A Little Good News

[N Coast Murray]

Interesting Ted Talk...Jamie C. Beard with a renewable energy idea that Big Oil just might get involved with:

https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_c_be...uage=en#t-7025

[GordMay]

Finally, Americans are waking up to reality:

AP-NORC/EPIC poll: Majority in US concerned about climate

A majority of Americans regard the deteriorating climate as a problem of high importance to them, an increase from just a few years ago, according to a new survey [1] from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute, at the University of Chicago [EPIC].

In all, 59% of Americans said the Earth’s warming is very or extremely important to them as an issue, up from 49% in 2018.
Fifty-four percent of Americans cited scientists’ voices as having a large amount of influence on their views about climate change, and nearly as many, 51%, said their views were influenced by recent extreme weather events like hurricanes, deadly heat spells, wildfires and other natural disasters around the world.
About 6 out of 10 Americans also believe that the pace of global warming is speeding up,
The poll also shows that 55% of Americans want Congress to pass a bill to ensure that more of the nation’s electricity comes from clean energy, and less from climate-damaging coal and natural gas.
Only 16% of Americans oppose such a measure for electricity from cleaner energy.

[1] “The Public’s Views on Energy and Climate Change” ~ AP-NORC/EPIC
About ➥ https://epic.uchicago.edu/news/poll-...o-confront-it/

Full Poll Results ➥ https://epic.uchicago.edu/wp-content...ine.Final_.pdf

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by N Coast Murray

Interesting Ted Talk...Jamie C. Beard with a renewable energy idea that Big Oil just might get involved with:
https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_c_be...uage=en#t-7025

INTERESTING!
For those that read, faster than most folk talk:
The Transcript ➥ https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_c_be...pt?language=en

[GordMay]

Promising news for Pfizer’s COVID pill

An antiviral pill, called Paxlovid [PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir)], has been shown to cut the risk of hospitalization, or death, by 89%, for vulnerable people, newly diagnosed with COVID-19, says its maker, Pfizer [1].


Interim data, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, were collected from more than 1,200 people with COVID-19, who were at high risk of progressing to severe illness.
The innovative treatment inhibits an enzyme known as the main protease (Mpro) that is integral to coronavirus replication.
This is combined with ritonavir, an HIV drug, which helps to slow the breakdown of the protease inhibitor.

The news follows the approval, in the United Kingdom, last week, of another antiviral pill, called molnupiravir, made by Merck (called MSD outside the United States and Canada), and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. [2]

[1] Pfizer [Technical] Press Release November 05, 2021
➥ https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-re...ment-candidate

[1b] “Pfizer says its antiviral pill slashes risk of severe COVID-19 by 89%”

Reuters ➥ https://www.reuters.com/business/hea...89-2021-11-05/

NYT ➥ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/05/h...ovid-pill.html

[2] “How antiviral pill molnupiravir shot ahead in the COVID drug hunt”
➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02783-1

[GordMay]

How distress signal may have helped save the life of a North Carolina teen

The SignalForHelp hand gesture is simple: Tuck the thumb into the palm, then cover the thumb with four fingers. It's a way in which women facing domestic abuse can convey a message of help during a video call without leaving a digital trace, such as a text or email.

More ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canad...ucky-1.6241242

Video ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1972223555782/

Video demonstration ➥ https://youtu.be/AFLZEQFIm7k

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Antidepressant cuts COVID death risk

Fluvoxamine is both inexpensive, and highly effective at preventing mild COVID-19 from turning severe.
A cheap, widely available drug cuts the risk of death, from COVID-19, and the need for people with the disease to receive intensive medical care, according to clinical-trial results [1].
Fluvoxamine is taken for conditions including depression and obsessive–compulsive disorder.
But it is also known to dampen immune responses, and temper tissue damage. Among trial participants who took the drug, as directed, in the early stages COVID-19, deaths fell by roughly 90%, and the need for intensive care fell by roughly 65%.
“A major victory for drug repurposing!” says medical researcher Vikas Sukhatme. “Fluvoxamine treatment should be adopted for those at high risk for deterioration who are not vaccinated or cannot receive monoclonal antibodies.”

More about ➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02988-4

[1] “Effect of early treatment with fluvoxamine on risk of emergency care and hospitalisation among patients with COVID-19: the TOGETHER randomised, platform clinical trial” ~ by Gilmar Reis, PhD et al
➥ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...448-4/fulltext

[2] “Modulation of the sigma-1 receptor–IRE1 pathway is beneficial in preclinical models of inflammation and sepsis” ~ by Dorian A. Rosen et al
➥ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...nslmed.aau5266

Pfizermectin, newly patented

[GordMay]

“Sharks, seahorses and seals found in River Thames' first full health check”

Seahorses, eels, seals, and venomous sharks*, have all been discovered in London’s Thames River, the results of a "health check" have shown.[1]

A survey by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) revealed "positive news" for wildlife, and ecosystem recovery, the society said Wednesday.

Back in 1957, the capital city's river was declared "biologically dead."

* Sharks including tope, starry smooth-hound, and spurdog have been found.
Spurdogs, a slender fish, measuring some 23 inches, can be found in deep water, and the spines in front of the shark's two dorsal fins secrete a venom, that can cause pain and swelling in humans.
Tope sharks, which feed on fish and crustaceans, and can reach 6 feet, and up to 106 pounds, have never launched an unprovoked attack on humans, according to the UK's Wildlife Trusts.
Meanwhile, the starry smooth-hound, which can reach up to 4 feet, and 25 pounds, mostly eats crustaceans, shellfish and molluscs.

More about ➥ https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/...lth-check.html

[1] “The State Of The Thames 2021" ~ by ZSL
➥ https://www.zsl.org/natureatheart/th...he-thames-2021

[GordMay]

Stem-cell promise for type 1 diabetes

A 64-year-old man, from the United States, might be the first person to be cured of type 1 diabetes, using stem cells.
In June, he was given an infusion of insulin-producing cells, grown from embryonic stem cells, as part of a clinical trial, by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. His body now automatically controls its insulin and blood sugar levels, though he does have to take drugs that suppress his immune system.

The study has not yet been peer reviewed, and it remains to be seen whether the result will be replicated, or whether there are any unanticipated adverse effects of the treatment.
Still, bottom line, it is an amazing result.

More about ➥ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/h...smid=url-share

Vertex Announces Positive Day 90 Data for the First Patient in the Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Dosed With VX-880, a Novel Investigational Stem Cell-Derived Therapy for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes
➥ https://news.vrtx.com/press-release/...trial-dosed-vx

[GordMay]

“Xevudy” (sotrovimab) as a COVID-19 Treatment

The United Kingdom [and the USA] has approved the use of “sotrovimab” [brand name ‘Xevudy’], to treat people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms, which the manufacturers say [2] appears to be effective against the new Omicron variant.

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, “was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease”, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a statement [1] on Thursday.

Sotrovimab was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a UK-based company, and the US-headquartered Vir Biotechnology.

[1] “MHRA approves Xevudy (sotrovimab), a COVID-19 treatment found to cut hospitalisation and death by 79%”
➥ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/m...nd-death-by-79

“Information for healthcare professionals and the public about Xevudy (sotrovimab)” ➥ https://www.gov.uk/government/public...udy-sotrovimab

[2] “Preclinical data demonstrate sotrovimab retains activity against key Omicron mutations, new SARS-CoV-2 variant”
➥ https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/pres...cov-2-variant/

“GSK and Vir Biotechnology announce United States government agreements to purchase sotrovimab, a COVID-19 treatment”
➥ https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/pres...-19-treatment/

“Sotrovimab - Emergency Use Authorization [USA]”
➥ https://www.sotrovimab.com/

[GordMay]

IMO Voluntary Measures to Cut Black Carbon in the Arctic

A United Nations resolution [1], urging ship operators to move to cleaner fuels, when travelling through Arctic waters is being hailed by scientists, environmentalists, and an Inuit group, for its potential to significantly lower black carbon emissions, in the region.

Black carbon emissions, fine particles that exist through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, are an emerging and growing problem in the Arctic, according to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program [2], the science arm of the Arctic Council.

The Arctic Council, an intergovernmental group that tackles issues like environmental protection in the Arctic, found shipping in the Arctic has increased by 25 per cent over the last nine years, partly because it has become more viable as a result of melting ice.

Black carbon lands on snow and ice, when a ship passes through. This affects the albedo, so the sun is absorbed, causing the snow and ice to melt.

Climate change is being more acutely felt in the Arctic, where warming happens two to three times faster than the global average, and regulation hasn't caught up. If anything, we need more stringent regulations, in the Arctic, than we do in the mid-latitudes, because it's a more sensitive environment. There are currently lower emission standards for ships to travel in the Arctic, than there are for when ships travel through the southern waters of Canada.

The resolution [1] that the United Nations' International Maritime Organization adopted last week is a [weak?] first step in decarbonization.
It's a voluntary call, to have ships switch to lighter, cleaner fuels, instead of residual fuels many ships are currently burning, which are heavier, and produce more black carbon.

Clear Seas, in partnership with Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance, and Vard Marine, a marine engineering company with Canadian operations, has conducted an 'Arctic Marine Natural Gas Feasibility Study' [3], that found that switching fuels could cost more than 40 per cent more.
On average, a ship changing from a residual to a cleaner distillate fuel will trigger about a 44 per cent decrease in black carbon emissions, but the difference could be as high as 80 per cent.

In order to achieve a unanimous decision [at the insistence of Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, Russia and China], the stronger language of the original text, was watered down, before it was subsequently adopted by the full plenary.

Canada is looking to implement a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in Arctic waters by July 2024. Some countries, including Norway, have already set more stringent rules for HFO and black carbon.

Much more about ➥ https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/imo...issions-arctic

And ➥ https://www.climatechangenews.com/20...carbon-arctic/

[1] “DRAFT MEPC RESOLUTION PROTECTING THE ARCTIC FROM SHIPPING BLACK CARBON EMISSIONS (MEPC 77/J/9)” ~ IMO
➥ https://imoarcticsummit.org/wp-conte...ecretariat.pdf

[2] “Enhancing the reduction of black carbon emissions to protect the Arctic: Mapping the policy landscape of national, regional, and international action” ~ AMAP
➥ https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/en...al-action/3544

[3] “Arctic Marine Natural Gas Supply Chain Study” ~ Clear Seas
➥ https://clearseas.org/en/research_pr...-chain-supply/

[GordMay]

U.K. study finds mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide biggest booster impact

COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, that use mRNA technology, provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study [1] published on Thursday has found.

The COV-Boost study [1] was cited by British officials, when they announced that Pfizer and Moderna were preferred for use in the country's booster campaign, but the data has only been made publicly available now.

The study found that six out of the seven boosters examined enhanced immunity after initial vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, while all seven increased immunity when given after two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine.

The study found that a full dose or half dose of Pfizer or a full dose of Moderna gave a very effective boost to both antibody and T-cell levels, regardless of whether the person initially received Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

When AstraZeneca, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and Curevac were given as boosters, they increased antibody levels for either initial vaccine, albeit to a smaller degree. However, while Valneva boosted antibodies in people initially vaccinated with AstraZeneca, it did not provide a boost for Pfizer.

The study found that booster shots also helped to generate a broad T-cell response against the beta and delta variants, which may play a key role in longer-term protection.

[1] “Safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third dose (booster) following two doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 or BNT162b2 in the UK (COV-BOOST): a blinded, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial” ~ by Alasdair P S Munro, MRCPCH et al
➥ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...717-3/fulltext


Six different COVID-19 boosters are safe and increase immunity when given after two doses of #AstraZeneca or #Pfizer-BioNTech, with large variations in immune responses, UK trial shows.
➥ https://twitter.com/TheLancet/status...2021-1.6272140

[GordMay]

The Southern Ocean is still swallowing large amounts of humans’ carbon dioxide emissions

The Southern Ocean is still busily absorbing large amounts of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans’ fossil fuel burning, a study [1], based on airborne observations of the gas suggests.
The new results counter a 2018 report [2] that had found that the ocean surrounding Antarctica might not be taking up as much of the emissions as previously thought, and in some regions may actually be adding CO back to the atmosphere.

It’s not exactly a relief to say that the oceans, which are already becoming more acidic, and storing record-breaking amounts of heat, due to global warming, might be able to bear a little more of the climate change burden.
That’s because the Southern Ocean, alone, has been thought to be responsible for nearly half of the global ocean uptake of humans’ CO emissions each year. That means it plays an outsize role, in modulating some of the immediate impacts of those emissions.
However, the float-based estimates had suggested that, over the course of a year, the Southern Ocean was actually a net source of carbon dioxide, rather than a sink, ultimately emitting about 0.3 billion metric tons of the gas back to the atmosphere each year.

In contrast, the new findings [1], published in the Dec. 3 Science, suggest that from 2009 through 2018, the Southern Ocean was still a net sink, taking up a total of about 0.55 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.

The 2018 study [2] had used newly deployed deep-diving ocean floats, now numbering almost 200, that are part of a project called Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling, or SOCCOM [3]. Calculations based on data collected from 2014 through 2017 by 35 of the floats suggested that parts of the ocean were actually releasing a great deal of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere during winter. That sparked concerns that the Southern Ocean’s role in buffering the impacts of climate change on Earth might not be so robust as once thought.

The big takeaway, is that both datasets — as well as direct shipboard measurements in the Southern Ocean, which are few and far between — are going to be essential for understanding what role these waters play in the planet’s carbon cycle.
While the airborne studies can help constrain the big picture of carbon dioxide emissions data from the Southern Ocean, the floats are much more widely distributed, and so are able to identify local and regional variability in carbon dioxide, which the atmospheric data can’t do.

[1] “Strong Southern Ocean carbon uptake evident in airborne observations”~ by Matthew C. Long et al
➥ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abi4355

[2] “The Variable Southern Ocean Carbon Sink” ~ by Nicolas Gruber et al
➥ https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-121916-063407

[2b] “The Southern Ocean may be less of a carbon sink than we thought” ~ Science News
➥ https://www.sciencenews.org/article/...arbon-expected

[3] “Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project ([SOCCOM]”
➥ https://soccom.princeton.edu/

[GordMay]

A chewing gum that could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission

In experiments using saliva samples from COVID-19 patients, the cinnamon-flavored chewing gum, which contains the plant-grown ACE2 protein, neutralized the virus, according to research [1] led by School of Dental Medicine scientists.
The work, led by Henry Daniell, could lead to a low-cost tool in the arsenal against the COVID-19 pandemic. Their study [1] was published in the journal Molecular Therapy.
The research team is currently working toward obtaining permission to conduct a clinical trial, to evaluate whether the approach is safe and effective, when tested in people infected with SARS-CoV-2.

More about ➥ https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/che...2-transmission

[1] “Debulking SARS-CoV-2 in saliva using angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in chewing gum to decrease oral virus transmission and infection” ~ by Henry Daniell et al
➥ https://www.cell.com/molecular-thera...showall%3Dtrue

[GordMay]

Australia turned on its biggest battery, powered by Tesla Megapacks, on Wednesday

The 300 mW Victorian Big Battery (VBB) is one of the largest batteries in the world, promising to strengthen Victoria’s energy reliability, drive down electricity prices, and support the transition to renewable energy and net-zero emissions.

Media Releases:

Neoen ➥ https://victorianbigbattery.com.au/w..._FINAL_pdf.pdf

Victorian Government ➥ https://victorianbigbattery.com.au/w...-sheet_FA2.pdf

More reporting about ➥ https://www.theage.com.au/politics/v...08-p59fq8.html

[GordMay]

Are rocket scientists and brain surgeons really that much smarter?

Think rocket science and brain surgery are out of your league?
Think again.

According to research [1], published in the British Medical Journal, neither career choice requires a level of intelligence much beyond that of the general public.

Researchers tested the cognition of neuroscientists and aerospace engineers, using the Great British Intelligence Test, which measures spatial planning, working memory, attention, and emotion processing abilities, among other things.
They compared the results of 748 neuroscientists and aerospace engineers to those of more than 18,000 members of the British public, and they found that aerospace engineers didn't score significantly higher than the public in any areas, while neurosurgeons were able to solve problems faster, but showed a slower memory recall speed.

"It would be disingenuous to say you don't need to be smart to [be a neurosurgeon or aerospace engineer]," says Usher, but the study concludes that both professions may be "unnecessarily put on a pedestal" because they are seen as requiring exceptional cognitive abilities.

[1] “It’s not rocket science” and “It’s not brain surgery”—“It’s a walk in the park”: prospective comparative study ~ by Inga Usher et al

...
Conclusions
In situations that do not require rapid problem solving, it might be more correct to use the phrase “It’s not brain surgery.” It is possible that both neurosurgeons and aerospace engineers are unnecessarily placed on a pedestal and that “It’s a walk in the park” or another phrase unrelated to careers might be more appropriate. Other specialties might deserve to be on that pedestal, and future work should aim to determine the most deserving profession...

➥ https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj-...tag=MSF0951a18