navan
/
Daily-Dose
mirror of https://github.com/navanchauhan/Daily-Dose.git
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Projects Releases Wiki Activity

Added daily report

This commit is contained in:
Navan Chauhan 2024-03-16 12:40:42 +00:00
parent b12448d76e
commit 86a17ce5b6
3 changed files with 671 additions and 2 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

169
archive-covid-19/16 March, 2024.html Normal file
View File

@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="" xml:lang="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
<meta content="pandoc" name="generator"/>
<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" name="viewport"/>
<title>16 March, 2024</title>
<style>
code{white-space: pre-wrap;}
span.smallcaps{font-variant: small-caps;}
span.underline{text-decoration: underline;}
div.column{display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;}
div.hanging-indent{margin-left: 1.5em; text-indent: -1.5em;}
ul.task-list{list-style: none;}
</style>
<title>Covid-19 Sentry</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
<body>
<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>Protein-based cell population discovery and annotation for CITE-seq data identifies cellular phenotypes associated with critical COVID-19 severity</strong> -
<div>
Technologies such as Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes sequencing (CITE-seq) and RNA Expression and Protein sequencing (REAP-seq) augment unimodal single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) by simultaneously measuring expression of cell-surface proteins using antibody derived oligonucleotide tags (ADT). These protocols have been increasingly used to resolve cellular populations that are difficult to infer from gene expression alone, and to interrogate the relationship between gene and protein expression at a single-cell level. However, the ADT-based protein expression component of these assays remains widely underutilized as a primary tool to discover and annotate cell populations, in contrast to flow cytometry which has used surface protein expression in this fashion for decades. Therefore, we hypothesized that computational tools used for flow cytometry data analysis could be harnessed and scaled to analyze ADT data. Here we apply Ozette Discovery, a recently-developed method for flow cytometry analysis, to re-analyze a large (&gt;400,000 cells) published COVID-19 CITE-seq dataset. Using the protein expression data alone, Ozette Discovery is able to identify granular, robust, and interpretable cellular phenotypes in a high-throughput manner. In particular, we identify a population of CLEC12A+CD11b+CD14- myeloid cells that are specifically expanded in patients with critical COVID-19, and can only be resolved by their protein expression profiles. Using the longitudinal gene expression data from this dataset, we find that early expression of interferon response genes precedes the expansion of this subset, and that early expression of PRF1 and GZMB within specific Ozette Discovery phenotypes provides a RNA biomarker of critical COVID-19. In summary, Ozette Discovery demonstrates that taking a protein-centric approach to cell phenotype annotation in CITE-seq data can achieve the potential that dual RNA/protein assays provide in mixed samples: instantaneous in silico flow sorting, and unbiased RNA-seq profiling.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.14.584720v1" target="_blank">Protein-based cell population discovery and annotation for CITE-seq data identifies cellular phenotypes associated with critical COVID-19 severity</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Differential Patterns of Cross-Protection against Antigenically Distinct Variants in Small Animal Models of SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> -
<div>
Continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will likely force more future updates of vaccine composition. Based on a series of studies carried out in human ACE2 transgenic mice (K18-hACE2) and Syrian hamsters, we show that immunity at the respiratory tract, acquired through either previous infection or vaccination with an in-house live attenuate virus, offers protection against antigenically distinct variants in the absence of variant spike-specific neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, immunity acquired through infection of a modern variant (XBB.1.5) was insufficient in preventing brain infection by the ancestral virus (WA1/2020) in K18-hACE2 mice. Similarly, previous infection with WA1/2020 did not protect against brain infection by XBB.1.5. Our results highlight the importance of immune components other than neutralizing antibodies in maintaining protection against new variants in the respiratory tract, but also paint scenarios where a monovalent vaccine based on a contemporary variant may be less effective against the ancestral strain.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.14.584985v1" target="_blank">Differential Patterns of Cross-Protection against Antigenically Distinct Variants in Small Animal Models of SARS-CoV-2 Infection</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>ONE HEALTH APPROACH ON SARS-COV-2 - USING SHEEP AS SENTINEL ANIMALS TO INCREASE FUTURE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS - a pilot study</strong> -
<div>
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can infect a number of species of birds and mammals with great zoonotic potential to cross species barriers and cause spill-over events. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to cause clinical and inapparent disease and mortality in several animals cohabitating with humans. Sheep are also susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and have potential to harbor and spread the virus, as well as develop neutralising antibodies due to similarities of virus-receptor interactions to those in humans. The main aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in sentinel animals after natural exposure to the virus. The serum samples were collected from sheep in Central Portugal, Serra da Estrela region, both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sheep were kept on dairy farms for production of Serra da Estrela cheese, in small herds and in constant contact with farm workers. The sera were tested using already established SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus systems for multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants including Wuhan, Delta and Omicron. Partial neutralisation activity towards Wuhan and Delta variants was observed, while neutralisating antibody escape was observed in all Omicron variants tested due to the mutations present . Our results indicate that potential SARS-CoV-2 virus cross-species transmission could have been established through contacts between people and animals on sheep farms. Using farm animals as sentinels is of great importance for implementing One Health Approach in zoonotic virus surveillance and control towards increasing future pandemic preparedness.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.15.585163v1" target="_blank">ONE HEALTH APPROACH ON SARS-COV-2 - USING SHEEP AS SENTINEL ANIMALS TO INCREASE FUTURE PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS - a pilot study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>de Novo Sequencing of Antibodies for Identification of Neutralizing Antibodies in Human Plasma Post SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination</strong> -
<div>
We present a method for sequencing polyclonal IgG enriched from human plasma, employing a combination of de novo sequencing, proteomics, bioinformatics, protein separation, sequencing, and peptide separations. Our study analyzes a single patient's IgG antibody response triggered by the Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. From the sequencing data of the natural polyclonal response to vaccination, we generated 12 recombinant antibodies. Six derived recombinant antibodies, including four generated with de novo sequencing, exhibited similar or higher binding affinities than the original natural polyclonal antibody. Our neutralization tests revealed that the six antibodies possess neutralizing capabilities against the target antigen. This research provides insights into sequencing polyclonal IgG antibodies while highlighting the effectiveness and potential of our approach in generating recombinant antibodies with robust binding affinity and neutralization capabilities. Our proposed approach is an advancement in characterizing the IgG response by directly investigating the circulating pool of IgG without relying exclusively on the B-cell repertoire or population. This is crucial as the B-cell analysis may not accurately represent the circulating antibodies. Interestingly, a large proportion (80 to 90%) of the human antibody sequences generated against SARS-CoV-2 in the literature have been derived solely from B-cell analysis. Therefore, the ability to offer a different perspective is crucial in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the IgG response.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.14.583523v1" target="_blank">de Novo Sequencing of Antibodies for Identification of Neutralizing Antibodies in Human Plasma Post SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Case of Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and Fatal Aortic Dissection following Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination</strong> -
<div>
We present a case study of a 34-year-old male who was in good health prior to his COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Sixteen days after his first dose, he experienced acute inflammation, sudden thoracic aortic dissection, and pericardial tamponade, rapidly leading to his death. Studies suggest that young males, in particular, appear to be at increased risk of adverse cardiac events following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Although the incidence of such complications are believed to be low, we propose that information gaps exist in the criteria and findings that inform both public health agencies and the public on incidence rates of even severe myocarditis and cardiac adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. This view is shared within many COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis studies and is evident within the findings of this case of Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and Fatal Aortic Dissection presented here.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/xnr5t/" target="_blank">Case of Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and Fatal Aortic Dissection following Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 remodels the Golgi apparatus to facilitate viral assembly and secretion</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped RNA virus. Despite extensive investigation, the molecular mechanisms for its assembly and secretion remain largely elusive. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces global alterations of the host endomembrane system, including dramatic Golgi fragmentation. SARS-CoV-2 virions are enriched in the fragmented Golgi. Disrupting Golgi function with small molecules strongly inhibits viral infection. Significantly, SARS-CoV-2 infection down-regulates GRASP55 but up-regulates TGN46 protein levels. Surprisingly, GRASP55 expression reduces both viral secretion and spike number on each virion, while GRASP55 depletion displays opposite effects. In contrast, TGN46 depletion only inhibits viral secretion without affecting spike incorporation into virions. TGN46 depletion and GRASP55 expression additively inhibit viral secretion, indicating that they act at different stages. Taken together, we show that SARS-CoV-2 alters Golgi structure and function to control viral assembly and secretion, highlighting the Golgi as a potential therapeutic target for blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.04.483074v3" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 remodels the Golgi apparatus to facilitate viral assembly and secretion</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Exploring associations between the Covid-19 vaccination campaign and fertility trends: A population-level analysis for 22 countries</strong> -
<div>
Background At the turn of 2021-2022, monthly birth rates declined in many higher-income countries. We explore how the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination was associated with this decline. Methods Using an interrupted time series design, we evaluate the impact of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of COVID-19 vaccination on seasonally-adjusted monthly total fertility rates in 22 high-income countries. We study the associations between COVID-19 vaccination and fertility by additionally controlling for youth unemployment, stringency index, and vaccination coverage. Results The start of the pandemic had an immediate effect on fertility in most countries, although the size and direction of level changes considerably varied across countries. The impact of COVID-19 vaccination was less all-embracing. A negative association between the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and fertility nine months later was found for ten out of 22 countries. For several countries, the decline was preceded by fertility increase that took place after the onset of the pandemic. Only four of 22 countries had post-vaccination fertility declines that resulted in fertility being on a lower level than what the pre-pandemic trend predicted. Additional control variables changed the associations only little. Conclusions The COVID-19 vaccination campaign contributed to the variation in the short-term fertility trends. Several countries experienced declines following the campaign, however, this decline often returned fertility closer to the pre-pandemic trend. Fertility appears to have responded in short run to vaccination, but only in few cases such that the long-term trajectory is below the pre-pandemic trend.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/46qdw/" target="_blank">Exploring associations between the Covid-19 vaccination campaign and fertility trends: A population-level analysis for 22 countries</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Urban birds’ tolerance towards humans was largely unaffected by increased variation in human levels due to COVID-19 shutdowns</strong> -
<div>
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically altered human activities, and, during shutdowns, potentially changed human pressures on urban-dwelling animals. Here, we evaluated whether urban birds from five countries (Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Australia) changed their tolerance towards humans (measured as flight initiation distance) during the COVID-19 shutdowns. We collected 6369 flight initiation distance estimates for 147 bird species and found that human numbers in parks (at a given hour, day, week or year - before and during the COVID-19 shutdowns) had a little effect on birds tolerance of approaching humans. Apart from the actual human numbers in the area (hourly temporal scale) - which as expected correlated negatively, albeit weakly, with escape distance - the effect of human activity at other temporal scales centered around zero. The results were similar across countries, for most species or when we restricted our analyses only to species sampled both before and during the COVID-19 shutdowns. As expected, the level of daily human presence in parks (measured by Google Mobility Reports) correlated negatively with the stringency of governmental restrictions (a weekly proxy for human presence) and was overall lower during COVID-19 shutdowns than during the post-shutdown year (2022). Our results highlight the resilience of birds to changes in human numbers on multiple temporal scales, the complexities of linking animal fear responses to human behavior, and the challenge of quantifying both simultaneously in situ.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.15.500232v2" target="_blank">Urban birds’ tolerance towards humans was largely unaffected by increased variation in human levels due to COVID-19 shutdowns</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Escherichia coli grown in cost-effective conical tubes produces more plasmid DNA</strong> -
<div>
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we grew plasmid-transformed Escherichia coli in Falcon round-bottom-polypropylene tubes (F-Round-PP) and isolated plasmid using a Miniprep kit. When obtaining sufficient quantities of F-Round-PP became problematic during the pandemic and the inflation, we grew them using any available tubes. Notably, we observed that plasmid yield from cells grown in a cost-effective Oxford conical-polypropylene tubes (O-Conical-PP) was higher than that from F-Round-PP. We assessed the impact using O-Conical-PP and other conical brand tubes. As a result, the plasmid yield from O-Conical-PP (the list price is nearly 1/3 of F-Round-PP) was 1.5-fold higher than other PP tubes (p&lt;0.001). We propose that researchers may need to re-assess the effectiveness of their laboratory supplies to optimize the budget during this inflationary period.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584835v1" target="_blank">Escherichia coli grown in cost-effective conical tubes produces more plasmid DNA</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Protein nanoparticle vaccines induce potent neutralizing antibody responses against MERS-CoV</strong> -
<div>
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that causes severe and often lethal respiratory illness in humans. The MERS-CoV spike (S) protein is the viral fusogen and the target of neutralizing antibodies, and has therefore been the focus of vaccine design efforts. Currently there are no licensed vaccines against MERS-CoV and only a few candidates have advanced to Phase I clinical trials. Here we developed MERS-CoV vaccines utilizing a computationally designed protein nanoparticle platform that has generated safe and immunogenic vaccines against various enveloped viruses, including a licensed vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Two-component protein nanoparticles displaying MERS-CoV S-derived antigens induced robust neutralizing antibody responses and protected mice against challenge with mouse-adapted MERS-CoV. Electron microscopy polyclonal epitope mapping and serum competition assays revealed the specificities of the dominant antibody responses elicited by immunogens displaying the prefusion-stabilized S-2P trimer, receptor binding domain (RBD), or N-terminal domain (NTD). An RBD nanoparticle vaccine elicited antibodies targeting multiple non-overlapping epitopes in the RBD, whereas anti-NTD antibodies elicited by the S-2P- and NTD-based immunogens converged on a single antigenic site. Our findings demonstrate the potential of two-component nanoparticle vaccine candidates for MERS-CoV and suggest that this platform technology could be broadly applicable to betacoronavirus vaccine development.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584735v1" target="_blank">Protein nanoparticle vaccines induce potent neutralizing antibody responses against MERS-CoV</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Self-inhibiting percolation and viral spreading in epithelial tissue</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2 induces delayed type-I/III interferon production, allowing it to escape the early innate immune response. The delay has been attributed to a deficiency in the ability of cells to sense viral replication upon infection, which in turn hampers activation of the antiviral state in bystander cells. Here, we introduce a cellular automaton model to investigate the spatiotemporal spreading of viral infection as a function of virus and host-dependent parameters. The model suggests that the considerable person-to-person heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 infections is a consequence of high sensitivity to slight variations in biological parameters near a critical threshold. It further suggests that within-host viral proliferation can be curtailed by the presence of remarkably few cells that are primed for IFN production. Thus the observed heterogeneity in defense readiness of cells reflects a remarkably cost-efficient strategy for protection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.12.571279v2" target="_blank">Self-inhibiting percolation and viral spreading in epithelial tissue</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Engineered Migrasomes: A Robust, Thermally Stable Vaccination Platform</strong> -
<div>
The burgeoning abilities of pathogens and tumor cells to evade immune responses underscore the urgent need for innovative vaccination platforms based on a variety of biological mechanisms. The current logistical challenges associated with cold-chain (i.e. low-temperature) transportation particularly impacts access to vaccines in the global south. We recently discovered organelles called migrasomes, and herein we investigate the potential of migrasomes as an alternative vaccination platform. Their inherent stability and their enrichment with immune-modulating molecules make migrasomes promising candidates, but their low yield presents a hurdle. We address this problem through our engineered migrasome-like vesicles (eMigrasomes), which emulate the biophysical attributes of natural migrasomes with substantially improved yield. We show that eMigrasomes loaded with a model antigen elicit potent antibody responses and maintain stability at room temperature. We demonstrate that eMigrasomes bearing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein induce robust humoral protection against the virus. Our study demonstrates the potential of eMigrasome-based vaccines as a unique, robust, and accessible alternative to traditional methods.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584850v1" target="_blank">Engineered Migrasomes: A Robust, Thermally Stable Vaccination Platform</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>CircRNA-Pro: A Novel Toolkit for High-Precision Detection of Differentially Expressed Circular RNAs and Translatable Circular RNAs</strong> -
<div>
With the increasing discovery of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and their critical roles in gene regulation and disease progression, there is a growing need for more accurate and efficient tools for circRNAs research. In response, we have developed an integrated software suite specifically for circRNAs. This all-in-one tool specializes in detecting differentially expressed circRNAs, including those with the potential to be translated into proteins, and allows for comparing against relevant databases, thereby enabling comprehensive circRNA profiling and annotation. To enhance the accuracy in detecting differentially expressed circRNAs, we incorporated three different software algorithms and cross-validated their results through mutual verification. Additionally, this toolkit improves the effectiveness in identifying translatable circRNAs by optimizing Ribo-seq alignment and verifying against public circRNA databases. The performance of circRNA-pro has been evaluated through its application to public RNA-seq and Ribo-seq datasets on breast cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infected cells, and the results obtained have been validated against previous literature and databases. Overall, our integrated toolkit provides a reliable workflow for circRNA research, facilitating insights into their diverse roles across life sciences.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584785v1" target="_blank">CircRNA-Pro: A Novel Toolkit for High-Precision Detection of Differentially Expressed Circular RNAs and Translatable Circular RNAs</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Mutability and hypermutation antagonize immunoglobulin codon optimality</strong> -
<div>
The efficacy of polyclonal antibody responses is inherently linked to paratope diversity, as generated through V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation (SHM). These processes arose in early jawed vertebrates; however, little is known about how immunoglobulin diversity, mutability, and hypermutation have evolved in tandem with another more ubiquitous feature of protein-coding DNA - codon optimality. Here, we explore these relationships through analysis of germline IG genes, natural V(D)J repertoires, serum VH usage, and monoclonal antibody (mAb) expression, each through the lens of multiple optimality metrics. Strikingly, proteomic serum IgG sequencing showed that germline IGHV codon optimality positively correlated with VH representation after influenza vaccination, and in vitro, codon deoptimization of mAbs with synonymous amino acid sequences caused consistent expression loss. Germline V genes exhibit a range of codon optimality that is maintained by functionality, and inversely related to mutability. SHM caused a load-dependent deoptimization of IGH VDJ repertoires within human tonsils, bone marrow, and lymph nodes (including SARS-CoV-2-specific clones from mRNA vaccinees), influenza-infected mice, and zebrafish. Comparison of natural mutation profiles to true random suggests the presence of selective pressures that constrain deoptimization. These findings shed light on immunoglobulin evolution, providing unanticipated insights into the antagonistic relationship between variable region diversification, codon optimality, and antibody secretion; ultimately, the need for diversity takes precedence over that for the most efficient expression of the antibody repertoire.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.13.584690v1" target="_blank">Mutability and hypermutation antagonize immunoglobulin codon optimality</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Understanding Young Caring in the UK Pre- and Post-COVID-19: Prevalence, Correlates, and Insights from Three UK Longitudinal Surveys</strong> -
<div>
Background. Despite increasing awareness of young carers in recent years, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of both the prevalence and the characteristics of young carers. Our study aims to address this gap by examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and characteristics of young carers. Methods. This research utilised data from three UK longitudinal surveys: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study, and the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). We focused on adolescents aged 16-18, and examined two pre-COVID (UKHLS and MCS) and two post-COVID (UKHLS and COSMO) samples. Results. The prevalence of young carers increased from 8.0% pre-COVID to 9.8-11.9% since COVID. Young carers were more commonly found in single-parent and socioeconomically disadvantaged households, with a higher prevalence of young carers in homes where parents were out of paid employment or held lower educational qualifications. Young carers were also more likely to reside in deprived areas. Most young carers engaged in low-intensity caring (&lt; 10 hours/week), but post-COVID there was an increase in high-intensity caring (10+ hours/week), predominantly assumed by young female carers. The primary recipients of care were parents, followed by grandparents and siblings, with no change in the care recipient type since COVID. Conclusion. This study showed an increase in the prevalence of young carers, particularly those providing high-intensity care, since the onset of the COVID pandemic. Further, young carers were more likely to come from socioeconomically disadvantaged households and areas. Given the potential impacts that young caring can have on young peoples’ lives, it is imperative that support for young carers is increased, particularly for those facing multiple disadvantages. In tandem, services that support adult health and social care need to play a key role in identifying young carers.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/65k2m/" target="_blank">Understanding Young Caring in the UK Pre- and Post-COVID-19: Prevalence, Correlates, and Insights from Three UK Longitudinal Surveys</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>Utilizing Novel Blood RNA Biomarkers as a Diagnostic Tool in the Identification of Long COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Diagnostic Test: RNA Biomarker Blood Test <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: MaxWell Clinic, PLC <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>Home-Based Circuit Training in Overweight/Obese Older Adult Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis and Type 2 Diabetes</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Aerobic Exercise; Strength Training; Glycemic Control; Blood Pressure; Oxidative Stress; Metabolic Syndrome <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: 12-week home-based circuit training (HBCT); Behavioral: Standard of care (CONT) <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University <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>RECOVER-AUTONOMIC: Platform Protocol, Appendix B (Ivabradine)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Long Covid19; Long Covid-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Ivabradine; Drug: Ivabradine Placebo; Behavioral: Coordinated Care; Behavioral: Usual Care <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Kanecia Obie Zimmerman <br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</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>SVF for Treating Pulmonary Fibrosis Post COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Pulmonary Fibrosis <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: Autologous adipose-derived SVF IV administration <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Michael H Carstens; Ministerio de Salud de Nicaragua; Wake Forest University; National Autonomous University of Nicaragua <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>RECOVER-AUTONOMIC Platform Protocol</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Long Covid19; Long Covid-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: IVIG + Coordinated Care; Drug: IVIG Placebo + Coordinated Care; Drug: Ivabradine + Coordinated Care; Drug: Ivabradine Placebo + Coordinated Care; Drug: IVIG + Usual Care; Drug: IVIG Placebo + Usual Care; Drug: Ivabradine + Usual Care; Drug: Ivabradine Placebo + Usual Care <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Kanecia Obie Zimmerman <br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</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>RECOVER-AUTONOMIC: Platform Protocol, Appendix A (IVIG)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Long Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid19); Long Covid-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin); Drug: IVIG Placebo; Behavioral: Coordinated Care; Behavioral: Usual Care <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Kanecia Obie Zimmerman <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>Understanding Adaptive Immune Response After COVID-19 Vaccination Boosters to Improve Vaccination Strategies in Vulnerable Groups.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Analisys of cellular response and humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster doses <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria di Negrar <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>COVIDVaxStories: Randomized Trial to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Populations of Color</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Vaccine Hesitancy <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Storytelling; Behavioral: Learn More (Active Comparator) <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Massachusetts, Worcester; Merck Sharp &amp; Dohme LLC <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>Sulfureous Water Therapy in Viral Respiratory Diseases</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long-COVID; Post COVID-19 Condition; Chronic COVID-19 Syndrome; Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Inhalation of Sulfurous Thermal Water; Other: Inhalation of Sterile Distilled non-pyrogenic Water <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Roma La Sapienza; Università degli studi di Roma Foro Italico; Queen Mary University of London; Bios Prevention Srl <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>An E-health Psychoeducation for People With Bipolar Disorders</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Bipolar Disorder; Psychoeducation; COVID-19 Pandemic <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: e-health psychoeducation <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Cagliari; Alessandra Perra <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>Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine and Influenza Combination Vaccine</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: CIC Vaccine Co-formulated tNIV2 , SARSCoV-2 rS and Matrix-M Adjuvant; Biological: Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine; Biological: Comparator Influenza Vaccine - Fluarix; Biological: Comparator Influenza Vaccine -Fluarix High Dose; Biological: Placebo 0.9% sodium chloride for injection <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Novavax <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>Evaluation of KGR Prescriptions in Suppressing COVID-19 Infection.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Coronavirus Disease 2019; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Combination Product: Kang Guan Recipe (Treat); Combination Product: Kang Guan Recipe (Placebo) <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Sheng-Teng Huang <br/><b>Completed</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>Drug repurposing screen to identify inhibitors of the RNA polymerase (nsp12) and helicase (nsp13) from SARS-CoV-2 replication and transcription complex</strong> - Coronaviruses contain one of the largest genomes among the RNA viruses, coding for 14-16 non-structural proteins (nsp) that are involved in proteolytic processing, genome replication and transcription, and four structural proteins that build the core of the mature virion. Due to conservation across coronaviruses, nsps form a group of promising drug targets as their inhibition directly affects viral replication and, therefore, progression of infection. A minimal but fully functional replication…</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 ameliorates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by reprogramming M1/M2 macrophage polarization</strong> - Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that seriously endangers human life and health. The pathological anatomy results of patients who died of the COVID-19 showed that there was an excessive inflammatory response in the lungs. It is also known that most of the COVID-19 infected patients will cause different degrees of lung damage after infection, and may have pulmonary fibrosis remaining after cure. Macrophages are a type of immune cell population with pluripotency and…</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 HPIV3-neutralizing IGHV5-51 Antibodies Identified from Multiple Individuals Show L Chain and CDRH3 Promiscuity</strong> - Human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3) is a widespread pathogen causing severe and lethal respiratory illness in at-risk populations. Effective countermeasures are in various stages of development; however, licensed therapeutic and prophylactic options are not available. The fusion glycoprotein (HPIV3 F), responsible for facilitating viral entry into host cells, is a major target of neutralizing Abs that inhibit infection. Although several neutralizing Abs against a small number of HPIV3 F epitopes…</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>2-Bromopalmitate depletes lipid droplets to inhibit viral replication</strong> - The global impact of emerging viral infections emphasizes the urgent need for effective broad-spectrum antivirals. The cellular organelle, lipid droplet (LD), is utilized by many types of viruses for replication, but its reduction does not affect cell survival. Therefore, LD is a potential target for developing broad-spectrum antivirals. In this study, we found that 2-bromopalmitate (2 BP), a previously defined palmitoylation inhibitor, depletes LD across all studied cell lines and exerts…</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>Utilizing sinapic acid as an inhibitory antiviral agent against MERS-CoV PLpro</strong> - Concerns about the social and economic collapse, high mortality rates, and stress on the healthcare system are developing due to the coronavirus onslaught in the form of various species and their variants. In the recent past, infections brought on by coronaviruses severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) as well as middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported. There is a severe lack of medications to treat various coronavirus types…</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>Recognition of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by specific S100 proteins</strong> - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic myelopoietic growth factor and proinflammatory cytokine, clinically used for multiple indications and serving as a promising target for treatment of many disorders, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, COVID-19. We have previously shown that dimeric Ca^(2+)-bound forms of S100A6 and S100P proteins, members of the multifunctional S100 protein family, are specific to GM-CSF. To…</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>Developing inhibitory peptides against SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein</strong> - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected approximately 800 million people since the start of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Because of the high rate of mutagenesis in SARS-CoV-2, it is difficult to develop a sustainable approach for prevention and treatment. The Envelope (E) protein is highly conserved among human coronaviruses. Previous studies reported that SARS-CoV-1 E deficiency reduced viral propagation, suggesting that E inhibition 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>Interactions among stress, behavioral inhibition, and delta-beta coupling predict adolescent anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented changes and uncertainty to the daily lives of youth. The range of adjustment in light of a near-universal experience of COVID restrictions highlights the importance of identifying factors that may render some individuals more susceptible to heightened levels of anxiety during stressful life events than others. Two risk factors to consider are temperamental behavioral inhibition (BI) and difficulties in emotion regulation (ER). As such, the…</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>Examination of SARS-CoV-2 serological test results from multiple commercial and laboratory platforms with an in-house serum panel</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel human coronavirus that was identified in 2019. SARS-CoV-2 infection results in an acute, severe respiratory disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The emergence and rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global public health crisis, which continues to affect populations across the globe. Real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) is the reference standard test for 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>Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 and Intranasal Protection of Mice with a nanoCLAMP Antibody Mimetic</strong> - Intranasal treatment, combined with vaccination, has the potential to slow mutational evolution of viruses by reducing transmission and replication. Here, we illustrate the development of a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) nanoCLAMP and demonstrate its potential as an intranasally administered therapeutic. A multi-epitope nanoCLAMP was made by fusing a pM affinity single-domain nanoCLAMP (P2710) to alternate epitope-binding nanoCLAMP, P2609. The resulting multimerized nanoCLAMP P2712 had…</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>Exploring cell-free assays for COVID-19 serosurvey</strong> - Serosurveys to monitor immunity toward COVID-19 in the population are primarily performed using an ELISA to screen samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, followed by confirmation by a virus neutralization test, which is considered the Gold Standard. However, virus neutralization test may not be feasible for some laboratories because of the requirement for specific facilities and trained personnel. In an attempt to address this limitation, we evaluated three cell-free methods as potential…</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>The risk of acute infections in new users of antidepressants: An observational cohort study</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, and venlafaxine were not associated with a reduced risk of acute infection when compared with the presumably weak FIASMA citalopram.</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>Overlaid Lateral Flow Immunoassay for the Simultaneous Detection of Two Variant-Specific SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies</strong> - COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to the general public to build immunity since the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. Once vaccinated, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs-COVID-19) are needed for excellent protection against COVID-19. However, monitoring NAbs-COVID-19 is complicated and requires hospital visits. Moreover, the resulting NAbs-COVID-19 are effective against different strains of COVID-19 depending on the type of vaccine received. Here, an overlaid lateral flow immunoassay (O-LFIA)…</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 orally bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor exhibits improved affinity and reduced sensitivity to mutations</strong> - Inhibitors of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (M^(pro)) such as nirmatrelvir (NTV) and ensitrelvir (ETV) have proven effective in reducing the severity of COVID-19, but the presence of resistance-conferring mutations in sequenced viral genomes raises concerns about future drug resistance. Second-generation oral drugs that retain function against these mutants are thus urgently needed. We hypothesized that the covalent hepatitis C virus protease…</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>Repurposing of Plant-based Antiviral Molecules for the Treatment of COVID-19</strong> - COVID-19, stemming from SARS-CoV-2, poses a formidable threat to global healthcare, with a staggering 77 million confirmed cases and 690,067 deaths recorded till December 24, 2023. Given the absence of specific drugs for this viral infection, the exploration of novel antiviral compounds becomes imperative. High-throughput technologies are actively engaged in drug discovery, and there is a parallel effort to repurpose plant-based molecules with established antiviral properties. In this context,…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<script>AOS.init();</script></body></html>

500
archive-daily-dose/16 March, 2024.html Normal file
View File

@ -0,0 +1,500 @@
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="" xml:lang="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
<meta content="pandoc" name="generator"/>
<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes" name="viewport"/>
<title>16 March, 2024</title>
<style>
code{white-space: pre-wrap;}
span.smallcaps{font-variant: small-caps;}
span.underline{text-decoration: underline;}
div.column{display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;}
div.hanging-indent{margin-left: 1.5em; text-indent: -1.5em;}
ul.task-list{list-style: none;}
</style>
<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
<body>
<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>Has Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Improved His Standing in Russia?</strong> - As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/has-putins-invasion-of-ukraine-improved-his-standing-in-russia">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mike Johnson, the First Proudly Trumpian Speaker</strong> - Though he has adopted a “nerd constitutional-law guy” persona, he is in lockstep with the law-flouting former President. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/25/mike-johnson-profile">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Have the Liberal Arts Gone Conservative?</strong> - The classical-education movement seeks to fundamentally reorient schooling in America. Its emphasis on morality and civics has also primed it for partisan takeover. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/18/have-the-liberal-arts-gone-conservative">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Percival Everett Can’t Say What His Novels Mean</strong> - The author of “Erasure” is renowned for his satires of genre, identity, and America. But his great target may be language itself. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/18/percival-everett-profile">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Is the Sea So Hot?</strong> - A startling rise in sea-surface temperatures suggests that we may not understand how fast the climate is changing. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-is-the-sea-so-hot">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Psychedelics are about to become a casualty of Oregon’s opioid crisis</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Oregon Governor Tina Kotek speaks from behind a podium during a signing ceremony in Washington, February 23, 2024." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y_IkxQqb7D63mA3GS05M9AXNSTQ=/61x0:6540x4859/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73211361/AP24062114153683.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek speaks during a signing ceremony for HB4002, re-criminalizing personal possession of controlled substances, including psychedelics. | Susan Walsh/AP
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Four years ago, the state decriminalized all drugs. Now it’s trying to course-correct — and might make a mistake in the process.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jGpT4O">
In 2020, it looked as though the <a href="https://www.vox.com/drug-war">war on drugs</a> would begin to end in Oregon.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zneDb6">
After <a href="https://www.courts.oregon.gov/about/Documents/BM110Statistics.pdf">Measure 110</a> was passed that year, Oregon became the first state in the US to decriminalize personal possession of all drugs that had been outlawed by the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa#:~:text=The%20Controlled%20Substances%20Act%20(CSA,and%20safety%20or%20dependence%20liability.">Controlled Substances Act</a> in 1970, ranging from heroin and cocaine to LSD and psychedelic mushrooms. When it went into effect in early 2021, the move was <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/news/drug-decriminalization-oregon-one-year-later-thousands-lives-not-ruined/">celebrated</a> by drug reform advocates who had long been calling for decriminalization in the wake of President Nixon’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1006495476/after-50-years-of-the-war-on-drugs-what-good-is-it-doing-for-us">failed war on drugs.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B8QfAS">
Now, amid a spike in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/health/portland-oregon-drugs.html">public</a> drug use and <a href="https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/fentanyl-deaths-highest-increase-in-country/">overdoses</a>, Oregon is in the process of reeling back its progressive drug laws, with a <a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB4002">new bill</a> that aims to reinstate lighter criminal penalties for personal drug possession. And while the target is deadly drugs like fentanyl, the law would also result in banning non-clinical use of psychedelics like MDMA, DMT, or psilocybin — drugs that are unconnected to the current overdose epidemic and the public displays of drug use.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eH5Evt">
By treating all drugs as an undifferentiated category, Oregon is set to deliver a major blow to advocates of psychedelic use who don’t want to see expensive clinics and tightly controlled environments be the only legal point of access. While regulated and supervised models for using psychedelics are showing growing promise for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9553847/">treating mental illness</a>, decriminalized use allows for a much wider spectrum of user motivations — many of which have occurred <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8412860/">for millennia</a> — no less deserving of legal protection, from recreational and spiritual to the simple pleasure of spicing up a museum visit with a small handful of mushrooms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FHPZZT">
“The biggest threat to psychedelics is from people who would claim to be for them in extremely limited contexts and against them in all others,” said Jon Dennis, a lawyer at the Portland-based firm Sagebrush Law specializing in psychedelics.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Tt4omq">
It would be one thing if arguments against the decriminalization of psychedelics were being made. But that’s not the case. Instead, the lumping together of psychedelics and opioids seems to have gone largely unnoticed, setting up personal use of psychedelics to become an unintended casualty of Oregon’s opioid crisis.
</p>
<h3 id="Kvrtbh">
How Oregon decriminalized drugs
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MDrbud">
The idea behind drug decriminalization was that investing in health services and harm reduction are more effective and humane responses to substance abuse than incarceration. The hope was for Oregon to serve as inspiration for other states, and eventually the nation, to follow suit.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="H8chQW">
But in the years that followed, Oregon fell deeper into an opioid and drug overdose crisis that has been <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02252-2/abstract">surging across the nation</a>. In 2021, the US had <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates">over 80,000</a> opioid-related overdose deaths. Beyond the death toll, critics — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/opinion/oregon-decriminalization-drugs-reversal.html">fairly or unfairly</a> — connected decriminalization to the rising <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/with-oregon-facing-rampant-public-drug-use-lawmakers-backpedal-on-pioneering-decriminalization-law">visibility of drug use</a> and <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/12/oregon-has-highest-rate-of-homeless-families-in-the-country.html#:~:text=The%20state's%20homeless%20population%20increased,the%20worst%20of%20it%20yet.">homelessness in Oregon towns and cities,</a> including open-air fentanyl markets <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2023/04/alarming-spate-of-overdoses-draws-scrutiny-to-open-air-fentanyl-market-in-downtown-portland.html">popping up</a> in downtown Portland. That put increasing pressure on Oregon legislators to do something to change the state’s drug policy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dEZZGt">
The new solution crafted by state Sen. Kate Lieber and state Rep. Jason Kropf — <a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB4002">House Bill 4002</a> — is intended as a compromise between the full decriminalization of Measure 110 and the status quo before that leaned heavily on incarceration for drug possession. While improving access to substance abuse treatments — like reducing barriers to receiving medication and encouraging counties to direct offenders to treatment programs rather than court — the bill recriminalizes personal possession of all controlled substances (except for cannabis), bringing back the possibility of jail time for possession of even relatively small amounts.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AwStLG">
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek last week <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/pages/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=215409">announced</a> that she intends to sign the bill within 30 days of it clearing both state legislatures with bipartisan support. It’s been <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/oregon-drug-laws-recriminalization/index.html">widely</a> described as “this very precise <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2024/03/08/oregon-governor-tina-kotek-bill-ending-drug-decriminalization-expand-treatment/">amendment</a> that’s only going to address the problems with Measure 110, which were thought to be opioids and meth,” said Dennis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wcgxpY">
But the bill turns out to be much larger in scope than advertised. Instead of specifically targeting the opioids and methamphetamine that have been behind most overdose deaths, HB4002 also recriminalizes personal possession of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, and LSD. Unlike the concern around <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/opinion/oregon-drug-failure.html">opioids</a> (including synthetic ones like fentanyl, which are responsible for the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html#:~:text=Drug%20Overdose%20Deaths%20Remained%20High%20in%202021&amp;text=Opioids%E2%80%94mainly%20synthetic%20opioids%20(other,of%20all%20drug%20overdose%20deaths).">majority of overdoses</a>) or meth, neither the public nor experts have reported significant negative effects from the decriminalization of psychedelics.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Dc5fF9">
“All of the conversations around the legislature didn’t think to distinguish between these different classes of drugs,” Dennis said. “I think this was just a broad oversight on their part, rather than nuanced policy discussions.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RfRXVB">
There are no op-eds being written about tripping hippies filling public spaces in grand displays of love and cosmic beatitude. The streets are not littered with acid blotter paper or mushroom caps. Psychonauts aren’t seeking out <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/169525/psychonauts-training-psychedelics-dmt-extended-state">encounters with DMT entities</a> in public parks. No argument for recriminalizing psychedelics has been made, and yet, they’re being swept into a recriminalization bill by the debate around opioids.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wlqEu8">
Psychedelics have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032723000915?via%3Dihub">uncommon</a> but potentially serious <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23954347/psychedelics-bad-trips-ketamine-mdma-psilocybin-lsd-risks">risks of their own</a>, including short-term encounters with intense anxiety and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10597511/">long-term battles</a> with destabilizing <a href="https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/a-theological-reckoning-with-bad-trips/">experiences</a>. Access to safety information and <a href="https://challengingpsychedelicexperiences.com/help-for-difficult-trips">support</a> is crucial for their use. On the whole, psychedelics are <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/43gey3/mushrooms-are-the-safest-drug-you-can-take">far safer</a> than many other legally accessible substances, and the list of therapeutic, spiritual, and creative benefits seems to grow each month, from alleviating <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/10/9/21506664/psychedelics-mental-health-depression-ptsd-psilocybin-mdma">depression</a> and addiction to combating <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02455-9">eating disorders</a> and helping <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23972716/psychedelics-meaning-science-psychedelic-mushrooms-ketamine-psilocybin-mysticism">find meaning in life</a>. Expanding access through decriminalization (together with public education and clinical resources for those in need) could help make the most of these benefits.
</p>
<h3 id="dfny1D">
What HB 4002 will do
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0B5LSh">
Before Measure 110, possession of a controlled substance like LSD or heroin in Oregon could be charged as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a maximum of one year in jail and fines up to <a href="https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_161.635">$6,250</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Kz0cAm">
Measure 110, which passed November 2020 with <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_110,_Drug_Decriminalization_and_Addiction_Treatment_Initiative_(2020)">58 percent</a> of the vote, was intended to treat substance abuse as a <a href="https://www.vox.com/public-health">public health</a> issue, rather than a criminal one. It created a new category for possession of small amounts of controlled substances — Class E violations — that came with no jail time and a maximum of a $100 fine that could be waived if the individual chose to complete a health assessment. Effectively, it meant that getting caught with illegal drugs could, at worst, get you the equivalent of a traffic ticket.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jMERkq">
The new bill, HB 4002, scraps the Class E category altogether. If it goes into effect on September 1, possession of small amounts of controlled substances will once again be punishable with criminal offenses, though less severe than the way things worked prior to Measure 110.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="v4DnKB">
Instead of Class E violations, personal possession of controlled substances will be considered a “drug enforcement misdemeanor,” which carries a maximum of 180 days in jail, though with a series of intervening steps designed to “deflect” individuals toward treatment rather than incarceration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6NpOId">
Even after HB4002 goes into effect, “Oregon will be in a better position than it was prior to Measure 110,” said <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/person/kellen-russoniello/">Kellen Russoniello</a>, senior policy counsel at the <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/">Drug Policy Alliance</a>. The new criminal penalties are designed to try to get people into treatment, rather than prison. “But it’s still a step backward from decriminalization.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U2gChU">
Sen. Lieber’s office provided me with a diagram Thursday to show all the steps meant to reduce the odds that someone charged with a drug enforcement misdemeanor will wind up in jail:
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Zq_zJ5ZFucC18Itp2O1s3yHxFUY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25338553/Oregon_Drug_Intervention_Plan_PCS_U_Flow_Chart.png"/> <cite>Courtesy of Sen. Kate Lieber’s office</cite>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8E79A7">
The bill does not affect <a href="https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors475A.html">Measure 109</a>, which implemented Oregon’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/health/psychedelic-drugs-mushrooms-oregon.html">regulated access to psilocybin mushrooms</a>. Under that model, adults can sign up for a supervised psilocybin session at a licensed facility, which can cost anywhere from about $1,000 to $3,000. Regulated <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/01/30/1227630630/ketamine-infusion-clinic-mental-health-depression-anxiety-fda-off-label">ketamine clinics</a>, where people can receive ketamine under supervision to treat conditions like depression or anxiety, are also unaffected.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P368lj">
But it does ensure that regulated access is the only way to legally use psychedelics, walking back the decriminalization that allowed for more affordable and unconstrained personal consumption on one’s own terms.
</p>
<h3 id="ggl6QB">
The opioid crisis created support for quickly passing HB-4002
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HwMaPg">
While decriminalization has become a focal point in the debate over drugs, Oregon’s opioid crisis was escalating before 2020. From 2019 to 2020, unintentional opioid deaths in Oregon rose by <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/SUBSTANCEUSE/OPIOIDS/Documents/quarterly_opioid_overdose_related_data_report.pdf">about 70 percent</a>. After Measure 110 took effect in February 2021, the surge continued. In 2021, deaths rose another 56 percent, and another 30 percent in 2022.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BJtHaN">
Despite the trends predating decriminalization, critics <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/opinion/oregon-drug-failure.html">felt</a> that the rise in overdose deaths, public displays of drug use, and crime were attributable to Measure 110. That provided a strong base of support for HB-4002. An <a href="https://www.dhmresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DHM-Panel-Oregon_Measure110_May-2023.pdf">April 2023 survey</a> of 500 Oregon voters found that 63 percent supported bringing back criminal penalties for drug possession while continuing to use cannabis tax revenue for drug treatment programs. The bill was sold as a compromise that would stem the chaos that Measure 110 had allegedly unleashed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rXlQPX">
But during the post-decriminalization years that saw Oregon’s opioid crisis continue to worsen, the same trends were taking place <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates">across the country</a>, including in <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cfsecosystem.com/m110/Presentations/Panel1_Kral_Final.pdf">neighboring states</a> that hadn’t decriminalized opioids, like California and Nevada. A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2809867">study</a> led by the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and published in <em>JAMA Psychiatry</em> found that in Oregon and Washington, both states that had drug decriminalization policies in 2021, there was no evidence for an association between decriminalization and drug overdose rates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QBXksl">
A <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cfsecosystem.com/m110/Presentations/Panel+1_Del+Pozo.pdf">second study</a>, led by public health researcher <a href="https://vivo.brown.edu/display/bdelpozo">Brandon del Pozo</a> of Brown University and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, replicated the findings for Oregon: no link between decriminalization and drug overdoses. Instead, most of the spike was attributed to the introduction of fentanyl into the general drug supply. Fentanyl is up to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html">50 times stronger</a> than heroin, and is often laced into unregulated drugs like heroin or cocaine, making it far more likely than other drugs to lead to fatal overdoses. <strong> </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QnzTQm">
Much of the public sentiment’s <a href="https://www.dhmresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DHM-Panel-Oregon_Measure110_May-2023.pdf">swing</a> against decriminalization centers around the visibility of drug use, rather than the numerical impact on overdose deaths. So it’s worth noting that the same year that decriminalization was passed, Covid-era eviction protections also expired. After plummeting in 2020 and 2021, the eviction rate shot back up in 2022 <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DPA-WhatReallyHappenedM110.pdf">by nearly 25 percent</a>. Between 2022 and 2023, the state’s homeless population rose by 12 percent.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FnEgcC">
None of this is to definitively say that Oregon’s decriminalization did nothing to worsen the opioid crisis, but their <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-leaders-hampered-drug-decriminalization-effort#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20day%2Dto,for%20law%20enforcement%20in%20Oregon.">less-than-ideal</a> implementation certainly seemed to amplify the visibility and social disorder associated with it. By failing to fund programs that would have trained law enforcement (who were <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/oregon-drug-war-decriminalization-1234982783/">generally skeptical of decriminalization</a> to begin with) on how to direct drug users toward rehabilitation or designing a ticketing system that emphasized treatment information, even advocates of Measure 110 were dismayed with the form it took through implementation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="arIXMY">
“Certainly, there’s a sense among Oregon voters that what’s going on isn’t working,” said Russoniello. But blaming Measure 110 has been called political <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/opinion/oregon-decriminalization-drugs-reversal.html">fearmongering</a>, rather than evidence-based policy. “The opposition was able to take the frustration with all of these social issues that Oregonians are facing and direct people’s frustration and anger at the big red herring of Measure 110, even though it isn’t backed by any sort of evidence.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IuLZMr">
And wherever the debate falls on what’s fueling the opioid crisis, psychedelics are another matter entirely.
</p>
<h3 id="pEAf3T">
Why are we punishing psychedelics for an ongoing debate about opioids?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CZAkAP">
There’s reasonable and urgent debate to be had over the best way to regulate opioids and support users. <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DPA-WhatReallyHappenedM110.pdf">Advocates maintain</a> that a well-implemented decriminalization approach is both more effective and equitable (minority groups are <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/cjc/CJC%20Document%20Library/AdultCJSystemRacialandEthnicStatementBackground.pdf">significantly overrepresented</a> in Oregon’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/criminal-justice">criminal justice</a> system) than returning to criminal penalties, even if recriminalization comes with “<a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/02/multnomah-county-signs-on-to-measure-110-diversion-approach-seeks-25-million-for-deflection-center.html">deflection</a>” programs in place designed to make incarceration the sanction of last resort.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FM5s4O">
And yet, when it comes to psychedelics, the same questions, concerns, and sense of urgency present in the opioid crisis are notably absent.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IeNosT">
The therapeutic value of psychedelics in regulated settings is well on its way to federal recognition, with the FDA <a href="https://theintercept.com/2022/07/26/mdma-psilocybin-fda-ptsd/">expected</a> to approve MDMA for treating PTSD as soon as <a href="https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/fda-accepts-grants-priority-review-of-nda-for-mdma-assisted-therapy-for-ptsd">this August</a>, and psilocybin for depression to follow suit. But decriminalization can serve as a <a href="https://eujournalfuturesresearch.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40309-022-00199-2">complement to the shortcomings</a> of <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/4/1/article-p34.xml">medicalized psychedelics</a>, helping to mitigate concerns around access, affordability, and preserving the <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23721486/ketamine-dmt-lsd-psychedelics-magic-mushrooms-legalization-recreation-psilocybin">diversity of purposes</a> for which psychedelics have long been used.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RudEj4">
Critics of what has been called “<a href="https://psychedelicstoday.com/2020/02/18/psychedelic-exceptionalism-and-reframing-drug-narratives-an-interview-with-dr-carl-hart/">psychedelic exceptionalism</a>” argue that the law should not encode moral judgments that label some drugs as better or worse than others. The logic of decriminalization applies to all drugs, not only those that are more politically or culturally palatable. In fact, “The impact of decriminalization of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine will be greater than for psychedelics,” said Russoniello, “because more people are incarcerated for those drugs than for psychedelics.” Even so, that shouldn’t mean that progress on decriminalizing psychedelics should get stymied by the ongoing debate over opioids.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YkPRx9">
So far, experts I spoke with who were concerned about criminalizing psychedelics despite the lack of evidence or argument for it could point to no public efforts to change the bill or clarify its effects. “I don’t think most legislators even really knew that this [HB4002] was recriminalizing all drugs,” said Dennis. HB-4002 now awaits Gov. Kotek’s signature.
</p></li>
<li><strong>US maternal deaths could be lower than we thought — but there are still far too many</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A pregnant woman’s belly is cradled in her arms as she sits in a hospital bed in Thailand. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K6CQLuuqVIIqY7_FaKb2Vf6tRj0=/232x0:4008x2832/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73211328/GettyImages_1467888087.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A new study finds that the US maternal mortality rate could be lower than data previously showed. That doesn’t mean it isn’t still an urgent problem. | Teerayut Chaisarn/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A new study highlights why accurate medical data matters so much.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RHeVst">
<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/16/1163786037/maternal-deaths-in-the-u-s-spiked-in-2021-cdc-reports">An apparent spike in maternal mortality rates</a> in the US has been raising alarm in the last few years. According to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm">data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), the country’s maternal mortality rate increased roughly 40 percent in 2021 compared to the prior year. That jump translated to 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births, compared to 23.8 deaths per 100,000 births in 2020.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FioexY">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/3/17/23641598/maternal-mortality-pregnancy-sub-saharan-africa-who-cdc-report-womens-health">Vox</a> and a number of publications have reported on this increase, which has been a source of serious concern. This week, however, a new peer-reviewed study published in the <a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00005-X/fulltext"><em>American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology</em></a> suggests that the US’s maternal mortality rate, while <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/03/13/maternal-mortality-study/?_pml=1">still high for a developed nation</a> and troubling, is lower than the CDC’s data had indicated.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aEgN63">
In the study, outside researchers led by KS Joseph, a physician and professor at the University of British Columbia, used a different method than the CDC’s to calculate the maternal mortality rate, concluding that it was 10.4 deaths per 100,000 births from 2018 to 2021, rather than the higher figures <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm">the agency had for that same time frame</a>. They argue that because of the way the US collects its data, the CDC has been overcounting deaths due to both clerical errors and the inclusion of fatalities not directly caused or exacerbated by pregnancy (for example, including a pregnant woman who died because of cancer).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RJaBuY">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/health-care/2017/7/3/15886892/black-white-moms-die-childbirth-north-carolina-less">They also reaffirmed another troubling reality</a>: Researchers continued to find stark racial disparities using this new calculation method, including that Black women were three times more likely to have a fatal complication as white women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tEIKqQ">
One thing worth noting is that the authors of the study acknowledged that their methodology could result <a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00005-X/fulltext">in an undercount</a>. “My opinion is that, probably, the true maternal mortality rate is somewhere in between what these authors are proposing and what the [CDC’s] National Center for Health Statistics puts out,” <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3843/alison-gemmill">Alison Gemmill</a>, a Johns Hopkins School of Public Health professor not affiliated with the study, who specializes in maternal health, tells Vox. “CDC disagrees with the findings,” the agency also noted in a <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/13/1238269753/maternal-mortality-overestimate-deaths-births-health-disparities">statement to NPR</a>, adding that the approach researchers used is “known to produce a substantial undercount of maternal mortality.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1lqLPU">
Gemmill says that data on this issue has been tough to pin down both because of problems with documentation and the need to track medical complications at different stages of pregnancy. If a fatality occurs earlier in a pregnancy or postpartum, for example, it might not be accurately counted or attributed to pregnancy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iFDsQm">
Having reliable data about maternal mortality is crucial for better understanding causes, treatments, and early interventions, experts say. And while this study offers evidence that the scope of the problem may not be as large, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still an urgent issue. “Any maternal death is one too many. And we know that these deaths are preventable,” says Gemmill.
</p>
<h3 id="6BFK3d">
What’s in the study
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4NrD7Y">
The findings of the Joseph-led study diverged so greatly because of a difference in how these researchers calculated maternal deaths compared to how the CDC did. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/maternal-mortality/evaluation.htm">Per the CDC, a maternal death</a> is defined as “‘the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy,’ but excludes those from accidental or incidental causes.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F1HC3s">
Both the CDC study and the Joseph study got their data from death certificates that are filled out for fatalities in the US. On that certificate, there’s a checkbox to indicate whether the person was pregnant at the time of death or 42 days prior. This checkbox was added in 2003 with the goal of better tracking which deaths were related to pregnancy in some way. Since then, the US has seen a sharp increase in the number of fatalities classified as maternal deaths.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zjO8xW">
For its data, the CDC utilized that “pregnancy checkbox” to identify who was pregnant and to count those who had it checked as maternal deaths if they were of childbearing age. The problem with using this information, however, is that this checkbox can sometimes be checked off in error, <a href="https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/2018/05000/identifying_maternal_deaths_in_texas_using_an.3.aspx">Texas researchers found in 2018</a>. In that study, multiple people who were not pregnant had this checkbox marked, for example.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IWt3sZ">
Additionally, there are cases when a pregnant person dies from another condition, like cancer. Under the CDC’s approach, those deaths are also considered maternal deaths, even if pregnancy did not directly cause or exacerbate these fatalities. Joseph believes these cases inflate the number of deaths categorized as maternal deaths.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lEqUIR">
In order to make a calculation that tried to account for both issues, Joseph and his team only counted deaths in which pregnancy was listed as an explicit cause of death on the death certificate. Using that information, they arrived at their much lower figure, though they make clear that this data could suffer from the flaw of being an underestimate.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Q4XCCA">
“Weaknesses of the study included a reliance on cause-of-death data from death certificates, which can lead to an underestimation of maternal mortality,” they note in the paper. “It reflects a very limited and restrictive way of calculating these numbers whereas the CDC method is most comprehensive,” <a href="https://physiciandirectory.brighamandwomens.org/details/14177/louise-king-obstetrics_gynecology-boston-foxborough">Louise King</a>, a professor at Harvard Medical School and physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, also cautioned.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jl48xg">
Joseph’s study, and its weaknesses, underscore the difficulty and importance of gathering trustworthy data on this topic. Maternal mortality data collection has been less reliable in the US because death certificates include errors and don’t fully capture conditions a person may have experienced — including <a href="https://www.vox.com/mental-health">mental health</a> conditions, like postpartum depression.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="edLkIN">
There is also debate regarding which deaths should be considered maternal deaths. For example, there are deaths caused by other factors or conditions that could still be tied to pregnancy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TeRj2a">
“An opioid overdose may be related to the fact that the pregnant person <a href="https://qz.com/1479983/the-dangerous-stigma-against-pregnant-women-addicted-to-opioids">was forced to quit cold turkey</a> during pregnancy and relapsed after; a suicide could be attributed to postpartum depression; a homicide may be the result of a fight with a <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/09/08/pregnancy-homicide-suicide-data-deaths/">domestic partner</a> about the pregnancy,” Annalisa Merelli <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/07/11/maternal-mortality-hard-to-measure-and-that-may-get-worse/">writes for Stat News</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EiZlqa">
The UK is seen as a gold standard on how it approaches this issue, says Gemmill, because it uses multiple sources to examine maternal deaths, not just death certificates. In addition to the information provided by death certificates, UK authorities also utilize birth certificates to confirm that a person was pregnant and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9667469/">conduct investigations known as “confidential enquiries”</a> regarding an individual’s specific medical record.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W0451T">
In the US, some state-level boards do deeper dives into each maternal death as well, though the practice is inconsistent and has been politicized, Merelli writes.
</p>
<h3 id="VriGQ3">
How to think about maternal mortality in the US now
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Za8MaO">
Even if the rates are lower than the previously reported exorbitant ones, it’s still troubling that women are dying as a result of pregnancy and associated complications.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bTbxKh">
“Mothers are getting older, they have more hypertension and diabetes, they have more chronic diseases than they have had 20 years ago, and that puts them at high risk,” Joseph told Vox. “So, if we do not continue to focus on addressing maternal mortality, it will get worse. And we need to bring it down from where it is.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2h7iiA">
Based on data from <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/us-maternal-mortality-crisis-continues-worsen-international-comparison">a 2022 analysis by the Commonwealth Fund</a>, the US still has a higher maternal mortality rate than many other industrialized countries even with the more conservative estimate. One caveat Joseph notes is that it’s tough to compare across countries because they each have unique measuring systems.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UyUUSP">
If the US’s rate is closer to Joseph’s results, that puts the country more in line with — but still slightly above — a number of other developed nations. Per that Commonwealth Fund analysis, 10 countries have rates under 10 deaths per 100,000 births, with the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan all leading the way with rates under three per 100,000.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cfGfr0">
Concerns about racial disparities, and how Black women are disproportionately dying during or after pregnancy, persist. <a href="https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2022/10/systemic-racism-plays-role-in-much-higher-maternal-mortality-rate-among-black-women">Systemic racism</a>, including discriminatory treatment in hospitals, <a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/from-birth-to-death/black-women-maternal-mortality-rate.html#:~:text=Maternal%20sepsis%20is%20a%20leading,compared%20to%20their%20white%20counterparts.">where doctors have ignored and downplayed symptoms</a> women have raised, has been found to be a central factor. Unequal access to <a href="https://www.vox.com/health-care">health care</a> and treatment for chronic conditions prior to pregnancy also plays a role. Researchers identified higher rates of death from ectopic pregnancy, <a href="https://www.vox.com/health/2023/5/2/23702589/maternal-mortality-pregnancy-high-blood-pressure-hypertension-preeclampsia">hypertension</a>, and cardiovascular illnesses among Black women, Joseph’s study notes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WEhHbQ">
The goal of having better data on this problem, and the conditions that cause it, is so physicians can better identify treatments and preventative steps that could help patients, says Joseph. This study, ultimately, is one part of that conversation.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Should Black women stop going on Love Is Blind?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NkJF2cUItvWi62k_N6TcivRKtYQ=/200x0:3400x2400/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73211296/AD_Love_Is_BLind.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Amber Desiree (AD) Smith, right, and Clay Gravesande, left, at the season six <em>Love Is Blind</em> reunion. | Netflix
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
AD’s journey underscores the Netflix hit’s misogynoir problem.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rDrJty">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/netflix">Netflix</a>’s <em>Love Is Blind</em> is reigniting conversations about whether the show’s unique dating experiment — courting sight unseen — benefits Black women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9Ritms">
Since season six of the hit show began airing on Valentine’s Day this year, all eyes have been on Amber Desiree (AD) Smith and her bumbling journey through the pods. AD quickly became a fan favorite because she was candid about her destructive choices when it comes to love. “If I see a red flag, I’m like, ‘Oh, well, I’ll just paint my nails red to match,’” AD confessed to the camera early in the season. This tragic admission informed her decision to pair up with Clay, a man who reminded her of her exes and revealed that he selected women solely based on physical appearance. The internet placed Clay in the show’s villain category once he probed AD about her looks, a major faux pas for a show titled “Love Is Blind.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pAudKg">
Throughout the course of their engagement, Clay earned that villain title. Commentators <a href="https://andscape.com/features/clay-ad-love-is-blind-season-6-finale/">noted</a> how he treated AD like a receptacle for his trauma, even going as far as laying his head on AD’s chest to be coddled like a newborn minutes into their reveal. “I’m a baby,” he told AD, as they took stock of their physical characteristics, noting that both of them were dark-skinned. Clay talked about his father’s infidelity like it was the third partner in their relationship and focused on how AD could build him up. He repeatedly expressed fear about commitment, but AD held his hand through the process. He ultimately managed to shock AD, in front of their parents and other family members and friends, when he said no to marrying her at the altar.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GT1vVA">
Outside of her relationship with Clay, AD faced additional hurdles during filming. Her castmates drew attention to her body, pointing out how “stacked” she is, and made an inside joke (“bean dip”) about non-consensually smacking her breasts, which, no need to look it up, is in fact sexual assault. Now, a year after filming, AD <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZdoAbiqFgs&amp;t=5439s">says</a> that she “had such an amazing experience” on <em>Love Is Blind</em>. But her storyline highlights some of the sinister aspects of dating as a Black woman, and because it’s airing on Netflix, the reality is being splashed across one of the world’s biggest platforms. AD’s experience is connected to that of Lauren, Diamond, Iyanna, Raven, Tiffany, and Aaliyah — Black women whose stories came before hers on <em>Love Is Blind</em> — as well as to the Black women whose journeys were never shown, and even those well beyond the show’s pods.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b8CoiB">
To talk about how this show positions Black women, I reached out to “meeting and mating” sociologist <a href="https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/faculty/?expert=sarah.adeyinkaskold">Sarah Adeyinka-Skold</a>, an assistant professor at Loyola Marymount University. Adeyinka-Skold studies how “inequalities are produced and reproduced” in romantic relationships, and says that <em>Love Is Blind</em> viewers are naive to have ever thought that this experiment, sometimes billed as an equalizer, would help Black women have an easier time finding love. We talk about the unique challenges Black women face, their limited portrayals on the show, the issues with casting, and why Black women’s pain seems to be profitable for both Netflix and the show’s producers.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AKfmcQ">
<strong>We are now six seasons in on </strong><em><strong>Love Is Blind</strong></em><strong> and I find myself questioning whether Black women should continue to go on this show. Have you been wondering the same thing?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uyVMRL">
I can honestly see an argument for Black women to not go on the show. What we’re seeing is that external constraints like racism and sexism are always in the pods even though the show has tried to create this other reality.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="ibjKHH">
<q>Why are we treating the representation of Black women so basic? </q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="60BgNP">
<strong>What kinds of portrayals of Black women are allowed on </strong><em><strong>Love Is Blind</strong></em><strong>?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xEgvFz">
I’ve been thinking a lot about the reality they choose to show and how they choose to edit. They’re choosing to give us some things and not give us others. They’re creating a reality that reinforces these gendered racial stereotypes of Black women as these Jezebels — hypersexual and promiscuous. And as these mammies who are caring.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GcRbRO">
In season four, they had these two white nasty women <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/3/24/23652326/netflix-love-is-blind-season-four-review-villain-irina">[Irina and Micah</a>] on the show. That’s not behavior we could <em>ever</em> see from Black women on that show! The kind of backlash they would get. And I wouldn’t want them to depict Black women that way. But again, there’s this humanity and fullness of person, or a spectrum of white womanhood that we get to see, that we don’t get to see with Black women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TJ9pDI">
All of the Black women on the show are professionals. They’re extremely kind. They’re extremely smart. But we don’t get to see that. We see the producers and editors focus on the problems these women have. Why are we treating the representation of Black women so basic?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yKB0Dh">
<strong>Black women being ignored, disrespected, or rejected on dating shows isn’t new. We have so many examples from the </strong><a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/rachel-lindsay-the-bachelor-franchise.html"><em><strong>Bachelor</strong></em></a><strong> and </strong><a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/strong-black-women-perfect-match/"><em><strong>Perfect Match</strong></em></a><strong> to </strong><a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/xgzbe3/the-bachelor-married-at-first-sight-portrayal-of-black-women-on-dating-shows"><em><strong>Married at First Sight</strong></em></a><strong> and </strong><a href="https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/love-island-justine-black-women-on-tv-reality-dating-shows-47737087"><em><strong>Love Island</strong></em></a><strong>. Black women are either treated as side characters or just not given a chance to shine at all. But it felt like </strong><em><strong>Love Is Blind </strong></em><strong>could somehow equalize dating and create a space for Black women to be seen and celebrated. Do you think this has happened?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qqaUJx">
I think when people say that, they’re being naive about how our social structure is shaped and formed. Anytime anyone says that something is supposed to be the great equalizer, we should side-eye them and ask, “What does that actually mean?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2mE6DC">
In this context, that idea shows a lack of understanding of how our society is set up on purpose to put Black women at the bottom of the gender and racial hierarchy. To think that any dating show could be an equalizer for Black women is pretending that that hierarchy doesn’t matter.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7JS47L">
<strong>Let’s talk about casting. People have criticized the show for not casting men who are interested in dating Black women. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YZuEDx">
We think about romance and love as these agentic, individual things that we do in silos. We’re constantly acting as though we are choosing or making decisions outside of our social structure. But the fact of the matter is, this country was built on the rape, pillaging, and conquest of Black women’s bodies. It’s also built on explicit laws that said you should not be marrying Black people, laws that were on the books until 1967 with the <em>Loving v. Virginia</em> case. So how do we think that that’s all just going to disappear? My question is, what do people mean when they say we need to get men that are interested in Black women, and dark-skinned Black women, in particular? Isn’t that the antithesis of the show?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JEiFzk">
If the whole premise of the show is emotional connection, maybe what they’re trying to say is you need to bring people on the show that are really tuned into and attracted to the experiences that Black women have, [who] know for themselves that Black women’s stories and the experiences make them great partners. So maybe what we mean is we need to cast men who are intimately familiar with the Black woman experience, and it’s part of their attraction to these women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G7ZEoe">
<strong>Yes, that is the subtext. Most of the people I’ve seen making this suggestion are Black women. AD herself is advocating for a better vetting process, and a few seasons ago, former contestant </strong><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic1/love-is-blind-raven-sk-lauren"><strong>Raven Ross said</strong></a><strong> men in the pods “weren’t looking” for Black women. So it seems like Black women in the pods have had to do this kind of initial vetting themselves. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tg1vUo">
That’s why AD asked Matt, “Do race and ethnicity matter to you?” She was correctly attuned to the fact that he is white. And when she asked, she was talking about skin color, but the subtext was also, “I’m coming in with a particular kind of experience that you’re not going to get with any other woman precisely because of the way our social structure is set up.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="XoNJlN">
<q>When you’re a shitty man in Black skin, society looks at it differently</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4Yzcba">
<strong>Let’s break down some of the issues in AD’s relationship with Clay and try to make sense of what it all means for Black women who go on this show and for Black women who date on any </strong><a href="https://www.vox.com/reality-tv"><strong>reality TV</strong></a><strong> show, online, or in real life. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4JfbSX">
Let me first say that any man of any race can say all of the things that Clay said. But when we think about the cultural imagination about Black men, unfortunately, Clay checks off all of the boxes of what we think about Black men who are good-looking and as egotistical as Clay.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iHvmQq">
We can think of it like a Venn diagram. There’s the circle of shitty men characteristics, and then another circle for Black men characteristics, and then in the middle you have Clay. So together, Clay is a shitty man who also happens to be Black.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cYEyxp">
And when we think about what a shitty Black man is, he’s a guy who cheats. He’s a guy who’s not ready for commitment. He’s a guy who is stuck on the physical. He’s a guy who’s maybe fine dating non-Black women but doesn’t think that Black women should be interested in non-Black men. Like, he’s so much cooler. He’s a cool Black guy, so how could AD possibly be interested in a guy like Matt?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fNmceV">
In the United States, there are these characteristics that we associate with shitty men, but when you’re a shitty man in Black skin, society looks at it differently. Society says, oh my goodness, they are going to ruin your family. They are going to be violent. They are going to be cheaters. It doesn’t carry the same type of weight as a shitty man in a different skin tone.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GETtT7">
So unfortunately for Clay because he happens to be a shitty man who’s also Black, he’s just playing into that cultural imagination, those stereotypes, that we already have of Black men and which we think is the source of Black women and Black families’ problems. When you have a society where Black people are at the bottom of the racial hierarchy and Black men are demonized, Clay is seen as particularly bad. Again, I don’t think that Clay is doing anything original.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N6zplA">
<strong>It feels like Black women are having this conversation among themselves. I don’t know that I’ve seen many men outraged, apart from </strong><a href="https://twitter.com/Wale/status/1765714762715836457?lang=en"><strong>Wale</strong></a><strong> who’s been keeping his foot on Clay’s neck on X all season. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2iMXms">
That points back to our racialized and gendered society. Black women are often the ones that have to bear the burden of choosing Black men, of being committed to the racial uplift of Black people, of choosing Black community over themselves.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CC2Dgq">
People are always holding Black women to the highest standard. Black women understand that it’s on them to keep Blackness afloat. It’s on them to breathe the respectability of Blackness. It’s on them to show other people we can have Black love and Black families. Black men don’t care about this because first of all, they’re men. They are rewarded regardless. They don’t have to care because the pressure is not on them to keep the race going. The pressure is not on them to choose the community every time. And if they do that, people are like, “Oh, that’s fantastic.” You get extra points for choosing the community and choosing Black women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="meb6NU">
But Black women don’t get extra points. And in fact, they get deducted points, if they do something like date a white guy, which goes outside of the norms. And I think that AD probably didn’t even understand how much the experience within a culture that says, “This is what good Black women do” also impacts the decisions that she’s making. That’s why Black women are having this conversation. They recognize that these two things constrain the ways in which they’re allowed to be fully human.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="4lDbfy">
<q>When there are Black healthy relationships, they’re calling it boring</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cNxGQI">
<strong>Some would argue that Black women have had some successful relationships on </strong><em><strong>LIB</strong></em><strong>. For example, fans view season one’s Lauren and Cameron as the show’s golden couple. And then we have Tiffany and Brett, who are celebrated for being the show’s first Black couple that has remained together. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8dCPwP">
I like the contrast with Tiffany and Brett. They did a good job in season four of giving us a successful story. It was just really beautiful and I’m glad that they did that. But I also think it shouldn’t be an anomaly. It shouldn’t be that in these other seasons we’re kind of treating Black women like trash. We need to see the full experience of Black women just like we see the full experience of white women on the show.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="264849">
<strong>I’ve seen white commentators call Tiffany and Brett boring, while others have complained that they don’t get enough attention from the franchise. </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8jasna">
When you say it’s boring, what are you looking for? Are you looking for that drama that you guys focused on in season five? Is that the only thing we’re capable of watching? These are the same groups of people who will tell us that the Black family is in shambles because all the men are like Clay. But y’all want to watch that shit on <a href="https://www.vox.com/tv">television</a>. You guys will tell us Black families are poor because the women are too much in charge. But y’all want to watch that shit on television. So when there are Black healthy relationships, they’re calling it boring. That should make you question what it is you want to watch and why. Why do you want to see Black people as stereotypically dysfunctional? So Black people can’t win.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MUvtON">
<strong>Though AD and Clay say they’re not dating, viewers are speculating that they are still together based on their body language during certain moments of the reunion. But if some months from now they do announce that they are giving it another go, how should we interpret their decision?</strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4I0ZH4">
I think we need to understand that AD and Clay are navigating some pretty complicated structural and agentic constraints as they are trying to find love. As we have discussed, no white woman on the show was like, “What do you think about race?” They have never asked that question. I will die on that hill.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AqaJIf">
AD and Clay are still navigating gender and race in a way that white people simply will never have to. And so we need to extend to them the full grace that we give to humans because they are humans.
</p></li>
</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>SkaSports and Indonesia’s Persik Kediri announce strategic tie-up</strong> -</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>Dexa and Field Of Dreams show out</strong> -</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>TENNIS | Shrivalli to face off against Dalila in singles final</strong> -</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>Qatar and Morocco to host U-17 World Cups for next five years</strong> - Qatar was the venue for the 2022 men’s World Cup and hosted this year’s Asian Cup after stepping in to replace the original host, China.</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>Real Madrid to face Man City in Champions League quarterfinals. PSG gets Barcelona</strong> - Real Madrid and Manchester City will meet in a heavyweight Champions League quarterfinal between the past two winners and the only two teams still unbeaten in this season’s competition</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>World Consumer Rights Day observed</strong> -</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>Odisha to vote in simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, assembly in four phases</strong> - Polling in Odisha will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1</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>Defence Minister approves ‘resettlement facilities’ cadets invalidated from military training on medical grounds</strong> - Every year, about 10 to 20 cadets are invalidated on medical grounds due to causes attributable to or aggravated by military training</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>Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Central aims, subnational strategies</strong> - Two national formations and subnational autonomists are jostling for a new political equilibrium in 2024</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>Arunachal Pradesh to vote in simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, assembly on April 19</strong> - Arunachal Pradesh has two Lok Sabha seats and a 60-member assembly. The term of the present Assembly will end on June 2.</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>Russian arrests as ballot boxes targeted in Putin vote</strong> - At least eight people are held for a series of attacks including green dye being poured into ballot boxes.</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>Watch: Polling booth set alight on Russia voting day</strong> - Russian officials say several people have been arrested for vandalism on the first day of voting in the presidential election.</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>Why Macron went from dove to hawk on Russia</strong> - The French president has dramatically changed from an appeaser to an arch resister of Vladimir Putin.</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>Medic among 20 killed in Odesa missile strikes</strong> - Emergency workers were helping people injured by a missile when a second struck, Ukrainian officials said.</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>Secret classes to counter Russian brainwashing in occupied Ukraine</strong> - Forced to move from Melitopol, “Nataliia” now risks teaching hundreds of former students online.</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>Tick-killing pill shows promising results in human trial</strong> - Should it pan out, the pill would be a new weapon against Lyme disease. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=2010699">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>ASCII art elicits harmful responses from 5 major AI chatbots</strong> - LLMs are trained to block harmful responses. Old-school images can override those rules. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=2010646">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Finally, engineers have a clue that could help them save Voyager 1</strong> - A new signal from humanity’s most distant spacecraft could be the key to restoring it. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=2010713">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cut submarine cables cause web outages across Africa; 6 countries still affected</strong> - Parts of Africa were already seeing web disruptions from damaged Red Sea cables. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=2010677">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>NatGeo’s Photographer flips the lens to focus on visual storytellers</strong> - Exclusive clip captures development and first heartbeat of chicken embryo inside a yolk. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=2010443">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A group of Boeing employees are sitting on a plane getting ready for takeoff.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The pilot comes on over the intercom and says “Folks, we’re pleased to have you flying with us on our brand new 737, fresh from our good friends at Boeing!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Immediately, the Boeing employees all scramble to get out of their seats and off the plane as quickly as possible. It’s utter pandemonium in the aisles as everyone starts to panic. Everyone, that is, except for one old man, who remains sitting in his seat, quiet and unbothered.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A junior executive looks at the old man and says “Didn’t you hear the announcement? If we don’t get off now, this plane might fall apart mid-air!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The old man says “Sir, I’ve been an engineer at Boeing for over 30 years. I’ve been there through all of the ups and downs, the cost-cutting and outsourcing, the bad times and the good. And if I know how this company operates today, I can say with absolute certainty there’s no chance this plane will even leave the ground!”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/trashcan_paradise"> /u/trashcan_paradise </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfzou7/a_group_of_boeing_employees_are_sitting_on_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfzou7/a_group_of_boeing_employees_are_sitting_on_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Little Girls Questions</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A Mom was driving her little girl to her friend’s house for a play date.<br/> “Mommy,” the little girl asks, “How old are you?”<br/> “Honey, you are not supposed to ask a lady her age,” the mother warns.<br/> “It is not polite.”<br/> “OK,” the little girl says, “How much do you weigh?”<br/> “Now really,” the mother says, “These are personal questions and are really none of your business.”<br/> Undaunted, the little girl asks, “Why did you and Daddy get a divorce?”<br/> “Those are enough questions, honestly!”<br/> The exasperated mother walks away as the two friends begin to play.<br/> “My Mom wouldn’t tell me anything,” the little girl says to her friend.<br/> “Well,” said the friend, “All you need to do is look at her driver’s license.<br/> It’s like a report card; it has everything on it.”<br/> Later that night the little girl says to her mother, “I know how old you are, you are 32.”<br/> The mother is surprised and asks, “How did you find that out?”<br/> “I also know that you weigh 140 pounds.”<br/> The mother is past surprised and shocked now.<br/> “How in heaven’s name did you find that out?”<br/> “And,” the little girl says triumphantly, “I know why you and Daddy got a divorce.”<br/> “Oh really?” the mother asks.<br/> “Why?”<br/> “Because you got an F in sex.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Azurebluenomad"> /u/Azurebluenomad </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfwy4d/little_girls_questions/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfwy4d/little_girls_questions/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A guy finds an old lamp in the desert. He rubs it and a genie pops out.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The genie tells him he has two wishes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The guy says “I always thought it was three wishes.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The genie says “Check your pants.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The guy looks down and goes, “Woah, it’s huge!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
And the genie says, “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Jokeminder42"> /u/Jokeminder42 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfl6l8/a_guy_finds_an_old_lamp_in_the_desert_he_rubs_it/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfl6l8/a_guy_finds_an_old_lamp_in_the_desert_he_rubs_it/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A man comes to the doctor and asks for the test results of his wife.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I’m afraid” says the doc “we may have swapped her results. So I can’t tell if she either has Alzheimer’s or Aids.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“That’s terrible” says the man. “What should I do now?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Scratching his chin the doc answers “You should bring her to the woods and leave. If she finds home, don’t fuck her.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/KongLongDong77"> /u/KongLongDong77 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfm4i2/a_man_comes_to_the_doctor_and_asks_for_the_test/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfm4i2/a_man_comes_to_the_doctor_and_asks_for_the_test/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The fisherman and the fish</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A recently divorced and wealthy businessman had amassed enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. With his kids already grown and on their own, and all of his debts paid, he retired and decided to spend the rest of his days fishing. He purchased a nice little lake house with a nice porch and some comfortable loungewear. He bought a modest little boat and some top of the line fishing gear.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
On his first day at his new home he set out to the lake. He fished for hours and didn’t catch anything. He went back again the next day and faced a similar fate: hours of fishing but no fish. He did this for weeks without a single bite. “Damn this good for nothing lake. This was a waste”, he said, as he angrily went to the local pub. When he got inside, he noticed everyone was a fish. The bartender was a fish. The customers were fish. They all awkwardly stared at him as he came to the bar. He shouted, “What the hell are you all doing in here instead of being in the lake? I want to enjoy my retirement and can’t catch you if you’re all in here?!?!?”. The bartender replied, “Only retired fish go in the lake so they can enjoy their retirement, bud. We’re all working class fish here and too young for retirement. If you want to catch a fish at that lake, there’s a trick. You have to say 3 magic words. Give me a good enough tip and maybe I’ll tell ya the secret.” The man begrudgingly pulled out his wallet and paid the fish $50. “You have to get real low to the water and say very slowly “here fishy fishy”, the bartender said. The fisherman ordered a beer, guzzled it, and went back to the lake unsure if it would work. He got in his boat, leaned out with his face real low to the water and said “here fishy fishy”, and cast a line.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A large fish skipped the bait entirely and plopped right into the boat. The fisherman gasped, “It worked! I finally caught a fish!”. The fish, still drunk from last nights shenanigans, looked at the fisherman and slurred, “You’re here! I ran out of money last night at the bar, couldn’t get another beer, and didn’t tip the bartender. He said if I left and hung out here long enough, some magic man would come along saying “here fishy fishy” and give me another beer!”.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/xXPhiiLLyXx"> /u/xXPhiiLLyXx </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfufd5/the_fisherman_and_the_fish/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1bfufd5/the_fisherman_and_the_fish/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
<script>AOS.init();</script></body></html>

4
index.html
View File

File diff suppressed because one or more lines are too long