Health System Resilience-enhancing Strategies for Managing Public Health Emergencies of International Concerns (PHEIC): Success and Challenges A Systematic Review Protocol -
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+Introduction Health system resilience is the ability to prepare, manage, and learn from a sudden and unpredictable extreme change which impacts health systems. Health systems globally have recently been affected by a number of catastrophic events, including natural disasters, and infectious disease epidemics. Understanding health system resilience has never been more essential until emerging global pandemics. Therefore, the application of resilience-enhancing strategies with existing frameworks needs to be assessed to identify the management gaps and give valuable recommendations from the lessons learnt from the global pandemic. Methodology The systematic review will be reported using the Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols guideline (PRISMA-P). Reporting data on health system building blocks and systematic searches on resilience enhancing strategies for the management of Public Health Emergencies of International Concerns (PHEIC) after the establishment of International Health Regulations (IHR) since managing PHEIC after the establishment of IHR in 2007 will be included. The search will be conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and grey literature. Discussion Health system resilience is key to coping with catastrophic events, such as the economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. The mapping of available literature towards the application of resilience-enhancing strategies with existing frameworks needs to be assessed to identify the management gaps and give valuable recommendations from the lessons learnt from the global pandemic to improve the level of preparedness and response to similar public health emergencies in the future. Conclusion A protocol for a global review of health system resilience for pandemic management is described. This review will add to the body of knowledge about health systems enhancing research and policy formulation.
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Evidence from 35 countries that the social perception of key protagonists is associated with containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic -
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+It is crucial to understand why people comply with measures to contain viruses and their effects during pandemics. We provide evidence from 35 countries (Ntotal = 12,553) from six continents during the COVID-19 pandemic that the social perception of key protagonists on two basic dimensions of social perception – warmth and competence – played a crucial role in shaping pandemic-related behaviors. Firstly, heads of state, physicians, and protest movements were universally identified as key protagonists across countries. Secondly, the social perception of these and other protagonists differed significantly within and between countries across warmth and competence. Thirdly, warmth and competence perceptions of heads of state, physicians, and protest movements translated into support and opposition intentions, containment and prevention behaviors, as well as vaccination uptake. Our results have important implications for designing effective interventions to motivate desirable health outcomes and coping with future health crises and other global challenges.
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Fifteen Years of India’s NREGA: Employer of the Last Resort? -
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+For the last decade, India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA, 2005) has been the world’s largest public works programme. This legal entitlement provided employment to 28 percent of rural Indian households in 2019-20. After the COVID-19 pandemic, NREGA is increasingly emerging as an invaluable employer of the last resort. However, longitudinal data of its implementation in the last fifteen years reveals distinctive trends. On the one hand, since inception NREGA has rendered greater benefit to women and marginalised communities. But on the other, since 2014, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has reduced NREGA coverage compared to its implementation during the previous Indian National Congress (INC)-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition which had enacted the legislation. Nevertheless, in light of the pandemic and based on from international experiences, there is an urgent need for expansion of the employment guarantee.
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Are female-specific cancers long-term sequelae of COVID-19? Evidence from a large-scale genome-wide cross-trait analysis -
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+Background: Little is known regarding the long-term adverse effects of COVID-19 on female-specific cancers due to the restricted length of observational time, nor the shared genetic influences underlying these conditions. Methods: Leveraging summary statistics from the hitherto largest genome-wide association studies conducted in each trait, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide cross-trait analysis to investigate the shared genetic architecture and the putative genetic associations between COVID-19 with three main female-specific cancers: breast cancer (BC), epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and endometrial cancer (EC). Three phenotypes were selected to represent COVID-19 susceptibility (SARS-CoV-2 infection) and severity (COVID-19 hospitalization, COVID-19 critical illness). Results: For COVID-19 susceptibility, we found no evidence of a genetic correlation with any of the female-specific cancers. For COVID-19 severity, we identified a significant genome-wide genetic correlation with EC for both hospitalization (r_g=0.19, P=0.01) and critical illness (r_g=0.29, P=3.00*10-4). Mendelian randomization demonstrated no valid association of COVID-19 with any cancer of interest, except for suggestive associations of genetically predicted hospitalization (ORIVW=1.09, 95%CI=1.01-1.18, P=0.04) and critical illness (ORIVW=1.06, 95%CI=1.00-1.11, P=0.04) with EC risk, none withstanding multiple correction. No reverse association was found. Cross-trait meta-analysis identified multiple pleiotropic SNPs between COVID-19 and female-specific cancers, including 20 for BC, 15 for EOC, and 5 for EC. Transcriptome-wide association studies revealed shared genes, mostly enriched in the hematologic, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Conclusions: Our genetic analysis highlights an intrinsic link underlying female-specific cancers and COVID-19 - while COVID-19 is not likely to elevate the immediate risk of the examined female-specific cancers, it appears to share mechanistic pathways with these conditions. These findings may provide implications for future therapeutic strategies and public health actions.
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Antimicrobial copper as an effective and practical deterrent to surface transmission of SARS-CoV-2 -
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+The aerosols are critical for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, however in areas with high confluence of people the contaminated surfaces take an important role that we could attack using antimicrobial surfaces including copper. In this study, we wanted to challenge infectious SARS-CoV-2 with two samples of copper surfaces and one plastic surface as control at different direct times contact. To evaluate and quantify virucidal activity of copper against SARS-CoV-2, two methods of experimental infection were performed, TCID50 and plaque assays on VeroE6 cells, showing significant inactivation of high titer of SARS-CoV-2 within minutes reaching 99.9 % of inactivation of infectivity on both copper surfaces. Daily high demand surfaces contamination is an issue that we have to worry about not only during the actual pandemic time but also for future, where copper or its alloys will have a pivotal role.
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Living with “long COVID”: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence -
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+Objectives: Long-term health consequences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), also known as “long COVID,” has become a global health concern. In this systematic review, we aimed to synthesize the qualitative evidence on lived experiences of people living with long COVID that may inform health policymaking and practice. Methods: We searched six major databases and additional sources and systematically retrieved relevant qualitative studies and conducted a meta-synthesis of key findings using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and reporting standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. Results: We found 15 articles representing 12 studies out of 619 citations from different sources. These studies provided 133 findings that were categorized into 55 categories. All categories were aggregated to the following synthesized findings: living with complex physical health problems, psychosocial crises of long COVID, slow recovery and rehabilitation, digital resources and information management, changes in social support, and experiences with healthcare providers, services, and systems. Ten studies were from the UK, and others were from Denmark and Italy, which highlights a critical lack of evidence from other countries. Conclusions: More representative research is needed to understand long COVID-related experiences from diverse communities and populations. The available evidence informs a high burden of biopsychosocial challenges among people with long COVID that would require multilevel interventions such as strengthening health and social policies and services, engaging patients and caregivers in making decisions and developing resources, and addressing health and socioeconomic disparities associated with long COVID through evidence-based practice.
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Correlated substitutions reveal SARS-like coronaviruses recombine frequently with a diverse set of structured gene pools -
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+Quantifying SARS-like coronavirus (SL-CoV) evolution is critical to understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the molecular processes that could underlie future epidemic viruses. While genomic evidence implicates recombination as a factor in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, few studies have quantified recombination rates among SL-CoVs. Here, we infer recombination rates of SL-CoVs from correlated substitutions in sequencing data using a coalescent model with recombination. Our computationally-efficient, non-phylogenetic method infers recombination parameters of both sampled sequences and the unsampled gene pools with which they recombine. We apply this approach to infer recombination parameters for a range of positive-sense RNA viruses. We then analyze a set of 191 SL-CoV sequences (including SARS-CoV-2) and find that ORF1ab and S genes frequently undergo recombination. We identify which SL-CoV sequence clusters have recombined with shared gene pools, and show that these pools have distinct structures and high recombination rates, with multiple recombination events occurring per synonymous substitution. We find that individual genes have recombined with different viral reservoirs. By decoupling contributions from mutation and recombination, we recover the phylogeny of non-recombined portions for many of these SL-CoVs, including the position of SARS-CoV-2 in this clonal phylogeny. Lastly, by analyzing 444,145 SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences, we show current diversity levels are insufficient to infer the within-population recombination rate of the virus since the pandemic began. Our work offers new methods for inferring recombination rates in RNA viruses with implications for understanding recombination in SARS-CoV-2 evolution and the structure of clonal relationships and gene pools shaping its origins.
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SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.75 variant may be much more infective than preexisting variants -
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+ABSTRACT Objectives: In our previous research, we have reported mathematical model with molecular simulation analysis to predict the infectivity of seven SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this report, we aimed to predict the relative risk of the recent new variants of SARS-CoV-2 based on our previous research. Methods: We subjected Omicron BA.4/5 or BA.2.75 variant of SARS-CoV-2 to the analysis for the evolutionary distance of the spike protein gene (S gene) to appreciate the changes of the spike protein. We performed the molecular docking simulation analyses of the spike protein with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to understand the docking affinity in these variants. We then compared the evolutionary distance and the docking affinity of these variants with that of the seven variants which were analyzed in our previous research. Results: The evolutionary distance of the S gene in BA.4/5 or BA.2.75 from the Wuhan variant were longer than the other variants. The highest docking affinity of the spike protein with ACE2 (ratio per Wuhan variant) was observed in BA.2.75. Conclusion: It is important to note that BA.2.75 has both the highest docking affinity and the longest evolutionary distance of the S gene. These results suggest that the infection of BA.2.75 can be spread further than preexisting variants.
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Enhancer deregulation in TET2 Mutant Clonal Hematopoiesis is associated with increased COVID-19 related inflammation severity and mortality -
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+Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, albeit with considerable heterogeneity among affected individuals. It remains unclear which factors determine severity of illness and long-term outcomes. Emerging evidence points towards an important role of preexisting host factors, such as a deregulated inflammatory response at the time of infection. Here, we demonstrate the negative impact of clonal hematopoiesis, a prevalent clonal disorder of ageing individuals, on COVID-19-related cytokine release severity and mortality. We show that mutations in the gene coding for the methylcytosine dioxygenase TET2 promotes amplification of classical and intermediate monocyte subsets. Using single cell multiomic sequencing approaches, we identify cell-specific gene expression changes associated with the loss of TET2 and significant epigenomic deregulation affecting enhancer accessibility of a subset of transcription factors involved in monocyte differentiation. We further identify EGR1 down-regulation secondary to TET2-mediated hypermethylation, resulting in overexpression of MALAT1, a lncRNA that plays a role in hematopoietic stem cell differentiation and monocyte lineage commitment. Together, these data provide a mechanistic insight to the poor prognostic value of clonal hematopoiesis in patients infected with Sars-COV2.
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Predicting the efficacy of variant-modified COVID-19 vaccine boosters -
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+As a result of the emergence and circulation of antigenically distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants, a number of variant-modified COVID-19 vaccines have been developed. Here we perform a meta-analysis of the available data on neutralisation titres from clinical studies comparing booster vaccination with either the current ancestral-based vaccines or variant-modified vaccines. We then use this to predict the relative efficacies of these booster vaccines under different scenarios.
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Evaluation of Secondary Chemistry due to Disinfection of Indoor Air with Germicidal Ultraviolet Lamps -
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+The disinfection of air using Germicidal Ultraviolet light (GUV) is a long-standing technique, which has received intense attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV generally uses UVC lamps as its light source, which are known to initiate photochemistry in air. However, the impact of GUV on indoor air quality and chemistry has not been investigated in detail, to our knowledge. In this study, we model the chemistry initiated by GUV at 254 or 222 nm (“GUV254” or “GUV222”) in a typical room with typical indoor pollutant levels, and for different ventilation levels. GUV254 is irritating for skin and eyes, has an occupational exposure limit, and thus these fixtures typically irradiate a smaller volume near the ceiling, or inside ventilation ducts. In contrast, GUV222 is described by some as harmless to skin or eyes due to rapid absorption in a very thin external layer. Our analysis showed that GUV254 is able to significantly photolyze O3, generating OH radicals, which initiates the oxidation of all indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can be formed as a product of VOC oxidation, most of SOA in our case studies is produced through GUV-independent terpene ozonolysis. GUV254-induced SOA formation is of the order of 0.1-1 μg m-3. GUV222 with the same effective virus removal rate makes a smaller impact on indoor air quality, mainly because of the significantly lower UV irradiance needed and substantially less efficient O3 photolysis (for primary OH generation) than at 254 nm.
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International Multicenter Study Comparing Cancer to Non-Cancer Patients with COVID-19: Impact of Risk Factors and Treatment Modalities on Survivorship -
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+Background: In this international multicenter study we aimed to determine the independent risk factors associated with increased 30-day mortality and the impact of novel treatment modalities in a large group of cancer and non-cancer patients with COVID-19 from multiple countries. Methods: We retrospectively collected de-identified data on a cohort of cancer and non-cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and November 2020, from 16 international centers. Results: We analyzed 3966 COVID-19 confirmed patients, 1115 cancer and 2851 non-cancer patients. Cancer patients were more likely to be pancytopenic, and have a smoking history, pulmonary disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and corticosteroid use in the preceding two weeks (p≤0.01). In addition, they were more likely to present with higher inflammatory biomarkers (D-dimer, ferritin and procalcitonin), but were less likely to present with clinical symptoms (p≤0.01). By multivariable logistic regression analysis, cancer was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.07; p=0.035). Older age (≥65 years) was the strongest predictor of 30-day mortality in all patients (OR 4.55; 95% CI 3.34 to6.20; p< 0.0001). Remdesivir was the only therapeutic agent independently associated with decreased 30-day mortality (OR 0.58; CI 0.39-0.88; p=0.009). Among patients on low-flow oxygen at admission, patients who received remdesivir had a lower 30-day mortality rate than those who did not (5.9% vs 17.6%; p=0.03). Conclusions: Cancer is an independent risk factor for increased 30-day all-cause mortality from COVID-19. Remdesivir, particularly in patients receiving low-flow oxygen, can reduce 30-day all-cause mortality.
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Mortality Improvements in Adult Patients Hospitalised with Community Acquired COVID-19 in Wales From March 2020 to Decemeber 2021 -
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+Background A COVID-19 hospital guideline was implemented across all acute hospitals in Wales in March 2020, and data was collected across the first 3 Waves of the pandemic. We aimed to observe trends in mortality with a focus on ward-based outcomes. Methods Retrospective case-note review of data for adults admitted to hospital with community acquired COVID-19 between March 2020 and December 2021 Results 5887 cases were analysed. Overall mortality from COVID-19 fell from 31.5% in Wave 1 to 22.6% in Wave 2 to 18.8% in Wave 3 (p<0.01). Ward mortality for patients on oxygen fell from 34.6% in Wave 1 to 19.5% in Wave 2 (p<0.01) to 14.3% in Wave 3 (p=0.03). For those managed with CPAP/HFNO on wards, the mortality reduced from 58.9% in Wave 1 to 45.6% in Wave 2 (p=0.05) and further to 42.6% in Wave 3 (p=0.03). The mortality for patients managed with CPAP/HFNO on ICU reduced from 43.8% in Wave 1 to 24.7% in Wave 2 (p=0.12) and further to 20.4% in Wave 3 (p=0.03). Patients receiving CPAP/HFNO on the wards were on average 11 years older and more co-morbid than those on ICU. In Wave 3, 77% of hospital admissions with COVID-19 were unvaccinated with mortality rates of 20.5% compared to 4.8% mortality in those who had received three vaccines (p<0.01). Conclusions There were successive reductions in mortality in inpatients over the 3 Waves reflecting new treatments and better management of complications. The impact of vaccines on outcomes of hospitalised patients was notable in Wave 3.
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Homologous and heterologous boosting with CoronaVac and BNT162b2: a randomized trial (the Cobovax study) -
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+Background: There are few trials comparing homologous and heterologous third doses of COVID-19 vaccination with inactivated vaccines and mRNA vaccines. Methods: We conducted an open-label randomized trial in adults >=18 years of age who received two doses of inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) or mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) >=6 months earlier, randomised in 1:1 ratio to receive a third dose of either vaccine. We compared the reactogenicity, immunogenicity and cell-mediated immune responses, and assessed vaccine efficacy against infections during follow-up. Results: We enrolled 219 adults who previously received two doses of CoronaVac and randomised to CoronaVac (“CC-C”, n=101) or BNT162b2 (“CC-B”, n=118) third dose; and 232 adults who previously received BNT162b2 and randomised to CoronaVac (“BB-C”, n=118) or BNT162b2 (“BB-B”, n=114). There were more frequent reports of mild reactions in recipients of third-dose BNT162b2, which generally subsided within 7 days. Third doses significantly increased neutralising PRNT50 antibody titers against ancestral virus and Omicron BA.1 variant in all four study arms, and against Omicron BA.2 in all arms except CC-C, with statistically significant improvements for recipients of a third dose of BNT162b2 over CoronaVac irrespective of prior vaccine type. Boosting of CD4+ T cells only occurred in CoronaVac-primed arms, but we did not identify overall differences between vaccine groups in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. When Omicron BA.2 was circulating, we identified 58 infections with cumulative incidence of 15.3% and 15.4% in the CC-C and CC-B (p=0.93), and 16.7% and 14.0% in the BB-C and BB-B arms, respectively (p=0.56). Conclusions: Similar levels of incidence of infection in each arm suggest all third dose combinations may provide similar degrees of protection against prevalent Omicron BA.2 infection, despite very weak antibody responses to BA.2 in the recipients of a CoronaVac third dose. Further research is warranted to identify appropriate correlates of protection for inactivated COVID-19 vaccines.
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Use of whole genome sequencing to estimate the contribution of immune evasion and waning immunity to decreasing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness during alpha and delta variant waves -
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+Background: The decline in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) is well established, however the impact of variant-specific immune evasion and waning protection remains unclear. Here, we use whole-genome-sequencing (WGS) to tease apart the contribution of these factors on the decline observed following the introduction of the Delta variant. Further, we evaluate the utility of calendar-period-based variant classification as an alternative to WGS. Methods: We conducted a test-negative-case-control study among people who received SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing in the Yale New Haven Health System between April 1 and August 24, 2021. Variant classification was performed using WGS and secondarily by calendar-period. We estimated VE as one minus the ratio comparing the odds of infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Results: Overall, 2,029 cases (RT-PCR positive, sequenced samples) and 343,985 controls (negative RT-PCRs) were included. VE 14-89 days after 2nd dose was significantly higher against WGS-classified Alpha infection (84.4%, 95% confidence interval: 75.6-90.0%) than Delta infection (68.9%, CI: 58.0-77.1%, p-value: 0.013). The odds of WGS-classified Delta infection were significantly higher 90-149 than 14-89 days after 2nd dose (Odds ratio: 1.6, CI: 1.2-2.3). While estimates of VE against calendar-period-classified infections approximated estimates against WGS-classified infections, calendar-period-based classification was subject to outcome misclassification (35% during Alpha period, 4% during Delta period). Conclusions: These findings suggest that both waning protection and variant-specific immune evasion contributed to the lower effectiveness. While estimates of VE against calendar-period-classified infections mirrored that against WGS-classified infections, our analysis highlights the need for WGS when variants are co-circulating and misclassification is likely.
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A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of SIM0417 Orally Co-Administered With Ritonavir in Symptomatic Adult Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: SIM0417; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Not yet recruiting
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Self-management of Post COVID-19 Syndrome Using Wearable Biometric Technology - Condition: COVID-19 Intervention: Other: Self-management of post COVID-19 respiratory outcomes Sponsor: University of Manitoba Not yet recruiting
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Clinical Study to Compare Efficacy and Safety of Casirivimab and Imdevimab Combination, Remdesivir and Favipravir in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Casirivimab and Imdevimab Drug Combination; Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Favipiravir Sponsor: Mansoura University Hospital Completed
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The Role of BCG Vaccine in the Clinical Evolution of COVID-19 and in the Efficacy of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccine; Other: Placebo Sponsors: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation; University of Sao Paulo; Federal University of Juiz de Fora Recruiting
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Performance Evaluation of LumiraDx COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Ag ULTRA Test (ASPIRE-2) - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Nasal Swab; Diagnostic Test: Nasopharyngeal swab Sponsor: LumiraDx UK Limited Recruiting
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Social Network Diffusion of COVID-19 Prevention for Diverse Criminal Legal Involved Communities - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Other: Education; Other: Motivational Sponsor: University of Chicago Not yet recruiting
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Phase 2a Trial to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine Strategies in HIV-infected/Uninfected Adults. - Condition: COVID-19 Intervention: Drug: Ad26.COV2.S (VAC31518, JNJ-78436735) Vaccine, SARS-CoV-2 rS (CovovaxTM), BNT162b2 (Pfizer) Sponsors: The Aurum Institute NPC; Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations Recruiting
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Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Infection Interventions: Biological: Allogeneic umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; Biological: Controlled normal saline Sponsor: Ever Supreme Bio Technology Co., Ltd. Active, not recruiting
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The Effects of a Sublingual Sprayable Microemulsion of Vitamin D on Inflammatory Markers in COVID-19 Patients - Conditions: COVID-19; Vitamin D Deficiency Intervention: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D 25 (OH) 12000 IU in the form of a sublingual sprayable microemulsion Sponsor: Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital Completed
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UNAIR Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine Phase 3 - Conditions: COVID-19 Pandemic; COVID-19 Vaccines Interventions: Biological: Vaksin Merah Putih - UA SARS-CoV-2 (Vero Cell Inactivated) 5 µg; Biological: CoronaVac Biofarma COVID-19 Vaccine Sponsors: Dr. Soetomo General Hospital; Indonesia-MoH; Universitas Airlangga; Biotis Pharmaceuticals, Indonesia Recruiting
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Hydrogen-Oxygen Generator With Nebulizer for Rehabilitation Treatment of COVID-19 - Conditions: COVID-19; AMS-H-03; Hydrogen-oxygen Gas Interventions: Device: Hydrogen-Oxygen Generator with Nebulizer, AMS-H-03; Other: basic treatment Sponsor: Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital Recruiting
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Clinical Trial of Jinzhen Oral Liquid in Treating Children With COVID-19 Infection - Conditions: COVID-19; Child, Only Intervention: Drug: Jinzhen oral liquid or Jinhuaqinggan granules Sponsor: The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Recruiting
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COVID Protection After Transplant - Sanofi GSK (CPAT-SG) Study - Conditions: COVID-19; Kidney Transplant Intervention: Biological: Sanofi-GSK monovalent (B.1.351) CoV2 preS dTM-AS03 COVID-19 vaccine Sponsors: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); PPD; Johns Hopkins University; Sanofi Pasteur, a Sanofi Company Not yet recruiting
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Smartphone Intervention for Overdose and COVID-19 - Conditions: Substance Use Disorders; Overdose; COVID-19 Intervention: Device: iThrive WI Intervention Sponsors: University of Wisconsin, Madison; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Not yet recruiting
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Huashi Baidu Granule in the Treatment of Pediatric Patients With Mild Coronavirus Disease 2019 - Condition: Coronavirus Disease 2019 Interventions: Drug: Huashi Baidu granule; Drug: compound pholcodine oral solution Sponsor: Shanghai Children’s Medical Center Completed
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From PubMed
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Are herbal-peptides effective as adjunctive therapy in Coronavirus disease COVID-19? - CONCLUSION: Herbal medicines with AVP, especially those with a long history of antiviral effects, might be a good choice in complement therapy against the COVID-19 virus.
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The favorable impacts of silibinin polyphenols as adjunctive therapy in reducing the complications of COVID-19: A review of research evidence and underlying mechanisms - The proceeding pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 is the latest global challenge. Like most other infectious diseases, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune system dysfunctions play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Furthermore, the quest of finding a potential pharmaceutical therapy for preventing and treating COVID-19 is still ongoing. Silymarin, a mixture of flavonolignans extracted from the milk thistle, has exhibited numerous therapeutic benefits. We reviewed the…
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IMMUNE DYSREGULATION INDUCED BY SPIKE PROTEIN 1 OF SARS-COV-2 INCREASES ENDOTHELIAL CELL DYSFUNCTION VIA TYPE I AND TYPE III INTERFERON ACTIVATION PATHWAYS - CONCLUSIONS: In ECs, S1P, IFNα and IFNL3 increased ISG15 and IL-6, processes that involve ADAM17. Inflammation induced by S1P was amplified by IFNs. IFNs induce vascular dysfunction through ISG15-dependent mechanisms, with augmented effects in hypertension. Our findings demonstrate that S1P induces immune/inflammatory responses that may be important in endotheliitis associated with COVID-19. This is especially important in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension.
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PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF STATINS AGAINST RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS - CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our systematic review and meta-analysis do not support the hypothesis that statins reduce the risk of including RTIs.
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Establishment of Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 by the Screening with Exosomes Expressing the Viral Spike Protein - Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, are the important tools both for the diagnosis and therapeutics of this infectious disease. The high-performance antibody against spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is expected to inhibit the binding of viruses to their receptors on the surface of their target cells. In this study, we propose the novel screening method for mAbs against the pathogenic infectious virus using exosome….
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IMPAIRED BETA-2ADRENERGIC ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATION IS REVERSED BY PHOSPHODIESTERASE INHIBITION IN PATIENTS PREVIOUSLY HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 - CONCLUSIONS: In subjects previously hospitalized with severe COVID-19, endothelial function is impaired for many months after hospital discharge and the impaired NO-cGMP mediated vasodilation may be reversed by sildenafil.
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Advances in cell death mechanisms involved in viral myocarditis - Viral myocarditis is an acute inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Although many etiopathogenic factors exist, coxsackievirus B3 is a the leading cause of viral myocarditis. Abnormal cardiomyocyte death is the underlying problem for most cardiovascular diseases and fatalities. Various types of cell death occur and are regulated to varying degrees. In this review, we discuss the different cell death mechanisms in viral myocarditis and the potential interactions between them. We also explore…
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Dynamicity and persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody response after double dose and the third dose with BBV-152 and AZD1222 vaccines: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study - CONCLUSION: This year-long follow-up study found a 7- and 5-fold antibody waning in Covaxin and Covishield recipients, respectively, without any breakthrough infection history. However, individuals with booster breakthrough had mild symptoms and did not require hospital admission. The data also indicate the possible escape of omicron variants despite the presence of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies.
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Exploring the Impact of ACE Inhibition in Immunity and Disease - Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a zinc-dependent dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase and is crucial in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) but also implicated in immune regulation. Intrinsic ACE has been detected in several immune cell populations, including macrophages and neutrophils, where its overexpression results in enhanced bactericidal and antitumour responses, independent of angiotensin II. With roles in antigen presentation and inflammation, the impact of ACE inhibitors must…
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Structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and applications for novel drug development - COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has raised a health crisis worldwide. The high morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 and the lack of effective drugs or vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 emphasize the urgent need for standard treatment and prophylaxis of COVID-19. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the glycosylated spike protein (S protein) is capable of binding to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) and initiating membrane fusion and virus entry. Hence, it is rational to inhibit the…
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Stromal Antigen 2 Deficiency Induces Interferon Responses and Restricts Porcine Deltacoronavirus Infection - Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a recently discovered enteropathogenic coronavirus and has caused significant economic impacts on the pork industry. Although studies have partly uncovered the molecular mechanism of PDCoV-host interaction, it requires further research. In this study, we explored the roles of Stromal Antigen 2 (STAG2) in PDCoV infection. We found that STAG2-deficient cells inhibited infection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and PDCoV, whereas restoration of STAG2…
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Porcine Enteric Coronavirus PEDV Induces the ROS-ATM and Caspase7-CAD-γH2AX Signaling Pathways to Foster Its Replication - DNA damage response (DDR) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which eukaryotic cells sense DNA lesions caused by intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, including virus infection. Although interactions between DNA viruses and DDR have been extensively studied, how RNA viruses, especially coronaviruses, regulate DDR remains unknown. A previous study showed that the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a member of the genus Alphacoronavirus in the Coronaviridae family, induces DDR in infected…
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Ionophore Antibiotics Inhibit Type II Feline Coronavirus Proliferation In Vitro - Feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) infect cats worldwide and cause severe systemic diseases, such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). FIP has a high mortality rate, and drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration have been ineffective for the treatment of FIP. Investigating host factors and the functions required for FCoV replication is necessary to develop effective drugs for the treatment of FIP. FCoV utilizes an endosomal trafficking system for cellular entry after binding between the…
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Evaluation of Novel Guanidino-Containing Isonipecotamide Inhibitors of Blood Coagulation Factors against SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection - Coagulation factor Xa (fXa) and thrombin (thr) are widely expressed in pulmonary tissues, where they may catalyze, together with the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), the coronaviruses spike protein (SP) cleavage and activation, thus enhancing the SP binding to ACE2 and cell infection. In this study, we evaluate in vitro the ability of approved (i.e., dabigatran and rivaroxaban) and newly synthesized isonipecotamide-based reversible inhibitors of fXa/thr (cmpds 1-3) to hinder the…
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Anti-Spike and Neutralizing Antibodies after Two Doses of COVID-19 Sinopharm/BIBP Vaccine - Host response to COVID-19 vaccines is partially evaluated through the estimation of antibody response, specifically the binding anti-spike (anti-S) and the neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine-induced humoral response affects decisions on the choice of vaccine type, vaccine acceptance, and the need for boosting. Identification of risk factors for poor antibody response helps to stratify individuals who might potentially require booster doses. The primary objective of this…
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From Patent Search
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+ 28 August, 2022
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+Daily-Dose
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The Heartbreak of Going Back to School in Uvalde - The summer after the mass shooting was fraught, fragile—and rife with fear for fall. - link
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Could Coal Waste Be Used to Make Sustainable Batteries? - Acid mine drainage has long been a scourge in Appalachia. Recent research suggests that we may be able to simultaneously clean up the pollution and extract the minerals and elements needed to power green technologies. - link
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When Private Equity Takes Over a Nursing Home - After an investment firm bought St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, in Richmond, Virginia, the company reduced staff, removed amenities, and set the stage for a deadly outbreak of COVID-19. - link
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Trying to Find Places for Asylum Seekers in New York City’s Homeless Shelters - An immigrants’-rights advocate describes receiving busloads of migrants from Texas at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. - link
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A Year After the Fall of Kabul - For the Biden Administration, supporting the Afghan people without empowering the Taliban is the foreign-policy case study from hell. - link
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From Vox
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Americans keep moving to where the water isn’t -
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+A pedestrian uses an umbrella while walking during a heat wave in Phoenix on June 20, 2017. | Getty Images
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+People are still flocking to Sunbelt regions where the housing is cheaper and plentiful — but climate change and extreme weather are worsening.
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+Even with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act — which, name aside, is the most ambitious piece of climate-related legislation ever passed by Congress — the US is locked into decades of rising temperatures and more extreme weather. Just how warm it will get will depend on how quickly we can reduce carbon emissions and how sensitive the climate proves to be, but average global temperature increases of between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial norms seem most likely, with some regions experiencing much worse extremes.
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+Nonetheless, Americans are responding to these forecasts by moving in large numbers to some of the hottest, driest, and most vulnerable parts of the country.
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+According to an analysis published earlier this month by the Economic Innovation Group, 10 of the 15 counties last year were in the water-strained Southwest. Since 2012, an additional 2.8 million people have moved to counties that spent the majority of the past decade under “severe” to “exceptional” drought conditions.
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+Leading the way in growth was Maricopa County in Arizona, home to Phoenix, a desert metropolis that receives more sunshine than any other major city on Earth — and averages more than 110 days with highs of at least 100°F. Average temperatures in Phoenix are already 2.5°F hotter than they were in the middle of the last century, which helps explain why there were 338 heat-associated deaths last year in Maricopa County.
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+Despite that — and despite worse to come — the population in Maricopa increased by 14 percent over the last decade, to nearly 4.5 million people. A similar pattern is at work in states like Florida and South Carolina that experience high storm and flood risk, or in states like Colorado and Idaho that face major wildfire risk. Altogether, according to an analysis from the real-estate site Redfin, the 50 US counties with the largest share of homes facing high climate and extreme weather risk all experienced positive net migration on average between 2016 and 2020.
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+On the flip side, the 50 US counties with the biggest share of homes facing the lowest climate and extreme weather risk, like Onondaga County in upstate New York, largely experienced net negative migration during the same years on average.
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+This bears repeating: Faced with growing costs from extreme weather disasters and the certain reality of a warmer and more disrupted future, Americans have been responding by not only moving toward riskier areas, but also moving away from safer ones.
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+Americans move for climate, not climate change
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+What should we take away from this?
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+One, while Americans do care about climate change, when it comes to the major decisions they make, it tends to rank far down on national priorities.
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+Gallup regularly polls Americans about what they consider to be the most important problem facing the country. In July, 3 percent of Americans polled said that “environment/pollution/climate change” was the most important problem, behind inflation, the government, abortion, immigration, racism, crime, and high oil/fuel prices, among other concerns. And while the most important issues tend to fluctuate based on what’s happening in the news, climate change has consistently ranked fairly low.
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+In other words, there’s a reason the Inflation Reduction Act was called the Inflation Reduction Act.
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+Two, given that economic concerns tend to rank so highly among Americans, it shouldn’t be surprising that cost of living is a much bigger driver of where people want to live than fear of climate change or disasters. Places like the Southwest and Texas aren’t just hot, dry, and vulnerable to climate change — they also tend to be much cheaper to live in than coastal cities in blue states.
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+According to Redfin’s data, of the 50 counties that had the largest share of homes facing high heat and storm risk, more than 50 percent had a median home sale price that was less than half the national average at the time. Williamson County in Texas, which includes parts of fast-growing Austin, has the highest heat risk in the US, yet it’s also the county that has seen the biggest population increase since 2016.
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+It’s not true that if you’re looking for a cheap place to live, your only choices are deserts and floodplains. Can I interest you in Syracuse, New York, or Cleveland, Ohio — two cities considered to be climate havens where housing is relativelycheap?
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+Probably not. Population in either city has dropped significantly from its earlier peak, which is also true for other northern climate havens like Buffalo. (Although Buffalo just recorded its first population increase since World War II — Josh Allen fever, maybe?)
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+What the fast-growing cities of the Southwest have going for them is just that: growth. That means more jobs and a better chance at economic mobility, all while paying much less for housing than in high-wage cities on the coast. For many Americans, that’s worth the trade-off of worsening heat waves and other extreme weather.
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+One last thing: Americans apparently just prefer it hot. A 2009 survey from Pew Research found that 57 percent of Americans preferred to live in a warmer climate, compared to 29 percent who preferred a colder one. And the rise of remote work is only likely to give more people the ability to pick where they want to live.
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+More housing or more climate migrants
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+I doubt we’re going to slake Americans’ apparent thirst for as much sunshine as possible. (Though, honestly, as someone who prefers it at least chilly, you can keep your Phoenix weather.) But unless we want a future where ever more people are in the path of ever greater climate change and weather disruptions, we’ll need to make it less expensive to live in places that aren’t subject to heat waves or droughts or wildfires.
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+California is one example. The state’s horrific wildfires have been producing climate migrants in recent years, in part because the fires can consume whole towns, and in part because there’s no real way to adapt to the constant threat of smoke and destruction.
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+Yet people keep moving to wildfire-prone areas of the state — and often staying even after a fire destroys their home — in part because the perennially restricted housing supply in the state makes it virtually impossible to live anywhere else. A report last year found that between 1990 and 2010, half of all new homes constructed in California were built in the wildland-urban interface, the zone most vulnerable to wildfire risk, in part because anti-development regulations elsewhere simply make it easier and cheaper to build there.
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+Fighting climate change first and foremost means reducing carbon emissions, but it will also require decades of adaptation — and that includes housing policies that can steer people away from those parts of the country that are already at risk by making it cheaper to live in safe areas.
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+This doesn’t mean that Americans can’t or shouldn’t ever move to hot, dry places in the country. In their own way, desert metropolises only exist because of technological adaptations to their extreme climates — population growth only truly took off in the Sunbelt after the advent of air conditioning in the second half of the 20th century. But continuing that growth in a hotter and drier 21st century will require much more than just massive AC units.
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+Cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas have taken major steps to get more use out of less water, banking aquifers, reducing waste, and recycling wastewater. In Phoenix, total water use is actually less than it was in the early 2000s, even as its population has continued to grow, and the average resident used 29 percent less water in 2019 than in 1990. Southern Nevada as well has reduced overall water use even while adding hundreds of thousands of people.
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+It won’t be easy, though, and the more extreme climate conditions become, the more difficult it is to adapt. Lake Powell and Lake Mead — the two biggest artificial reservoirs in the US, which help supply water to 40 million people — are now at just around 27 percent of capacity. Poorer residents are less able to afford the air conditioning that can make desert heat bearable, while agriculture — which accounts for the vast majority of water consumption in the American West — will keep draining dwindling supplies.
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+If we’re truly going to adapt to extreme weather, we’ll need to make climate havens cheaper and more attractive. And if you’re in the market for a move, give Buffalo a thought! It has new apartments, new jobs, even new people, along with something that will become increasingly rare in the future: snow.
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+A version of this story was initially published in the Future Perfect newsletter. Sign up here to subscribe!
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Reading between the lines of the Mar-a-Lago affidavit -
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+James Devaney/GC Images
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+An affidavit released Friday presenting evidence for the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, while heavily redacted, indicates that Trump had highly protected information about human intelligence gathering — and that the agency had reason to believe that he was attempting to obstruct the investigation into the records.
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+The 38-page affidavit was written to support the government’s request for the search warrant executed August 8 and gives more insight into the timeline of events leading up to the search. The Justice Department made the search warrant public on August 12; that document indicated that the search was in support of an investigation into Trump under the Espionage Act, as well as two other federal statutes — obstruction of justice and destroying or concealing federal records.
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+Though the affidavit is heavily redacted in order to preserve the investigation and protect the identities of witnesses, it still provides new information. Crucially, the affidavit states that within the 15 boxes of documents returned to the National Archives in January of this year, there were “184 unique documents bearing classification markings, including 67 documents marked as CONFIDENTIAL, 92 documents marked as SECRET, and 25 documents marked as TOP SECRET.”
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+Some of those documents, the affidavit indicates, could contain extremely sensitive information about intelligence gathering activities, potentially compromising information about the identities of foreign nationals who spy for the US, and about information intercepted from foreign intelligence.
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+A memo justifying the redactions to the affidavit also indicates that “a significant number of civilian witnesses” are cooperating in the investigation; the redactions, according to the memo, protect their “safety and privacy” in addition to that of “law enforcement personnel, as well as to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.” In court proceedings to determine whether and how much of the affidavit to release, the court sided with the government, ruling that releasing significant portions of the affidavit would subject the investigation to possible obstruction and threats, citing probable cause to believe that obstruction had already occurred, as well as increased threats against FBI personnel since the August 8 search.
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+The burden of evidence for executing the warrant
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+An affidavit is not an indictment; its purpose is merely to establish probable cause to execute the search warrant. The affidavit itself makes that clear, saying, “it does not set forth each and every fact” that the investigation has uncovered in the investigation so far. The purpose of the affidavit is only to meet a reasonable threshold to justify the search of the former president’s home.
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+Much of that evidence is still under seal, but, as a letter dated May 10 from acting US archivist Debra Steidel Wall to Trump’s attorney Evan Corcoran indicates, the 15 boxes the government retrieved in January contained hundreds of pages of documents with classified markings, up to the level of Special Access Program (SAP) — security protocols which heavily restrict access to some of the government’s most sensitive information. Those documents were intermingled with “newspapers, magazines, printed news articles, photos, miscellaneous print-outs, notes, presidential correspondence, [and] personal and post-presidential records,” according to the affidavit.
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+Furthermore, the evidence presented in the affidavit indicates that at least some of those records discuss clandestine human intelligence operations — spying — as the New York Times’ Julian E. Barnes and Mark Mazzetti wrote Friday. Should information about those sources, the information they collect, and how they collect it get into unauthorized hands, not only could it jeopardize US intelligence gathering, but it puts the lives of people who spy on behalf of the US at risk.
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+Though Trump claimed he had a standing order to declassify information at Mar-a-Lago, documents of this sort would be marked HCS for Human Intelligence Control System; that system is tightly guarded to keep the information, techniques, and people used to gather it safe. “It would be reckless to declassify an HCS document without checking with the agency that collected the information to ensure that there would be no damage if the information were disclosed,” former legal adviser to the National Security Council John Bellinger III told the Times.
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+Though such documents can be general, sometimes they hold more specific information about human intelligence sources and the information they’re providing — increasing the possibility of identifying the human source. “The more sensitive the information, the fewer the suspects or technical vulnerabilities for the adversary to investigate,” former CIA officer and counter-terror official under Trump, Douglas London, told the Times.
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+The affidavit and DOJ memo also both raise the possibility that Trump and his associates tried to obstruct the government’s effort to retrieve the sensitive documents — and that they could try to similarly hamper the DOJ’s investigation. The statute that covers obstruction, Section 1519, could put Trump and his team in more danger, according to Georgetown Law professor Julie O’Sullivan. Since Trump has claimed that he already declassified the documents in his possession, O’Sullivan told the Times, “he is essentially conceding that he knew he had them” and has been “obstructing the return of these documents” by refusing to hand them over.
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+What’s next for Trump?
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+The FBI investigation into the records at Mar-a-Lago is just one of four major criminal investigations involving Trump at present, as Vox’s Ian Millhiser previously explained.
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+The DOJ’s investigation into the January 6, 2021 insurrection has resulted in federal charges against more than 830 participants; some defendants are facing extremely serious sentences. While, as Millhiser writes, it’s not clear whether the DOJ is investigating Trump for his role in the riot, “both congressional and judicial officials have indicated that Trump most likely violated at least two federal criminal statutes during his efforts to overturn the 2020 election — one protects Congress from interference, and the other prohibits conspiracies to defraud the nation.” That investigation, like the others, is ongoing, and no charges have been issued against Trump himself.
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+There is also an ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia — specifically the 16 fake electors the campaign recruited to falsely claim that Georgia’s electoral college votes went for Trump. Those 16 individuals could face criminal charges, as could another target of the investigation, former New York City Mayor and Trump insider Rudy Giuliani.
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+Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office is also eyeing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for his involvement in the attempts to overturn the Georgia election results. Graham has been issued a subpoena to testify regarding two phone calls with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Graham allegedly “questioned Secretary Raffensperger and his staff about reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump,” according to a court document justifying the request for Graham’s testimony.
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+Again, whileTrump is not yet facing charges in the Georgia case, he could under two Georgia laws. One statute makes it a crime to engage someone to willfully interfere with “any electors list, voter’s certificate, numbered list of voters, ballot box, voting machine, direct recording electronic (DRE) equipment, or tabulating machine.” Another Georgia statute outlaws “criminal solicitation to commit election fraud,” as Millhiser writes.
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+Trump’s businesses are also the subject of criminal probes in New York State, where Attorney General Letitia James is investigating whether the Trump Organization committed fraud by overstating the value of the businesses’ assets when seeking bank loans — or, alternately, claiming to tax officials that the company had a lower value to shirk its taxpaying duties. James’ office deposed Trump earlier in August, but he pled the Fifth Amendment — protecting himself from self-incrimination — more than 400 times during his deposition. James could choose to request that Trump’s business be essentially dissolved if the investigation finds it repeatedly committed fraud or other crimes, but it’s a civil case, not criminal — meaning it can’t end in a Trump indictment.
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+In the case of the Mar-a-Lago records, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines wrote in a letter to lawmakers Friday that her office is assessing “the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents,” Politico’s Andrew Desiderio and Nicholas Wu reported Saturday. That investigation will likely determine, among other things, whether people without the proper authority to access highly sensitive documents could have done so while they were at Trump’s residence. That’s not impossible, given the DOJ’s concern about the lack of security at Mar-a-Lago, and reporting by the Pittsburgh Post and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) that a scammer posing as a member of the Rothschild banking family had gained access to Mar-a-Lago and to Trump himself last year.
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+Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) and Vice-Chair Marco Rubio (R-FL) have also requested to see the documents removed from Mar-a-Lago, indicating Congress’ interest in understanding the kind of information Trump was hoarding — and the effect that improper handling of such information could have on the intelligence community. Even if the FBI has now removed all federal records from Mar-a-Lago, the investigation is expected to be protracted and not likely to be settled soon.
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Renewable energy, explained (to kids) -
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+The sunrise shines through the morning fog over the landscape with wind turbines in Parstein, Brandenburg, Germany. | Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images
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+Today, Explained to Kids explores the damage done by fossil fuels and why renewable energy might be the best way to power the future.
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+In each episode of the Vox podcast Today, Explained to Kids, a group of friends takes a journey to the Island of Explained. Kids (and adults) come along to explore the magical island and meet its whimsical inhabitants, all while tackling some of the biggest questions in the world. This summer, we’re answering questions about how to make the future better through the way we eat, protect species’ habitats, listen to each other, and more.
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+In Today, Explained to Kids: It’s electric!, a magical theme park ride on the Island of Explained demonstrates the damage done by fossil fuels and why renewable energy might be the best way to power the future.
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+Listen to the episode with the young people in your life — or just because — and then come back here to download our educational activities that build on what we learned in the episode. Thanks to early childhood education specialist Rachel Giannini for developing our learning materials!
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+You can also read the full transcript of this episode below:
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+For season two, Today, Explained to Kids is teaming up with KiwiCo to bring four new episodes to life with fun and enriching home-based activities to create a seamless listening and hands-on experience.
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From The Hindu: Sports
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AIFF Elections: Returning Officer finds all 20 nomination papers in order after scrutiny - Elections are to be held for the posts of one president, one vice president, one treasurer and 14 executive committee members
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Vihari to play for Andhra - Returns to team from which he joined Hyderabad last season
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Ten-man Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 as Sterling scores twice - Two yellow cards for Gallagher less than 30 minutes into his first league start at Stamford Bridge seemed to have left Chelsea with a mountain to climb
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Asia Cup | Head coach Rahul Dravid recovers from COVID, set to join Indian team ahead of Pakistan clash - India starts their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday
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Morning Digest | Indian mission in Sri Lanka slams Chinese Ambassador’s remarks on vessel visit; CWC to meet today to discuss party poll schedule; and more - Here’s a select list of stories to read before you start your day
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From The Hindu: National News
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Medical meet moots a global virology network - ‘Diseases can be quickly identified and follow-up measures taken’
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Data | Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu recorded most sewer-cleaning related deaths in last six years - Uttar Pradesh, which had the largest share of manual scavengers, also reported the highest number of deaths of such workers
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Concerns over rising accidents in Konni-Vallicode road -
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AIFF Elections: Returning Officer finds all 20 nomination papers in order after scrutiny - Elections are to be held for the posts of one president, one vice president, one treasurer and 14 executive committee members
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More than 1,550 people died in five years during monsoon in Himachal Pradesh - In 2022 itself, the public works department lost property worth ₹949.62 crore, followed by ₹710.23 crore to Jal Shakti Vibhag and ₹5.72 crore to electricity department.
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From BBC: Europe
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Three off-duty Dutch commandos shot outside hotel in Indianapolis - Police say the soldiers, who were in the US for training, were found with gunshot wounds early on Saturday.
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Electricity and drought killing white storks - The extreme heat this summer has exacerbated the many hazards, leading to a sudden spike in deaths in Hungary.
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Russia blocks nuclear treaty agreement over Ukraine reference - A number of countries criticise Russia as it blocks a joint UN declaration on nuclear security.
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Sanna Marin: How much partying is too much for a leader? - Sanna Marin is facing tough criticism, but supporters say she is being treated unfairly.
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Serbia-Kosovo ID document row settled, says EU - Tensions have been rising over disagreements including the movement of citizens across the border.
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From Ars Technica
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The weekend’s best deals: Apple iPad, MacBook Pro, OLED TVs, and more - Dealmaster also has HyperX gaming headsets, the Google Chromecast, and the Xbox Series S. - link
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Review: HP’s 13.5-inch Spectre x360 is a top ultralight—with flair - Not the top performer, but the Spectre has other wins, like its 3:2 screen. - link
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The number of companies caught up in recent hacks keeps growing - 2FA provider Authy, password manager LastPass, and DoorDash all experienced breaches. - link
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Some day we’ll be recycling wind turbine blades into yummy gummy bears - Recyclable polymer resin could also be used for car taillights, diapers, kitchen sinks. - link
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Poopy lettuce at Wendy’s still prime suspect in outbreak that just doubled - Wendy’s has already pulled the suspect lettuce from its burgers and sandwiches. - link
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From Jokes Subreddit
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I share an apartment with my sister, and walked in on her… -
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+…masturbating with a large carrot I bought.
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+I said “Cindy, that’s disgusting. I was gonna eat that later! Now it’s going to taste like carrot!”
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A feminist told me about the “Dwayne Johnson Rule.” -
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+The rule, as she explained it, was that in order to determine if a particular comment was appropriate to say to a woman, first ask yourself, ‘Would I be comfortable saying this to Dwayne Johnson?’ If not, don’t say it.
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+I thought this sounded like a good rule. So I told her:
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+A gay couple(Jeremiah and Roger) was traveling on a plane.
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+“What if we had sex?” asks Jeremiah.
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+“Are you crazy? Here, on the plane? Everyone would be watching us…”
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+“Nobody is even paying attention to anything. Look!”
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+Jeremiah stands up and asks loudly:
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+“Could I have a napkin, please?”
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+Nobody gives a damn. Everyone is sleeping, reading, looking out the window, etc. Flight attendants pretend to not hear them, as they also don’t give a damn.
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+“They really wouldn’t care then, would they?” says Roger
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+So Jeremiah and Roger have wild sex on the plane.
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+Later, when the plane arrives to the airport and the people are leaving, one of the flight attendants sees an old man who threw up all over his shirt, even his pants are soaking in the filth.
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+“Sir, you should’ve asked for a bag!”
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+“I didn’t dare” replies the old man with a terrified look on his face. “A few rows ahead I saw a man asking for a napkin and he got fucked in the ass…”
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Two Irish hunters from Belfast hired a pilot to fly them to Canada to hunt moose. -
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+They bagged six.
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+As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot tells them the plane can take only three moose.
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+The two Irishmen objected strongly, stating, “Last year we shot six moose and the pilot let us put them all on board and he had the same plane as yours.”
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+Reluctantly, the pilot gave in and all six were loaded. Unfortunately, even on full power, the little plane couldn’t handle the load and went down a few minutes after take off.
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+Climbing out of the wreck, Paddy asked Mick, “Any idea where we are?”
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+Mick replied, “I think we’re pretty close to where we crashed last year.”
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