diff --git a/archive-covid-19/15 April, 2021.html b/archive-covid-19/15 April, 2021.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ca565ab --- /dev/null +++ b/archive-covid-19/15 April, 2021.html @@ -0,0 +1,215 @@ + +
+ + + ++Background and Aims: COVID-19 patients may have asymptomatic hyperlipasemia without abdominal imaging findings or abdominal pain. In addition, primary and secondary pancreatitis have been described in COVID-19 patients. There is limited information on how the groups compare in outcomes. The aim is to compare outcomes among these groups. Methods: This is a retrospective study from 12 hospitals within one healthcare system examining outcomes between hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a lipase <3x upper limit of normal (ULN), asymptomatic hyperlipasemia (>3x ULN), secondary pancreatitis (typical respiratory COVID-19 symptoms and found to have pancreatitis), and primary pancreatitis (presenting with pancreatitis). Results: Of 11,883 patients admitted with COVID-19, 1,560 patients were included: 1,155 COVID-19 patients with a normal serum lipase (control group), 270 with an elevated lipase <3x ULN, 46 patients with asymptomatic hyperlipasemia with a lipase 3xULN, 57 patients with secondary pancreatitis, and 32 patients with primary pancreatitis. On adjusted multivariate analysis, the elevated lipase <3x ULN and asymptomatic hyperlipasemia groups had worse outcomes. The mortality was OR1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.2) and 1.1 (95% CI 0.5-2.3), respectively. The need for mechanical ventilation was OR 2.8 (95% CI 1.2-2.1) and 2.8 (95% CI 1.5-5.2), respectively. Longer length of stay was OR 1.5 (95%CI 1.1-2.0) and 3.16 (95%CI 1.5-6.5), respectively. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients with an elevated lipase< 3x ULN and asymptomatic hyperlipasemia have generally worse outcomes than those with pancreatitis. This could be attributed to extrapancreatic causes (liver failure, renal failure, enteritis, etc), which may signify a more severe course of clinical disease. Key words: pancreas; SARS-CoV-2; pancreatitis +
++Background Adolescents and young adults have been greatly affected by quarantine measures during the coronavirus-19 pandemic. Quantitative evidence has shown that many young people have struggled with their mental health, but little is understood about the qualitative impact of social distancing restrictions on mental health, wellbeing and social lives. We therefore sought to elicit the views and experiences of adolescents and young adults living in the UK during the pandemic. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with 37 participants aged 13-24. Results We identified 4 superordinate themes most commonly described by participants about their experiences during the pandemic, including: a) missing social contact during lockdown, b) disruption to education, c) changes to social relationships, and d) improved wellbeing during lockdown. Although we identified some positive experiences during the pandemic, including an increased awareness of mental health and stronger relationship ties, many said they struggled with loneliness, a decline in mental health, and anxiety about socialising after the pandemic. Conclusions Findings suggest that some young people may have felt less stigma talking about their mental health now compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many are worried about how the pandemic has affected their education and social connections and may require additional psychological, practical and social support. Our findings highlight the important role that education providers play in providing a source of information and support to adolescents and young adults during times of uncertainty. +
++Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic requires quick and effective strategies to maximize vaccine uptake. We present two sequential randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that tackle this challenge with behavioral science insights. We deliver text-based nudges to UCLA Health patients one day (first RCT; N=113,229) and eight days (second RCT; N=90,662) after they receive notifications of vaccine eligibility. In the first RCT, text messages designed to make vaccination salient and easy to schedule boost appointment and vaccination rates by 86% and 26%, respectively. Nudges that make patients feel endowed with the vaccine heighten these effects, but addressing vaccine hesitancy via a video-based information intervention does not yield benefits beyond simple text. These results hold across ethnicity and age groups. By contrast, online experiments (N=2,003) soliciting hypothetical responses to the same messages reveal the opposite patterns, underscoring the importance of pilot-testing behavioral nudges in the real world before scaling them up. In the second RCT, we further find that receiving a second reminder boosts appointment and vaccination rates by 52% and 16%, respectively. Our findings suggest that text-based nudges can substantially increase and accelerate COVID-19 vaccinations at almost zero marginal cost, highlighting the promising role of behavioral science in addressing a critical component of the COVID-19 pandemic response. +
++RT-qPCR is used world-wide to test and trace the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Extraction-less or direct RT-PCR is an open-access qualitative method for SARS-CoV-2 detection from nasopharyngeal (NP) or oral pharyngeal (OP) samples with the potential to generate actionable data more quickly, at a lower cost, and with fewer experimental resources than full RT-qPCR. This study engaged ten global testing sites, including laboratories currently experiencing testing limitations due to reagent or equipment shortages, in an international inter-laboratory ring trial. Participating labs were provided a common protocol, common reagents, aliquots of identical pooled clinical samples and purified nucleic acids, and used their existing in-house equipment. We observed 100% concordance across labs in the correct identification of all positive and negative samples, with highly similar Ct values observed. The test also performed well when applied to locally collected patient NP samples, provided the viral transport media did not contain charcoal or guanidine, both of which appeared to potently inhibit the RT-PCR reaction. Our results suggest that open access, direct RT-PCR assays are a feasible option for more efficient COVID-19 testing as demanded by the continuing pandemic. +
++Exposure to atmospheric particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide has been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. We hypothesized that an interaction between SARS-CoV-2 infection and exposure to farming-related atmospheric pollutants worsens the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality. Our objective was investigate this hypothesis by performing an ecological study in five Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Sicily) linking all-cause mortality, by province (administrative entities within regions), to atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4) mainly produced by agricultural activities. Study outcome was change in all-cause mortality during March-April 2020, compared to March-April 2015-2019 (period) as assessed by mortality rate ratios (MRRs) estimated using multivariate negative binomial regression models that adjusted for air temperature, humidity and population density. The MRR for the interaction of period with NH3 exposure, considering all pollutants together was 1.133, equivalent to a 13.3% increase in mortality over and above that due to period (proxy for COVID-19 mortality) for each ton/km2 increase in NH3 emissions. Although the study was ecological, and did not provide evidence of a causal link between SARS-CoV-2 and farming-related pollutants, in accord with the precautionary principle we recommend application of measures to limit NH3 exposure particularly while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. +
++The appearance of the SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 in the UK in late 2020, associated with faster transmission, sparked the need to find effective ways to monitor its spread. The set of mutations that characterise this lineage include a deletion in position 69 and 70 of the spike protein, which is known to be associated with Spike Gene Target Failure (SGTF) in a commonly used three gene diagnostic qPCR assay. The lower cost and faster turnaround times compared to whole genome sequencing make the use of qPCR for monitoring of the variant spread an attractive proposition. However, there are several potential issues with this approach. Here we use 826 SARS-CoV-2 samples collected in a hospital setting as part of the Hospital Onset COVID Infection (HOCI) study where qPCR was used for viral detection, followed by whole genome sequencing (WGS), to identify the factors to consider when using SGTF to infer lineage B.1.1.7 prevalence in a hospital setting, with potential implications for locations where this variant has recently been introduced. +
++The management of pandemics such as COVID-19 requires highly scalable and sensitive viral diagnostics, together with variant identification. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has many attractive features for highly multiplexed testing, however current sequencing-based methods are limited in throughput by early processing steps on individual samples (e.g. RNA extraction and PCR amplification). Here we report a new method, “One-Seq”, that eliminates the current bottlenecks in scalability by enabling early pooling of samples, before any extraction or amplification steps. To enable early pooling, we developed a one-pot reaction for efficient reverse transcription (RT) and upfront barcoding in extraction-free clinical samples, and a “protector” strategy in which carefully designed competing oligonucleotides prevent barcode crosstalk and preserve detection of the high dynamic range of viral load in clinical samples. This method is highly sensitive, achieving a limit of detection (LoD) down to 2.5 genome copy equivalent (gce) in contrived RT samples, 10 gce in multiplexed sequencing, and 2-5 gce with multi-primer detection, suggesting an LoD of 200-500 gce/ml for clinical testing. In clinical specimens, One-Seq showed quantitative viral detection against clinical Ct values with 6 logs of linear dynamic range and detection of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples down to ~360 gce/ml. In addition, One-Seq reports a number of hotspot viral mutations at equal scalability at no extra cost. Scaling up One-Seq would allow a throughput of 100,000-1,000,000 tests per day per single clinical lab, at an estimated amortized reagent cost of $1.5 per test and turn-around time of 7.5-15 hr. +
++Understanding the spread of SARS-CoV-2 provides important insights for control policies such as social-distancing interventions and vaccine delivery in the post-pandemic era. In this work, we take the advantage of action tracking reports of confirmed COVID-19 patients, which contain details regarding the mobility trajectory of a patient, along with the people with whom the patient has interacted, the timing of diagnosis, and personal information (e.g., age and sex). We analyzed reports of 4,410 patients from April 2020 to February 2021 in China, a country where the residents are well-prepared for the “new normal” world following COVID-19 spread. We developed natural language processing (NLP) tools to transform the unstructured text of action-tracking reports to a structured network of social contacts. A SEIR model was built on top of the network, and was able to capture important aspects regarding coronavirus transmissions such as location category, age, sex and socioeconomic status. Our analysis provides important insights for the development of control policies. Under the “new normal” conditions, we find that restaurants, locations less protected by mask-wearing, have a greater risk than any other location categories, including locations where people are present at higher densities (e.g., flight). We find that discouraging railway transports is crucial to avoid another wave of breakout during the Chunyun season (a period of travel in China with extremely high traffic load around the Chinese New Year). By formalizing the challenge of finding the optimal vaccine delivery among various different population groups (e.g., sex, age and socioeconomic groups) as an optimization problem, our analysis helps to maximize the efficiency of vaccine delivery under the general situation of vaccine supply shortage. We are able to reduce the numbers of infections and deaths by 7.4% and 10.5% respectively with vaccine supply for only 1% of the population. Furthermore, with 10% vaccination rate, the numbers of infections and deaths further decrease by 52.6% and 78.1% respectively. Our work will be helpful in the design of effective policies regarding interventions, reopening, contact tracing and vaccine delivery in the “new normal” world following COVID-19 spread. +
++Abstract Objective To quantify occupational risks of Covid-19 among healthcare staff during the first wave of the pandemic in England Methods Using pseudonymised data on 902,813 individuals continuously employed by 191 National Health Service trusts during 1.1.19 to 31.7.20, we explored demographic and occupational risk factors for sickness absence ascribed to Covid-19 during 9.3.20 to 31.7.20 (n = 92,880). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) by multivariate logistic regression. Results With adjustment for employing trust, demographic characteristics, and previous frequency of sickness absence, risk relative to administrative/clerical occupations was highest in additional clinical services (a group that included care assistants) (OR 2.31), registered nursing and midwifery professionals (OR 2.28) and allied health professionals (OR 1.94), and intermediate in doctors and dentists (OR 1.55). Differences in risk were higher after the employing trust had started to care for documented Covid-19 patients, and were reduced, but not eliminated, following additional adjustment for exposure to infected patients or materials, assessed by a job-exposure matrix. For prolonged Covid-19 sickness absence (episodes lasting >14 days), the variation in risk by staff group was somewhat greater. Conclusions After allowance for possible bias and confounding by non-occupational exposures, we estimated that relative risks for Covid-19 among most patient-facing occupations were between 1.5 and 2.5. The highest risks were in those working in additional clinical services, nursing and midwifery and in allied health professions. Better protective measures for these staff groups should be a priority. Covid-19 may meet criteria for compensation as an occupational disease in some healthcare occupations. +
++Background and Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifests as multiple clinical and pathological organ dysfunctions. It also disrupts metabolic profile due to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines causing a systemic inflammation reaction. However, the development and correlation of dyslipidemia with acute phase reactants is unknown. This investigation was performed to assess the pathological alterations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in COVID-19 patients. Methods This was a prospective study performed on real-world patients to assess serum levels of LDL-C, HDL, TG, TC on COVID-19 patients (mild: 319; moderate: 391; critical: 357) hospitalized at our center between April 2020 through January 2021. Age- and gender-matched controls who had their lipid profiles in the same period were included as the control group. Results LDL-C, HDL, TG, and TC levels were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients when compared with the control group (P < 0.001, 0.047, 0.045, < 0.001, respectively). All parameters decreased gradually with COVID-19 disease severity (LDL-C: median (IQR), mild: 98 (91,134); moderate: 97 (81,113); critical: 68 (68,83); HDL: mild: 45 (37,50); moderate: 46 (41,50); critical: 40 (37,46); TG: mild: 186 (150,245); moderate: 156 (109,198); critical: 111 (98,154); TC: mild: 224 (212,238); moderate: 212 (203,213); critical: 154 (125,187)). LDL-C, TC, and TG were inversely correlated with acute phase reactants (interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimers). Logistic regression demonstrated lipid profile, thyroid profile, and acute phase reactants as predictors of severity of COVID-19 disease. Conclusion Hypolipidemia develops in increasing frequency with severe COVID-19 disease. It inversely correlates with levels of acute-phase reactants, indicating SARS-COV-2 as the causative agent for alteration in lipid and thyroid levels. +
+Clinical Study in the Treatment of Patients With Moderate Course of COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: COVID-globulin; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Microgen
Not yet recruiting
Rehabilitation for Patients With Persistent Symptoms Post COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Other: Concentrated rehabilitation for patients with persistent symptoms post COVID-19
Sponsors: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; Helse-Bergen HF
Recruiting
A Nurse-Community Health Worker-Family Partnership Model: Addressing Uptake of COVID-19 Testing and Control Measures - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Nurse-Community-Family Partnership Intervention
Sponsor: New York University
Not yet recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of Three Different Doses of an Anti SARS-CoV-2 Hyperimmune Equine Serum in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: Anti SARS-CoV-2 equine hyperimmune serum; Biological: placebo
Sponsors: Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social; Universidad de Costa Rica; Ministry of Health Costa Rica
Not yet recruiting
Viral Clearance, PK and Tolerability of Ensovibep in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: ensovibep
Sponsor: Molecular Partners AG
Recruiting
A Clinical Study Evaluating Inhaled Aviptadil on COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Inhaled Aviptadil; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Centurion Pharma; Klinar CRO
Recruiting
Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Inactivated ERUCOV-VAC Compared With Placebo in COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: ERUCOV-VAC 3 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Biological: ERUCOV-VAC 6 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Other: Placebo
Sponsors: Health Institutes of Turkey; Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Coordination
Recruiting
ACTIV-3b: Therapeutics for Severely Ill Inpatients With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: Remdesivir; Drug: Remdesivir placebo; Biological: VIP; Drug: VIP Placebo; Drug: Corticosteroid
Sponsors: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT); University of Copenhagen; Medical Research Council; Kirby Institute; Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center; AIDS Clinical Trials Group; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); US Department of Veterans Affairs; Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL); Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN); NeuroRx, Inc.
Not yet recruiting
The Effects of a Multi-factorial Rehabilitation Program for Healthcare Workers Suffering From Post-COVID-19 Fatigue Syndrome - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Exercise
Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna
Recruiting
A Dose Finding, Efficacy and Safety Study of Ensovibep (MP0420) in Ambulatory Adult Patients With Symptomatic COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: ensovibep; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Molecular Partners AG; Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Iqvia Pty Ltd; Datamap; SYNLAB Analytics & Services Switzerland AG; Q2 Solutions
Not yet recruiting
Vitamin D, Omega-3, and Combination Vitamins B, C and Zinc Supplementation for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D; Dietary Supplement: Omega DHA / EPA; Dietary Supplement: Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex and Zinc Acetate
Sponsors: Hospital de la Soledad; Microclinic International
Recruiting
Safety and Immunogenicity of the Inactivated Koçak-19 Inaktif Adjuvanlı COVID-19 Vaccine Compared to Placebo - Condition: COVID-19 Vaccine
Interventions: Biological: Koçak-19 Inaktif Adjuvanlı COVID-19 Vaccine 4 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Biological: Koçak-19 Inaktif Adjuvanlı COVID-19 Vaccine 6 µg/0.5 ml Vaccine; Biological: Placebo
Sponsor: Kocak Farma
Recruiting
The Impact of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as an Immunomodulation on the Risk Reduction of COVID-19 Disease Progression With Escalating Cytokine Storm and Inflammatory Parameters - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Human fecal microbiota, MBiotix HBI; Drug: Placebo; Drug: SOC
Sponsors: Medical University of Warsaw; Human Biome Institute, Poland
Not yet recruiting
Study on Sequential Immunization of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Ad5 Vector) and RBD-based Protein Subunit Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: recombinant Ad5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine; Biological: RBD-based protein subunit vaccine (ZF2001) against COVID-19; Biological: trivalent split influenza vaccine
Sponsor: Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Recruiting
Total-Body Parametric 18F-FDG PET of COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: uEXPLORER/mCT
Sponsor: University of California, Davis
Recruiting
C5aR inhibition of non-immune cells suppresses inflammation and maintains epithelial integrity in SARS-CoV-2-infected primary human airway epithelia - CONCLUSION: Crucially, we illustrate here for the first time, that targeting the anaphylotoxin receptors C3aR and C5aR in non-immune respiratory cells can prevent intrinsic lung inflammation and tissue damage. This opens up the exciting possibility in the treatment of COVID-19.
Hypoxic and pharmacological activation of HIF inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of lung epithelial cells - COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is a global health issue with more than 2 million fatalities to date. Viral replication is shaped by the cellular microenvironment, and one important factor to consider is oxygen tension, in which hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) regulates transcriptional responses to hypoxia. SARS-CoV-2 primarily infects cells of the respiratory tract, entering via its spike glycoprotein binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). We demonstrate that…
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT): targeting pathomechanisms with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors - A series of cases with rare thromboembolic incidents including cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (some of them fatal) and concomitant thrombocytopenia occurring shortly after vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 (Vaxzevria) has caused significant concern and led to its temporary suspension in many countries. Immediate laboratory efforts in four of these patients have identified a tentative pathomechanism underlying this syndrome termed vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia…
Mendelian randomisation identifies alternative splicing of the FAS death receptor as a mediator of severe COVID-19 - Severe COVID-19 is characterised by immunopathology and epithelial injury. Proteomic studies have identified circulating proteins that are biomarkers of severe COVID-19, but cannot distinguish correlation from causation. To address this, we performed Mendelian randomisation (MR) to identify proteins that mediate severe COVID-19. Using protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) data from the SCALLOP consortium, involving meta-analysis of up to 26,494 individuals, and COVID-19 genome-wide association…
Structural basis for broad sarbecovirus neutralization by a human monoclonal antibody - The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and the recurrent spillovers of coronaviruses in the human population highlight the need for broadly neutralizing antibodies that are not affected by the ongoing antigenic drift and that can prevent or treat future zoonotic infections. Here, we describe a human monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated S2×259, recognizing a highly conserved cryptic receptor-binding domain (RBD) epitope and cross-reacting with spikes from all sarbecovirus…
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase by nucleotide analogs: a single molecule perspective - The nucleotide analog Remdesivir (RDV) is the only FDA-approved antiviral therapy to treat infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The physical basis for efficient utilization of RDV by SARS-CoV-2 polymerase is unknown. Here, we characterize the impact of RDV and other nucleotide analogs on RNA synthesis by the polymerase using a high-throughput, single-molecule, magnetic-tweezers platform. The location of the modification in the ribose or in the base dictates…
A repurposed drug screen identifies compounds that inhibit the binding of the COVID-19 spike protein to ACE2 - Repurposed drugs that block the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its receptor ACE2 could offer a rapid route to novel COVID-19 treatments or prophylactics. Here, we screened 2701 compounds from a commercial library of drugs approved by international regulatory agencies for their ability to inhibit the binding of recombinant, trimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to recombinant human ACE2. We identified 56 compounds that inhibited binding by <90%, measured the EC (50) of binding…
Regulation of the Dimerization and Activity of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease through Reversible Glutathionylation of Cysteine 300 - SARS-CoV-2 encodes main protease (Mpro), an attractive target for therapeutic interventions. We show Mpro is susceptible to glutathionylation leading to inhibition of dimerization and activity. Activity of glutathionylated Mpro could be restored with reducing agents or glutaredoxin. Analytical studies demonstrated that glutathionylated Mpro primarily exists as a monomer and that a single modification with glutathione is sufficient to block dimerization and loss of activity. Proteolytic…
Nitric Oxide to Fight Viral Infections - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has quickly and deeply affected the world, with over 60 million confirmed cases. There has been a great effort worldwide to contain the virus and to search for an effective treatment for patients who become critically ill with COVID-19. A promising therapeutic compound currently undergoing clinical trials for COVID-19 is nitric oxide (NO), which is a free…
Identification of Potential Peptide Inhibitors of ACE-2 Target of SARS-CoV-2 from Buckwheat & Quinoa - It is well established fact that peptides from various foods offer human health benefits displaying diverse functionalities. Millets considered as super foods is a major alternative in recent days for traditional diet being rich in proteins and fibre along with trace minerals and vitamins. In this connection, proteins from Buckwheat and Quinoa were digested by in vitro simulation digestion for the generation of peptides, analyzed by nLC-MS/MS and the functional annotations of the identified…
In silico investigation of potential small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp10-nsp16 methyltransferase complex - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in an international health emergency. The SARS-CoV-2 nsp16 is an S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase, and with its cofactor nsp10, is responsible for RNA cap formation. This study aimed to identify small molecules binding to the SAM-binding site of the nsp10-nsp16 heterodimer for potential inhibition of methyltransferase activity. By screening a library of 300 compounds, 30 compounds were selected based on binding…
Human Cathelicidin Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Killing Two Birds with One Stone - SARS-CoV-2 infection begins with the association of its spike 1 (S1) protein with host angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). Targeting the interaction between S1 and ACE2 is a practical strategy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Herein, we show encouraging results indicating that human cathelicidin LL37 can simultaneously block viral S1 and cloak ACE2. LL37 binds to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of S1 with high affinity (11.2 nM) and decreases subsequent recruitment of ACE2. Owing to the RBD…
Validation of the VIRSeek SARS-CoV-2 Mplex assay for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 on Stainless Steel surfaces: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 122006 - CONCLUSIONS: Results of the inclusivity and exclusivity study show that the assay is specific for detection SARS-CoV-2. The POD study showed no statistically significant difference compared to the CDC reference method, results were identical for the uninoculated and the high level. For the fractional recovery level, the candidate method detected 9/17 samples leading to a POD of 0.47, the reference method detected 11/20 samples leading to a POD of 0.55.
Potential antiviral activity of isorhamnetin against SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudotyped virus in vitro - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths are still rising worldwide, there is currently no effective treatment for severe inflammation and acute lung injury caused by new coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) infection. Therapies to prevent or treat COVID-19, including antiviral drug and several vaccines, are still being development. Human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), expressing in lung, has been confirmed to be a receptor for SARS-COV-2 infection, interventions for attachment of spike…
Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors possess potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus - EK1 peptide is a membrane fusion inhibitor with broad-spectrum activity against human coronaviruses (CoVs). In the outbreak of COVID-19, we generated a lipopeptide EK1V1 by modifying EK1 with cholesterol, which exhibited significantly improved antiviral activity. In this study, we surprisingly found that EK1V1 also displayed potent cross-inhibitory activities against divergent HIV-1, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolates. Consistently, the recently reported EK1 derivative EK1C4…
5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II) - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - link
USING CLINICAL ONTOLOGIES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE BASED CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) WITH THE ADOPTION OF TELECONFERENCING FOR THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES/SATELLITE CLINICS OF ROYAL OMAN POLICE IN SULTANATE OF OMAN - - link
Peptides and their use in diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection - - link
A PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF COVID 19 POSITIVE PATIENTS - - link
IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2 - IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2Insilico screening of antimycobacterial natural compounds with the potential to directly inhibit SARS COV2 relates to the composition for treating SARS-COV-2 comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The composition also treats treating SARS, Ebola, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis–C comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. - link
+Anordnung zum Versprühen einer Substanz in die menschliche Mundhöhle und/oder in den Rachen oder zum Trinken, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Anordnung eine Flasche mit einer Substanz aufweist, die wenigstens Aroniasaft und eine Alkoholkomponente aufweist und einen Sprühkopf besitzt. +
+INTERFASE ANTIBACTERIANA Y VIRICIDA PARA VENTILACION MECANICA NO INVASIVA - - link
一种用于检测新型冠状病毒COVID-19的引物组及试剂盒 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域,特别是涉及一种用于检测冠状病毒的引物组及试剂盒,所述引物组包括以下中的一对或多对:外侧引物对:所述外侧引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:1所示的上游引物F3和如SEQ ID NO:2所示的下游引物B3;内侧引物对:所述内侧引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:3所示的上游引物FIP和如SEQ ID NO:4所示的下游引物BIP;环引物对:所述环引物对包括如SEQ ID NO:5所示的上游引物LF和如SEQ ID NO:6所示的下游引物LB。试剂盒包括所述引物组。本发明在一个管中整合了RT‑LAMP和CRISPR,能依据两次颜色变化检测病毒和各种靶标核酸。 - link
新冠病毒中和性抗体检测试剂盒 - 本发明提供一种新冠病毒中和性抗体检测试剂盒。所述试剂盒基于BAS‑HTRF技术,主要包含:生物素标记的hACE2、新冠病毒棘突蛋白RBD‑Tag1、能量供体Streptavidin‑Eu cryptate、能量受体MAb Anti‑Tag1‑d2和新冠病毒中和性抗体。本发明将BAS和HTRF两种技术相结合,用于筛选新型冠状病毒中和性抗体,3小时内即可实现筛选,且操作简单,无需经过多次洗板过程。BAS和HTRF联用大大提升了反应灵敏度,且两种体系都能最大限度地减少非特异的干扰,适用于血清样品的检测。该方法可实现高通量检测,对解决大批量样品的新冠病毒中和性抗体的检测具有重要意义。 - link
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Infektionsschutzmaske (1) zum Schutz vor Übertragung von Infektionskrankheiten mit einer Außen - und einer Innenseite (2,3) sowie Haltemitteln (5) zum Befestigen der Infektionsschutzmaske (1) am Kopf eines Maskenträgers, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an der Infektionsschutzmaske (1) mindestens eine Testoberfläche (6) zum Nachweis von Auslösern einer Infektionskrankheit derart angeordnet ist, dass diese bei korrekt angelegter Infektionsschutzmaske (1) mit der Ausatemluft des Maskenträgers unmittelbar in Kontakt gelangt.
The Shooting of Daunte Wright and the Meaning of George Floyd’s Death - How much has changed since the events of last spring? - link
The Union Battle at Amazon Is Far from Over - Drives to organize steelworkers and autoworkers took decades but ultimately succeeded. - link
The Grim Compassion of Searching for Missing Migrants in the Desert - The humanitarian volunteer group Águilas del Desierto searches the hostile land near the U.S.-Mexico border for those who have disappeared. - link
What Will It Take to Pandemic-Proof America? - When the next virus strikes, we’ll look back on this moment as an opportunity that we either seized or squandered. - link
Biden Finally Got to Say No to the Generals - Critics be damned, the President is ending the Forever War waged by Bush, Obama, and Trump in Afghanistan. - link
+Biden’s long Senate history is looming over his administration’s next big legislative push. +
++Long-serving US senators have known President Joe Biden for decades. Lately, the most moderate ones are trying to reconcile two Joe Bidens. +
++There is Sen. Joe Biden, who, over the course of a 36-year Senate career, was an evangelist of bipartisanship and compromise — a theme he talked about consistently throughout his 2020 campaign for president. Then there is President Joe Biden, who welcomes comparisons to New Deal progressive Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with policy ambitions to match. +
++Biden’s presidency so far is decidedly more progressive than the one he campaigned on during the Democratic presidential primary, a shift prompted by Biden watching the nation weather multiple economic crises. The president’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill included $1,400 checks to most Americans, an expanded child tax credit, and $130 billion toward reopening schools, among many other things. White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently bragged it was “the most progressive bill in American history.” But the bill passed without a single Republican vote, and Republicans on the Hill say the White House didn’t really try to get them. +
++This came to the fore last week when reporters asked Biden about the Covid-19 bill negotiations with moderate Senate Republicans that faded out quickly. +
++“They started off at $600 billion and that was it,” Biden told reporters last week. “If they’d come forward with a plan that the bulk of it was $1 billion, three or four, two or three, that allowed me to have pieces of all that was in there, I would have been prepared to compromise, but they didn’t. They didn’t move an inch. Not an inch.” +
++As Biden’s administration begins conversations with lawmakers on the president’s potentially transformative investment of $2 trillion in infrastructure and jobs, the legacy of Sen. Biden looms large. Senators sometimes prefer to hear from Biden himself rather than his staff. On the other hand, an off-the-cuff comment from the president can also rile up Republicans, as it did last week. +
++“I continue to believe that President Biden wants a bipartisan approach,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told Vox in a statement. “He served for decades in the Senate, and he was involved in numerous successful bipartisan negotiations. I have no reason to believe that his entire philosophy has changed, but I do think that there is a lot of pressure on him from his staff and from outside far-left groups. +
++“I would urge him to remember his past successes in negotiating bipartisan bills both as a senator and then later as vice president,” she added. +
++Some Democrats find this criticism from Republicans a little rich after the Trump administration. A senior Democratic aide said the current White House outreach is collaborative, especially compared to President Donald Trump’s legislative outreach, which the aide described as “nationally televised hostage meetings where he’d talk about border stuff or guns.” +
+ ++The aide, who is familiar with conversations between congressional leadership and the White House, described frequent contact from the president, White House chief of staff Ron Klain, and members of the president’s Office of Legislative Affairs, run by Louisa Terrell. +
++“It would be unfair for us to say we’re not being heard out because we are,” the aide said. “It doesn’t mean we’re winning every argument.” +
++Democrats are determined to go big on infrastructure. But razor-thin Democratic majorities in the House and Senate mean there could be limits to what they can get done using budget reconciliation. Democratic leaders want to pass a bill by July 4. The hitch in this plan is that moderate Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia want Senate Republicans on board, which could mean compromising that bold vision quite a bit. +
++How big the next federal investment in America is may rest on whether President Joe Biden or Sen. Joe Biden comes to the negotiating table. +
++Republicans are in the minority in both chambers of Congress, which means Democrats need every vote they have to pass the next budget reconciliation bill. +
++But several moderate Senate Democrats, including Manchin and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-DE), want to try to work with the GOP on infrastructure first. +
++White House staff and key Cabinet members have been doing a lot of outreach to Democrats and Republicans alike on Capitol Hill; key Cabinet secretaries have made 27 calls to members, including seven Republicans. And the White House legislative affairs team has made around 139 calls to members, chiefs of staff, and staff directors, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Out of 99 calls to the House, 35 were to Republicans; out of 40 calls to the Senate, 15 were to Republicans. +
++Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, one of the main Cabinet secretaries leading discussions with members, said that the main disagreements between Democrats and Republicans on infrastructure are the scale of the plan and how to pay for it. Biden’s pay-for proposal is raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, which many Republicans see as an undoing of their 2017 tax cut bill. Republicans are also poised to unveil their own infrastructure counteroffer, the price tag of which could be $600 billion to $800 billion and be paid for using a gas tax or other mileage fees. +
++“Most of the dialogue we’re having is around how we’re going to pay for it, and we’re really eager to hear the alternative suggestions for how to pay for it,” Buttigieg said. +
++Some Republicans are wondering how serious Democrats are about making a deal. +
+ + ++“The question before us is this: Is this outreach the beginning of a true negotiation, or is the administration so wedded to the details of its plan, including its exorbitant top line, that these are just courtesy briefings?” Collins, a leader of a group of 10 moderate Republican senators, with her own long working relationship with Biden, told Vox in a statement. +
++Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), echoed Collins in comments to Alaska Public Media reporter Liz Ruskin, saying she is concerned the White House and congressional Democrats are going well beyond the scope of fixing roads and bridges in their plan. +
++“If you’re advertising this as ‘this is an infrastructure package,’ let’s be honest about what we’re talking about,” Murkowski told Ruskin. “If this is going to be a significant stimulus bill, on top of an already significant stimulus bill that we saw with the American Rescue Plan, then let’s label it for what it is.” +
++White House overtures to moderate Republicans may have also been complicated by Biden’s own recent comments. When he defended his decision to go it alone on the Covid-19 relief package, it incensed the group of moderate Republicans, including Sens. Collins, Murkowski, and Mitt Romney (UT). A few hours later, the 10 senators released a statement saying it was the president, not them, who refused to budge. +
++“The Administration roundly dismissed our effort as wholly inadequate in order to justify its go-it-alone strategy,” the group said in a statement, pointing out that they viewed their $618 billion proposal as a starting point to negotiate with Biden, later raising it to $650 billion. +
++As Collins and other Republicans who have personal relationships with Biden are holding out some hope that the White House will come to the table with them, some Republican staffers on Capitol Hill are more skeptical. +
++“Briefing senators on a fully-baked package is not negotiating with them,” one Republican aide told Vox. “It also doesn’t make what you’re pretending to sell them ‘bipartisan.’” +
++Biden is well aware that the US Senate was designed to curb the ambitions of presidents; he wrote about the institution with reverence in his 2007 autobiography Promises to Keep. +
++“The Senate was designed to play this independent and moderating role, and it is a solemn duty and responsibility that transcends the partisan disputes of any day or any decade,” Biden wrote in his book. But several things happened between then and now to further shape Biden and his staff’s views of the same institution. +
+ ++As vice president, Biden saw that former President Barack Obama’s repeated attempts to work with GOP leadership on the Hill were often roundly dismissed. Biden was himself dispatched several times to try to strike deals with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who was intent on making Obama a “one-term president.” Early on in his presidency, as Obama was en route to the Capitol to meet with Republicans to get them on board with a stimulus bill to save the economy from crisis, House Republican leadership sent out a message to their members telling them to vote against any proposal. +
++Then, during Obamacare negotiations, Senate Democrats and Obama administration officials were met with repeated no’s from even the most moderate Republicans. As Ezra Klein and Sarah Kliff detailed for Vox in 2017: +
++++There wasn’t even a counteroffer to reject — the Senate’s moderate Republicans never laid out the price of their support. One reason there was no counteroffer? The GOP’s Senate leadership wanted to make sure there would be no agreement. +
+
+“On most issues, that wasn’t productive, because Sen. McConnell wasn’t interested in finding common ground,” Obama’s legislative affairs director Phil Schiliro told me in an interview last year. +
++Biden’s presidency has been met with even less good faith. His inauguration was preceded by the January 6 insurrection and the 147 Republican lawmakers who still refused to certify the election after bloodshed in the nation’s Capitol. Many Democrats, particularly in the House, started the new congressional session downright angry and suspicious of their Republican colleagues. +
++“The fact they voted the way they did after the horror fundamentally forces you to recalibrate the relationship,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) told me outside the House chamber. “You’re no longer just my political adversary or colleague of the other side, you actually aligned yourself with the people who want to kill me. So I now see you differently, I kind of see you as a threat to my personal well-being and [that of] my family and my staff.” +
++The Biden White House is already signaling that they care more about what Republican voters think, compared to Republicans in Congress. Their Covid-19 relief package remains extremely popular with voters, no matter their political party. And while the White House is pointing to polls showing infrastructure is also popular, CNN’s Harry Enten pointed out that an average of polls showed around 54 percent voter approval for a big infrastructure package, a good 12 percentage points lower than the approval average for the already-passed Covid-19 bill. +
++“If you looked up ‘bipartisan’ in the dictionary, I think it would say support from Republicans and Democrats,” Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn told the Washington Post. “It doesn’t say the Republicans have to be in Congress.” +
++Republicans have a limited amount of time to try and make a deal before Democrats forge ahead with budget reconciliation. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), one of Biden’s close allies in the Senate, told Punchbowl News that Democrats don’t want bipartisan negotiations with Republicans to drag on for months. +
++“If we get to Memorial Day and there isn’t a clear ‘this group of Republicans is working on this menu with these pay-fors on this timeline,’ I think Democrats just roll it up into a big package and move it,” Coons said. “Is President Biden willing to wait until Labor Day for us to come together around some perfect bipartisan infrastructure package? No. Is he willing to wait until the Fourth of July? Maybe.” +
++The Biden administration very well may be more intent on making sure it has enough Democratic votes to pass a big bill through budget reconciliation, rather than getting the requisite 10 Republican votes for a watered-down version. +
++The key partners for Biden in this endeavor are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer recently told Vox’s Li Zhou he has Klain’s number memorized, and that the White House is “very open to discussing things with us early on, to be available and accessible.” +
++House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told Vox that frequent conversations with the White House have been “a really good part of this administration.” +
++“We’re constantly talking to people in all arenas of the White House, from the Economic Council to the Domestic Policy Council to the White House chief of staff to others involved with key priorities we’re interested in,” Jayapal said. “It’s been a great and productive relationship to share our ideas and make our priorities known as soon as possible.” +
++Progressives in Jayapal’s wing of the party are already calling for a bigger bill. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and a number of other progressive lawmakers are calling for $10 trillion in spending over the next decade, and saying Biden’s proposed number falls short of the New Deal-style vision they were hoping for. +
++Meanwhile, a group of Democrats in the House representing blue states like California, New York, and New Jersey want to insert a regressive tax deduction known as the state and local tax credit into Biden’s tax plan. Others don’t want to give up on bipartisanship just yet. +
++Sen. Joe Manchin isn’t alone in his desire to work with Republicans. Sen. Carper, a moderate from Biden’s home state of Delaware and chair of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, has a close working relationship with the committee’s ranking Republican, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, and he wants to move forward with a bipartisan water infrastructure bill and five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill. +
++But moderate Democrats shouldn’t be holding their breath; McConnell vowed his 50-member caucus wouldn’t vote for Biden’s infrastructure plan without drastic changes. And even the most moderate Republicans are skeptical of an infrastructure bill that doubles as a bold climate bill and contains $400 billion for long-term care workers and home health aides, an exclusionary zoning ban, and strong protections for unions. +
++Biden might make a bet that as long as the bill is popular enough, voters won’t care if it stretches the traditional definition of “infrastructure.” +
+Get your air filter ready — wildfire season is likely to start early this year. +
++Just as the freshly vaccinated start to resume barbecues and vacation travel in the coming months, wildfires are likely to force residents of Western states back inside. +
++The warning signs are written in the parched landscape from New Mexico to California. This time last year, 27 percent of the West was in drought — now that has risen to 76 percent, turning forests into matchsticks. +
++With the pandemic dominating headlines, the severe drought has gotten little attention. “This one threatens to catch people by surprise who are exhausted by the events of the past year,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Los Angeles. +
++But this latest episode in a two-decade megadrought is precisely what scientists like Swain have been warning about: Rising temperatures from climate change are making droughts more frequent and severe and increasing the likelihood of extended megadroughts. Heightened dryness, in turn, is contributing to an increased risk of wildfires. +
++These trends threaten all Western states, but California faces uniquely severe fire impacts due to its dry summers and population density. Here’s what the state and the rest of the Western US should be bracing for in the coming months and how you can start preparing. +
++Before we talk about how bad this fire season could get, it’s important to understand just how severe the current drought is. It started building last year when California experienced light winter precipitation and the Southwest had a weak summer rainy season, which typically brings strong monsoon thunderstorms. At the same time, intense heat waves rolled through the whole region. +
++“If I had to pinpoint one thing that really drove the drought to where we are right now, it was the heat of last summer,” Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the University of Nebraska’s National Drought Mitigation Center, told Vox in March. These high summer temperatures evaporated the moisture from the soil, further drying out vegetation. +
++Then, over the past few months, the typical rainy season in California once again came up short. This was due, in part, to La Niña — a weather pattern that occurs roughly every few years when cooler eastern Pacific ocean surface temperatures shift the trade winds, driving storms farther north. +
++But this drought is also being driven by larger climate trends. Scientists say that it is part of a megadrought — a decades-long dry spell, punctuated by severe droughts. This current megadrought began around 2000, and the majority of the land in the West has been at some level of drought ever since. +
++And this striking drought bears the fingerprints of climate change. Using tree ring data, a study published in Science in April 2020 found that “anthropogenic warming was critical for placing 2000–2018 on a trajectory consistent with the most severe past megadroughts,” and that megadrought has extended to today. +
++This fits in with a grim picture laid out by the latest National Climate Assessment, authored by 13 US federal agencies in 2018. Rising temperatures will increase the likelihood of megadroughts in the Southwest and make droughts more frequent and severe, according to the scientific literature cited. +
++As the latest drought episode within the larger megadrought has deepened, it has left plants and trees desiccated. And the biggest problem is forests. +
++“When talking about forest fires, for example, the link between dryness and more frequent and severe fires is just crystal clear,” said Swain. +
++In some ecosystems, the grass and brush growth will be stunted by the lack of moisture, creating less fuel for fires to burn. But that’s only a small silver lining, Swain said, because forests dominate land cover in the West. +
++The chart below shows how dire the situation has become this year. The current level of vegetation flammability in northern California (blue line) is at near the maximum levels recorded for this time of year (red line). +
+++Following an exceptionally dry winter (and a record hot autumn & v. dry 2020), vegetation flammability across northern California is at/near record levels for the date (early April) & is approaching levels more typical of mid-summer (late July) levels in some areas. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/sUxhDTkZWn +
+— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) April 5, 2021 +
+In its April 1 seasonal fire outlook, the National Interagency Fire Center predicted that these dry materials are going to cause significant problems for the West — and soon. The drought will bring up the start date for fire seasons, they wrote. +
++As the map below shows, the worst of the drought has been concentrated in the Southwest so far, and that’s where the fire danger will spike soonest. A wildfire spanning more than 500 acres already broke out north of Tucson, Arizona, last week. +
+ ++The Fire Center projects that the Southwest will see above-average fire potential through June until the monsoon (hopefully) arrives. But the region might still get relief from summer monsoon rains, whereas the coming months tend to be dry in central and northern California. +
++Starting in June, they project that parts of the Pacific Northwest will see heightened fire risk and then the fire season will pick up in California in July. +
++The rapid melting of California’s snowpack is laying the groundwork for the early arrival of fires. Data from a snow survey on April 1 showed that the water content in Sierra Nevada snow was only 59 percent of the average. And the snow is melting quickly — the chart below shows that this year’s water content levels (dark blue line) are well below average (aqua blue) and dropping across all three regions of the state to levels typically seen around mid- to late May. With snow disappearing sooner, higher-elevation landscapes will be at a greater risk of fires, the Washington Post reported. +
++++With extremely dry conditions continuing across California, Sierra Nevada snow water equivalent has begun to fall rapidly in recent days. The seasonal peak in Feb was a modest 75% of average, but it’s now down to 46% statewide and southern Sierra is down to 30%. #CAwx #CAwater pic.twitter.com/qnXg2WsSoh +
+— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) April 9, 2021 +
+The wildfire risk is serious across the West, but California faces a unique set of threats: “a combination of climate and vegetation and intersection with highly populous areas that makes California sort of uniquely prominent in the wildfire impacts realm,” Swain said. And as the state continues to dry out and the winds pick up in the fall, the risks will continue to build. +
+ ++Even with dry landscape inviting fires, the ultimate severity of the fire season is hard to predict. For one thing, because the vast majority of wildfires are human-caused, where those sparks are ignited will shape how damaging the fires are. But wind, heat, and other variables will also play a role — as last year highlighted. +
++It was a rash of rare dry lightning that set off the major blazes that hit California in late August. Coupled with a record warm August and dry winds, the fire season escalated quickly to record levels. “Last August and then into September, every single possible factor came together in the worst possible way,” said Swain. +
++It’s unlikely that we will see the same level of destruction this year, but not impossible, he said. +
++However, Swain also cautioned that the number of acres burned shouldn’t be the sole criterion for how severe a fire season is. Western states actually have a major backlog of land that needs to be burned, due to the history of limiting the use of fire to manage forests (“prescribed burning”) — an approach that American Indians have historically practiced. +
++“The goal is not to vanquish fire from the landscape. The goal really should be to decouple wildfire from catastrophe,” he said. Therefore, he suggests we judge our management of fires by their impact on structures and human health, rather than just acres burned. +
+ ++Just two weeks ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a deal to allocate $536 million to help the state manage wildfires by staffing up fire crews, thinning forests, and hardening homes to withstand fires. Newsom has proposed a total of $1 billion in spending on fire management this year. +
++“This is a good start, but this is only Year One,” Michael Wara, the director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment, told the Los Angeles Times. “We need sustained funding at this scale and maybe even larger for a decade.” +
++With the fire season rapidly approaching, residents of Western states can get ahead of the smoke by dusting off their air filters, stocking up on N95 respirator masks, and consulting this preparation checklist from the Environmental Protection Agency. In the meantime, it’s a good time to get outside before the fire season truly descends upon us again… +
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++The high costs of long-term care impacts everyone. Democrats and Republican voters want Biden to do something about it. +
++A $400 billion investment into senior care and long-term caregiving in President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan may not fall into a traditional definition of “infrastructure,” but it’s one of the most popular provisions in the plan among Democratic and Republican voters alike, according to new polling from Vox and Data for Progress. +
++The new poll, which surveyed 1,217 likely voters about various provisions of Biden’s $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan and has a 3 percentage point margin of error, showed that Biden’s investment to improve and lower the cost of long-term care for seniors and those with disabilities has broad support — 73 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat backed the proposal. +
+ ++This provision enjoys strong support from voters across parties: 88 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of independents, and 55 percent of Republicans support the idea. +
++A partisan debate over what exactly constitutes infrastructure is underway in Congress, with Republicans sticking to a more traditional definition of roads, bridges, airports, and broadband. But the findings of the Vox and Data for Progress poll show that some provisions like increased funding to make long-term care more affordable are popular with voters across party lines. +
++Specifically, Biden’s plan calls for expanding long-term care under Medicaid, increasing access to home and community-based services, and giving more people the chance to receive care at home. The Biden administration’s plan aims to increase the quality of caregiving jobs and offer home health workers more chances to unionize and increase their wages. +
++This wide swath of support underscores that the high cost of long-term care impacts many families across the country. With a large, aging population of baby boomers and expensive long-term care that doesn’t get covered by insurance, many families in the United States are scrambling to either pay for care or care for their loved ones themselves. And caregivers — many of whom are Black and brown women — are often underpaid and work long hours caring for patients. +
++Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents many long-term care workers and home health aides, told Vox she sees Biden including caregiving in a wide-ranging infrastructure and jobs plan as a potential “sea change” for the profession, and for patients. +
++Biden “is putting a stake in the ground about how we need as a nation to view caregiving as [being as] valuable as building roads and bridges,” Henry told Vox in a recent interview. +
++Overall, the American Jobs Plan enjoys broad support among likely voters, according to the Vox and Data for Progress poll. +
+ ++Sixty-eight percent of all likely voters strongly or somewhat support the American Jobs Plan, compared to 25 percent who strongly or somewhat oppose it. Support for the bill is very strong among Democrats and independent voters; 88 percent of Democrats support the plan, and 69 percent of independents support it. Republican voters are more evenly split, with 41 percent supporting the plan and 50 percent opposing it. +
++While the bulk of Biden’s plan is focused on rebuilding America’s roads and bridges, increasing manufacturing, and installing broadband, there are a number of other popular provisions in the plan, the polling found. +
++For instance, Biden’s proposal to eliminate all lead pipes and service lines from the nation’s drinking water systems is supported by 75 percent of all likely voters, and draws support from voters across party lines. +
+ ++Eighty-seven percent of Democrats support removing lead pipes from water systems, as do 74 percent of independents and 60 percent of Republicans. Cities and homes built before 1986 are most likely to have lead pipes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. An estimated 9.2 million homes are serviced with lead pipes, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, and lead seeping into water from corroded pipes can be especially harmful to children’s health. +
++In addition to supporting removing lead pipes from drinking water, the majority of voters also support Biden investing $100 billion into the US power sector to modernize the electric grid and put the US on a path to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035. +
+ ++But unlike the long-term care and lead pipe proposals, support for this provision is more divided along partisan lines. It’s supported by 84 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of independents, while a majority of Republicans oppose it. +
++Even though the majority of Republican voters oppose a clean electricity standard, they feel differently about electrifying the US Postal Service fleet, which is another provision in Biden’s American Jobs Plan to help decarbonize the federal government’s vehicle fleets. +
+ ++Eighty percent of Democrats support that provision, as do 62 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans. +
++The American Jobs Plan still has several weeks before lawmakers turn it into legislative text, and more months before it could be passed through the House and Senate. But several of the president’s provisions that may not be considered “traditional” infrastructure by congressional Republicans still have broad support from Republican voters across the country. +
Cricket Corruption: Bitcoin transaction is new phenomenon, says ICC Integrity head Marshall - “It is a new phenomenon for us, but we have staff capable of investigating it.”
Megasthenes claims the Stewards Cup - Mr. M.A.M.R. Muthiah’s Megasthenes (P. Sai Kumar up) won the Stewards Cup, the feature event of the races held here on Thursday (April 15). R. Ramana
Viswanathan Anand’s father dies - Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand’s father, K. Viswanathan, died in Chennai on Thursday following brief illness. He was 92 and breath
Manchester City beats Dortmund for Champions League semifinal - Guardiola said Tuesday he expected to be labeled “a failure” if Dortmund became the fourth club in a row to eliminate City.
U.S. women soccer players appeal decision against equal pay - The court asked players to submit their brief by July 23 and the USSF its brief by August 23
Long-term arrangements needed to fight COVID-19, says Nitin Gadkari - The Lok Sabha MP from Nagpur was speaking after inaugurating a private 100-bed COVID-19 care centre at the National Cancer Centre in the city.
Foreign produced COVID-19 vaccines: Decision on emergency use applications to be taken in three days - Health Ministry issued regulatory pathways for foreign produced COVID-19 vaccines according to which the CDSCO has prepared detailed guidelines specifying regulatory pathway
There are no tests, oxygen or beds in hospitals. PM-CARES?: Rahul - BJP accuses Congress leader of “full-time lobbying for pharma companies making foreign vaccines”
Coronavirus | Schools in U.P. shut till May 15, night curfew imposed in 10 districts - The new dates for the board examinations will be decided in the first week of May, an official said
Bodies of 2 Colachel fishermen killed in boat-ship collision, brought back, buried - The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard ships and helicopters have been pressed into action to locate and rescue nine fishermen who are still missing following the collision
US poised to impose sanctions on Russia for cyber-attacks - Dozens of entities may be targeted over attacks including alleged interference in the 2020 elections.
France urges citizens to leave Pakistan amid anti-French protests - An email from the French embassy warns of “serious threats” after anti-blasphemy protests.
Why Russia may not be planning the invasion that Ukraine fears - President Biden’s proposal for a summit with Russia’s leader means the risk of an escalation has faded.
Notre Dame: President Macron visits cathedral two years after fire - French President Emmanuel Macron speaks of the “collective pride” of the reconstruction efforts.
Mystery tree beast turns out to be croissant - Polish animal welfare officers responding to a call discover the creature is in fact a pastry.
CDC expert panel punts on deciding fate of J&J COVID vaccine - Experts brace for more clotting cases as 52% of doses were given in the last 2 weeks. - link
The looming software kill-switch lurking in aging PlayStation hardware - Dying internal batteries and online timer checks make a disaster waiting to happen. - link
What to expect from Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event on April 20 - This event is mysterious, but we’re confident iPads will figure prominently. - link
Comparing the actual US grid to the one predicted 15 years ago - Demand and carbon emissions are way down, renewables far more common than expected. - link
AT&T/Verizon workers’ union urges states to regulate ISPs as utilities - “Three decades of of industry-driven deregulation have failed us,” union says. - link
+One connects to your devices and accesses your data, and the other is a hardware standard. +
+ submitted by /u/Chainsmoker88
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+“See? See what I have to bang when you’re not in the mood?” +
++The sheep says “Myyyyyyyy god. You weren’t lying…” +
+ submitted by /u/FuckinWimp87
[link] [comments]
+“Stop shaking the ladder you little shit” +
+ submitted by /u/SkylineSam
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+When it’s flaccid you can only see WY. +
++On a trip to the Caribbean I went to the bathroom and was standing at the trough next to a local. +
++I briefly gazed down and saw that he too had WY tattooed on his penis. +
++I asked him if his girlfriends name was also Wendy. +
++He said ‘No. When I am aroused it says “Welcome to Jamaica- Have a nice day” ‘. +
+ submitted by /u/AndrewMacSydney
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+A friend sees him and says, “Oy, Moishe! How can you read that rag? Don’t you know the things they say about us?” +
++To which the man replies, “Well, I used to read to read the Jewish papers, but they’re so depressing. Every headline is ‘Jews Being Persecuted!’ ‘Jews Living in Poverty!’ ‘Jews Being Oppressed!’. But now I read these Arab papers and the headlines are all ‘Jews Own All the Banks!’ ‘Jews Control the Media!’ ‘Jews Run the World!’. It’s much more uplifting!” +
+ submitted by /u/Febtober2k
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