Pandemic effect on body composition. Single center analysis of 2.771 cases. -
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+Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in the levels of sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy dietary habits. A worsening in populational obesity levels and body composition (BC) is strongly awaited but so far not documented. Objective: To compare BC profile measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) between pre-pandemic (P1-03/15th/2017 to 03/16th/2020) and pandemic (P2-3/17th/2020 to 3/10th/2021) period of time. Materials and Methods: BIA were grouped according to the time it was performed. Two comparisons were done: an independent sample comparison (ISC) and a paired sample comparison (PSC) considering patients with at least one BIA in P1 and P2. Age, height, gender, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), free fat mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), percentage of body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA) were compared. Statistical significance level was defined for a p value<0.05. Results and Discussion: A total of 3.358 BIA were performed, and 2.771 and 112 were selected for IS and PS, respectively. In ISC, despite an unchanged weight, BFM, FFM, PBF and VFA increased and SSM decreased on P2(p<0.015 for all). A multivariated linear regression model using PBF as dependent variable showed P2 as an independent predictor (β=0.38 95%CI 0.19 to 0.56). In the PSC, PBF also increased from P1 to P2 (p=0.015). To our knowledge this is the first documentation of worsening BC after pandemic. Health authorities should be alert for this phenomenon and their clinical consequences in the days to come.
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Situation of COVID-19 in Brazil: An analysis via growth models as implemented in the ModInterv system for monitoring the pandemic -
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+In this work we analyze the cumulative curves of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the 26 Brazilian States and the Federal District up until August 21, 2020. Mathematical growth models implemented by the application {ModInterv COVID-19}, which can be accessed via internet browser or via a mobile app, were used to investigate at which stage the epidemic is in each of the Brazilian federal units. The analysis revealed that almost all states in the Northern and Northeastern regions were already in the saturation phase, meaning that the epidemic was relatively under control, whereas in all Southern states and in most states in the Midwest the epidemic was still accelerating or showed only a slight deceleration. The Southeastern region presented a great diversity of epidemic stages, with each state being found at a different stage, ranging from acceleration to saturation. It is argued that understanding this heterogeneous geographical distribution of the epidemic is relevant for public health authorities, as it may help in devising more effective strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic in a continental country like Brazil.
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Using PARIHS framework to design a community-based COVID-19 intervention in rural Ghana -
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+This study utilized the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework to guide the design of the evidence-based practice, COVID Preparedness & Outbreak Prevention Plan (CoCoPOPP) for rural communities in Ghana. Through a participatory academic-community team discussion, interactive dissemination, review of evidence about community-based interventions during Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and Influenza outbreaks via snowball sampling, continuous discourse within the design team, feedback from other local stakeholders and national experts, the evidence-based intervention was developed consistent with the PARIHS framework. By applying the three core elements of the PARIHS framework (that is, evidence, context and facilitation), the study developed orientation, logistic needs and planning as well as social mobilization. The components also included participants recruitment and training, communication, research and M&E plan, execution and technical assistance and facilitation with three overall aims: (1) meet a pressing health need during the COVID-19 pandemic in local underserved settings, (2) ensure that the strategy is informed by high-quality evidence from similar interventions in past outbreaks and (3) evaluate and learn from research on interventions to garner data for organizational use and to share insights on pandemic management and control with the Ghanaian government, wider global health and education community. Hence, CoCoPOPP can be implemented across other rural communities in Ghana and beyond, particularly in other Sub-Saharan African countries with similar cultural settings.
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Comprehensive assessment of humoral response after Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccination: a three-case series -
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+Background. Since universal vaccination is a pillar against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), monitoring anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies is essential for deciphering post-vaccination immune response. Methods. Three healthcare workers received 30 μg BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine, followed by a second identical dose, 21 days afterwards. Venous blood was drawn at baseline and at serial intervals, up to 63 days afterwards, for assessing total immunoglobulins (Ig) anti-RBD (receptor binding domain), IgG anti-S1/S2, IgG anti-RBD, IgM anti-RBD, IgM anti-N/S1 and IgA anti-S1. Results. All subjects were SARS-CoV-2 seronegative at baseline. Total Ig anti-RBD, IgG anti-S1/S2 and IgG anti-RBD levels increased between 91-368 folds until 21 days after the first vaccine dose, then reached a plateau. The levels raised further after the second dose (by ~30-, ~8- and ~8-fold, respectively), peaking at day 35, but then slightly declining and stabilizing ~50 days after the first dose. IgA anti-S1 levels increased between 7-11 days after the first dose, slightly declined before the second dose, after which levels augmented by ~24-fold from baseline. The anti-RBD and anti-N/S1 IgM kinetics were similar to that of anti-S1 IgA, though displaying substantially weaker increases and modest peaks, only 4 to 7-fold higher than baseline. Highly significant inter-correlation was noted between total Ig anti-RBD, anti-S1/S2 and anti-RBD IgG (all r=0.99), whilst other anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies displayed lower, though still significant, correlations. Serum spike protein concentration was undetectable at all time points. Conclusions. BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination generates a robust humoral immune response, especially involving IgG and IgA, magnified by the second vaccine dose.
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covid19.Explorer: A web application and R package to explore United States COVID-19 data -
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+Appearing at the end of 2019, a novel virus (later identified as SARS-CoV-2) was characterized in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, China. As of the time of writing, the disease caused by this virus (known as COVID-19) has already resulted in close to 3 million deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infections and deaths, however, have been highly unevenly distributed among age groups, sexes, countries, and jurisdictions over the course of the pandemic. Herein, I present a tool (the covid19.Explorer R package and web application) that has been designed to explore and analyze publicly available United States COVID-19 infection and death data from the 2020/21 U.S. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The analyses and visualizations that this R package and web application facilitate can help users better comprehend the geographic progress of the pandemic, the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as lockdowns and other measures, which have varied widely among U.S. states), and the relative risks posed by COVID-19 to different age groups within the U.S. population. The end result is an interactive tool that will help its users develop an improved understanding of the temporal and geographic dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, accessible to lay people and scientists alike.
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Post-infectious inflammatory disease in MIS-C features elevated cytotoxicity signatures and autoreactivity that correlates with severity -
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+Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a life-threatening post-infectious complication occurring unpredictably weeks after mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV2 infection in otherwise healthy children. Here, we define immune abnormalities in MIS-C compared to adult COVID-19 and pediatric/adult healthy controls using single-cell RNA sequencing, antigen receptor repertoire analysis, unbiased serum proteomics, and in vitro assays. Despite no evidence of active infection, we uncover elevated S100A-family alarmins in myeloid cells and marked enrichment of serum proteins that map to myeloid cells and pathways including cytokines, complement/coagulation, and fluid shear stress in MIS-C patients. Moreover, NK and CD8 T cell cytotoxicity genes are elevated, and plasmablasts harboring IgG1 and IgG3 are expanded. Consistently, we detect elevated binding of serum IgG from severe MIS-C patients to activated human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells in culture. Thus, we define immunopathology features of MIS-C with implications for predicting and managing this SARS-CoV2-induced critical illness in children.
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The economic value of quarantine is higher at lower case prevalence, with quarantine justified at lower risk of infection -
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+Some infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, are so harmful that they justify broad scale social distancing. Targeted quarantine can reduce the amount of indiscriminate social distancing needed to control transmission. Finding the optimal balance between targeted vs. broad scale policies can be operationalized by minimizing the total amount of social isolation needed to achieve a target reproductive number. Optimality is achieved by quarantining on the basis of a risk threshold that depends strongly on current disease prevalence, suggesting that very different disease control policies should be used at different times or places. Aggressive quarantine is warranted given low disease prevalence, while populations with a higher base rate of infection should rely more on social distancing by all. The total value of a quarantine policy rises as case counts fall, is relatively insensitive to vaccination unless the vaccinated are exempt from distancing policies, and is substantially increased by the availability of modestly more information about individual risk of infectiousness.
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NSAIDs/Nitazoxanide/Azithromycin Immunomodulatory Protocol Used in Adults, Children and Pregnant COVID-19 Patients: An Egyptian Prospective Observational Study. -
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+To date no treatment protocol of proven efficacy was approved to manage COVID-19. We have developed a novel COVID-19 protocol basing on our early pioneering article that justified repurposing of nitazoxanide/azithromycin combination for early cases of COVID-19 which was followed by two articles to justify addition of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to nitazoxanide/azithromycin. We are presenting a prospective telemedicine case series involving consented 32 patients/legal guardians including 10 confirmed by PCR and 21 highly suspected COVID-19 Egyptian patients. The patients included 15 adult males, 11 adult females, 2 pregnant patients as well as 4 children. All patients have received a short 5-day-regimen of NSAIDs (diclofenac potassium in most of cases, ibuprofen, lornoxicam, celecoxib, ketoprofen or ketorolac)/nitazoxanide/azithromycin +/- cefoperazone either in full or in part as illustrated in the manuscript. The primary endpoint of this protocol was full relief of all serious COVID-19 clinical manifestations. The primary endpoint was fully achieved in all patients within two weeks. Most of the patients treated early with the protocol have fully recovered during its described five days; the leucocytic/lymphocytic count was significantly improved for those with prior leucopenia/lymphopenia. No significant adverse effects were reported. A novel 5-day-protocol to safely and effectively cure COVID-19 using repurposed inexpensive FDA approved drugs is illustrated and we recommend performing sufficiently powered double blind randomized clinical trials against any current standard protocol.
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Qualitatively distinct modes of Sputnik V vaccine-neutralization escape by SARS-CoV-2 Spike variants -
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+The novel pandemic betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected at least 120 million people since its identification as the cause of a December 2019 viral pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China. Despite the unprecedented pace of vaccine development, with six vaccines already in use worldwide, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) across diverse geographic locales suggests herd immunity may fail to eliminate the virus. All three officially designated VOC carry Spike (S) polymorphisms thought to enable escape from neutralizing antibodies elicited during initial waves of the pandemic. Here, we characterize the biological consequences of the ensemble of S mutations present in VOC lineages B.1.1.7 (501Y.V1) and B.1.351 (501Y.V2). Using a replication-competent EGFP-reporter vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) system, rcVSV-CoV2-S, which encodes S from SARS coronavirus 2 in place of VSV-G, and coupled with a clonal HEK-293T ACE2 TMPRSS2 cell line optimized for highly efficient S-mediated infection, we determined that 8 out of 12 (67%) serum samples from a cohort of recipients of the Gamaleya Sputnik V Ad26 / Ad5 vaccine showed dose response curve slopes indicative of failure to neutralize rcVSV-CoV2-S: B.1.351. The same set of sera efficiently neutralized S from B.1.1.7 and showed only moderately reduced activity against S carrying the E484K substitution alone. Taken together, our data suggest that control of emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants may benefit from updated vaccines.
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A Second Wave? What Do People Mean By COVID Waves? - A Working Definition of Epidemic Waves -
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+Policymakers and researchers describe the COVID-19 epidemics by waves without a common vocabulary on what constitutes an epidemic wave, either in terms of a working definition or operationalization, causing inconsistencies and confusions. A working definition and operationalization can be helpful to characterize and communicate about epidemics. We propose a working definition of epidemic waves in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and an operationalization based on the public data of the effective reproduction number R. Our operationalization characterizes the numbers and durations of waves (upward and downward) in 178 countries and reveals patterns that can enable healthcare organizations and policymakers to make better description and assessment of the COVID crisis to make more informed resource planning, mobilization, and allocation temporally in the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
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Antigen-based rapid diagnostic testing or alternatives for diagnosis of symptomatic COVID-19: A simulation-based net benefit analysis -
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+Background: SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) offer the ability to diagnose COVID-19 rapidly and at low cost; however, lower sensitivity than nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) has limited adoption of Ag-RDT in clinical settings. Methods: We compared Ag-RDT, NAAT, and clinical judgment alone for diagnosing COVID-19 among symptomatic patients. We considered two scenarios: a high-prevalence hospital setting with 24-hour NAAT turnaround, and a lower-prevalence outpatient setting with 3-day NAAT turnaround. We simulated transmission from cases and contacts and relationships between time, viral burden, transmission, and case detection. We used decision curve analysis to compare the net benefit of diagnostic approaches relying on Ag-RDT versus NAAT. Results: Greater net benefit was achieved with Ag-RDT than NAAT in the outpatient setting, as long as NAAT turnaround time was longer than one day. NAAT was predicted to offer greater net benefit than Ag-RDT in the hospital setting, unless NAAT turnaround times exceeded 2 days. Findings were robust to data-consistent variation in Ag-RDT performance, empiric isolation practices, duration of symptoms, and other model parameters. Both tests provided greater benefit than management based on clinical judgment alone, unless the available interventions carried minimal harm and could be provided at full intensity to all patients in whom COVID-19 diagnosis was considered. Conclusions: Ag-RDT may provide greater net benefit than NAAT for diagnosis of symptomatic COVID-19 in outpatient settings when NAAT turnaround times are longer than one day. NAAT is likely the optimal testing strategy for hospitalized patients, especially those with prolonged symptoms prior to admission.
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On the Effects of Misclassification in Estimating Efficacy With Application to Recent COVID-19 Vaccine Trials -
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+Understandably, the recent trials for COVID-19 vaccines have garnered a considerable amount of attention and (as of this writing) vaccinations are about to begin. The popular summaries give infection rates in the vaccinated and placebo and estimated efficacy, which for the two trials we focus on (Moderna and Pfizer) are both near 95%. This paper explores the potential effects of possible false positives or false negatives (misclassification) in the COVID-19 diagnosis with specific application to the Moderna and Pfizer trials. The general conclusion, fortunately, is that these potential misclassifications almost always would lead to underestimation of the efficacy and that correcting for false positives or negatives will lead to even higher estimated efficacy.
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Bored by bothering: A cost-value approach to pandemic boredom -
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+In an effort to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world have employed non-pharmaceutical containment measures. The effectiveness of such mitigation efforts relies on individual compliance (e.g., avoiding to travel or to gather). Crucially, adhering to the required behavioral recommendations places substantial burdens on those who are asked to follow them. One particularly likely outcome of adherence should be the experience of boredom. Thus, people might get bored by bothering. Drawing from research and theorizing on reward-based decision making, we conducted a high-powered study (N = 1553 US participants) to investigate whether the value and effort people ascribe to adherence to containment measures directly and indirectly (i.e., mediated by adherence) affects their experience of boredom. As expected, structural equation modeling revealed that high value and low effort predicted compliance with behavioral recommendations. Moreover, higher compliance was linked to more boredom, meaning that high value and low effort increased boredom via compliance. In contrast, high value and low effort had direct effects on boredom in the opposite direction (i.e., decreasing boredom). Attesting to their robustness and generalizability, these findings held for both prospective (with respect to upcoming winter holidays) and retrospective behavior (with respect to previous thanksgiving holidays), across US states which had or had not enforced behavioral restrictions, individual differences in boredom proneness, and demographic variables. Taken together, our results show that people can indeed get bored by bothering: Complying with nonpharmacological containment measures like avoiding to travel and to gather can come at the cost of getting bored, an experience that was strongly linked to negative affect in our study. While the observed levels of compliance were relatively high and those of boredom were relatively low, the data suggest that this could change over time because levels of boredom might rise. This might render maintenance of compliance in the general public increasingly difficult. However, we illustrate how policy makers can rely on theoretical models of boredom and behavior to maintain compliance and discuss the chances and pitfalls of doing so.
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An immunoinformatics approach to study the epitopes contributed by Nsp13 of SARS-CoV-2 -
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+The on-going coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of people and killed more than two million people worldwide. Currently, there are no effective drugs available for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections; however, vaccines are now being administered worldwide to control this virus. In this study, we have studied SARS-CoV-2 helicase, Nsp13, which is critical for viral replication. We compared the Nsp13 sequences reported from India with the first reported sequence from Wuhan province, China to identify and characterize the mutations occurring in this protein. To correlate the functional impact of these mutations, we characterised the most prominent B cell and T cell epitopes contributed by Nsp13. Our data revealed twenty-one epitopes, which exhibited high antigenicity, stability and interactions with MHC class-I and class-II molecules. Subsequently, the physiochemical properties of these epitopes were also analysed. Furthermore, several of these Nsp13 epitopes harbour mutations, which were further characterised by secondary structure and per-residue disorderness, stability and dynamicity predictions. Altogether, we report the candidate epitopes of Nsp13 that may help the scientific community to understand the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants and their probable implications.
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Discovery and in-vitro evaluation of potent SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors -
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+SARS-CoV-2 infection initiates with the attachment of spike protein to the ACE2 receptor. While vaccines have been developed, no SARS-CoV-2 specific small molecule inhibitors have been approved. Herein, utilizing the crystal structure of the ACE2/Spike receptor binding domain (S-RBD) complex in computer-aided drug design (CADD) approach, we docked ~8 million compounds within the pockets residing at S-RBD/ACE2 interface. Five best hits depending on the docking score, were selected and tested for their in vitro efficacy to block SARS-CoV-2 replication. Of these, two compounds (MU-UNMC-1 and MU-UNMC-2) blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication at sub-micromolar IC50 in human bronchial epithelial cells (UNCN1T) and Vero cells. Furthermore, MU-UNMC-2 was highly potent in blocking the virus entry by using pseudoviral particles expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike. Finally, we found that MU-UNMC-2 is highly synergistic with remdesivir (RDV), suggesting that minimal amounts are needed when used in combination with RDV, and has the potential to develop as a potential entry inhibitor for COVID-19.
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Pilot Trial of XFBD, a TCM, in Persons With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Xuanfei Baidu Granules; Other: Placebo Sponsor: Darcy Spicer Recruiting
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SERUR: COVID-19 Serological Survey of Staff From the University Reims-Champagne Ardennes - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Diagnostic Test: Anti-SARS-CoV2 Serology Sponsor: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne Completed
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Study of DS-5670a (COVID-19 Vaccine) in Japanese Healthy Adults and Elderly Subjects - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Biological: DS-5670a; Biological: Placebo Sponsor: Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Recruiting
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ANTIcoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia Interventions: Drug: Tinzaparin, Low dose prophylactic anticoagulation; Drug: Tinzaparin, High dose prophylactic anticoagulation; Drug: Tinzaparin,Therapeutic anticoagulation Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris Not yet recruiting
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Neuromodulation in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Device: Transcranial direct-current stimulation; Device: Sham Transcranial direct-current stimulation Sponsors: D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Rio de Janeiro State Research Supporting Foundation (FAPERJ); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. Not yet recruiting
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A Study to Evaluate MVC-COV1901 Vaccine Against COVID-19 in Elderly Adults - Condition: Covid19 Vaccine Interventions: Biological: MVC-COV1901 (High-Dose); Biological: MVC-COV1901(Mid-Dose) Sponsor: Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. Not yet recruiting
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Immunogenicity and Safety of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cells) - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56 Sponsors: Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Academy of Military Medical Sciences，Academy of Military Sciences，PLA ZHONGYIANKE Biotech Co, Ltd. LIAONINGMAOKANGYUAN Biotech Co, Ltd Recruiting
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Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Inactivated ERUCOV-VAC Compared With Placebo in COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: ERUCOV-VAC 3 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Biological: ERUCOV-VAC 6 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Other: Placebo Sponsors: Health Institutes of Turkey; Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Recruiting
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Post COVID-19 Syndrome and the Gut-lung Axis - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Omni-Biotic Pro Vi 5; Dietary Supplement: Placebo Sponsors: Medical University of Graz; CBmed Ges.m.b.H. Not yet recruiting
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A Dose Finding, Efficacy and Safety Study of Ensovibep (MP0420) in Ambulatory Adult Patients With Symptomatic COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: ensovibep; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: Molecular Partners AG; Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Iqvia Pty Ltd; Datamap; SYNLAB Analytics & Services Switzerland AG; Q2 Solutions Not yet recruiting
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Vitamin D, Omega-3, and Combination Vitamins B, C and Zinc Supplementation for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D; Dietary Supplement: Omega DHA / EPA; Dietary Supplement: Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex and Zinc Acetate Sponsors: Hospital de la Soledad; Microclinic International Recruiting
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The Impact of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as an Immunomodulation on the Risk Reduction of COVID-19 Disease Progression With Escalating Cytokine Storm and Inflammatory Parameters - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Human fecal microbiota, MBiotix HBI; Drug: Placebo; Drug: SOC Sponsors: Medical University of Warsaw; Human Biome Institute, Poland Not yet recruiting
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STOP-COVID19: Superiority Trial Of Protease Inhibition in COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Drug: Brensocatib; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: University of Dundee; NHS Tayside; Insmed Incorporated Completed
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Monitoring of COVID-19 Seroprevalence Among GHdC Staff Members - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Diagnostic Test: Serology to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection Sponsor: Grand Hôpital de Charleroi Recruiting
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Favipiravir in High-risk COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Drug: Favipiravir Sponsor: Penang Hospital, Malaysia Recruiting
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From PubMed
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BET inhibition blocks inflammation-induced cardiac dysfunction and SARS-CoV-2 infection - Cardiac injury and dysfunction occur in COVID-19 patients and increase the risk of mortality. Causes are ill defined but could be through direct cardiac infection and/or inflammation-induced dysfunction. To identify mechanisms and cardio-protective drugs, we use a state-of-the-art pipeline combining human cardiac organoids with phosphoproteomics and single nuclei RNA sequencing. We identify an inflammatory “cytokine-storm”, a cocktail of interferon gamma, interleukin 1β, and poly(I:C), induced…
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New Approaches to the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Diseases - The review discusses a new approach to the prevention and treatment of viral infections based on the use of pine needles polyprenyl phosphate (PPP) and associated with the infringement of prenylation process-the attachment of farnesol or geranyl geraniol to the viral protein. Currently, prenylation has been detected in type 1 adenovirus, hepatitis C virus, several herpes viruses, influenza virus, HIV. However, this list is far from complete, given that prenylated proteins play an extremely…
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Supplementary Therapeutic Possibilities to Alleviate Myocardial Damage Due to Microvascular Dysfunction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Myocardial damage with a consequent rise in cardio-specific troponin level is a frequent phenomenon in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Its causes are capillary endothelial cell dysfunction, associated carditis, low oxygenization, and increased sympathetic tone, which all worsen myocardial stiffness and microvascular dysfunction (MD). They lead to severe myocardial dysfunction, arrhythmia, acute congestive heart failure, and a significant rise in death cases. During COVID-19,…
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SARS-CoV-2 induces double-stranded RNA-mediated innate immune responses in respiratory epithelial-derived cells and cardiomyocytes - Coronaviruses are adept at evading host antiviral pathways induced by viral double-stranded RNA, including interferon (IFN) signaling, oligoadenylate synthetase-ribonuclease L (OAS-RNase L), and protein kinase R (PKR). While dysregulated or inadequate IFN responses have been associated with severe coronavirus infection, the extent to which the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 activates or antagonizes these pathways is relatively unknown. We found that SARS-CoV-2 infects patient-derived nasal…
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Synthesis and Characterization of a Minophosphonate Containing Chitosan Polymer Derivatives: Investigations of Cytotoxic Activity and in Silico Study of SARS-CoV-19 - Chitosan is broadly used as a biological material since of its excellent biological activities. This work describes investigations of chitosan interaction with SARS-CoV-2, which is occupied by human respiratory epithelial cells through communication with the human angiotension-converting enzyme II (ACE2). The β-chitosan derivatives are synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ^(13)C NMR), mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, TGA, DSC, and elemental analysis….
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Growth Arrest-Specific Factor 6 (GAS6) Is Increased in COVID-19 Patients and Predicts Clinical Outcome - CONCLUSIONS: Plasma GAS6 and AXL levels reflect COVID-19 severity and could be early markers of disease prognosis, supporting a relevant role of the GAS6/AXL system in the immune response in COVID-19.
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In Vitro Assessment of the Antiviral Activity of Ketotifen, Indomethacin and Naproxen, Alone and in Combination, against SARS-CoV-2 - The 2019 coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) is caused by infection with the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Currently, the treatment options for COVID-19 are limited. The purpose of the experiments presented here was to investigate the effectiveness of ketotifen, naproxen and indomethacin, alone or in combination, in reducing SARS-CoV-2 replication. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the drugs was evaluated. The findings showed that the combination of…
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Antiviral Cyanometabolites-A Review - Global processes, such as climate change, frequent and distant travelling and population growth, increase the risk of viral infection spread. Unfortunately, the number of effective and accessible medicines for the prevention and treatment of these infections is limited. Therefore, in recent years, efforts have been intensified to develop new antiviral medicines or vaccines. In this review article, the structure and activity of the most promising antiviral cyanobacterial products are presented….
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Comparative Investigation of Composition, Antifungal, and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the Essential Oil from Three Industrial Hemp Varieties from Italian Cultivation - Industrial hemp is characterized by a huge amount of by-products, such as inflorescences, that may represent high-quality sources of biomolecules with pharmaceutical interest. In the present study, we have evaluated the phytochemical profile, including terpene and terpenophenolic compounds, of the essential oils (EOs) of Futura 75, Carmagnola selezionata and Eletta campana hemp varieties. The EOs were also tested for antifungal properties toward Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum,…
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Medicinal Plants, Phytochemicals, and Herbs to Combat Viral Pathogens Including SARS-CoV-2 - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the most important health issue, internationally. With no specific and effective antiviral therapy for COVID-19, new or repurposed antiviral are urgently needed. Phytochemicals pose a ray of hope for human health during this pandemic, and a great deal of research is concentrated on it. Phytochemicals have been used as antiviral agents against several viruses since they…
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Identification of Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Oxysterol Derivatives In Vitro - The development of effective antiviral drugs targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is urgently needed to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have previously studied the use of semi-synthetic derivatives of oxysterols, oxidized derivatives of cholesterol as drug candidates for the inhibition of cancer, fibrosis, and bone regeneration. In this study, we screened a panel of naturally occurring and semi-synthetic oxysterols for…
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Community Use of Face Masks against the Spread of COVID-19 - The role of face masks to prevent and control COVID-19 is critical, especially since asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infected individuals can shed high loads of SARS-CoV-2 in the surrounding environment. In addition to being a two-way barrier to protect against virions droplets both in terms of “source control” (for the benefits of the community) and “physical protection” (for wearer), face masks also allow maintaining physiological temperatures and humidity of the nasal cavity and mouth,…
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Dietary and Protective Factors to Halt or Mitigate Progression of Autoimmunity, COVID-19 and Its Associated Metabolic Diseases - COVID-19 is without any doubt the worst pandemic we have faced since the H1N1 virus outbreak. Even if vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection is becoming increasingly available, a more feasible approach for COVID-19 prevention and therapy is still needed. Evidence of a pathological link between metabolic diseases and severe forms of COVID-19 has stimulated critical reflection and new considerations. In particular, an abnormal immune response observed in certain patients with SARS-CoV-2…
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In Vitro Antiviral Activities of Salinomycin on Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an enteropathogenic coronavirus, has catastrophic impacts on the global pig industry. Owing to the lack of effective vaccines and specific therapeutic options for PEDV, it is pertinent to develop new and available antivirals. This study identified, for the first time, a salinomycin that actively inhibited PEDV replication in Vero cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, salinomycin significantly inhibited PEDV infection by suppressing the entry and…
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Targeting the DEAD-Box RNA Helicase eIF4A with Rocaglates-A Pan-Antiviral Strategy for Minimizing the Impact of Future RNA Virus Pandemics - The increase in pandemics caused by RNA viruses of zoonotic origin highlights the urgent need for broad-spectrum antivirals against novel and re-emerging RNA viruses. Broad-spectrum antivirals could be deployed as first-line interventions during an outbreak while virus-specific drugs and vaccines are developed and rolled out. Viruses depend on the host’s protein synthesis machinery for replication. Several natural compounds that target the cellular DEAD-box RNA helicase eIF4A, a key component of…
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From Patent Search
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5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II) - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - link
+
USING CLINICAL ONTOLOGIES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE BASED CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) WITH THE ADOPTION OF TELECONFERENCING FOR THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES/SATELLITE CLINICS OF ROYAL OMAN POLICE IN SULTANATE OF OMAN - - link
+
Peptides and their use in diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection - - link
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A PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF COVID 19 POSITIVE PATIENTS - - link
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IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2 - IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2Insilico screening of antimycobacterial natural compounds with the potential to directly inhibit SARS COV2 relates to the composition for treating SARS-COV-2 comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The composition also treats treating SARS, Ebola, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis–C comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. - link
+
Aronia-Mundspray -
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+Anordnung zum Versprühen einer Substanz in die menschliche Mundhöhle und/oder in den Rachen oder zum Trinken, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Anordnung eine Flasche mit einer Substanz aufweist, die wenigstens Aroniasaft und eine Alkoholkomponente aufweist und einen Sprühkopf besitzt.
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一种用于检测新型冠状病毒COVID-19的引物组及试剂盒 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，特别是涉及一种用于检测冠状病毒的引物组及试剂盒，所述引物组包括以下中的一对或多对：外侧引物对：所述外侧引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:1所示的上游引物F3和如SEQ ID NO:2所示的下游引物B3；内侧引物对：所述内侧引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:3所示的上游引物FIP和如SEQ ID NO:4所示的下游引物BIP；环引物对：所述环引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:5所示的上游引物LF和如SEQ ID NO:6所示的下游引物LB。试剂盒包括所述引物组。本发明在一个管中整合了RT‑LAMP和CRISPR，能依据两次颜色变化检测病毒和各种靶标核酸。 - link
+
新冠病毒中和性抗体检测试剂盒 - 本发明提供一种新冠病毒中和性抗体检测试剂盒。所述试剂盒基于BAS‑HTRF技术，主要包含：生物素标记的hACE2、新冠病毒棘突蛋白RBD‑Tag1、能量供体Streptavidin‑Eu cryptate、能量受体MAb Anti‑Tag1‑d2和新冠病毒中和性抗体。本发明将BAS和HTRF两种技术相结合，用于筛选新型冠状病毒中和性抗体，3小时内即可实现筛选，且操作简单，无需经过多次洗板过程。BAS和HTRF联用大大提升了反应灵敏度，且两种体系都能最大限度地减少非特异的干扰，适用于血清样品的检测。该方法可实现高通量检测，对解决大批量样品的新冠病毒中和性抗体的检测具有重要意义。 - link
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Infektionsschutzmaske -
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Infektionsschutzmaske (1) zum Schutz vor Übertragung von Infektionskrankheiten mit einer Außen - und einer Innenseite (2,3) sowie Haltemitteln (5) zum Befestigen der Infektionsschutzmaske (1) am Kopf eines Maskenträgers, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an der Infektionsschutzmaske (1) mindestens eine Testoberfläche (6) zum Nachweis von Auslösern einer Infektionskrankheit derart angeordnet ist, dass diese bei korrekt angelegter Infektionsschutzmaske (1) mit der Ausatemluft des Maskenträgers unmittelbar in Kontakt gelangt.
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+ 04 April, 2021
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+Daily-Dose
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Is Biden Really the Second Coming of F.D.R. and L.B.J.? - Proposing historic legislation is not transformative; passing it is. - link
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How Bellingcat Unmasked Putin’s Assassins - The collective’s innovation has been to recognize that the digital-age panopticon actually works in two directions. - link
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Biden’s New Deal and the Future of Human Capital - The President introduced the first part of his economic program, involving airports and bridges. The second, which invests in “human infrastructure,” could define his Administration. - link
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The Powerful New Financial Argument for Fossil-Fuel Divestment - A report by BlackRock, the world’s largest investment house, shows that those who divested have profited not only morally but also financially. - link
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Randi Weingarten on Opening Schools Safely - The head of the American Federation of Teachers discusses why she’s skeptical of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. - link
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From Vox
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“10 years for protest, 5 years for rape”: Demonstrators protest a policing bill in England and Wales -
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+Protesters in Bristol, England, march in a demonstration on April 3 in opposition to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. | Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
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+The proposed law would put enormous power into police hands and potentially harm the ability to protest.
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+Thousands of demonstrators marched across Britain on Saturday in protest of a massive new policing bill that would create new restrictions on protest in England and Wales and impose hefty fines for not following police instructions.
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+The bill, officially known as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, was introduced in early March and has been met with widespread pushback in England and Wales since then. It also includes sentencing and court reforms, among other changes, but protesters are specifically incensed by proposed new police powers concerning protests.
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+If the bill passes, according to the BBC’s Dominic Casciani, police will have the authority to impose start and finish times on protests, as well as noise limits — even if it’s only one person protesting.
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+Additionally, Casciani writes, the bill would criminalize violating restrictions that protesters “‘ought’ to have known about, even if they have not received a direct order from an officer,” and “intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance.”
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+— Peace and Justice Project (@corbyn_project) April 2, 2021
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+
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+“The right to protest is at the heart of a democratic society,” Corbyn said in a video Friday. “It’s part of who we are. And together, we’ll beat Boris Johnson’s dangerous proposal to ban protest.”
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+This weekend’s “kill the bill” marches aren’t the first. According to the Guardian, Bristol, in southwest England, has been the site of at least five protests over the last two weeks, including one that turned violent and saw at least two police vehicles set on fire earlier in March.
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+Nothing on the same scale has been reported so far on Saturday, but according to Sky News, at least 26 protesters have been arrested in London following a clash with police.
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+The United Kingdom is in the middle of its own debate on policing
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+A woman is arrested by Metropolitan Police officers at a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard on Clapham Common, London. Photograph by @jackhillphotopic.twitter.com/qhp8GFibNr
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+A London police officer, from the same police force that broke up the vigil, has been charged with Everard’s murder.
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+The country also saw its own Black Lives Matter movement last summer following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Protesters across the UK took to the streets to protest racism, inequality, and police brutality, and in Bristol, a crowd pulled down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it in the harbor.
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+In London, a statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill was also graffitied over the summer.
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+Bristol, England: Protesters pulled down a statue of Edward Colston, a 17th Century slave trader, and dumped it in the harbor. It has been retrieved and will be placed in a museum 4/ pic.twitter.com/ZZ5rPst6YZ
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+One provision in the policing bill currently before Parliament specifically increases the penalty for damaging such statues. According to the BBC, the measure “clarifies that damage to memorials could lead to up to 10 years in prison.”
+
+
+In response to that provision and to Everard’s murder, “kill the bill” protesters have marched with signs reading “10 years for protest, 5 years for rape,” according to the Guardian. On Saturday, according to the AP, protesters chanted “Women scared everywhere, police and government do not care!”
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+Despite the protests, the bill has made headway in the UK Parliament with backing from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party. In mid-March, it cleared its first vote in the House of Commons, 359 votes to 263, and the measure was advanced to committee.
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+According to the New York Times, the Conservative government hoped to seize on outrage over Everard’s death to pass the bill, but recent opposition appears to have changed that. The committee process has reportedly been delayed until later in the year, reports the Times, as protests and criticism from the Labour opposition continue.
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+“The tragic death of Sarah Everard has instigated a national demand for action to tackle violence against women,” David Lammy, a Labour MP and shadow secretary of state for justice, said in March. “This is no time to be rushing through poorly thought-out measures to impose disproportionate controls on free expression and the right to protest.”
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After New York legalizes marijuana, Schumer eyes federal reform -
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+Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks at a news conference at the Capitol on March 25. | Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images
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+Despite the Biden administration’s hesitancy, marijuana legalization is broadly popular among US voters.
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+In the wake of New York’s decision to legalize marijuana earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he’s ready to move on federal marijuana reform.
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+In an interview with Politico, published Saturday, Schumer said he hopes President Joe Biden’s views on cannabis legislation will evolve, but whether or not that happens, “at some point we’re going to move forward, period.”
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+The specifics of a reform bill aren’t clear yet — Schumer told Politico that “you’ll have to wait and see” — but he indicated a “comprehensive” measure is on the table.
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+“What we want to do is first introduce our comprehensive bill, and then start sitting down with people who are not for this in both parties,” Schumer said. “We’d certainly listen to some suggestions if that’ll bring more people on board. That is not to say we’re going to throw overboard things like expungement of records — [things that are] very important to us — just because some people don’t like it.”
+
+
+Whatever the eventual proposal looks like, Schumer told Politico he is “personally for legalization. And the bill that we’ll be introducing is headed in that direction.”
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+As of this month, 15 states plus Washington, DC, have legalized recreational marijuana use, and many more have either decriminalized the drug, legalized medical marijuana, or both.
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+According to Politico, more than 40 percent of the US population lives in those 15 states where marijuana is now legal; however, the drug is still illegal federally.
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+Biden, for his part, has said he supports decriminalizing the drug and leaving recreational use up to the states, according to The Verge.
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+According to Lopez, “decriminalization generally eliminates jail or prison time for limited possession of marijuana, but some other penalties remain in place, treating a minor marijuana offense more like a minor traffic violation.”
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+Legalization, though, is more broad and “is generally taken to represent the removal of all government-enforced penalties for possessing and using marijuana. In most, but not all, cases, legalization also paves the way for the legal sales and home-growing of marijuana.”
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+
+A new hope for marijuana legislation in the Senate
+
+However, with Schumer now holding the majority leader’s gavel in the Senate, the prospects for a similar bill are much sunnier. In response to a question from Politico this week, Schumer suggested that there are Republican senators who “support removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act.”
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+Additionally, he said, “the fact that every member will know once we introduce this legislation — not only that it has my support, but that it will come to the floor for a vote — is going to help move things forward in a very strong way.”
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+Some experts are less sure — John Hudak, the deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, who has also written a book on marijuana, told The Verge he doesn’t believe marijuana legalization has the votes to survive the filibuster in the Senate — but cannabis reform remains broadly popular with voters.
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+Marijuana legalization is incredibly popular in the US
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+
+Public support for marijuana legalization has risen steadily over time, according to Gallup, and reached an all-time high in 2020 with 68 percent of Americans supporting the policy.
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+The specific bill passed by the House last year is also quite popular: According to Morning Consult, 66 percent of all voters said they supported the MORE Act as of December 2020.
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+And though Republicans lag independents and Democrats in their support for legalization, the bill has majority support even among GOP voters: 51 percent of Republicans said they either somewhat or strongly supported the legislation, though only five Republican representatives voted for it.
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+According to Schumer, that widespread support, as well as the success of legalization at the state level, has helped shape his current stance on marijuana legalization.
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+“The legalization of states worked out remarkably well,” he told Politico. “They were a great success. The parade of horribles never came about, and people got more freedom. And people in those states seem very happy. … When a state like South Dakota votes by referendum to legalize, you know something is out there.”
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Why the MLB pulled the All-Star Game from Atlanta, briefly explained -
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+Truist Park in Atlanta being prepared for an exhibition MLB game in 2020. | David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
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+Corporate America is starting to push back on Republican voter suppression efforts
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+
+On Friday, Major League Baseball announced it would move the 2021 All-Star Game and the MLB draft out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s restrictive new voting law, which was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp last week.
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+The league’s decision comes as corporate America begins to take notice of the Georgia bill and others like it — and to push back on voter suppression around the country.
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+Since the law was passed, several companies, including Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, have released statements condemning the bill, which makes it harder for Georgians to vote by mail and shifts control over election rules to the state legislature, among other changes.
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+The law, which University of Georgia political scientist Cas Mudde described as “anti-democratic” in an interview with Vox, gives Georgia’s Republican legislature majority control of the State Election Board, makes it illegal to give food or water to anyone waiting in line to vote, and imposes new voter ID requirements on mail-in voting.
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+As Vox’s Zack Beauchamp explains, the combined effect of those changes is to “create barriers to voting” — and those changes are likely to affect low-income and minority voters the most.
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+“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” league commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Friday. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”
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+— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) April 2, 2021
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+
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+The move isn’t unprecedented in American sports — previously, both the NFL and the NBA have moved major events in response to bills passed or not passed by host states — but the loss of the MLB All-Star Game, scheduled for July, is by far the biggest blow yet to Georgia following the bill’s passage.
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+A new venue for the MLB All-Star Game and the draft have not been announced as of Saturday.
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+Republican lawmakers are decrying the move
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+The league’s decision has already sparked a torrent of both condemnation and support, with Kemp, a Republican, accusing MLB of having “caved to fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies.”
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+Bothof Georgia’s newly minted Democratic senators, meanwhile, focused on the bill itself in their responses, framing the MLB decision as an “unfortunate consequence” of Republican voting restrictions.
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+“The Governor and the legislature are deliberately making it harder for Black voters to vote,” Sen. Jon Ossoff said Friday. “They know it. Everybody knows it, and this egregious and immoral assault on voting rights has also put our state’s economy at grave risk.”
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+Earlier this week, President Joe Biden told ESPN that he would “strongly support” the decision to move the All-Star Game out of Georgia, though some activists and politicians in the state, including onetime Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, have opposed boycotts.
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+“I respect boycotts,” Abrams said in a statement Friday, “although I don’t want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs. … We should not abandon victims of GOP malice and lies — we must stand together.”
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+The MLB decision has also led to some very public courting of the now-homeless All-Star Game by politicians on Twitter.
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+“Hey @MLB here in Baltimore we strongly support voting rights as do our beloved @orioles,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tweeted Friday. “We’d love to host the All Star game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards the ballpark that inspired them all.”
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+Hey @MLB here in Baltimore we strongly support voting rights as do our beloved @orioles. We’d love to host the All Star game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards the ballpark that inspired them all. Remember how great it was the last time? https://t.co/yYD8sbodyVhttps://t.co/nSkXRGRNGc
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+Some Republicans have gone beyond simple condemnation to threaten retaliation against the league for pulling the All-Star Game out of Georgia.
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+
+In a statement Friday, former President Donald Trump called for supporters to “boycott baseball and all of the woke companies,” while Rep. Jeff Duncan, a South Carolina Republican, said Friday he would seek to end baseball’s federal antitrust exception, which protects the league from antitrust laws used to ensure fair competition.
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+The former president of the United States is now urging a boycott of our national pastime. pic.twitter.com/sunb82hYOf
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+Corporations are taking note of voter suppression efforts in other states, too
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+In Georgia, where SB 202 is already law, the wave of corporate pushback to new voter restrictions may have come too late to change the outcome (though there is precedent for states rolling back unpopular laws in response to corporate pressure).
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+
+Elsewhere, however — most notably in Texas — companies are making their stances known before new voter restrictions are signed into law. At least two Texas-based companies, American Airlines and Dell Technologies, have come out explicitly against a Texas bill, SB 7, that would limit early voting and absentee voting, among other changes.
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+“To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” American said in a statement Thursday after the bill was advanced by the Texas Senate. “As a Texas-based business, we must stand up for the rights of our team members and customers who call Texas home, and honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to protect and expand the right to vote.”
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+According to the Texas Tribune, AT&T and Southwest Airlines, which are also based in Texas, reiterated their support for voting rights Friday, though neither mentioned SB 7 by name.
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+As the Texas bill moves on to the state House, it’s unclear if that opposition will mean anything, but the corporate response in Georgia could make a difference in how legislators see things.
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+“Major Texas employers are stepping up and speaking out against voter suppression, and for good reason,” former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus tweeted Thursday. “Texas should not go down the same path as Georgia. It’s bad for business and, more importantly, it’s bad for our citizens.”
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+Pushback by corporate America in Georgia and Texas could also make a difference nationally: New voter suppression bills have been introduced in nearly every state in the country in the wake of the 2020 presidential election.
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+According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 361 restrictive new bills have been introduced in 47 states as of March 24, with Texas, Georgia, and Arizona leading the field in number of bills.
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+Not all of these bills are equally damaging. Historically, both parties benefit from mail-in voting in non-pandemic conditions; restricting it, while clearly undemocratic, might not help Republicans too much in the 2022 midterms. The evidence on the impact of voter ID laws on turnout is somewhat mixed.
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+But the parts of the Georgia bill mostly likely to affect election outcomes — the partisan power grab over actual electoral administration — are far from unique.
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+“What we are seeing in Georgia is democratic backsliding, American-style,” Beauchamp writes. “And it won’t be the last attempt we’ll see.”
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+Big business, however, is taking note. In a statement released Friday and shared on Twitter by Judd Legum, who writes the Popular Information newsletter, more than 100 companies joined a Civic Alliance statement condemning new voter suppression efforts around the country.
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+“Our elections are not improved when lawmakers impose barriers that result in longer lines at the polls or that reduce access to secure ballot dropboxes,” reads the statement. “We call on elected leaders in every state capitol and in Congress to work across the aisle and ensure that every eligible American has the freedom to easily cast their ballot and participate fully in our democracy.”
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+
From The Hindu: Sports
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Noted shooting coach Sanjay Chakraverty dies aged 79 - He guided the likes of Olympic medallist Gagan Narang and Anjali Bhagwat
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Former international table tennis player Suhas Kulkarni dies aged 68 - After retiring as a player, Kulkarni was actively involved with the game with coaching and also regularly played in the Masters’ TT tournaments at the National and International level
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IPL 2021: Azharuddin offers to host IPL games in Hyderabad - Mumbai reported 9,108 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday.
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Virat Kohli’s foundation to set up animal shelters in Mumbai - “It is our dream to create a safer space for the stray animals of our city,” Kohli said.
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South Africa fined for minimum over-rate in first ODI against Pakistan - South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
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From The Hindu: National News
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AI to aid cotton ryots in 2,800 villages - MoU signed by Agriculture department and Wadhwani AI to help check pests
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Another batch of Rafale jets to fly in by mid-May - 8-9 new arrivals will complete first IAF squadron of the fighters
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People of the region disenchanted with Naxals, says Chhattisgarh CM - “The State government is not afraid of such attacks and is determined to carry out development work in each and every village,” Mr. Baghel said.
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West Bengal Assembly polls | After Nandigram, the electoral contest heats up Singur - Agriculture and industry have come full circle in a battle of prestige over what was once a site of resistance
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Assam Assembly polls | Congress has no vision for Assam development, says Shah - A task force would be created to free Vaishnavite monasteries of encroachers, he says
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From BBC: Europe
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Covid-19: France enters third national lockdown amid ICU surge - The measures come as Europe battles a third wave of the pandemic and delays in its vaccine rollout.
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Women charged for refusing Irish hotel quarantine - The pair were not aware of the regulations before they travelled to Dubai for plastic surgery, a court hears.
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Spain drug bust: ‘Speedboat smugglers’ arrested - Some 100 suspected gang members are accused of trafficking cannabis from Morocco.
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Russian ‘troop build-up’ near Ukraine alarms Nato - Thousands of Russian troops have allegedly massed near Ukraine, but Russia does not confirm it.
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Mark Rutte: Survivor of Dutch politics in fight for political life - Mark Rutte won elections only last month but his future as prime minister is now in question.
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+
From Ars Technica
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+
Narwhal tusks tell a troubling tale - Narwhal diets are changing as the Arctic warms. - link
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It’s the Tune Squad vs the Goon Squad in Space Jam: A New Legacy trailer - LeBron James leads Looney Tunes characters in basketball rematch for the digital age - link
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Xbox Game Streaming app is now live on Windows—via a sneaky download - Until we see planned web browser version, this loophole will have to suffice. - link
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Amazon admits its drivers sometimes have to pee in bottles - “Drivers can and do have trouble finding restrooms,” Amazon admits. - link
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Malicious cheats for Call of Duty: Warzone are circulating online - The cheat is fake, but the malware it installs is the real thing. - link
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+
From Jokes Subreddit
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A teacher was working with a group of children, trying to broaden their horizons through sensory perception. -
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+She brought in a variety of lifesavers and said,”Children, I’d like you to close your eyes and taste these.” The kids easily identified the taste of cherries, lemons and mint, but when the teacher gave them honey-flavored lifesavers, all of the kids were stumped. “I’ll give you a hint,” said the teacher. “It’s somethin your mommy and daddy probably call each other all the time.” Instantly, Little Johnny coughed his onto the floor and shouted, “Quick! Spit’em out! They’re assholes
+
Jesus and Moses are relaxing on a boat and talking about the good old days. -
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+The subject of miracles comes up, and they decide to see if they can still perform them.
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+“It’s been almost 4000 years since I did this one” Moses says, then raises his arms. The water parts, revealing the floor of the lake.
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+Jesus claps His hands and says “Good one! It’s only been about 2000 years since I did this” and steps off the boat onto the water, and sinks into the lake.
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+Moses parts the water and throws a line down to the soaking wet Jesus, and helps Him back onto the boat.
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+Jesus says “That was embarrassing. I guess I need to clear my mind and focus.” Jesus closes His eyes, takes a deep, slow breath, then steps off the boat again. Again He sinks to the bottom of the lake.
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+Moses parts the water and helps Jesus up again. Moses says “Hey, maybe we should just head back and You can try again tomorrow” but Jesus says “No, I can do this.” He mouths a silent prayer, winks at the sky, and again sinks when He steps off the boat.
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+Moses parts the water a third time and helps Jesus up. Jesus looks shaken and looks at His feet, then smiles.
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+“I know what’s wrong now. Last time I didn’t have these damn holes in my feet.”
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+
+/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22410955/dtTl9_marijuana_laws_in_the_us.png)
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