diff --git a/archive-covid-19/15 October, 2023.html b/archive-covid-19/15 October, 2023.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..716bc84 --- /dev/null +++ b/archive-covid-19/15 October, 2023.html @@ -0,0 +1,186 @@ + +
+ + + ++ABSTRACT Background Workplace violence, including violent extremism, is a growing concern in the healthcare environment. Furthermore, there has been a disproportionate rise in the rate of terrorist attacks on hospitals during the past two decades. Hospitals are vulnerable targets due to their easy accessibility and their high density of patients, staff and visitors. Nonetheless, little is known about the hospitals awareness of these risks, and to which extent these facilities protect themselves from violent extremism and terrorist attacks. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study among emergency managers of acute care hospitals in the Netherlands. The questionnaire included 42 items across six themes: demographic (hospital) data; general and emergency department (ED) access control; ED security and preparedness; online security and offline transparency; violence, terrorism and warfare; and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were collected and stored in a secured online database, and subsequently exported to an Excel spreadsheet for descriptive analysis. Continuous data were reported as means or as medians with interquartile ranges (IQR), using SPSS. Categorical data were reported as absolute numbers and as valid percentages. Results The questionnaire was completed on behalf of 33 out of 71 hospital organizations (46%), representing 38 out of 82 EDs (46%). Hospitals had broadly different policies with regards to patient and visitor registration, and the presence of security guards. Most hospitals had controlled vehicle access for the parking lot and ambulance bay, but this was not 24/7 in all hospitals. A paragraph on terrorist attacks was included in 34% of hospital disaster plans. Eighteen percent of hospitals had previous experience with acts of violent extremism and 55% of hospitals had sustained (attempted) cyberattacks. Whilst the likelihood of a physical terrorist attack was deemed low at 3.6 (median 4, IQR 2.6) on a 10-point Likert scale, the likelihood of a cyberattack was considered high at 7.3 (median 8, IQR 2.3). A significant proportion of emergency managers reported to experience an increased risk of violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion Practice variation with regards to counter-terrorism defence measures in Dutch hospitals is high. The preparedness of hospitals for terrorist attacks or acts of violent extremism could be improved and may benefit from uniform, evidence based hospital security policies. +
++Background Host immunity is critical in determining outcomes of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs). However, detailed kinetics of host immune responses following natural exposures are poorly understood. Investigating the host response during the preāsymptomatic phase of viral infection is challenging, and prior work has largely relied on human challenge studies. In this prospective longitudinal study, we utilized a self-blood collection tool (homeRNA) to profile the host response during preāsymptomatic ARVIs in recently exposed adults and present a study framework for the conduct of largeāscale longitudinal mechanistic studies. Methods We prospectively recruited nonāsymptomatic adults with recent exposure to ARVIs who subsequently tested negative (exposed uninfected) and positive for respiratory pathogens. Study participants performed selfācollection of blood and nasal swabs across a 4āweek observation window. Daily monitoring of symptoms, viral load, and blood transcriptional responses was performed for the first week followed by weekly monitoring of blood transcriptional responses and symptoms. Nasal swabs were assayed for respiratory pathogens including SARSāCoVā2. Immune kinetics from 132 longitudinal blood samples (8 SARSāCoVā2 infected and 4 exposed uninfected) were profiled at high temporal resolution for 773 host response genes. Findings 68 participants across 26 U.S. states completed the study between June 2021 ā April 2022, with 97.6% of scheduled longitudinal blood collections (n=691), 97.9% of nasal swabs (n=466) and 97.2% of symptom surveys (n=688) returned. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 25% of the participants (n=17) Expression of host immediate early genes (IEGs) involved in AP-1 transcriptional complex and prostaglandin biosynthesis along with genes encoding the early T-cell activation antigen (CD69), pyrogenic cytokines (IL-6, MIP-1Ī², and IFN-Ī³), cytotoxic cell receptors and granule proteins, and interferon-induced GTPases were detected in the periphery prior to onset of viral shedding in the nasal passage. Upon onset of viral shedding, robust induction of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) were observed. We also observed elevated expression of the host defense peptides DEFA4, LCN2, LTF, BPI (HDPs) in exposed uninfected individuals. Interpretation Signatures of Tācell responses prior to nasal viral shedding followed by robust induction of innate ISGs upon onset of viral shedding suggests that Tācell derived immune memory may play a role in pathogen control during early phases of the infection. Elevated levels of HDPs in exposed uninfected individuals suggest a potential role for neutrophilāmediated immunity in host defense during pathogen exposure. Finally, we demonstrated that unsupervised selfācollection and stabilization of blood using homeRNA can be used to study early host immune kinetics to natural ARVIs at a temporal resolution comparable to that of human challenge studies. +
++Oral antivirals have the potential to reduce the public health burden of COVID-19. However, now that we have exited the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining SARS-CoV-2 clinical testing rates (average testing rates = āŖ10 tests/100,000 people/day in low-and-middle income countries; <100 tests/100,000 people/day in high-income countries; September 2023) make the development of effective test-and-treat programs challenging. We used an agent-based model to investigate how testing rates and strategies affect the use and effectiveness of oral antiviral test-to-treat programs in four country archetypes of different income levels and demographies. We find that in the post-emergency phase of the pandemic, in countries where low testing rates are driven by limited testing capacity, significant population-level impact of test-and-treat programs can only be achieved by both increasing testing rates and prioritizing individuals with greater risk of severe disease. However, for all countries, significant reductions in severe cases with antivirals are only possible if testing rates were substantially increased with high willingness of people to seek testing. Comparing the potential population-level reductions in severe disease outcomes of test-to-treat programs and vaccination shows that test-and-treat strategies are likely substantially more resource intensive requiring very high levels of testing (>>100 tests/100,000 people/day) and antiviral use suggesting that vaccination should be a higher priority. +
++Abstract Introduction A virtual simulated placement (VSP) is a computer-generated version of a practice placement. COVID-19 drove increased adoption of virtual technology in clinical education. Accordingly, the number of VSP publications increased from 2020. This review aims to determine the scope of this literature to inform future research questions. Objective Assess the range and types of evidence related to VSPs across the healthcare professions. Inclusion criteria Studies that focussed on healthcare students participating in VSPs. Hybrid, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) placements were excluded. Methods Fourteen databases were searched, limited to English, and dated from 1st January 2020. Supplementary searches were employed, and an updated search was conducted on 9th July 2023. Themes were synthesised using the PAGER framework to highlight patterns, advances, gaps, evidence for practice and research recommendations. Results Twenty-eight papers were reviewed. All VSPs were designed in response to pandemic restrictions. Students were primarily from medicine and nursing. Few publications were from developing nations. There was limited stakeholder involvement in the VSP designs and a lack of robust research designs, consistent outcome measures, conceptual underpinnings, and immersive technologies. Despite this, promising trends for student experience, knowledge, communication, and critical thinking skills using VSPs have emerged. Conclusion. This review maps the VSP evidence across medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health. Before a systematic review is feasible across healthcare, allied health and midwifery research require greater representation. Based on the highlighted gaps, other areas for future research are suggested. +
++Background: The Global Burden of Disease study has provided key evidence to inform clinicians, researchers, and policy makers across common diseases, but no similar effort with single study design exists for hundreds of rare diseases. Consequently, many rare conditions lack population-level evidence including prevalence and clinical vulnerability. This has led to the absence of evidence-based care for rare diseases, prominently in the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This study used electronic health records (EHRs) of more than 58 million people in England, linking nine National Health Service datasets spanning healthcare settings for people alive on Jan 23, 2020. Starting with all rare diseases listed in Orphanet, we quality assured and filtered down to analyse 331 conditions with ICD-10 or SNOMED-CT mappings clinically validated in our dataset. We report 1) population prevalence, clinical and demographic details of rare diseases, and 2) investigate differences in mortality with SARs-CoV-2. Findings: Among 58,162,316 individuals, we identified 894,396 with at least one rare disease. Prevalence data in Orphanet originates from various sources with varying degrees of precision. Here we present reproducible age and gender-adjusted estimates for all 331 rare diseases, including first estimates for 186 (56.2%) without any reported prevalence estimate in Orphanet. We identified 49 rare diseases significantly more frequent in females and 62 in males. Similarly we identified 47 rare diseases more frequent in Asian as compared to White ethnicity and 22 with higher Black to white ratios as compared to similar ratios in population controls. 37 rare diseases were overrepresented in the white population as compared to both Black and Asian ethnicities. In total, 7,965 of 894,396 (0.9%) of rare-disease patients died from COVID-19, as compared to 141,287 of 58,162,316 (0.2%) in the full study population. Eight rare diseases had significantly increased risks for COVID-19-related mortality in fully vaccinated individuals, with bullous pemphigoid (8.07[3.01-21.62]) being worst affected. Interpretation: Our study highlights that National-scale EHRs provide a unique resource to estimate detailed prevalence, clinical and demographic data for rare diseases. Using COVID-19-related mortality analysis, we showed the power of large-scale EHRs in providing insights to inform public health decision-making for these often neglected patient populations. +
++Background: Countries across Europe have faced similar evolutions of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, including the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. Materials and Methods: We used data from GISAID and applied a robust, automated mathematical substitution model to study the dynamics of COVID-19 variants across Europe over a period of more than two years, from late 2020 to early 2023. This model identifies variant substitution patterns and distinguishes between residual and dominant behavior. We used weekly sequencing data from 19 European countries to estimate the increase in transmissibility (āĪ²) between consecutive SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, we focused on large countries with separate regional outbreaks and complex scenarios of multiple competing variants. Results: Our model accurately reproduced the observed substitution patterns between the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron major variants. We estimated the daily variant prevalence and calculated āĪ² between variants, revealing that: (i) āĪ² increased progressively from the Alpha to the Omicron variant; (ii) āĪ² showed a high degree of variability within Omicron variants; (iii) a higher āĪ² was associated with a later emergence of the variant within a country; (iv) a higher degree of immunization of the population against previous variants was associated with a higher āĪ² for the Delta variant; (v) larger countries exhibited smaller āĪ², suggesting regionally diverse outbreaks within the same country; and finally (vi) the model reliably captures the dynamics of competing variants, even in complex scenarios. Conclusions: The use of mathematical models allows for the precise and reliable estimation of daily cases of each variant. By quantifying āĪ², we have tracked the spread of the different variants across Europe, highlighting a robust increase in transmissibility trend from Alpha to Omicron. On the other hand, we have shown that the country-level increases in transmissibility can always be influenced by the geographical characteristics of the country and the timing of the emergence of the variant. +
++At the beginning of 2021 the monitoring of the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2 was established in Germany in accordance with the Corona Surveillance Act (discontinued after July 2023) to allow a better containment of the pandemic, because certain amino acid exchanges (especially) in the spike protein lead to higher transmission as well as a reduced vaccination efficacy. Therefore, our group performed whole genome sequencing applying the ARTIC protocol (currently V4) on Illumina9s NextSeq 500 platform (and starting in May 2023 on the MiSeq DX platform) for SARS-CoV-2 positive specimen from patients of the Heidelberg University Hospital (and associated hospitals) as well as the Public health office in Rhine-Neckar/Heidelberg region. Our group sequenced a total of 26,795 SARS-CoV-2-positive samples between January 2021 and July 2023 - valid sequences, according to the requirements for sequence upload to the German electronic sequencing data hub (DESH) operated by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), could be determined for 24,852 samples, while the lineage/clade could be identified for 25,912 samples. While the year 2021 was very dynamic and changing regarding the circulating variants in the Rhine-Neckar/Heidelberg region with the initial non-variant of concerns, followed by A.27.RN and the rise of B.1.1.7 in winter/spring and its displacement by B.1.617.2 in spring/summer, which remained almost exclusive until the beginning of December and the first B.1.1.529 incidences, which rose to a proportion of 40 percent by the end of 2021 (and superseded B.1.617.2 by January 2022 with a proportion of over 90 percent). The years 2022 and 2023 were then dominated by B.1.1.529 and its numerous sublineages, especially BA.5 and BA.2, and more recently by the rise of recombinant variants, such as XBB.1.5. By the end of July 2023 (and since calendar week 20) the proportion of the recombinant variants amounted to 100 percent of all circulating variants in the Rhine-Neckar/Heidelberg region. +
+Improving Post COVID-19 Syndrome With Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments - Conditions: Post COVID-19 Condition; Post-COVID-19 Syndrome; Post-COVID Syndrome; COVID-19; Fatigue; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
Interventions: Device: Monoplace Hyperbaric Chamber (Class III medical device).
Sponsors: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Not yet recruiting
Education of Medical Staff to Post Acute Covid susTained sYmptoms - Conditions: Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Interventions: Other: Training in the management of functional disorders; Other: Reimbursement of 3 long consultations
Sponsors: Assistance Publique - HĆ“pitaux de Paris; ANRS, Emerging Infectious Diseases
Not yet recruiting
Pharmacist Management of Paxlovid eVisits - Conditions: COVID-19; Quality of Care
Interventions: Other: Pharmacist Care; Other: AFM Pool Care
Sponsors: Kaiser Permanente
Not yet recruiting
ACTIVATE in Public Housing - Conditions: Pneumonia; Influenza; Varicella Zoster; Meningitis; COVID-19; Vaccine Hesitancy
Interventions: Behavioral: Increasing Willingness and Uptake of Influenza, Pneumonia, Meningitis, HZV, and COVID-19 Vaccination
Sponsors: Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science
Not yet recruiting
Effects of a Home-Based Exercise Intervention in Subjects With Long COVID - Conditions: Long COVID-19; Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Interventions: Other: home-based concurrent exercise
Sponsors: University of Vienna
Recruiting
Early Awake Alterning Prone Positioning Combined With Non-invasive Oxygen Therapy in Patients With COVID-19. - Conditions: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Interventions: Other: Prone position; Other: Standard treatment
Sponsors: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
Terminated
tDCS in the Management of Post-COVID Disorders - Conditions: Long COVID
Interventions: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Behavioral: Motor Training; Behavioral: Cognitive Training
Sponsors: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; SĆ£o Paulo State University
Recruiting
Equity Evaluation of Fact Boxes on Informed COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination Decisions - Study Protocol - Conditions: COVID-19; Influenza
Interventions: Other: Fact box
Sponsors: Harding Center for Risk Literacy
Not yet recruiting
Study of the Vector Vaccine GamCovidVac-M (Altered Antigenic Composition) - Conditions: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: GamCovidVac-M vector vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 with altered antigenic composition
Sponsors: Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Health Ministry of the Russian Federation
Not yet recruiting
Study of the Vector Vaccine GamCovidVac for the Prevention of COVID-19 With Altered Antigenic Profile With Participation of Adult Volunteers - Conditions: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: GamCovidVac vector vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 (with altered antigenic profile)
Sponsors: Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Health Ministry of the Russian Federation
Not yet recruiting
Exercise Interventions in Post-acute Sequelae of Covid-19 - Conditions: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Exercise
Sponsors: University of Virginia
Not yet recruiting
Effects of Cacao FLAvonoids in LOng Covid Patients (FLALOC) - Conditions: Long Covid19; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Flavonoids
Sponsors: Guillermo Ceballos Reyes; Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado
Recruiting
The Efficacy of the 2023-2024 Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Against COVID-19 Infection - Conditions: COVID-19; Vaccine-Preventable Diseases; SARS CoV 2 Infection; Upper Respiratory Tract Infection; Upper Respiratory Disease
Interventions: Biological: Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (2023-2024 formula XBB containing); Biological: Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (2023-2024 formula XBB containing)
Sponsors: Sarang K. Yoon, DO, MOH; Westat; Novavax
Not yet recruiting
Motivational Interviewing for Vaccine Uptake in Latinx Adults - Conditions: Vaccine Hesitancy
Interventions: Other: EHR alert; Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing; Behavioral: Warm hand off to nurse
Sponsors: Boston College; East Boston Neighborhood Health Center; Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH); Boston Childrenās Hospital; National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Not yet recruiting
Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety of RQ-01 in SARS-CoV-2 Positive Subjects - Conditions: COVID-19; Infectious Disease; Symptomatic COVID-19 Infection Laboratory-Confirmed; SARS CoV 2 Infection
Interventions: Combination Product: RQ-001; Other: Placebo
Sponsors: Red Queen Therapeutics, Inc.; PPD
Recruiting
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of cyanopeptolins produced by Nostoc edaphicum CCNP1411 - Despite the advances in contemporary medicine and availability of numerous innovative therapies, effective treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections pose a challenge. In the search for new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates, natural products are frequently explored. Here, fifteen cyanopeptolins (CPs) were isolated from the Baltic cyanobacterium Nostoc edaphicum and tested against SARS-CoV-2. Of these depsipeptides, the Arg-containing structural variants showed the strongest inhibition ofā¦
Discovery of druggable potent inhibitors of serine proteases and farnesoid X receptor by ligand-based virtual screening to obstruct SARS-CoV-2 - The coronavirus, a subfamily of the coronavirinae family, is an RNA virus with over 40 variations that can infect humans, non-human mammals and birds. There are seven types of human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, is responsible for the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The current study is focused on the identification of drug molecules for the treatment of COVID-19 by targeting human proteases like transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), furin, cathepsin B, and a nuclear receptor namedā¦
Decoding Sepsis-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation: A Comprehensive Review of Existing and Emerging Therapies - Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a recurrent complication of sepsis. Since DIC not only promotes organ dysfunction but also represents a strong prognostic factor, it is important to diagnose DIC as early as possible. When coagulation is activated, fibrinolysis is inhibited, blood thinners are consumed, and a condition is created that promotes blood clotting, making it more difficult for the body to remove fibrin or prevent it from being deposited in the blood vessels. This leadsā¦
Plant Cell-Engineered Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated to Quercetin Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-1 Entry - Recent studies have revealed considerable promise in the antiviral properties of metal nanomaterials, specifically when biologically prepared. This study demonstrates for the first time the antiviral roles of the plant cell-engineered gold nanoparticles (pAuNPs) alone and when conjugated with quercetin (pAuNPsQ). We show here that the quercetin conjugated nanoparticles (pAuNPsQ) preferentially inhibit the cell entry of two medically important viruses-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirusā¦
Phenotypic Test of Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidinone-Based Nucleoside and Non-Nucleoside Derivatives against DNA and RNA Viruses, Including Coronaviruses - Emerging and re-emerging viruses periodically cause outbreaks and epidemics around the world, which ultimately lead to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the urgent need for new antiviral drugs is obvious. Over more than a century of antiviral development, nucleoside analogs have proven to be promising agents against diversified DNA and RNA viruses. Here, we present the synthesis and evaluation of the antiviral activity of nucleoside analogs and their deglycosylated derivativesā¦
Functionalized Fullerene Potentially Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Modulating Spike Protein Conformational Changes - The disease of SARS-CoV-2 has caused considerable morbidity and mortality globally. Spike proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 allow it to bind with human cells, leading to infection. Fullerenes and their derivatives are promising SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors and drug-delivery vehicles. In this study, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and the Markov state model were employed to delve into the inhibitory mechanism of Fullerene-linear-polyglycerol-b-amine sulfate (F-LGPS) on spikeā¦
BNT162b2 vaccine induced variant-specific immunity, safety and risk of Omicron breakthrough infection in children aged 5 to 11 years: a cohort study - There is little information on BNT162b2 vaccine-induced variant-specific immunogenicity, safety data and dynamics of breakthrough infections in pediatric populations. We addressed these questions using a prospective two dose BNT162b2 (10 mcg) vaccination cohort study of healthy children 5-11 years in Singapore. Follow up included blood samples at scheduled visits, daily vaccination symptom diary and confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) andā¦
Author Correction: Calcium dobesilate reduces SARS-CoV-2 entry into endothelial cells by inhibiting virus binding to heparan sulfate - No abstract
Structure-based development and preclinical evaluation of the SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease inhibitor simnotrelvir - The persistent pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants accentuates the great demand for developing effective therapeutic agents. Here, we report the development of an orally bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CL^(pro)) inhibitor, namely simnotrelvir, and its preclinical evaluation, which lay the foundation for clinical trials studies as well as the conditional approval of simnotrelvir inā¦
A community effort in SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery - The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a substantial threat to human lives and is likely to do so for years to come. Despite the availability of vaccines, searching for efficient small-molecule drugs that are widely available, including in low- and middle-income countries, is an ongoing challenge. In this work, we report the results of an open science community effort, the āBillion molecules against Covid-19 challengeā, to identify small-molecule inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 or relevant humanā¦
Reversible and irreversible inhibitors of coronavirus Nsp15 endoribonuclease - The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has resulted in the largest pandemic in recent history. Current therapeutic strategies to mitigate this disease have focused on the development of vaccines and on drugs that inhibit the viral 3CL protease or RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzymes. A less-explored and potentially complementary drug target is Nsp15, a uracil-specific RNA endonuclease that shields coronaviruses and other nidoviruses from mammalian innate immune defensesā¦.
Antiviral, virucidal and antioxidant properties of Artemisia annua against SARS-CoV-2 - Natural products are a rich source of bioactive molecules that have potential pharmacotherapeutic applications. In this study, we focused on Artemisia annua (A. annua) and its enriched extracts which were biologically evaluated in vitro as virucidal, antiviral, and antioxidant agents, with a potential application against the COVID-19 infection. The crude extract showed virucidal, antiviral and antioxidant effects in concentrations that did not affect cell viability. Scopoletin, arteannuin B andā¦
2-thiouridine is a broad-spectrum antiviral nucleoside analogue against positive-strand RNA viruses - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections are causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, over 1 million cases of newly emerging or re-emerging viral infections, specifically dengue virus (DENV), are known to occur annually. Because no virus-specific and fully effective treatments against these or many other viruses have been approved, there is an urgent need for novel, effective therapeutic agents. Here, we identified 2-thiouridine (s2U) asā¦
Distinct motifs in the E protein are required for SARS-CoV-2 virus particle formation and lysosomal deacidification in host cells - Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a major public health concern, but the mechanisms underlying its viral particle formation are not well understood. In this study, we established a system for producing virus-like particles (VLPs) by expressing four structural proteins that make up SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in cells and used a spike (S) protein fused with the HiBiT peptide as a marker for evaluating VLP production. Using this system, we confirmed that the E proteinā¦
Evaluation of in vitro SARS-CoV-2 inactivation by a new quaternary ammonium compound: Bromiphen bromide - The pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which unpredictably exploded in late December of 2019 has stressed the importance of being able to control potential pathogens with the aim of limiting their spread. Although vaccines are well known as a powerful tool for ensuring public health and controlling the pandemic, disinfection and hygiene habits remain crucial to prevent infection from spreading andā¦
The Luxury Office Development That Became a Horrific Migrant Shelter - In Brooklyn, hundreds of men have languished in a city-run facility, taking cold showers, eating bad food, and sleeping inches from one another. - link
The Chaos Party on the Hill Keeps On Chaos-ing - Even after Hamasās attack on Israel, House Republicans are too busy fighting with themselves to get serious about the rest of the world. - link
Keir Starmer, the Man Who Would Be Britainās Next Prime Minister - At the annual conference of the Labour Party this week, Keir Starmer laid out his plans to rebuild the United Kingdom after thirteen years of Conservative misrule. - link
What Was Hamas Thinking? - One of the groupās senior political leaders explains its strategy. - link
The Tangled Grief of Israelās Anti-Occupation Activists - Israelis who advocate for Palestinian rights are simultaneously absorbing two streams of traumatic news: the brutality and extent of Hamasās attacks and the bombardment and siege of Gaza. - link
+Itās a bedbugās world now. Weāre just sleeping in it. +
++On a brisk morning last month, the deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel GrĆ©goire, stood in front of a French TV camera with a serious look on his face and said: āNo one is safe.ā +
++He wasnāt talking about the threat of climate change or some frightening new virus. He was talking about bedbugs. +
++For the blissfully unaware, bedbugs are small wingless insects that bite humans and feast on our blood, often at night. They find us by sensing the carbon dioxide in our breath and our body heat. While bedbugs can carry a large number of pathogens, they donāt seem to transmit diseases to humans, though they do produce itchy welts. +
++In recent weeks, viral videos showing insects that look like bedbugs on the Paris metro and trains, and sightings of bedbugs in movie theaters and at the airport, have fueled fears of a widespread outbreak across the city. People have been panicking. āThese little insects are spreading despair in our country,ā a French politician told Parliament earlier this month, urging the prime minister to act. (She brought a vial of bed bugs with her into the chamber, presumably in an effort to strengthen her point.) +
+ ++Elevating these concerns is the looming Summer Olympics, which will take place in Paris just 10 months from now. Millions of people will descend on Paris for the Games. And you know what likes millions of people? Bedbugs. +
++The extent of the current āoutbreakā isnāt clear, and most of the sightings have not been confirmed. Videos, news reports, and memes have almost certainly made the problem seem far bigger than it really is (go figure!). +
++But this isnāt exactly good news. Paris certainly does have bed bugs. So does Chicago, New York, and every other major city in the world. These bloodsuckers are, unfortunately, everywhere. +
++It gets worse: Over the last two decades, thereās been a āglobal resurgenceā in bedbugs, according to a recent scientific review, following lows in the mid-20th century. āThe resurgence has been widespread, affecting virtually every sector of society,ā the authors wrote. +
++Scientists say this surge is unlikely to wane anytime soon. So for now, itās a bedbugās world. Welcome. +
++No matter how potent the threat of bedbugs may feel today, I promise that it used to be worse. These insects have been gorging on our legs and arms and crotches for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Egypt ā long before the invention of chemical pesticides. +
++In the 1800s, some London hotels were so infested that lodgers āwere advised to become half-drunk to obtain some sleep,ā according to the recent scientific review. Entire buildings would be burned down in order to stamp out an infestation. It was the golden age of bedbugs (at least from the perspective of a bedbug). +
++The tables turned in the 1940s, when the chemical DDT was popularized as an insecticide. During World War II, militaries sprayed DDT to control mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, as well as body lice. It was also shown to be highly effective at killing bedbugs. Along with other newly developed pesticides, DDT helped wipe out bedbug populations. By the 1960s, bedbug infestations were rare, at least among wealthy nations, according to the review. +
++For the next few decades, citizens in the US and Europe enjoyed evenings largely free of bedbug bites, even after DDT was banned in the US in 1972 (for its harmful impacts on humans and wildlife). But the reprieve obviously didnāt last. +
+ ++Around the turn of the century, the parasites began reentering peopleās homes and beds in droves, according to reports from the UK, US, Australia, Japan, and a handful of other countries. In Australia, for example, infestations of bed bugs rose by an estimated 4,500 percent between 1999 and 2006. There isnāt clear data on the number of infestations in the US, though in 2010 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a joint statement, warning of an āalarming resurgenceā of these pests. +
++That brings us to today. Bedbugs are back. Why? +
++There are some obvious reasons. More people live in cities now, and bedbugs love densely packed warm bodies. Weāre also traveling more than ever before, giving bedbugs an opportunity to spread (see: horror stories of bedbugs in Airbnbs). +
++But the main reason why itās boom time for bedbugs, according to the review, is that theyāve evolved resistance to many pesticides, our main line of defense. Indeed, these critters are now resistant to āmost of the major classes of insecticides,ā the review states, including pyrethroids, which is still one of the most commonly used insecticides. Theyāve also developed resistance to DDT, which attacks insects in a similar way to pyrethroids. +
++āInsecticides, especially the use of pyrethroids, are useless,ā said Chow-Yang Lee, a professor of urban entomology at the University of California Riverside and a co-author of the recent review. āThat will never get rid of bedbugs.ā +
++Thereās also some evidence that powders like diatomaceous earth ā which is designed to kill the bugs by drying them out ā no longer work either. At least some of the insects have evolved resistance to desiccation, Lee said. +
++That doesnāt mean bedbugs are impossible to destroy. High temperatures, around 113 degrees Fahrenheit and above, kill the insects, and research suggests that they arenāt likely to evolve heat tolerance. So do extremely cold temperatures. Fumigation using highly toxic chemicals and insecticide combinations can work too, Lee said, especially when theyāre used repeatedly. +
+ ++But these effective options come with a very important caveat: Theyāre expensive. +
++Low-income communities often canāt afford these eradication methods, Lee said, which can cost several hundred to thousands of dollars for a single apartment. Large complexes might hire an exterminator, but he or she may only spend a few minutes in each unit spraying chemicals that donāt work, he said. +
++These communities may also be home to elderly folks who canāt easily vacate their apartments for treatment; the exterminator has to work around them, so theyāll undoubtedly miss some spots. These less-affluent communities are considered reservoirs that can spread bedbugs throughout a city, Lee said. +
++āThe biggest challenge when it comes to treating bedbugs is cost,ā Lee said. +
++While itās hard to eradicate bedbugs, itās relatively easy to avoid them. +
++Hereās a tip: When you enter a hotel or Airbnb, immediately check the mattress for reddish-brown blood stains, Lee said. After bed bugs feast, he said, they defecate, and their poop includes some staining hemoglobin (sorry). You can also look for the bugs themselves, which are visible to the naked eye; theyāre roughly the size of an apple seed. +
++Letās say you do end up staying somewhere with bedbugs. When you get back home, Lee said, donāt bring your luggage inside. Take out your clothes and put them in the dryer for at least 30 minutes (or wash them and then dry them). Then, use a garment steamer to heat-treat your luggage outside. That should kill any eggs. +
+ ++Now letās say youāve found them in your home. Immediately call for professional help, Lee said. āDo not attempt to treat it yourself,ā he said. If the infestation is small, an exterminator may treat your bed or furniture with a hand-held steamer, though if theyāre everywhere, the exterminator may want to fumigate or place your furniture into a heat chamber ā thatās when the costs will go up. +
++Finally, a word from Lee for all of you thrifters: Be very wary about taking anything off the street, especially in cities like New York and Chicago. If you plan to take in any furniture ā especially sofas, chairs, beds, and mattresses ā you should have it heated first. +
++Books, too, should be treated. āDo not bring them directly into the house,ā Lee said. If itās the middle of summer or winter, you can leave the books outside for a day or two ā the heat or cold will force the bedbugs out or kill them. Or you can simply put them in a sealed plastic bag and place them in your freezer for a few days. +
++These solutions will help you avoid bites or a home invasion. Yet until cheaper effective options are available ā or the cost of heat treatment is subsidized for low-income communities ā itās unlikely the bedbug problem in the US and elsewhere will be eliminated. According to the EPA, āfinancial assistance [for bedbug treatment] is not generally available.ā +
++In the meantime, weāll have to learn to live with the threat of bedbugs. +
++āWe have not seen the light at the end of the tunnel,ā Lee said. āUntil we come out with some method that is affordable to everyone, we will remain in the tunnel.ā +
+Other peopleās money decisions affect your own. Hereās how to talk boundaries. +
++On the Money is a new monthly advice column. If you want advice on spending, saving, or investing ā or any of the complicated emotions that may come up as you prepare to make big financial decisions ā you can submit your question on this form. Here, we answer two questions asked by Vox readers, which have been edited and condensed. +
++My husband and I are on the same page with our money, but not with his parentsā finances. His parents, who are currently selling their home to pay their debts, want to put part of the leftover money toward a new home and spend the rest on travel. They donāt have a retirement plan, and my husband is prepared to support them financially in the future. He says that his parents are free to spend their money however they choose. I feel that it is unfair that my in-laws spend their money on traveling and then depend on our money to live. +
++How can we manage our finances when they are affected by other peopleās decisions and actions? +
++Our finances are always affected by other peopleās decisions and actions. Your in-laws are likely to discover this when they complete the process of selling their home, paying off their debts, and finding a new place to live. While downsizing might sound attractive to a couple looking for a quick way to pay off old debts, weāre in a severely disadvantaged real estate market right now. Mortgage interest rates are at a 21-year high, which means that your in-laws may have difficulty finding someone willing to buy their home ā and they may end up spending a lot more than they expected on their next living situation, whether they end up buying or renting. +
++This means that the scenario you currently feel is unfair ā the one in which your in-laws get to spend their money on travel while relying on your money to pay the bills ā may not actually happen. They might get one long vacation out of the deal, and the money they spend on that trip will have a negligible effect on their ability to live out the rest of their lives without your financial help. +
++If the idea that your in-laws might get a vacation while you and your husband might not feels unbearable, the first step is to talk to your husband about taking some time off. Seriously. The money the two of you spend on a trip will have an equally negligible effect on your ability to support your in-laws, so make it a financial goal and get it done by the end of the year. +
++Now that weāve gotten the āwhy do they get to play when I have to workā issue out of the way, itās time to have a conversation with your husband about the amount of financial support he is prepared to provide. You do not specify how your in-laws incurred their debts; was it simply overspending, or were some of those funds put toward your husbandās education? Did your in-laws help your husband rent his first apartment? Did they support him as he built his career? Did they have an unexpected medical crisis that drained their savings and, perhaps, incentivized them to pursue their current travel goals? +
++Your husband feels financially responsible for his parents, which is not a terrible thing. You should ask him to tell you more about his family and their financial story, if you do not already understand why he wants to take on this responsibility. You should also talk about the difference between āfinancial responsibilityā and āpaying for everythingā because there might be ways to provide support that still allow your in-laws to carry the bulk of their own expenses. (Youāll probably want to study up on Medicare and Medicaid, for example.) You might also want to consider your own parentsā financial needs, and ask yourself whether you might be able to help both sides of the family. +
++Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: Start talking to your husband, right now, about what youāre going to say when your in-laws ask to live with you. Given the current housing market, itās a much more likely scenario than the one in which they travel the world. +
++
++My husband has two kids from a previous marriage. I donāt have kids, and I bought the house we live in before we got married. I pay the mortgage and he gives me money for utilities. Is that okay? Should he contribute more than 50 percent for groceries? +
++The amount of money your husband puts toward groceries ā even during a period of inflation, when grocery prices are higher than anticipated ā is not half as important as the legal issues surrounding his residence in your home. +
++A lot of this depends on whether you live in a community property state, and the rest depends on your stateās tenancy laws, and some of it may depend on the mortgage and title documents associated with your home. I suggest talking to a lawyer to ensure that you and your husband are both completely aware of your rights and responsibilities, since the internet is not likely to provide the depth of insight you might need. +
++Here are the questions you and your husband may need to answer, both in terms of your relationship and in terms of your living situation: +
++Get those taken care of and then you can start talking about whether youāre going to keep your finances separate and split household expenses proportionally or whether youāre going to pool your resources and pay all of your expenses together. +
++Hereās my advice on handling that conversation, when youāre ready. +
++
++
+Israelās evacuation order is creating chaos in Gaza. A ground invasion will be worse. +
++An airstrike on Friday hit a convoy of Palestinians, killing at least 12, including women and young children, as they tried to flee northern Gaza at the direction of the Israel Defense Forces, ahead of a presumed ground operation in the region. Hamas has blamed the IDF for the strike, which occurred on an evacuation route the military deemed safe. +
++The strike came hours after the IDF had given the approximately 1.1 million people of northern Gaza 24 hours to evacuate the region. The United Nations said the operation would have dire humanitarian consequences in a part of the world that had already been facing humanitarian disaster before Israel declared it would retaliate for the Hamas attacks on October 7. +
++The situation on the ground in Gaza is āfast becoming untenable,ā Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian aid chief, said in a statement Saturday. On Monday, the Israeli government shut off Gazaās access to water, electricity, and fuel as part of its declared siege of the region. Gaza has been under blockade by both Israel and Egypt since 2007, and access to basic goods, including food and medicine, is available only via the UN and nongovernmental organizations. +
++āI fear that the worst is yet to come,ā Griffiths added. +
++Since Hamas, the militant Islamic group that has controlled Gaza since 2007, launched an unprecedented and brutal attack against Israel that killed at least 1,300 people a week ago, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has run multiple sorties over Gaza, dropping at least 6,000 munitions. Those operations have so far killed more than 1,500 Palestinians, including civilians. +
++Though US officials have reportedly begun to caution Israel to minimize civilian deaths during upcoming operations, Gazans are already vulnerable; roads damaged from the current and previous airstrikes make evacuation slow and dangerous, and many buildings cannot withstand such bombardment because theyāve been affected by previous airstrikes and thereās no capacity to repair them. +
++Supplies like food, fuel, medicine, and clean water are already running critically low in the region, and as of yet there is no humanitarian corridor to get supplies into Gaza ā or get people out. US officials are working with Egyptian authorities to open up such a route so that the UN can get supplies into Gaza. +
++Egypt and Israel closed their borders with Gaza after Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, following a brief civil war between Hamas forces and factions loyal to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who oversees the West Bank. Both Egypt and Israel imposed the blockade because they feared Hamas would bring further instability to their backyard due to the groupās ties to Iran and to Egyptās Muslim Brotherhood. +
++As of 2017, the poverty rate in Gaza was 53 percent and a third of people lived in extreme poverty, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Central Statistics; 63 percent of people in Gaza are food-insecure, according to current statistics from the World Food Programme. Since 2017, the price of basic necessities has increased precipitously due, in part, to global inflation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. +
++Most of Gazaās water is undrinkable, and low-level cholera outbreaks are common; a significant portion of the regionās infrastructure has been decimated by previous airstrikes, making crushing injuries and deaths common during conflict, Helen Ottens-Patterson, MĆ©decins Sans Frontieresā former head of mission in Gaza, told Vox in an interview. +
++More than 2 million Gazans live in a strip of land the size of Philadelphia, making it one of the most densely populated places on the planet, which increases the possibility of hitting civilians during military operations. And about 42.5 percent of the population is under the age of 14, making childhood casualties common in times of conflict. +
++āToday, all of the patients we received at our clinic in Gaza City were children between 10 and 14,ā Ayman Al-Djaroucha, MSF deputy project coordinator in Gaza, said in a Wednesday email statement. āThis is because the majority of the injured in Gaza are women and children, since they are the ones who are most often in the houses that get destroyed in the airstrikes.ā +
++Though Israeli military policy is to use disproportionate force in Gaza as a deterrent strategy, that has so far failed to enact durable security, limit Hamasās ability to strike Israel, or allow space in Israeli politics for any sort of political negotiation that could lead to a more peaceful future. +
++It has also resulted in devastating civilian losses on the Palestinian side; in 2014, simmering conflict in Gaza exploded into a major Hamas rocket offensive into Israel, which responded with a 19-day ground invasion. Though there was an Egypt-mediated ceasefire in August of that year, 2,251āÆPalestinians ā including 1,462 civilians ā and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed in the fighting, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. +
++By Tuesday, an MSF hospital in northern Gaza had used three weeksā worth of supplies, Ottens-Patterson told Vox. Whatever buffer supply of fuel, food, medication, and medical supplies hospitals had prior to October 7 is quickly dwindling. āYou can imagine within a month, theyāre going to be running on empty ā or within an even shorter space of time,ā she said. +
++Now, with people evacuating to the south, those problems compound. Thereās no way to safely evacuate patients from hospitals to the south; roads damaged by this and previous conflicts make that challenging. Multiple ambulances and medics have also been hit by airstrikes in the past week. +
++Southern Gaza also has only about half the number of hospitals as the north, so even patients who do get evacuated canāt find a bed, Zaher Sahloul, the head of MedGlobal, a medical NGO that operates in crisis zones, told Vox in an interview. +
++āSouthern Gaza doesnāt have the infrastructure, the food, the capacity, to have all of these people,ā he said. āSo itās going to create a huge humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza, where you will have people dying of dehydration, [disease] outbreaks ā the water is not clean ā malnutrition, besides, of course, injuries from bombings. Itās a near-impossible situation.ā +
++But moving people to Egypt for treatment is complicated, too ā partly because Egypt isnāt allowing it right now. Furthermore, Sahloul said, āWeāre against that as an international organization. Weāre against evacuating people from their homeland [so they become] refugees.ā +
++Egypt is unwilling to host Palestinian refugees as of now because of internal pressures and because it doesnāt wish to get sucked into the war. But thereās also the fact that many Palestinians have been expelled from their homes since the Nakba in 1948. Now, as then, leaving could mean never coming back. +
++As the war progresses, UN experts, as well as other advocates and some politicians, have indicated that Israelās actions amount to collective punishment of all Gazans for the acts of the militant group that controls it +
++Gazans āhave lived under unlawful blockade for 16 years, and already gone through five major brutal wars, which remain unaccounted for,ā UN experts said in a statement Thursday. āThis amounts to collective punishment. There is no justification for violence that indiscriminately targets innocent civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces. This is absolutely prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime.ā +
++Meanwhile, an IDF ground invasion seems imminent; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited IDF troops at the border with Gaza Saturday, Reuters reported, asking if they were āready for the next stage.ā Without elaborating, Netanyahu told the soldiers that āthe next stage is coming.ā +
++
++
ICC World Cup | Every game now becomes almost like a final, says Australian captain Pat Cummins - Australia were crushed by hosts India in their opener before stumbling to a 134-run defeat to South Africa on Thursday.
Dyf and Snowfall impress -
Bumrahās ball to Rizwan shows energy conservation law in action - While slow offbreaks arenāt exotic in cricket, Jasprit Bumrah bowled one that seemed to be.
Morning Digest | Fourth flight with 274 Indians flies out from Israel; India will bid to host 2036 Olympics, PM Modi confirms, and more - Here is a select list of stories to start the day
Arctic Open: P.V. Sindhu goes down to Zhi Yi Wang in semifinals - Sindhu lost the opening game 12-21 before bouncing back in the second 21-11. However, the Chinese upped the ante in the final game, beating Sindhu 21-7
Stalin unveils statue of Kalam on Anna University campus -
Congress faces heat from those denied tickets -
TNSTC to operate additional buses from Vellore, Tirupattur to Tirupati for Brahmotsavam - The operation will continue till October 23
BRS manifesto attempts to trump Congās six guarantees - TPCC chief charges KCR of copying guarantees; Challenges KCR to pledge not to spend money or distribute liquor to voters
Kerala for consensus on Socio-Economic Caste Census, Minister K. Radhakrishnan holds discussion with Chief Minister - The conflicting positions taken by some of the influential socio-religious organisations have complicated the situation for the government.
France raises security level after school knife attack - France is put on its highest counter-terrorism alert, following the death of a teacher stabbed at a high school.
Poland election: Poles prepare to vote as rivals end acrimonious campaign - Poland elects a new parliament on Sunday with the right-wing ruling party seeking a third term.
Germany migrants: Seven dead after vehicle crashes in Bavaria - Authorities said the driver of a āsuspected smuggling vehicleā attempted to evade police before losing control.
Putin denies Russia behind Finland gas pipeline damage - Finnish officials say they cannot rule out a state actor being responsible for the rupture.
French police break up pro-Palestinian demo after ban - Tear gas is used after pro-Palestinian rallies are banned as a possible threat to public order.
Air purifiers arenāt enough to clean your home from wildfire smoke - There are ways to clean it up, however. - link
Plant-based cheese may be getting more appetizing - Can we skip the dairy and still get a cheese that doesnāt taste like plants? - link
This exoplanet might literally be the most metal planet out there - Itās likely that something stripped the outer layers off a once-rocky exoplanet. - link
CEO Bobby Kotick will leave Activision Blizzard on January 1, 2024 - Schreier: Kotick will depart after 33 years, employees are āvery excited.ā - link
Hydro dams are struggling to handle the worldās intensifying weather - Climate change is robbing some hydro dams of water while oversupplying others. - link
A man with a huge penis walks into the docs officeā¦ -
++A man with a huge penis walks into the doctors office and says D-d-d-d-oc y-y-y-ou n-n-need to h-h-h-help m-m-m-me! +
++The very puzzled doctor looked at this man and wondered what was going on. He did a few tests and found that he isnāt getting enough blood flow to his head as its being directed more into his penis, the result effecting his speech +
++The doctor says āSorry to say this but it looks like weāre going to have to perform surgery and remove part of your penisā +
++The man responds "D-d-d-do wh-wh-what y-y-you g-g-g-gotta d-d-do. +
++The surgery is successful and the man is happy for a few months before realising he much preferred having a huge dick so he went back to the doctors office +
++āYou gotta help me doc, I need you to undo that surgery you did to meā +
++The doctor responds āT-t-t-that m-m-m-may b-b-be a l-l-l-little di-di-di-difficultā +
+ submitted by /u/Oakenshield-
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This is an old Finnish story -
++A few young guys were bored on a Saturday night and decided to go drive a roundabout. It was in the middle of the night, no other cars, so they decided to drive the roundabout in reverse. Suddenly, a car came from behind and rear-ended them. +
++The cops were called and both cars were waiting. When the cops finally showed up, the guys were scared shitless because, well, they had driven the car in reverse in the roundabout. +
++But when the cops knocked on their window they said āthereās nothing to be worried about fellas, the driver behind you just blew 0.2% in the breathalyzer and is claming you guys drove the roundabout in reverseā. +
+ submitted by /u/poka1123
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I had a priest perform an exorcism on my house. -
++When I couldnāt pay, the house was repossessed. +
+ submitted by /u/TheFr1nk
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I was about to propose to my girlfriend. -
++I was about to propose to my girlfriend when my roommate Joseph barged into the room out of nowhere, tripped, and fell over, breaking a glass table with his face. Totally ruined the mood. Now I donāt know Joseph THAT well, donāt even remember where he was from, but letās say I put my plans on hold to help him through his injuries. +
++Joseph had gotten a big glass shard in his eye, making him completely blind in that eye. He was walking around with one of those big cotton pads on his eye for a couple of months. Then suddenly, he disappeared, along with my girlfriend. +
++Apparently theyād bonded during the time after his injuries, and eloped together, leaving me behind without as much as a note. I tried to track them down, but never could. +
++In conclusion, if it hadnāt been for Joe with his cotton eye, Iād have been married a long time ago. Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, cotton eye Joe? +
+ submitted by /u/UnluckyRegister7561
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Joe took his blind date to the carnival. āWhat would you like to do first, Kim?ā asked Joe. āI want to get weighed,ā she said. -
++They ambled over to the weight guesser. He guessed 120 pounds. She got on the scale; it read 117 and she won a prize. Next the couple went on the ferris wheel. When the ride was over, Joe again asked Kim what she would like to do. āI want to get weighed,ā she said. Back to the weight guesser they went. Since they had been there before, he guessed her correct weight, and Joe lost his dollar. The couple walked around the carnival and again he asked where to next. āI want to get weighed,ā she responded. By this time, Joe figured she was really weird and took her home early, dropping her off with a handshake. Her roommate, Laura, asked her about the blind date, āHowād it go?ā Kim responded, āOh, Waura, it was wousy.ā +
+ submitted by /u/YZXFILE
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