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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Moral responses to the COVID-19 crisis</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised complex moral dilemmas that have been the subject of extensive public debate. Here, we study how people judge a set of controversial actions related to the crisis: relaxing data privacy standards to allow public control of the pandemic, forbidding public gatherings, denouncing a friend who violated COVID-19 protocols, prioritizing younger over older patients when medical resources are scarce, and reducing animal rights to accelerate vaccine development. We collected acceptability judgements in an initial large-scale study with participants from 10 Latin American countries (N=15,420). A formal analysis of the intrinsic correlations between responses to different dilemmas revealed that judgements were organized in two dimensions: one that reflects a focus on human life expectancy and one that cares about the health of all sentient lives in an equitable manner. These stereotyped patterns of responses were stronger in people who endorsed utilitarian decisions in a standardized scale. A second pre-registered study performed in the United States (N=1,300) confirmed the replicability of these findings. Finally, we show how the prioritization of public health correlated with several contextual, personality, and demographic factors. Overall, this research sheds light on the relationship between utilitarian decision-making and moral responses to the COVID-19 crisis.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/ktv6z/" target="_blank">Moral responses to the COVID-19 crisis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Structure and computation-guided design of a mutation-integrated trimeric RBD candidate vaccine with broad neutralization against SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
The spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is an attractive target for COVID-19 vaccine developments, which naturally exists in a trimeric form. Here, guided by structural and computational analyses, we present a mutation-integrated trimeric form of RBD (mutI tri-RBD) as a broadly protective vaccine candidate, in which three RBDs were individually grafted from three different circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains including the prototype, Beta (B.1.351) and Kappa (B.1.617). The three RBDs were then connected end-to-end and co-assembled to possibly mimic the native trimeric arrangements in the natural S protein trimer. The recombinant expression of the mutI tri-RBD, as well as the homo-tri-RBD where the three RBDs were all truncated from the prototype strain, by mammalian cell exhibited correct folding, strong bio-activities, and high stability. The immunization of both the mutI tri-RBD and homo-tri-RBD plus aluminum adjuvant induced high levels of specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain in mice. Notably, regarding to the immune-escape Beta (B.1.351) variant, mutI tri-RBD elicited significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers than homo-tri-RBD. Furthermore, due to harboring the immune-resistant mutations as well as the evolutionarily convergent hotspots, the designed mutI tri-RBD also induced strong broadly neutralizing activities against various SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the variants partially resistant to homo-tri-RBD. Homo-tri-RBD has been approved by the China National Medical Products Administration to enter clinical trial (No. NCT04869592), and the superior broad neutralization performances against SARS-CoV-2 support the mutI tri-RBD as a more promising vaccine candidate for further clinical developments.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448958v1" target="_blank">Structure and computation-guided design of a mutation-integrated trimeric RBD candidate vaccine with broad neutralization against SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Identification of SGLT2 inhibitor Ertugliflozin as a treatment for COVID-19 using computational and experimental paradigm</strong> -
<div>
Drug repurposing can expedite the process of drug development by identifying known drugs which are effective against SARS-CoV-2. The RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein is a promising drug target due to its pivotal role in viral-host attachment. These specific structural domains can be targeted with small molecules or drug to disrupt the viral attachment to the host proteins. In this study, FDA approved Drugbank database were screened using a virtual screening approach and computational chemistry methods. Five drugs were short listed for further profiling based on docking score and binding energies. Further these selected drugs were tested for their in vitro biological activity. There was significant correlation between the prediction from computational studies and the actual RBD-ACE2 binding inhibition by the drugs. Then, we performed a series of studies that mimic some of the biological events seen in COVID-19 patients such as secretion of IL1{beta}, presentation of a more thrombogenic endothelium by production of thrombomodulin and accumulation of inflammatory cells such as monocytes in the lungs. Of all the drugs, most promising drug was Ertugliflozin which is used for type-2 diabetes. This drug possesses several desired properties and may be a good candidate for immediate repurposing for treatment of COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448921v1" target="_blank">Identification of SGLT2 inhibitor Ertugliflozin as a treatment for COVID-19 using computational and experimental paradigm</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Influence of viral transport media and freeze-thaw cycling on the sensitivity of qRT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids</strong> -
<div>
The events of the last year have highlighted the complexity of implementing large-scale molecular diagnostic testing for novel pathogens. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical influences of sample collection media and storage on the stability and detection of viral nucleic acids by qRT-PCR. We studied the mechanism(s) through which viral transport media (VTM) and number of freeze-thaw cycles influenced the analytical sensitivity of qRT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2. Our goal is to reinforce testing capabilities and identify weaknesses that could arise in resource-limited environments that do not have well-controlled cold chains. The sensitivity of qRT-PCR analysis was studied in four VTM for synthetic single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) simulants of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The sensitivity and reproducibility of qRT-PCR for the synthetic ssRNA and dsDNA were found to be highly sensitive to VTM with the best results observed for ssRNA in HBSS and PBS-G. Surprisingly, the presence of epithelial cellular material with the ssRNA increased the sensitivity of the qRT-PCR assay. Repeated freeze-thaw cycling decreased the sensitivity of the qRT-PCR with two noted exceptions. The choice of VTM is critically important to defining the sensitivity of COVID-19 molecular diagnostics assays and this study suggests they can impact upon the stability of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome. This becomes increasingly important if the virus structure is destabilised before analysis, which can occur due to poor storage conditions. This study suggests that COVID-19 testing performed with glycerol-containing PBS will produce a high level of stability and sensitivity. These results are in agreement with clinical studies reported for patient-derived samples.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448982v1" target="_blank">Influence of viral transport media and freeze-thaw cycling on the sensitivity of qRT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Neotropical Primates sampled during COVID-19 pandemic in Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.</strong> -
<div>
In 2019, a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was detected in China. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was capable to infect domestic and captive mammals like cats, tigers and minks. Due to genetic similarities, concern about the infection of Non-Human Primates (NHPs) and the establishment of a sylvatic cycle has grown in the Americas. In this study, neotropical primates (NP) were sampled in different areas from Brazil to investigate whether they were infected by SARS-CoV-2. A total of 89 samples from 51 NP of four species were examined. No positive samples were detected via RT-qPCR, regardless of the NHP species, tissue or habitat tested. This work provides the first report on the lack of evidence of circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in NP. The expand of wild animals sampling is necessary to understand their role in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.17.448890v1" target="_blank">No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Neotropical Primates sampled during COVID-19 pandemic in Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A novel bivalent DNA vaccine encoding both spike protein receptor-binding domain and nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 to elicit T cell and neutralising antibody responses that cross react with variants</strong> -
<div>
The efficacy of vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 is becoming apparent now that the mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines that have been approved for emergency use are showing promise. However, the longevity of the protective immune response and its efficacy against emerging variants remains to be determined. To improve longevity and future protection against variants, we have designed a DNA vaccine encoding both the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and its nucleocapsid (N) protein, the latter of which is highly conserved amongst beta coronaviruses. The vaccine elicits strong pro-inflammatory CD4 Th1 and CD8 T-cell responses to both proteins, with these responses being significantly enhanced by fusing the nucleocapsid sequence to a modified Fc domain. We have shown that the vaccine also stimulates high titre antibody responses to RBD which efficiently neutralise in both a pseudotype and live virus neutralisation assay and show cross reactivity with S proteins from the emerging variants Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Beta (B.1.351). This DNA platform can be easily adapted to target variant RBD and N proteins and we show that a vaccine variant encoding the B.1.351 RBD sequence stimulates cross-reactive humoral and T-cell immunity. These data support the translation of this DNA vaccine platform into the clinic, thereby offering a particular advantage for targeting emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448932v1" target="_blank">A novel bivalent DNA vaccine encoding both spike protein receptor-binding domain and nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 to elicit T cell and neutralising antibody responses that cross react with variants</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Binding of phosphatidylserine-positive microparticles by PBMCs classifies disease severity in COVID-19 patients</strong> -
<div>
Infection with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with thromboinflammation, involving thrombotic and inflammatory responses, in many COVID-19 patients. In addition, immune dysfunction occurs in patients characterized by T cell exhaustion and severe lymphopenia. We investigated the distribution of phosphatidylserine (PS), a marker of dying cells, activated platelets, and platelet-derived microparticles (PMP), during the clinical course of COVID-19. We found an unexpectedly high amount of blood cells loaded with PS+ PMPs for weeks after the initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Elevated frequencies of PS+PMP+ PBMCs correlated strongly with increasing disease severity. As a marker, PS outperformed established laboratory markers for inflammation, leucocyte composition, and coagulation, currently used for COVID-19 clinical outcome prognosis. PS+ PMPs preferentially bound to CD8+ T cells with gene expression signatures of proliferating effector rather than memory T cells. As PS+ PMPs carried programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), they may affect T cell expansion or function. Our data provide a novel marker for disease severity and show that PS, which can trigger the blood coagulation cascade, the complement system, and inflammation, resides on activated immune cells. Therefore, PS may serve as a beacon to attract thromboinflammatory processes toward lymphocytes and cause immune dysfunction in COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448935v1" target="_blank">Binding of phosphatidylserine-positive microparticles by PBMCs classifies disease severity in COVID-19 patients</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Probing Affinity, Avidity, Anti-Cooperativity, and Competition in Antibody and Receptor Binding to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike by Single Particle Mass Analyses</strong> -
<div>
Determining how antibodies interact with the spike (S) protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is critical for combating COVID-19. Structural studies typically employ simplified, truncated constructs that may not fully recapitulate the behaviour of the original complexes. Here, we combine two single particle mass analysis techniques (mass photometry and charge-detection mass spectrometry) to enable measurement of full IgG binding to the trimeric SARS-CoV-2 S ectodomain. Our experiments reveal that antibodies targeting the S-trimer typically prefer stoichiometries lower than the symmetry-predicted 3:1 binding. We determine that this behaviour arises from the interplay of steric clashes and avidity effects that are not reflected in common antibody constructs (i.e. Fabs). Surprisingly, these sub-stoichiometric complexes are fully effective at blocking ACE2 binding despite containing free receptor binding sites. Our results highlight the importance of studying antibody/antigen interactions using complete, multimeric constructs and showcase the utility of single particle mass analyses in unraveling these complex interactions.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.18.448939v1" target="_blank">Probing Affinity, Avidity, Anti-Cooperativity, and Competition in Antibody and Receptor Binding to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike by Single Particle Mass Analyses</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A Robust High-throughput Fluorescent Polarization Assay for the Evaluation and Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors</strong> -
<div>
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious threat to global health. One attractive antiviral target is the membrane fusion mechanism employed by the virus to gain access to the host cell. Here we report a robust protein-based fluorescent polarization assay, that mimicking the formation of the six-helix bundle (6-HB) process during the membrane fusion, for the evaluation and screening of SARS-CoV-2 fusion Inhibitors. The IC50 of known inhibitors, HR2P, EK1, and Salvianolic acid C (Sal C) were measured to be 6 nM, 2.5 nM, and 8.9 uM respectively. In addition, we found Sal A has a slightly lower IC50 (3.9 uM) than Sal C. Interesting, simple caffeic acid can also disrupt the formation of 6-HB with sub-mM concentration. A pilot high throughput screening (HTS) a small marine natural product library validates the assay with a Z factor close to 0.8. We envision the current assay provides a convenient way to screen SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitor and assess their binding affinity.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.17.448891v1" target="_blank">A Robust High-throughput Fluorescent Polarization Assay for the Evaluation and Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Cross-reactive antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are losing efficacy against emerging variants and may not protect against future novel coronavirus outbreaks, emphasizing the need for more broadly protective vaccines. To inform the development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine, we investigated the presence and specificity of cross-reactive antibodies against the spike (S) proteins of human coronaviruses (hCoV) after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. We found an 11 to 123-fold increase in antibodies binding to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV as well as a 2 to 4-fold difference in antibodies binding to seasonal hCoVs in COVID-19 convalescent sera compared to pre-pandemic healthy donors, with the S2 subdomain of the S protein being the main target for cross-reactivity. In addition, we detected cross-reactive antibodies to all hCoV S proteins after SARS-CoV-2 S protein immunization in macaques, with higher responses for hCoV more closely related to SARS-CoV-2. These findings support the feasibility of and provide guidance for development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.26.21256092v2" target="_blank">Cross-reactive antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Spatially refined time-varying reproduction numbers of SARS-CoV-2 in Arkansas and Kentucky and their relationship to population size and public health policy, March - November, 2020</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Purpose: To examine the time-varying reproduction number, <i>R<sub>t</sub></i>, for COVID-19 in Arkansas and Kentucky and investigate the impact of policies and preventative measures on the variability in <i>R<sub>t</sub></i>. Methods: Arkansas and Kentucky county-level COVID-19 cumulative case count data (March 6-November 7, 2020) were obtained. <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> was estimated using the R package 9EpiEstim9, by county, region (Delta, non-Delta, Appalachian, non-Appalachian), and policy measures. Results: The <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> was initially high, falling below 1 in May or June depending on the region, before stabilizing around 1 in the later months. The median <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> for Arkansas and Kentucky at the end of the study were 1.15 (95% credible interval [CrI], 1.13, 1.18) and 1.10 (95% CrI, 1.08, 1.12), respectively, and remained above 1 for the non-Appalachian region. <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> decreased when facial coverings were mandated, changing by -10.64% (95% CrI, -10.60%, -10.70%) in Arkansas and -5.93% (95% CrI, -4.31%, -7.65%) in Kentucky. The trends in <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> estimates were mostly associated with the implementation and relaxation of social distancing measures. Conclusions: Arkansas and Kentucky maintained a median <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> above 1 during the entire study period. Changes in <i>R<sub>t</sub></i> estimates allows quantitative estimates of potential impact of policies such as facemask mandate.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.26.21257862v2" target="_blank">Spatially refined time-varying reproduction numbers of SARS-CoV-2 in Arkansas and Kentucky and their relationship to population size and public health policy, March - November, 2020</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The Spectre of SARS-CoV-2 in the Ambient Urban Natural Water in Ahmedabad and Guwahati: A Tale of Two Cities</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
COVID-19 positive patients can egest live SARS-CoV-2 virus through fecal matter and urine, raising concerns about viral transmission through the fecal-oral route and/or contaminated aerosolized water. These worries are heightened in many low and middle-income nations, where raw sewage is often dumped into surface waterways and open defecation betide. In this manuscript we attempt to discern the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material (ORF-1ab, N and S genes) in two urban cities of India viz., Ahmedabad, in western India with ~12 WWTPs and Guwahati, in the northeast of the country with no such plants. 100% and 20% of the surface water samples had detectable SARSCoV-2 RNA load in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, respectively. N-gene&gt;S-gene&gt;ORF-1ab-gene were readily detected in the surface water of Ahmedabad, whereas, no such significant trend was found in the case of Guwahati. The high concentration of gene (ORF-1ab 800 copies/L for Sabarmati river, Ahmedabad and S-gene 565 copies/L for Bharalu urban river, Guwahati) found in natural waters indicates low sanitation and have various health and ecological consequences that should be investigated further.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.12.21258829v2" target="_blank">The Spectre of SARS-CoV-2 in the Ambient Urban Natural Water in Ahmedabad and Guwahati: A Tale of Two Cities</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Early Epidemiological Evidence of Public Health Value of WA Notify, a Smartphone-based Exposure Notification Tool: Modeling COVID-19 Cases Averted in Washington State</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Secure and anonymous smartphone-based exposure notification tools are recently developed public health interventions that aim to reduce COVID-19 transmission and supplement traditional public health suriveillance. We assessed the impact of Washington State9s exposure notification tool, WA Notify, in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 during its first four months of implementation. Methods: Due to the constraints of privacy-preservation, aggregate metrics and disparate data sources were utilized to estimate the number of COVID-19 cases averted based on a modelling approach adapted from Wymant et al (2021) using the following parameters: number of notifications generated; the probability that a notified individual goes on to become a case; expected fraction of transmissions preventable by strict quarantine after notification; actual adherence to quarantine; and expected size of the full transmission chain if a contact had not been notified. Results: The model was run on a range of secondary attack rates (5.1%-13.706%) and quarantine effectiveness (53% and 64%). Assuming a 12.085% secondary attack rate and 53% quarantine effectiveness, the model shows that 5,500 cases (central 95% range of sensitivity analyses 2,800-8,200) were averted statewide during the first four months of its implementation. Based on an estimated COVID-19 case fatality of 1.4%, WA Notify saved 40-115 lives during the study period. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the value of exposure notification tools as a novel public health intervention to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. As new variants emerge and non-essential travel bans are lifted, exposure notification tools may continue to play a valuable role in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.04.21257951v4" target="_blank">Early Epidemiological Evidence of Public Health Value of WA Notify, a Smartphone-based Exposure Notification Tool: Modeling COVID-19 Cases Averted in Washington State</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Longitudinal analysis shows durable and broad immune memory after SARS-CoV-2 infection with persisting antibody responses and memory B and T cells</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require long-lived immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we evaluate 254 COVID-19 patients longitudinally up to eight months and find durable broad-based immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 spike binding and neutralizing antibodies exhibit a bi-phasic decay with an extended half-life of &gt;200 days suggesting the generation of longer-lived plasma cells. SARS-CoV-2 infection also boosts antibody titers to SARS-CoV-1 and common betacoronaviruses. In addition, spike-specific IgG+ memory B cells persist, which bodes well for a rapid antibody response upon virus re-exposure or vaccination. Virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are polyfunctional and maintained with an estimated half-life of 200 days. Interestingly, CD4+ T cell responses equally target several SARS-CoV-2 proteins, whereas the CD8+ T cell responses preferentially target the nucleoprotein, highlighting the potential importance of including the nucleoprotein in future vaccines. Taken together, these results suggest that broad and effective immunity may persist long-term in recovered COVID-19 patients.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.19.21255739v2" target="_blank">Longitudinal analysis shows durable and broad immune memory after SARS-CoV-2 infection with persisting antibody responses and memory B and T cells</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Comparative Genomic Study for Revealing the Complete Scenario of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage across the globe and take millions of lives and like many parts of the world, the second wave of the pandemic hit Bangladesh, this study aimed at understanding its causative agent, SARS-CoV-2 at the genomic and proteomic level and provide precious insights about the pathogenesis, evolution, strengths and weaknesses of the virus. As of Mid-June 2021, over 1500 SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced across the country. From our analyses, it was discovered that the wave-2 samples had a significantly greater average rate of mutation/sample (30.79%) than the wave-1 samples (12.32%). Wave-2 samples also had a higher frequency of deletion, and transversion events. During the first wave, the GR clade was the most predominant but it was replaced by the GH clade in the latter wave. The B.1.1.25 variant showed the highest frequency in wave-1 while in case of wave-2, the B.1.351.3 variant, was the most common one. A notable presence of the delta variant, which is currently at the center of concern, was also observed. Comparison of the Spike protein found in the reference and the 3 most common lineages found in Bangladesh namely, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.617 in terms of their ability to form stable complexes with ACE2 receptor revealed that B.1.617 had the potential to be more transmissible than others. Importantly, no indigenous variants have been detected so far which implies that the successful prevention of import of foreign variants can diminish the outbreak in the country.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.27.20240002v3" target="_blank">Comparative Genomic Study for Revealing the Complete Scenario of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in Covid-19 High Risk Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Ivermectin 0.4mg/kg/day for 5 days<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Clinical Research Centre, Malaysia<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy and Safety of XAV-19 for the Treatment of Moderate-to-severe COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: XAV-19;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Xenothera SAS<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Study of Codivir in Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Covidir injections;   Diagnostic Test: One Step Test;   Diagnostic Test: IgM and IgG dosage;   Diagnostic Test: RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2;   Diagnostic Test: Screening blood test;   Diagnostic Test: ECG;   Diagnostic Test: Medical evaluation;   Diagnostic Test: NEWS-2 score;   Diagnostic Test: WHO score<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Code Pharma;   Zion Medical<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Clinical Trial With N-acetylcysteine and Bromhexine for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Vitamin C;   Drug: N-acetylcysteine (NAC);   Drug: NAC + Bromhexine (BMX)<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Universidade Federal do Ceara;   Paulista School of Medicine-EPM, UNIFESP;   Health Surveillance Secretariat - SVS;   Central Laboratory of Public Health of Ceara - LACEN-CE;   Leonardo da Vinci Hospital - HLV;   São José Hospital for Infectious Diseases - HSJ;   Ceará Health Secretariat - SESA;   Municipal Health Secretary - SMS-Fortaleza<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Augmentation of Immune Response to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Through OMT With Lymphatic Pumps</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Western University of Health Sciences;   American College of Osteopathic Physicians;   American Osteopathic Foundation;   Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California;   Xavier-Nichols Foundation<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nervous System Symptoms Associated With COVID 19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: NEURO +;   Other: NEURO -<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University Hospital, Toulouse<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Tolerability,Safety of JS016 in SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Combination Product: JS016 (anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Peking Union Medical College Hospital<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Open Label, Single-Center Study Utilizing BIOZEK COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid-19 Testing<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: Biozek Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test (Saliva)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Mach-E B.V.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Community-based Post-exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Guduchi Ghanvati;   Other: Standard guidelines<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   NMP Medical Research Institute;   Aarogyam UK;   Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University;   Samta Ayurveda Prakoshtha, India;   Padmanabhama Ayurveda Hospital and Research Centre<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vitamin A Supplementation in Children With Moderate to Severe COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Dietary Supplement: Vitamin A supplement<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Shiraz University of Medical Sciences<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cerebral Autoregulation and COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome;   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: NIRS (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Athens<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Favipiravir +/- Nitazoxanide: Early Antivirals Combination Therapy in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Favipiravir;   Drug: Nitazoxanide;   Other: Nitazoxanide Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Coordinación de Investigación en Salud, Mexico;   University College, London;   Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional (CINVESTAV);   Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara;   Siegfried Rhein S.A. de C.V.;   Strides Pharma Science Limited;   Hakken Enterprise<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Efficacy of Dupilumab for Treatment of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Dupilumab;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Virginia;   PBM C19 Research, LLC (a COVID-19 research entity of the Paul Manning Foundation);   Virginia Catalyst, Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC)<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Impact of Moderate Exercise Training on Vitals and Peak VO2 in Different Age Categories of Adult in COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Moderate Exercise Training (Age Group 1; Young adult 17 -30 years);   Other: Moderate Exercise Training (Age Group 2; 31 to 45 years);   Other: Moderate Exercise Training (Age Group 3; Above 45 years)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Riphah International University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Infliximab in the Treatment of Patients With Severe COVID-19 Disease</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Infliximab;   Other: Standard of Care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Jena University Hospital;   German Federal Ministry of Education and Research;   Celltrion<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Activation of mTORC1 at late endosomes misdirects T cell fate decision in older individuals</strong> - The nutrient-sensing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is integral to cell fate decisions after T cell activation. Sustained mTORC1 activity favors the generation of terminally differentiated effector T cells instead of follicular helper and memory T cells. This is particularly pertinent for T cell responses of older adults who have sustained mTORC1 activation despite dysfunctional lysosomes. Here, we show that lysosome-deficient T cells rely on late endosomes rather than lysosomes as an…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Fear in the Chinese Population: Influential Patterns in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong> - Major global public health emergencies challenge public mental health. Negative emotions, and especially fear, may endanger social stability. To better cope with epidemics and pandemics, early emotional guidance should be provided based on an understanding of the status of public emotions in the given circumstances. From January 27 to February 11, 2020 (during which the cases of COVID-19 were increasing), a national online survey of the Chinese public was conducted. A total of 132,482…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An ACE2 Triple Decoy that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 shows enhanced affinity for virus variants</strong> - The SARS-CoV-2 variants replacing the first wave strain pose an increased threat by their potential ability to escape pre-existing humoral protection. An angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) decoy that competes with endogenous ACE2 for binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (S RBD) and inhibits infection may offer a therapeutic option with sustained efficacy against variants. Here, we used Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation to predict ACE2 sequence substitutions that might…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Melatonin and other indoles show antiviral activities against swine Coronaviruses in vitro at pharmacological concentrations</strong> - The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), highlights major gaps in our knowledge on the prevention control and cross-species transmission mechanisms of animal coronaviruses. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and porcine delta-coronavirus (PDCoV) are three common swine coronaviruses and have similar clinical features. In absence of effective treatments, they…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Manipulation of the unfolded protein response: A pharmacological strategy against coronavirus infection</strong> - Coronavirus infection induces the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular signalling pathway composed of three branches, triggered by unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to high ER load. We have used RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling to investigate holistically the transcriptional and translational response to cellular infection by murine hepatitis virus (MHV), often used as a model for the Betacoronavirus genus to which the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 also belongs….</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Phenolic compounds disrupt spike-mediated receptor-binding and entry of SARS-CoV-2 pseudo-virions</strong> - In the pursuit of suitable and effective solutions to SARS-CoV-2 infection, we investigated the efficacy of several phenolic compounds in controlling key cellular mechanisms involved in its infectivity. The way the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the cell is a complex process and comprises four main stages: attachment to the cognate receptor, cellular entry, replication and cellular egress. Since, this is a multi-part process, it creates many opportunities to develop effective interventions. Targeting…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Laboratory testing for suspected COVID-19 vaccine-induced (immune) thrombotic thrombocytopenia</strong> - COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) represents a pandemic, and several vaccines have been produced to prevent infection and/or severe sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection. There have been several reports of infrequent post vaccine associated thrombotic events, in particular for adenovirus-based vaccines. These have variously been termed VIPIT (vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia), VITT (vaccine-induced [immune]…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>An in vitro antiviral activity of iodine complexes against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - Since the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in China in late 2019, scientists are striving hard to explore non-toxic, viable anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds or medicines. We determined In vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of oral formulations (syrup and capsule)of an Iodine-complex (Renessans). First, cell cytotoxicity of Renessans on the Vero cells was determined using MTT assay. Afterwards, the antiviral activity of Renessans was determined using viral inhibition assays and TCID(50). For this, nontoxic…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Correction to “Synergistic Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Replication Using Disulfiram/Ebselen and Remdesivir”</strong> - [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00022.].</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Potent Molecular Feature-based Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies as Promising Therapeutics Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> - The 2019-2020 winter was marked by the emergence of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) related disease (COVID-19), which started in Wuhan, China. Its high human-to-human transmission ability led to a worldwide spread within few weeks and has caused substantial human loss. Mechanical antiviral control approach, drug repositioning, and use of COVID-19 convalescent plasmas (CPs) were the first line strategies utilized to mitigate the viral spread, yet insufficient. The urgent need to contain this…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Humoral Response after SARS-Cov-2 mRNA Vaccine in a Cohort of Hemodialysis Patients and Kidney Transplant Recipients</strong> - Background Kidney transplant recipients and patients receiving hemodialysis are immunocompromised populations that are prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination but were excluded from clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. Antibody titers and rates of seroconversion following vaccination are lower among patients with chronic kidney disease and those taking immunosuppressants compared with controls. Data are lacking regarding their humoral response to vaccination to prevent COVID-19. Methods…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Targeting highly pathogenic coronavirus-induced apoptosis reduces viral pathogenesis and disease severity</strong> - Infection by highly pathogenic coronaviruses results in substantial apoptosis. However, the physiological relevance of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of coronavirus infections is unknown. Here, with a combination of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, we demonstrated that protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) signaling mediated the proapoptotic signals in Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, which converged in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway….</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands</strong> - Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers (n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in the Netherlands compared to a matched parent sample collected prior to the pandemic (n = 1,030). Parents were matched on background characteristics using propensity score matching. We found that harsh…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants and human coronaviruses after single BNT162b2 vaccination</strong> - CONCLUSION: These results call into question whether neutralizing antibodies significantly contribute to protection against COVID-19 upon single vaccination and suggest that cellular immunity is central for the early defenses against COVID-19.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Structural Basis and Function of the N Terminus of SARS-CoV-2 Nonstructural Protein 1</strong> - Nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs) is an important pathogenic factor that inhibits host protein translation by means of its C terminus. However, its N-terminal function remains elusive. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the N terminus (amino acids [aa] 11 to 125) of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 at a 1.25-Å resolution. Further functional assays showed that the N terminus of SARS-CoVs Nsp1 alone loses the ability to colocalize with ribosomes…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral therapeutic</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU327160071">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>폐마스크 밀봉 회수기</strong> - 본 발명은 마스크 착용 후 버려지는 일회용 폐마스크를 비닐봉지에 넣은 후 밀봉하여 배출함으로써, 2차 감염을 예방하고 일반 생활폐기물과 선별 분리 배출하여 환경오염을 방지하는 데 그 목적이 있다. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=KR325788342">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COST EFFECTIVE PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR FOR COVID-19</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU324964715">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>METHOD OF IDENTIFYING SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONA VIRUS 2 (SARS-COV-2) RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA)</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323956811">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Erweiterbare Desinfektionsvorrichtung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Erweiterbare Desinfektionsvorrichtung, umfassend: einen Hauptkörper, der eine umgekehrt U-förmige Basisplatte aufweist, wobei die umgekehrt U-förmige Basisplatte mit einer Öffnung versehen ist und jeweils eine Seitenplatte sich von zwei Seiten der umgekehrt U-förmigen Basisplatte nach außen erstreckt; und mindestens eine Desinfektionslampe, die in den auf zwei Seiten des Hauptkörpers befindlichen Seitenplatten angeordnet ist und eine Lichtemissionseinheit, eine Erfassungseinheit, eine Steuereinheit und eine Stromversorgungseinheit umfasst.</p></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE326402480">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Einfache Sterilisationsvorrichtung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Einfache Sterilisationsvorrichtung, mit einem Hauptkörper (11), der in Längsrichtung einen ersten Plattenabschnitt (111) und in Querrichtung einen zweiten Plattenabschnitt (112) aufweist, wobei der erste Plattenabschnitt (111) und der zweite Plattenabschnitt (112) L-förmig miteinander verbunden sind; und einer Sterilisationslampe (12), die an dem Hauptkörper (11) angeordnet ist und eine Lichtemissionseinheit (121), eine Sensoreinheit (122), eine Steuereinheit (123) und eine Stromeinheit (124) aufweist.</p></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE326402479">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Klemmarme aufweisende Desinfektionsvorrichtung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Klemmarme aufweisende Desinfektionsvorrichtung, umfassend: einen Hauptkörper; eine Desinfektionslampe, die im Hauptkörper angeordnet ist und eine Lichtemissionseinheit, eine Erfassungseinheit, eine Steuereinheit und eine Stromversorgungseinheit umfasst; einen Klemmabschnitt, der auf einer Seite des Hauptkörpers angeordnet ist, wobei der Klemmabschnitt zwei gegenüberliegende Greifbacken umfasst, wobei mindestens eine der beiden Greifbacken mit einer Schwenkachse versehen ist, wobei ein Klemmraum durch passgenaues Schließen der beiden Greifbacken entsteht und die beiden Greifbacken jeweils mit einem Durchgangsloch versehen sind; einen Befestigungsabschnitt, der durch die Durchgangslöcher der beiden Greifbacken hindurchgeführt ist;und ein Schild, das auf einer Seite des Klemmabschnitts angeordnet und mit einem Aufnahmeloch versehen ist.</p></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE326402478">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Aufhängbare Sterilisationsvorrichtung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Aufhängbare Sterilisationsvorrichtung, mit einem Hauptkörper (11); einer Sterilisationslampe (12), die an dem Hauptkörper (11) angeordnet ist und eine Lichtemissionseinheit (121), eine Sensoreinheit (122), eine Steuereinheit (123) und eine Stromeinheit (124) aufweist; einem Klemmabschnitt (13), der an einer Seite des Hautpkörpers (11) angeordnet ist und zwei gegenüberliegend angeordnete Klemmbacken (131) aufweist, wobei mindestens eine der beiden Klemmbacken (131) mit einem Achsbolzen (132) versehen ist, wobei die beiden Klemmbacken (131) beim Schließen einen Klemmraum (134) bilden, und wobei die beiden Klemmbacken (131) jeweils mit einem Durchgangsloch (135) versehen sind; und einem Befestigungselement (14), das durch die Durchgangslöcher (135) der beiden Klemmbacken (131) hindurchgeführt wird.</p></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE326402477">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sterilisationsvorrichtung zur Verbesserung der Desinfektionswirkung</strong> -
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Sterilisationsvorrichtung zur Verbesserung der Desinfektionswirkung, umfassend: einen Hauptkörper, der eine erste Oberfläche, eine von der ersten Oberfläche abgewandte zweite Oberfläche und ein Aufnahmeloch aufweist, wobei die zwei Seiten des Hauptkörpers jeweils mit einem Durchgangsloch versehen sind, wobei die Durchgangslöcher mit dem Aufnahmeloch durchgängig verbunden sind; eine Desinfektionslampe, die auf der zweiten Oberfläche des Hauptkörpers angeordnet ist und eine Lichtemissionseinheit, eine Erfassungseinheit, eine Steuereinheit und eine Stromversorgungseinheit umfasst; und ein Befestigungsteil, das durch die Durchgangslöcher und das Aufnahmeloch des Hauptkörpers hindurchgeführt ist.</p></li>
</ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE326402481">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO PARTICLE, INCLUDING SARS-CoV-2, DETECTION AND METHODS THEREFOR</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU323295937">link</a></p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Can Biden Reverse Trump’s Damage to the State Department?</strong> - Reeling from the leadership of Rex Tillerson and Mike Pompeo, career officials wonder whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken can revitalize American diplomacy. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/can-biden-reverse-trumps-damage-to-the-state-department">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Iran Moves Toward a One-Party State</strong> - The Supreme Leader is willing to risk the legitimacy of an election to consolidate monolithic hard-line control. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/iran-moves-toward-a-one-party-state">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The High Cost of Biden’s Meeting with Putin</strong> - To Biden, illusions are a hazard in foreign policy; to Putin, they are its currency. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-high-cost-of-bidens-meeting-with-putin">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How a Conservative Activist Invented the Conflict Over Critical Race Theory</strong> - To Christopher Rufo, a term for a school of legal scholarship looked like “the perfect weapon.” - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/how-a-conservative-activist-invented-the-conflict-over-critical-race-theory">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Joe Biden Just Had a Summit with Vladimir Putin and Nothing Crazy Happened</strong> - The triumph of Geneva is that it was not Helsinki. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/joe-biden-just-had-a-summit-with-vladimir-putin-and-nothing-crazy-happened">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The biggest problem with eating insects isn’t the “ew” factor</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="MEXICO-FOOD-FEATURE" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_xLqBLgRk2gFSKmPAm8k7oG5SZM=/121x0:4806x3514/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69475268/971154940.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A diner eats a scorpion at a market in Mexico City. | Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
<strong>Can insects become a big part of humanity’s diet? Should it?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zuBbEr">
When I was in college, a girl who lived in my dorm was an evangelist for an unlikely cause: the potential of insects as food. She was really, really passionate about bugs as an ethical, environmentally friendly source of protein, in the way that driven undergrads can be really, really passionate about quixotic causes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ryndxu">
At the time I laughed it off. They’re bugs! No one will want to eat bugs, right? The joke was on me: A few years later, she and her business partner <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2izWyNnKSg">went on <em>Shark Tank</em></a> and received a $100,000 investment from Mark Cuban, and now her company, <a href="https://eatchirps.com/">Chirps Chips</a>, sells cricket-based chips around the world.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eyo2qX">
My classmate was ahead of the curve. As humans gradually realize we need to cut back on traditional meat consumption for the sake of the planet, <a href="https://time.com/5942290/eat-insects-save-planet/">eating bugs</a> — primarily crickets and mealworms — has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/science/eating-insects-entomophagy.html">become a buzzy, green</a> alternative.
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ciYqke">
Some cultures, encompassing some 2 billion people around the world, <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419">already eat bugs</a>. Mopane worms and shea caterpillars are <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-32952-5_3">routinely farmed and eaten</a> (the former in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the latter in Burkina Faso and Mali), as is the African edible bush-cricket, which is commonly consumed in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Madagascar. <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/10.3920/JIFF2014.0017">Wild insect gathering for food for either subsistence or sale</a> is common throughout East Asia and the Pacific, from India to Indonesia to Japan to Australia. In the northwest Amazon region of South America, somewhere <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/abs/10.3920/JIFF2014.0015">between 5 and 7 percent of total protein</a> comes from insects.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VgxcAU">
But proponents of insect farming are looking to further industrialize the practice to raise more insects as feed for farmed animals as well as for human consumption — mostly in Europe and the US, where the practice is less common. In May, a European Union panel voted to <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/novel_food/authorisations/approval-first-insect-novel-food_en">approve the sale of an insect-based food</a> for humans for the first time in the union’s history. The French company Agronutris had put in the application to sell dried yellow mealworm, a maggot-like organism “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/yellow-mealworm-safe-for-humans-to-eat-says-eu-food-safety-agency">said to taste a lot like peanuts</a>” when dried; with EU regulatory approval, the company hopes to sell the mealworm as a flour-like powder.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3JC5STtpXm2BybFVDjc6P08Y6cU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22662633/GettyImages_1219283630__1_.jpg"/> <cite>Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
An employee loads mealworm larvae into a sorting oven inside the Ynsect insect farm in Dole, France.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BR35Us">
Insect farming may still be a niche industry, but <a href="https://www.bugburger.se/foretag/the-eating-insects-startups-here-is-the-list-of-entopreneurs-around-the-world/">dozens of startups</a> have come on the scene over the last few years. (And two French startups received <a href="https://mailchi.mp/0d9c51072475/the-promise-and-perils-of-insect-farming">a combined $537 million in funding</a> in just the last year.) Meanwhile, chefs in the US are embracing cicadas, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22385700/brood-x-cicadas-birds-forest-ecosystem">trillions of which have emerged</a> on the East Coast, as a <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/eating-cicadas-brood-x/">potential ingredient</a>. <a href="https://www.vox.com/22445929/dogs-eating-cicadas-brood-x-fish-bait-birds">Dogs are already enjoying the bounty </a>of Brood X, the current crop of cicadas, but there’s no health or safety reason for why humans couldn’t join in.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7YQ9Fe">
This excitement is eminently understandable: Insects are nutritious and environmentally sound to produce, which makes them a compelling alternative to traditional factory-farmed meats. But setting aside people’s personal tastes, I’m still wary of the push to eat bugs, largely because of one unanswered question: Do we really know all we need to know about the lives of insects — and whether they’re worthy of moral consideration?
</p>
<h3 id="62ERQg">
Why insects could be a good alternative to traditional meat …
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4qOUfm">
The case for eating bugs is straightforward: They’re healthy, and doing so is good for the environment. A <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abf06c">study</a> published in May from researchers at Harvard and the University of Wisconsin-Madison summarizes both arguments well.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8Uq5VM">
The authors found that if consumers in Africa and Asia added 5 grams of insect food to their daily diets, 67 million fewer people would be at risk of protein deficiency, with 166 million fewer people at risk of zinc deficiency and 251 million fewer people at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Anemia would also fall considerably.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9zHh8Y">
The study notes that 5 grams is not that much in the grand scheme of things. Cricket protein companies often cite a serving size of 10 to 20 grams of cricket protein powder for use in smoothies or porridge and the like. A 5-gram requirement could be met by one of those meals every two to four days.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QrFc9V">
Particularly in areas of the world where nutritional shortfalls are common, insects could fill a useful role.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hkmjgB">
Then there’s the environmental side. Factory farms are an environmental disaster. <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21363864/beef-climate-change-brazil-amazon-rainforest-pecsa">Beef farming</a> specifically produces a huge share of the world’s methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than ordinary carbon dioxide, and drives deforestation in the Amazon as beef companies seek more open land for grazing. But <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/7/8/21311327/farmers-factory-farms-cafos-animal-rights-booker-warren-khanna">factory farms of all kinds have environmental costs</a>, not least from manure runoff that can poison streams, hurt local ecosystems, and endanger the health of local residents.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bvLevM">
The <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/i3264e/i3264e00.pdf">Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)</a> has promoted insect-based food in part because insects, which are cold-blooded, are more efficient than other animals at converting their food into meat. “On average, insects can convert 2 kg of feed into 1 kg of insect mass, whereas cattle require 8 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of body weight gain,” the FAO has noted.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DKngGy">
Insects also require less water and land than traditional livestock, and produce 10 to 100 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of food than pigs, per the FAO. Their climate impact looks even better next to cows, which emit more than pigs.
</p>
<h3 id="wm6Qwv">
… And why we should be wary about it anyway
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jj8n2n">
The anti-entomophagy case is subtler but (I think) still compelling. We have to ask what farmed insects will be used for — and more importantly, what farming insects means for the insects themselves.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IQzsRy">
Let’s take cricket farms as an example. At a cricket farm, the animals are typically laid out in plastic bins with cardboard walls they can climb and lay eggs on, according to a report from the research group <a href="https://www.rethinkpriorities.org/blog/2020/7/1/insects-raised-for-food-and-feed-global-scale-practices-and-policy">Rethink Priorities</a>. Because crickets need humid temperatures and can easily drown in a pool of water, damp sponges are often included in the bins to both regulate humidity and provide a drinking source. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNG7lOFBM84">video tour of a cricket farm in Finland</a> gives a good sense of the situation, as does this photo of a Canadian farm:
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/arJ2K4cG1QuPFA1xYPsjAyzQVqc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22662641/GettyImages_965350770.jpg"/> <cite>James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Crickets cover cardboard lattice and feeder trays in the final grow room at Entomo Farms in Norwood, Ontario. Entomo is North America’s largest farmer of insects for human consumption.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gIoNQ1">
Lewis Bollard, who runs the farm animal welfare program at Open Philanthropy — the effective, altruist-inspired grantmaking group funded by billionaires Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz — recently published an <a href="https://mailchi.mp/0d9c51072475/the-promise-and-perils-of-insect-farming">excellent rundown of the perils of insect meat</a>, specifically when it comes to industrializing insect meat production.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="afWkcP">
First and foremost for animal welfare supporters, the market for human-edible insects is completely overshadowed by the market for insects as feed for farm animals. Most insects are raised to be fed to farmed fish and chickens (or ground up into pet food). “Insect farming isn’t an alternative to factory farming — it’s a supplier,” Bollard writes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BQckaV">
This usage further indicts the environmental case for insect farming, he argues: “Feeding corn to insects, then feeding them to chickens, is inherently less efficient than just feeding the corn to chickens.” (To be fair, this is more an argument against the current insect-farming industry, as opposed to what some proponents want it to become: a system to feed humans more efficiently.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GiXWS2">
Then there are the insects themselves. As Bollard notes, we really have no idea if insects are “sentient” in the way that, say, a pig or cow appears to be (or if they’re sentient at all). Pigs are really smart; <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56023720">they can play video games</a>. Flies, by contrast, aren’t going to trounce you at Skyrim. Some smart people are trying to think through <a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/s/sHWwN8XydhXyAnxFs">what we <em>do</em> know about insect sentience</a>, but we still don’t know a lot.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3FqUl6">
Rethink Priorities has tried to pull together what we know about <a href="https://www.rethinkpriorities.org/blog/2020/7/1/insects-raised-for-food-and-feed-global-scale-practices-and-policy">the welfare experience of insects on farms</a>, but similarly, it’s not a lot. Insect farms mostly freeze and/or shred their animals, but we don’t know much about whether those methods cause the insects significant pain.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jtcYVN">
If you’ve read this far and aren’t a vegan or vegetarian, or even someone who thinks about animal welfare much at all, all of this may seem absurd. Insects are not creatures whose welfare we’re used to considering, an indifference that even makes its way into our vernacular. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly” doesn’t mean “she’s not a sociopath” in the same way that “she wouldn’t kick a dog” does — it means “she wouldn’t do a mean thing so trivial no one should care about it.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hXeTk0">
But humans are constantly <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/4/4/18285986/robot-animal-nature-expanding-moral-circle-peter-singer">expanding our circle of moral concern</a>. And though most humans have yet to expand their moral circle to fully include farm animals, attitudes on animal welfare have certainly evolved. The number of pets in the US has more than doubled since the 1970s, while the number euthanized every year has <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0210/Behind-the-big-drop-in-euthanasia-for-America-s-dogs-and-cats">fallen dramatically, from 20 million to 3 million</a>. Humans have become less comfortable killing animals just for being a nuisance: A half-century ago, it wasn’t so uncommon for dog owners to euthanize their pet because <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-is-it-ethical-to-euthanize-your-pet-44806">it was cheaper than putting them in a kennel</a> during their vacation. That’s unimaginable today.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AVGC7x">
It’s not a far step from “cats and dogs deserve to be treated well” to “pigs and cows deserve to be treated well.” And while “caterpillars and crickets” is a leap further from there, it’s hardly an unthinkable one. They’re animals too. <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/7/17437640/bees-zero-math-humans-science">Bees understand the number zero</a>, a concept that human children often cannot grasp. Fruit flies sometimes act in ways that suggest they <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/insects-can-experience-chronic-pain-study-finds-180972656">experience a form of chronic pain</a>. Is it so inconceivable that the insect world might deserve humane treatment?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UJjzRU">
For me, the most sobering finding of Rethink Priorities’s research is that around 1 trillion<em> </em>insects are already raised and killed on farms every year — a staggering number, since we’re still<strong> </strong>at the start of the insect-food boom. Because insects live very short lives, that annual total encompasses many generations; only between 79 billion and 94 billion farmed insects are alive at any given time.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1LU4Ls">
I don’t know for sure whether those insects feel pain — but if there’s even a small chance they do, the scale of the suffering that would imply is massive. I’m not categorically against insect farming, but I do hope we can learn more about what insects’ lives are like before we start farming them at an even greater scale.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Without Rose Byrne, the ’80s aerobics drama Physical would be unwatchable</strong> -
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rCDA3q1Pss0sYgHoeJ-m9hIHwMw=/639x0:3199x1920/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69472770/Physical_Photo_010202.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Rose Byrne in <em>Physical</em>. | Apple TV+
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Acidic and otherwise sloppy, Physical’s star is its saving grace.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mHIm7z">
In the seminal film <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12160462/legally-blonde-feminist-romance"><em>Legally Blonde</em></a>, first-year law prodigy Elle Woods presents an iconic defense of her exercise guru client: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7lWePB">
I’ve found Elle Woods’s theorem to be generally true, that people who exercise are happy. I’ve also yet to meet a murderer at fitness class. But in the new AppleTV+ aerobics period piece <em>Physical</em>, starring Rose Byrne, exercise is less about creating happiness than it is about making the life you live a little less painful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4j4Gr0">
The most surprising thing about the 10-episode series, created and written by Annie Weisman, is just how unpleasant it’s willing to get to make that point. An example: <em>Physical</em> often smashes emotional distress and queasiness into brutal sequences where Sheila (Byrne) binges and purges hamburger combo meals to enact vengeance upon her own unhappiness. It’s a dramatic turn from how the show has been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQTFdslwJYo">marketed as a campy ’80s paean</a> to aerobics starring the mean woman from <em>Bridesmaids</em>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C8dhSN">
<em>Physical</em> is not for everyone, and it’s very close to being not for anyone at all.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LtMy4y">
The series finds its protagonist Sheila in a desperate situation. She’s married to a flop who doesn’t appreciate her, taking care of their child with no help, and she has given up any sense of a career to live this unsatisfying life. Sheila’s only tether to sanity is being able to get away from her life via exercise.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cf2agi">
For an hour of her day, it gives her everything she’s lacking in her real life and everything she needs to survive it.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wtwcFo">
<em>Physical</em> would be unwatchable misery if it wasn’t for Byrne’s performance. Her Sheila is a mess that’s fraying at her edges. In Byrne’s hands, that jittery exterior gives way to a bellowing sadness and frustration not just at her life gone wrong, but also the state of the world around her — as she dwells on everything from ocean pollution to Reaganomics to, it seems, the end of disco. Somehow, in her sweat and metallic lycra, Byrne allows you to see the spark of hope that Sheila might just turn everything around.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IGroYH">
The series ultimately becomes a portrait of a woman learning to live with her own demons by manifesting her own success, even if that success clashes against everything she believes in. In doing so, it shifts and challenges our own ideas about what it is — capitalism, self-obliteration, divorce — we’re rooting for. You may have to steel yourself, though, to stick with <em>Physical</em> until the second half of Sheila’s caustic journey.
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<h3 id="fdXaXc">
Wow, I do not want Sheila’s life
</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P_xBqHJxZaICN5RQi5lBzPDzyLo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22665413/Physical_Photo_010601.jpg"/> <cite>Apple TV+</cite>
<figcaption>
Rose Byrne in <em>Physical</em>.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9ivIBW">
The most devastatingly effective takeaway from <em>Physical</em> is that it will never make you want to live in 1980s San Diego. Beneath the perpetual golden hour, Sheila Rubin is stuck in a desperate hell. Her husband, Danny (Rory Scovel), is a mediocre professor who has decided to pivot and make a bid for state assembly as a leftist upstart.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JcmBEG">
That goes about as well as his (failed) tenure attempt.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ipU0gu">
In her head, Sheila curses his mediocrity. But soon, she comes to realize that the only person sadder than the unexceptional professor turned unexceptional politician is the woman cooking his eggs, putting the kid to sleep, dealing with his deadbeat friends, and tending to his every beck and call. The series heavily features Byrne in voiceover, cruelly mocking the deficiencies — fatness, stupidity, weakness — of the humans around her, including Greta (Dierdre Friel), her earnest and only ally, before turning the acidic insults onto herself.
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The punishment Sheila inflicts upon herself eventually becomes, yes, physical. Sheila’s dark secret is that she’s been using her and Danny’s joint savings, buying hamburger meals and then bingeing and purging the pain away one calorie at a time. Her knuckles have callused from how often she’s made herself throw up.<strong> </strong>From the very first episode, we learn that Sheila is incredibly and shockingly adept at hurting herself.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tw0Xy1">
If you want to tap out, that’s understandable — especially if you’re sensitive to the heightened sound effects of a toilet flushing and a woman retching. Though Sheila’s disordered eating isn’t glamorized or depicted in a visually graphic way, it is a cornerstone to <em>Physical</em>, and viewers should be aware of this when deciding to watch the show.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jw44wV">
To some extent, <em>Physical</em>’s corrosiveness can be explained by the show presenting itself as a taunt and a dare. Here’s a desperate, terrible woman, and boy is she unfathomably destructive.
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But its overall unpleasantness is unintentional because it comes in large part from a lack of imagination. Making fun of someone doesn’t always need to be funny or inventive, but having Sheila repeatedly lurch back to the lowest common denominator by simply calling people fat or stupid derails <em>Physical</em>’s momentum. I get that the point is that this woman’s miserable life is entrenched in monotony and that she herself is trapped in a soul-numbing redundancy — but there are ways to get that point across without turning the show itself into something redundant.
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Viewers who stick it out a little further will be rewarded with Sheila finding salvation in an aerobics class called “Body by Bunny.”
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At “Body by Bunny,” which is located in a mall that will induce nostalgia in viewers of a certain age, Sheila’s life melts away and synth music drowns out her inner voice. She feels strong. Her face softens into a smile. Each kick and thrust brings crystal clarity into her consciousness, showing her that this is the way life should feel and the way it should be. Sheila’s smitten with this feeling. The show itself twists away from its finicky energy in its aerobics sequences to slow-motion fantasy shots and languid dreaminess.
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It’s in these moments, where Byrne is looking at her aerobics instructor like someone witnessing a holy miracle, that Byrne unlocks her character’s full potential.
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What’s frustrating is that there should be more than just moments for Byrne. On paper, Sheila feels like a character tailor-made for Byrne. The actress has shown she’s equally adept at playing hilariously mean villains in <em>Spy</em> and <em>Bridesmaids,</em> winsome momtagonists in <em>Neighbors</em> and<em> Instant Family</em>, and a calibrated cool Gloria Steinem in <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21271423/mrs-america-feminism-fx-hulu-review"><em>Mrs. America</em></a><em>. </em>Sheila’s in Byrne’s ballpark. But the writing on <em>Physical</em> doesn’t often match Byrne’s heroic performance, and the best parts of the show are wordless ones with Byrne digging into physical, aerobic comedy to carry it someplace better.
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<h3 id="AaWjX9">
<em>Physical</em> plays aerobics straight
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="e5TdpD">
In hammering home Sheila’s unhappy existence, Weisman seems to want to answer why people like Sheila threw themselves at something ridiculous like aerobics and perhaps why people, specifically women, today throw themselves into fad exercise trends like <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22195549/soulcycle-decline-reopening-bullying-bike-explained">SoulCycle</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21345534/peloton-bike-review-2020">Peloton</a>, and “<a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/the-class-taryn-toomey-pandemic-streaming-workouts">The Class</a>.”
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Weisman provides a lot of answers, to a fault. For Sheila, aerobics becomes not only her hour-long respite from her life but also a possible meal ticket. If she can figure out a way to teach and record her workouts on tape, she could amass a home workout video fortune not unlike Jane Fonda. <em>Physical</em> spends a lot of time pinning aerobics to capitalism and how it would violate the leftist politics Sheila thinks she stands for.
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If capitalism vis-à-vis aerobics is the only thing that can make Sheila feel alive, can it really be so bad? Looping in Sheila’s mediocre husband and all the deadening he represents, it becomes obvious to Sheila that capitalism and aerobics is the way to go. And so large parts of <em>Physical</em> become Sheila allegorically being seduced by — and then chasing — that forbidden fruit, which also involves a bizarre sexually tinged relationship with the conservative mall owner John Breem (Paul Sparks).
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But I found the most riveting argument of <em>Physical</em> in the less splashy, less biblical, more effortless moment.
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Sheila’s entire existence is built on a premise that her desires, small or large, shouldn’t even be considered. Her husband scoffs at the idea of making an effort, just one time, to comfort his own child back to sleep instead of leaving that responsibility to Sheila. He can’t imagine Sheila wanting to do something other than make him breakfast. He is so oblivious to her own existence, and so preoccupied with his own, that he can’t see her wasting away.
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Bunny’s aerobics class is the antithesis of that, a place where desire isn’t shamed and Sheila’s existence is acknowledged, even encouraged. It’s the one place where Sheila feels like she comes first.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="597DnI">
It’s not surprising that dismissing her devotion to the spectacle of exercise as ridiculous fails to convince Sheila it isn’t a worthwhile pursuit; from Sheila’s perspective, <em>all</em> of her desires have already been dismissed as ridiculous.
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And to Sheila’s credit, aerobics is a lot less harmful and exponentially more legal than any urge she might have to shoot her husband.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YD9eHM">
What <em>Physical</em> whiffs on is building this idea in a bigger way. We understand why Sheila needs aerobics but not exactly why women are drawn to Sheila or what makes Sheila, out of presumably a world filled with Sheilas, the woman (and aerobics instructor) they need. It might be because they too lead lives of caged dread, keep self-destructive secrets, or harbor frustrations with their husbands. The audience is asked to connect the dots in a way that <em>Physical</em> takes for granted, and a lot like Sheila herself, it’s not hard to feel neglected at the end of it.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0T2B9z">
<em>The first three episodes of </em>Physical<em> debut Friday, June 18, on AppleTV+. After that, one new episode will be released on the streaming service each week. </em>
</p></li>
<li><strong>In the Heights exemplified the ugly colorism I’ve experienced in Latinx communities</strong> -
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<img alt="Five women in a beauty salon." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ats_TeOcQbjKWgK7iMUBjKY1l84=/337x0:5672x4001/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69472526/rev_1_ITH_11340r_High_Res_JPEG.0.jpeg"/>
<figcaption>
A scene in a beauty salon from the 2021 film adaptation of <em>In the Heights</em>; the movie has come under criticism for colorism. | Macall Polay/Warner Bros.
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The film adaptation of the musical revealed the pain of experiencing racism within one’s own ethnic communities.
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The film adaptation of <em>In the Heights, </em>based on the <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22516150/in-the-heights-backstory-explained-lin-manuel-miranda-jon-m-chu-anthony-ramos-movie-musical">popular stage musical</a> by <em>Hamilton</em> creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, was billed as a much-needed celebration of the diverse Latinx neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Yet when the movie opened, <a href="https://twitter.com/jabladoraaa/status/1404266532415447040?s=20">criticism</a> immediately ensued on social media. For a film set in a heavily Afro-Latinx neighborhood, darker-skinned people were relegated to dancers, hair salon workers, and other background roles. And among the leading roles, there was a glaring lack of Afro-Latinx representation.
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In an <a href="https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126">interview</a> for the Root with some cast members and the director, Jon Chu, journalist Felice León asked about the absence of dark-skinned Afro-Latinx representation in the film. Chu responded, “In the end, when we were looking at the cast, we tried to get the people who were best for those roles.” A few days later, Miranda shared an <a href="https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1404565413116141570">apology </a>via Twitter, saying, “I’m truly sorry. I’m learning from the feedback. I thank you for raising it and I’m listening.” The following night, the legendary Puerto Rican musical actress Rita Moreno <a href="https://twitter.com/colbertlateshow/status/1404980532069478403">appeared</a> on <em>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert</em> defending Miranda, saying, “Can’t you just wait a while and leave it alone?” which also drew backlash, for which she eventually apologized. This controversy, and the reaction to it among these Hollywood creators, exposes ugly realities <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/latinos-must-confront-ingrained-anti-black-racism-amid-george-floyd-n1223696">lurking within</a> the Latinx community.
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I was only about 10 minutes into watching the film when I, an Afro-Puerto Rican from New York state who has spent time in Washington Heights, immediately realized the racial composition of the light-skinned and white-passing Latinx cast was not reflective of what you see walking through that neighborhood. Washington Heights is historically a Dominican neighborhood and arguably the most prominent Dominican community in the US; nearly <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/planning-level/nyc-population/acs/hisp_2015acs5yr_puma.pdf">half of the residents</a> in Washington Heights identify as Dominican. That coupled with the fact that Black Latinx identification is <a href="http://mumford.albany.edu/census/BlackLatinoReport/BlackLatinoReport.pdf">most prevalent among Dominicans</a> in comparison to other Latinx subgroups makes this fallacy of Latinx representation even more baffling. Afro-Latinos are central to all that is vibrant in Washington Heights; the most cherished aspects of Dominican food and music are a product of the African diaspora.
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The erasure of Afro-Latinx people, and especially of those who are darker-skinned, has long been an issue within the Latinx community. I know this, not only because I’ve lived it, but because it’s something I’ve researched and studied as a doctoral student and former faculty member in higher education. It’s not uncommon for Latinos who are quick to tout their pride in merengue, bachata, mangú, and mofongo to ignore the very people — those of the African diaspora — whose ancestors introduced these into the culture. It goes to show how ingrained the devaluation of Black aesthetics in the Latinx community really is, and how colorism, or the practices of discrimination that privilege people of color with lighter skin over those with darker skin, pervades communities of color.
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As I watched the movie over the weekend with my two Afro-Latinx children, I had a deep yearning to be able to point to one of the lead characters and say, “Look, they look like we do!” Unfortunately, that moment never came. Instead, I had an out-of-body experience in which I was witnessing my own <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17442220903331662">triple consciousness</a>, a phrase that explains Afro-Latinx realities in which “one ever feels his three-ness — a Latino, a Negro, an American.” This pain stems from receiving messages of inferiority not only from white people but also from the Latinx community to which we purportedly belong.
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From <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09518398.2017.1350298">research</a> I have conducted, I know all too well how frequently experiences with colorism occur within the Latinx community. Modern-day colorism can be traced back to European colonization and slavery; it is rooted in white supremacist standards of beauty and works in tandem with racism. It manifests as the privileging of white phenotypic features — light skin, straight hair, a narrow nose, or light eyes — over Afro-centric features within the same racial or ethnic group. This hierarchy is a phenomenon that shows up not only in Latinx communities but in Black and Asian communities as well, both in America and globally.
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These racialized standards of beauty encourage darker-skinned people of color to alter their bodies in an attempt to be considered more attractive. For example, <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-of-color-spend-more-than-8-billion-on-bleaching-creams-worldwide-every-year-153178">skin lightening creams</a> are a lucrative industry in Afro-Caribbean and African countries as well as across the Asian continent. Another important consequence of these dominant Eurocentric beauty ideals is an entertainment industry that still rewards a proximity to whiteness. Both Black and Latina actresses like <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/emmy-wrap-cover-story-how-viola-davis-gets-away-with-everything-video/">Viola Davis</a> and <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/gina-torres-suits-selenis-leyva-latinx-stereotype-1234775326/">Gina Torres</a> have shared experiences of being passed over for their whiter-looking counterparts.
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But the movie’s issues were not limited to its lack of representation. It omitted an <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2021/06/in-the-heights-colorism-latinx-controversy.html">important scene</a> in the original stage play in which one of the lead characters, Nina’s father, expresses anti-Black sentiments toward a Black character Nina is dating named Benny. This moment would have been an opportunity to shine a light on familiar yet uncomfortable anti-Black sentiment within many Latino families. This has complicated origins rooted in the history of many Latinx countries, where centuries of colonialism have led to a preference for whiteness, such as the 1930s Dominican dictator <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-11-14/theres-long-story-behind-anti-haitianismo-dominican-republic">Rafael Trujillo</a>, who carried out an intricate plan to lighten Dominicans as a group.
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Unfortunately, colorism is a global issue that transcends the shortsighted casting choices of <em>In the Heights </em>producers. In fact, this is not even the first time that director Jon Chu has been called out for upholding colorism. When asked about the lack of dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, Chu said, “that was something we talked about and I needed to be educated about.” Yet he faced similar criticism after his 2018 movie <em>Crazy Rich Asians</em>, which featured a cast of <a href="https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/8/17/17715124/crazy-rich-asians-movie-singapore">lighter-skinned East Asians</a> despite the movie taking place in Singapore, which has a diverse population that includes those of Malay and Indian descent. This goes to show that even movies written and directed exclusively by people of color fail to escape the grasp of white supremacy when systems like colorism rear their ugly head.
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While I was heartened to see <em>In the Heights</em> depict the music, food, and language that is near and dear to my heart, I was ultimately left unfulfilled. The creators of this film did not take full advantage of this rare opportunity to forefront the racial diversity of the Latinx community, instead falling into the traps of colorism and anti-Black Latinx racism that have long been a thread throughout our history. In the wake of more recent awareness of anti-Blackness, lighter-skinned and white Latinos must do their part in addressing these issues within our own community. Our children deserve better. My children deserve better.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mpKkob">
<em>Jasmine Haywood is a strategy director for student success at Lumina Foundation. Her expertise is in the areas of Afro-Latinidad, colorism, and anti-Black racism. She has a master’s degree and a PhD from Indiana University. </em>
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</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Iconic sprinter Milkha Singh cremated with full state honours</strong> - ‘The Flying Sikh’, as he was fondly called, died on Friday night due to COVID-19 related complications.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Japan imposes stricter regulations on India’s Olympic-bound athletes</strong> - IOA president Narinder Batra and secretary general Rajeev Mehta, in a joint statement, questioned the new regulations.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>World Test Championship final | India lose openers after good start</strong> - New Zealand are going with an all seam attack with Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Kyle Jamieson, medium pacer Colin de Grandhomme</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Milkha Singh: a life in pictures</strong> - India’s track and field legend passed away aged 91</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>More experience will help avoid session-end dismissals, says Mandhana</strong> - Lack of experience in negotiating the closing stages of a session was a major reason behind the batting collapse India suffered on the second day of</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Jitin Prasada meets CM Adityanath, seeks his ‘blessings’</strong> - The former Congress leader who swtiched to BJP recently said the meeting was to discuss welfare schemes for the public and to strengthen the party.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hartal on June 21 against mineral sand-mining in Alappuzha district in Kerala</strong> - Protests organised by Karimanal Ghanana Virudha Ekopana Samithi to held in coastal areas of district on Monday</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BJP government in Uttar Pradesh conducted mock drill of inquiry: Priyanka Vadra on clean chit to Agra hospital</strong> - The enquiry had been ordered by the Agra administration last week after a video clip surfaced on social media.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Workers of umbrella-making units in Kerala find the going tough due to COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - Unavailability of required materials coupled with a lack of demand have hit manufacturing units, especially small-scale units and individuals involved in umbrella-making, hard</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>25-year-old washed away in Veda Ganga river, rescued by NDRF</strong> - He had caught hold of a branch of a dead tree and was crying out for help</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus: Setback for EU in legal fight with AstraZeneca</strong> - But the drug-maker faces hefty fines if it fails to supply doses of Covid-19 vaccine over the summer.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Lisbon gave protesters’ data to foreign embassies</strong> - Data was illegally shared in 52 cases in 2018-19, with reports citing embassies of China and Russia.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Valuable 350-year-old oil paintings found in skip</strong> - German police say the gold-framed artworks had been dumped at a motorway rest stop in Bavaria.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Greece killing: Husband confesses to Caroline Crouch death</strong> - Police say a Greek pilot has admitted suffocating his wife in a crime that shocked the country.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Far-right abuse: Racism case seen as threat to whole German army</strong> - Germany’s defence minister condemns a platoon accused of sexual abuse and singing racist songs.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The efforts to make text-based AI less racist and terrible</strong> - Researchers try different approaches to solve problem of amplifying negative stereotypes. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1774477">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pornhub sued for allegedly serving “under-age, non-consensual” videos</strong> - “I seek justice for myself and the countless victims who don’t come forward.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1774586">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ring gave cops free cameras to build and promote surveillance network</strong> - LAPD officers “spread the word” for the startup, helping it gain market share. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1774550">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Arcade1Up pinball cabinet review: Fine for families, interesting for modders</strong> - The default package is worth its $600 cost, but do your research before buying. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1774443">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple and Google’s AI wizardry promises privacy—at a cost</strong> - Upgraded data protection and less reliance on the cloud could lock users in. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1774415">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>My boyfriend has dandruff.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“My boyfriend has dandruff. What’s the best way to remove it?” I texted my mother.
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She replied, “Just give him Head &amp; Shoulders.”
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20 minutes later.
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I texted my mother back, “Okay. Now how do I give the shoulders?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/sparkysparkyboombaby"> /u/sparkysparkyboombaby </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o314vz/my_boyfriend_has_dandruff/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o314vz/my_boyfriend_has_dandruff/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>NSFW. I walked in on my wife having sex with my best friend.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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So I did what any husband would do.
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Took a rolled up newspaper and smacked him on the nose saying, “Bad dog! Very Bad dog!”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/lodiman77"> /u/lodiman77 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o2oe6q/nsfw_i_walked_in_on_my_wife_having_sex_with_my/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o2oe6q/nsfw_i_walked_in_on_my_wife_having_sex_with_my/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Used Vacuum cleaner for sale.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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I don’t need it anymore. All it does is collect dust.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/dPHender"> /u/dPHender </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o36i0a/used_vacuum_cleaner_for_sale/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o36i0a/used_vacuum_cleaner_for_sale/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Three friends were bragging about who has the most sex.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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Three friends were bragging about who has the most sex. The first guy starts, “Y’all ain’t got nothing on me! I can go to any bar and bring home a new woman every night! Not only that, but I drive a corvette and have an 8 inch penis! I’ve slept with more than 1,000 women!”
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​
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Second guy fires back, “Oh yeah? Well I’m a top gynecologist at the highest rated hospital in the world. I make $800,000 a year, have patients and nurses who have sex with me every hour I’m at work. All the women compliment me on my 12 inch penis and I’ve slept with well over 5,000 women.”
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​
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Last guy chuckles, “I have you all beat. I fucked over all the Redditors who were expecting a punchline to this joke.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MaiG212"> /u/MaiG212 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o3a432/three_friends_were_bragging_about_who_has_the/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o3a432/three_friends_were_bragging_about_who_has_the/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>“Cop on horse says to little girl on bike…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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‘Did Santa get you that?’
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‘Yes,’ replies the little girl.
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‘Well, tell him to put a reflector light on it next year!’ and fines her $5.00.
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The little girl looks up at the cop and says,
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‘Nice horse you’ve got there — did Santa bring you that?’
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The cop chuckles and replies, ‘He sure did!’
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‘Well,’ says the little girl, ‘Next year tell Santa that the dick goes under the horse, not on top of it!’”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DrPhilsPrizedParrot"> /u/DrPhilsPrizedParrot </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o2pkz1/cop_on_horse_says_to_little_girl_on_bike/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/o2pkz1/cop_on_horse_says_to_little_girl_on_bike/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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