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marmar

marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
September 6, 2021

One Vaccine Makes More Antibodies Than Another. Does it Matter?


(Bloomberg) Ten months ago, the results of large clinical trials appeared almost too good to be true: Two messenger RNA vaccines reduced symptomatic Covid-19 cases by more than 90% in almost every group that got them.

Now, subtle differences between the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. vaccines are emerging across patient groups over time. One small U.S. study found waning levels of antibodies with Pfizer’s vaccine, particularly in an older group of people. And a larger study from Belgium found that Moderna’s shot may generate more antibodies than Pfizer’s.

But what this all means in the real world is still unclear. While billions of doses of vaccine have been administered around the world, researchers are still working to understand the nuances of how long their protection lasts, and how it differs from one person to another.

Getting answers to those questions is a crucial step to determine who might need a booster shot, especially for older people and those with weakened immune systems. The more-infectious delta variant, the rise of which has coincided with slight drop-offs in vaccine effectiveness, has raised the stakes and led governments to begin rolling out a third dose of the shots. The Food and Drug Administration will hear public arguments on Sept. 17 about whether or not to go ahead with booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine. ..........(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-04/one-vaccine-makes-more-antibodies-than-another-does-it-matter?srnd=premium




September 5, 2021

"They Just Look...Pathetic." Bear Mange Surges in Virginia





(Field & Stream) Many bears in Virginia are afflicted with mange, a highly contagious skin disease caused by skin-burrowing mites that can impact wild and domestic mammals. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has documented 75 reports of mangy bears this year, which wildlife biologist Katie Martin says is “on par” with 2020’s total of 113 reports. Martin adds that the estimate is likely conservative because it only reflects direct reports to the DWR. Virginia’s black bear population is estimated at 17,000. In the six years prior to 2020, Virginia recorded just 81 mange reports.

Virginia isn’t the only state seeing an increasing spread of mange in its bear populations. In 2018, mange surged in Pennsylvania’s black bear population, prompting research into medical treatments, disease spread, and the influence of genetic factors. That ongoing study is scheduled to wrap up this winter when the tracked bears’ radio collars are removed. Mark Ternent, a Pennsylvania wildlife biologist, estimated that in June 2018 somewhere between 1 and 3 percent of the state’s bears had mange. Mange reports began showing up in Pennsylvania in 1991. Since then, it has spread in bear populations from West Virginia up to New England.

Virginia is currently looking at studying modes of mange transmission, the spread rate, potential pathways, and other factors contributing to the recent increases. Mange often isn’t fatal, but it makes bears miserable. The mites burrow into the skin and lay eggs, which creates intense discomfort for the host animal. Animals can lose much of their fur and become dangerously ill. Captured bears with the most severe cases are often put down.

“They just look in pathetic shape,” David Kocka, a district wildlife biologist for the Virginia DWR, told Charlottesville Tomorrow. “What we see is when they get to a certain stage where they’re so unhappy with life, they feel so horrible that [it’s] like they’re losing their minds. They’ll crawl into somebody’s doghouse and stay there for a couple days, or they’ll crawl under their deck, or in a garage.” .............(more)

https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/bear-mange-affects-virginia-bear-population/?




September 5, 2021

Anti-Vax Radio Hosts Keep Dying From COVID


(Vanity Fair) Conservative radio hosts all across America are losing their lives for the cause. In the past month alone, five talk radio personalities who were vocal COVID-19-deniers, anti-vaxxers, or anti-maskers have all died after contracting the virus. Most recently was WNDB’s Marc Bernier, a late Daytona, Florida, talk radio host who dubbed himself “Mr. Anti-Vax” in December while assuring his listeners “I’m not taking it.” True to his word, Bernier contracted COVID-19 roughly three weeks ago and his death was announced over the weekend by his radio station––which had awkwardly acknowledged his on-air “anti-vaccine” commentary just before his passing. (WNDB was contacted for clarification regarding its COVID-19 safety policies but the station did not respond.)

Though it might be assumed some right-wing media figures are simply feeding into the anti-vax frenzy to gin up outrage and ratings, the spate of recent deaths makes clear that, for a number of them, opposition to safe, effective vaccines and other pandemic mitigation efforts isn’t just talk. Such radio rants against efforts to stop the pandemic come as Republican men, a large segment of the talk radio audience, have been shown to be particularly resistant to getting vaccinated.

On August 4, Newsmax fill-in host and longtime conservative talker Dick Farrel died from a “severe damage” from COVID-19 after spending the last weeks of his life claiming that the vaccine is “Bogus Bull [Shit],” referring to the pandemic as a “SCAM DEMIC,” and suggesting that the delta variant is an elaborate ruse orchestrated by Anthony Fauci to keep Americans fearing for their lives. “Why take a vax promoted by people who lied [to you] all along about masks, where the virus came from and the death toll?” he wrote in a July 3 Facebook post. Upon contracting the virus, Farrel was suddenly not willing to die for his previously held convictions, as one of his close friends, Amy Leigh Hair, claimed that he encouraged her to get the shot shortly before his death, saying that COVID-19 “is no joke and then he said: ‘I wish I had gotten [vaccinated]!’”

But instead of taking scientifically backed precautions beforehand, Farrel opted to ask his Facebook followers if “hydroxychloroquine from Canada” is safe in early July after stating, “When a gubberment denies u access to HCQ [it’s] obvious they want you dead.” It appears that Farrel was convinced that masks and vaccines weren’t saving Democratic politicians––or “dummy craps,” as he called them––from COVID-19, but rather that they had access to hydroxychloroquine while banning others from taking it. In a statement to the Post, a Newsmax spokesperson noted that Farrel “was a popular radio host in Florida and always a friend of Newsmax. We mourn his passing and hope everyone can learn from his unnecessary death the importance of getting vaccinated.” ...............(more)

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/09/anti-vax-radio-hosts-dying-covid




September 5, 2021

Surfer dies in shark attack off Australian beach

(CNN) A man who was attacked by a shark at Emerald Beach on Australia's east coast on Sunday died after a "significant" injury to his arm, according to New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance.

Four crews, including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter medical team which included a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic were dispatched to the scene, according to NSW Ambulance.

"A number of local surfers and bystanders came to the aid of this man," NSW Ambulance inspector Chris Wilson said. "Despite the best efforts of bystanders, paramedics and other emergency services, the patient couldn't be revived." .......(more)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/05/australia/nsw-shark-attack-intl/index.html




September 4, 2021

Florida man's 'very unusual parking' job leads to DUI arrest




We’ve seen some bad parking jobs in Miami in our day, but this latest one in Florida may top them all.

On the Gulf Coast of Florida, a man was arrested after his Lexus RX-350 was spotted dangling over the edge of a pier, the Clearwater Police Department said.

Pictures on the agency’s Facebook post shows the maroon hatchback, the driver door open and its front portion hanging perilously over the edge.

“Officers are conducting a drunken driving investigation this afternoon after the driver of this vehicle found a very unusual parking spot behind Pier House 60 on Coronado Drive,” wrote the department, which made the arrest a few hours later. ............(more)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/very-unusual-parking-spot-man-155845558.html




September 3, 2021

Why the spotted lanternfly must die




(Salon) Like many people, I try to avoid killing insects or spiders unless it is absolutely necessary. Yet according to officials, this nonviolent stance towards insects could end up being a threat to the ecosystem of the Northeast. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is asking citizens to declare all-out war on one particular insect: the spotted lanternfly. Dispensing with any pretense of bureaucratic detachment, the state's website is admirably blunt:

"Kill it! Squash it, smash it...just get rid of it."

In areas of Pennsylvania like Northampton County (where I live), spotted lanternfly are not hard to find. Despite being only an inch long, the moth-like insect has a beautiful pattern once it spreads its wings. You are greeted with bright red and black spots, similar to a ladybug shell, in sharp contrast to the drab gray, yellow and black-and-white patterns that cover the rest of it. It is hardly the most memorable insect, but it does make an impression.

More to the point, they are everywhere. And if they take over the American northeast, it is going to be a very, very big deal.

"If they go unchecked, they will continue to spread throughout the American northeast as well as to other regions of the US and also potentially to other countries as well," Julie Urban, an associate research professor of entomology at Penn State University, told Salon by email. Urban is the author of "Perspective: Shedding light on spotted lanternfly impacts in the USA," a scholarly article in Pest Management Science that offered projections on what will occur if spotted lanternfly continue to spread through the region. Both in the article and while speaking with Salon, Urban detailed how spotted lanternfly could destroy both lives and the landscape. One reason is that of the two plants that spotted lantern flies have been documented to kill via feeding, one of them — grapes — is a vital crop. ..........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/09/03/spotted-lanternfly-consequences-invasion/




September 2, 2021

Florida Man Says He Tried to 'Show Off' on First Date With High-Speed Police Chase


Florida man arrested for leading police on a high-speed chase has explained the chase as an attempt to impress his passenger during a first date.

Clearwater Police Department officers arrested 22-year-old motorcyclist Taylor William Beverly on Saturday night after he ran a red light and sped away as police tried to pull him over. Beverly, riding a white motorcycle, allegedly made eye contact with police before beginning the chase. Following his arrest, Beverly told officers that he had been trying to "show off" during a first date with the woman who was riding as a passenger on the back of his motorcycle.

Police temporarily broke off the chase while Beverly darted through traffic, running multiple additional red lights and traveling "at well over 100 [miles per hour]." They were able to apprehend him at an intersection minutes later. Court records indicate that Beverly also refused to slow down as his date was "screaming at him to stop." ........(more)

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-says-he-tried-show-off-first-date-high-speed-police-chase-1624785




September 2, 2021

Are women people? Why the Supreme Court just signed off on a Texas law that denies women's humanity


Are women people? Why the Supreme Court just signed off on a Texas law that denies women's humanity
Built into the Texas law: A refusal to acknowledge that women are thinking people capable of autonomous decisions

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 1:04PM


(Salon) In 1915, the suffragist Alice Duer Miller wrote a delightful book of satirical poetry titled "Are Women People? A Book of Rhymes for Suffrage Times." Here we are, 106 years later, and Texas and the Supreme Court have weighed in with their opinion, which is very much no, women are not people. They are human-shaped, but they cannot be regarded as full people, capable of making very basic decisions about their own bodies and lives. After a full day of the Supreme Court not yet deciding whether to enjoin a Texas law banning all abortions two weeks after the first missed period, the court finally made a decision late Wednesday night. In full violation of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is allowing Texas to ban abortion.

This is not, as the mansplainers will let you know, an official overturn of Roe. That is still coming, in the form of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case looking at another abortion ban in Mississippi that has been explicitly held out as an opportunity for the court to simply overturn the 1973 case that legalized abortion. Still, as Jessica Mason Pieklo, a legal expert at Rewire News Group writes, "Let's just get this out of the way: We can stop debating about whether the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. They did. So what if it's on a technicality? It's not a technicality to the people forced to carry pregnancies to term against their will."

....(snip)....

As a writer, I've been covering the religious right over 15 years now. As a person who grew up in Texas, I've known these kinds of broken souls who support this law my whole life. They are small people, who spend their time trying to dominate the lives of others, rather than face up to the fears that prevent them from embracing full lives of their own. Donald Trump spoke to them, despite his barely concealed contempt for their religion, because they saw themselves in him: A man so poisoned by hate that his only real pleasure in life is bullying others. So, I get it, intellectually. On a deeper, emotional level, though, understanding will always elude me. How can so many give up their one precious life to cruelty, rather than just take the easier and humane path of "live and let live?"

At this point, these sadists will try to defend themselves by claiming this is all about "life." It's a lie that worked for decades to give cover to their malice. It's collapsed in the age of a deadly pandemic that conservatives are doing everything in their power to spread, a pandemic that is especially dangerous for the fetal life they only care for when it can be weaponized against women's rights.

No, the Texas law — and the Supreme Court endorsement of it — is about one thing and one thing only: Denying the humanity of women, and, of course, denying the humanity of those who don't neatly fit in that category of "woman," but can get pregnant anyway. This is about reducing these people to mere vessels, and rejecting the idea that they are autonomous human beings who have sovereignty over their bodies and their lives. On the contrary, having a uterus renders you as little more than human livestock in the eyes of conservatives. ........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/09/02/are-women-people-why-the-supreme-court-just-signed-off-on-a-texas-law-that-denies-womens-humanity/




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Hometown: Detroit, MI
Member since: Fri Oct 29, 2004, 12:18 AM
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