freedomdaily--2020-04-29--I was a nurse on the front lines of Ebola, and I saw that nurses need support for the trauma and pai

I was a nurse on the front lines of Ebola, and I saw that nurses need support for the trauma and pain they experience

The Conversation is running a series of dispatches from clinicians and researchers operating on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic .
You can find all of the stories here .
Since the beginning of the profession , nurses have played pivotal roles during outbreaks of disease , delivering care throughout even the bleakest of public health emergencies .
Here ’ s my story : In 2014 , the world was slowly recognizing that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was monumental in scale and getting worse .
More than 30,000 were infected , and 11,000 would die .
Transmitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was mostly in Sierra Leone , Guinea and Liberia .
As local health care systems struggled to respond to the large cases of infected patients , nurses from around the world came to help ; I was among them .
I am an associate professor of nursing at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing and a board certified psychiatry and mental health advance nurse practitioner .
When our team arrived in Sierra Leone in December , 2014 , there were 450 cases being recorded weekly .
The health care infrastructure had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , and it lacked trained health care workers , medical supplies and hospital beds for the surging Ebola cases .
I was drawn to serve in Sierra Leone at the height of the epidemic because of the duty to care that we nurses believe is part of our profession .
I felt a calling even though I had no idea what I could offer .
But I would do whatever was asked of me .
I remember vividly the first day I donned my personal protective equipment ( PPE ) – hooded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boot , theater cap , three pairs of gloves , face shield and apron – to enter the Ebola isolation unit at Port Loko Hospital early Christmas Day 2014 , only to encounter a young patient who had died overnight , lying on the cold concrete floor .
The cacophony of emotions I felt – panic , fear and dread were palpable .
I thought to myself , “ God , I am no hero .
Please get me out of here.
” As my initial fears subsided , I put my clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our team worked round the clock providing palliative care and psychosocial support to patients with dwindling clinical resources , constantly evolving treatment protocols , in a frighteningly dire work environment .
In that sense , Ebola was also a disease of the caregiver .
As health care workers , we knew we were more likely to be infected with Ebola than adults in the general population .
There was no vaccine .
A constant existential feeling of unsafety and heightened sense of doom enveloped the Ebola hospital .
Yet each day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donning and doffing PPE to assess confirmed Ebola patients , perform physical exams , provide medication , keep them hydrated and cajole them to eat .
We would repeat this process three to four times each 12 hours shift .
Performing these tasks required careful deliberation .
PPE are difficult to walk and to bend in .
With daily temperature in the region reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit , we were instantly drenched with our sweat .
Our goggles fogged up , hampering visibility ; double gloving interfered with our dexterity , and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patient assessment was sub-par and care was limited .
Our patients could not see our faces , limiting ability to show empathy and establish human connections .
We were terrified about safety , about getting infected .
But no one saw our fear ; it was our job to conceal it .
And on we worked .
It was only years later that I realized the toll that the Ebola epidemic had taken on me .
At the peak of the epidemic , we had an average census of 70 confirmed cases daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For every 10 infected kids under 12 months of age , nine died .
For every 10 kids under five years , seven were likely to die .
A look back , in wonder In retrospect , I wondered : Was I truly prepared for the mental pressure and anguish health care workers faced in an epidemic ?
While cognizant of the “ duty to care , ” was I oblivious to the “ duty to self-care ” ?
Nurses have an ethical obligation to care for themselves .
If nurses don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will they be able to care for others ?
I did not ask the crucial question before heading to Sierra Leone : Did I have the appropriate “ nursing preparedness ” required in a disease epidemic ?
I did not ask this question because I did not anticipate how the media hysteria over Ebola would affect my mental well-being .
I did not anticipate the stigma , simmering anger and deep sense of betrayal surrounding monitoring and quarantining of returning volunteer health care workers from West Africa .
I did not anticipate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sadness I would experience during state-mandated isolation .
As hospitals across the U.S. have ramped up diagnostic and treatment capacity for the coronavirus pandemic , it is imperative that our society also focuses on nurses ’ preparedness .
During disease outbreaks , nurses ’ levels of preparedness and experience help them decide adroitly how much care they can provide to patients while also taking care of themselves .
Nursing preparedness is a set of skills , abilities and knowledge that enables nurses to respond and prepare for varying public health emergency roles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ curriculum with a focus on principles of disaster management .
However , studies have shown that nurses remain inadequately prepared to respond to infectious disease outbreaks .
Lack of a formal institutional preparedness plan may result in delays in initiation of treatment by nurses .
The misdiagnosis of the first Ebola patient in a hospital in Dallas , Texas in 2014 , combined with two nurses contracting the disease while caring for the patient , is a classic example of lack of institutional preparedness in responding to a novel disease .
Education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks .
Evidence‐based recommendations to enhance nurses ’ preparedness include opportunities to engage in emergency preparedness planning , mock drills and actual events when possible to increase competence in disaster management , confidence in abilities , and familiarity with disaster preparedness protocols .
Given the increase in prevalence in recent years of natural and human-induced emergency events , it is imperative that nurses understand their roles in the planning , mitigation , response and management aspects of disease outbreaks at the community , national and global levels .
Studies have shown that nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic and disaster situations .
During an epidemic , nurses are likely to acquire new roles and perform unaccustomed tasks , often extending themselves beyond their expertise , scope and comfort level .
Nurses could encounter unanticipated challenges like a shortage of needed resources , such as personal protective equipment , infection control material resource and inadequate facilities that could adversely hamper the quality of health care service delivery .
This was our reality fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone .
To prevent the same thing happening here , local hospitals and health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure accurate identification of front-line priorities in maintaining core nursing services .
Nurse should not work in uncertain , unsafe and morally distressing conditions with limited resources .
The adverse consequences on nurses ’ short- and long-term mental health could be significant .
Establishing a supportive atmosphere at the front-line is of paramount importance .
Specific interventions to promote psychological well-being should be implemented as part of ongoing support from health care institutions .
Nurses more than any other health care workers , constitute the major taskforce in responding to the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they need institutional support to ensure that they are trained , well prepare and ready to step into an epidemic response role .
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Cheedy Jaja does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-29--What does ‘survival of the fittest’ mean in the coronavirus pandemic? Look to the immune system

Charles Darwin popularized the concept of survival of the fittest as a mechanism underlying the natural selection that drives the evolution of life .
Organisms with genes better suited to the environment are selected for survival and pass them to the next generation .
Thus , when a new infection that the world has never seen before erupts , the process of natural selection starts all over again .
In the context of the coronavirus pandemic , who is the “ fittest ” ?
This is a challenging question .
But as immunology researchers at the University of South Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear : With no effective treatment options , survival against the coronavirus infection depends completely on the patient ’ s immune response .
We have been working on how the immune response is a double-edged sword – on one hand helping the host to fight infections , while on the other hand causing significant damage in the form of autoimmune diseases .
The two phases of the immune response The immune response is like a car .
To reach a destination safely , you need both an accelerator ( phase 1 ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are functioning well .
Failure in either can have significant consequences .
An effective immune response against an infectious agent rests in the delicate balance of two phases of action .
When an infectious agent attacks , the body begins phase 1 , which promotes inflammation – a state in which a variety of immune cells gather at the site of infection to destroy the pathogen .
This is followed by phase 2 , during which immune cells called regulatory T cells suppress inflammation so that the infected tissues can completely heal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow uncontrolled growth of the infectious agent , such as a virus or bacteria .
A defect in the second phase can trigger massive inflammation , tissue damage and death .
The coronavirus infects cells by attaching to a receptor called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ( ACE2 ) , which is present in many tissues throughout the body , including the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system .
This infection triggers a phase 1 immune response , in which the antibody-producing B-cells pump out neutralizing antibodies that can bind to the virus and prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inhibits the virus from infecting more cells .
During phase 1 , the immune cells also produce cytokines , a group of proteins that recruit other immune cells as well as fight infection .
Also joining the fight are killer T cells that destroy the virus-infected cells , preventing the virus from replicating .
If the immune system is compromised and works poorly during phase 1 , the virus can replicate rapidly .
People with compromised immune systems include the elderly , organ transplant recipients , patients with autoimmune diseases , cancer patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with immunodeficiency diseases .
Many of these individuals may not produce enough antibodies or killer T cells to counter the virus , which allows the virus to multiply unchecked and cause a severe infection .
Increased replication of SARS-CoV-2 triggers additional complications in the lungs and other organs .
Normally , there is a wide range of microorganisms , both harmful and benign , that live in harmony in the lungs .
However , as the coronavirus spreads , it is likely that the infection and the inflammation that ensues will disrupt this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lungs to dominate .
This leads to development of pneumonia , in which the lungs ’ air sacs , called alveoli , get filled with fluid or pus , making it difficult to breathe .
This triggers additional inflammation in the lungs , leading to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ( ARDS ) , which is seen in a third of COVID-19 patients .
The immune system , unable to control viral infection and other emerging pathogens in the lungs , mounts an even stronger inflammatory response by releasing more cytokines , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At this stage , it is also likely that the phase 2 immune response aimed at suppressing inflammation fails and can ’ t control the cytokine storm .
Such cytokine storms can trigger friendly fire – destructive , corrosive chemicals meant to destroy infected cells that are released by the body ’ s immune cells which can lead to severe damage to the lungs and other organs .
Also , because ACE2 is present throughout the body , the killer T cells from phase 1 can destroy virus-infected cells across multiple organs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients that produce excessive cytokines and T cells can die from injury not only to the lungs but also to other organs such as the heart and kidneys .
The above scenario raises several questions regarding prevention and treatment of COVID-19 .
Because the majority of people recover from coronavirus infection , it is likely that a vaccine that triggers neutralizing antibodies and T cells to block the virus from getting into the cells and replicate is likely to be successful .
The key to an effective vaccine is that it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in patients who transition to a more severe form such as ARDS and cytokine storm , which is often lethal , there is an urgent need for novel anti-inflammatory drugs .
These drugs can broadly suppress the cytokine storm without causing excessive suppression of immune response , thereby enabling the patients to clear the coronavirus without damage to the lung and other tissues .
There may be only a narrow window of opportunity during which these immunosuppressive agents can be effectively used .
Such agents should not be started at an early stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune system to fight the infection , but it can not be delayed too long after ARDS development , when the massive inflammation is uncontrollable .
This window of anti-inflammatory treatment can be determined by monitoring the antibody and cytokine levels in patients .
With COVID-19 , then , the “ fittest ” are individuals who mount a normal phase 1 and phase 2 immune response .
This means a strong immune response in phase 1 to clear the primary coronavirus infection and inhibit its spread in the lungs .
Then this should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to prevent excessive inflammation in the form of “ cytokine storm.
” Vaccines and anti-inflammatory treatments need to carefully manage this delicate balancing act to be successful .
With this coronavirus , it isn ’ t easy to know who are the fittest individuals .
It isn ’ t necessarily the youngest , strongest or most athletic individuals who are guaranteed to survive this coronavirus .
The fittest are those with the “ right ” immune response who can clear the infection rapidly without mounting excessive inflammation , which can be deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest research .
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Prakash Nagarkatti receives funding from the National Institutes for Health and the National Science Foundation .
Mitzi Nagarkatti receives funding from the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) .

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freedomdaily--2020-04-29--Scientist at work: Trapping urban coyotes to see if they can be ‘hazed’ away from human neighborhood

Scientist at work: Trapping urban coyotes to see if they can be ‘hazed’ away from human neighborhoods

After weeks of sleepless nights spent scrutinizing grainy images relayed from our remote cameras , mostly of waving grass and tumbling leaves , finally , there it is .
A live coyote with a loop around it ’ s neck .
On October 8 , 2019 , my colleagues and I caught the first member of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources pack , # 19CU001 .
We captured , collared and released this coyote to help answer an important question ; is community hazing an appropriate management method for urban coyotes in Los Angeles County ?
Hazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – shouting , arm waving and noise-making directed at urban coyotes in hopes of getting them to significantly change their behavior and avoid urban-residential areas .
Coyotes attack and often eat domestic animals , especially cats .
In a 2019 study , cats were found in 19.8 % of coyote scat .
Coyotes also occasionally bite humans , especially in Southern California .
In the first few months of 2020 , five people have been bitten in Los Angeles and Orange counties alone .
Hazing is being touted as the answer to coyote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States .
But there is little scientific evidence to support hazing as an effective management tool .
In fact , so far , the method has failed to work in other wildlife situations including those with bears and birds .
Wildlife managers are eager for science-based solutions , which is why , as biologists , my colleagues and I decided to study hazing .
We designed an experiment that calls for the capture , GPS collaring and release of 20 coyotes east of the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles .
Initially , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open space and the urban environment .
Then , we plan to haze 10 of them and remeasure how they use space .
The other 10 will serve as a control group .
After 18 months , the un-hazed coyotes will switch to a hazing treatment and the 10 already-hazed coyotes will have their collars dropped remotely and we will set about capturing another 10 to replace them .
I work with the LA County ’ s Department of Agriculture to identify trapping sites , which is one of the trickiest parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas that have had recent or historic coyotes sightings , examining the subtle signs left on the ground , like paw prints and scat .
We also are careful to make sure no people or dogs are nearby .
Once we have confirmed the presence of coyotes , two skilled trappers from the county set a Colloraum trap – which is a humane canine capture device .
It requires the animal to bite down on a lever to engage a cable that traps the animal by the neck .
You can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lever looks like a fluffy mammal .
We have it set to a hair trigger .
Game cameras surround the trap and send images to an app on my phone that lets me monitor what is happening at night , when coyotes are most active .
The night I see we ’ ve finally caught our first coyote , it ’ s all go !
I call my team , greeted by sleepy hellos from my county partners , our wonderful veterinarian and my staff .
We have to rally quickly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the trap and processed in as short a time as possible .
When I arrive at the site , I can already see the coyote ’ s yellow eyes reflecting light from my car ’ s headlights .
The excitement is hard to express .
It certainly makes up for the hours and hours of watching leaves and grass sway in the breeze .
Our veterinarian from Western University of Health Sciences , prepares the animal for sedation .
We restrain and muzzle the coyote , just in case he wakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh him .
He ’ s a good size , 29 lbs .
( 13 kg ) .
We check his teeth to try to estimate his age .
He ’ s definitely not a juvenile , but is probably less than 3 years old .
I secure the collar in place around his neck .
Then it ’ s time to administer the sedative reversal .
We “ reverse ” him in a crate to ensure we don ’ t release a drugged coyote that could wander in front of a car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he bolts and is out of sight in a flash .
Just like that , 19CU001 is out on the wind collecting data for our project .
Based on the data coming from his collar , this individual appears to have a home range of less than half a square mile , which is why we nicknamed him “ Lazy Legs.
” Hopefully , he will be easy to find and haze , when the time comes .
Currently , we have caught five out of the 20 coyotes we need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health restrictions have suspended our work for the time being .
So far , the data we ’ ve collected shows individual animals have home ranges that vary widely in size , from less than half a square mile up to seven square miles .
We also have observed they spend considerable amounts of time in the urban environment , probably looking for food .
The data will help us pinpoint exactly where , when and in what types of habitat coyotes live in Eastern Los Angeles and will also give us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hazing .
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freedomdaily--2020-04-30--FBI Official Questioned Whether Goal Of Michael Flynn Interview Was ‘To Get Him To Lie’

FBI notes unsealed on Wednesday show that bureau officials discussed whether the goal of an interview with Michael Flynn just days into the Trump administration was “ to get him to lie ” in order to get him fired or in legal jeopardy , Flynn ’ s lawyers say .
“ What is our goal ?
Truth/Admission or to get him to lie so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
” an FBI official wrote in the notes , according to a transcription from Flynn ’ s attorneys .
Sidney Powell , Flynn ’ s lead attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI documents show that the FBI “ pre-planned a deliberate attack ” against Flynn .
She said the records also show that FBI officials intentionally avoided warning Flynn that making false statements to the FBI is a crime .
U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea produced the documents to Flynn ’ s lawyers on Wednesday .
They were discovered last month by the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Missouri , who has been directed to review the Justice Department ’ s handling of Flynn ’ s prosecution .
Flynn pleaded guilty in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 2017 to making false statements during that interview regarding his conversation with Kislyak regarding U.S. sanctions against Russia .
He has since sought to withdraw from the guilty plea , saying he did not lie to the FBI .
Flynn and his lawyers have accused federal prosecutors of withholding evidence that would show both that Flynn did not lie to investigators , and that he was set up in a perjury trap .
Two FBI agents , including Peter Strzok , interviewed Flynn on Jan. 24 , 2017 regarding his contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian ambassador .
Andrew McCabe , who then served as deputy director of the FBI , arranged the interview .
The new batch of documents includes email exchanges between Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page discussing whether FBI investigators are required to admonish interview witnesses about penalties for lying to the FBI at the beginning of an interview .
The notes do not identify the note taker .
Another email turned over to Flynn ’ s team shows Strzok emailed then-FBI general counsel James Baker a list of questions for McCabe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Flynn .
“ I ’ m sure he ’ s through through these , but for DD ’ s consideration about how to answer in advance of his call with Flynn , ” Strzok wrote .
He encouraged McCabe to prepare for Flynn to ask questions regarding whether he was the target of an investigation , whether he needed an attorney , and whether he should inform the White House .
Flynn was fired as national security adviser on Feb. 14 , 2017 after the White House said he provided misleading answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone calls with Kislyak .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--We found and tested 47 old drugs that might treat the coronavirus: Results show promising leads and

We found and tested 47 old drugs that might treat the coronavirus: Results show promising leads and a whole new way to fight COVID-19

The more researchers know about how the coronavirus attaches , invades and hijacks human cells , the more effective the search for drugs to fight it .
That was the idea my colleagues and I hoped to be true when we began building a map of the coronavirus two months ago .
The map shows all of the coronavirus proteins and all of the proteins found in the human body that those viral proteins could interact with .
In theory , any intersection on the map between viral and human proteins is a place where drugs could fight the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new drugs to work on these points of interaction , we turned to the more than 2,000 unique drugs already approved by the FDA for human use .
We believed that somewhere on this long list would be a few drugs or compounds that interact with the very same human proteins as the coronavirus .
We were right .
Our multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California , San Francisco , called the QCRG , identified 69 existing drugs and compounds with potential to treat COVID-19 .
A month ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off to Institut Pasteur in Paris and Mount Sinai in New York to see if they do in fact fight the coronavirus .
In the last four weeks , we have tested 47 of these drugs and compounds in the lab against live coronavirus .
I ’ m happy to report we ’ ve identified some strong treatment leads and identified two separate mechanisms for how these drugs affect SARS-CoV-2 infection .
Our findings were published on April 30 in the journal Nature .
The map we developed and the FDA drug catalog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were potential interactions between the virus , human cells and existing drugs or compounds .
But we didn ’ t know whether the drugs we identified would make a person more resistant to the virus , more susceptible or do anything at all .
To find those answers we needed three things : the drugs , live virus and cells in which to test them .
It would be optimal to test the drugs in infected human cells .
However , scientists don ’ t yet know which human cells work best for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead we used African green monkey cells , which are frequently used in place of human cells to test antiviral drugs .
They can be readily infected with the coronavirus and respond to drugs very closely to the way human cells do .
After infecting these monkey cells with live virus , our partners in Paris and New York added the drugs we identified to half and kept the other half as controls .
They then measured the amount of virus in the samples and the number of cells that were alive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower virus count and more cells alive compared to the control , that would suggest the drugs disrupt viral replication .
The teams were also looking to see how toxic the drugs were to the cells .
After sorting through the results of hundreds of experiments using 47 of the predicted drugs , it seems our interaction predictions were correct .
Some of the drugs do in fact work to fight the coronavirus , while others make cells more susceptible to infection .
It is incredibly important to remember that these are preliminary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
No one should go out and buy these drugs .
But the results are interesting for two reasons .
Not only did we find individual drugs that look promising to fight the coronavirus or may make people more susceptible to it ; we know , at a cellular level , why this is happening .
We identified two groups of drugs that affect the virus and they do it two different ways , one of which has never been described .
At a basic level , viruses spread by entering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s machinery and using it to make more copies of the virus .
These new viruses then go on to infect other cells .
One step of this process involves the cell making new viral proteins out of viral RNA .
This is called translation .
When going through the map , we noticed that several viral proteins interacted with human proteins involved in translation and a number of drugs interacted with these proteins .
After testing them , we found two compounds that disrupt the translation of the virus .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both of these are currently used to treat multiple myeloma and seem to fight COVID-19 by binding to and inhibiting proteins in the cell that are needed for translation .
Plitidepsin is a similar molecule to ternatin-4 and is currently undergoing a clinical trial to treat COVID-19 .
The second drug , zotatifin , hits a different protein involved in translation .
We are working with the CEO of the company that produces it to get it into clinical trials as soon as possible .
The second group of drugs we identified work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receptors are found both inside of and on the surface of all cells .
They act like specialized switches .
When a specific molecule binds to a specific receptor , this tells a cell to do a specific task .
Viruses often use receptors to infect cells .
Our original map identified two promising MV cell receptors for drug treatments , SigmaR1 and SigmaR2 .
Testing confirmed our suspicions .
We identified seven drugs or molecules that interact with these receptors .
Two antipsychotics , haloperidol and melperone , which are used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS-CoV-2 .
Two potent antihistamines , clemastine and cloperastine , also displayed antiviral activity , as did the compound PB28 and the female hormone progesterone .
Remember , all these interactions have so far only been observed in monkey cells in petri dishes .
At this time we do not know exactly how the viral proteins manipulate the SigmaR1 and SigmaR2 receptors .
We think the virus uses these receptors to help make copies of itself , so decreasing their activity likely inhibits replication and reduces infection .
Interestingly , a seventh compound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppressants , called dextromethorphan – does the opposite : Its presence helps the virus .
When our partners tested infected cells with this compound , the virus was able to replicate more easily , and more cells died .
This is potentially a very important finding , but , and I can not stress this enough , more tests are needed to determine if cough syrup with this ingredient should be avoided by someone who has COVID-19 .
All these findings , while exciting , need to undergo clinical trials before the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take or stop taking any of them in response to COVID-19 .
Neither people nor policymakers nor media outlets should panic and jump to conclusions .
Another interesting thing to note is that hydroxychloroquine – the controversial drug that has shown mixed results in treating COVID-19 – also binds to the SigmaR1 and SigmaR2 receptors .
But based on our experiments in both labs , we do not think hydroxychloroquine binds to them efficiently .
Researchers have long known that hydroxychloroquine easily binds to receptors in the heart and can cause damage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we don ’ t think hydroxychloroquine is a reliable treatment .
Ongoing clinical trials should soon clarify these unknowns .
Treatment sooner rather than later Our idea was that by better understanding how the coronavirus and human bodies interact , we could find treatments among the thousands of drugs and compounds that already exist .
Our idea worked .
We not only found multiple drugs that might fight SARS-CoV-2 , we learned how and why .
But that is not the only thing to be excited about .
These same proteins that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human cells and that are targeted by these drugs are also hijacked by related coronaviruses SARS-1 and MERS .
So if any of these drugs do work , they will likely be effective against COVID-22 , COVID-24 or any future iterations of COVID that may emerge .
Are these promising leads going to have any effect ?
The next step is to test these drugs in human trials .
We have already started this process and through these trials researchers will examine important factors such as dosage , toxicity and potential beneficial or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ The Conversation ’ s most important coronavirus headlines , weekly in a new science newsletter . ]


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Pelosi, McConnell Reportedly Want A Board Member Of A China-Owned Bank In Charge Of Policing COVID-1

Pelosi, McConnell Reportedly Want A Board Member Of A China-Owned Bank In Charge Of Policing COVID-19 Bailout Funds

A lifelong Republican who backed Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s presidential bid and sits on the board of a China-owned commercial bank is the top candidate to head up the watchdog group set to police the coronavirus stimulus funds , Vice reported Wednesday .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are homing in on businesswoman Sheila Bair to chair the Congressional Oversight Commission watchdog group created in March as congress hammered out the basics of the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus package , sources familiar with congressional talks told VICE .
Bair ’ s past as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to the top of the heap of potential candidates for the position , the report notes .
However , her position as an independent non executive director on the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ’ s board could complicate things if Bair is ultimately selected for the top spot .
She was appointed to the ICBC in 2017 .
The watchdog chair has two responsibilities : they would act as a tie-breaker for the commission ’ s toughest decisions .
Pelosi , McConnell , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioners .
Choosing a bipartisan tie-breaker is important given the partisan makeup of the other four commissioners .
The commission is made up of two Republican senators — Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rep. French Hill of Arkansas — as well as Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida .
They joined Bharat Ramamurti , a former Democratic Senate aide and Warren staffer .
Even so , Bair ’ s past favorable sentiments regarding China ’ s regulatory regime could create a barrier .
“ Some of our rules are too complicated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bair , a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ) , told world leaders in June 2019 at the plenary session of the 11th Lujiazui Forum , a platform formed to help government officials , world financial leaders and academics discuss ways to open the market to China .
Neither , Pelosi nor McConell have responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .
The DCNF reached out to Bair through the Volcker Alliance , a nonprofit that seeks to advances “ effective management of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens , ” according to the website .
The organization has not yet responded .
Meanwhile , the U.S. public is turning on China .
Roughly 66 % of Americans now hold an unfavorable view of China amid a pandemic that began in China before it bounced around the world , killing more than 100,000 people in the process , a Pew Research Center poll found .
The virus has killed nearly 60,000 people in the U.S. Reports also suggest China officials are deploying a misinformation campaign designed to make the communist nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transparently to the virus .
Lijian Zhao , deputy director of China ’ s Foreign Ministry Information Department , falsely said in a March tweet that the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was arrested amid the Trump administration ’ s handling of the virus .
Twitter has reiterated to the DCNF that Zhao ’ s tweet does not violate the company ’ s policies against COVID-19 misinformation .
The Trump administration is reportedly taking steps giving President Donald Trump options to hold China “ accountable ” for supposedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread around the globe .
“ He has asked the team to look into , very carefully what happened , how this got here , ” senior adviser to the president Jared Kushner said Wednesday on Fox News Kushner added : “ He will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that the people who caused the problems are held accountable for it .
”


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Sen Hawley Targets The Meat-Packing Industry, Says It’s Dominated By A Handful Of Massive Firms

Sen. Josh Hawley is now targeting another powerful industry a day after asking Attorney General Bill Barr to open an antitrust investigation against Amazon .
The meat processing industry is consolidating power , and in the process giving the bulk of the food supply chain to a handful of conglomerates , the Missouri Republican wrote in a letter Wednesday to the Federal Trade Commission .
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin co-wrote the letter with Hawley , who asked the Department of Justice to probe Amazon over data issues .
“ The domination of a select few companies in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern , ” they wrote before noting that Tyson Foods , Cargill , JBS S.A. , and Smithfield Foods effectively own 85 percent of the meat market .
President Donald Trump ordered food processing plants to remain open amid a pandemic that has killed more than 55,000 people in the United States .
“ As a result , farmers can not process their livestock—which are costly to maintain—and consumers risk seeing shortages at grocery stores , exacerbating the food insecurity that all too many Americans are currently experiencing , ” they added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the meatpacking industry was less concentrated.
” Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods , for their part , issued dire warnings in recent days as officials close down a select number of plants over coronavirus infection concerns .
Tyson Foods ’ s board chairman John Tyson , for instance , wrote in an ad Sunday that farmers will be left in the dust and “ millions of animals — chickens , pigs and cattle ” will be taken out of the market as a result of f Tyson processing center closures .
Tyson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Waterloo , Iowa , where at least 182 cases of the virus originated .
Hawley and Baldwin step into the fray amid the turmoil .
“ The FTC has the power to shed light on these growing competition and security problems in our food supply , ” they wrote in the letter .
“ The Commission should ask probing questions about major meatpacking firms ’ conduct , pricing , and contracting , as well as how their commitments to overseas interests impact the U.S. market and national security.
” The comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foods , which was purchased by China ’ s WH Group purchase in 2013 for $ 4.7 billion .
Smithfield Foods retooled processing operations to direct meat to China after a pig disease killed millions of hogs and turned the communist country into a major importer .
Hawley ’ s been on a tear recently after suggesting in a letter to Barr Tuesday that Amazon represents an “ existential threat ” to small American retailers .
Hawley is one of Silicon Valley ’ s most stringent critics over the past two years as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities to turn their sights on Google and Amazon over antitrust issues .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Matt Gaetz Introduces Bill To Deport All Illegal Aliens During Pandemic

Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz has introduced legislation that , if signed into law , would require all illegal aliens under U.S. custody to be deported when the government declares a national emergency due to a communicable disease .
“ It is unconscionable that at a time when we should be working together as Americans , Democrats are working to socially engineer our country and advance their legislative priorities , ” the Republican lawmaker said in a statement first shared with Fox News on Wednesday .
“ The PANDEMIC Act puts Americans first by requiring that all illegal aliens be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources are used to benefit and protect American citizens , ” Gaetz continued .
Gaetz says the Protect American Nationals During Emergencies by Mitigating the Immigration Crisis Act , or PANDEMIC , was introduced in response to legislation filed by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Washington state Rep. Pramila Jayapal — both Democrats — that calls on federal immigration authorities to release detainees and stop targeting illegal aliens that are believed to not to use a substantial public safety risk .
That was not the first time Democratic lawmakers in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale back their operations amid the coronavirus pandemic .
A group of House Democrats , led by Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar , requested Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) in March freeze all deportations in response to the virus .
Gaetz pointed to the actions taken by the Mexican government , which has nearly repatriated all of the illegal aliens in its custody to remove the likelihood of migrant detention centers becoming hotbeds for outbreaks .
“ I think we should love our country at least as much as Mexico loves theirs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump administration , in some ways , has scaled back its immigration enforcement efforts .
ICE announced it would focus more on individuals who posed more a public safety threat , and the agency has released hundreds of immigrants at risk of coronavirus complications .
At the same time , the administration has increased enforcement operations in other areas .
The Department of Homeland Security , for example , has closed both the northern and southern borders off to all “ non-essential ” traffic , immediately turning back illegal entrants , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on any country that refuses to accept deportees from the U.S .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Pelosi Does Not Believe Tara Reade: ‘I’m Satisfied With How He Has Responded’

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she is satisfied with how 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden has responded to Tara Reade ’ s allegations of sexual assault against him .
Pelosi discussed Reade ’ s allegations for the first time in a Thursday morning appearance on CNN after she endorsed Biden for president Monday.
” New Day ” host Alisyn Camerota questioned Pelosi whether it is time for Biden to address the allegations himself .
“ Well , I have great sympathy for any women who bring forth an allegation , ” Pelosi said .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # MeToo movement .
I think it has been a great — made a great contribution to our country.
” “ And I do support Joe Biden , ” the Democratic house speaker added .
“ I ’ m satisfied with how he has responded .
I know him , I was proud to endorse him on Monday , very proud to endorse him .
And so I ’ m satisfied with that.
” Camerota pushed Pelosi on statement , reminding Pelosi that Biden has not addressed the allegations himself but only through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly address it , ” Camerota asked .
Pelosi did not directly respond to the question .
“ You know , it is a matter that he has to deal with , ” Pelosi said .
“ But I am impressed with the people who work for him at the time saying that they absolutely never heard one iota of information about this , nobody ever brought forth a claim or had anybody else tell them about such a claim.
” “ But , again , we have an important election at hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the most important ones we had , we say that every election , but I think this is the most crucial and I supported him because he ’ s a person of great values , integrity , authenticity , imagination , and connection to the American people , ” she added , before listing many things she thinks Biden understands about Americans .
“ He ’ s the personification of hope and optimism for a country , ” she added .
“ I was proud to endorse him , America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his , again , his integrity and his vision for the future.
” The Democratic house speaker ’ s support for Biden contrasts to her praise and support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ’ s accuser Christine Blasey Ford , who leveled accusations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh in September 2018 , launching a media onslaught and a series of congressional hearings into the allegations against the now-Supreme Court justice .
Throughout these events , Pelosi expressed support for Ford .
“ It took great courage for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi tweeted Sept. 18 , 2018 .
“ The American people are owed a thorough investigation of the grave & credible allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.
” The Democratic House speaker also tweeted on Sept. 26 : “ We must # BelieveSurvivors .
I ’ m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
” She has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the DCNF regarding Reade ’ s allegations .
The former Biden Senate staffer accused the former vice president of kissing her , touching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without her consent when she worked for him in 1993 .
The Biden campaign , which has not responded to many requests for comment from the DCNF , has denied the assault and said it “ absolutely did not happen.
” An analysis by the Free Beacon Wednesday found that Biden has faced 19 interviews spanning almost 4 hours since Reade came forward .
During these interviews , he has faced 142 questions without being asked about Reade .
Five people have corroborated different details of Reade ’ s account against Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : her mother , her brother , her close friend , her former neighbor , and her former coworker .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Here’s What Happens To The Cows And Pigs When Meat Processing Plants Close. PETA Isn’t Happy

Farmers are under extreme stress to deliver meat and other food products to American homes as processing plants across the country shutter over a spate of coronavirus-related infections .
Farmers are faced with taking drastic measures if plants remain offline .
President Donald Trump is evoking the Defense Production Act to compel mega food processing plants to stay open , calling them critical infrastructure .
He signed an executive order Tuesday to mandate the plants remain open as a pandemic threatens to upturn large sections of society .
Meanwhile , farmers say they are facing the possibility of euthanizing cattle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hog farmers are especially severe right now , ” Sarah Little , vice president of communications for the North American Meat Institute , told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Little ’ s group is the primary advocacy group for the meat producing industry , which is wrestling with headwinds as plants close across the nation .
Meat processing companies are sending up red flags , while animal rights activists say they have a better option : eat plants .
Smithfield Foods Chief Executive Ken Sullivan , who issued a warning call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his South Dakota plant .
“ It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running , ” Sullivan said in an April 12 statement after officials began assessing the plant .
Roughly 238 Smithfield employees had active cases of the virus at the time , making up about 55 % of South Dakota ’ s total , officials say .
Other processing companies say the disturbances could put a serious crimp in the country ’ s food supply and lead to shortages .
Tyson Foods , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days as officials close down a select number of plants over coronavirus infection concerns .
Tyson Foods ’ board chairman John Tyson wrote in an ad Sunday in the The New York Times that farmers will be left in the dust and “ millions of animals — chickens , pigs and cattle ” — will be taken out of the market as a result of Tyson processing center closures .
Tyson Foods closed plants in Logansport , Indiana , and Waterloo , Iowa , where at least 182 cases of the virus originated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ These producers are faced with euthanizing tens of thousands of pigs , perhaps more , in their care because there is nowhere to send them to be harvested and put into the food supply , ” she said .
“ Taking a meat or poultry plant offline creates a serious bottleneck in the food supply chain.
” Farmers have a slightly different perspective .
Scott Blubaugh , the president of the Oklahoma Farmers Union , believes many of the bottlenecks forcing farmers to take such measures are a result of years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industry is dependent on a handful of companies .
“ We ’ re rationing those food products , and at the same time we ’ re dumping milk on the ground because the processors can ’ t handle [ processing and distributing ] it , ” Blubaugh told CNN host W. Kamau Bell in an April 24 interview .
“ We ’ re seeing these big , corporate-owned facilities have to euthanize animals because their barns are all full and they have new [ animals ] born every day .
Blubaugh ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government .
Sens .
Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday asking the independent government agency to probe the meat processing industry .
“ The domination of a select few companies in the American meatpacking industry is cause for serious concern , ” they wrote before noting that Tyson Foods , Cargill , JBS S.A. and Smithfield Foods effectively own 85 % of the meat market .
The FTC should badger and prod the industry with questions “ about major meatpacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracting , ” Hawley and Baldwin added .
Animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling on Smithfield and Tyson to etch out a more radical position .
“ Filthy factory farms , slaughterhouses , and live-animal markets are breeding grounds for disease , and PETA is calling on Tyson , Smithfield , and others that are complaining about their bottom lines to go entirely vegan now—we ’ d even help cover the cost of retraining their employees , ” PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement @ @ @ @


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Waking Up Aboard the Hospital Ship USNS Mercy

After biking nearly 12 miles from Long Beach to Compton , California , Joshua Davis was transported by paramedics to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after being found stabbed with a sword .
Davis spent two days at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center before being transferred to the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy to free up hospital space for COVID-19 patients .
“ I woke up here , and I don ’ t even know how I got here , ” Davis said , while bundled in white hospital sheets in his bunk bed .
Davis says he remembers everything up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then suddenly waking up in one of the 15 recovery wards aboard the Mercy .
He specifically recalls being in bed number 79 .
He went on to say that after being stabbed , being alive and on a hospital ship from San Diego was the last place he thought he would be .
“ When we received him , he had already been treated for his laceration from his right abdomen slashed through to his left side with his intestines protruding , ” Navy Lt. Cmdr .
( Dr. ) Timothy Sehorn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful in stopping the bleeding , treating his wound and saving his life.
” Later , Sehorn and his team were able to identify and recognize a smaller , but similarly deadly , incision to Davis ’ small intestine .
“ When you leak from your colon , it creates a massive amount of infection in your abdomen , ” Sehorn said .
“ Once that occurs , there ’ s a snowball effect and a rapid decline of health , making it life-threatening.
” After the new incisions were discovered , Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been recovering on the Mercy for about four weeks .
An exploratory laparotomy is a surgical operation where the abdomen is opened and the abdominal organs examined for injury or disease .
“ It used to hurt when I would yawn or lay down , but now I feel like I can breathe better , which is helping me sleep , too , ” Davis said .
During his time aboard , Davis has seen his fair share of the ship : an operating room , an intensive care unit and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wards aren ’ t set up exactly like the hospital rooms found ashore — there is no cable television or sunrise window views .
The ship ’ s primary mission is to provide rapid , flexible , and mobile acute medical and surgical services in support of service members deployed ashore , and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat .
To keep himself occupied , Davis spends most of his time practicing his artistic abilities by sketching football players and pit bulls .
In an effort to make him more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed sheets to help diffuse the light and give him extra privacy .
While he has been able to communicate with his family , they haven ’ t been able to come aboard the ship , so he has yet to see anyone since he was admitted .
“ It ’ s been boring here , but I ’ m grateful for the people who work here and who ’ ve been taking care of me , ” Davis said .
He now awaits approval from the Mercy providers to be discharged .

NAVY PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS ERWIN JACOB MICIANO


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--Infected with the coronavirus but not showing symptoms? A physician answers 5 questions about asympt

Infected with the coronavirus but not showing symptoms? A physician answers 5 questions about asymptomatic COVID-19

Blood tests that check for exposure to the coronavirus are starting to come online , and preliminary findings suggest that many people have been infected without knowing it .
Even people who do eventually experience the common symptoms of COVID-19 don ’ t start coughing and spiking fevers the moment they ’ re infected .
William Petri is a professor of medicine and microbiology at the University of Virginia who specializes in infectious diseases .
Here , he runs through what ’ s known and what isn ’ t about asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 .
How common is it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without knowing it ?
In general , having an infection without any symptoms is common .
Perhaps the most infamous example was Typhoid Mary , who spread typhoid fever to other people without having any symptoms herself in the early 1900s .
My colleagues and I have found that many infections are fought off by the body without the person even knowing it .
For example , when we carefully followed children for infection by the parasite Cryptosporidia , one of the major causes of diarrhea , almost half of those with infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case of the flu , estimates are that anywhere from 5 % to 25 % of infections occur with no symptoms .
For the most part , symptoms are actually a side effect of fighting off an infection .
It takes a little time for the immune system to rally that defense , so some cases are more aptly considered presymptomatic rather than asymptomatic .
How can someone spread coronavirus if they aren ’ t coughing and sneezing ?
Everyone is on guard against the droplets that spray out from a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re a big reason public health officials have suggested everyone should wear masks .
But the virus also spreads through normal exhalations that can carry tiny droplets containing the virus .
A regular breath may spread the virus several feet or more .
Spread could also come from fomites – surfaces , such as a doorknob or a grocery cart handle , that are contaminated with the coronavirus by an infected person ’ s touch .
What ’ s known about how contagious an asymptomatic person might be ?
No matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed to someone with COVID-19 , you should self-quarantine for the entire 14-day incubation period .
Even if you feel fine , you ’ re still at risk of spreading the coronavirus to others .
Most recently it has been shown that high levels of the virus are present in respiratory secretions during the “ presymptomatic ” period that can last days to more than a week prior to the fever and cough characteristic of COVID-19 .
This ability of the virus to be transmitted by people without symptoms is a major reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , would someone still have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in their blood ?
Most people are developing antibodies after recovery from COVID-19 , likely even those without symptoms .
It is a reasonable assumption , from what scientists know about other coronaviruses , that those antibodies will offer some measure of protection from reinfection .
But nothing is known for sure yet .
Recent serosurveys in New York City that check people ’ s blood for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 indicate that as many as one in five residents may have been previously infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought off the coronavirus , whether they ’ d known they were infected or not – and many apparently didn ’ t .
No one knows for sure , and for the moment lots of the evidence is anecdotal .
For a small example , consider the nursing home in Washington where many residents became infected .
Twenty-three tested positive .
Ten of them were already sick .
Ten more eventually developed symptoms .
But three people who tested positive never came down with the illness .
When doctors tested 397 people staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 % came up positive for COVID-19 – and none of them had complained of any symptoms .
In the case of Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan , China and tested for COVID-19 , fully 30 % of those infected were aymptomatic .
An Italian pre-print study that has not yet been peer-reviewed found that 43 % of people who tested positive for COVID-19 showed no symptoms .
Of concern : The researchers found no difference in how potentially contagious those with and without symptoms were , based on how much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples .
The antibody serosurveys getting underway in different parts of the country add further evidence that a good number – possibly anywhere from around 10 % to 40 % – of those infected might not experience symptoms .
Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to be common – and will continue to complicate efforts to get the pandemic under control .
[ Research into coronavirus and other news from science .
Subscribe to The Conversation ’ s new science newsletter . ]
William Petri does not work for , consult , own shares in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--How Apple and Google will let your phone warn you if you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus

On April 10 , Apple and Google announced a coronavirus exposure notification system that will be built into their smartphone operating systems , iOS and Android .
The system uses the ubiquitous Bluetooth short-range wireless communication technology .
There are dozens of apps being developed around the world that alert people if they ’ ve been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 .
Many of them also report the identities of the exposed people to public health authorities , which has raised privacy concerns .
Several other exposure notification projects , including PACT , BlueTrace and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar privacy-protecting approach to Apple ’ s and Google ’ s initiative .
So how will the Apple-Google exposure notification system work ?
As researchers who study security and privacy of wireless communication , we have examined the companies ’ plan and have assessed its effectiveness and privacy implications .
Recently , a study found that contact tracing can be effective in containing diseases such as COVID-19 , if large parts of the population participate .
Exposure notification schemes like the Apple-Google system aren ’ t true contact tracing systems because they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify people who have been exposed to infected individuals .
But digital exposure notification systems have a big advantage : They can be used by millions of people and rapidly warn those who have been exposed to quarantine themselves .
Because Bluetooth is supported on billions of devices , it seems like an obvious choice of technology for these systems .
The protocol used for this is Bluetooth Low Energy , or Bluetooth LE for short .
This variant is optimized for energy-efficient communication between small devices , which makes it a popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartwatches .
Bluetooth LE communicates in two main ways .
Two devices can communicate over the data channel with each other , such as a smartwatch synchronizing with a phone .
Devices can also broadcast useful information to nearby devices over the advertising channel .
For example , some devices regularly announce their presence to facilitate automatic connection .
To build an exposure notification app using Bluetooth LE , developers could assign everyone a permanent ID and make every phone broadcast it on an advertising channel .
Then , they could build an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone would be able to keep a record of close encounters with other phones .
But that would be a clear violation of privacy .
Broadcasting any personally identifiable information via Bluetooth LE is a bad idea , because messages can be read by anyone in range .
To get around this problem , every phone broadcasts a long random number , which is changed frequently .
Other devices receive these numbers and store them if they were sent from close proximity .
By using long , unique , random numbers , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Apple and Google follow this principle in their specification , but add some cryptography .
First , every phone generates a unique tracing key that is kept confidentially on the phone .
Every day , the tracing key generates a new daily tracing key .
Though the tracing key could be used to identify the phone , the daily tracing key can ’ t be used to figure out the phone ’ s permanent tracing key .
Then , every 10 to 20 minutes , the daily tracing key generates a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a long random number .
This is what gets broadcast to other devices via the Bluetooth advertising channel .
When someone tests positive for COVID-19 , they can disclose a list of their daily tracing keys , usually from the previous 14 days .
Everyone else ’ s phones use the disclosed keys to recreate the infected person ’ s rolling proximity identifiers .
The phones then compare the COVID-19-positive identifiers with their own records of the identifiers they received from nearby phones .
A match reveals a potential exposure to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify the patient .
Most of the competing proposals use a similar approach .
The principal difference is that Apple ’ s and Google ’ s operating system updates reach far more phones automatically than a single app can .
Additionally , by proposing a cross-platform standard , Apple and Google allow existing apps to piggyback and use a common , compatible communication approach that could work across many apps .
The Apple-Google exposure notification system is very secure , but it ’ s no guarantee of either accuracy or privacy .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false positives because being within Bluetooth range of an infected person doesn ’ t necessarily mean the virus has been transmitted .
And even if an app records only very strong signals as a proxy for close contact , it can not know whether there was a wall , a window or a floor between the phones .
However unlikely , there are ways governments or hackers could track or identify people using the system .
Bluetooth LE devices use an advertising address when broadcasting on an advertising channel .
Though these addresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sender , we demonstrated last year that it is theoretically possible to track devices for extended periods of time if the advertising message and advertising address are not changed in sync .
To Apple ’ s and Google ’ s credit , they call for these to be changed synchronously .
But even if the advertising address and a coronavirus app ’ s rolling identifier are changed in sync , it may still be possible to track someone ’ s phone .
If there isn ’ t a sufficiently large number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their advertising addresses and rolling identifiers in sync – a process known as mixing – someone could still track individual devices .
For example , if there is a single phone in a room , someone could keep track of it because it ’ s the only phone that could be broadcasting the random identifiers .
Another potential attack involves logging additional information along with the rolling identifiers .
Even though the protocol does not send personal information or location data , receiving apps could record when and where they received keys from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a large scale – such as an app that systematically collects this extra information – it could be used to identify and track individuals .
For example , if a supermarket recorded the exact date and time of incoming rolling proximity identifiers at its checkout lanes and combined that data with credit card swipes , store staff would have a reasonable chance of identifying which customers were COVID-19 positive .
And because Bluetooth LE advertising beacons use plain-text messages , it ’ s possible to send faked messages .
This could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19-positive rolling proximity identifiers to many people , resulting in deliberate false positives .
Nevertheless , the Apple-Google system could be the key to alerting thousands of people who have been exposed to the coronavirus while protecting their identities , unlike contact tracing apps that report identifying information to central government or corporate databases .
[ You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic , and we can help .
Read The Conversation ’ s newsletter . ]
Johannes Becker works for Boston University .
His research is funded in part by the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings , conclusions or recommendations presented in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the US National Science Foundation .
David Starobinski works for Boston University .
His research is funded in part by the US National Science Foundation .
Any opinions , findings , conclusions or recommendations presented in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the US National Science Foundation .


freedomdaily--2020-04-30--How could an explosive Big Bang be the birth of our universe?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages .
If you have a question you ’ d like an expert to answer , send it to curiouskidsus @ theconversation.com .
Pretend you ’ re a perfectly flat chess piece in a game of chess on a perfectly flat and humongous chessboard .
One day you look around and ask : How did I get here ?
How did the chessboard get here ?
How did it all start ?
You pull out your telescope and begin to explore your universe , the chessboard… .
What do you find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is getting bigger .
And over more time , even bigger !
The board is expanding in all directions that you can see .
There ’ s nothing that seems to be causing this expansion as far as you can tell – it just seems to be the nature of the chessboard .
But wait a minute .
If it ’ s getting bigger , and has been getting bigger and bigger , then that means in the past , it must have been smaller and smaller and smaller .
At some time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very beginning , it must have been so small that it was infinitely small .
Let ’ s work forward from what happened then .
At the beginning of your universe , the chessboard was infinitely tiny and then expanded , growing bigger and bigger until the day that you decided to make some observations about the nature of your chess universe .
All the stuff in the universe – the little particles that make up you and everything else – started very close together and then spread farther apart as time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same way .
When astronomers like me make observations of distant galaxies , we see that they are all moving apart .
It seems our universe started very small and has been expanding ever since .
In fact , scientists now know that not only is the universe expanding , but the speed at which it ’ s expanding is increasing .
This mysterious effect is caused by something physicists call dark energy , though we know very little else about it .
Astronomers also observe something called the Cosmic Microwave Background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low level of energy that exists all throughout space .
We know from those measurements that our universe is 13.8 billion years old – way , way older than people , and about three times older than the Earth .
If astronomers look back all the way to the event that started our universe , we call that the Big Bang .
Many people hear the name “ Big Bang ” and think about a giant explosion of stuff , like a bomb going off .
But the Big Bang wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the beginning of our universe , the start of both space and time .
Rather than an explosion , it was a very rapid expansion , the event that started the universe growing bigger and bigger .
This expansion is different than an explosion , which can be caused by things like chemical reactions or large impacts .
Explosions result in energy going from one place to another , and usually a lot of it .
Instead , during the Big Bang , energy moved along with space as it expanded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out over time since space was growing over time .
Back in the chessboard universe , the “ Big Bang ” would be like the beginning of everything .
It ’ s the start of the board getting bigger .
It ’ s important to realize that “ before ” the Big Bang , there was no space and there was no time .
Coming back to the chessboard analogy , you can count the amount of time on the game clock after the start but there is no game time before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running .
And , before the game had started , the chessboard universe hadn ’ t existed and there was no chessboard space either .
You have to be careful when you say “ before ” in this context because time didn ’ t even exist until the Big Bang .
You also have wrap your mind around the idea that the universe isn ’ t expanding “ into ” anything , since as far as we know the Big Bang was the start of both space and time .
Confusing , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what caused the Big Bang .
We just look at observations and see that ’ s how the universe did start .
We know it was extremely small and got bigger , and we know that kicked off 13.8 billion years ago .
What started our own game of chess ?
That ’ s one of the deepest questions anyone can ask .
Hello , curious kids !
Do you have a question you ’ d like an expert to answer ?
Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS @ theconversation.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age and the city where you live .
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults , let us know what you ’ re wondering , too .
We won ’ t be able to answer every question , but we will do our best .
Michael Lam does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment .


freedomdaily--2020-05-01--WHO Says China Blocking It From Investigation Into Coronavirus Origin

A top World Health Organization official said Thursday that China is blocking the WHO from participating in China ’ s investigation into the origin of coronavirus .
Dr. Gauden Galea , the WHO ’ s representative to China , told Sky News that the WHO has made repeated requests to join the investigation , to no avail .
“ We know that some national investigation is happening but at this stage we have not been invited to join , ” Galea said .
“ We are expecting to get in the near future a briefing on where that is and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is making requests of the health commission and of the authorities , ” he added .
“ The origins of virus are very important , the animal-human interface is extremely important and needs to be studied.
” When asked whether China had a good reason for excluding the WHO , Galea answered : “ From our point of view , no.
” China ’ s refusal to cooperate with the WHO — which has aligned itself with China throughout the pandemic — comes as the U.S. Intelligence Community is investigating whether the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The [ Intelligence Community ] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan , ” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement Thursday .
President Donald Trump said Thursday when asked that information he has seen leads him to believe the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology .
“ Have you seen anything at this point that gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus ?
” a reporter asked Trump at Thursday ’ s press briefing .
“ Yes , I have , ” Trump answered .
“ And I think the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves , because they ’ re like the public relations agency for China .
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an “ independent assessment ” into the origins of the deadly virus — a statement that sparked a backlash from China .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200,000 lives across the world .
It has shut down the global economy .
The implications and impacts of this are extraordinary , ” Morrison told reporters Wednesday .
“ Now , it would seem entirely reasonable and sensible that the world would want to have an independent assessment.
” Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has similarly argued that the virus most likely leaked from a Wuhan lab in the area where the outbreak is believed to have first started .
In an April 21 Wall Street Journal op-ed , Cotton pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus in its early stages to argue that they have something to hide .
“ This evidence is circumstantial , to be sure , but it all points toward the Wuhan labs , ” he wrote .
“ Thanks to the Chinese coverup , we may never have direct , conclusive evidence — intelligence rarely works that way — but Americans justifiably can use common sense to follow the inherent logic of events to their likely conclusion .
”


freedomdaily--2020-05-01--FBI Planned To Close Michael Flynn Investigation, And Then Peter Strzok Intervened

Former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok intervened at the last minute in early 2017 to stop the bureau from closing an investigation into Michael Flynn , the incoming national security adviser , according to government files unsealed Thursday .
The FBI was investigating Flynn and several other Trump campaign associates at the time for possible links to Russia as part of Crossfire Hurricane .
But as of Jan. 4 , 2017 , the FBI ’ s Washington Field Office had determined that there was no justification to continue investigating Flynn , who the FBI referred to with the code name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is closing this investigation .
If new information is identified or reported to the FBI regarding the activities of CROSSFIRE RAZOR , the FBI will consider reopening the investigation if warranted , ” the memo says .
According to the memo , a review of intelligence databases “ did not yield any information ” to justify continuing an investigation of Flynn , which focused on whether the retired lieutenant general was wittingly or unwittingly working on behalf of the Russian government .
But text messages released on Thursday show that Strzok stopped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Hey if you haven ’ t closed RAZOR don ’ t do so yet , ” Strozk wrote to an FBI colleague .
The memo and text messages were part of a batch of FBI documents unsealed on Thursday in Flynn ’ s legal case .
Lawyers for Flynn are trying to convince a judge to throw out Flynn ’ s case , arguing that the FBI trapped him into lying during a White House interview on Jan. 24 , 2017 .
Andrew McCabe , who served as deputy director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interview .
He dispatched Strzok and another FBI agent to interview Flynn regarding phone calls he had in late December 2016 with Sergey Kislyak , who then served as Russia ’ s ambassador to the U.S .
Documents unsealed on Wednesday showed that the FBI team strategized on how to approach the Flynn interview .
Bill Priestap , who was Strzok ’ s boss , wrote a note questioning whether the goal of the interview was to force Flynn to lie , in order to either lead to his prosecution or his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 2017 to lying during the interview about speaking to Kislyak about sanctions against Russia .
But he claimed in a Jan. 29 , 2020 court filing that he pleaded guilty to protect prosecutors from going after his son .
He denied lying in the FBI interview .
The newly released documents do not show Strzok ’ s rationale for stopping the Flynn investigative file from being closed .
It is unclear when Strzok and the Crossfire Hurricane team received evidence of Flynn ’ s phone calls with Kislyak , which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position in the Russian government .
The FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 31 , 2016 .
The initial targets of the probe were Flynn and former campaign aides Carter Page , George Papadopoulos and Paul Manafort .
The special counsel ’ s report said that investigators could find no evidence that any Trump associates were conspiring with Russia or working as agents of the Kremlin .
Strzok was removed from the special counsel ’ s probe in July 2017 after the discovery of text messages he exchanged with FBI attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair speaking negatively about Donald Trump .
Strzok was fired in August 2018 .


freedomdaily--2020-05-01--Tara Reade Says She Is Willing To Testify Under Oath

2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s accuser is willing to testify under oath , she told the Daily Caller News Foundation Thursday .
The former vice president has remained silent on Tara Reade ’ s allegations of sexual assault , ignoring many requests for comment from the DCNF on the matter , but his accuser told the DCNF Thursday that she would be willing to testify about her allegations under oath .
Biden has not responded to a request for comment as to whether he would be willing to testify under oath .
Reade has also called on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release documents pertaining to his time in the Senate , during which period she alleges that Biden kissed her , touched her and penetrated her with his fingers without her consent .
“ Joe Biden , I want you to release all the personnel records from 1973 to 2009 and be transparent about your office practices , ” Reade told the DCNF in an exclusive interview Tuesday .
“ I would like to hold you accountable for what happened to me , to how your staff protected you and enabled you , bullied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ended my career , ” she told Biden .
“ You ended my job after you assaulted me .
You claim to be the champion of women ’ s rights , but your public persona does not match your personal actions.
” She added : “ I want this brought to light and I want you to admit it in public .
I want a public apology for calling me a Russian agent and having other people try to smear my character in order to cover your crimes.
” The Biden campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ absolutely did not happen.
” Wake up Right !
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freedomdaily--2020-05-01--Why the WHO, often under fire, has a tough balance to strike in its efforts to address health emerge

Why the WHO, often under fire, has a tough balance to strike in its efforts to address health emergencies

The Trump administration recently declared , in the midst of the coronavirus emergency , that it would suspend the United States ’ financial support for the World Health Organization , a United Nations agency that coordinates a wide range of international health efforts .
The United States typically contributes more than US $ 400 million per year to the organization , roughly 15 % of its annual budget .
In announcing the suspension of U.S. funding , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that WHO had failed to provide “ real information about what ’ s going on in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the agency had colluded with the Chinese government in withholding information about the nature of the outbreak : “ I have a feeling they knew exactly what was going on , ” he said .
And he sought to deflect blame for his administration ’ s disorganized response by pinning responsibility on global health officials : “ So much death has been caused by their mistakes.
” To assess these claims , it is important to understand the context in which WHO officials make critical decisions at the early stages of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my recent book , “ Unprepared : Global Health in a Time of Emergency , ” WHO is constrained in its ability to gather knowledge about disease outbreaks and to intervene in national settings .
It must rely on national governments for information about an outbreak and for permission to send investigators to learn more details .
The agency ’ s power is limited to providing technical assistance and issuing recommendations .
In January 2020 , infectious disease experts scrambled to understand key aspects of the novel coronavirus , such as its rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that point , it was not yet possible to know exactly what was going on with the disease .
Nonetheless , WHO officials had to make urgent decisions – such as whether to declare a global health emergency – in a situation of uncertainty .
More generally , much critical information about what is happening in the global health space can be known only in retrospect , once data on the event has been gathered , analyzed and disseminated by the scientific community .
Two other recent global health emergencies are instructive : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 Ebola epidemic .
In the aftermath of each of these outbreaks , WHO was sharply criticized for its early response .
When a novel strain of H1N1 influenza was first detected in the spring 2009 , global health officials feared that it could spark a catastrophic pandemic .
Within weeks of the virus ’ s appearance , WHO officially declared a global health emergency .
The declaration urged countries to put their existing pandemic preparedness plans into action .
In response , a number of national governments implemented mass vaccination campaigns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of H1N1 vaccine from pharmaceutical companies .
Over the next several months , as the vaccine was manufactured and vaccination campaigns were implemented , epidemiological studies revealed that H1N1 was a relatively mild strain of influenza , with a case fatality ratio similar to that of seasonal flu .
In many countries , when the H1N1 vaccine finally became available in the fall 2009 , there were few takers .
National governments had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on campaigns that immunized , in some cases , less than 10 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO of having exaggerated the pandemic threat in order to generate profits for the pharmaceutical industry , pointing to consulting arrangements that the agency ’ s influenza experts had with vaccine manufacturers .
According to one prominent critic , the WHO declaration of a health emergency in response to H1N1 was “ one of the greatest medical scandals of the century.
” A later investigation exonerated the WHO experts from wrongdoing , noting that the severity of the disease had not yet been determined when vaccine orders were made , and that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what was known at the time and not on what was later learnt.
” Five years later , in the aftermath of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa , WHO officials again found themselves under sharp attack for their initial response to a disease outbreak .
This time , officials were accused not of acting too hastily but rather of having failed to act in time .
At the earliest stages of the epidemic , in Spring 2014 , the agency ’ s experts did not consider the event to be a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they felt that Ebola , while dangerous , was easily containable – the disease had never killed more than a few hundred people , and had never spread much beyond its initial site of occurrence .
“ We know Ebola , ” as one expert recalled the early stages of response .
“ This will be manageable.
” It was not until August 2014 , well after the epidemic had spun out of control , that WHO officially declared a global health emergency , seeking to galvanize international response .
By this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a region-wide catastrophe , and multiple critics assailed the agency ’ s slow response .
“ WHO ’ s response has been abysmal , ” as one commentator put it .
“ It ’ s just shameful.
” Today , as the world confronts the coronavirus pandemic , the agency finds itself again under a storm of criticism , now with its very financial survival under threat .
To what extent can we say that the agency did not provide adequate information in the early stages of the pandemic – that it failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Secretary of State Pompeo ’ s scolding words ?
It is worth remembering that we are still in the early stages of the event as it unfolds , still seeking answers to critical questions such as how quickly the virus spreads , what its severity is , what proportion of the population has been exposed to it , and whether such exposure confers immunity .
We also do not yet know whether the Chinese government fully informed global health officials about the seriousness of the initial outbreak .
We do know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most urgent call for vigilance by national governments in late January , with the declaration of a global health emergency , it was not until nearly two months later that the U.S. began – haltingly – to mobilize in response .
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Andrew Lakoff has received funding for this research from the National Science Foundation and the Social Science Research Council .


freedomdaily--2020-05-01--The ‘first scientist’s’ 800-year-old tonic for what ails us: The truth

It seems that science has been taking a beating lately .
From decades of denial by the tobacco industry that smoking causes cancer to more recent attempts to use the COVID-19 pandemic to score political points , a presumption seems to have taken root that it is okay to seek and speak the truth only when it suits personal interest .
In times like these , we urgently need leaders who know what they are talking about and whose commitment to truth exceeds their loyalty to party or person – among them , the sort of people long known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the literal meaning of scientist ) .
COVID-19 is a kind of plague , but so is ignorance , and only by addressing the latter can society tackle the former .
This year marks what is believed by many to be the 800th birthday of an especially courageous truth seeker , the English polymath Roger Bacon .
Though other scientists came before him , his breadth of study has led many to call him “ the first scientist.
” Were he alive today , Bacon would likely be pursuing the truth about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects on society , as well as the need for personal and political virtues to overcome it .
Because Bacon lived so long ago , we know more about his ideas than his life .
Born in Somerset , England , his family appears to have been well off , and he studied and taught at two of Europe ’ s oldest universities , beginning at Oxford .
After earning his master of arts degree , he accepted an invitation to teach at the University of Paris for about a decade before eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those remarkable human beings who seem to know just about everything .
An expert on the thought of the ancient philosopher Aristotle , he also taught mathematics , astronomy , music , optics , alchemy ( a forerunner of chemistry ) , moral philosophy and theology .
Because of the depth and breadth of learning reflected in his Opus Majus ( “ Great Work ” ) , composed at the Pope ’ s request to describe his studies , he became known as Doctor Mirabilis or “ Wonderful Teacher.
” Bacon believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both personally and socially , depends on the eradication of error .
To correct what ails society , it is necessary to restore respect for learning , real-world experience and the pursuit of truth .
So long as people go forth with a false map of reality , they will lose their way and never reach their true destination .
The importance of the right question Bacon argued that there are four causes of error : 1 ) weak and unworthy authority , 2 ) longstanding customs , 3 ) the opinions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiding of ignorance through displays of apparent knowledge .
What people often most lack , Bacon believed , are not correct answers but the best questions .
“ To ask the proper question , ” he wrote , “ is half of knowing.
” To advance knowledge , people must subject authorities to scrutiny , winnowing away the unreliable .
Who is speaking the truth , and on what basis , and who is merely mouthing what people want to hear ?
In Bacon ’ s view , too many people lapse into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they have been told over and over .
To combat this tendency , he called for experimentation , but not only in the sense of a scientific laboratory .
He believed that people should put their ideas on trial , seeing how well they fare when tested in the real world of experience .
What doesn ’ t hold up should be rejected .
Bacon gave the example of fire , writing , “ Reasoning draws a conclusion and makes us grant the conclusion , but does not make the conclusion certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the mind may rest on the intuition of truth , unless the mind discovers it by the path of experience.
” Only someone who actually sees fire burn will understand what it can do .
Without proper habits of mind , Bacon argued , society would be mired in ignorance and failure .
Only if institutions of learning such as universities fulfill their proper function can society find and stick to its proper course .
And all persons , he believed , have both the capacity and the responsibility to think for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bacon expressed deep antipathy toward those who merely pretend to know , such as magicians who pretend to use scientific methods .
Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt more recently referred to such pretenders as “ bullshitters.
” Ignorance is bad , but pretending to know is even worse , because it undermines trust .
Bacon treated ignorance so harshly partly because he saw that it sowed the seeds of corruption .
Extrapolating from Bacon , regular scrutiny is necessary if political leaders are to act responsibly .
The last thing any good political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes men .
It is through the contest between differing points of view that people are most likely to arrive at the truth .
This perspective helps to explain both Bacon ’ s promotion of the science he called “ perspective ” and his lifelong dedication to the study of languages such as Greek and Hebrew .
To determine the best perspective from which to understand something , it is first necessary to look at it from multiple points of view .
Above all , Bacon promoted humility .
People must seek to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have proved by experience to be valid .
But they must also recognize the limits of their own knowledge , seek out the advice of experts , and pursue deeper understanding .
This was Bacon ’ s life ’ s work .
“ No one , ” he wrote , “ worked in so many sciences and languages as I did , nor so much as I .
And yet I did not work that much , since in the pursuit of wisdom no work ” – of the sort one might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aristotle , he believed that it is human nature to desire to know .
There is , he held , nothing more natural and also more necessary and beneficial to humanity than pursuing the truth .
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Richard Gunderman does not work for , consult , own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article , and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their @ @ @


freedomdaily--2020-05-01--Spring signals female bees to lay the next generation of pollinators

The first days of spring – brighter and warmer – are a biological trigger for female bees to wake up from hibernation and begin to build future colonies .
These enormous bees , sometimes two to three times larger than a worker bee , are vital to our ecosystem and carry all the genetic material necessary for an entire generation of bees inside their bodies .
If you are lucky , you might see these big bees bumble through spring blossoms in search of food and a new home .
Be careful not to disturb them .
Killing a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much impact .
But the death of a single female bee , ready to reproduce in early spring , could wipe out an entire colony and erase the important services that her offspring would provide – pollinating flowers in gardens , parks , farms and meadows .
My research explores the foraging behavior of bees .
I spend a lot of time in public parks and gardens in Seattle observing bees collecting pollen .
I analyze which plants bees have visited and why .
In early spring , I sometimes have the privilege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a new home and visit plants to collect nectar for energy in flight .
Bees accomplish their reproductive work in both simple and mysterious ways .
Female bees are essential to the survival of all bee colonies , but each species is unique .
Bees native to the United States lead different lives from one another depending on whether they are social bees or solitary bees .
Female social bees first begin looking for a new nesting spot – a hole in a tree , an abandoned rat ’ s nest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of offspring to build a colony .
At the same time , they collect pollen and nectar to feed the newly hatched bees .
Social bee colonies can contain thousands of bees , each performing a different task to keep the colony healthy and safe .
Only the queen bee is fertile and correctly called “ queen ” if she belongs to a species where adult females live together and cooperate in some way .
An estimated 10 % of all bee species – of which there are more than 20,000 worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queen in charge .
All the female bees laid by a social queen bee are sterile , keeping the queen in control and preserving the hierarchy of the hive .
The sterile females and males perform low-level work like collecting food and caring for offspring .
Social queen bees are easily identified because they tend to be active early in the season and are often noticeably larger than most of their offspring .
Queen bees can lay hundreds to thousands of eggs over the course of the summer .
In the fall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The remainder of the colony dies off , and the queen overwinters alone , carrying all the genetic material to start a new population the following spring .
Unlike social bees that live and work together with a single fertile female queen , solitary bees live alone , and all female solitary bees are fertile .
Instead of building colonies , female solitary bees emerge in spring and mate with male solitary bees , then find a place to nest , such as a woodpecker hole , the siding of your house or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solitary bees create segmented nests for each individual offspring .
They collect pollen from flowers and build a ball called a pollen provision inside each segment , anywhere from the size of a lentil to a large pea .
Female solitary bees lay a single egg in each segment of the nest that contains a pollen provision , then die off .
Solitary bees pollinate a huge number of flowering plants in the process of collecting food for their offspring .
The offspring overwinter and emerge to continue the cycle the next spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollination services is the non-native honey bee , a species that lives in man-made hives designed to easily transport bees and harvest honey .
Honey bees are technically native to Europe , but have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years .
Unlike native social bees that die off in the fall , honey bees hibernate during the winter inside their hives .
When a queen honey bee grows old after two to three years , offspring are designated as future queens and fed a highly nutritious diet of royal jelly – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The young queen is raised by her sisters until she reaches maturity .
Then she leaves the nest to begin laying offspring and building a colony of her own .
The honey bee colony continues to survive , cycling through generation after generation .
Female bees , responsible for future bee populations , face risks early in the season with limited flowers to visit for energy and a decline in nesting sites in more developed areas .
It ’ s best to provide female bees with many early spring flowers – they rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search for a nesting spot .
Planting early flowering plants such as willow , poplar , cherry trees and other spring blooms provides nectar for queen bees .
Garden restoration benefits all bees by fostering nesting sites for social and solitary bees .
Nesting sites boost bee populations , pollinating native plants and boosting production in our backyard gardens and community gardens .
How can you help these amazing bees ?
Simply let them be .
If it ’ s spring and a big bee is too close for comfort , move calmly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from afar .
Female bees , looking for a home , are usually too preoccupied with their search to sting you .
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Lila Westreich receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research program .