdade de Motricidade Humana; University of Sao Paulo; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de NĂvel Superior. Not yet recruiting
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Connecting Friends and Health Workers to Boost COVID-19 Vaccination in Latino Communities - Conditions: COVID-19; Vaccine Interventions: Behavioral: REDES; Behavioral: Control Sponsors: Johns Hopkins University; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); Rutgers University Recruiting
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The Safety and Tolerability of A8G6 COVID-19 Neutralization Antibody Combined With Nasal Spray - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2; Prevention Interventions: Biological: A8G6 SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody combination nasal spray; Other: A8G6 SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody nasal excipient Sponsors: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Recruiting
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Clinical Evaluation of the Panbioâą COVID-19/Flu A&B Panel to Support Home Use - Conditions: COVID-19; Influenza A; Influenza Type B Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Panbioâą COVID-19/Flu A&B Panel Sponsors: Abbott Rapid Dx Recruiting
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Effects of Rehabilitation Combined With a Maintenance Program Compared to Rehabilitation Alone in Post-COVID-19 - Conditions: Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Interventions: Procedure: Rehabilitation combined to a digital maintenance program; Procedure: Rehabilitation only Sponsors: Schön Klinik Berchtesgadener Land; Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care (Funding); Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (German pension insurance) (Design); Betriebskrankenkassen Landesverband Bayern (Bavarian health insurance) (Design) Not yet recruiting
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Building Engagement Using Financial Incentives Trial - Colorectal Cancer Screening - Conditions: Health Behavior; Colorectal Cancer; Influenza; COVID-19; Vaccine Hesitancy; Vaccine-Preventable Diseases; Healthcare Patient Acceptance Interventions: Behavioral: Financial incentive for colorectal cancer screening; Behavioral: Financial incentive for flu shot; Behavioral: Financial incentive for COVID-19 shot Sponsors: Tulane University; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Not yet recruiting
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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Literacy for Primary Schools Teachers. A Multicomponent Intervention - Conditions: Child Mental Health Interventions: Behavioral: Child Mental Health Literacy Program Sponsors: Universidad de Valparaiso Recruiting
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Brief Digital Intervention to Increase COVID-19 Vaccination Among Individuals With Anxiety or Depression - Conditions: Misinformation; Vaccine Hesitancy; Anxiety; Depression; COVID-19 Interventions: Behavioral: Attitudinal inoculation; Behavioral: Cognitive-behavioral therapy-informed intervention; Behavioral: Conventional public health messaging Sponsors: City University of New York, School of Public Health; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Not yet recruiting
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Pilot Randomized Study of RD-X19 Tx Device in Subjects With PCC (Long Covid) in the Outpatient Setting - Conditions: Post COVID-19 Condition (PCC) Interventions: Device: RDX-19 Sponsors: KNOWBio Inc.; NAMSA Recruiting
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A Phaseâ Ą Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection Interventions: Biological: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (ZSVG-02-O); Biological: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (ZSVG-02-O); Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) ,Inactivated Sponsors: CNBG-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd. Recruiting
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CPAP Therapy Through a Helmet or a Full Face Mask in Patients With Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure: Cross-over Study - Conditions: Pneumonia, Bacterial; Respiratory Failure; COVID-19 Pneumonia Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Arterial blood gases; Diagnostic Test: Respiratory rate (RR); Diagnostic Test: Pulseoximeter; Diagnostic Test: Assessment of accessory respiratory muscles work; Diagnostic Test: Esophageal pressure measurement; Diagnostic Test: Discomfort Visual Analog Scale (VAS); Diagnostic Test: Noninvasive blood pressure; Diagnostic Test: Heart rate Sponsors: I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University Recruiting
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Investigation of Efficacy and Safety of Electrical Signal Therapy Provided by Dr BiolyseÂź Device in COVID-19 Disease - Conditions: COVID-19 Pneumonia; Virus Diseases; COVID-19 Interventions: Device: Signal Therapy provided by Dr.Biolyse device; Other: Liquid Support Treatment Sponsors: AVB Biotechnology Recruiting
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A Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection Interventions: Biological: Placebo; Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) ,Inactivated; Biological: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (ZSVG-02-O) 10 ÎŒg; Biological: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (ZSVG-02-O) 30 ÎŒg; Biological: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (ZSVG-02-O) 60 ÎŒg Sponsors: CNBG-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd.; Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Recruiting
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From PubMed
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The double-edged sword of the hippocampus-ventromedial prefrontal cortex resting-state connectivity in stress susceptibility and resilience: A prospective study - The hippocampus has long been considered a pivotal region implicated in both stress susceptibility and resilience. A wealth of evidence from animal and human studies underscores the significance of hippocampal functional connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in these stress-related processes. However, there remains a scarcity of research that explores and contrasts the roles of hippocampus-vmPFC connectivity in stress susceptibility and resilience when facing a real-lifeâŠ
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Influenza A virus replication has a stronger dependency on Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway activity than SARS-CoV-2 - The recent COVID-19 pandemic again highlighted the urgent need for broad-spectrum antivirals, both for therapeutic use in acute viral infection and for pandemic preparedness in general. The targeting of host cell factors hijacked by viruses during their replication cycle presents one possible strategy for development of broad-spectrum antivirals. By inhibiting the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, a central kinase cascade of eukaryotic cells, which is being exploited by numerous viruses ofâŠ
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Coffee as a dietary strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection - CONCLUSIONS: This study verified moderate coffee consumption, including decaffeination, can provide a new guideline for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2. Based on the results, we also suggest a coffee-drinking plan for people to prevent infection in the post-COVID-19 era.
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Weak SARS-CoV-2-specific responses of TIGIT-expressing CD8+ T cells in people living with HIV after a third dose of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine - CONCLUSION: TIGIT expression on CD8+ T cells may hinder the T-cell immune response to a booster dose of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, suggesting weakened resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in PLWH. Furthermore, TIGIT may be used as a potential target to increase the production of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of vaccination.
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Intranasal G5-BGG/pDNA vaccine elicits protective systemic and mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 by transfecting mucosal dendritic cells - Infectious disease pandemics, including the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, have heightened the demand for vaccines that provide both disease protection and transmission inhibition. Although parenteral vaccines induce robust systemic immunity, their effectiveness in respiratory mucosae is limited. Considering the crucial role of nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) in mucosal immune responses, in this study, the intranasal complex composed of G5-BGG and antigen-expressing plasmid DNAâŠ
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Colloidal aggregation confounds cell-based Covid-19 antiviral screens - Colloidal aggregation is one of the largest contributors to false-positives in early drug discovery and chemical biology. Much work has focused on its impact on pure-protein screens; here we consider aggregations role in cell-based infectivity assays in Covid-19 drug repurposing. We began by investigating the potential aggregation of 41 drug candidates reported as SARs-CoV-2 entry inhibitors. Of these, 17 formed colloidal-particles by dynamic light scattering and exhibited detergent-dependentâŠ
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Application of Luteolin in Neoplasms and Nonneoplastic Diseases - Researchers are amazed at the multitude of biological effects of 3â,4â,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone, more commonly known as luteolin, as it simultaneously has antioxidant and pro-oxidant, as well as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-preventive, properties. The anticancer properties of luteolin constitute a mosaic of pathways due to which this flavonoid influences cancer cells. Not only is it able to induce apoptosis and inhibit cancer cell proliferation, but it also suppresses angiogenesisâŠ
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HSP90AB1 Is a Host Factor Required for Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus Infection - Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is an important swine enteric coronavirus causing viral diarrhea in pigs of all ages. Currently, the development of antiviral agents targeting host proteins to combat viral infection has received great attention. The heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a critical host factor and has important regulatory effects on the infection of various viruses. However, its roles in porcine coronavirus infection remain unclear. In this study, the effect of HSP90 on TGEVâŠ
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Therapeutic Effect and Safety Evaluation of Naringin on Klebsiella pneumoniae in Mice - Critically ill patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) often develop secondary bacterial infections that pose a significant threat to patient life safety, making the development of drugs to prevent bacterial infections in the lungs critical to clinical care. Naringin (NAR) is one of the significant natural flavonoids rich in Pummelo Peel (Hua Ju Hong), with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, and is commonly used in treating respiratory tract infectiousâŠ
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Interaction of Methylene Blue with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Envelope Revealed by Molecular Modeling - Methylene blue has multiple antiviral properties against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The ability of methylene blue to inhibit different stages of the virus life cycle, both in light-independent and photodynamic processes, is used in clinical practice. At the same time, the molecular aspects of the interactions of methylene blue with molecular components of coronaviruses are not fully understood. Here, we use Brownian dynamics to identify methylene blueâŠ
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Genetic Predisposition to Elevated Levels of Circulating ADAM17 Is Associated with the Risk of Severe COVID-19 - High levels of ADAM17 activity have emerged as an important mediator in severe COVID-19. This study aims to characterize eventual causal relationships between ADAM17 and COVID-19. Using Mendelian randomization analyses, we examined the causal effects of circulating ADAM17 on COVID-19 outcomes using summary statistics from large, genome-wide association studies of ADAM17 (up to 35,559 individuals) from the Icelandic Cancer Project and deCODE genetics, as well as critically ill COVID-19 patientsâŠ
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Sigma Receptor Ligands Prevent COVID Mortality In Vivo: Implications for Future Therapeutics - The emergence of lethal coronaviruses follows a periodic pattern which suggests a recurring cycle of outbreaks. It remains uncertain as to when the next lethal coronavirus will emerge, though its eventual emergence appears to be inevitable. New mutations in evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants have provided resistance to current antiviral drugs, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines, reducing their therapeutic efficacy. This underscores the urgent need to investigate alternative therapeutic approachesâŠ.
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Novel Substituted Azoloazines with Anticoagulant Activity - Hypercytokinemia, or cytokine storm, often complicates the treatment of viral and bacterial infections, including COVID-19, leading to the risk of thrombosis. However, the use of currently available direct anticoagulants for the treatment of COVID-19 patients is limited due to safety reasons. Therefore, the development of new anticoagulants remains an urgent task for organic and medicinal chemistry. At the same time, new drugs that combine anticoagulant properties with antiviral or antidiabeticâŠ
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Insights into the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 main protease autocatalytic maturation from model precursors - A critical step for SARS-CoV-2 assembly and maturation involves the autoactivation of the main protease (MPro^(WT)) from precursor polyproteins. Upon expression, a model precursor of MPro^(WT) mediates its own release at its termini rapidly to yield a mature dimer. A construct with an E290A mutation within MPro exhibits time dependent autoprocessing of the accumulated precursor at the N-terminal nsp4/nsp5 site followed by the C-terminal nsp5/nsp6 cleavage. In contrast, a precursor containingâŠ
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Safety and immunogenicity of the third and fourth doses of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 following a 2-dose regimen of inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine - This study followed healthcare personnel (HCP) who had completed a primary series of CoronaVac and then received the third and fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The primary objective was to determine the seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibodies against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs at day 28 after the third dose of vaccine and day 28 after the fourth dose of vaccine. This prospective cohort study was conducted at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, a tertiary care hospital affiliated toâŠ
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From Patent Search
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+ 15 November, 2023
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+Daily-Dose
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What Kind of Trouble Is Eric Adams In? - New York Cityâs mayor has downplayed the federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising, but, by dodging questions and obfuscating, heâs invited even more public scrutiny. - link
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What Comes After Panda Diplomacy? - Biden meets with President Xi as U.S.-China relations get less warm and fuzzy. - link
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Journalistic Independence Isnât a Human-Resources Exercise - A free and independent press is vital to preserve, but doing so requires the people running media companies to take that idea out of mothballs. - link
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How Gaza and the British Right Split London on Armistice Day - Duelling protests, a country divided over Israel and Palestine, and the return of David Cameron. - link
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Trumpâs Fascistic Rhetoric Only Emphasizes the Stakes in 2024 - As he leads the polls nearly a year out from Election Day, the former President is taking the sort of hateful language that in the past heâs used about immigrants and applying it to his political enemies. - link
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From Vox
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The achievement of this yearâs Biden-Xi summit is, simply, the meeting itself -
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+Joe Biden, on the right, and Chinaâs President Xi Jinping shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 14, 2022. | Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
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+What to expect from Biden and Xiâs San Francisco meetup.
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+As President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in San Francisco today, the two leaders find themselves in different positions than when they met last year in Bali, Indonesia.
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+Back then, each was in a position of strength â Biden coming out of a triumphant midterm election and Xi a well-orchestrated party conference that solidified his rule â and both used that first in-person meeting as an occasion to soothe tensions.
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+Then came the Chinese balloon floating over the United States that tore at the already tenuous condition of US-China relations. The incident bolstered hawks in America gunning for a more assertive US policy toward China (though, under Biden, like Trump, the policy has already been pretty hawkish). Since then, each countryâs leader has been tested. Biden has faced troubling poll numbers and gets flack from House Republicans who argue that even meeting with Chinese leaders is a form of capitulation. And now, Israelâs war on Gaza threatens American power globally and possibly Bidenâs reelection.
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+In China, mass protests against Xiâs zero-Covid policies significantly undermined him and forced the country to open up in a somewhat haphazard fashion. His weakness has been exposed as heâs grappled with an economic slowdown and reshuffled ministers.
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+Now, just sitting down together is considered a success. Wednesdayâs meeting on the sides of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit will be the first time in a year the leaders of the worldâs two largest economies have talked. This isnât a big-picture realignment but a tactical cooling, with the hope that presidential diplomacy can yield more diplomatic breakthroughs in the distant future and mitigate the risk of outright conflict in the nearer one.
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+So, the achievement likely to come out of this yearâs Biden-Xi summit is, simply, the meeting itself. If there are policy announcements that emerge from the conversation, experts told me, they are likely to be minor. âItâs been a rough few years in US-Chinese relations,â Sharon Burke, a former senior Defense official, told me. âSo the prospect of potentially getting back to a more normal pace, where weâre going to remain contentious, but that we can actually meet and talk about, especially mutual interests, is important â even if it doesnât result in headline-grabbing agreements or compromises.â
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+This builds on several months of Biden seeking calm, often saying that the administration doesnât want a new cold war with China even as some of its policies suggest otherwise. His national security cabinet has shuttled to Beijing and in the process built confidence that diplomacy remains the best path forward with China. The Biden administration has sought this entente but doesnât always get its calls returned (like during the balloon crisis). China, for what itâs worth, has cooled its rhetoric toward the US recently, putting out official statements ahead of todayâs meeting that focus on stabilizing relations.
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+Though war in the Middle East is draining the Biden administrationâs foreign policy attention, the issue of China endures as the most significant globally. The presidentâs entire foreign policy is organized around countering China.
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+âBoth sides have probed at the bottom line of the other side,â Yun Sun, an analyst at the Stimson Center, told me. âBoth sides have pushed, have bullied, have screamed, and have offered enticement. And so basically, all the different approaches have been tried. Now, people are at a much more sober understanding as for what is possible and what is viable.â
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+When Biden and Xi meet in San Francisco
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+This is likely the last time the two leaders will meet for some time. âHistorically speaking, sitting presidents running for reelection donât see it as advantageous to their reelection campaigns to meet with their Chinese counterparts during election years,â Ryan Hass, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, told me.
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+Biden has kept in place many of Trumpâs policies toward China. Still, Bidenâs emphasis on diplomatic engagement is a contrast to Republicans who have flaunted a militaristic approach to China, as seen at recent presidential debates. Trump, for his part, said nice things about Xi recently (âHeâs like Central Castingâ), but a second Trump term would almost certainly strain US-China relations further.
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+So what will the Chinese hope to get out of this summit? âTheyâre looking for an opportunity to show the Chinese people that President Xi was treated with dignity and respect on the world stage, that he was viewed as a world leader of stature and significance,â Hass, who served in the Obama White House, explained. âAnd I think that theyâre probably going to try to use the meeting to set down markers around their expectations around Taiwan, given that Taiwan has an election upcoming in January of next year.â
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+Analysts will also be watching whether there will be some resumption of military-to-military relations between the two countries. The Chinese balloon further tested the prospect of communication, which China had largely suspended after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosiâs visit to Taiwan in August 2022. The two sides are working on that, Sun explained, but each country has different expectations. The US wants to resume both high-level and working-level contacts, while the Chinese are taking an incremental approach and are using this all as a point of leverage.
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+There may also be some movement on climate change. Bidenâs envoy John Kerry said âsome agreementsâ are in the works. âWe cannot make progress in the world on climate change without the United States and China,â Burke, who is now president of the advisory firm Ecospherics, told me.
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+The small stuff may prove important, like an increase in the number of flights between the US and China, which plummeted since the pandemic. The two leaders will also discuss how to clamp down on the export of fentanyl.
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+The two countries also share an interest in a more stable situation in the Middle East. The US has leverage over Israel, and China over Iran, from which it buys much oil and with which it maintains diplomatic relations, unlike the US.
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+It would be difficult to imagine Biden and Xi putting out a Middle East peace plan. But any overlap between the interests of these two superpowers at this moment may prove crucial. âThe Gaza crisis is seen as a potential area for collaboration or cooperation between the US and China,â Sun told me. And though that isnât much, itâs a major departure from the extremely tense Alaska talks in March 2021.
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+Together, it represents something that has been largely absent in the first three years of the Biden administration: cooperation with China. Itâs less about the substance coming out of todayâs meeting and more about whether a structure will be in place the next time thereâs a surprise (like the balloon) or a high-level US delegation in Taiwan.
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+For Jake Sullivan, Bidenâs national security adviser, the meeting is about the âcontinued importance of strengthening open lines of communication and managing competition responsibly so that it does not veer into conflict.â
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+The forward-looking, over-the-horizon question: Can the relationship continue on this route without spiraling into conflict? âBoth sides have an innate desire to manage the competition,â Sun, who had just returned from Beijing, told me. âXi Jinping needs a more stable external environment so that he can focus on his domestic problems. I suspect Biden is thinking the same way.â
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+A quiet meeting between Biden and Xi is a good start.
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The Supreme Courtâs new ethics code is a joke -
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+Itâs me. Hi. Iâm the problem. Itâs me. | Alex Wong/Getty Images
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+The code is so weak that it serves to legitimize Clarence Thomasâs corruption. It is literally worse than nothing.
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+On Monday, the Supreme Courtreleased a new âcode of conductâ laying out ethical principles that the justices claim they have always adhered to â and arguing that the only reason such a code is necessary is because the Courtâs critics donât understand how things actually work.
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+Itâs the first time in its history that the Court has published a formal ethics code â but the introduction to this particular code makes it clear that the justices did so only reluctantly, and that they donât actually intend for anything to change.
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+âFor the most part these rules and principles are not new,â the introduction to the code claims, adding that âthe absence of a Code ⊠has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules.â The new code was created âto dispelâ this supposed âmisunderstanding,â the justices write, and it âlargely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.â
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+At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.
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+The new code also seeks to âdispelâ any impression that the justices âregard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,â which may have been created when Justice Samuel Alito accepted a $100,000 private jet flight to Alaska from Republican billionaire Paul Singer, where Alito stayed in a fishing lodge that ordinarily charges more than $1,000 a day to guests, and where Alito was reportedly served wine that costs more than $1,000 a bottle.
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+The new code, which, again, by its own explicit terms largely seeks to put in writing the same rules that these justices followed when they accepted luxurious gifts from major Republican Party donors, is also almost entirely unenforceable. If a litigant, or one of the more than 300 million Americans governed by the Supreme Court, believes that one of the justices is violating the newly written-down rules, there is no mechanism to enforce those rules against a justice.
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+Indeed, the code is sometimes quite explicit about the fact that most of it has no enforcement mechanism. While it contains about three pages of rules governing when a justice must recuse themselves from a case, for example, an official commentary attached to the code states that âindividual Justices, rather than the Court, decide recusal issues.â So if a justice decides to hear a case that the code says they should not hear, nothing happens because each individual justice has the final word on whether they must step aside from a case.
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+All nine of the justices, who signed their names to this code, should be ashamed of themselves. The new code imposes no meaningful obligations on the justices. It explicitly disclaims any desire to do so. It accuses the Courtâs critics of âmisunderstandingâ the justicesâ past behavior, when it really isnât hard to understand the ethical implications of taking a $500,000 gift from a major political donor.
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+And the new rules do nothing whatsoever to limit Thomasâs corrupt behavior.
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+So what does the new code actually say?
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+The 15-page document the Supreme Court released on Monday has three parts: The brief introductory paragraph, which states that âfor the most part these rules and principles are not newâ; about nine pages dedicated to the actual code of conduct; and then another five pages of âcommentary,â which explain how the justices interpret these rules.
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+Much of the rules section of the new code uses language that is similar or identical to the language of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, ethical rules that have long governed judges on federal district and appeals courts whose decisions are reviewed by the Supreme Court.
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+But, while there are superficial similarities between the rules governing lower court judges and the rules that the Supreme Court now says it will comply with, thereâs a big difference between these two sets of rules: The ones governing lower courts actually have teeth.
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+As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in 2011, the last time that Thomasâs penchant for accepting lavish gifts from Republican billionaires embarrassed the Court and forced Roberts to respond to calls for ethics reform, if a trial court judge refused to recuse from a case they are obligated to step away from, that âdecision not to recuse is reviewable by a court of appeals, and a court of appeals judgeâs decision not to recuse is reviewable by the Supreme Court.â
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+But âthere is no higher court to review a Justiceâs decision not to recuse in a particular case,â Roberts wrote at the time â and the new code does nothing to add accountability to justices who sit on cases they should not hear.
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+The new rules contain only one provision limiting gift acceptance by the justices. And, while that provision appears on its face to impose fairly robust limits on the justices, the official commentary on the rules clarifies that this provision does not actually do anything to change the status quo.
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+Briefly, the new rules state that âa Justice should comply with the restrictions on acceptance of gifts and the prohibition on solicitation of gifts set forth in the Judicial Conference Regulations on Gifts now in effect.â If taken seriously, that would be a very significant restriction indeed, because the Judicial Conference Regulations on Gifts state that judges are ânot permitted to accept a gift from anyone ⊠whose interests may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the [judgeâs] official duties.â
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+The Supreme Court, which has the power to overrule any decision made by Congress or a presidential administration, is arguably the most powerful policymaking body in the United States. It routinely hands down decisions that impact millions of Americans â in its last two terms alone, the Court stripped student loan relief from millions of student borrowers, it abolished affirmative action at most universities, it set fire to countless gun regulations, and it stripped the constitutional right to an abortion from anyone with a uterus.
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+All Americans, in other words, have âinterestsâ that âmay be substantially affectedâ by the performance of a justiceâs official duties. So, if the Court actually took its new rules seriously, no justice would be allowed to accept a gift from anyone in the country.
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+But itâs clear from the commentary on the rules that the justices donât actually intend to comply with such a gift ban. To the contrary, that commentary states that the new rules requiring the justices to comply with the Judicial Conferenceâs gift regulations merely âarticulate the practice formalized in 1991 of individual Justices following the financial disclosure requirements and limitations on gifts, outside earned income, outside employment, and honoraria.â
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+So, while a superficial read of the new rules might suggest that the justices have accepted strict new restrictions on their ability to accept gifts, the commentary on the rules tells a very different story. According to that commentary, the justices have changed nothing. They are simply following the same practice theyâve followed since 1991, and Thomas may continue to treat gifts from Harlan Crow and other Republican billionaires the same way heâs treated them during his entire tenure on the Supreme Court â which also began in 1991.
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+The Supreme Courtâs new ethics code, in other words, is the equivalent of a biography of John Wilkes Booth that focuses entirely on his acting career without ever mentioning the fact that he murdered President Abraham Lincoln. It goes out of its way to avoid mentioning the very thing that has sparked such widespread public outrage against an unethical Supreme Court. And then it states explicitly, in the rulesâ official commentary, that the Court is doing nothing whatsoever to change the lax gifting norms that allowed Thomas to accept corrupt gifts over and over again.
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+Itâs not hard to write an ethics code that actually works
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+Itâs worth noting that the new code does contain fairly detailed rules governing exactly one thing: getting paid to teach at a university or law school.
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+According to the rulesâ commentary, âa Justice may not accept compensation for an appearance or a speech,â but they may be paid for âteaching a course of study at an accredited educational institution or participating in an educational program of any duration that is sponsored by such an institution and is part of its educational offering.â
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+The amount that a justice may be paid for moonlighting as a professor is capped at roughly $30,000 per year. And, unlike other parts of the new ethics code, the rules governing paid teaching gigs actually has an enforcement mechanism that calls for third-party review of the justicesâ activity. According to the commentary, âAssociate Justices must receive prior approval from the Chief Justice to receive compensation for teaching; the Chief Justice must receive prior approval from the Court.â
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+Thereâs a straightforward explanation for why the Court has a real ethics code governing paid teaching gigs while the rest of its ethics rules are fluff and meaningless bluster. In 1969, Justice Abe Fortas resigned from the Supreme Court in disgrace after he accepted several dubious payments â including an arrangement where several clients at Fortasâs former law firm paid him $15,000 to teach at American University (about $130,000 in todayâs dollars).
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+So the Courtâs relatively strict rules governing paid teaching prevent a repeat of this particular scandal. The cap on payments ensure that justices do not pad their income too much with outside funds, while the requirement that at least one additional member of the Court review all paid university gigs helps screen out teaching assignments that may be corruptly funded.
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+Simply put, the Supreme Court knows how to write an effective ethics rule when it chooses to do so. And it has plenty of models it could have relied on from other powerful American institutions, which have already given serious thought to how to write a rule that prevents wealthy donors from lavishing gifts upon top policymaking officials. It simply chose not to do so.
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+The Supreme Court has no credibility to speak about ethics
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+The Roberts Court, of course, frequently opines on what sort of relationship government officials should have with wealthy benefactors who seek to buy influence. And its previous proclamations on this subject should not give anyone more confidence in this Courtâs ability to root out corruption than its new, toothless ethics code.
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+Consider, for example, the Courtâs decision in Citizens United v. FEC (2010), which permitted corporations and unions to spend unlimited sums of money to influence elections. According to the five Republican-appointed justices who joined that decision, elected officials being unusually responsive to donors is actually a good thing:
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+Favoritism and influence are not ⊠avoidable in representative politics. It is in the nature of an elected representative to favor certain policies, and, by necessary corollary, to favor the voters and contributors who support those policies. It is well understood that a substantial and legitimate reason, if not the only reason, to cast a vote for, or to make a contribution to, one candidate over another is that the candidate will respond by producing those political outcomes the supporter favors. Democracy is premised on responsiveness.
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+So itâs not surprising that a Court that looks at multimillion-dollar checks being written to elect one official or another and shrugs it off with the phrase âdemocracy is premised on responsiveness,â may not have the most sophisticated ideas about what should be done when a Supreme Court justice routinely flies all over the globe at the expense of wealthy political donors.
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+This Supreme Court has long held people who believe that public officials should not be influenced by big donors in utter contempt. Itâs not surprising that the Courtâs new ethics rules display the same contempt for critics of the justicesâ own corruption.
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When Trump tells you heâs an authoritarian, believe him -
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+Donald Trump at a campaign rally on November 8 in Hialeah, Florida. | Alon Skuy/Getty Images
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+Heâs talking like a fascist. Heâs planning fascist policies. Heâs staffing up with fascists.
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+Historically, the erosion of American democracy has happened subtly. In a country where democracy is basically a civic religion, politicians generally donât announce their intention to attack it when running for office. The past decade of voter suppression laws, state-level rules explicitly designed to limit access to the ballot box, have been sold as tools for combating voter fraud. Many proponents of Jim Crow-era voting regulations â a nakedly racist attempt to ensure white political dominance â described them as a restoration of Southern democracy after the alleged Northern tyranny of Reconstruction.
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+Donald Trump is currently testing the limits of that unwritten rule by all but openly campaigning on a platform of tearing democracy down.
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+Perhaps the clearest sign came in a speech on Veterans Day where he vowed to âroot out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections.â Calling oneâs opponents subhuman and vowing aggressive action against them is a hallmark of classical fascist rhetoric, so much so that the Washington Postâs headline â on a news article, not an opinion piece â described it as âechoing dictators Hitler [and] Mussolini.â
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+Thereâs been a long-running debate among American political observers as to whether Trump can reasonably be described as a fascist. Between his increasingly fascist rhetoric and increasingly fascist second-term policy proposals, the debate should now be considered settled. A political leader who vows to destroy opponents he calls âvermin,â to weaponize the Justice Department against his critics, and to conduct political purges in the federal government is in fascist territory.
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+Trump is talking like a fascist, planning fascist policies, and staffing up with fascists. While a second Trump term is vanishingly unlikely to produce an openly fascist state â thatâs not really how authoritarian takeovers of democracy work today â itâs quite plausible that they could do extensive, even fatal, damage to the American system by pulling the right policy levers. This is what happened in Hungary, and what is currently happening in India, Israel, and democracies around the world.
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+The fascist ideological positioning is a signal of intent: Trump is coming for American democracy. No one can say they werenât warned.
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+Normal politics are over
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+Whenever someone warns of Trumpâs fascist tendencies, there are always two instinctive dismissive reactions you see from elements of the political commentariat: both from Trump apologists and from reasonable centrists who want to avoid what they see as left-wing alarmism.
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+The first is to call it hyperbolic: Americans have long compared opposite-party presidents to fascists and been proven wrong each time. The second is to argue that the end of American democracy is unthinkable: The United States government has so many veto points that even a competent and determined authoritarian would find themselves hampered by Congress, federalism, and the courts.
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+There is clearly a qualitative difference between Trump and previous presidents. As bad as (for example) George W. Bushâs record on civil liberties was, he didnât refer to Democrats as âverminâ or vow to âroot outâ their presence in American life. He never even came close to firing tens of thousands of civil servants or remaking the Justice Department into a tool of personal revenge against political rivals. When he moved in that direction â firing nine US attorneys on seemingly political grounds â it produced a national outcry, a 22-month investigation, and the defenestration of top administration officials. Trumpâs threats to do much worse, by contrast, seem to be fully supported by the institutional Republican Party.
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+Warnings of looming authoritarianism under prior presidents, typically issued by fanatical partisans and figures on the political fringe, may have proved false. But we have ample evidence that these warnings about Trumpâs authoritarianism, increasingly coming from credible sources in the political mainstream, are grounded in the reality of what his second term would look like.
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+Itâs also certainly true that Trumpâs most dangerous moves would be contested at all levels of government; challenged by Democrats in Congress, hampered by court cases, and fought by Democratic-controlled state governments. But in the very bestcase, that means the gears of the federal government would grind to a halt during his presidency, as the entire system was consumed by the fight to defend itself from a hostile takeover. Itâs hard to fully anticipate what the worst case looks like, but the breakdown of essential democratic functions â up to and including the basic fairness of the electoral system â is not off the table.
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+So while the extent to which Trump will succeed in making his vision a reality is certainly something that reasonable people can disagree about, the reality of that vision is not.
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+This should be the starting point for any conversation about the 2024 presidential race. Anyone who cares about American democracy â regardless of whether you side more with Democrats or Republicans on more ânormalâ issues like taxes, pollution regulations, or Israel-Palestine â should understand that its health is on the ballot. There has simply been too much business as usual, in which Americaâs political class treats 2024 as if itâs just another hotly contested election in a long line of them.
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+It isnât, and the Trump campaign is making it clear that it isnât on a regular basis. We in the press need to convey this to our readers as clearly as we can, a commitment which does not require abandoning the mediaâs core values of accuracy and fairness. On the contrary: It would be a betrayal of those values to shirk from reporting what the Trump people are telling us about themselves.
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+When the Washington Post asked Trumpâs campaign for comment on claims that his âverminâ language echoed fascist rhetoric, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung responded like this: âThose who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything because they are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome and their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House,â Cheung told the Post.
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+In a way, the denial confirms the charge. Thereâs something funny about Cheung vowing to âcrushâ the âentire existenceâ of anyone who dares call his boss a fascist. But thereâs also chilling reality. Trumpâs spokesperson is either convinced he wonât pay a price for such authoritarian rhetoric, authoritarian enough that heâs unable to tell how thuggish he sounds, or convinced that this is the way Trump expects his underlings to talk.
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+This is the operation that, at present, is beating President Joe Biden by about 1 percent in the RealClearPolitics poll average. It is past time to wake up.
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From The Hindu: Sports
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Manchester City announces record financial figures for 2022-23 season - The club, which is backed by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, won a trophy treble last season.
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Virat Kohli scores 50th ODI century, breaks Sachin Tendulkarâs record - Sachin Tendulkar applauded Virat Kohli from the stands as the latter scored the record century during the the ICC World Cup semifinal against New Zealand
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Manchester United CEO Arnold to leave club: report - General counsel and board director Patrick Stewart will be named interim CEO
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IND vs NZ semifinal | India win toss, opt to bat against Kiwis - Both India and New Zealand are fielding the same playing XI that they fielded in their last league match.
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India-New Zealand World Cup semi-final | Mumbai Police receive message threatening âdisruptionâ - âThe threat was posted on X on November 14, tagging the Mumbai Policeâs official handle. It also contained the image of a gun, hand grenades, and bullets,â an official said.
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From The Hindu: National News
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Here are the big stories from Karnataka today - Welcome to the Karnataka Today newsletter, your guide from The Hindu on the major news stories to follow today. Curated and written by Nalme Nachiyar.
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Residents block key road near Ranipet protesting discharge of sullage into open stormwater drain - The stink from the plot is unbearable, residents say
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Kerala High Court stays Transport Commissioner order on installation of surveillance cameras in private buses - Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh passed the interim order on a writ petition filed by the secretary of Kerala Bus Transport Association, challenging the order of Transport Commissioner
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Bengaluru police question girl in Belagavi about bomb threat call to TCS - Bengaluru police in Belagavi to investigate hoax bomb threat call to TCS
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Once OBCs, Dalits and tribals learn about their actual population, country will change: Rahul Gandhi - Rahul Gandhi was speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarhâs Bemetara district ahead of the second phase of Assembly elections on November 17
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From BBC: Europe
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Ukraine war: Army claims foothold on bank of River Dnipro in south - Russian officials admit only that âsmall groupsâ of Ukrainian forces have captured a village.
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Paris Mayor Hidalgo trains sights on SUVs after e-scooter rental ban - Opposition council-members in Paris City Hall scent blood over the mayor of Parisâs two-week trip.
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Ukraine charges officials tied to Hunter Biden probe and Russia - Three men who helped Rudy Giuliani investigate the Bidens are accused of working with Russia.
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Finland accuses Russia of aiding illegal migrant crossings - Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says Russian officials helped some asylum seekers reach the Finnish border.
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Iceland builds wall to protect power plant from lava - Scientists say a volcanic eruption could happen any moment near the evacuated town of Grindavik.
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From Ars Technica
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KeeperFX keeps Dungeon Keeper alive by making it actually playable - I remember not liking this game, until I played this passion project version. - link
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Nothing Phone says it will hack into iMessage, bring blue bubbles to Android - Upstart Android OEM hopes Apple wonât immediately shut the project down. - link
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People think white AI-generated faces are more real than actual photos, study says - âHyperrealismâ bias has implications in robotics, medicine, and law enforcement. - link
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Google loses battle to redact confidential info leaked by final witness - Verdict remains uncertain as Google rests defense in landmark monopoly trial. - link
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Physics reveals secret of how nature helped sculpt the Great Sphinx of Giza - This ancient wonder may have started out as a natural formation known as a yardang. - link
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From Jokes Subreddit
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âI want you to have this,â -
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+said the husband to his wife, handing her a gold bracelet with an engraved medallion. âIt belonged to my mother.â
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+âOh honey, thank you!â she said, smiling and putting on the bracelet. âItâs a beautiful bracelet and a beautiful gesture.â
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+As she moved her arm around admiring it from various angles, her smile turned into a frown, and then a full-on glare.
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+She rounded on her husband, and yelled, âYou asshole! It saysâDo not resuscitate!"
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+Karen: Doctor, Iâve not been feeling well lately
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+Doctor: Well, Iâve looked at your lab reports and Iâm afraid I have some bad newsâŠ
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+Karen: Donât give me this lab nonsense, you bureaucratic paper pusher! I donât believe Western medicine anyways! Iâve been following homeopathic medicine, faith-based approaches, and healing crystals all my life, and they never let me down. Now, will you do things my way, or do I need to talk to the hospital management?
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+Doctor: Sure, sure, lady. Weâll do things your way. Does an astrology-based approach work for you?
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+He was a little nervous, but he remembered some advice from his father, that three never-fail subjects for small talk are food, family, and philosophy.
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+âSo,â he asks, âdo you like noodles?â
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+âNah.â
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+âAh.â
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+Try again. âDo you have any brothers?â
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+âNope.â
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+"Ah.
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+âWell, if you did have any brothers, would they like noodles?â
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+The beginning of the first class in college a professor wanted to stir things up, to make a point he said âIf there are any idiots in this room, will you please stand upâ
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+After a long silence, one freshman rose to his feet.
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+âNow then mister, why do you consider yourself an idiot?â, inquired the professor in a snidely voice.
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+âWell, actually I donât,â said the student, â I just hate to see you standing up there all by yourself.â
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