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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Phenomenon of Amelioration Usage as Food Business Development Strategy</strong> -
<div>
Human life’s needs and patterns evolve over time. The culinary field is one of the primary needs that have emerged due to the “trend.” Companies can use trends to develop marketing strategies. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (2021), culinary is the most significant contributor to GDP from the creative economy, accounting for approximately 43 percent of total creative economy GDP on an annual basis. The Covid-19 pandemic, on the other hand, which has been ravaging Indonesia since March 2020, has significantly reduced the income of food industry players. It requires a strategy for promoting the products they have, one of which is viral marketing. This study aims to project the phenomenon of amelioration that triggers virality in the community, identify the impact of viral marketing on the development of the food business, and describe the splendor of the viral word usage that undergoes amelioration so that it can be used as a marketing strategy. This study uses descriptive qualitative methods with data collection techniques through literature reviews, observation instruments, and interviews with related parties. It is hoped that this research will serve as a resource for food industry professionals in developing product marketing strategies.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/z4c5d/" target="_blank">The Phenomenon of Amelioration Usage as Food Business Development Strategy</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>How has academia responded to the urgent needs created by COVID-19? – A multi-level global, regional and national analysis</strong> -
<div>
In the context of the most challenging health crisis since World War II that is COVID-19, gaining insights into how academia has responded to this urgent challenge is of great significance. This paper presents academic response patterns at a global, regional, and national level from an analysis of publication volume versus reported cases of COVID-19, scientific collaboration, and research focus. We also compare academic activity associated with this newly- emerging infection to that related to long-standing infections. Our results show that the research community has responded quickly to COVID-19. The highly developed countries, which have the highest number of confirmed cases, are also the major academic contributors. National-level analysis reveals diverse response patterns from different countries. Specifically, academic research in the UK remained at a relatively constant level throughout the whole year (2020), while the global share of China’s research output was prone to shift as its domestic pandemic status changed. Strong alliances have formed among countries with academic capabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The distribution of disciplines is relatively decentralized, indicating that a diverse and broad knowledge base contributes to the COVID-19 literature. Most of the analyzed countries show dynamic patterns of research focus that vary over time as the pandemic evolves, except India. As one of the world’s biggest suppliers of vaccines, India makes consistent efforts on vaccine research, especially those related to pharmaceutical preparations. Our findings may serve as resources for fostering strategies to respond to future threats of pandemics.
</div>
<div class="article-link article- html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/zbe5c/" target="_blank">How has academia responded to the urgent needs created by COVID-19? – A multi-level global, regional and national analysis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a university community: insights into tracking variants, transmission, and spread of Gamma (P.1) variant</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Using a combination of data from routine surveillance, genomic sequencing, and phylogeographic analysis we tracked the spread and introduction events of SARS-CoV-2 variants focusing on a large university community. Here, we sequenced and analyzed 677 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes from positive RNA samples collected from Purdue University students, faculty, and staff who tested positive for the virus between January 2021 and May 2021, comprising an average of 32% of weekly cases across the time frame. Our analysis of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants over time revealed periods when Variant of Concern (VOC) Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Iota (B.1.526) reached rapid dominance and documented that VOC Gamma (P.1) was increasing in frequency as campus surveillance was ending. Phylodynamic analysis of Gamma genomes from campus alongside a subsampling of &gt;20,000 previously published P.1 genomes revealed ten independent introductions of this variant into the Purdue community, predominantly from elsewhere in the United States, with introductions from within the state of Indiana and from Illinois, and possibly Washington and New York, suggesting a degree of domestic spread. We conclude that a robust and sustained active and passive surveillance program coupled with genomic sequencing during a pandemic offers important insights into the dynamics of pathogen arrival and spread in a campus community and can help guide mitigation measures.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.22271521v1" target="_blank">Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a university community: insights into tracking variants, transmission, and spread of Gamma (P.1) variant</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Comparison of Rapid Antigen Tests′ Performance between Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Secondary Analysis from a Serial Home Self-Testing Study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: There is a need to understand the performance of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDT) for detection of the Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) SARS-CoV-2 variants. Methods: Participants without any symptoms were enrolled from October 18, 2021 to January 24, 2022 and performed Ag-RDT and RT-PCR tests every 48 hours for 15 days. This study represents a non-pre-specified analysis in which we sought to determine if sensitivity of Ag-RDT differed in participants with Delta compared to Omicron variant. Participants who were positive on RT-PCR on the first day of the testing period were excluded. Delta and Omicron variants were defined based on sequencing and date of first RT-PCR positive result (RT-PCR+). Comparison of Ag-RDT performance between the variants was based on proportion of participants with Ag-RDT+ results in relation to their first RT-PCR+ result. Subsample analysis was performed based on the result of participants′ second RT-PCR test within 48 hours of the first RT-PCR+ test. Results: From the 7,349 participants enrolled in the parent study, 5,506 met the eligibility criteria for this study. A total of 153 participants were RT-PCR+ (61 Delta, 92 Omicron); among this group, 36 (23.5%) tested Ag-RDT+ on the same day and 36 (23.5%) tested Ag-RDT+ within 48 hours as first RT-PCR+. The differences between variants were not statistically significant (same-day: Delta 16.4% [95% CI: 8.2-28.1] vs Omicron 28.2% [95% CI: 19.4-38.6; 48-hours: Delta 45.9% [33.1-59.2] vs. Omicron 60.9% [50.1-70.9]). This trend continued among the 86 participants who had consecutive RT-PCR+ result (Delta: 79.3% [60.3-92.1] vs. Omicron: 89.5% [78.5-96.0]). Conversely, the 38 participants who had an isolated positive RT-PCR remained consistently negative on Ag-RDT, regardless of the variant. Conclusions: The performance of Ag-RDT is not inferior among Omicron variant in comparison to the Delta variant. The improvement in sensitivity of Ag-RDT with serial testing is consistent between Delta and Omicron variant. Performance of Ag-RDT varies based on duration of RT-PCR+ results and more studies are needed to understand the clinical and public health significance of individuals who are RT-PCR+ for less than 48 hours.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html- link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.27.22271090v1" target="_blank">Comparison of Rapid Antigen Tests′ Performance between Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Secondary Analysis from a Serial Home Self-Testing Study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Study on the usefulness of Direct Saliva sample Collection (DiSC) by polyester swab</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Saliva sample can be self-collected and used in testing of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) test in Japan. However, this may have difficulty collecting a proper specimen when collecting for the first time. We compared 2 collection methods, conventional methods and Direct Saliva Sample Collection method (DiSC) from 44 asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals who were in quarantine in Toho university hospital. RT-PCR by DiSC method showed about 70 % positive percent agreement compared to RT-PCR by conventional methods. In addition, comparing RT-PCR and TMA by DiSC method, TMA showed about 90 % positive percent agreement compared to RT-PCR. DiSC method is easy to perform by every person, does not have complicated restrictions/instructions and can be used in RT-PCR and TMA. This method allows for ease of saliva collection in certain patient populations.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.22271529v1" target="_blank">Study on the usefulness of Direct Saliva sample Collection (DiSC) by polyester swab</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 Macrodomain</strong> -
<div>
A series of amino acid based 7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized to discern the structure activity relationships against the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 macrodomain (Mac1), an ADP-ribosylhydrolase that is critical for coronavirus replication and pathogenesis. Structure activity studies identified compound 15c as a low-micromolar inhibitor of Mac1 in two ADP-ribose binding assays. This compound also demonstrated inhibition in an enzymatic assay of Mac1 and displayed a thermal shift comparable to ADPr in the melting temperature of Mac1 supporting binding to the target protein. A structural model reproducibly predicted a binding mode where the pyrrolo pyrimidine forms a hydrogen bonding network with Asp22 and the amide backbone NH of Ile23 in the adenosine binding pocket and the carboxylate forms hydrogen bonds to the amide backbone of Phe157 and Asp156, part of the oxyanion subsite of Mac1. Compound 15c also demonstrated notable selectivity for coronavirus macrodomains when tested against a panel of ADP-ribose binding proteins. Together, this study identified several low MW, low micromolar Mac1 inhibitors to use as small molecule chemical probes for this potential anti-viral target and offers starting points for further optimization.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.27.482176v1" target="_blank">Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 Macrodomain</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Different efficacies of neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA.2</strong> -
<div>
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariant BA.2 has spread in many countries, replacing the earlier Omicron subvariant BA.1 and other variants. Here, using a cell culture infection assay, we quantified the intrinsic sensitivity of BA.2 and BA.1 compared with other variants of concern, Alpha, Gamma, and Delta, to five approved-neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs. Our assay revealed the diverse sensitivities of these variants to antibodies, including the loss of response of both BA.1 and BA.2 to casirivimab and of BA.1 to imdevimab. In contrast, EIDD-1931 and nirmatrelvir showed a more conserved activities to these variants. The viral response profile combined with mathematical analysis estimated differences in antiviral effects among variants in the clinical concentrations. These analyses provide essential evidence that gives insight into the impact of variant emergence on choosing optimal drug treatment.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.27.482147v1" target="_blank">Different efficacies of neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA.2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Efficient Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Other VOCs by a Broad Spectrum Antibody 8G3</strong> -
<div>
Numerous mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 Omicron variant pose a crisis for antibody-based immunotherapies. The efficacy of emergency use authorized (EUA) antibodies that developed in early SARS-CoV-2 pandemic seems to be in flounder. In this work, we examined the Omicron variant neutralization using an early B cell antibody repertoire as well as several EUA antibodies in pseudovirus and authentic virus systems. More than half of the antibodies in the repertoire that showed good activity against WA1/2020 previously had completely lost neutralizing activity against Omicron, while antibody 8G3 from our early B cell repertoire displayed non-regressive activity. EUA antibodies Etesevimab, Casirivimab, Imdevimab and Bamlanivimab neutralized authentic WA1/2020 virus with low half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, but were entirely desensitized by Omicron. Only Sotrovimab targeting the non-ACE2 overlap epitope showed activity but with a dramatic decrease. Interestingly, antibody 8G3 efficiently neutralized Omicron in pseudovirus and authentic virus systems. 8G3 also showed excellent activity against other variants of concern (VOCs). Collectively, our results suggest that neutralizing antibodies with breadth remains broad neutralizing activity in tackling SARS-CoV-2 infection despite the universal evasion from EUA antibodies by Omicron variant.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.482049v1" target="_blank">Efficient Neutralization of SARS- CoV-2 Omicron and Other VOCs by a Broad Spectrum Antibody 8G3</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A strategy to optimize the peptide-based inhibitors against different mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused high-priority health concerns at a global level. Vaccines have stalled the proliferation of viruses to some extent. Yet, the emergence of newer, potentially more infectious, and dangerous mutants such as delta and omicron are among the major challenges in finding a more permanent solution for this pandemic. The effectiveness of antivirals Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, authorized for emergency use by the FDA, are yet to be assessed at larger populations. Patients with a high risk of disease progression or hospitalization have received treatment with a combination of antibodies (antibody-cocktail). Most of the mutations leading to the new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 are found in the spike protein of this virus that plays a key role in facilitating host entry. The current study has investigated how to modify a promising peptide-based inhibitor of spike protein, LCB3, against common mutations in the target protein so that it retains its efficacy against the spike protein. LCB3 being a prototype for protein-based inhibitors is an ideal testing system to learn about protein-based inhibitors. Two common mutations N501Y and K417N are considered in this work. Using a structure-based approach that considers free energy decomposition of residues, distance, and the interactions between amino acids, we propose the substitutions of amino acid residues of LCB3 inhibitors. Our binding free energy calculations suggest a possible improvement in the binding affinity of existing inhibitor LCB3 to the mutant forms of the S-protein using simple substitutions at specific positions of the inhibitor. This approach, being general, can be used in different inhibitors and other mutations and help in fighting against SARS- CoV-2.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.27.482153v1" target="_blank">A strategy to optimize the peptide- based inhibitors against different mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>An immunoPET probe to SARS-CoV-2 reveals early infection of the male genital tract in rhesus macaques</strong> -
<div>
Because of the recognized systemic nature of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a non-invasive and unbiased method is needed to clarify its spatiotemporal dynamics in vivo after transmission. We recently developed a probe based on the anti-SARS- CoV-2 spike antibody CR3022 to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in vivo. Herein, we describe its use in immunoPET to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection of rhesus macaques. Using PET/CT imaging of macaques at different times post-SARS-CoV-2 inoculation, we demonstrate that the 64Cu-labelled CR3022-F(ab’)2 probe targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 can be used to study the dynamics of infection within the respiratory tract and uncover novel sites of infection. Differences in lung pathology between infection with the WA1 isolate and the delta variant were readily observed using immunoPET and corroborated CT lung pathology. The ability of the probe to illuminate lung-associated pathology demonstrates its specificity and function to detect infection in PET scan. The 64Cu-CR3022-probe also demonstrated dynamic changes occurring between 1- and 2-weeks post-infection. Remarkably, a robust signal was seen in the male genital tract (MGT) of all three animals studied. Infection of the MGT was validated by immunofluorescence imaging of infected cells in the testicular and penile tissue and severe pathology was observed in the testes of one animal at 2-weeks post-infection. The results presented here underscore the utility of using immunoPET to study the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection to understand its pathogenicity and discover new anatomical sites of viral replication. We provide direct evidence for SARS-CoV-2 infection of the MGT in rhesus macaques revealing the possible pathologic outcomes of viral replication at these sites.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.481974v1" target="_blank">An immunoPET probe to SARS-CoV-2 reveals early infection of the male genital tract in rhesus macaques</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Exposing Limitations of Clinical Laboratory Tests in COVID-19 and the Promise of Immunological Biomarkers</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Almost two years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic no predictive algorithm has been generally adopted, nor new tests identified to improve the prediction and management of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of the predictive performance of clinical parameters and laboratory tests in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Outcomes were 28-day survival and maximal severity in a cohort of 1,579 patients and two validation cohorts of 598 and 434 patients. A pilot study conducted in a patient subgroup measured 17 cytokines and 27 lymphocyte phenotypes to explore additional predictive laboratory tests. Findings: 1) Despite a strong association of 22 clinical and laboratory variables with the outcomes, their joint prediction power was limited due to redundancy. 2) Eight variables: age, comorbidity index, oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio, fibrinogen, and glomerular filtration rate captured most of the statistical predictive power. 3) The interpretation of clinical and laboratory variables was improved by grouping them in categories. 4) Age and organ damage-related tests were the best predictors of survival, and inflammatory-related tests were the best predictors of severity. 5) The pilot study identified several immunological tests (including chemokine ligand 10, chemokine ligand 2, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist), that performed better than currently used tests. Conclusions: Currently used tests for clinical management of COVID 19 patients are of limited predictive value due to redundancy, as all measure aspects of two major processes: inflammation, and organ damage. There are no independent predictors based on the quality of the nascent adaptive immune response. Understanding the limitations of current tests would improve their interpretation and simplify clinical management protocols. A systematic search for better biomarkers is urgent and feasible.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article- link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.29.22270016v2" target="_blank">Exposing Limitations of Clinical Laboratory Tests in COVID-19 and the Promise of Immunological Biomarkers</a>
</div></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Warning “Don’t spread” vs. “Don’t be a spreader” to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is threatening not only health but also life worldwide. It is important to encourage citizens to voluntarily practise infection prevention (IP) behaviours such as social distancing and self-restraint. Previous research on social cognition suggested that emphasising self-identity is key to changing a person’s behaviour. The present study investigated whether reminders that highlight self-identity would be effective in changing intention and behaviour related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and hypothesised that those who read reminders highlighting self-identity (‘Don’t be a spreader’) would change IP intention and behaviour better than those who read ‘Don’t spread’ or no reminder. We conducted a two-wave survey of the same participants with a one-week interval, during which we assigned one of three reminder conditions to the participants: ‘Don’t spread’ (spreading condition), ‘Don’t be a spreader’ (spreader condition), and no reminder (control condition). Participants marked their responses to IP intentions and actual behaviours each week based on the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare guidelines. While the results did not show significant differences between the conditions, the post-hoc analyses showed significant equivalence in either IP intentions or behavioural scores. We discussed the results from the perspective of the effect size, ceiling effects, and ways of manipulation checks as future methods with more effective persuasive messaging. Following in-principle acceptance, the approved Stage 1 version of this manuscript was preregistered on the OSF at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KZ5Y4. This preregistration was performed prior to data collection and analysis.
</div></li>
</ul>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/u4z3e/" target="_blank">Warning “Don’t spread” vs. “Don’t be a spreader” to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
When people are confronted with health proposals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it has been suggested that fear of COVID-19 can serve protective functions and ensure public health compliance. However, health proposal repetition and its perceived efficacy also influence the behavior intention toward the proposal, which has not yet been confirmed in the COVID-19 context. The present study aims to examine whether the extended parallel process model (EPPM) can be generalized to a naturalistic context like the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we will explore how repetition of a health proposal is involved with the EPPM. In this study, two groups of participants are exposed to the same health proposal related to COVID-19, where one group is exposed once and another group twice. They then fill out a questionnaire consisting of items concerning behavior intention and adapted from the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale. Structural equation modeling will be used to determine the multivariate associations between the variables. We predict that repetition of the health proposal will associate with response efficacy (i.e., a belief about the effectiveness of the health proposal in deterring the threat) and perceived susceptibility (i.e., a belief about the risk of experiencing the threat). It is also predicted that following the EPPM, behavior intention will associate with both perceived efficacy of the health proposal, which will underlie response efficacy, and perceived threat of COVID-19, which will underlie perceived susceptibility. We will discuss the process, based on the model, where health message repetition affects behavior intention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/e46nz/" target="_blank">Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The pandemic threatens the Registered Reports system as well as human lives</strong> -
<div>
A Registered Reports system is key to preventing questionable research practices. Under this system, manuscripts, including their detailed protocols (i.e., hypothesis, experimental design, sample size, and methods of statistical analysis), are reviewed prior to data collection. If a protocol manuscript is accepted, publication of the full manuscript including the results and discussion is guaranteed in principle regardless of whether the collected data support the registered hypothesis. However, this assurance of publication might be broken under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present paper reports the first author’s real-life experience related to the collapse of the assurance of publication in the Registered Reports system and discusses the disbenefits of this collapse. Furthermore, we propose the implementation of a journal section specific to protocol manuscripts as a solution to the crisis of the Registered Reports system.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/6wdaz/" target="_blank">The pandemic threatens the Registered Reports system as well as human lives</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Stage 2 registered report: Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
When people are confronted with health proposals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it has been suggested that fear of COVID-19 can serve protective functions and ensure public health compliance. However, health proposal repetition and its perceived efficacy also influence the behavior intention toward the proposal, which has not yet been confirmed in the COVID-19 context. The present study examined whether the extended parallel process model (EPPM) could be generalized to a naturalistic context like the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we explored how repetition of a health proposal is involved with the EPPM. In this study, two groups of participants were exposed to the same health proposal related to COVID-19, where one group was exposed once and another group twice. They then filled out a questionnaire consisting of items concerning behavior intention and adapted from the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the multivariate associations between the variables. Although the results showed that behavior intention is predicted by perceived efficacy, no significant influence of perceived threat was detected. Furthermore, no significant effect of repetition was found toward either response efficacy or perceived susceptibility. These findings indicate that to promote health compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more efficient to focus on the perceived efficacy of effective health proposals rather than on the perceived threat of the disease. For future health communication research, the present study suggests improved methods for analysis strategies and repeated manipulation of messages.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/4j93s/" target="_blank">Stage 2 registered report: Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With VR for Post-COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   The Opole University of Technology<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With Virtual Reality for Post-COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Pulmonary rehabilitation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
The Opole University of Technology<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Anti-inflammatory Drug Algorithm for COVID-19 Home Treatment</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Recommended treatment schedule;   Drug: Usual care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research;   Family physicians<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase II Study of the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C in Population Aged ≥12 Years and Previously Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: Comirnaty<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sinocelltech Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase II Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C and SCTV01E in Population Aged ≥12 Years Previously Fully Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: SCTV01E;   Biological: Sinopharm inactivated COVID-19 vaccine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sinocelltech Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Transcranial Direct Stimulation for Persistent Fatigue Treatment Post-COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Active tDCS;   Device: Sham tDCS<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hospital San Carlos, Madrid<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID19 Oral Vaccine Consisting of Bacillus Subtilis Spores</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Bacillus subtilis<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   DreamTec Research Limited;   Middle East Cell and Gene Therapy;   National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Effect of Combined Use of Ivermectin and Colchicine in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ivermectin + colchicine;   Drug: Colchicine<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ain Shams University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase III, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TD0069 Capsule as a Combination Regimen With Standard Treatment for Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: TD0069 hard capsule;   Drug: TD0069 Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company;   Clinical Training Company<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nebulised Heparin in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Unfractionated heparin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Lady Reading Hospital, Pakistan<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nutrition and LOComotoric Rehabilitation in Long COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Intervention group<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel;   Vrije Universiteit Brussel<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Immuno-bridging and Broadening Study of a Whole, Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine BBV152 in Healthy Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: BBV152<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ocugen<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Vale+ Tu Salud: Corner-Based Randomized Trial to Test a Latino Day Laborer Program Adapted to Prevent COVID 19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: COVID-19 Group Problem Solving;   Behavioral: Control Group-standard of care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston;   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>JT001 (VV116) for the Early Treatment of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Mild to Moderate COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: JT001;   Combination Product: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Shanghai JunTop Biosciences Co., LTD;   Sponsor GmbH<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BetaShield: A Phase II, Randomized Trial to Test the Effect of Povidone-iodine 0.5% as Mouthwash/Gargle on SARS- CoV-2 Load (COVID 19) as an Adjuvant Infection Control Measure in Dental Practice</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Mouth rinse<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
University of Pennsylvania;   Purdue Pharma LP<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Using a Novel Cell-Based Assay</strong> - As an essential enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, main protease (M^(Pro)) triggers acute toxicity to its human cell host, an effect that can be alleviated by an M^(Pro) inhibitor. Using this toxicity alleviation, we developed an effective method that allows a bulk analysis of the cellular potency of M^(Pro) inhibitors. This novel assay is advantageous over an antiviral assay in providing precise cellular M^(Pro) inhibition information to assess an M^(Pro) inhibitor. We used this assay to analyze 30 known…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Psychological distress related to Covid-19 in healthy public (CORPD): A statistical method for assessing the validation of scale</strong> - Using the empirically statistical method, such as Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, to assess the validation of the scales, which reflected the psychological distress related to Covid-19. The scale of covid-19 related psychological distress in healthy public, developed by Feng et al. (2020), has been measured by two factors, including anxiety and fear of being inflected by covid-19 (AF) and suspicious of being inflected by covid-19 (SU). Common…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Eco-pharma research aimed at developing COVID-19 therapeutic agent</strong> - Novel coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease that has been rampant worldwide since its onset was confirmed in Wuhan, China in 2019. An effective therapy has not yet been established, and there is an urgent need to establish a breakthrough therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 aggravation. The main route of infection is that the Spike protein (S protein) on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 binds to its recognition receptor, angiotensin…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Role of ACE2 in COVID-19</strong> - In the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), angiotensin II (AngII) converted by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) exerts a strong physiological activity via the AT1 receptor (AT1R). Thus, the ACE-AngII-AT1R axis positively regulates RAS. On the other hand, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is known to negatively regulate RAS by degrading AngII into angiotensin 1-7 (Ang1-7). In the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is characterized by pulmonary hyperinflammation, the AngII-AT1R…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>De novo design of novel spike glycoprotein inhibitors using e-pharmacophore modeling, molecular hybridization, ADMET, quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics studies for COVID-19</strong> - The pandemic COVID-19, caused by SARS-COV-2, has been a global concern and burden since April 2020 due to high contagiousness and pathogenesis. A great effort is being devoted to identify and investigate different druggable targets for SARS-COV-2 drug discovery. At least three targets have been identified among them is the spike glycoprotein which facilitates viral entry by binding to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE-2 receptor) in host cell. In the current study, different computational tools…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>False positive Herpes Simplex IgM serology in COVID-19 patients correlates with SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG seropositivity</strong> - Differentiating COVID-19 from other causes of viral pneumonia, like herpes simplex (HSV), can be complicated by shared clinical and laboratory features. Viral pneumonia is mostly diagnosed based on molecular or serological techniques. Serological immunoassay interferences, often attributed to concurrent appearance of heterologous (viral) immunoglobulins, is well-known, but has not been studied in COVID-19 patients. Following false positive HSV immunoglobulin M (IgM) results in our index patient,…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Successful Treatment of a Severe COVID-19 Patient Using an Integrated Approach Addressing Mast Cells and Their Mediators</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 infects cells leading to a complex immune response that involves the release of mediators, most of which are released from mast cells, leading to lung edema, fibrosis, inflammation, and micro thromboses, hallmarks of COVID-19. Here we report on a patient who was initially hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, as well as physical and mental fatigue. In spite of her having been treated with albuterol, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, convalescent plasma and dexamethasone, she continued…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Understanding the influence of political orientation, social network, and economic recovery on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Americans</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented risks to the well-being of Americans. To control the pandemic, a sufficient proportion of the population needs to be vaccinated promptly. Despite the proven efficacy and widespread availability, vaccine distribution and administration rates remain low. Thus, it is important to understand the public behavior of COVID-19 vaccination. This study aims to identify determinants at multiple levels that promote or inhibit one’s vaccine uptake. We combine…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The prevalence of pulmonary embolism in non-hospitalised de-isolated patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19 disease</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: We confirm a high prevalence of PE in non-hospitalised patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19 who presented with raised D-dimer levels and persistent or new-onset cardiopulmonary symptoms. We recommend that irrespective of disease severity, hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 presenting with persistent or new-onset cardiopulmonary symptoms and raised D-dimer levels should be investigated further for PE.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Thymosin-alpha1 binds with ACE and downregulates the expression of ACE2 in human respiratory epithelia</strong> - CONCLUSION: The bioinformatic findings of network pharmacology and the corresponding pharmacological validations have revealed that thymosin-α1 treatment could decrease ACE2 expression in human lung epithelial cells, which strengthens the potential clinical applications of thymosin-α1 to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Thinking More About Inhibition of Breast Milk on the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2-Reply</strong> - No abstract</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Thinking More About Inhibition of Breast Milk on the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2</strong> - No abstract</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Assessment on anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain antibodies among CoronaVac-vaccinated Indonesian adults</strong> - The immunogenicity of CoronaVac among Indonesian adults at the academic premises was investigated. Two doses of CoronaVac vaccine induced a complete seroconversion on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) naïve adults with titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibodies ranging from 9.1 to 151.9 U/mL. The median value was lower than the one observed in recovered adults with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (38.7 vs. 114.5 U/mL). Nonetheless, 93.6% of the…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>FNC: An Advanced Anticancer Therapeutic or Just an Underdog?</strong> - Azvudine (FNC) is a novel cytidine analogue that has both antiviral and anticancer activities. This minireview focuses on its underlying molecular mechanisms of suppressing viral life cycle and cancer cell growth and discusses applications of this nucleoside drug for advanced therapy of tumors and malignant blood diseases. FNC inhibits positive-stand RNA viruses, like HCV, EV, SARS-COV-2, HBV, and retroviruses, including HIV, by suppressing their RNA-dependent polymerase enzymes. It may also…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Identification of Hypericin as a Candidate Repurposed Therapeutic Agent for COVID-19 and Its Potential Anti-SARS- CoV-2 Activity</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the global economy and public health. Its etiologic agent, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmissible, pathogenic and has a rapid global spread. Currently, the increase in the number of new confirmed cases has been slowed down due to the increase of vaccination in some regions of the world. Still, the rise of new variants has influenced the detection of additional waves of rising cases that…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGES</strong> - ABSTRACTMETHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGESThe present invention provides a new approach is proposed that includes fuzzy-based approach and similarity function for filtering the mixed noise. In a peer group, the similarity function was adaptive to edge information and local noise level, which was utilized for detecting the similarity among pixels. In addition, a new filtering method Modified Trilateral Filter (MTF) with Improved Generalized Fuzzy Peer Group (IGFPG) is proposed to remove mixed impulse and Adaptive White Gaussian Noise from Color Images. The modified trilateral filter includes Kikuchi algorithm and loopy belief propagation to solve the inference issues on the basis of passing local message. In this research work, the images were collected from KODAK dataset and a few real time multimedia images like Lena were also used for testing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN351884428">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS WITH PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU351870997">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS DURING COVID-19</strong> - SARS-Cov-2 virus causes an infectious disease coronavirus(COVID-19).The Students life is made harder by COVID-19.The human reaction that happens normally to everyone through physical or emotional tension is stress. Feeling of angry, nervous and frustration caused through any thought or events leads to stress. As college closures and cancelled events, students are missing out on some of the biggest moments of their young lives as well as everyday moments like chatting with friend, participating in class and cultural programme. For students facing life changes due to the outbreak are feeling anxious, isolated and disappointed which lead them to feel all alone. We like to take the help of expert adolescent psychologist to find out the techniques to practice self-care and look after their mental health. We would like to find out whether techniques used reduce the anxiety and stress among Engineering Students. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN351884923">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A CENTRAL TRANSACTION AUTHENTIC SYSTEM FOR OTP VERIFICATION</strong> - The present invention relates to a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification. The system (100) comprises one or more user display units (102), one or more financial units (104), an account deposit unit (106), an OTP authentication unit (108) and a service server unit (110). The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification work as Anti-money laundering measure. The system (100) also helpful for minimizing rate of cybercrime. The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can neutralize digital financial fraud. The present invention provides a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can monitor and analyze every transaction and customer interaction across its customer base for suspicious and potentially criminal activity. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN350377210">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>FORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAP</strong> - ABSTRACTFORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAPThe present invention provides formulations for herbal medicated transparent soaps and method of preparation of the same. Transparent soaps are prepared by saponification of mixture of non-edible oils to get the desired consistency and cleaning action. Nonvolatile alcohols and other transparency promoters are used to get good transparency and binding properties. Herbal extracts of different herbs are added to get medicated properties. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN350377796">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SOCIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR MOBILE ROBOTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY</strong> - The emergency department (ED) is a safety-critical environment in which healthcare workers (HCWs) are overburdened, overworked, and have limited resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way to address this problem is to explore the use of robots that can support clinical teams, e.g., to deliver materials or restock supplies. However, due to EDs being overcrowded, and the cognitive overload HCWs experience, robots need to understand various levels of patient acuity so they avoid disrupting care delivery. In this invention, we introduce the Safety-Critical Deep Q-Network (SafeDQN) system, a new acuity-aware navigation system for mobile robots. SafeDQN is based on two insights about care in EDs: high-acuity patients tend to have more HCWs in attendance and those HCWs tend to move more quickly. We compared SafeDQN to three classic navigation methods, and show that it generates the safest, quickest path for mobile robots when navigating in a simulated ED environment. We hope this work encourages future exploration of social robots that work in safety-critical, human-centered environments, and ultimately help to improve patient outcomes and save lives. Figure 1. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN349443355">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A MACHINE LEARNING BASED SYSTEM FOR DETECTING OMICRON VARIANT FROM A GENOME SEQUENCE AND METHOD THEREOF</strong> - The present invention discloses a machine learning based system for detecting omicron variant from a genome sequence and method thereof. The system includes, but not limited to, a processing unit having a memory unit and a machine learning interface embedded on it for validating a variant-induced changes in the one or more condition-specific cell variables are combined to output a single numerical variant score for each of the one or more variants, the variant score computed by one of outputting the score for a fixed condition; summing the variant-induced changes across conditions; computing the maximum of the absolute variant-induced changes across conditions. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN350376736">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A SYSTEM BASED ON DEEP LEARNING FOR ANALYZING DELAYED ENHANCEMENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO IDENTIFY COVID 19 AND METHOD THEREOF</strong> - The present invention discloses a system based on deep learning for analyzing delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging to identify COVID 19 and method thereof. The method and system include, but not limited to, a processing unit adapted to process the data based on deep learning data modelling in the magnetic resonance imaging associated with the digital image scanning system for diagnosis COVID 19 with the spatial resolution that each frame is deposited is 256 * 256, and being creating that level and vertical resolution respectively are 256 pixels (pixel), the read/write address that the read/write address of each image element, which is controlled by processing unit and forms circuit and finishes; And the data that will be stored in memory are input to a real-time microcontroller, it is characterized in that: analyze and compare by the Multi-source Information Fusion analytical system by using the real-time microcontroller to deliver the D/A changer then, digital signal is become analogue signal output. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN348041194">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体</strong> - 本发明提供了一种用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体或抗原结合片段。所提供的抗体包括重链可变区和轻链可变区，重链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:11、12和13所示的CDR序列，轻链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:14、15和16所示的CDR序列。所提供的抗体用于新型冠状病毒的体外检测，具有极高的灵敏度和特异性。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN350478513">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体</strong> - 本发明提供了一种用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体或抗原结合片段。所提供的抗体包括重链可变区和轻链可变区，重链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:1、2和3所示的CDR序列，轻链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:4、5和6所示的CDR序列。所提供的抗体用于新型冠状病毒的体外检测，具有极高的灵敏度和特异性。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN350478557">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>War Comes to Kyiv</strong> - Residents are facing nightly air strikes, food shortages, and the prospect of taking up arms to defend the capital. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/war-comes-to-kyiv">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Historic Nomination to the Supreme Court</strong> - The fact that Jackson is eminently qualified doesn’t mean that her confirmation hearing won’t be a bonfire of bad faith—far from it. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/judge-ketanji-brown-jacksons-historic-nomination-to-the-supreme-%20court">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>For Ukraine, Far Too Little, Too Late</strong> - The central flaw in the West’s strategy was fearing that preëmptively confronting Putin would give the Russian leader a justification to attack—but it’s now clear that he intended to invade, whatever the U.S. and Europe did. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/for-ukraine-far-too-little-too-late">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gish Jen Reads Grace Paley</strong> - The author joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Friends,” by Grace Paley, which was published in a 1979 issue of the magazine. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction/gish-jen-reads-grace-paley">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Europe’s Aggressive New Stance Toward Putin’s Regime</strong> - The defiance of Ukrainian citizens in the face of the Russian onslaught has inspired the European Union to action. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/europes-aggressive-new-stance-toward-putins-regime">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Supreme Court could make it very easy for federal law enforcement to violate the Constitution</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A boarder patrol agent stands with sunglasses and a mask on his face and armor on his body." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Q2S-0W3PGKnNrM_15bdo9LcPX2M=/0x0:4949x3712/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70564160/1341900185.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Border Patrol agents work a checkpoint at an entry near the Del Rio International Bridge on September 22, 2021 in Del Rio, Texas. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What’s the remedy if a federal official violates your constitutional rights? The answer may soon be nothing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mNZm0v">
Robert Boule owns a bed and breakfast along the border between Washington State and Canada, which is cheekily named the “Smuggler’s Inn.” It’s a business that has a fairly shady reputation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1AnuKJ">
Boule admits that some of his guests <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/smuggler-s-inn-the-border-town-bed-and-breakfast-whose-visitors-
don-t-always-stay-the-night-1.4082384">used his property to illegally cross the border into Canada</a>. In 2018, Canada charged Boule with multiple criminal violations “for his alleged involvement in <a href="https://www.bccourts.ca/jdb-
txt/sc/20/18/2020BCSC1846.htm">helping foreign nationals enter Canada illegally</a> between April 2016 and September 2017.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xcI9W8">
Those charges were later dismissed by a Canadian court on constitutional grounds. But now, Boule’s somewhat sketchy inn is the subject of a Supreme Court case that could grant federal law enforcement officers sweeping immunity from lawsuits alleging that they violated the Constitution — even when those officers target people who are entirely innocent.
</p>
<h3 id="ujOfSJ">
<em>Egbert v. Boule</em> could radically expand federal officers’ legal immunity
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6NGB3T">
In March of 2014 Boule welcomed a guest who had recently arrived in the United States from Turkey. Although the guest was lawfully present in the United States, federal border patrol agent Erik Egbert decided to confront this guest when he arrived at Boule’s inn.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="swDuKQ">
When the guest arrived, Egbert drove onto Boule’s property and approached the car containing the guest. After Boule asked Egbert to leave, and Egbert refused, Boule stepped between the border patrol agent and his guest. Egbert then allegedly <a href="https://casetext.com/case/boule-v-egbert-3">shoved Boule against the car, grabbed him, and pushed him to the ground</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="436PnN">
Then, after Boule complained to Egbert’s supervisor about this treatment, Egbert allegedly retaliated against him by contacting the Internal Revenue Service and asking that agency to investigate Boule’s tax statute.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2W0HT2">
Boule, in other words, alleges that Agent Egbert violated his constitutional rights. The Fourth Amendment forbids “<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment">unreasonable searches and seizures,</a>” and if Egbert did, indeed, assault Boule, that could form the basis for a valid Fourth Amendment lawsuit. Boule also claims he had a First Amendment right to complain to Egbert’s supervisor <a href="https://casetext.com/case/boule-v-egbert-3">without facing retaliation</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cSUJx4">
And yet, in <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/egbert-v-boule/"><em>Egbert v. Boule</em></a>, a case being argued in front of the Supreme Court this Wednesday, the Court is likely to cut off Boule’s lawsuit against Egbert before it even gets off the ground. In the process, the Court could gut a seminal precedent from the early 1970s establishing that federal law enforcement officers can be held personally responsible when they violate the Constitution.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aeIwug">
The primary issue in <em>Boule</em> is the continued viability of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/403/388"><em>Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents</em></a><em> </em>(1971), which permits federal lawsuits against federal officials who allegedly violated the Constitution. Although the Court has not yet overruled <em>Bivens</em>, it has already stripped that case of much of its force. The Supreme Court’s most recent case applying <em>Bivens</em>, for example, said that a border patrol agent — who <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/25/21152643/supreme-court-hernandez-mesa-bivens-border-guard-cross-mexico">allegedly shot and killed a Mexican child, from across the US-Mexico border, and in cold blood</a> — could not be sued.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S30tiK">
So the most likely outcome in the <em>Boule</em> case is that Agent Egbert receives lawsuit immunity. The more difficult question is whether any meaningful part of <em>Bivens</em> will remain in effect after <em>Boule</em> is decided.
</p>
<h3 id="W1PfvG">
<em>Bivens</em>, briefly explained
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZLTXZ0">
Although the Constitution places numerous limits on federal law enforcement, including the limits imposed by the First and Fourth Amendments, it is silent about what the proper remedy is when a law enforcement officer violates those rights. A federal law does permit <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1983">suits against state law enforcement officers</a> who violate “any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws,” but there is no similar statute that explicitly authorizes suits against federal agents.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2cV9qs">
Nevertheless, the Court concluded in <em>Bivens</em> that a right to sue federal law enforcement officers is implicit in the Constitution. “Power,” Justice William Brennan wrote for the Court in <em>Bivens</em>, “does not disappear like a magic gift when it is wrongfully used.” An officer who acts unlawfully “in the name of the United States <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/403/388">possesses a far greater capacity for harm</a> than an individual trespasser exercising no authority other than his own.” And thus there must be some legal remedy to ensure that officers do not abuse this power.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aRcPyd">
Brennan, in other words, articulated something very similar to the Spider-Man rule: <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/25/21152643/supreme-court-hernandez-mesa-bivens-border-guard-
cross-mexico">With great power, comes great responsibility</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ThNwty">
But <em>Bivens</em> fell out of favor with the Supreme Court almost as soon as it was decided. Months after <em>Bivens</em> was handed down, President Richard Nixon made his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_F._Powell_Jr.">third</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rehnquist">fourth</a> appointments to the Court — giving it a new majority that was less favorable to the rights of criminal defendants. And the Court has moved inexorably to the right ever since, in large part because the Electoral College and Senate malapportionment allow Republicans to confirm their own nominees, and to block Democratic nominees, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/2/14/22925457/supreme-court-senate-
confirmation-ketanji-brown-jackson-leondra-kruger-michelle-childs">even when Republicans do not enjoy majority support</a> from the nation as a whole.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uvZq79">
As a result, the Court’s more recent decisions have described <em>Bivens</em> suits as “<a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/25/21152643/supreme-court-hernandez-mesa-bivens-border-
guard-cross-mexico">a ‘disfavored’ judicial activity</a>.” In <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1678_m6io.pdf"><em>Hernández v. Mesa</em></a> (2020), the case where a border patrol agent shot a Mexican child, the five Republicans in the majority concluded that it is “doubtful that we would have reached the same result” if <em>Bivens</em> were “decided today.” And <em>Hernández</em> also instructed lower courts to be very reluctant to hear <em>Bivens</em> claims.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R5Svlo">
Under <em>Hernández</em>, courts should be skeptical of any <em>Bivens</em> suit that is “different in a meaningful way from previous <em>Bivens</em> cases decided by this Court,” and should dismiss these suits if there are any “special factors counselling hesitation.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XowbYQ">
All of which is a long way of saying that Boule faces an uphill battle in a Supreme Court that’s only grown more conservative since <em>Hernández</em> was decided.
</p>
<h3 id="Z3T33s">
The Court could give the entire border patrol sweeping immunity from constitutional litigation
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tEyC0D">
Indeed, given the <em>Hernández</em> decision, it wouldn’t be difficult for the Court’s Republican majority to craft an opinion rejecting Boule’s lawsuit. Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion in <em>Hernández </em>is a <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/2/25/21152643/supreme-court-hernandez-mesa-bivens-border-guard-cross-mexico">love letter to the federal border patrol</a>, and can easily be read to immunize every member of that agency from <em>Bivens</em> suits.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IPpAfY">
Recall that <em>Bivens </em>suits will typically be dismissed if a court determines that the case presents “special factors counselling hesitation.” Alito’s <em>Hernández </em>opinion claimed that several such factors were present in that case, some of which are not at all present in <em>Boule</em>. Among other things, Alito noted that the US and Mexican governments disagreed about what should happen to a US official who shoots a Mexican child from across the border, and suggested that this disagreement should be resolved through “<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1678_m6io.pdf">diplomatic channels</a>” and not through a lawsuit.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6M7SKr">
But Alito’s opinion also spoke reverently about the job of border patrol agents, and the role they perform “by attempting to control the movement of people and goods across the border.” Quoting from a federal statute, Alito noted that the border patrol’s responsibility is to “detect, respond to, and interdict terrorists, drug smugglers and traffickers, human smugglers and traffickers, and other persons who may undermine the security of the United States,” and that border patrol agents might be deterred from doing this job aggressively if they could face lawsuits for illegal conduct.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1MzXT3">
“Since regulating the conduct of agents at the border unquestionably has national security implications,” Alito wrote, “the risk of undermining border security <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/17-1678_m6io.pdf">provides reason to hesitate before extending <em>Bivens</em> into this field.</a>”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dKhLhW">
So there really isn’t too much uncertainty about how the Court will resolve <em>Boule</em>. <em>Hernández </em>is pretty clear that the courts should not bother themselves with trivial things, such as the First and Fourth Amendments, if those amendments could interfere with the important work of US border patrol agents.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="di1Zym">
The more uncertain question is whether the Court will use <em>Boule</em> as a vehicle to neutralize <em>Bivens</em> altogether, or at least to cut off many <em>Bivens</em> suits that do not involve the border patrol.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y2EjNA">
Boule is, admittedly, not the most sympathetic plaintiff who has ever filed a <em>Bivens</em> lawsuit. But the Supreme Court deals in broad legal rules that bind every federal court in the country. In the likely event that the Court rules against Boule, it could do considerable violence to the public’s ability to hold rogue law enforcement officers accountable.
</p></li>
<li><strong>What the State of the Union can, and can’t, do for Biden’s political fortunes</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/IaGzfvYgWL1t1FisJ9iCiqbdprg=/0x0:3021x2266/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70564097/GettyImages_1373741404.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
President Joe Biden at the White House on February 28. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
He has a rhetorical opportunity, but it’s unrealistic to expect one speech to turn everything around.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IW5t9Z">
On the eve of his State of the Union address, amid an international crisis, President Joe Biden has sunk to his worst approval numbers yet.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ekXjSE">
A <a href="https://www.langerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/1224a32022Politics.pdf">new Washington Post/ABC poll</a> found just 37 percent of adults approve of Biden’s job performance. The poll was conducted partly before and partly after Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MfOuhI">
That’s just one sample, but Biden’s approval in <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/">FiveThirtyEight’s weighted average of polls</a> has sunk to 40.7 percent, from around 42 percent before Russia attacked Ukraine — suggesting the foreign crisis has so far not spurred the American public to rally around Biden’s leadership. Instead, he has bottomed out as the crisis ramps up.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mKEqKt">
The stakes of the Russia-Ukraine war are much higher than Biden’s own political fortunes, of course, and he shouldn’t be making decisions about it based on his approval rating. But this is an ominous sign regarding the American public’s willingness to bear the costs of economic turmoil that the war and the resulting sanctions from the West may unleash.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6FKdGe">
It’s too much to expect any one speech to drastically change Biden’s political position, but it is one of the most high-profile chances he’ll get to put out a message to the public before November’s midterms. But to do so, he’ll have to strike a balance between the international crisis and Americans’ domestic worries.
</p>
<h3 id="PV2Yp2">
A foreign crisis, and a public with domestic concerns
</h3></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="znnmD8">
Though Biden has been praised by foreign policy elites for his response since Russia’s attack, the conflict likely still seems far off to many Americans, notable mainly for deepening the sense that the world is going to hell.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P3oTvv">
Instead, it’s the state of the economy that continues to most unsettle the public, with 75 percent of respondents to the <a href="https://www.langerresearch.com/wp-
content/uploads/1224a32022Politics.pdf">Post/ABC poll</a> rating the economy as either “not so good” or “poor.” Asked about their personal finances, 35 percent of respondents said they were worse off since Biden took office, 17 percent said they were better off, and 47 percent said they were doing about the same.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gAj00X">
That perception is likely due to high inflation eating into real incomes. According to the <a href="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/RsPEcYQeTtgODQtBlRgKjPRCEoo=/0x0:1513x981/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1513x981):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23256779/Midterms_Chart_7_final.png">Bureau of Economic Affairs</a>, real incomes decreased by 0.5 percentage points in fourth quarter of 2021 compared to one year prior. And bad news on this metric <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/2/21/22936218/inflation-biden-midterms-democrats">is associated with</a> a bad performance for the president’s party in midterm elections.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="V8CZFb">
But Biden’s problems are broader than the economy. His approval rating rapidly dropped in August of last year, as headlines were dominated by chaos in Afghanistan while he was withdrawing US troops. The media then moved on from Afghanistan, but the bad news continued with the rise of new Covid variants, as well as inflation. By the fall, polls <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-s-job-rating-sinks-42-percent-nbc-news-
poll-n1282781">showed</a> that about half of voters gave Biden low marks for “competence.” In a new Quinnipiac University poll conducted after Putin’s attack, just 39 percent of respondents approved of Biden’s response to Russia, with 47 percent disapproving.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dV2BF4">
So from Afghanistan to his legislative agenda to the economy to the coronavirus to now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the narrative has been the same: that Biden is floundering and ineffective. Some of those criticisms are unfair, others are defensible — but that’s the perception he really needs to change to have any hope of avoiding a midterm debacle.
</p>
<h3 id="Nm7DLi">
What the State of the Union can, and can’t, do for Biden
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c30H4K">
Biden will get to make the case for his crisis response, and for his presidency in general, with his State of the Union address Tuesday. And though Ukraine has been dominating headlines and will clearly be a focus, much of the speech is still expected to focus on the economy and the administration’s efforts to fight inflation, <a href="https://twitter.com/nancook/status/1498389654751563796">Nancy Cook of Bloomberg News reported</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="n50PGY">
The speech itself is unlikely to affect his approval — <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/125396/President-Support-Usually-Unaffected-State-Union.aspx">Gallup’s Jeffrey Jones</a> has written that these addresses “rarely affect a president’s public standing in a meaningful way, despite the amount of attention they receive.” But his best opportunity to make a memorable historical statement may lie in the realm of foreign policy. Certain addresses focused on international matters <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/1/20/7854969/state-of-the-union-facts">have stood the test of time</a>, in ways both good and bad.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aoLwZc">
In 1823 James Monroe used his “president’s message” (as the State of the Union, then delivered in writing, was then called) <a href="http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29465">to announce</a> what became known as the Monroe Doctrine, which became a cornerstone of American foreign policy. In 1941 FDR listed “<a href="http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=16092">Four Freedoms</a>” that the US pledged to defend all over the world, as war raged. And in 2002 George W. Bush <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-Fire-Cheney-White-
House/dp/0385525192?ots=1&amp;slotNum=5&amp;imprToken=a6bfa0a7-50a3-2316-700&amp;ascsubtag=%5B%5Dvx%5Bp%5D7619010%5Bt%5Dw%5Br%5Dgoogle.com%5Bd%5DD">asserted</a> that North Korea, Iran, and Iraq comprised an “axis of evil,” setting the stage for the US invasion of Iraq. Each of these was remembered for putting forward a distinct idea or memorable turn of phrase.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BzJ1HZ">
If Biden wanted to speak and craft rhetoric for history rather than short-term popularity, he could try to do so. But he also may want to avoid trying to define a new foreign policy doctrine now, amid a tense unfolding crisis. His imperative is still two- sided — he wants to signal resolve in standing up against Putin’s aggression, but he also would very much like to make clear a path to deescalating the crisis is possible.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gWNChg">
It’s a tough balance to strike, particularly with the perceived need in the speech to cover all the domestic concerns that worry Americans as well. And there are other topics on Biden’s mind as well — such as his new Supreme Court nominee and his hopes of reviving the stalled Build Back Better bill in some form. Modern State of the Union addresses usually attempt to cover practically everything on the political agenda, even though they risk sounding like a laundry list.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>War in the time of crypto</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A woman walks past a cryptocurrency exchange point, “BitcoinUA,” in Kyiv, Ukraine." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PPDo36yaly5jxPjiqMIxKihGOKI=/0x0:3333x2500/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70563991/GettyImages_1237956184.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A cryptocurrency exchange point in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 24. | STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which side is crypto helping? Both.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S7AgSR">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="74A2Oa">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zjz3Aj">
In times of crisis, there is no good; there’s only a best course of action, given the circumstances. Is crypto good in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Is it bad? Neutral? It’s a hard question to answer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eaInpu">
Cryptocurrency is now a <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22383757/bitcoin-coinbase-ipo-crypto-ethereum-
cryptocurrency">more mainstream part</a> of the global financial system, which means that — for better or for worse — it’s inevitably a part of international conflict, too. This is on full display as <a href="https://www.vox.com/22917719/russia-ukraine-invasion-border-crisis-nato-explained">Russian forces invade Ukraine</a>. Millions of dollars in crypto have flowed in to support Ukraine’s army and hacktivist groups. Even the Ukrainian government is <a href="https://twitter.com/FedorovMykhailo/status/1497549813205848068">now</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ukraine/status/1497594592438497282?s=21">soliciting</a> donations in crypto and has already raised <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/live-updates-millions-in-crypto-crowdfunded-for-the-ukrainian-
military">more than $15 million</a>. Some Ukrainians are also turning to crypto as an alternative to Ukrainian financial institutions, which are limiting people’s access to bank accounts and foreign currency. In a scenario where governments are in chaos, it’s difficult to rely on traditional banks, and there’s fear of surveillance. So a relatively anonymous system where no government is involved is appealing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LYOWsl">
“The fact that it can’t be frozen, the fact that it can’t be censored, and the fact that it can be used without ID is very, very important,” Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation, told Recode. “And they are why bitcoin is such an important humanitarian tool.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vnFFbJ">
Just how useful an avenue crypto is for people in crisis or organizations in need of donations is up for debate. You need a relatively sophisticated understanding of technology to use crypto, and if you weren’t already set up for it, the onset of a war might not be the moment to try to do it. Plenty of <a href="https://mashable.com/article/gofundme-ukraine-donation-hub">donations</a> to Ukrainian groups are flowing in just fine using more traditional currencies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7tNg9k">
“This is not a time for disrupting things. Folks have their lives disrupted already,” said Giulio Coppi, global digital specialist at the Norwegian Refugee Council.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FWpIji">
All of the things that make crypto appealing to those under siege apply to those doing the sieging as well. Crypto is often used<strong> </strong>by bad actors, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/business/russia-
sanctions-cryptocurrency.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share">could be exploited by Russia to avoid sanctions</a>, which is currently the main weapon being employed by the US and its allies against Russia. Its prevalence in cyberwarfare also means people holding crypto could be a target for cyberattacks, and although one of the main appeals of crypto is that it’s supposed to be anonymous, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-
anonymous-untraceable-myths-stupid-dirty-money-laundering-crypto-chief-2021-6-1030517840">it isn’t foolproof</a>.
</p></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dz1Wjv">
More broadly, cryptocurrencies are quite volatile. While proponents of the crypto space often argue that bitcoin and the like are some sort of “digital gold,” they’ve <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-27/bitcoin-steady-amid-ukraine-conflict-north-korea-missile-
test#:~:text=Bitcoin%20traded%20below%20%2440%2C000%20and,stop%20attacks%20on%20its%20neighbor.">lost value</a> amid global uncertainty, undercutting the argument that they’re a kind of safe haven. If you imagine a scenario where you take $1,000 out of Ukraine in a cryptocurrency and by the time you’re able to convert it back to cash it’s lost half its value, that’s not ideal. But what if crypto is the easiest way to get money in a crisis? Is it better than nothing at all?
</p>
<h3 id="QcXNti">
Ukrainians are using crypto — but there are limitations
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qvrgKv">
Right now, at least some Ukrainians escaping the country seem to be taking their <a href="https://twitter.com/CiccioMadonna/status/1497200850099445760/photo/1">crypto with them</a>, which they hope to convert back into fiat currency once they arrive to safety. Others seem to be looking toward crypto as a way to store their wealth as Ukraine’s economy collapses; the country’s central bank has already <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/24/ukranian-bank-suspends-e-cash-transfers-bolstering-crypto-use-case.html">suspended electronic cash transfers</a> and is blocking Ukrainian citizens from <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-
crisis-cenbank-governor/ukraine-limits-cash-withdrawals-bans-forex-purchases-as-russia-invades-
idUKKBN2KT1HL">withdrawing foreign currency</a>. Trading on the Ukrainian crypto platform Kuna reached <a href="https://decrypt.co/93827/crypto-exchange-volumes-in-ukraine-spike-as-currency-controls-introduced">its highest level</a> since May 2021 this past Friday.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LJQc7y">
“In Ukraine right now, you can download a bitcoin wallet open source — totally unconnected from your ID — and you can generate an address via a QR code or an alphanumeric string,” Gladstein explained. “You can paste that to me, I can send you $1,000, and it goes through in a few minutes.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Xq4W1o">
Using crypto in the middle of a crisis isn’t necessarily easy. For one thing, you need an internet connection and a working device. You also need to know how to use crypto, which has a <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/bitcoin-for-beginners/how-to-buy-bitcoin-a-step-by-step-guide-to-buy-btc">steep learning curve</a> and is something people aren’t going to be able to pick up quickly in moments of crisis. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, and they don’t all work the same way. Crypto also has to be available to buy: Right now, even wealthier Ukrainians are reportedly <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2022/02/23/ukraines-wealthy-finding-it-
hard-to-buy-crypto-amid-geopolitical-tension/">having trouble buying</a> Tether, a digital currency that’s pegged to the US dollar. And if you’re only converting other assets you own into crypto now, the rest of the financial system needs to be working, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2J1Fvt">
“It might work for some people, but they need first to unfreeze their assets, transfer them into digital currency, and then manage to get out [of the country], which is actually the main problem right now,” Coppi said. “And then when they’re out, hope it hasn’t devalued too much.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a5LWUh">
That means that for now, crypto might be most helpful to the people who already have it. That could account for <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/29/ukraines-crypto-legislation-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction/">millions of people</a> in Ukraine, which has spent the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/14/business/crypto-
ukraine.html">last few years</a> aggressively promoting its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LusJl-OxXuM">own domestic cryptocurrency industry</a>. In February, the country’s parliament passed a law “<a href="https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/ukraine-crypto-legalize">legalizing</a>” crypto, and Ukraine now ranks fourth in the world in terms of <a href="https://blog.chainalysis.com/reports/2021-global-crypto-adoption-index/">crypto adoption</a>, according to the blockchain research company Chainalysis.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Ukrainian army soldier seen at an ATM machine in Mayorske." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/qLrvhYlOMG8GhUrlLAaY9Ttwycg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23278292/1237215392.jpg"/> <cite>Andriy Andriyenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A Ukrainian soldier at an ATM in Mayorske on December 11, 2021.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="svoEvj">
As the conflict continues, supporters of Ukraine are sending even more crypto into the country. On social media sites and platforms like Telegram, people — including leaders of the country’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HY7YncKTZ4">burgeoning</a> crypto sector — are sharing their crypto wallet addresses and soliciting donations. One NGO supporting the Ukrainian military has <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/live-updates-millions-in-crypto-crowdfunded-for-the-ukrainian-military">reportedly raised</a> several million in cryptocurrency, and groups are using crypto <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/25/4point1-million-in-cryptocurrency-funneled-to-ukrainian-military-since-russia-
invaded.html">to buy</a> a motley collection of military equipment, medical supplies, and even a facial recognition app. Some of these fundraising efforts have been active for months, but <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/live-updates-
millions-in-crypto-crowdfunded-for-the-ukrainian-military">picked up steam</a> last week.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6TGWMg">
To be sure, if you’re looking to send crypto to help in Ukraine, it’s important to check if the people on the receiving end want it and are equipped to handle it. Notably, neither the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/25/4point1-million-in-
cryptocurrency-funneled-to-ukrainian-military-since-russia-invaded.html">Ukrainian Ministry of Defense</a> nor <a href="https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrahunok-dlya-zboru-koshtiv-na-potrebi-armiyi">the National Bank of Ukraine</a> appear to be accepting cryptocurrency donations right now, though the government of Ukraine is, according to its <a href="https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1497594592438497282">verified Twitter account</a>. Given crypto’s volatility, it’s also worth remembering that the amount of the donation in crypto <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/5/12/22433113/vitalik-buterlin-cryptocurrency-india-shiba-inu-coin-
philanthropy">isn’t set in stone</a> and could drop fast.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g25YTn">
“If they don’t ask you for it, don’t send it,” Coppi said.
</p>
<h3 id="Bl7RJm">
Russia can also take advantage of crypto
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="scPxZV">
The heroic version of crypto in crisis — one that paints it as an alternative for people in dire situations — obfuscates the darker side of the space. It’s a very pertinent side, in particular, with regard to Russia.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uDGSOJ">
Even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States government was worried that cryptocurrencies could <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/business/cryptocurrency-bitcoin-russia-sanctions/index.html">dull the impact</a> of economic sanctions. Iran has used bitcoin mining to bypass trade embargoes, according to <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/how-iran-uses-bitcoin-mining-to-evade-sanctions">research from the blockchain analytics firm Elliptic</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yQVFa8">
Multiple countries <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/business/russia-ruble-banks-sanctions/index.html">have begun to hit Russia with heavy sanctions</a>. In some corners, that’s caused concern that Russia could use crypto to circumvent sanctions and move money undetected. As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/business/russia-sanctions-cryptocurrency.html">the New York Times outlines</a>, the Russian government has been developing a digital ruble, and Russia has been building tools to help hide the origins of digital transactions. Basically, if sanctions are meant to keep countries and businesses from dealing with Russia, crypto would be a way to get around them. Michael Parker, a former federal prosecutor, told the Times it would be “naive” to think Russia hadn’t gamed out a scenario where sanctions were imposed and it would have to find alternatives.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="People in masks walking by a
currency exchange." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/DoD8JSyOb93uEvfgF0cnOCeipHk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23278287/1238722602.jpg"/> <cite>Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images</cite></p>
<figcaption>
People walk past a currency exchange office in central Moscow on February 24.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GsEqWX">
To avoid this scenario, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister and minister of digital transformation, has called for crypto and blockchain platforms to block the <a href="https://twitter.com/FedorovMykhailo/status/1497922588491792386?cxt=HHwWhICywY2q2MkpAAAA">addresses of Russian users</a>. The Biden administration is also <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-bitcoin-and-other-
cryptocurrencies-could-be-part-of-future-sanctions-11645902740">weighing</a> how it might sanction Russian cryptocurrency assets, and has already urged crypto exchanges to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-28/u-s-prods-crypto-exchanges-to-thwart-russia-sanctions-
dodgers?sref=Wg6QzS2e">ensure that specific, sanctioned individuals</a> and organizations from Russia aren’t using their platforms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8jViX2">
While cutting off Russia’s access to crypto could have real repercussions for the country — crypto has become increasingly popular in Russia, which is also the world’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-bitcoin-and-other-cryptocurrencies-could-be-part-of-future-
sanctions-11645902740">third-largest bitcoin miner</a> — it may not be possible. Not all exchanges <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/will-crypto-exchanges-comply-with-us-sanctions-on-russia-and-
billionaires">confirm the identity of their customers</a>, and it’s generally difficult to track the origin of cryptocurrency transactions. Whether a cryptocurrency exchange legally has to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/will-crypto-exchanges-comply-with-us-sanctions-on-russia-and-
billionaires?sref=Wg6QzS2e">comply with sanctions</a> may depend on where they’re registered and where they operate. Many exchanges have <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kbdqq/crypto-exchanges-refuse-to-freeze-all-russian-
accounts">rebuffed calls</a> for them to freeze Russian accounts.
</p>
<div id="61ej5j">
<blockquote class="twitter- tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
1/6 I understand the rationale for this request but, despite my deep respect for the Ukrainian people, <a href="https://twitter.com/krakenfx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="krakenfx">@krakenfx</span></a> cannot freeze the accounts of our Russian clients without a legal requirement to do so.<br/><br/>Russians should be aware that such a requirement could be imminent. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYKNYC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYKNYC</a> <a href="https://t.co/bMRrJzgF8N">https://t.co/bMRrJzgF8N</a>
</p>
— Jesse Powell (<span class="citation" data-cites="jespow">@jespow</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/jespow/status/1498112741684363265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FjJAdp">
Crypto can also be used to fundraise for bad actors. Just as pro-Ukrainian groups have been able to get funding via crypto, so have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/world/europe/russian-groups-crowdfund-
the-war-in-ukraine.html">pro-Russian separatist groups in Ukraine</a>, including in 2014, <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/ukrainians-turn-to-bitcoin-to-crowdfund-the-fight-against-russia">when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula</a>, said Jess Symington, the head of research at Elliptic. “The pro-Russian groups were particularly active around the 2014 conflict,” she said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7NE8on">
Russia has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/25/cryptocurrency-ukraine-russia-war-impact/">heavy ties to crypto-linked cybercrimes</a> and illegal activity such as money laundering and ransomware. According to one analysis from Chainalysis, three-quarters of the money made through ransomware attacks last year <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60378009">went to hackers linked to Russia</a>. In January, the Ukrainian government was targeted by a series of cyberattacks that disguised themselves as <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/russia-ukraine-destructive-cyberattacks-ransomware-data-wiper/">ransomware that demanded bitcoin</a>, before destroying data on government computers.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OcslSx">
“Capital flight by economically distressed Ukrainians, or even Russians, is a very different thing than the Russian state attempting to launder money or evade sanctions,” said Alex Zerden, a former Treasury Department official under the Obama and Trump administrations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="guOaNv">
Coppi, from the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned that people putting their money in crypto may become unsuspecting victims in cyberwarfare, and not only in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Most conflicts are going to be more and more about cyberwarfare,” he said. “You risk becoming a target.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QNjWvB">
That being said, it’s not as though other currencies can’t be used for unsavory activities. “US dollars are used for a lot of really great economic activities,” Zerden said. “It’s also used to buy drugs and weapons and, you know, engage in human trafficking, right?”
</p>
<h3 id="oLsjJe">
Bitcoin maybe isn’t digital gold
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9ezezv">
One of the big arguments that crypto proponents have long made is that cryptocurrencies have the potential to act as “digital gold.” That means that, unlike fiat currencies, bitcoin can’t be diluted because there’s only going to ever be a set number of bitcoin, and that investing in cryptocurrencies is a way to diversify your portfolio in the face of volatility. Theoretically, that’s supposed to mean that bitcoin is a way to hedge against inflation, or that if the stock market crashes, bitcoin won’t. This theory hasn’t entirely proven to be true. Crypto has shown itself to be super volatile, and it often moves with stocks. The current conflict has highlighted crypto’s volatility.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="74056K">
Bitcoin <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/business/bitcoin-price-drops-ukraine-russia-attack/index.html">fell when Russia invaded Ukraine</a>, as did the S&amp;P 500 — it didn’t act differently from major US stocks. And as the S&amp;P 500 rebounded later in the week, so did bitcoin.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VroqQ6">
“That’s removing the perception that people had that cryptocurrencies could be used as a hedging asset against these kinds of macroeconomic conditions,” said Hugh Harsono, a digital currency researcher.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wEJg6g">
Still, cryptocurrency advocates say bitcoin can be better than the alternatives — like cash, bank accounts, or other physical assets, like gold or real estate — because it’s beyond the control of any one institution and easily transportable. And while crypto may be volatile, it can be less volatile than some countries’ fiat currencies or markets. Earlier this year, the Turkish lira became <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2022/01/07/turkish-lira-is-now-more-volatile-than-bitcoin/">more volatile than bitcoin</a>, which prompted some people in Turkey to cash in their fiat <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/turks-
pile-into-bitcoin-and-tether-to-escape-plunging-lira-11641982077">currency for bitcoin and Tether</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MKsovU">
“You’re worried that bitcoin went down 10 percent today or whatever,” Gladstein, from the Human Rights Foundation, said. “What are your other options for Ukrainians? What are they going to do? Put it in the Ukrainian stock market? Are they going to put it in a house? Are they going to bring the house with them?”
</p>
<h3 id="6xh10z">
Crypto is a part of war now, like it or not
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eu0jHm">
This isn’t the first time people have turned to crypto amid an international <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/09/rise-in-popularity-of-cryptocurrencies-in-
worlds-conflict-zones">conflict</a>, but it does feel like the first time crypto is front and center, so much so that some have even called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine<strong> </strong>“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/25/cryptocurrency-ukraine-russia-war-impact/">the world’s first crypto war</a>.”<strong> </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k6RHc6">
This is largely thanks to crypto proponents who have <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dx39/crypto-community-rushes-to-ukraines-defense-armed-with-nfts-daos">rallied in support of Ukraine</a> and tried to find a role for crypto. The cryptocurrency exchange FTX, for instance, has given the equivalent of $25 to every Ukrainian user on its platform to use as they please, according to its <a href="https://twitter.com/SBF_FTX/status/1496980981617946624?s=20&amp;t=_jWm6euoeXh8FredCf0YkQ">CEO Sam Bankman- Fried</a>. One of the co-founders of the Russian protest band Pussy Riot, ​​Nadya Tolokonnikova, has organized a fundraising effort to sell <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-industry-news-feb-25-2077807">10,000 NFTs of the Ukrainian flag</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/vitalikbuterin/">Vitalik Buterin</a>, the Russian-born founder of ethereum, has encouraged people to donate to humanitarian efforts in the country with crypto.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gFWaoN">
Of course, some of crypto boosters’ efforts to inject the digital assets into a war effort have been a little cringeworthy. It doesn’t really help for a <a href="https://twitter.com/0xApes_NFT/status/1496905071447130113">bored ape NFT person</a> to express solidarity with Ukraine. Given the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/11/crypto-scams-are-the-
top-threat-to-investors-by-far-say-regulators.html">scamminess of parts of the space</a>, it’s also hard to know which projects are actually going to help people in Ukraine and which ones are just money grabs by opportunists.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AFsIn8">
For now, we don’t know how crypto will shape international conflict, or whether it will ultimately help or hurt. People fleeing war zones might find a unique use for crypto, but they’ll need to figure out how to use it first. There are already plenty of other ways to raise and move money that don’t involve digital currencies. And while crypto may make it easier to sidestep sanctions, countries were evading sanctions long before bitcoin arrived.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="E6PLGx">
What we do know is that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are now a real factor in global economies and in conflicts. Whether it’s good or bad in wartime, crypto is doing what its proponents say it does — giving people a way to work outside of traditional financial institutions — and there’s no sign that will change anytime soon.
</p>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bhavani Devi confident of doing well</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mascara pleases</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mumbai teen attempts record for batting longest, stays at crease for over 72 hours</strong> - 19-year-old Siddarth Mohite passed compatriot Virag Mane’s 50-hour record, created in 2015, before batting for 72 hours and five minutes during a marathon net session</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Jason Roy pulls out of IPL citing bubble fatigue</strong> - The England batsman was signed by Gujarat Titans for his base price of ₹2 crore at the mega auction</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>South Africa beats New Zealand by 198 runs, splits series 1-1</strong> - After setting New Zealand a target of 426, South Africa bowled out the home team for 227 to win with more than a session remaining at Hagley Oval in Christchurch</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>GESCOM’s power tariff revision proposal opposed at KERC consultative meeting in Kalaburagi</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>KCR greets Stalin on his birthday</strong> - Speaks to TN CM over phone from Delhi</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Seminar on K-Rail challenges</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BSNL rolls out PDO service at Ramanahalli</strong> - The service will provide high-speed internet at nominal cost to the villagers</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Centre relaxes guidelines for scientists, makes it easier to access grants</strong> - The new guidelines for ‘Ease of Doing Science: Towards less government, more governance’ are aimed at reducing the compliance burden and switching from research administration to research facilitation</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine conflict: Russia bombs Kharkiv’s Freedom Square and opera house</strong> - Missiles hit the the cultural heart of the city, targeting an opera house, concert hall and offices.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ros Atkins on… Russia’s nuclear threat</strong> - Ros Atkins looks at the history of nuclear tensions and deals between the US and Russia.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine conflict: Disney, Warner, Sony halt release of films in Russia</strong> - The moves come as major corporations cut business links with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Canada to ban imports of crude oil from Russia</strong> - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the move would send a “powerful message”.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine conflict: Half a million flee as fighting rages</strong> - Hundreds of casualties are reported as major cities remain under attack from Russian forces.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A wartime plea to Western satellite companies: “We need this data, please”</strong> - “Within one hour there will be an attack on Kyiv again.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1837249">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hands-on: Gmail’s new sidebar feels like a big banner ad for Google Chat</strong> - Gmail’s desolate vertical sidebar is optional today and mandatory in Q2 2022. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1837044">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>NASA wants to maintain Russia partnership but is studying “operational flexibilities”</strong> - “We, as a team, are operating just like we were operating three weeks ago.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1837033">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>No, bad leftovers didn’t cause teen’s life-threatening infection, amputations</strong> - Media misreads medical case study, blames non-foodborne infection on leftovers - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1837225">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BP abandons Russian oil company stake, Shell pulls out of Nord Stream 2</strong> - Oil and gas contribute around 40 percent of Russia’s federal budget. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1837199">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
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<li><strong>A lawyer, comedian and a war hero walk into a bar.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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The bartender says, “what can I get for you, Mr Zelensky?”
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Credit to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/u/DrDerpberg">u/DrDerpberg</a>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Enitity_Enigma"> /u/Enitity_Enigma </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3vt8l/a_lawyer_comedian_and_a_war_hero_walk_into_a_bar/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3vt8l/a_lawyer_comedian_and_a_war_hero_walk_into_a_bar/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A panda walks into a restaurant and orders a plate of bamboo</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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When he’s finished with his meal, he hops up onto the table, pulls out two Glock 45s and unloads both magazines, blasting everything in sight.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
When the guns are empty, he throws them down and starts walking towards the door. The bartender looks up from behind the bar and yells, “Hey! What the hell, man?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The panda yells back at the bartender, “Hey, I’m a PANDA! Look it up!” The bartender opens his dictionary and sees the following definition for panda:
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“A tree dwelling marsupial of Asian orgin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats bamboo shoots and leaves.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/PatienceShort70"> /u/PatienceShort70 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t437e3/a_panda_walks_into_a_restaurant_and_orders_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t437e3/a_panda_walks_into_a_restaurant_and_orders_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A cowboy walks into a bar and takes a seat next to a very attractive woman</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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He gives her a quick glance then causally looks at his watch for a moment.
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The woman notices this and asks, “Is your date running late?”
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“No”, he replies, “I just got this state-of the-art watch, and I was just testing it.”
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The intrigued woman says, “A state-of-the-art watch? What’s so special about it?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The cowboy explains, “It uses alpha waves to talk to me telepathically.”
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The lady says, “What’s it telling you now?”
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“Well, it says you’re not wearing any panties.”
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The woman giggles and replies, “Well it must be broken because I am wearing panties!”
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The cowboy smiles, taps his watch and says, “Damn thing’s an hour fast.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/YZXFILE"> /u/YZXFILE </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3jljz/a_cowboy_walks_into_a_bar_and_takes_a_seat_next/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3jljz/a_cowboy_walks_into_a_bar_and_takes_a_seat_next/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Don’t eat it!</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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A man kills a deer and takes it home to cook for dinner. Both he and his wife decide that they won’t tell the children what kind of meat it is, but will give them a clue and let them guess. The dad said, “<strong>Well, it’s what Mommy calls me sometimes</strong>.”The little girl screamed to her brother, “<strong>Don’t eat it. Its an asshole!</strong>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/l3sly"> /u/l3sly </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3tr8f/dont_eat_it/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3tr8f/dont_eat_it/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A hole has been discovered in the fence that surrounds a nudist camp.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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Authorities are looking into it.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/SwitchToGeico729"> /u/SwitchToGeico729 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3xums/a_hole_has_been_discovered_in_the_fence_that/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/t3xums/a_hole_has_been_discovered_in_the_fence_that/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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