A few months before SARS sparked major outbreaks in several countries in early 2003, there were a series of small clusters of infection in Guangdong province, in southern China. Between November 2002 and January 2003, seven clusters were reported in Guangdong, ranging from one to nine cases in size. Based on the scope of these outbreaks, researchers later estimated that the reproduction numberR0, which is defined as the average number of new infectious caused by a typical casemay have been around 0.8 during this period. However, by the time the first major outbreak occurred in Hong Kong a couple of months later, SARS had an R0 of more than 2.

There are several reasons the R0 of an infection may increase, and we can understand them better by breaking transmission down into four main components. Consider the steps that lead an infectious person to spread the infection to others. It depends on A) the duration of time someone is infectious, B) the opportunities for transmission during this period (such as social interactions), C) the transmission probability during each opportunity (such as whether someone coughs or sneezes), and D) the probability that the person on the other end of the interaction is susceptible to that infection. I like to call these four things the DOTS for short, and if we multiply them together we get the value of the reproduction number:

For example, if a case is infectious for a week on average (i.e. duration), interacts with around five new people per day (i.e. opportunities), has a 5 percent chance of infecting each of these contacts during an interaction (i.e. transmission probability), and everyone is susceptible, wed expect 7 x 5 x 0.05 x 1 = 1.75 secondary cases on average.

As I explain in my latest book, The Rules of Contagion, for infectious diseases, each of the DOTS can influence the extent of contagion. One 2016 study estimated that viruses that transmitted successfully among humans tended to cause longer infections (that is, larger duration value) and spread directly from one person to another, rather than via a secondary source (that is, more opportunities). Transmission probability can also make a difference; avian influenza viruses, such as H5N1, have struggled to gain a foothold in people because they cant latch onto the cells in our airway as easily as human viruses can. Thats why there was concern in 2011, when teams at Erasmus Medical Center and the University of WisconsinMadison announced that they had each created new strains of H5N1. Among other changes, mutations in these viruses could make them more capable of infecting the easy-to-access upper portion of the mammalian airway. Unlike circulating avian influenza viruseswhich had only spread between humans whod come into close contact with each otherthese mutant versions could go airborne, successfully spreading between ferrets in the lab. An increase in susceptibility can also nudge the reproduction number higher, such as when vaccination coverage falls for diseases such as measles, which means outbreaks may follow.

As well as understanding how infections spread, the DOTS can provide insights into how we might control them. In the case of HIV, for example, treatment can reduce the duration of time someone is infectious, and fewer sexual partners can reduce the number of opportunities for transmission. The latter generally isnt an appealing option for most people, so health agencies have instead encouraged people to use condoms, which reduces the transmission probability during sexual encounters. In recent years, there have also been successful programs of pre-exposure prophylaxis, whereby HIV-negative individuals take anti-HIV drugs to reduce their susceptibility to infection.

For SARS-CoV-2, there isnt yet a way to reduce susceptibility other than through natural infection. Even with infection, the duration of subsequent immunity remains unclear. This means control measures have focused on decreasing the effective duration of infectiousness (by isolating people with symptoms and quarantining their contacts), the number of opportunities (by reducing social interactions), or limiting the probability of transmission with personal protective equipment. Just as theres not a single component of transmission that made the COVID-19 pandemic take off, there wont be a simple solitary measure that will keep SARS-CoV-2 under control in the long term. To prevent large future outbreaks, countries will have to connect together measures that can target several of the DOTS.

Adam Kucharskiis an associate professor in the department of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Read more from the original source:
Connecting the DOTS - The Scientist

Editor's note: NCR does not expect its columnists to share completely the views of our editorial page, and this column is a case in point. NCR has for decades supported a nuanced view of the "seamless garment" approach to abortion and other life issues, as spelled out inthis editorialand others over the years.

Over the past few weeks, a thought-provoking discussion has arisen in the pages of NCR about what a progressive, Millennial Catholic like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez signifies for the future of the church in the United States. The conversation started when NCR's executive editor, Heidi Schlumpf, wrote a column in response to the congresswoman's stunning, feminist rebuke of Rep. Ted Yoho (also a Catholic) after he subjected her to a repugnant verbal assault on the steps of the Capitol.

"If there is to be a future for the Catholic Church in the United States," Schlumpf wrote, "it must also resemble Ocasio-Cortez in her passion for justice and human dignity, and in her courage and integrity, even in the face of vulgar attacks."

The piece aroused the indignation of some Catholics who oppose the right to access abortion care, arguing that, Ocasio-Cortez's pro-choice position is untenable with the Catholic faith.

What they don't consider, however, is that Ocasio-Cortez doesn't view the issue of abortion simply as an issue of reproductive rights. She views it through the more comprehensive lens of reproductive justice.

What's the difference? The framework of reproductive justice was developed in 1994 by 12 Black women in response to the Clinton administration's proposed plan for universal health care. The women questioned the assumptions that were being made by those who developed the health care plan and whether they were really able to represent the needs of Black women.

Their core concern was this: When a person gets pregnant, whether planned or unplanned, the discussion is never limited to whether or not the pregnant person can get an abortion. All kinds of social justice issues come to the fore: workers' rights, protection from domestic violence and abuse, immigration status, a clean and safe environment, and access to adequate education, health care and childcare. So they developed an ethic that they called reproductive justice that interweaves reproductive rights with social justice.

Reproductive justice moves beyond the binary pro-choice vs. pro-life debate and has three core beliefs: the right not to have a child; the right to have a child; and the right to nurture children in safe and healthy environments. More recently, members of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective added a fourth tenet that includes the right to bodily autonomy and gender expression.

The National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda explains the framework succinctly on its website:

Reproductive Justice means the human right to control our sexuality, our gender, our work, and our reproduction. That right can only be achieved when all women and girls have the complete economic, social, and political power and resources to make healthy decisions about our bodies, our families, and our communities in all areas of our lives.

What struck me when I read this description is how much it overlaps with parts of Catholic social justice teaching, even as it obviously disagrees with the official doctrine of the Catholic Church on abortion.

Some, of course, will disagree, arguing that abortion does violence to women's bodies and inflicts deep psychological trauma. But recent long-term studies of women who were denied abortions contradict those claims.

In her new book The Turnaway Study, Diana Greene Foster presents research conducted over 10 years with 1,000 women who had or were denied abortions, charting its effects on women's mental, physical and economic health.

In a recent interview with on NPR's Fresh Air, Foster said that "95% of women who receive an abortion later report that it was the right decision for them. [I]t's not that they don't realize that there are moral questions involved, but they're weighing their whole life responsibilities and plans and decide this is the right decision for them."

Foster says that women who were denied abortions were much more likely to be living alone and raising their children alone, and those who are tied to an abusive partner see incidents of domestic violence skyrocket. In the months following being denied an abortion, they were worse off psychologically than the women who were able to terminate their pregnancies and more likely to answer "no" to questions like, "I feel happy when my child laughs," among other devastating indicators.

Even most pro-life people acknowledge that economic hardship, domestic violence and lack of work are all contributing factors to why a pregnant person may need to seek an abortion. But where they disagree is on the issue of bodily autonomy. That is, a women's right to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term.

This is where Foster's study is particularly helpful. As she told Fresh Air:

"[T]here is more at stake than just women's bodily autonomy and the well-being of a fetus who will become a baby.

"It's not just her body, but her whole life trajectory, her chance of having a wanted baby later, her chance of having a good, positive romantic relationship and her chance of supporting herself and her family. It affects their existing children and the well-being of her future children."

In this moment, when the nation is reckoning with violence and systemic white supremacy, I have found it helpful to listen to the voices of the Black women who created the reproductive justice framework, and those who are furthering its development today. They maintain that for centuries, white people have colonized and dominated Black bodies, particularly Black women's bodies. Achieving true freedom for them, and for all women, therefore includes maintaining their sovereignty over their bodies and their pregnancies, having access to sexual education, having total autonomy over their own bodies and being able to control their own fertility.

Progressive Catholics regularly criticize those who call themselves pro-life but only commit to being anti-abortion. But they often skirt the issue of abortion entirely by instead focusing on all of the other justice issues that need to be upheld as part of a consistent ethic of life.

I think these progressive, justice-oriented Catholics might be stunned to see how much the values of reproductive justice overlap with the values stated in Catholic social teaching: care for the vulnerable, access to education, the right to be protected from violence and the right to workplace protections and health care.

At its core, reproductive justice seeks to end oppression in all its forms. This broad vision includes access to abortion care, but that is one piece of a more comprehensive ethic of care. Reproductive justice demonstrates care for children and their futures by including issues like care for the migrants, the right to vote, protection for the planet, opposition to war and state violence and, of course, a call to action against racism and white supremacy.

These are the reasons why Ocasio-Cortez and I, who count ourselves among the 56% of U.S. Catholics who believe that abortion should be legal, embrace an ethic of reproductive justice.

These principles are all consistent with Catholic social teaching and they may help progressive Catholics who are skittish around the issue of abortion see that they share more common ground with pro-choice advocates then they realize.

[Jamie L. Manson is a longtime, award-winning columnist at the National Catholic Reporter. Follow her on Twitter:@jamielmanson.]

Editor's note:We can send you an email to let you know every time Jamie Manson'sGrace on the Marginsis posted to NCRonline.org.Sign up here.

Original post:
AOC embraces reproductive justice, and other Catholics should, too - National Catholic Reporter

The life cycle of the scyphozoans jellyfish are cataloged as simple or complex. The complex life cycles are represented by a metagenetic model where individuals alternate different live forms and reproductive models due to the highly seasonal environment. We can start describing the life cycle when males and females of adult jellyfish release sperm and ovules into the ocean. The fertilized eggs undergo a metamorphosis into planulae, which sits on the benthic substrate and gives rise to a polyp in a slow process.

The morphology of the polyps varies according to the species, but they are generally concave upwards with a lot of tentacles that contain stinging cells called cnidocytes, used to catch plankton and feed. The reproduction of the polyp is asexual. During this stage, parental polyps generate new polyps through buds and stolons. When the resources are limited, the polyps are able to adapt to the environment for long periods of time in resting stage. However, when the environmental conditions are optimal for their development, the polyps through an asexual reproduction process known as strobilation, fissions perpendicularly from the oral-aboral axis giving rise to multiple ephyrae that develop in a pelagic environment corresponding to the medusa phase. The amount of newly released ephyrae from a polyp varies according to the species. In the case of the Aurelia genus, a polyp can release between six and 21 ephyrae into the ocean in each strobilation. This reproduction strategy implies that the survival of the species is ensured, because only a low percentage of the ephyrae will grow to become adult jellyfish capable of reproducing sexually and starting the biological cycle again.

Although there is no clear evidence, some studies suggest that the increase of artificial structures mainly in coastal areas, such as dykes or docks, provide more space for the larvae to settle, giving rise to new polyp populations of for example the most common jellyfish species in the world, Aurelia aurita. Therefore, coastal habitat modifications as well as other human activities like eutrophication (when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients), global warming, translocation and overfishing have been considered significant reasons of jellyfish outbreaks seen most frequently in recent years. What a paradox, right? We as humans and the consequences of our activities are responsible for jellyfish blooms.

Continued here:
Birth of a jellyfish: Why blooms are on the increase in the Mediterranean - Oceanographic - Oceanographic Magazine

Q: I'm usually a pretty confident dad but the thought of having the "birds and bees" talk with my preteen son has me sweating bullets. Help?!

Jim: I understand. When the time came for me to talk with my oldest son, Trent, about sex, I was pretty nervous. Human reproduction can be difficult for two adults to talk about openly. It's an even more delicate conversation with a child. Nevertheless, I was ready to push forward.

After explaining the sacredness of human sexuality, I carefully described, in simple and age-appropriate terms, the basic mechanics of sex. When I finished, Trent was awfully quiet. He finally looked up at me and said, "That is weird! That is really weird!" I couldn't help but chuckle the innocence of youth!

But that's exactly what made his reaction such a beautiful moment. My son's introduction to this life-changing issue wasn't from kids at school, television or music lyrics. It was from me, his father.

Most of us guys appreciate that a tough job is easier with the right tools at hand. With that in mind, I'd highlight that our organization offers plenty of resources to help dads and moms walk through these challenging conversations including a new web-video-based kit titled Launch Into the Teen Years. Visit FocusOnTheFamily.com/parenting and look for the "Sex Education" topic category.

"The talk" can be awkward for the child and for you. But I encourage you to take a deep breath and go for it! It very well could be one of the greatest gifts you can give to your child at the onset of their teen years.

Q: As a married person, is it OK to chat online or send private social media messages to members of the opposite sex?

Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries: There's no simple answer to this question. Everything depends on who these "members of the opposite sex" are, the context of your communication with them, the background of your relationships with them and your reasons and motives for wanting to stay in touch. Are you talking about old friends of the family? Relatives? Coworkers? Members of a professional network? Or is this a question of renewing acquaintances with an "old flame" or two? For obvious reasons, it makes a huge difference.

From a certain perspective, maintaining a healthy marriage while wisely managing relationships with members of the opposite sex is no different in cyberspace than it is in the "real" world for example, at a party, at a high school reunion or while out to dinner with other couples at a restaurant. Sometimes it's just a matter of establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries. On other occasions, it can be a fine art that requires wisdom, discernment and maturity.

Before you were married you may have had lots of friends of the opposite sex. But once you've said, "I do," your bond with your spouse must take priority over every other relationship. Most affairs begin as an innocent connection between two people. Time spent together, whether face-to-face, by phone or via computer, can lead to the sharing of intimate secrets which can then progress toward betrayal and infidelity.

In every circumstance, your love for your spouse and your commitment to your marriage should be your guiding principles. That love and that commitment represent the "bottom line" that determines all your thoughts, choices and actions with reference to individuals of the opposite sex. If you value your marriage and genuinely desire to protect it, you need to be on your guard against unforeseen threats.

So, I'd summarize it this way: If your chats or private messages venture into territory that you'd feel uncomfortable letting your spouse read it's time to stop.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at http://www.jimdalyblog.com or at http://www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

Read more:
Focus on the Family: Important talks from parents - Boyertown Berk Montgomery Newspapers

Diseases have plagued mankind throughout history. The Neolithic Revolution, which was marked by a shift to agrarian societies, preceded by hunting and gathering communities, brought about increased trading activities. The shift created new opportunities for increased human and animal interactions, which in turn, introduced and sped up the spread of new diseases. The more civilized humans became, the more the occurrences of pandemics was witnessed.

This led to outbreaks that left an indelible mark in history due to their severity. Three of the deadliest pandemics include the Plague of Justinian (541-542 BC) that killed about 30-50 million people, Black Death (1347-1351) that killed 200 million and Smallpox (1520 onwards) that killed 56 million.

Infographic courtesy: Visual Capitalist

In modern history, the most notable major pandemic was the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919. Over a century later, the world is grappling with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has currently infected over 2 million people and killed over 140,000.

But how does the Spanish flu compare to the current COVID-19 pandemic?

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 is sometimes referred to as the mother of all pandemics. It affected one-third of the worlds population and killed up to 50 million people, including some 675,000 Americans. It was the first known pandemic to involve the H1N1 virus.

The outbreak occurred during the final months of World War I. It came in several waves but its origin, however, is still a matter of debate to-date. Its name doesnt necessarily mean it came from Spain.

An emergency hospital during Spanish flu influenza pandemic, Camp Funston, Kansas, c. 1918 Image Courtesy: National Museum of Health and Medicine

Spain was one of the earliest countries where the epidemic was identified. Historians believe this was likely a result of wartime media censorship. The country was a neutral nation during the war and did not enforce strict censorship on its press. This freedom of the press allowed them to freely publish early accounts of the illness. As a result, people falsely believed the illness was specific to Spain and hence earning the name Spanish flu.

Influenza or flu is a virus that attacks the respiratory system and is highly contagious.

Initial symptoms of the Spanish flu included a sore head and tiredness, followed by a dry hacking cough, loss of appetite, stomach problems and excessive sweating. As it progressed, the illness could affect the respiratory organs, andpneumonia could develop. This stage was often the main cause of death. This also explains why it is difficult to determine exact numbers killed by the flu, as the listed cause of death was often something other than the flu.

Thesesymptomsare very similar to those of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For decades, the Spanish flu virus was lost to history and scientists still do not know for sure where the virus originated. Several theories as to what may have caused it point to France, the United States or China.

Research published in 1999 by a British team, led by virologist John Oxford theorized a major United Kingdom staging and hospital camp in taples, France as being the centre of the flu. In late 1917, military pathologists reported the onset of a new disease with high mortality in the overcrowded camp that they later recognized as the flu. The camp was also home to a piggery, and poultry was regularly brought for food from neighbouring villages. Oxford and his team theorized that a significant precursor virus harboured in birds, mutated and then migrated to the pigs.

Other statements have been that the flu originated from the United States, in Kansas. In 2018, another study found evidence against the flu originating from Kansas, as the cases and deaths there were fewer than those in New York City in the same period. The study did, however, find evidence suggesting that the virus may have been of North American Origin, though it wasnt conclusive.

Multiple studies have placed the origin of the flu in China. The country had lower rates of flu mortality, which may have been due to an already acquired immunity possessed by the population. The argument was that the virus was imported to Europe via infected Chinese and Southeast Asian soldiers and workers headed across the Atlantic.

However, the Chinese Medical Association Journal published a report in 2016 with evidence that the 1918 virus had been circulating in the European armies for months and possibly years before the Spanish flu pandemic.

COVID-19, on the other hand, was first discovered in the Wuhan province of China late last year. There has been no argument against this so far. Research is still ongoing as to whether it was passed on from bats or the newly found connection to pangolins.

Much like COVID-19, the Spanish flu was spread from through air droplets, when an infected person sneezed or coughed, releasing more than half a million-virus particles that came into contact with uninfected people.

The close quarters and massive troop movements during the war hastened the spread of the flu. There are speculations that the soldiers already weakened immune systems were increasingly made vulnerable due to malnourishment and the stresses of combat and chemical attacks. More U.S soldiers in WW1 died from the flu than from the war.

A unique characteristic of the virus was the high death rate it caused among healthy adults 15-34 years of age. It lowered the average life expectancy in the U.S by more than 12 years.

COVID-19, on the other hand, does not discriminate in terms of age, but older people and those with other underlying medical conditions are being considered more vulnerable.

The measures being taken today to curb the spread of COVID-19 are very similar to those taken in 1918. Back then, physicians advised people to avoid crowded places and shaking hands with other people. Others suggested remedies included eating cinnamon, drinking wine and drinking Oxos beef broth. They also told people to keep their mouths and noses covered with masks in public.

Image courtesy: National Museum of Health and Medicine

In other areas quarantines were imposed and public places such as schools, theatres and churches were closed. Libraries stopped lending books and strict sanitary measures were passed to make spitting in the streets illegal.

Due to World War I, there was a shortage of doctors in some areas. Many of the physicians who were left became ill themselves. Schools and other buildings were turned into makeshift hospitals, where medical students had to step up to help the overwhelmed physicians.

Though the severity of COVID-19 has not gotten to the level of the Spanish flu, most of the effects the world is experiencing now are very relatable.

The Spanish flu killed with reckless abandon, leaving bodies piled up to such an extent that funeral parlours and cemeteries were overwhelmed. Family members were left to dig graves for their deceased loved ones. Strained state and local health centres also closed, hampering efforts to chronicle the spread of the flu and provide much-needed information to the public. Similar scenes are being witnessed in Italy today, which has so far recorded the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19.

The Spanish flu also adversely affected the economy as the deaths created a shortage of farmworkers, which in turn affected the summer harvest. A lack of staff and resources put other basic services such as waste collection and mail delivery under pressure. COVID-19 has seen some companies send their employees home on unpaid leave and others have imposed pay cuts. If the situation worsens, a majority is likely to lose their jobs.

Fake news during this time was also a problem. Even as people were dying, there were attempts to make money by advertising fake cures to desperate victims. On June 28, 1918, a public notice appeared in the British papers advising people of the symptoms of the flu. It however turned out this was actually an advertisement for Formamints, a tablet made and sold by a vitamin company. The advert stated that the mints were the best means of preventing the infective processes and that everyone, including children, should suck four or five of these tablets a day until they felt better.

Image courtesy: ICDS

Fake news has been a concern since the outbreak of COVID-19, with the Internet making it even easier to spread it. See some of our fact checks on the subjecthere.

The deadliness of WW1 coupled with censorship of the press and poor record-keeping made tracking and reporting on the virus very tedious. This explains why the flu remains of interest to date as some questions are yet to be answered. In contrast, Media coverage on COVID-19 has been commendable and very useful to the public in providing much-needed answers.

When the Spanish flu hit, medical technology and countermeasures were limited or non-existent at the time. No diagnostic tests or influenza vaccines existed. The federal government also lacked a centralized role in helping to plan and initiate interventions during the pandemic.

Many doctors prescribed medication that they felt would be effective in alleviating symptoms, including aspirin. Patients were advised to take up to 30 grams per day, a dose now known to be toxic. It is now believed that some of the deaths were actually caused or hastened by aspirin poisoning.

The first licensed flu vaccine appeared in America in the 1940s and from there on, manufacturers could routinely produce vaccines that would help control and prevent future pandemics.

Fast forward to 2020; clinical trials of COVID-19 treatments/vaccines are either ongoing or recruiting patients. The drugs being tested range from repurposed flu treatments to failed Ebola drugs, blood pressure drug (Losartan), an immunosuppressant (Actemra- an arthritis drug) and malaria treatments developed decades ago.

An antiviral drug called Favipiravir or Avigan, developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical in Japan is showing promising outcomes in treating at least mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.

As of now, doctors are using available drugs and health support systems such us ventilators to alleviate symptoms. There have been over 500,000 recoveries so far.

Doctors in China, South Korea, France and the U.S. have been using Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine on some patients with promising results. The FDA is organizing a formal clinical trial of the drug, which has already been approved for the treatment of malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The mistakes and delays in taking quick action we are experiencing today with COVID-19 are not new. In the summer of 1918, a second wave of the Spanish flu returned to the American shores as infected soldiers came back home. With no vaccine available, it was the responsibility of the local authorities to come up with plans to protect the public, at a time when they were under pressure to appear patriotic and with a censored media downplaying the diseases spread.

Some bad decisions were made in the process. In Philadelphia for instance, the response came in too little too late. The then director of Public Health and Charities for the city, Dr Wilmer Krusen, insisted that the increasing fatalities were not the Spanish flu but the normal flu. This left 15,000 dead and another 200,000 sick. Only then did the city close down public places.

The pandemic came to an end by the end of the summer of 1919. Those who were infected either died or developed immunity. The world has experienced other flu outbreaks since then but none as deadly as the Spanish flu.

The Asian flu (H2N2), first Identified in China from 1957-1958, killed around 2 million people worldwide. The Hong Kong (H3N2), first detected in Hong Kong, from 1968-1969, killed about 1 million people. Between 1997-2003, Bird flu (H5N1), first detected in Hong Kong, killed over 300 people. More recently in 2009-2010, the Swine flu (H1N1), which originated from Mexico, killed over 18,000 people.

The worlds population has increased from 1.8 billion to 7.7 billion since 1918. Animals alike, which are used for food, have also increased significantly, giving room for more hosts for novel flu viruses to infect people. Transport systems have gotten better making global movement of people and goods much easier and faster, further widening the spread of viruses to other geographical regions.

Even though considerable medical, technological and societal advancements have been made since 1918, the best defence against the current pandemic continues to be the development of vaccine or herd immunity. The biggest challenge, however, is the time required to manufacture a new vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, it generally takes about 20 weeks to select and manufacture a new vaccine.

Dr Eddy Okoth Odari, a senior lecturer and researcher of Medical Virology in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology breaks it down as follows:

It is anticipated that herd immunity would protect the vulnerable groups. We must, however, appreciate that natural herd immunity may only occur when a sizeable number of the population gets infected. I note with concern that we may not know and should not gamble with the immunity or health of our populations. This would then call for an induced herd immunity through vaccination. Therefore as at now, we must increase our efforts in developing an effective vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published instructions for countries to use in developing their own national pandemic plans, as well as a checklist for pandemic influenza risk and impact management. But even with all these plans, there are still loopholes that could still be devastating in the face of a pandemic, as we are currently witnessing.

Healthcare systems are getting overwhelmed and some hospitals and doctors are struggling to meet the demand from the number of patients requiring care. The manufacture and distribution of medications, products and life-saving medical equipment such as ventilators, masks and gloves have also significantly increased, seeing as there is already a shortage being experienced. Dr Okoth has a good explanation for this:

Translation of research findings into proper policies has been slow since policy formulators have insisted on evidence. For example, as early as March 2019, publications had hinted into a possibility of a virus crossing over from bats to human populations in China, but unfortunately, there was no proper preparedness and if any, perhaps the magnitude of this potential infection was underestimated. Finally, the geopolitical wars and political inclinations among the superpowers are not helping much in the war against infectious diseases. When the pandemic started it was viewed as a Chinese problem, in fact, other nations insisted in it being called a Chinese virus or Wuhan virus. Even with clear evidence that the virus would spread outside China, the WHO (perhaps to appear neutral) insisted that China was containing the virus and delayed in declaring this a pandemic the net result of this was that other countries became reluctant in upscaling their public health measures, yet other countries seem to have been keen not to be on the bad books of China.

There is no telling how long the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will go on for or when and how it will end, but global preparation for pandemics clearly still warrant improvement as Dr Okoth advises.

Perhaps the lessons that we learn here is that diseases will not need permission to cross borders and since the world has become a global village, there should be proper investments in global health and scientific research.

This article was originally published by Africa Uncensored. Graphics by Clement Kumalija.

Link:
STEPHANIE MUSHO - Young, Gifted andPregnant - The Elephant

OMNIVAX-COVID spike protein: To create vaccine formulations against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the team included combinations of different antigens derived from the virus Spike protein complex in the modular vaccine. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

A team of multidisciplinary scientists including bioengineers, materials-scientists and immunologists at the Wyss Institute has created a novel infection vaccine platform know as OmniVax.The unique biomaterial-based platform works by presenting antigens to the immune system in a controlled and sustained way, using a 3D scaffold containing the antigen that can be injected to mimic an infection under the skin. The OmniVax technology inspired by the work of Professor David Mooney whose research centerd on creating a novel cancer vaccine has been utilized to create a vaccine against urinary tract infections (UTI) amongst other applications.

Most recently, the team at the Wyss Institute have explored its capability for developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, for which they are conducting preclinical tests that have demonstrated positive results thus far.

Technology Networks spoke with Lead Senior Staff Scientist Ed Doherty from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, to learn more.

Molly Campbell (MC): Please can you tell us about the history of the OMNIVAX platform and the development of a biocompatible and biodegradable immuno-material-based vaccine?

Ed Doherty (ED): The OmniVax infection technology was based on an older vaccine concept invented in the Mooney Laboratory. The original vaccine technology concept was invented by a graduate student, Omar Ali Ph. D, with professor David Mooney at Harvards School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2009. This technology was designed to collect immune cells from a patient, activate them (in vitro) against tumor cells and then re-inject the activated cells to fight the tumor. Our new concept by-passed the removal, expensive cell culture and poor yield upon re-injection by designing a system that could recruit and activate cells all in vivo. The idea was to recruit the cells into a biomaterial, in the initial configuration it was an implanted degradable poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) foamed polymer, and present AN antigen and adjuvant to activate the cells. The oncology vaccine utilized the patients own tumor cells as the antigen source. This concept was further developed by my team at the Wyss Institute and subsequentially tested in a Phase I Human Clinical Trial to treat Melanoma with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The twenty-five-patient trial demonstrated the vaccine was well tolerated and the additional data will be published.

As my team completed preparing for the Phase I melanoma trial, members of the microbiology/virology team asked if our vaccine platform would work with pathogens as antigens to target infectious diseases. We quickly attempted a few pilot studies to demonstrate protection against a bolus injection of E.coli in a sepsis animal model and soon after the infection vaccine project was funded by the Wyss Institute. We opted to use a newly patented version of the system that utilized mesoporous silica rods (MSR) to create the required scaffold structure, which was injectable unlike the PLGA vaccine which was implantable. We continued to develop new vaccines against MRSA, S. pneumonia, Influenza, HIV, K. pneumonia to demonstrate the capabilities of the platform.

The team began to develop other capabilities to support further development and provide more in-depth characterization of the technology. We began to work with business development personnel to generate business models to identify the best applications and to get feedback from key opinion leaders and physicians. Over the last year we have conducted enough planning and strategizing to feel comfortable that we should form a new company based on the OmniVax platform. We hope to finalize funding over the next few months and begin operations in early 2021.

MC: How does the OmniVax platform work?ED: Unlike traditional protein subunit vaccines which have only an antigen injected to elicit the immune response, the OmniVax platform creates a 3D scaffold with the antigen and other factors to mimic an infection under the skin. The vaccination platform uses a biomaterial-based scaffold injected subcutaneously to deliver a growth factor that attracts large concentrations of immature immune cells (dendritic cells) into the structure which contains the target antigen and activating adjuvant. These immune cells are designed to internalize the antigen, activating them and causing them to migrate to the nearest draining lymph node. Once in the lymph node, the activated, or mature, dendritic cell presents the antigen to the B and T cells, creating both a humoral and cellular immune response against the target antigen. The presence of the scaffold combined with recruiting the specific cell type increases the number and quality of the interactions of the immune cells with target antigens and adjuvants. This safely improves the immunogenicity of the antigen, which is the main reason vaccines fail. The efficiency of the vaccination combined with seven days of recruiting immune cells contributes to the increased duration of the response. Both the Mooney lab and the team at the Wyss Institute have demonstrated the mechanism and utility of this platform technology in dozens of peer-reviewed publications, which also describe feasibility in oncology, reproduction and pathogenic applications. There are several publications that demonstrate that the scaffold structure is essential to maximize the immunogenicity of the target antigen.

MC: How does the scaffold extend the time that dendritic cells are exposed to antigens?ED: There are two answers to this question; the first is that we demonstrated that significantly more dendritic cells are exposed to the target antigen and adjuvant due to being recruited into the scaffold structure. Secondly, the dendritic cells are trafficked though the vaccine to the lymph nodes over the course of a seven-day release of the recruiting factor. This increased number of cells exposed to the antigen and adjuvant is amplified by the constant cycle of dendritic cells being recruit, activated and migrating to the lymph nodes over the seven-day release of recruiting factor. This unique feature of OmniVax has consistently demonstrated the technology platforms ability to increase the robustness and durability of target antigens.

MC: Can you discuss the advantages of combining multiple antigens in a single vaccination using simple modular technologies?ED: The ease to which we can add multiple target antigens to our vaccine platform creates two main advantages to addressing infectious diseases. The first would be to create broader coverage by adding a diverse set of antigens specific to that pathogen or pathogen family, increasing the chances of efficacy and provding cross reactivity with similar or mutated pathogens. Currently there are numerous multivalent approved vaccines (i.e. Prevnar, MMRII) on the market but design modifications require significant development and add complexity to the manufacturing process, we believe this wouldnt be the case with OmniVax.

The modularity of our vaccine platform would also be important to address pandemics or other outbreaks, because the ease of incorporation of antigens into the vaccine system can be done quickly and efficiently which allows for rapid deployment. Perhaps the greater advantage of our system is that the design allows the antigen (viral or bacterial) to be prepared separately at time of outbreak, and be added to the other components which have be pre-manufactured and stored in large qualities.

MC: You are currently developing a vaccine to treat recurring UTIs. Can you tell us more about this? What stage of testing has this vaccine reached?ED: The recurring urinary tract infection (rUTI) vaccine incorporates bacterial adhesion protein antigens that target the mechanism E.coli use to adhere to the lining of the urinary tract. The ability to adhere to the urinary tract allows the bacteria to become embedded and very difficult to eliminate with antibiotics. Although the free bacteria can be controlled with antibiotics, each recurrence must be addressed once symptoms occur in the patient. The treatment were proposing should create an immune response that will eliminate the bacteria during subsequent recurrences and ultimately stop the infection by allowing no bacteria to form new protected sites of infection.

Approximately 50% of women will experience a UTI in their lifetime and 10-20% of all women will experience recurrent UTI. In the US each year, three million women have recurring UTI (two or more for 12- month period). UTIs are also a significant cause of morbidity in infant boys and elderly men. An important subgroup is complicated UTIs, including catheter-associated infections, which have high incidence of antibiotic resistance. The potential for UTI vaccine would represents a $1B+ addressable market. Additionally, our vaccine to the E.coli bacteria that causes 80% of all rUTIs had been previously demonstrated to provide protection against E.coli in a sepsis model developed at the Wyss Institute. The vaccine to prevent rUTI has been tested at the Wyss Institute to verify that we can generate antibodies and cellular responses specifically against E. coli bacteria. In addition, we have conducted feasibility studies in an animal model for rUTI developed at the Wyss Institute. Currently we are testing our UTI Vaccine in a program sponsored by the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease (NIAID) in an established and validated rodent model.

We (myself and four other Wyss/Harvard Scientists) are currently raising funds with the intention of starting a new company and complete the preclinical and chemistry. Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) activities that would the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. This IND would allow us to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our vaccine platform in Human Clinical trials.

MC: How is the Wyss team applying the OMNIVAX technology for the development of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2? At what stage is this research?ED: Our work with SARS-CoV-2 began in April when all of the Harvard/Wyss laboratories were shut down except for COVID-related projects. In response to the global crisis and to demonstrate how quickly we can address new pathogen targets three to four of the infection team worked throughout the four-month shut down and made significant progress. We incorporated seven different combinations of COVID related proteins into our vaccine platform and vaccine animals in the first week of the shutdown. We quickly demonstrated the ability generate significantly high antibody titers against the targeted antigen, except one. Based on these results we reached out to collaborators in the Boston area and they were impressed enough to offer antibody neutralization testing, which was also very impressive. We are currently moving to the hamster challenge model to demonstrate efficacy and have applied for grants to support non-human primate studies. Updated efficacy and duration data will be published soon. Much like the rUTI application, we would have to complete the pre-clinical and CMC work to move to human trials, which would be the main focus of the start-up company.

MC: Can you discuss the safety of the OMNIVAX technology?ED: The vaccine platform has consistently generated a very good safety profile in all of the animal studies conducted over the last four years. These studies have evaluated numerous combinations of antigens and adjuvants in a rodent, rabbit, porcine, and bovine animal models. The site of injection, organs and general health of all animals has demonstrated a high degree of safety. The injected vaccine does create a small bump under the skin, which then expands slightly as the immune cells are recruited and fill the scaffold. We sometimes think of this type of vaccine as infection mimicking, so some swelling of the injection site is expected and encouraged. The components are ultimately metabolized and the MSRs degrade and the injection site resolves completely after 25-35 days. The good reactogenicity of our system may be related to the very small doses of both antigens and adjuvants contained within our vaccines. We are able to maximize immunogenicity without increasing the doses of higher reactive components to create a robust response. We are able to rely on the recruitment and cell trafficking to improve potency, not adding more antigen or adjuvant.

The biodegradable MSR material used in our vaccines is made from silica, which is approved for human consumption and utilized in many oral pharmaceuticals. There are numerous human clinical trials that have used silica for imaging or to delivery drugs, however the MSR configuration will are using will have to undergo the normal safety evaluation prior to use in human trials. Based on the 90 studies we have conducted, we have a great deal of confidence that we safety profile will be appropriate for human applications.

MC: What challenges exist when developing a technology such as OMNIVAX in an academic lab?ED: The Wyss Institute provides a unique advantage because they employ industry professionals like me to facilitate the development and de-risking of technologies such as OmniVax. The Wyss Institute hires scientists and engineers from industry to identify technologies and work with faculty to move beyond the academic level develop to a stage that is considerably more likely to be licensed, partnered, or spun out into a start-up company.

The OmniVax team at the Wyss Institute consists of professionals that have backgrounds in cGMP manufacturing, microbiology, immunology, infectious disease, analytical testing, protein chemistry, material science, drug delivery and business development. This team worked very closely with Mooney and his students at Harvards School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to better understand the mechanism and many based science questions. At the same time, the Wyss Institute team was investigating improved characterization methods, material sources, regulatory strategy, animal models, applications, safety profiles and business opportunities required to commercialize the technology. This combination of academic brain power and industry experience used at the Wyss Institute, creates a special atmosphere of collaboration, creativity and translation that enables success. We noticed that there is a chance that the pandemic may have begun to change the minds of many to believe that vaccines are critical for public health.

Ed Doherty was speaking to Molly Campbell, Science Writer for Technology Networks.

Continued here:
Biomaterial-Based Vaccine That Sits Under the Skin Shows Promise Against SARS-CoV-2 - Technology Networks

Human pregnancy is downright curious. Today, we still don't know why women go into labour for so long or why they face so much risk when they give birth.

Progesterone is a hormone crucial to reproduction in many mammals, but for some unknown reason, it seems to act differently in humans.

Research shows our species has unexpectedly high genetic variation for the progesterone receptor, and recently, this has been linked to serious medical conditions, such as preterm birth and ovarian cancers, among those of non-African descent.

A new paper now adds to a growing number of studies that suggest there really is something different about the human progesterone receptor. And, as strange as it seems, some of us might have Neanderthals to thank.

Analysing United Kingdom biobank data from 450,000 thousand people (244,000 of them women) of European descent, researchers have found nearly a third carry the remnants of a gene variant, which helps encode for the progesterone receptor, and which is also present in Neanderthals.

What's more, unlike what other research has found before, the new study suggests there are benefits to having this gene. For example, those who carry this variant tend to have fewer haemorrhages in early pregnancy, fewer miscarriages, and give birth to more girls - possibly because this genetic variant is linked to more progesterone receptors.

"The proportion of women who inherited this gene is about ten times greater than for most Neanderthal gene variants," says biophysicist Hugo Zeberg from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet.

"These findings suggest that the Neanderthal variant of the receptor has a favourable effect on fertility."

However, that's exactly opposite to what other studies have found before.In 2018, scientists unexpectedly discovereda high frequency of Neanderthal progesterone receptor alleles in modern human populations, and this was linked to a higher risk of preterm birth.

This is obviously not advantageous, and it's led some scientists to argue that the force of natural selection on this particular gene was so weak, it accrued many harmful mutations along the way.

Just this year, researchers found that when they replicated ancient progesterone receptors from the common ancestor of all humans, including Denisovans and Neanderthals, and compared it to the common ancestor of all humans and chimps, there was no evidence of positive selection. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even with an incredible amount of progesterone around, these receptors were less good at doing their jobs.

Still, the authors of the most recent study think their findings can fit into this bigger picture, despite the apparent contradictions.

"[W]e suggest that the Neanderthal progesterone receptor variants may help maintain pregnancies that would otherwise be terminated, and that a consequence (or physiological trade-off) of this may be the association of the same variants with pre-term live births," they explain.

After all, in some cases, orally administered progesterone has been shown to potentially reduce the rate of spontaneous miscarriages and improve fertility among women who are experiencing bleeding in early pregnancy and recurrent miscarriages. So perhaps our differing responses has something to do with our differing receptors.

Jingjing Li, who authored the initial 2018 study on preterm births at Stanford University, and who was not involved in this new research, told ScienceAlert the new findings are very exciting.

"We want to emphasise that this gene has multiple functions," he added, "and is also implicated in ovarian cancer, so being beneficial from one aspect might be detrimental from another aspect (and vice versa).So we agree with the authors there are 'trade-offs' during species evolution."

Biologist Vincent Lynch from the University of Buffalo agrees it's a fascinating idea and he's especially surprised by the link to Neanderthals. Still, he says, the evidence supporting the functional differences between the two species' progesterone receptors is a bit weak.

"That said, it is an excellent starting point for more detailed functional studies," he notes.

At this point, it's important to acknowledge that genes alone don't determine risk, and there's probably a whole lot of other factors at play here that we aren't accounting for.

"Complex conditions such as prematurity are not likely caused completely environmentally or completely genetically," explained Gary Shaw, a paediatrician from Stanford University, back in 2018.

"It's the confluence of genes and environment that makes the difference in risk."

A Neanderthal gene variant may just be part of that story, if only for some of us. But if the study authors are right, it could be an important part of determining pregnancy risks.

The study was published in Molecular Biology and Evolution.

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Some Humans May Have a Weird Pregnancy Quirk Inherited From Neanderthals - ScienceAlert

LONDON: Two anti-inflammatory drugs, one prescribed for humans and another for animals, may inhibit a key enzyme in the replication or reproduction of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a study.

The study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, used computer techniques to analyse 6,466 drugs authorised by various drug agencies for both human and veterinary use.

The researchers from Universitat Rovira in Spain assessed whether these drugs could be used to inhibit the main protease of the virus (M-pro) enzyme, which plays an essential role in the replication of the virus.

They found that a human and a veterinary anti-inflammatory drug -- Carprofen and Celecoxib -- inhibit a key enzyme in the replication and transcription of the virus responsible for COVID-19.

Finding drugs that can inhibit the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 is an essential step to finding the vaccine that can definitively bring the spread of the virus to an end, according to the researchers.

M-pro enzyme is responsible for cutting two polypeptides -- generated by the virus itself -- and generating a number of proteins that are essential for the reproduction of the virus, the researchers said.

Some of the trials coordinated by the World Health Organization against the COVID-19 pandemic also aim to inhibit M-pro using two antiretrovirals such as Lopinavir and Ritonavir, drugs initially designed to treat HIV, they said.

In the new study, the researchers predicted that seven of the 6,466 drugs analysed may inhibit M-pro.

The results have been shared with the international initiative of scientists, COVID Moonshot, which has selected two of these seven compounds -- Carprofen and Celecoxib -- in order to test their ability to inhibit M-pro in vitro, they said.

The findings show that at a concentration of 50 micromolar (M) of Celecoxib or Carprofen, the inhibition of the in vitro activity of M-pro enzyme is 11.90 and 4.0 per cent, respectively.

Both molecules could be used as a starting point for further lead optimisation to obtain even more potent derivatives, the researchers said.

The rest is here:
Two anti-inflammatory drugs found that may inhibit COVID-19 virus reproduction - Economic Times

Accompanying a sixteenth-century watercolor of Ayecohtli, or scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), is a recipe for small animals which descend into the human abdomen. The authors, two indigenous Mexica (Aztec) men named Juan Badiano and Martin de la Cruz, likely meant this as a treatment for intestinal parasites. They state that after putting the powdered beans in your mouth, taking a hot bath, and holding (but not swallowing) bitter water in your mouth, the small animal will be eliminatedeither through vomiting or defecating.

The watercolor and recipe are found in a 1552 Mexica text, known as the Badianus manuscript. This manuscript is one of very few European-sponsored works written and illustrated by indigenous Mesoamericans in the early modern period. The paintings survive today both in the original as well as a handful of copies, including an early twentieth-century reproduction held by the Dumbarton Oaks Rare Book Collection in Washington, D.C. Investigations by the Plant Humanities Initiative have renewed interest in these beautiful illustrations, revealing the complex histories of seemingly ordinary plants.

Since the creation of the Badianus, scientific study has confirmed aspects of the Mexica knowledge about runner beans in the manuscript. Seeds of species in the genus Phaseolus contain a protein called phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) that becomes toxic in larger quantities and can only be eliminated if the beans are properly cooked. So, when raw or undercooked beans are consumed by humans, the PHA remains and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Whether these actions would expel a parasite has not been verified. But it is clear that if you are trying to avoid an evening in the bathroom, you should cook your beans thoroughly before consuming them.

As Phaseolus coccineus is indigenous to the Americas, the plant and its many virtues, medicinal and otherwise, were likely well known for thousands of years prior to European arrival. Some of the earliest documented human use of beans (including Phaseolus coccineus) in Mesoamerica dates to between 7,000 and 5,500 years ago. The runner bean has also been found at the famous archaeological site of Teotihuacan, suggesting the plant was being consumed there between 250900 CE.

Separated from its native context and knowledge, the runner bean spread across early modern Europe, grabbing the attention of gardeners and farmers. The striking color of the plants beans and flowers, the ease with which they grow, their environmental adaptability, and their nutritional value have made Phaseolus coccineus a staple in household gardens and small farms, from Mesoamerica to Europe, to this day.

The runner bean might have remained in the often scientifically ignored corner of local kitchen gardens but for one of the worlds greatest scientific thinkers: Charles Darwin. In 1858, Darwin reported on experiments with and observations of the Scarlet Kidney Bean, likely a scarlet runner bean. He demonstrated that while the plants could fertilize themselves, they were more likely to fruit after being visited by vectors like insects or birds, which, as we know today, promote cross-fertilization by bringing pollen from genetically different plants. Known as allogamy, this type of reproduction tends to lead to greater diversity within a species.

Conversely, todays commercial agriculture tends to favor low diversity through practices like monocropping: the large-scale production of a single species or variety. This requires a highly predictable crop, so producers often plant genetically homogenous seed populations. Because these are what fulfills market demand, big seed companies start favoring genetically static strains, too, and ultimately, diversity decreases within commercial plant populations. This is highly risky because, if local conditions change even slightly, homogenous gene pools can be wiped out if they do not have the trait needed to survive the new conditions.

Unlike commercial food crops, the runner bean has largely been cultivated by individuals for direct household use, both in Mexico and in Europe. Such small-scale farmers and gardeners typically maintain local seed varieties, which ends up preserving higher genetic diversity in their plant populations. The runner bean is perfect in these small-scale production contexts because its allogamous reproduction encourages gene recombination, making new traits more likely to pop up in the species. Small-scale producers take advantage of this diversity by encouraging and selecting for the varieties they prefer based on any number of local demands.

It is likely that we have millennia of gardening and farming to thank for todays diversity of runner beans. Since Darwins study, researchers have observed several landraces and varieties of Phaseolus coccineus. There are runner beans with seeds and flowers of various scarlet shades, of course, but also some with bicolor flowers, and a variety with white flowers and seeds. These multiple varieties appropriately go by many names: butter beans, ayacote or yepatlaxtle (Nahuatl), botil (Tzeltal), judin de la Granja (Spanish), fasiola gigantes (Greek).

At a time when biodiversity is threatened, and climate change creates ever more uncertainty for farmers, the story of the runner bean is telling. It reminds us that there is beauty in the acceptance and proliferation of diversity and local knowledge. This is particularly true in gardens and small farms, where individuals can observe and select for traits that best serve local needswhether they be for medicinal purposes, as demonstrated in the Mexica manuscript, or in response to todays environmental issues, as with drought-resistant varieties. As a single species that takes a variety of forms, the runner bean has inspired individuals and cultures to diversify in their own backyards, contributing to a more vibrant and resilient world.

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Plant of the Month: The Runner Bean - JSTOR Daily

While Japan is on lockdown, Liam Nikuro is posting to his Instagram feed.

Propped up against the arcade game Samurai Spirit, the fresh-faced influencer appears to be out and about in Tokyo's Shibuya district. "Need one of these games at home during this quarantine #stayhome," reads the caption. There might be some outrage from Liam's 14,500 followers that he's flouting the quarantine rules, were it not for the fact the 21-year-old isn't really there. Not only is he not there, he doesn't exist at all.

Liam, Japan's first male virtual influencer, is a product of 1Sec, a company founded in January of 2019. His posts can be traced back to the fourth floor of the Higashiyama Oriental building in Tokyo's residential district, Meguro. Inside the 1Sec premises, it looks like a classic start-up: a small office containing a young skeleton staff, mostly in their twenties, leaning back precariously on their chairs while ambient instrumental hip-hop plays out through speakers.

It's 6PM when I visit, and while the light outside has faded, the team are still discussing a proposed female version of Liam. "What are some names that sound both Japanese and English?" a voice ponders from across the room.

I'm led to the five-person "Virtual Human Production" team, who explain the tech. In basic terms, Liam is the result of designers rendering artificial 3D images of top of real models.

"First, we take a picture using a 360 camera, and replicate environment and render an image," says Ayami Tomio, 1sec's Digital CG artist. "I put the real model into a 3D forming software called Maya, and Nuke, a compositing software." Tomio clicks the screen and a human face morphs into a hyper-real digital reconstruction. "That is where I will add every strand of hair, then I put the face on top of the model's face, then upload."

It's this forensic level of attention to detail that makes Liam so successful. He could, if you were scrolling quickly through your timeline, pass as a real human and if he evokes a sense of familiarity that you can't quite articulate, that's on purpose.

The 1sec team asked 30 men and women from teens to people in their late thirties questions like, "Which celebrity do you find most attractive?" Liam's face is a composite of the answers. "Based on what we heard, we gave him a similar face shape to Justin Bieber and added BTS features into him," says 25-year-old Grace Kwak, a bright Tokyo local who works on the marketing team. "Japan is becoming very global."

After some trial and error involving a few poorly-received hair choices, including a "blue afro" ("People did not like that," Tomio murmurs), the team settled on his current icy-blonde mane, which has proved popular and led to a spike in engagement.

The idea of Liam representing a new Japan might be a PR spin too far, but in a world locked down in isolation, his ability to travel freely across the globe to meet Post Malone and visit studios in LA (he's releasing music soon) is aspirational in a way that his creators could never have imagined a year ago. The banal is now made uniquely tantalising. Case in point: a video that shows him drinking alone in a teahouse an activity that's currently out of reach to us mere mortals is met with a flurry of flame emojis in the comments.

The virtual influencer (VI) industry is growing in Japan, thanks to the success of one of the first Japanese VIs, "Imma". Created by CG company Modeling Caf in 2018, Imma boasts a 176,000-strong Instagram following and a number of brand partnerships. Others include Saya, a kawaii schoolgirl who was creepily often called "Japan's daughter", and Harajuku girl Aoi Prism, whose visual identity is informed by the fluorescent digital aesthetic of Akihabara's anime district.

Outside of Japan, there is of course the VI musician Lil Miquela. Created in Los Angeles in 2016 by Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou, the "19-year-old" is perhaps the best example of a crossover star in the space, with over 2 million Instagram followers and partnerships with brands like Calvin Klein and Samsung.

The VI industry provides a uniquely interesting opportunity for advertisers. Unlike real-life influencers, who come with the baggage of human autonomy, virtual influencers can be directly controlled: captions, poses and environments are all decided upon by the teams who produce them. While it's too early to tell how lucrative the virtual influencer industry could become, globally, the influencer market is a billion dollar industry, with Business Insider recently predicting it could rise to $15 billion in the next couple of years.

Liam is small-scale by comparison, with room to grow and the right people to get him to where he needs to be. 1sec was started by entrepreneur Hirokuni Miyaji, whose previous marketing company oversaw a roster of 3,000 (real) Japanese influencers. "He realised that he ran into so many problems, so he [thought], 'Why not create my own virtual human who isn't going to ditch work or cause scandals," laughs Kwak.

The scandal currently on clients' minds is that of the Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri, whose entire career was effectively cancelled when she was convicted this February of possessing of a small amount of MDMA and LSD. "When we talk to companies, the first thing they say is, 'Oh great, they're not going to get arrested for drugs,'" says Kwak. "It's a big worry they have right now."

Liam is about as far from scandalous as you could get he would never even smoke, Tomio assures me. But this sanitisation hasn't done much to harm his sex appeal with fans.

Antonia Hamilton is a professor of social neuroscience at University College London, whose work explores the idea of desire towards fictional characters. She makes the point that characters we know aren't real have always been capable of eliciting an emotional response, using video games as one example.

"Just as fans will like pictures of Harry Potter, or kids will queue up to meet a person dressed as Peppa Pig at the shops, so people will like and go to see these virtual people," she continues. "I'm sure there are plenty of cases where a virtual interaction can induce an emotional response."

The concept of the "uncanny valley", coined by roboticist Masahiro Mori in the 1970s, describes how 3D animations that reproduce human-like qualities imperfectly can result in a feeling of unease from viewers meaning designers need to get the balance just right. So unlike that human in a Peppa Pig costume, it might make more sense as Hamilton suggests in our conversation to allow these characters to remain fictional, rather than trying to recreate them in some kind of physical form.

In a hotel room overlooking the Tokyo skyline, I direct message one of Liam's biggest fans, 20-year-old Ariel from Brazil, who has commented under the arcade machine post. Using Google Translate we bond over our fascination with Liam. Ariel writes a long message about Liam's hair colour and how cool he is, how he feels like a friend, before signing off with a jolt of joy: "I've been feeling very lonely, he is an escape he can go anywhere. It makes me happy!"

It's an interesting concept, how a reproduction of a human being, designed to exploit what might be seen as the most vacuous traits of the influencer hawking products and lifestyles to young fans can have such an impact. More interesting, perhaps, is to consider how a post-Covid world will view aspirational lifestyles. Could we see these safer, scandal-free marketing vehicles gain popularity amid a recession? Does it make fiscal sense to replace human influencers, unable to luxuriate in free flights and hair maintenance, with Liams and Immas? Will anyone even want to buy fast fashion?

As the public experiences influencer fatigue, the idea of these unreal lifestyles being lived by unreal humans might make for a kind of poetic justice. For now, as images of death tolls permeate our consciousness, there may be some strange peace in the notion of a faraway friend inherently unable to be a victim of the pandemic.

That said, while Liam provides a brief respite for some, a world in which more and more human connection is automated and monetised might not be one we should be so keenly rushing towards. Later, as I mull over the ethics of characters compiled by marketing algorithms and trend data, I look at Liam's profile and see that Ariel has posted a heart emoji under his most recent post, which he swiftly likes, and can't help of think of her reaction: a brief moment of connection as the entire world isolates.

It's an exchange that makes me feel warm, despite myself. Here's hoping the good feelings last.

@kieran_yates

Original post:
The Lucrative Rise of the Virtual Influencer - VICE UK

As Canada braces for what officials are predicting could be a second wave of COVID-19 cases, some public health experts say the federal government should shift its focus to rolling out supports for subpopulations of the Canadian public, but be careful to not step on the jurisdictional toes of its provinces and territories.

Dr. Farah Mawani, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research health system impact fellow, who works at Unity Health Toronto, said that Ottawa has funded rapid research that covers so many different aspects in response to the pandemic.

Moving into the summer and fall, she said, the government should use findings from such studies to guide its response in supporting subpopulations like precarious workers, those working and living in long-term care sites, racialized Canadians, and communities that have been harder hit by the pandemic.

We now have a bit of time to develop and communicate a strategic approach to preparing for a second wave, as researchers begin to share evidence from their studies, Dr. Mawani said. Ottawa announced in March, for example, $27-million in coronavirus research funding in areas like diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and social consequences of public health responses.

[During] the early stages, a lot of communication had been at a very blanket population level, Dr. Mawani said, noting officials encouraged most Canadians to stay at home and to observe physical distancing. But people live in very different contexts, and thats how were seeing inequities in the cases, and the serious consequences of, COVID-19.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday said that, with India and Brazil registering a high number of infections, the world has yet to pass the first wave of the pandemic.

Since the pandemic, there have been numerous outbreaks in long-term care homes, with Ontario and Quebec bearing the brunt of the infections in Canada. The two provinces had to enlist the help of the military to manage the outbreaks in those facilities.

As of Thursday, there were close to 88,000 cases in Canada and more than 6,700 deaths from the virus. According to the National Institute on Aging, up to 82 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada, as of early May, were of those living in long-term care sites.

In Ontario, officials said 142 outbreaks at such sites have been resolved, while 150 remain active. Given that there are 626 homes in the province, that means almost half have either had an outbreak or are still experiencing one.

Dr. Curtis Cooper, president of the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases, agreed that Ottawa should look at the quality of care and safety within long-term homes for the elderly, as thats been one of the key casualties as far as COVID-19 numbers in the country.

But Dr. Cooper cautioned the feds from considering taking over operations or governance of some long-term care sites, a move that Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday.

It seems more like a provincial responsibility, but the federal government, just like public health, can serve as the facilitators to bring together key stakeholders, he said in an interview.

Canadian Armed Forces were recently deployed to five of Ontarios homes described conditions they observed in a report that has been described by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) as deeply disturbing. News reports have noted military members observing cockroach infestations, expired medications, staff reusing supplies, and residents left in dirty diapers.

Ontario has already launched an independent commission into its long-term care system, which will begin in July, a timeline that has been moved up from September following the militarys report. Mr. Ford said this week that a probe has also been launched by the chief coroners office to see if criminal charges can be filled.

He announced Wednesday that his government is taking over the management of five sites, four of which are privately owned.

For its part, Ottawa has said such conditions are unacceptable and had pledged to support jurisdictions in improving the situation on the ground at such sites. Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos (Qubec, Que.) told reporters Wednesday that we need to have a very serious and collaborative discussion on how we look after our seniors in the weeks, the months, and the years to come.

Mr. Trudeau added Wednesday that he will raise the matter on his weekly call with premiers on Thursday to offer our governments support as they try to get the situation under control.

Dr. Juliet Guichon, an associate professor studying the intersection of law, health care, and ethics at the University of Calgary, said that Ottawa will continue to have to work with provinces to protect the health of Canadians.

She said that provinces like Quebec, over the years, have zealously guarded its jurisdiction with respect to health, challenging the feds in situations where it feels Ottawa is impeding on its domain.

The Assisted Human Reproduction Act is one of those, she said, as the province felt Ottawa was overstepping by wanting to mandate issues around treatments for fertility, but did not challenge it wanting to legislate other areas like human cloning. The constitutional challenge garnered the support of provinces like Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta, and parts of it were eventually struck down in 2010 by the Supreme Court of Canada.

They want the jurisdiction over the issue, on health, so presumably they want to pay for it, said Dr. Guichon, noting the vast majority of transfers from the feds to provinces already tend to go toward the education and health files.

Health is a shared jurisdiction, only insofar as there is a criminal or product safety issue, said Dr. Guichon. The doctor added the feds would be on the hook if Canada is bringing in defective products under its jurisdiction around consumer protection.

Mr. Trudeau acknowledged Tuesday that there has been a rise in counterfeit products and products that dont meet a rigorous Canadian standard. He said the feds have signed agreements with Canadian companies to ramp up domestic supply as a result.

As economies reopen and people begin eyeing a return to work, Dr. Mawani said the feds should share clear messaging around what to do if you dont have a choice about going to work, or how [it can] support you to stay healthy under those circumstances.

Earlier this week, Mr. Trudeau cited ongoing discussions with jurisdictions about how to create a program that will allow workers 10 days of paid sick leave, a push the NDP had been making for weeks. The NDP wanted the commitment in exchange for the partys support for a Liberal motion on how parliamentary proceedings would move forward throughout the pandemic. The motion ultimately passed without the support of the Bloc Qubcois and the Conservatives.

Dr. Cooper said that the feds role so far has been one of a safe keeper of the nations population, through their messaging around public health measures and various programs to offer people financial support. I dont see a major shift in that as necessary except to nuance some of the public health and financial programs, now that we have more information and we know whats working with these programs and what needs some tweaking.

Ottawa has frequently said it will take stock of the outbreak and respond or modify its programs accordingly. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) told reporters in March that the speed at which things are changing could mean the government will make announcements without being able to fill in all the details in the moment that we make the announcement.

For example, Since unveiling the Canada Emergency Response Benefit in March, Ottawa has expanded the criteria to help those who have seen their hours change because of the pandemic, instead of only focusing on those who have lost their income entirely.

As months go by, there will be a fatigue factor for people who will say, Ive had enough of this, and be tempted to abandon all these measures that have kept us safe for the last three months, added Dr. Cooper. He said the feds will need to look at ways to keep people engaged and willing to participate in physical distancing measures moving forward.

His comments come on the heels of last weekend, when an estimated 10,000 people flocked to Torontos Trinity Bellwoods park, a move that led to Mr. Ford condemning the congregation as reckless. City officials are now considering painting circles on the grass at parks to show how to safely physically distance while people are out and about, which will be piloted at Trinity Bellwoods.

According to Dr. Mawani, hesitations that Ontario might have around revealing hot spots in the province by identifying areas down to the postal code are valid, because they might stigmatize some communities, rather than focusing on improving the social determinants of those regions. Such determinants can include low-income housing, a higher concentration of precarious workers, access to adequate transit options, and systemic racism, she said.

Often, the government and researchers focus on race as a characteristic of individuals, and that is very dangerous in terms of putting the responsibility for increased risk and impact on individuals who are racialized, rather than looking at what are the systemic causes of inequities that racialized people experience, she said.

While Ontario expressed that hesitation, Toronto unveiled geographical information about the virus spread Wednesday, with Mayor John Tory saying he believes this information, and releasing it to the public, will do far more help than it will do harm. The citys stats show the highest concentration of cases is in areas like northern Etobicoke and northern Scarborough, areas that tend to have lower-income residents, some of whom may be living in cramped quarters.

Mr. Ford previously said the Peel Region and Windsor-Essex County were among those areas harder hit, and added on Wednesday that includes areas of Brampton.

Dr. Mawani added that those communities experiencing inequities should either be leading, or partners in, research that guides government responses, so that we know were not only addressing the gaps in the response, but were doing it in a way that is going to have an impact on reducing inequities.

According to Canadian Heritage spokesperson Martine Courage, in recognition of how COVID-19 disproportionately affects racism-impacted communities, the anti-racism secretariat has set up an equity-seeking communities & COVID-19 taskforce.

The secretariat, which has six staff, co-chairs the taskforce and its 85 members who meet regularly and represent 24 federal organizations, including the Treasury Board Secretariat, Finance Department, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada, Ms. Courage wrote in a May 19 email.

The secretariat is part of the feds anti-racism strategy, unveiled last June, and was established in October. Its annual report is expected in the fall, Ms. Courage said.

Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect the full name of the department Employment and Social Development Canada, and to correct Dr. Mawanis affiliation and better reflect her comments.

The Hill Times

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Narrow focus to supporting 'subpopulations,' says expert, in preparation for second wave of the pandemic - The Hill Times

Dan Regan, an assistant professor in Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, was recently selected to receive the Boettcher Foundations 2020 Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Award.

The award supports promising early-career scientific investigators, allowing them to establish their independent research and make it competitive for major federal and private grants.Recipients, known as Boettcher Investigators, are awarded $235,000 to sustain up to three years of biomedical research. Regan joins seven other recipients from five of Colorados top research institutions and is the 12th scientist at Colorado State University to receive the award.

I am grateful to the Boettcher Foundation for their commitment to biomedical research, said Regan. This award provides a fantastic opportunity to gain momentum and make an impact in my field.

This class of Boettcher Investigators are the example of Colorados innovation in bioscience research that aims to improve our preparation, response, and deepen our knowledge of human health issues, said Katie Kramer, president, and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. We are proud to support their expert work at this significant juncture in their research careers.

Regans work in metastatic cancer research at his Investigational Pathology Lab at the Flint Animal Cancer Center caught the attention of the Boettcher Foundation.

Many types of cancer, in both pets and people, spread to the lungs, Regan said. Once cancer progresses, we have few treatment options. My work focuses on looking at tumor metastasis through the lens of the tumor microenvironment.

Regan has spent the last decade examining the tumor microenvironment and why some sites in the body promote tumor growth. He explains his work with a simple analogy known as the seed and soil theory. He wants to understand how cancer cells (seeds) know where to find welcoming locations to take root (soil).

With the Boettcher Investigator award, Regan is taking a new approach to his study of metastatic disease. In a unique application, Regan is looking at cells retrieved from the lungs using a diagnostic procedure called bronchoalveolar lavage. The technique uses fluid to wash the lungs and extracts the fluid for examination. Regan has reason to believe certain types of recovered cells have the potential to signal an early warning of tumor metastasis.

Todays imaging technology, such as CT scans, detects tumors, but it can be too late, he said. Biopsies are very invasive. Using this procedure, if we can find earlier clues, we can better guide treatment and hopefully improve patient outcomes.

Building on his preliminary work, Regan plans to spend the next several months gathering additional data from donated human cells and mouse models. The goal is to identify which cell type offers the best signature for early detection.

In addition to laboratory study, the award supports a small clinical trial in dogs with Osteosarcoma, a disease in which 80% of patients experience lung metastasis. Regan will focus on patients who do not appear to have pulmonary tumors based on imaging. Using bronchoalveolar lavage, he will collect patient samples to look for red flags in the retrieved cells. He expects the trial to start sometime next year.

I am grateful to the Boettcher Foundation for their support and taking a chance on a higher risk concept that I believe has the power to pay real dividends for pet and human health, Regan said.

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CSU cancer researcher named 2020 Boettcher Investigator - Source

Neural organoids provide a powerful tool for investigating neural development, modeling neural diseases, screening drugs, and developing cell-based therapies. Somatic cells have previously been reprogrammed by transcription factors (TFs) into sensory ganglion (SG) neurons but not SG organoids. We identify a combination of triple TFs Ascl1, Brn3b/3a, and Isl1 (ABI) as an efficient means to reprogram mouse and human fibroblasts into self-organized and networked induced SG (iSG) organoids. The iSG neurons exhibit molecular features, subtype diversity, electrophysiological and calcium response properties, and innervation patterns characteristic of peripheral sensory neurons. Moreover, we have defined retinal ganglion cell (RGC)specific identifiers to demonstrate the ability for ABI to reprogram induced RGCs (iRGCs) from fibroblasts. Unlike iSG neurons, iRGCs maintain a scattering distribution pattern characteristic of endogenous RGCs. iSG organoids may serve as a model to decipher the pathogenesis of sensorineural diseases and screen effective drugs and a source for cell replacement therapy.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

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Generation of self-organized sensory ganglion organoids and retinal ganglion cells from fibroblasts - Science Advances

The early postmortem interval (PMI), i.e., the time shortly after death, can aid in the temporal reconstruction of a suspected crime and therefore provides crucial information in forensic investigations. Currently, this information is often derived from an empirical model (Henssges nomogram) describing posthumous body cooling under standard conditions. However, nonstandard conditions necessitate the use of subjective correction factors or preclude the use of Henssges nomogram altogether. To address this, we developed a powerful method for early PMI reconstruction using skin thermometry in conjunction with a comprehensive thermodynamic finite-difference model, which we validated using deceased human bodies. PMIs reconstructed using this approach, on average, deviated no more than 38 minutes from their corresponding true PMIs (which ranged from 5 to 50 hours), significantly improving on the 3 to 7 hours uncertainty of the gold standard. Together, these aspects render this approach a widely applicable, i.e., forensically relevant, method for thermometric early PMI reconstruction.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

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Reconstructing the time since death using noninvasive thermometry and numerical analysis - Science Advances

The problem with existing systems of income support is not their conditionality but their presumption that only market participation is a legitimate contribution.

The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired much commentary about the world into which we want to re-emerge, and where to redraw the boundaries between market and state. It may have offered us a glimpse of the dynamics of large-scale change that will inform our future. Contemporary models of welfare capitalism are increasingly being questioned as to their fitness for purpose in providing for basic needs and their longer-term sustainability from an ecological perspective. And some things are clearerincluding our interdependence on robust communities, public resources and strong states tempered by extensive citizen participation, co-creation and co-production.

Notwithstanding important differences among European welfare regimes concerning the degree to which they commodify labour, all are essentially productivist: they attempt to reconcile social security with an agenda of economic growth and subsume welfare within production for the market. Labour-activation policies frame market participation as the primary pathway to inclusion.

The coronavirus has however loosened the grip of the market as the primary yardstick of value. Public attention on essential workers has stirred critical reflection about the capacity of markets to provide key services and to value essential work. There is renewed recognition of our dependence on our public-sector frontline workers, as the Irish president, Michael D Higgins, has observed, and appreciation of public services not as economic burdens but as basic services which must be placed outside the laws of the market. Workers so frequently left behind by marketsnurses, postal and transport workers, supermarket cashiers and harvest labourershave emerged as titans underpinning our daily lives.

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In parallel, Covid-19 has brought environmental issues, and the relational and ecological costs of our patterns of market participation, into renewed focus. Calls for a new social contract and rediscovery of the equalising power of the welfare state recognise that how we repair our economies and societies after the coronavirus is a political choice. The question is how to realign social security with patterns of participation which value essential work and sustain, rather than marginalise, activities of reproductive value.

In bringing the state back in, its nature and role is crucial. It must avoid placing punitive limits on individuals lives through conditionalities and sanctions and enable real freedom through a wider conception of income supports, which interact with services to enable people to live, work and care differently. One reform proposed is a participation income (PI) allied to universal basic services. This places the accent of welfare reform on decommodificationdecoupling social security from market participationrather than unconditionality.

It is striking how universal basic income has been presented as the answer to the inequalities exposed by the pandemic. Proponents of UBI range from Elon Musk to feminist Marxists, making it difficult to unpack the various ideological elements behind it. Key supporters frame UBI as utopian but realistic, while others dismiss it on grounds of affordability and its implications for public debt. Some feminists worry that UBI is being oversold as a panacea for the crises of work and care, while in the United States some progressives fear it may offer a neoliberal excuse to underfund public services. Related to this is the concern that UBI gets the currency of welfare wrongfocusing on income and what Amartya Sen would describe as the commodity basis of welfare, rather than real freedoms to actually be and do certain things (his capabilities).

UBI is often advocated on the grounds that it promotes agency and choice, offering income, free from stigma, sanctions and control. The relationship between universal income and agency is however not straightforward, as individuals with the same basic income can have very unequal thresholds of functioning and encounter different costs in meeting essential needs. This has led to a focus on universal basic services (UBS) as a less flashy reform for reconfiguring the welfare state. At the heart of the concept of UBS, Anna Coote and Andrew Percy argue, is a mission to transform the way services are provided, to put people in control and to build a new role for the state to nurture such changesensuring equal access, distributing resources, setting and enforcing quality standards and co-ordinating services across different areas of need.

These different needs can be examined through related theories of wellbeing. The theory of human need of Ian Gough and Len Doyal establishes fundamental autonomy and health preconditions for individuals to realise the goals of wellbeing and social participation. It also specifies resources and conditions required to meet these needs, including food and water, housing, healthcare and education. Closely connected is Martha Nussbaums account of central human functional capabilities.

Both coalesce around universal conditions for human flourishing and set important limits on economic growth and development. Both follow Sen in arguing that economic production and consumption must always be appraised from the perspective of its contribution to meeting basic needs and promoting capabilities for flourishingnot as having intrinsic value. Both point to our moral obligation to constrain patterns of consumption and production within ecological limits to safeguard the needs of future generations as well as those of our fellow global citizens.

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Recognising this entails a different conception of the economy. In place of the market economy as a system for producing, exchanging and consuming substitutable commodities according to price, the idea of a foundational economy emerges, as a network of provisioning systems to satisfy a plurality of non-substitutable needs. While some of this may remain within the scope of the market, the framework of UBS provides guiding principles, and an evidence-based rationale, for collective provision based on access to services as of right, citizen participation, local control and diverse models of ownershipa combination which yields far better results than market transactions in terms of equity, efficiency, solidarity and sustainability.

Proponents of UBS are regularly dismissed as paternalist Fabians, but insist this is a more effective means of meeting basic needs than UBI. John Weeks sees UBI and UBS as complementary: UBI, informed by a progressive liberalism, is comfortable with market intervention while UBS, informed by social democracy, seeks to limit the role of markets in favour of social provision. Others however find the stress on liberal individualism versus public sector paternalism less compatible. We would rather reframe this debate by offering participation income as an immediate guide to significant welfare reform which is complementary to UBS but might also, in the longer term, leave open the door to UBI.

The case for PI was first made by Tony Atkinson in the mid-1990s, as a compromise between the aspirations to a UBI and the emerging political acceptability of the workfare model. It was developed by Robert Goodin as a middle ground between a post-productivist utopia of welfare without work and a neoliberal dystopia of work, not welfare. Tony Fitzpatrick nuanced this as a post-employment (rather than post-work) politics of time, which seeks to nurture multiple forms of valuable activity.

Specifically, post-productivism seeks to recover time for activities which have reproductive value, such as giving care and sustaining the environment, which can never be fully valued in economic terms. Recognising time poverty and autonomy as central concerns, Fitzpatrick stresses the tensions in balancing time, work and income support, while feminists consistently draw attention to the need for time for care, for both men and women. Seeking a balance, PI would widen the range of activities and contributions recognised as socially useful work and provide greater temporal autonomy for individuals to accommodate productive and reproductive time.

PIs retention of an element of behavioural conditionality, be that to eligibility or entitlement, puts it in tension with the legitimate calls for autonomy at the heart of advocacy of UBI. While Atkinson perceived PI as a universal payment compatible with social insurance, other accounts allow the possibility of means-testing, further differentiating it from UBI.

Atkinson defends conditionality on grounds of political expedience. But it aligns normatively with principles of reciprocity and John Rawls idea of fairness in social co-operation: individuals have an obligation to share in its burdens as well as its benefits. Some have understood this to mean a duty to undertake paid work. A much richer understanding of reciprocity would however lead to decoupling conditionality from commodification, so as to nurture myriad socially valuable contributions in line with a capabilities-informed theory of agency.

In contrast to the current (work-related) activity-testing of income supports, PI would open-up the range and variety of options recognised as meaningful contributions. Examples could include participating in education, giving care and forms of voluntary work and political participation which contribute to social reproduction and satisfying essential needs unmet by the market. For example, PI could help co-ordinate environmental reproductive work. This aligns PI with the inherent value pluralism of a capabilities-informed theory of human need already detected in some European social-assistance programmes.

The 2015 Participation Act in the Netherlands, for example, requires claimants to meet social-participation requirements as a condition of receiving assistance. These can be fulfilled through paid work but also volunteering, further education and caregiving. In most instances, however, the range of participation options remains narrow, overly restricting freedom to choose between multiple socially valuable doings and beings.

To avoid reducing PI to a restrictive payment with paternalistic conduct conditions, it needs to be carefully structured to enable participants to choose from wider combinations of contributions. This aligns with Ulrich Becks notion of a multi-active society, in which social esteem and security are decoupled from employment and in which paid work features only as one form of socially accommodated activity alongside othersincluding caregiving, voluntary work and political activity. From a capabilities-enhancing social-policy perspective, navigational agency emerges as an alternative to the employment orientation of current activation policies.

This means departing from an activation model excessively concerned with transitions from welfare to work. Instead, social policies must focus on enabling people to choose among (and to combine) employment, caregiving and modes of civil and political participation.

Unlike UBI, PI is not neutral about the distribution of care or silent about the importance of configuring welfare to recognise myriad forms of reproductive activity essential to sustaining the environment, civil society, democracy and other generations. If carefully configured, and set sufficiently high in conjunction with access to UBSso basic needs can be met without reliance on the marketit provides a mechanism for incentivising participation in socially essential work while setting the welfare state upon an eco-social, post-productivist foundation.

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Reconfiguring welfare in an eco-social state: participation income and universal services - Social Europe

Youve probably heard the phrase Leave No Trace or youve seen the phrase at a trailhead or on a wilderness brochure. But what does Leave No Trace actually mean?

Heres some basic background on the subject and some practical ways to minimize your impact on nature.

The popularity of backcountry recreation boomed in the 1960s and 70s. Hikers, climbers and campers flooded wilderness areas to explore and enjoy uncharted territory. But forest managers soon found that these explorers were actually loving the wilderness to death. Overcrowding and littering caused ecological damage like erosion and vegetation damage. Pollutants were running off into creeks, lakes and rivers and affecting fish reproduction. Negative impacts on wilderness like these had created the need for wilderness management.

Although the exact origin of Leave No Trace is unknown, U.S. Forest Service managers officially formed a no trace program in 1987. Groups such as the Boy Scouts of America put a strong emphasis on these principles.

Simply put, Leave No Trace is a compilation of the best practices to follow to protect natural spaces while youre enjoying them.

Plan ahead and prepareTrip planning and preparation will help keep your backcountry trip safe and enjoyable while also minimizing damage to the land. Gain knowledge of the area youre planning to visit. Talk to land managers, look at maps and read about the area online.

Travel and camp on durable surfaces While hiking, your goal should be to move through natural areas while avoiding damage to the land and waterways. Travel damage happens when tiny organisms get trampled beyond recovery. Its best to stay on designated trails when possible to avoid damage.

When selecting your campsite, use your best judgement. Avoid camping close to water and trails, and many parks have specific rules around where to set up your shelter. Camping 200 feet (70 adult steps) away from the waters edge allows wildlife to pass undisturbed.

Dispose of waste properlyBesides the obvious, dont litter, youll want to properly dispose of your human waste by burying it correctly or packing it out (like when youre in narrow river canyons). Proper disposal of human waste is important to avoid water pollution, minimize the spread of disease and maximize the rate of decomposition.

Leave what you findYou should try to leave an area as you found it. Avoid digging trenches. If you make a shelter, dismantle it and avoid hammering into live trees to hang items. Leave artifacts. Leave wildflowers. Although picking wildflowers seems trivial, imagine if every visitor picked a few. The impact on the ecosystem would be major. Instead, consider simply taking a photo.

Minimize campfire impacts You should first know whether its safe to have a campfire. What is the fire danger? Are there fire restrictions? If its safe to build a fire, try to camp in areas where wood is abundant. You could also consider using a lightweight camp stove for cooking. Stoves are fast, flexible and operate in almost any weather condition while leaving no trace. Remember, a true Leave No Trace fire shows no evidence of having been constructed.

Respect wildlifeQuick movements and loud noises are stressful to wildlife. Avoid pursuing, feeding or forcing animals to flee. (One exception is in bear country where it is good to make a little noise so as not to startle the bears.) In hot or cold weather, even a small disturbance can affect an animals ability to withstand the rigorous environment. Dont touch, get close to, feed or pick up wild animals. Its stressful to the animal, and that animal may have rabies or harbor other diseases.

Be considerate of other visitorsYou should always be courteous toward other visitors. Keep your noise level down. If you pack something in, pack it out. Most people go into the wilderness to get away from noise and pollution. By leaving no trace, youre also helping others enjoy their outdoor experience.

Suzanne Downing is an outdoor writer and photographer in Montana with an environmental science journalism background. Her work can be found in Outdoors Unlimited, Bugle Magazine, Missoulian, Byline Magazine, Communique, MTPR online, UM Native News, National Wildlife Federation campaigns and more.

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What is 'Leave No Trace' and What Does it Mean for You? - ActionHub

Spoiler Alert: For fans of Amazon Prime, trending now is season one of a show called Utopia, in which John Cusack plays a billionaire madman who wants to solve overpopulation by tricking the world into believing in a global pandemic so he can sell a vaccine that actually sterilizes people.For most of humanity, a medical event ends a persons ability to have a family.

With abortion, the parallels between fact and this fiction are uncomfortably close.

Why women have abortions is a topic much discussed by those who argue that ending a life in the womb is sometimes necessary. The Guttmacher Institute, the abortion industry think tank established by Planned Parenthood, published a survey examining 32 studies in 27 countries and found that [w]orldwide, the most commonly reported reason women cite for having an abortion is to postpone or stop childbearing. What wasnt reported, however, was how one thing might lead to a womans inability to have children at all.

Fully informed consent to any abortion, whether surgical or chemical, should include the long-term implications for womens fertility, as some women will later find theyve lost the ability ever to have a child. The abortion industrys failures to educate women on what might happen to their own bodies following an abortion should be considered malpractice.

Some abortion advocates try to downplay the potential loss. Some argue that telling women about their own bodies is somehow a violation of abortion vendors First Amendment rights, but informed consent is not a violation of our rights but a precondition for fulfilling them.

Abortion ends lives, hurting women and preborn children. Maybe people shouldnt be surprised that a predatory abortion business profiting from such deaths isnt doing enough to make sure womens future fertility survives a visit to an abortionist, fighting common-sense laws for informed consent. Protecting infants is the opposite of their business model, but women deserve to know how choosing abortion might mean they never have a child.

Before any abortion, women must be screened for their blood types. When a woman has an Rh-negative blood type, which affects 15 percent of the population, and her partner is Rh-positive, antibodies can build up in a womans body that may leave a first child alone but will attack future pregnancies, which can result in miscarriage.

There is a solution: a shot of Rh immunoglobulin that will neutralize the antibodies if given in time. If not, those antibodies will remain in the mother, ready to attack the blood of a future child.

The abortion lobby, however, has started to argue that they should not have to screen for Rh-negative status, especially for chemical abortions, because its not a requirement and because so many who are handing out chemical abortion pills havent set up medical practices that stock shots of Rh immunoglobulin to protect women.

Writing in the journal Contraception, a whos who of abortion-industry thought leaders concluded: Early abortion continues to expand outside of traditional clinics, through telemedicine, self-managed medication abortion, or in smaller offices that do not specialize in obstetrical care. Consequently, requiring Rh testing and anti-D immunoglobulin as part of abortion care is becoming a barrier.

The barrier, however, is not for women but for those who want to sell abortion pills without health and safety standards.

Another complication for post-abortive women is the risk of preterm birth, noted by more than 130 studies. In the journal Human Reproduction, an abortion-friendly publication, researchers note the issues for future pregnancies, writing, Although legal induced abortion is considered safe, its potential impact on subsequent fertility, ectopic pregnancy and the length of gestation is a public health concern. Previous studies have identified a significant relationship between history of induced abortion and spontaneous preterm birth.

Damage to a womans body from abortion can come from complications including pelvic infection, fever, tissue retention, bleeding and cervical trauma, which can contribute to early births. One study found that 31.5 percent of preterm births could be traced to abortion.

Preterm birth (occurring before 37 weeks) is a serious event and the leading cause of the deaths of children under five worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, the preterm delivery of a baby is the leading cause of infant death. Another study looking at worldwide data noted that the risk of preterm birth increased with the number of abortions.

The World Health Organization also reported that around the world, in countries with reliable data, preterm birth rates are increasing, but they disproportionately affect some people.Consider that although black women make up only 13 percent of the population, in 2016, they had 38 percent of all abortions tracked. That community also experiences a higher pre-term birthrate than women of other races.

Abortions can also increase the chance of a pregnancy implanting in the wrong location, risking the lives of both mother and child.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine notes that abortions can increase a womans chance of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which rather than implanting in the womb, a fertilized egg implants in a womans fallopian tube, where it will not be able to survive and a woman can experience life-threatening bleeding. That risk of ectopic pregnancy does not include women who lost a child through miscarriage. The study followed up on one from about 20 years ago that determined there was a 10-fold risk of ectopic pregnancies for those who had an abortion.

Most severe of all is the fact that removing a womans uterus by a hysterectomy sometimes takes place after abortion, ending her ability to carry her own child. The shoddy conditions and gruesome practices of abortion vendors have been well documented. The patients needs and safety are sacrificed in such conditions.

Both chemical and surgical abortion can impose severe short- and long-term complications for women who were told the life-ending event is a quick and easy fix. Some women dont know that agreeing to an abortion means more than just that child will be lost to them forever. One in five cases of abortion can result in a major complication that requires an overnight hospital stay, a blood transfusion or surgery.

Thats just the beginning. Infertility is on the rise in America, as today almost 12 percent of women are having difficulty getting pregnant. To head off that kind of heartbreak, fully informed consent, Rh-negative treatment, and follow-up care after all abortions must be required of the abortion industry so it does not quietly and negligently shut down a familys future.

KristanHawkinsis president of Students for Life of America.

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The Left Won't Tell Women That Abortion Can Cost Their Future Family - The Federalist

"Talking about sex with the children is too much", "I'm ashamed", "They already know everything better than us", "On the Internet today you can find many things, so why should parents even touch on this topic". If at least one the idea coincides with yours, congratulations, you are a child of a generation that giggled nervously and blushed on biology lessons, looking at the human reproductive system. And it is not surprising, because teaching on this topic in school was limited to sections on "puberty" and advice on how to protect yourself from HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections), and at home it was embarrassing to raise such questions.

Moreover, even today, many educators and parents are sure that the policy of silence plays into their hands, because "the longer this topic is shrouded in a veil of secrecy, the later the child will enter into sexual activity." However, statistics indicate something else: Ukraine has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and the incidence of sexually transmitted infections in Europe.

For example, according to Eurostat, in 2015 the proportion of children born by adolescent girls (under 20) was less than 2% in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. In Ukraine in 2017 this figure was 5.2% (Demographic situation in Ukraine in 2017 report).

Banal advice on contraception and in the fight against HIV infection does not help: as of 2016, 0.9% of the adult population of Ukraine (15-49 years old) was diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. In Sweden and the Netherlands this level is 0.2%. And the gap in indicators has only increased over the years.

This situation has arisen due to the fact that while in the USSR "there was no sex", other countries have already introduced sex education. But before talking about how it works abroad, it should be clarified that sex education is not only about pure sex and advice on how to put on a condom correctly. Sexual literacy is about hygiene, human physiology, changes that occur with age, it is about how to accept yourself and your body, to have sexual intercourse so that after there is no feeling of shame or disgust.

SEX EDUCATION: What is it and why?

"Sex Education" (British TV series from Netflix) exemplifies the importance of sexuality knowledge. In the center of the plot is an ordinary guy with typical adolescent complexes and experiences. His mother works as a sexologist, but even this does not help the woman understand her son and make him get rid of internal tension. Spoilers aside, it should be noted that the series has not only an entertainment, but also an educational function for both teenagers and their parents. It reveals the problems that children are used to being silent about - sexual identity, hypersexuality, masturbation, shyness in relationships, adolescent sexuality, early pregnancy, risky sexual behavior - what adolescents should know when entering into sex life.

As already noted, sexual literacy is not only about sexual intercourse, it is also about understanding boundaries, the ability to say "no", the ability to protect oneself, understanding the consequences of risky sexual behavior. Thanks to correctly conducted conversations, according to the age and characteristics of the child, parents can protect him from complexes, nervous disorders, early pregnancy, STIs, moreover, from violence.

"When it comes to preschool sex education, we are not talking about sex itself, but above all about safety and hygiene. We teach children what the genitals are called and how to look after them, how to protect themselves from people with bad intentions," explains psychologist, sex education coach Marta Onishkevich.

Experts advise to teach children from childhood to protect their personal boundaries (the rule of "underwear", according to which all the covered areas of the body are intimate, no one can see or touch them, a visual-figurative explanation is the cartoon "Kiko and the Hand").

If children know at least the names of the genitals, then they have a better chance that pedophiles will bypass them. And when they grow up, they will not have a wagon of complexes and shame because of their own body, adds the psychologist.

Another expert in this field, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist Olesya Dyundina agrees with this, and emphasizes that violence needs to be talked about, explained, because rapists often create an atmosphere of secrecy and shame around their victims, and while the child is silent, the parents do not guess anything.

It is also important to tell children about such phenomena as exhibitionism (demonstration of the genitals) and frotteurism (getting sexual pleasure from rubbing genitals against different parts of the body of other people), and how to act in such situations: in the first case, you need to rather, retire to a crowded place, in the second, try to move away from this person as far as possible, get off at the stop and wait for the next train / trolleybus / bus, or draw the attention of passengers to this situation ...

The same applies to children with disabilities, whose parents often do not understand the advisability of discussing this topic with their special children, thereby putting them in danger.

"Children with disabilities are three times more likely to become victims of sexual abuse, because they are more convenient victims for the attacker: they may not understand what is happening, they may not always tell someone that this has happened to them, so they are much more likely to suffer. At least from these considerations, the child must understand that there is such a norm, sex may be between adults who want this, and when they do this in relation to you, this is not the norm, it must be reported someone who can protect you, "says psychologist and sex education counselor Dana Yakovenko.

Also, regardless of whether the child has certain characteristics or not, he must have his own zone of intimacy (this can be a room that psychologists still advise parents to knock on). For children with disabilities who need outside help, this zone is determined by mom or dad (no one else can interfere with the bathing process, move freely around the room when the child is changing clothes, and the like).

At an older age, sexual education involves the study of such serious issues as awareness of the consequences of their actions, responsibility for them, engaging in sexual intercourse by mutual consent, so that later there is no feeling of shame or disgust for what happened. In this case, psychologists point out that the absence of shame is not synonymous with shamelessness.

Sexual education begins with the family, even if the parents are inactive, - because a child watching the relationship between mom and dad is already forming the foundation of his future attitude towards the opposite sex and an idea of his place in society. Therefore, the issue of sexuality education is global in nature, because it is based on the principles of equality and teaches mutual respect.

Psychologists are increasingly saying that a child, especially in adolescence, should have an adult friend (godmother, older brother, grandfather) - a person to whom the child can turn in a critical situation if, for some reason, he does not want to contact parents. Abroad, a teacher often becomes such a friend. But, according to Natalia Ribachik, a writer and founder of the online magazine MamaWOW, completely shifting the responsibility for raising a child to school is not a good idea: Of course, you can include lessons on sexual literacy in a school course, but if this topic is banned at home, if parents hide their eyes when the child asks what interests him, when they tell tales about cabbage and storks, at a critical moment the child will not approach the parents with a frank conversation. "

Today, in the conditions of total computerization, when there are enough specialized literature, psychologists' webinars, video lessons on sexual literacy on Youtube, it is easier for parents to educate themselves and, keeping pace with children's issues, explain complex things in simple words. But not all parents come to this. Here the school should come to the rescue.

What should be sex education in Ukraine: world experience

The first thing to start with is that in Ukraine there is no clearly defined concept of sexuality education for children (there are separate projects and initiatives), it is in a state of formation. In schools, children are only superficially familiar with sex education within several sections of compulsory subjects: "Fundamentals of Health", "Biology", "Law", "Ethics" and "Physical Education", which, in the overwhelming majority, initially intimidated children with problems that come after early sexual intercourse, and only then explained the process itself in the context of its danger.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian education system in matters of sex education is slowly developing in the right direction. So, the new Ukrainian school (grades 1-4) is more progressive in this matter, because it is moving towards international standards, and in accordance with the latest version of the state standard of basic secondary education, older students got the opportunity to become more familiar with the topics of reproductive health and gender. These achievements seem minimal against the background of a number of important but omitted issues in Ukrainian education.

For example, the study "Sexuality Education in the WHO European Region. Fact sheets of the status of sexuality education in 25 countries of the WHO European Region" identifies the topics of sexuality education according to the following criteria: widely covered, briefly, not covered. Thus, we see that only the basic concepts in the field of sex education for the average citizen are actively covered - the biological aspects of sexual development and the risks of disease. The topics of sexual pleasure, sexual orientation, human rights and sexuality are not covered at all.

According to the results of an online survey conducted by the Women's Health and Family Planning Foundation among young people aged 15-30, knowledge of sexuality education was obtained mainly through the Internet and social networks (87.4%), radio and TV - 54.3% and friends - 42.5%. While parents and teachers accounted for 24.5% and 33% respectively. It is interesting that the overwhelming majority of respondents chose medical workers as one of the sources, thanks to which they would like to receive this information (48.2%).

Speaking about individual projects and initiatives, it should be noted that some schools and organizations are actively involved in the study of the issue of sexuality education and involve teachers and parents in this by inviting them to trainings.

"If the child is lucky and the parents sign him up for such a training or they themselves undergo training on how to talk to the child on topics related to sexuality, then he will have a chance to learn truthful information about sex. But, unfortunately, now the main sources of informing adolescents about sex is the Internet with gigabytes of incorrect information, in particular porn, which by its implausibility leads to the development of complexes not only in adolescents, but also in many adults, which contribute to the spread of dangerous "myths" and stereotypes, "says a psychologist, a trainer on sexual education Marta Onishkevich.

How does it work in the world? In the meantime, while in Ukraine sex education falls entirely on the shoulders of parents (in schools this topic is covered superficially: there is no clear concept, sequence and the very concept of "sex education"), in other developed countries it has long occupied its proper place in the school system, although its content and quality differ significantly.

For example, in Sweden, sex education as a subject has been compulsory in schools since the 1950s (from 7-10 years old and by the end of school, students are taught about a healthy lifestyle, a rational and deliberate start of sexual activity).

"The Swedish sexuality education system is still considered the most progressive to date and includes discussions on various aspects of intimate relationships between people and everything that can affect them (talking about alcohol, discussing gender issues, as well as students' ideas about their own body)", explains clinical psychologist, psychotherapist Olesya Dyundina.

In Finland, sexuality education was first included in the school curriculum as a compulsory subject back in 1970. After that, there were different periods when the school had or did not have the right to choose. Health Education is now compulsory for students aged 13 to 15. In Scotland, however, sex education is optional. According to the curriculum, 5-year-olds are taught about body parts and animal reproduction, from 7 years old - about puberty and sexual intercourse, from 11 years old - about contraception and safe sex.

In France, sex education has also become part of the school curriculum since 1973 (special courses are held at least three times a year, taking into account the specific interests and needs of the age group), which runs in parallel with government education programs. For example, in September 2013, the country's government launched a new program, the main goal of which is to "fight gender stereotypes in school", with the help of which mutual respect is fostered between boys and girls in the early stages of growing up.

Since 1971, sex education for schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 16 has been launched in Norway. In this country, which has one of the lowest teenage pregnancy rates in the world, full sex education begins at age 4 (children are taught about relationships and what love is), and in Germany, according to legislation since 1992, sex education is the responsibility of the state.

For neighboring Poland, the topic of sexuality education is complex, but even there, in the face of the Catholic Church's denial of sex education in schools, the subject "Education for Family Life" is being studied (the school requires parental consent for children to attend this course). True, it is taught mainly by priests or teachers of religious studies, whom children do not trust and are accustomed to consider incompetent: they say, teachers express their own opinion, based on religious traditions, instead of objective information.

The ideal system of sex education in Ukraine

Based on the experience of other countries, the first thing to do is to organize educational activities about the importance of sex education, to explain the basic points of sex education.

I believe that sexuality education in schools should be at the level of read and write , it is simply necessary for children to understand and know about intimate areas, about their bodies, that no one can touch the body without their permission. If parents talk about genitals and sexuality in grade 2-3, then they hesitated very much and missed the right moment. Now this needs to be explained already at the age of 5-6, then the child will have an adequate idea of all the organs of his body, how children are born and all that," explains clinical psychologist, psychotherapist Olesya Dyundina.

According to her, there is no need to complicate things - explain simply, look for words according to the child's age. And it is unlikely that a child of 5-6 years old will ask how exactly he was born. It is enough to listen carefully to the child's questions and to explain as simply, truthfully and, most importantly, clearly (with the help of special literature).

At the age of 9-11, children should receive information about puberty, how their bodies are changing, and at the age of 13 and older, the topics of pregnancy, contraception, transmission of HIV and other infections should be raised, as well as talk about how to build relations. Coverage of all the subtleties that should be taken into account in accordance with the age and characteristics of the child, according to psychologists, is the promotion of health.

One way or another, regardless of whether a child is learning this knowledge at home or at school, sexuality education should be based on the principles of trust and sensitivity.

"To be honest, I would like parents not to shame their children, and teachers who worked in Soviet schools not to read lectures on sexuality education. It is really difficult for them to do this. These should be people who can tactfully, openly and calmly educate children, while creating an atmosphere of safety and trust, "explains psychologist, gestalt therapist, sexologist Sasha Kostyukova.

Interestingly, according to the study "Sexuality education in the WHO European Region. Facts about the status of sexuality education in 25 countries of the WHO European Region", additional subjects and lessons, including the topics of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), have already been developed by national or international organizations and are recommended for study in schools.

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Prohibited topic: Why Ukrainian parents are afraid to talk about sex with children? - 112 International

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that has acquired alarming broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance. One group of secreted toxins with key roles during infection is the phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs). PSMs are amphipathic, membrane-destructive cytolytic peptides that are exported to the host-cell environment by a designated adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP)binding cassette (ABC) transporter, the PSM transporter (PmtABCD). Here, we demonstrate that the minimal Pmt unit necessary for PSM export is PmtCD and provide its first atomic characterization by single-particle cryo-EM and x-ray crystallography. We have captured the transporter in the ATP-bound state at near atomic resolution, revealing a type II ABC exporter fold, with an additional cytosolic domain. Comparison to a lower-resolution nucleotide-free map displaying an open conformation and putative hydrophobic inner chamber of a size able to accommodate the binding of two PSM peptides provides mechanistic insight and sets the foundation for therapeutic design.

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Structural insight into the Staphylococcus aureus ATP-driven exporter of virulent peptide toxins - Science Advances

Many women believe that their menstrual cycles are in sync with the Moons cycle, meaning they menstruate and ovulate at specific times of the Moons cycle. There are four phases to our menstrual cycles and four main phases of the Moon, so it would be silly not to even consider the connection.Express.co.ukspoke to the worlds first period astrologer Priscila Gonsalez, who has been appointed by Intimate healthcare brand INTIMINA, to reveal the link between the Moon and your period.

The Moon has long been seen as linked with females and fertility, Priscilla said.

If you dont believe us, take a look at the etymology of menstruation and menses

The terms come from Latin and Greek words meaning month (mensis) and Moon (mene).

Priscilla said: If your cycle is in sync with the Moon you will menstruate around the New Moon and ovulate around the Full Moon.

The link is also suggested by studies in chronobiology, the field that studies our biological rhythms.

Priscilla explained: "These rhythms are the natural variations in the body that occur at regular intervals aligned to environmental changes.

Many environmental cycles exist, including the ocean tides, day and night, the lunar cycle, and the four seasons.

All living creatures have internal biological clocks that allow them to adjust their activities to changing environmental conditions.

The lunar cycle has an impact on human reproduction, in particular fertility, menstruation, and birth rate.

READ MORE-New Moon August 2020 horoscope: How will the New Moon affect YOU

Some people will find that their periods do sync up with the Moon, and they are bleeding around the New Moon and ovulating around the Full Moon.

However this is not always the case.

Priscilla noted: Syncing your menstrual cycle with the Moon has been impacted by the introduction of the pill, electricity, computers and mobile phones that have managed to unplug us from our direct connection to the phases of the Moon and to the nature of our own bodies.

On top of these modern inventions, everyones body is unique.

Priscilla pointed out: Everyones body is different and our menstrual cycle can suffer the influence of many things such as our stress levels, the environment and endocrine activity of each individual.

Whatever is your bodys pattern, trust that it is the right for you.

The two cycles of menstruation and of lunar phases dont always align with each other.

We are all different and have a myriad of personal energies acting inside and outside of our bodies.

Priscilla believes that which lunar phase you have your period during will impact your energy, mood and productivity.

Your body and psyche decides which phase you bleed during.

Priscilla said that menstruating on the Crescent Moon means you are being called to touch connect with your inner child.

She explained: As menstruation brings renewal, it is common to access patterns developed when you were a child.

If you are aligned with this phase, it is because your body and psyche are asking that you connect with your inner child and release old patterns that are stopping you from achieving what you want.

During this time, youre about to think about your dreams and desires and decide how to get them.

She said: New ideas will sprout like seeds in the spring. It is the time to take action and sow new seeds.

Start a new project or change a habit. This is the time for playing and dreaming about projects without restrictions.

Write your dreams, make plans, the sky is the limit.

Start projects, its time for a fresh start. Organise, prioritise, and get some spring cleaning done.

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If you ovulate during the Full Moon, it is about to get really emotional.

Priscilla said: The Full Moon influences our emotions and internal waters.

Menstruating during this phase can facilitate the healing of wounds related to mother-daughter relationship, infertility and help you to connect with your loving and caring side.

This Full Moon energy enhances psychic perception, favours healing rituals related to fertility, abundance, prosperity, nutrition and creativity. Let your heart guide you.

The good news is, youre probably having a good hair day, a good skin day, or a good everything day, really!

Priscilla said: Youre likely to look and feel your best.

This is the ideal time to commit to what is rising in you and go about making it happen for real.

Launch the program you have been creating, write the book, host the event.

Work hard, birth creative projects, stay up late!

You will probably feel harmony with nature and other mothers, specially yours if you are lucky to still have her around.

If you bleed with the waning mood, your body is calling for a slower pace and your mind wants you to turn inwards.

Priscilla said this is the best time to refocus and evaluate the previous weeks.

She suggests dancing, singing, or doing whatever you can to express your emotions.

Priscilla added: The Waning Moon brings the strength of the Wild woman.

She is not scared of the underworld and your shadows.

If you menstruate with the Waning Moon, your are being called to do some shadow work.

Ask yourself what parts of you that you are hiding or not accepting.

If you are menstruating around the New Moon, this is your body telling you to get rid of what is no longer serving you.

Priscilla said: Both the New Moon and menstruation itself bring the energy of death and rebirth.

The shedding of the uterus will fertilize the soil so that the new can blossom in the future.

When menstruating on the New Moon you will be nurturing the archetypal image of the Wise Woman, and at times you may feel more tired, more introspective and feel that you need to restmore.

If you bleed with the New Moon your psyche is calling you to explore fears of getting old, letting go of old energies, people, and jobs that do not fulfil you.

You heard her, take this time to retreat into yourself and dream.

She added: "This phase symbolises the potential of new life hidden in the dark ground beneath.

Only do what is essential, now is not the time to take on any new projects.

You should delay important decisions or stressful conversations.

Although you cant change when you ovulate and menstruate, there are ways to reconnect yourself with the Moon phases.

Priscilla believes that being aware of the Moon phases can bring a shift to your cycle making your cycle less painful and conception easier.

By journalling, you can look back and check how your mood, emotions and any other patterns differ around the lunar cycle.

For example, you may have more energy around a Full Moon but feel more tired around a New Moon.

Priscilla said: Its best to listen to your body and honour your cycle, thats the most important advice to follow.

You can focus on practices that can help regulate your cycle.

Understand and make friends with menstruation and it will reward you with deeper self knowledge, stacks of energy, and the radiant health that a balanced body and mind can bring.

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Does the Moon affect your menstrual cycle? - Express