COVID-19 to have ripple effect on multiple Cowboys coaches for Week 13 – Cowboys Wire

Posted on by

The Cowboys roster has been harangued by COVID-19 all season long, with the virus affecting more players in Dallas than any other locker room in the league.

Now its working its way though the coaching staff, too, causing a ripple effect of gameday duties.

The Cowboys have announced that offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant offensive line coach Joe Blasko, and coaching assistant Scott Tolzien have entered the leagues COVID-19 protocol and will miss Thursday nights game against the Saints.

Their absences will put several other Cowboys staffers in new roles on a fill-in basis.

We have some different scenarios of exactly how were going to work the week, head coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday in a conference call with media members.

Those scenarios include tight end coach Lunda Wells, quality control coach Chase Haslett, and Ben McAdoo, who has been serving the team in a consultant role, scouting future opponents.

Wellss first coaching job was as an offensive line assistant at LSU for two seasons; he did the same job again with the New York Giants from 2013 to 2017.

Haslett is the son of former NFL coach Jim Haslett. He was hired by Dallas in 2020 after gaining offensive coaching experience at Nebraska, Mississippi State, and Mercer.

McAdoos name is most familiar as the head coach of the Giants in 2016 and most of 2017. Most of his body of work as a coach comes on the offensive side of the ball, working with the offensive line, tight ends, or quarterbacks.

Now all three will pitch in on getting the Cowboys line- without Terence Steele, who has also tested positive for COVID ready for New Orleans.

As for whether McCarthy himself will get personally more involved with that unit for the Week 13 game, the coach had this to say:

I think the biggest thing is just to make sure that the job description and responsibility is always tight. We feel really good about our game plan process. How well do the group meetings, well spend a little more time together as a group. This is something that I think that this an opportunity for young coaches to take advantage of. Definitely, Ill be where I need to be this week.

Philbin tested positive for the virus last week and missed the Thanksgiving Day game versus Las Vegas, as did assistant strength and conditioning coaches Kendall Smith and Cedric Smith.

Blasko handled O-line coaching responsibilities on Thursday; he and Tolzien turned in positive COVID tests since then.

Following the clash with the Saints, the Cowboys will have nine full days off before beginning their final five-game stretch of the regular season, in which theyll play four divisional games and one against the NFCs top seed Arizona Cardinals.

See the rest here:

COVID-19 to have ripple effect on multiple Cowboys coaches for Week 13 - Cowboys Wire

Virginia will test sewage to help predict COVID-19 outbreaks – wtvr.com

Posted on by

RICHMOND, Va. The Virginia Department of Health will be monitoring sewage in various parts of the state in an effort to predict future outbreaks of COVID-19.

The Danville Register & Bee reported Saturday that VDH is deploying up to 25 wastewater monitoring sites across the commonwealth.

That's according to a recent report from the University of Virginias Biocomplexity Institute, which collaborates with state health officials. The report does not state where those monitoring sites will be. But VDH has been polling utilities to assess their willingness to participate in a sampling program.

Testing sewage can help health officials gauge COVID-19 infection in a community because people who are sick shed the virus in bodily waste, even if they're not showing symptoms. Combined with other programs that monitor COVID-19 infection in communities, the goal is to provide warnings before a surge begins.

This kind of testing of wastewater isn't new. It's been used for other infectious diseases, such as polio, VDH said.

WTVR

Virginians age 5+ are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Pre-registration is no longer required, so go to Vaccine Finder to search for specific vaccines available near you or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343).

Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for the most complete coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?

People are considered fully vaccinated:

Virginia Department of Health

How to Protect Yourself and Others When Youve Been Fully Vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

Were still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After youve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautionslike wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spacesin public places until we know more.

These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.

Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.

Visit link:

Virginia will test sewage to help predict COVID-19 outbreaks - wtvr.com

Wall St Week Ahead COVID-19 fears reappear as a threat to market – Reuters

Posted on by

The floor of theNewYorkStockExchange(NYSE) is seen after the close of trading inNewYork, U.S., March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Register

NEW YORK, Nov 26 (Reuters) - COVID-19 has resurfaced as a worry for investors and a potential driver of big market moves after a new variant triggered alarm, long after the threat had receded in Wall Street's eyes.

Worries about a new strain of the virus, named Omicron and classified by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern, slammed markets worldwide and dealt the S&P 500 index its biggest one-day percentage loss in nine months. The moves came a day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday when thin volume likely exacerbated the moves.

With little known about the new variant, longer term implications for U.S. assets were unclear. At least, investors said signs that the new strain is spreading and questions over its resistance to vaccines could weigh on the so-called reopening trade that has lifted markets at various times this year.

Register

The new strain may also complicate the outlook for how aggressively the Federal Reserve normalizes monetary policy to fight inflation.

"Markets were celebrating the end of the pandemic. Slam. It isn't over," said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors. "All policy issues, meaning monetary policy, business trajectories, GDP growth estimates, leisure and hospitality recovery, the list goes on, are on hold."

The S&P 500 fell by a third as pandemic fears mushroomed in early 2020, but has more than doubled in value since then, though the pandemic's ebb and flow has driven sometimes-violent rotations in the types of stocks investors favor. The index is up more than 22% this year.

Before Friday, broader vaccine availability and advances in treatments made markets potentially less sensitive to COVID-19. The virus had dropped to a distant fifth in a list of so-called "tail risks" to the market in a recent survey of fund managers by BofA Global Research, with inflation and central bank hikes taking the top spots.

On Friday, however, technology and growth stocks that had prospered during last year's so-called stay-at-home trade soared, including Zoom Communications (ZM.O), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) and Peloton (PTON.O).

At the same time, stocks that had rallied this year on bets of economic reopening may suffer if virus fears grow. Energy, financials and other economically sensitive stocks tumbled on Friday, as did those of many travel-related companies such as airlines and hotels.

The new Omicron coronavirus variant spread further around the world on Sunday, with 13 cases found in the Netherlands and two each in Denmark and Australia, even as more countries tried to seal themselves off by imposing travel restrictions.

First discovered in South Africa, the new variant has now also been detected in Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Botswana, Israel, Australia and Hong Kong. read more

Friday's swings also sent the Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX), known as Wall Street's fear gauge, soaring and options investors scrambling to hedge their portfolios against further market swings. read more

Andrew Thrasher, portfolio manager for The Financial Enhancement Group, had been concerned that recent gains in a handful of technology stocks with large weightings in the S&P 500, including Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), were masking weakness in the broader market.

"This set the kindling for sellers to push markets lower and the latest COVID news appears to have stoked that bearish flame," he said.

Some investors said the latest COVID-19 related weakness could be a chance to buy stocks at comparatively lower levels, expecting the market to continue rapidly recovering from dips, a pattern that has marked its march to record highs this year.

"We've had numerous days when economic optimism collapses. Each of these optimism collapses were a good buying opportunity," wrote Bill Smead, founder of Smead Capital Management, in a note to investors. Among the stocks he recommended were Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N) and Macerich Co (MAC.N), down 7.2% and 5.2% respectively on Friday.

One of several wild cards is whether virus-driven economic uncertainty will slow the Federal Reserve's plans to normalize monetary policy, just as it has started unwinding its $120 billion a month bond buying program.

Futures on the U.S. federal funds rate, which track short-term interest rate expectations, on Friday showed investors rolling back their view of a sooner-than-expected rate increase.

Investors will be watching Fed Chair Jerome Powell and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's appearance before Congress to discuss the government's COVID response on Nov. 30 as well as U.S. employment numbers, due out next Friday.

Investors held out hope that markets could stabilize. Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital Management, said moves may have been exaggerated by lack of liquidity on Friday, with many participants out for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"My first reaction is anything we are going to see today is overdone," Ablin said.

Register

Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak, Megan Davies and Lewis Krauskopf; Writing by Ira Iosebashvili; Editing by Megan Davies, Richard Chang and Alexander Smith

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Link:

Wall St Week Ahead COVID-19 fears reappear as a threat to market - Reuters

Parts of northern China tighten curbs on new COVID-19 flare-ups – Reuters

Posted on by

People wearing protective masks walk on a street, following new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Shanghai, China, November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song

Register

BEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A resurgence of COVID-19 infections in northern China have forced two small cities to suspend public transport and tighten control over residents' movement, as the country has showed no willingness to go easy on local outbreaks.

China reported 21 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases with confirmed symptoms on Sunday, official data showed on Monday, marking the highest daily count since mid-November. Almost all of the new local cases were detected in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia.

The latest cases came shortly after a few other northern cities, hit hard in China's biggest Delta outbreak, which started mid-October, had contained their clusters this month and gradually lifted curbs, indicating it has become harder for China to stay clear of local flare-ups.

Register

The new resurgence is tiny relative to many outbreaks overseas, and national officials specified that China does not aim for remaining at zero cases.

However, Beijing still requires officials to stay on high vigilance to be ready to quickly quash local outbreaks, meaning some tough curbs are likely to be imposed when new cases emerge.

In the Inner Mongolian city of Manzhouli, a crucial port of entry that borders Russia and has about 150,000 residents, reported 20 local symptomatic cases on Nov. 28.

Over the weekend, Manzhouli banned residents from leaving town and suspended public transport as well as certain non-urgent services at hospitals.

It also closed marketplaces and entertainment venues, halted dining in restaurants, in-person school classes and religious gatherings, and started a second round of citywide testing.

Hailar district, an administrative division about three hours away from Manzhouli, has blocked some roads linking it to the outside and required people arriving from Manzhouli to be quarantined at centralised facilities for two weeks.

Nehe, a city of about 440,000 in the northeastern Heilongjiang province, reported on Sunday one locally transmitted asymptomatic carrier, which China counts separately from confirmed patients.

Nehe has tightened controls over residents' movement, shut down non-essential businesses, and cut public transport and some services at private hospitals and clinics.

The cities of Suihua, Shuangyashan and Daqing, also in Heilongjiang province, have required people seeking to leave or enter to provide proof of a negative test result within 48 hours.

As of Nov. 28, mainland China had 98,672 confirmed symptomatic cases, including both local ones and those found among inbound travelers. The death toll remained at 4,636.

Register

Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Kim Coghill and Gerry Doyle

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Originally posted here:

Parts of northern China tighten curbs on new COVID-19 flare-ups - Reuters

Bowdoinham Guild Show returns after COVID-19 disrupted last year’s – pressherald.com

Posted on by

The Bowdoinham Guild of Artisans Holiday Show will return this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six-day event will promote the local artisans work, including pottery, jewelry, woodworking, stained glass, paintings, fine art photos and fiber arts.

There will be 18 artisans and some local guest artists showing and selling their work this year.

There are a couple of people that are not participating because of other obligations, so we have invited some guest artists to join us, said Bowdoinham Guild of Artisans President Lynn Sternfels. They are not necessarily a member of the guild, but they are local artisans.

Sternfels said they were unsure if they could conduct the show even this year because of the COVID-19.

COVID-19 is still with us. In the pandemic, people must be careful, but there was so much energy from every artist, so we wanted to give it a try, said Sternfels.

For Jeffery Lipton, a pottery artist and a guild member, the show is an opportunity to get out of his studio and meet his friends and neighbors in the community.

This is a fun show because it is such a tight community, and everyone shows up, and it is fun. Its good to receive feedback and see what work resonates with people, said Lipton. The way that works out it some things sell better than other things, and that is good information for me as a maker.

Lipton added that all artists have continued to grow from events like the guild show.

In the 10 years that I have been a guild member, I think everyones work has evolved, said Lipton. For most of us, our studio work is a solitary pursuit. I have a small studio, and I am the only one working here, and so I just, I can get caught in my little world. But by being the guild member, I can get out and talk to other artists. Its supporting and fostering the pursuit of fine craft and art.

Joanie Mitchell, a guild member and an artist said it feels great that the show is back this year. She sews felted wool mittens from recycled wool sweaters.

I attend this one show a year, and usually, I do quite well, said Mitchell. I sew quite a few mittens, and I also get orders. Sometimes people bring their favorite sweater that may belong to their mother, and I will make mittens from it. It is a great way to see people and to get your product out there.

In addition, the famous Bowdoinham Public Library will have book arts available such as tree ornaments and blank notebooks and journals. There will be gift items that are priced affordably.

As a COVID-19 precaution, all visitors must wear a mask.

For the first time, the show will be held on two weekends. Usually, it is held only on the first weekend of December.

I think we have learned from last years pop-up store that was open for almost three weeks, including weekdays, said Bowdoinham Guild of Artisans secretary Wendy Rose. A lot of people appreciated the opportunity to have more time to come and look at the artwork and often than they would return to buy something they have seen.

We wanted to give people an opportunity to come more often, added Wendy.

Bowdoinham Guild of Artisans was started in 2004 by five local artists looking for a way to promote their art. Over the years, other artists joined them, and although there are only one of the original members still in the Guild, there are currently 20 members.

The event will be held on from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 3, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 5. For the first time, the show will be open on a weekday, Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 2-6 p.m., on Dec. 10 from 6-8 p.m. and Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Bowdoinham Town Hall.

Previous

Read more:

Bowdoinham Guild Show returns after COVID-19 disrupted last year's - pressherald.com

Cowboys starting RT Terence Steele, several assistant coaches out against Saints due to COVID-19 outbreak – ESPN

Posted on by

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys' preparation for Thursday's game against the New Orleans Saints has been greatly affected by a COVID-19 outbreak that will knock out starting right tackle Terence Steele, three offensive coaches and two of their three strength coaches.

Offensive line coach Joe Philbin, who has been in the COVID-19 protocol since Thanksgiving, assistant offensive line coach Jeff Blasko, who handled the main duties in Thursday's overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, and offensive assistant Scott Tolzien will also miss the game. Strength and conditioning coordinator Harold Nash was placed in the COVID-19 protocol with his two assistants, Kendall Smith and Cedric Smith. Smith, however, could be cleared to return in time for the game.

"I think the biggest thing is just to make sure that the job description and responsibility is always tight," coach Mike McCarthy said. "We feel really good about our game-plan process. How we'll do the group meetings, we'll spend a little more time together as a group. Yeah, so this is something that I think is an opportunity for young coaches to take advantage of. Definitely, I'll be where I need to be this week. We have some moving parts."

The Cowboys are doing daily testing for players, coaches and staff and will continue through Tuesday. The league imposed stricter protocols this week, but the Cowboys were in that mode before Thanksgiving. They will have virtual meetings Sunday and Monday and could continue to do so on Tuesday as well, but McCarthy kept open the possibility of a "normal" practice two days before kickoff.

"We're in a cycle right now that we're paying close attention to it," McCarthy said.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper missed the past two games while on the reserve/COVID-19 list but is expected back in the building Monday. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is expected to practice Sunday and be available against the Saints after not playing against the Raiders because of a concussion.

"I talked to [head athletic trainer] Jim Maurer this morning about Amari particularly, and he just felt the conditioning was going to be something that we're going to have to get a hold of tomorrow obviously for any player coming off of a 10-day stretch [without practice]," McCarthy said. "So we'll know more tomorrow with a chance to work."

All of this comes at an inopportune time for the Cowboys, who have lost three of their past four games.

"COVID is always something we have to think about this year," running back Ezekiel Elliott said, "and we're having a little outbreak right now so guys just got to be making sure we're taking the extra precautions, make sure we're keeping ourselves, our families and our teammates safe."

Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin said tight ends coach Lunda Well has done a good job stepping in for Philbin and Blasko. He was an assistant offensive line coach for the New York Giants from 2013-17 before moving to tight ends.

"Obviously you want everyone to be there, but it's kind of the day and age we live in now," Martin said. "The last couple years this is part of it. I think guys have gotten accustomed to kind of shifting on the fly and that's something we've got to be good at this week without our full room. We've got to be on point, help each other out because we're not going to have our two guys in there running the meetings all week."

The plan was for a lighter practice Sunday. After testing, players got breakfast to go and grabbed their iPads for meetings. The players will arrive at The Star for on-field work that will last about 75 minutes and then have virtual meetings following practice.

McCarthy said the Cowboys could move to a meeting plan they used last year in which the team was spaced out inside Ford Center.

"Going through the experience last year, it's just a matter of which plan we are going to be in," he said.

Read this article:

Cowboys starting RT Terence Steele, several assistant coaches out against Saints due to COVID-19 outbreak - ESPN

Promising COVID-19 pill is less effective than initially reported – New Atlas

Posted on by

Ahead of a U.S Food and Drug Administration advisory panel meeting, drugmaker Merck has revealed final analysis data from a Phase 3 trial testing its oral antiviral pill against COVID-19. The new data reveals the treatment is significantly less effective than early indications.

Two months ago, Merck announced promising early data for molnupiravir, its oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment. The interim Phase 3 trial analysis revealed the pill reduced a persons risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 50 percent when taken within five days of symptoms appearing.

However, the final trial analysis is now indicating the treatment is much less effective than first suggested. The new data, encompassing all the Phase 3 trial participants (1,433 subjects, instead of the earlier analysis that only looked at 775 subjects), found 9.7 percent of those in the placebo group experienced either hospitalization or death from COVID-19 compared to 6.8 percent in the group taking the new antiviral.

This means molnupiravir reduces a person's risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 30 percent, and not 50 percent, as was previously reported after the interim analysis. The new data also reports nine COVID-19 deaths were seen in the placebo group, compared to just one death in the molnupiravir group.

The new data comes ahead of this weeks Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee (ADAC) meeting. The ADAC is an independent panel that publicly convenes to issue antimicrobial drug approval recommendations, and while the FDA generally follows ADACs advice, it is not compelled to do so.

Alongside evaluating the molnupiravir trial data, the FDA has issued two key questions for ADAC to discuss. One question asks if there should be any monitoring strategies put in place to track viral mutations that may be triggered through the use of molnupiravir.

Molnupiravir inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by increasing the frequency of viral RNA mutations. This essentially floods the viral genome with so many errors the virus can no longer effectively replicate. The FDAs question to ADAC is linked to some concerns that widespread use of molnupiravir could hasten the rise of dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The other key question the FDA is asking ADAC to consider is whether molnupiravir is safe for pregnant women. Hypothetically, mutagenic drugs such as molnupiravir could generate birth defects. Pregnant women were excluded from Mercks Phase 3 trial of molnupiravir, so the FDA is tasking ADAC with providing recommendations for what groups of people should be excluded from using the drug.

No serious adverse effects were detected in Mercks molnupiravir trial and it is likely the antiviral will be issued an Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA despite this reduced efficacy.

This will make it the first oral treatment designed specifically for COVID-19 to be approved for clinical use. Hot on its heels is a COVID-19 antiviral pill from Pfizer, which recently reported extraordinary interim results of reducing hospitalization or death in high-risk patients by 89 percent compared to placebo.

Source: Merck

Read the rest here:

Promising COVID-19 pill is less effective than initially reported - New Atlas

Eric Adams’ planned international trip now up in the air due to COVID-19 Omicron variant – New York Post

Posted on by

Mayor-elect Eric Adams had planned a weeklong international trip thats now up in the air because of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, sources familiar with his travel told The Post.

Adams was going to head out of the country to an unknown destination from Nov. 30 through Dec. 8, sources said. The trip had not previously been reported.

But hes now reconsidering the trip since the Omicron variant that originated in Africa has beenfound among travelersin the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Adams itinerary was unclear even to people in his inner circle. Some told The Post he was headed to Europe while others said it was a mystery locale off the beaten path.

The mayor-elect, who will be sworn in at midnight on Jan. 1, is famously guarded about his private life. The retired NYPD captain told reporters through tears on the primary campaign trail in June that he never let his cop colleagues know he had a son fearing for the boys safety because of his status as a police department reformer.

The outgoing Brooklyn borough president last traveled abroad in August during the general election campaign. At the time his reps would only say he was on a personal trip to Europe with family. Politico later reported that he was vacationing in Monaco.

A spokesman for Adams did not return messages seeking comment about the upcoming trip.

See the original post:

Eric Adams' planned international trip now up in the air due to COVID-19 Omicron variant - New York Post

Children and teens lead surge in COVID-19 cases – Press Herald

Posted on by

Cases of COVID-19 among children are increasing far faster than all other age groups in Maine, creating concerns among pediatricians that children are spreading the virus to older and more at-risk residents while facing risks to their own health, as well.

Over the last month, Maines overall seven-day case average has increased by 49 percent, from 463 on average in late October to 688 cases on average this week, according to data from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Among individuals under the age of 20, however, the increase has been 83 percent during that time, more than 100 cases per day on average.

The larger increase among children makes sense given that they also have the lowest rates of vaccination. Children between the ages of 5 and 11 have only been eligible to get vaccine for a few weeks and those under the age of 5 are still not eligible. By comparison, Mainers with the highest rate of vaccination 60-79-year-olds have seen cases increase by about 19 percent in the last month.

Children and young adults do sometimes become seriously ill from the disease, although the chances are lower than among older age groups. Even if they dont become ill, children can play a major role in keeping the virus transmission line going and can sometimes do so unknowingly because they are not exhibiting symptoms.

Its the same with influenza. Kids are major transmitters, said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth, the state largest health care network. Even if they dont die or get sick, they are carriers, and often silent carriers.

The longer the virus is able to spread, the greater chance other variants might develop, too. Some could be worse than the highly contagious delta variant that is dominating right now, and some could even prove vaccine-resistant. The Associated Press reported last week that estimates by the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a collection of university and medical research organizations, suggest vaccines could make a big difference.

The hubs latest estimates show that for November through March 12, 2022, vaccinating a high percentage of 5- to 11-year-olds could avert about 430,000 COVID cases in the overall U.S. population if no new variant arose.

Dr. Gretchen Pianka, a pediatrician with Central Maine Pediatrics, said some of the recent surge in transmission among the young is likely a function of fatigue. Parents have been making decisions constantly for the last year and a half about how best to keep their kids safe, but schools are fully open now and extracurricular activities are far more prevalent than a year ago.

Families are relaxed, she said. They think, I have a healthy child and they should do fine, and it can be hard to expand that lens.

Pianka said its true children have been at lower risk of serious illness, but shes seen young patients get super sick.

And we still dont have a sense of the long-term effects, she said.

The trend of increasing transmission among children is happening across the country, too. The American Academy of Pediatrics this week released a report that showed, as of last week, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have increased by 32 percent from two weeks earlier. It was the 15th consecutive week that cases among Americans 18 or younger have been above 100,000.

At least some of the virus spread has been happening in schools and extracurricular activities in Maine. During the last school year, many communities took measures to limit the number of children in a classroom and mask mandates were near-universal. Now, fewer measures are in place, although many schools still do require masks.

Over the last 30 days, 5,181 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in public schools and 200 schools have seen an outbreak, which means at least three cases are linked epidemiologically.

According to U.S. Census data, there are approximately 280,000 Maine residents under the age of 20. Thats about 21 percent of the population. Since the pandemic began, there have been 26,524 cases in that age group, or 22.5 percent of all cases. But that number has been rising steadily recently. Younger people make up a higher percentage of cases than ever before.

The Maine CDC also has recorded 76 hospitalizations among those under 25, which is as specific as the agency breaks down COVID-19 patients by age. Maine has not had any pediatric COVID-19 deaths, but nationwide, at least 731 deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in individuals ages 18 or younger, according to the U.S. CDC.

Dr. Mills said past studies have shown that with infectious diseases, especially when vaccines are scarce, its prudent to vaccinate children first because they are the biggest spreaders. That hasnt happened with COVID-19 because it took many months for federal officials to authorize vaccines for children.

The vaccine has only been approved for 5- to 11-year-olds since the beginning of the month. Those between the age of 12 and 15 have been eligible since mid-May.

The rate of vaccination among 12- to 19-year-olds in Maine is 62.6 percent, or about 5 percentage points lower than the states overall rate. Among 5- to 11-year-olds, 26 percent have gotten first doses thus far. Vaccines havent been in use long enough to help slow the spread among that age group.

But as has been the case throughout the states vaccination effort, people are far less likely to get vaccinated in rural, inland Maine counties. For example, 77 percent of all Cumberland County residents age 12 through 19 are fully vaccinated, but just 43 percent of Franklin County residents in that age group are.

Among 5- to 11-year-olds, 45 percent in Cumberland County have gotten a first dose, while just 8 percent of elementary school age children in Somerset County have.

Pianka said she still hears from parents who have concerns about vaccinating their children. She said she listens to those concerns and, if needed, dispels any misinformation.

I tell them it does one thing and one thing only, she said. It sends a message to cells that says Make antibodies to protect against this virus. Thats all it does.

One example of a concern, she said, is risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of heart muscles. Early studies of the vaccines showed a small number of cases of this condition.

But Pianka said subsequent studies have shown that the risk of myocarditis is 10 times greater for those who contract COVID-19 than the general population, and the risk for those who have been vaccinated is actually lower than the risk level for the general population at the moment.

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Previous

Next

Read the rest here:

Children and teens lead surge in COVID-19 cases - Press Herald

Memorial tattoos grow even more widespread in time of COVID-19 – oregonlive.com

Posted on by

By Heidi de Marco

It was Saturday morning at Southbay Tattoo and Body Piercing in Carson, California, and owner Efrain Espinoza Diaz Jr. was prepping for his first tattoo of the day a memorial portrait of a man that his widow wanted on her forearm.

Diaz, known as Rock, has been a tattoo artist for 26 years but still gets a little nervous when doing memorial tattoos, and this one was particularly sensitive. Diaz was inking a portrait of Philip Martin Martinez, a fellow tattoo artist and friend who was 45 when he died of covid-19 in August.

I need to concentrate, said Diaz, 52. Its a picture of my friend, my mentor.

Martinez, known to his friends and clients as Sparky, was a tattoo artist of some renown in nearby Wilmington, in Los Angeles South Bay region. A tattoo had brought Sparky and Anita together; Sparky gave Anita her first tattoo a portrait of her father in 2012, and the experience sparked a romance. Over the years of their relationship, he had covered her body with intertwining roses and a portrait of her mother.

Now his widow, she was getting the same photograph that was etched on Sparkys tomb inked into her arm. And this would be her first tattoo that Sparky had not applied.

It feels a little odd, but Rock has been really good to us, Anita Martinez said. Rock and Sparky grew up together. They met in the 1990s, at a time when there were no Mexican-American-owned tattoo shops in their neighborhood but Sparky was gaining a reputation. It was artists like Phil that would inspire a lot of us to take that step into the professional tattoo industry, Rock said.

After Sparky got sick, Anita wasnt allowed in her husbands hospital room, an isolating experience shared by hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost a loved one to covid. They let her in only at the very end.

The tattooed portrait of Philip Martin Martinez on Anitas arm. She chose to get it on her forearm so she could see it every day. (Heidi de Marco/KHN)

I got cheated out of being with him in his last moments, said Martinez, 43. When I got there, I felt he was already gone. We never got to say goodbye. We never got to hug.

I dont even know if Im ever going to heal, she said, as Diaz began sketching the outlines of the portrait below her elbow, but at least Ill get to see him every day.

According to a 2015 Harris Poll, almost 30% of Americans have at least one tattoo, a 10% increase from 2011. At least 80% of tattoos are for commemoration, said Deborah Davidson, a professor of sociology at York University in Toronto who has been researching memorial tattoos since 2009.

Memorial tattoos help us speak our grief, bandage our wounds and open dialogue about death, she said. They help us integrate loss into our lives to help us heal.

Covid, sadly, has provided many opportunities for such memorials.

Juan Rodriguez, a tattoo artist who goes by Monch, preps his clients arm for a memorial tattoo. (HEIDI DE MARCO / KHN)

Juan Rodriguez, a tattoo artist who goes by Monch, has been seeing twice as many clients as before the pandemic and is booked months in advance at his parlor in Pacoima, an L.A. neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. Memorial tattoos, which can include names, portraits and special artwork, are common in his line of work, but theres been an increase in requests due to the pandemic. One client called me on the way to his brothers funeral, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez thinks memorial tattoos help people process traumatic experiences. As he moves his needle over the arms, legs and backs of his clients, and they share stories of their loved ones, he feels he is part artist, part therapist.

Healthy grievers do not resolve grief by detaching from the deceased but by creating a new relationship with them, said Jennifer R. Levin, a therapist in Pasadena, California, who specializes in traumatic grief. Tattoos can be a way of sustaining that relationship, she said.

Its common for her patients in the 20-to-50 age range to get memorial tattoos, she said. Its a powerful way of acknowledging life, death and legacy.

Sazalea Martinez, a kinesiology student at Antelope Valley College in Palmdale, California, came to Rodriguez in September to memorialize her grandparents. Her grandfather died of covid in February, her grandmother in April. She chose to have Rodriguez tattoo an image of azaleas with I love you written in her grandmothers handwriting.

The azaleas, which are part of her name, represent her grandfather, she said. Sazalea decided not to get a portrait of her grandmother because the latter didnt approve of tattoos. The I love you is something simple and its comforting to me, she said. Its going to let me heal and I know she would have understood that.

Sazalea teared up as the needle moved across her forearm, tracing her grandmothers handwriting. Its still super fresh, she said. They basically raised me. They impacted who I am as a person, so to have them with me will be comforting.

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

Follow this link:

Memorial tattoos grow even more widespread in time of COVID-19 - oregonlive.com

Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean – pnas.org

Posted on by

Significance

Plastic waste causes harm to marine life and has become a major global environmental concern. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastic, intensifying pressure on this already out-of-control problem. This work shows that more than eight million tons of pandemic-associated plastic waste have been generated globally, with more than 25,000 tons entering the global ocean. Most of the plastic is from medical waste generated by hospitals that dwarfs the contribution from personal protection equipment and online-shopping package material. This poses a long-lasting problem for the ocean environment and is mainly accumulated on beaches and coastal sediments. We call for better medical waste management in pandemic epicenters, especially in developing countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic waste problem. While it is suspected to be large, the magnitude and fate of this pandemic-associated mismanaged plastic waste are unknown. Here, we use our MITgcm ocean plastic model to quantify the impact of the pandemic on plastic discharge. We show that 8.4 1.4 million tons of pandemic-associated plastic waste have been generated from 193 countries as of August 23, 2021, with 25.9 3.8 thousand tons released into the global ocean representing 1.5 0.2% of the global total riverine plastic discharge. The model projects that the spatial distribution of the discharge changes rapidly in the global ocean within 3 y, with a significant portion of plastic debris landing on the beach and seabed later and a circumpolar plastic accumulation zone will be formed in the Arctic. We find hospital waste represents the bulk of the global discharge (73%), and most of the global discharge is from Asia (72%), which calls for better management of medical waste in developing countries.

Plastics have an excellent strength to weight ratio, and they are durable and inexpensive, making them the material of choice for most disposable medical tools, equipment, and packaging (1, 2). The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the indispensable role of plastic in the healthcare sector and public health safety (2). As of August 23, 2021, about 212 million people worldwide have been infected with the COVID-19 virus with the most confirmed cases in the Americas (47.6%) and Asia (31.22%) followed by Europe (17.26%) (3). The surging number of inpatients and virus testing substantially increase the amount of plastic medical waste (4). To sustain the enormous demand for personal protective equipment (PPE, including face masks, gloves, and face shields), many single-use plastic (SUP) legislations have been withdrawn or postponed (2). In addition, lockdowns, social distancing, and restrictions on public gathering increase the dependency on online shopping at an unprecedented speed, the packaging material of which often contains plastics (5, 6).

Unfortunately, the treatment of plastic waste is not keeping up with the increased demand for plastic products. Pandemic epicenters in particular struggle to process the waste (7), and not all the used PPEs and packaging materials are handled or recycled (8, 9). This mismanaged plastic waste (MMPW) is then discharged into the environment, and a portion reaches the ocean (10). The released plastics can be transported over long distances in the ocean, encounter marine wildlife, and potentially lead to injury or even death (1114). For example, a recent report estimated that 1.56 million face masks entered the oceans in 2020 (15). Earlier studies have also raised the potential problem of COVID-19 plastic pollution and its impact on marine life (1618). Some cases of entanglement, entrapment, and ingestion of COVID-19 waste by marine organisms, even leading to death, have been reported (19, 20). The plastic debris could also facilitate species invasion and transport of contaminants including the COVID-19 virus (2123). Despite the potential impacts, the total amount of pandemic-associated plastic waste and its environmental and health impacts are largely unknown. Here, we estimate the amount of excess plastic released during the pandemic that enters the global ocean and its long-term fate and potential ecological risk.

As of August 23, 2021, the total excess MMPW generated during the pandemic is calculated as 4.4 to 15.1 million tons (Fig. 1). We use the average of scenarios with different assumptions as our best estimate (Methods), which is about 8.4 1.4 million tons. A dominant fraction (87.4%) of this excess waste is from hospitals, which is estimated based on the number of COVID-19 inpatients (24) and per-patient medical waste generation for each country (25). PPE usage by individuals contributes only 7.6% of the total excess wastes. Interestingly, we find that the surge in online shopping results in an increased demand for packaging material. However, we find that packaging and test kits are minor sources of plastic waste and only account for 4.7% and 0.3%, respectively.

Global generation of mismanaged plastics from different sources (hospital medical waste, test kits, PPE, and online packaging) attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. High- and low-yield scenarios are considered for each source (Methods).

Table 1 shows the distribution of COVID-19 cases across different continents (Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, and Africa). About 70% of COVID-19 cases are found in North and South America and Asia (Table 1). We find that MMPW generation does not follow the case distribution, as most MMPW is produced in Asia (46%), followed by Europe (24%), and finally in North and South America (22%) (Table 1 and Fig. 2E). This reflects the lower treatment level of medical waste in many developing countries such as India, Brazil, and China (range between 11.5 and 76% as the low- and high-end estimates) compared with developed countries with large numbers of cases in North America and Europe (e.g., the United States and Spain) (0 to 5%) (Fig. 2A). The MMPW generated from individual PPE is even more skewed toward Asia (Fig. 2C and SI Appendix, Table S1) because of the large mask-wearing population (26). Similarly, the MMPW generated from online-shopping packaging is the highest in Asia (Fig. 2D). For instance, the top three countries in the express-delivery industry of global share are China (58%), United States (14.9%), and Japan (10.3%) followed by the United Kingdom (4%) and Germany (4%) (27).

Percentage of the confirmed COVID-19 cases (as of August 23, 2021), the generated mass of pandemic-associated MMPW ending up in the environment, and the pandemic-associated MMPW that is transported to river mouths for different continents

Accumulated riverine discharge of pandemic-associated mismanaged plastics to the global ocean. Panels are for the discharges caused by (A) hospital medical waste, (B) COVID-19 virus test kits, (C) PPE, (D) online-shopping packaging material, and (E) the total of them. The background color represents the generated MMPW in each watershed, while the sizes of the blue circles are for the discharges at river mouths.

Based on the MMPW production from each country and a hydrological model (28), we calculate a total discharge of 25.9 3.8 (12.3 as microplastics [< 5 mm] and 13.6 as macroplastics [> 5 mm]) thousand tons of pandemic-associated plastics to the global ocean from 369 major rivers and their watersheds (Fig. 2E). We believe that the 369 rivers (account for 91% of the global riverine plastic discharge to the sea) considered here include a vast majority of the global pandemic-associated plastic discharge. The top three rivers for pandemic-associated plastic waste discharge are Shatt al Arab (5.2 thousand tons, in Asia), Indus (4.0 thousand tons, in Asia), and Yangtze River (3.7 thousand tons, in Asia) followed by Ganges Brahmaputra (2.4 thousand tons, in Asia), Danube (1.7 thousand tons, in Europe), and Amur (1.2 thousand tons, in Asia). These findings highlight the hotspot rivers and watersheds that require special attention in plastic waste management.

Overall, the top 10 rivers account for 79% of pandemic plastic discharge, top 20 for 91%, and top 100 for 99%. About 73% of the discharge is from Asian rivers followed by Europe (11%), with minor contributions from other continents (Table 1). This pattern is different from that of the generation of MMPW (Table 1) because of the different ability of rivers to export plastic load to the ocean, which is measured as the yield ratio (defined as the ratio between the plastic discharges at the river mouth and the total MMPW generation in the watershed). The yield ratio is influenced by factors such as the distribution of plastic release along rivers and the physical conditions of rivers (e.g., water runoff and velocity) (28). The top five rivers with the highest yield ratios are the Yangtze River (0.9%), Indus (0.5%), Yellow River (0.5%), Nile (0.4%), and Ganges Brahmaputra (0.4%). These rivers have either high population density near the river mouth, large runoff, fast water velocity, or a combination of them. The combination of high pandemic-associated MMPW generations and yield ratio for Asian rivers results in their high discharge of MMPW to the ocean.

We simulate the transport and fate of the 25,900 3,800 tons of pandemic-associated plastic waste by the Nanjing University MITgcm-Plastic model (NJU-MP) to evaluate its impact on the marine environment. The model considers the primary processes that plastics undergo in seawater: beaching, drifting, settling, biofouling/defouling, abrasion, and fragmentation (29). The model reveals that a large fraction of the river discharged plastics are transferred from the surface ocean to the beach and seabed within 3 y (Fig. 3). At the end of 2021, the mass fraction of plastics in seawater, seabed, and beach are modeled as 13%, 16%, and 71% respectively. About 3.8% of the plastics are in the surface ocean with a global mean concentration of 9.1 kg/km2. Our model also suggests that the discharged pandemic-associated plastics are mainly distributed in ocean regions relatively close to their sources, for example, middle- and low-latitude rivers distributed in East and South Asia, South Africa, and the Caribbean (Fig. 4 and SI Appendix, Fig. S2). The beaching and sedimentation fluxes are mainly distributed near major river mouths (Fig. 4 and SI Appendix, Fig. S2). This suggests that the short-term impact of pandemic-associated plastics is rather confined in the coastal environment.

Projection of the fate of discharged pandemic-associated plastics (including both microplastics and macroplastics) in the global ocean. (A) The mass fractions and average concentrations in the surface ocean. (B) The mass fractions in the seawater, seabed, and beaches.

Modeled spatial distribution of mass concentrations of COVID-19-associated plastics in the surface ocean (AC, JL), on the beaches (DF, MO), and the seabed (GI, PR) in 2021, 2025, and 2100, respectively. The black boxes on the Top panel indicate the five subtropical ocean gyres (North Pacific Gyre, North Atlantic Gyre, South Pacific Gyre, South Atlantic Gyre, and Indian Gyre). Panels AI are for the microplastics, while JR are for the macroplastics.

The model suggests the impact could expand to the open ocean in 3 to 4 y. The mass fraction of plastics in the seawater is predicted to decrease in the future while those in seabed and beach are modeled to gradually increase. At the end of 2022, the fractions of riverine discharged, pandemic-associated MMPW in seawater, seabed, and beach are modeled as 5%, 19%, and 76%, respectively, and the mean surface ocean concentration sharply decreases to 3.1kg/km2. In 2025, five garbage patches in the center of subtropic gyres merge, including the four in North and South Atlantic and Pacific and the one in the Indian Ocean (Fig. 4 and SI Appendix, Fig. S2). Hot spots for sedimentation fluxes are also modeled in the high-latitude North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean in 2025 (Fig. 4 and SI Appendix, Fig. S2), reflecting the large-scale vertical movement of the seawaters (SI Appendix, Fig. S3).

We find a long-lasting impact of the pandemic-associated waste release in the global ocean. At the end of this century, the model suggests that almost all the pandemic-associated plastics end up in either the seabed (28.8%) or beaches (70.5%), potentially hurting the benthic ecosystems. The global mean pandemic-associated plastic concentrations in the surface ocean are predicted to decrease to 0.3 kg/km2 in 2100, accounting for 0.03% of the total discharged plastic mass. However, two garbage patches are still modeled over the northeast Pacific and the southeast Indian Ocean, exerting persistent risk for ecosystems over there. The fate of microplastics and macroplastics are similar but with a higher fraction of macroplastics ending up in the beaches due to their lower mobility (Fig. 4 and SI Appendix, Fig. S1).

The Arctic Ocean appears to be a dead-end for plastic debris transport due to the northern branch of the thermohaline circulation (30). About 80% of the plastic debris discharged into the Arctic Ocean will sink quickly, and a circumpolar plastic accumulation zone is modeled to form by 2025. In this year, the Arctic seabed accounts for 13% of the global plastic sedimentation flux, but this fraction will increase to 17% in 2100. The Arctic ecosystem is considered to be particularly vulnerable due to the harsh environment and high sensitivity to climate change (31, 32), which makes the potential ecological impact of exposure to the projected accumulated Arctic plastics of special concern.

It is speculated that the pandemic will not be completely controlled in a couple of years, and many of the containing policies will continue to be implemented (33). By the end of 2021, it is conservatively estimated that the number of confirmed cases will reach 280 million (34). The generated pandemic-associated MMPW will reach a total of 11 million tons, resulting in a global riverine discharge of 34,000 tons to the ocean. The MMPW generation and discharge are expected to be more skewed toward Asia due to record-breaking confirmed cases in India (3). Given the linearity between the discharge and ocean plastic mass, the fate and transport of the newly generated plastic discharge can be deduced from our current results.

There are substantial uncertainties associated with our estimate of pandemic-associated MMPW release due to the lack of accurate data (e.g., the number of used masks and online-shopping packages and the fraction of mismanaged waste under the over-capacity conditions). For example, our estimate for the discharge from face mask usage is much lower than that of Chowdhury etal. (35), which assumes that a person uses a single mask daily while we assume a mask lasts for 6 d based on survey data (Methods). We thus consider multiple scenarios to cap the actual situations (Methods). The estimated MMPW as hospital medical waste varies by 53%, while that from packaging and PPE vary by 25% and a factor of 3.5, respectively. The estimated amounts of riverine MMPW discharge to the ocean have also uncertainty as they are based on a coarse resolution (i.e., watershed-wise) hydrological model (28). In addition, factors such as the fragmentation, abrasion, and beaching rate of plastics in NJU-MP also have a substantial influence on the simulation results (29). Despite these uncertainties, the spatial pattern of the pandemic-associated releases and their relative fate in different compartments of the ocean is more robust.

The pandemic-associated plastic discharge to the ocean accounts for 1.5 0.2% of the total riverine plastic discharges (28, 36). A large portion of the discharge is medical waste that also elevates the potential ecological and health risk (37) or even the spreading of the COVID-19 virus (38). This offers lessons that waste management requires structural changes. The revoking or delaying of the bans on SUPs may complicate plastic waste control after the pandemic. Globally public awareness of the environmental impact of PPE and other plastic products needs to be increased. Innovative technologies need to be promoted for better plastic waste collection, classification, treatment, and recycling, as well as the development of more environmentally friendly materials (15, 39). Better management of medical waste in epicenters, especially in developing countries, is necessary.

We develop an inventory for the excess plastic waste generated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider four categories of sources: hospital-generated medical waste, virus testing kits, PPE used by residents, and online-shopping packages.

For hospital-generated medical waste, we estimate the amount by the number of hospitalization patients (nH) and per-patient healthcare waste generation rates (HCWGR). The nH is estimated based on the number of COVID-19 infections (nI) and the global average hospitalization rate (HR) of this disease:nH=nIHR.[1]

The nI and HR data are based on the statistics of the World Health Organization (3). The HCWGR of COVID-19 patients is approximately two times higher than that of general patients (40), which is calculated as a function of life expectancy (LE) and CO2 emissions (CDE) based on Minoglou etal. (25):HCWGR=2(0.014LE+0.31CDE).[2]

This relationship was developed based on the statistical data from 42 countries worldwide and can explain 85% of the variability of the HCWGR data (25). The LE data are from Roser etal. (41), and the CDE data are from Worldometer (42).

The virus testing kitsgenerated medical waste is estimated based on the number of conducted tests and the amount of waste generated per test. The former data are from Ritchie etal. (43) while the latter is from Cheon (44) and ShineGene (45). Depending on the specifications of the testing kits, the waste generated per test ranges 21 to 28 g/test.

For the PPE used by residents, we consider only face masks, as other items such as gloves and face shields are less commonly used. We use two ways to estimate the number of used masks: consumption-based and production-based. For the former way, we first assume an ideal condition that each person uses a new mask every 6 d (46), and we assume that the actual mask usage lies 25 to 75% of this situation. The population data are from United Nations (26). For the latter way, we assume that all masks produced are used up. The global production (PW) is estimated based on the mask production in China (PC), which is the largest mask producing country (54 to 72%) in the world (47):PW=PCp,[3]where p is the share of Chinese-produced masks (47). We also consider two scenarios for the mass of waste generated by each mask (for surgical masks or N95 masks).

The online-shopping packaging (np) in this study refers to the excess part that is caused by lifestyle changes during the pandemic compared to the normal situation (no COVID-19 pandemic) (nno-covid):np=nactualnnocovid,[4]where nactual is the actual online package usages from 2020 to the first quarter of 2021 and is estimated based on the financial report of the top six e-commerce companies worldwide (Taobao, Tmall, Amazon, Jingdong, eBay, and Walmart) (4852). The nno-covid is calculated based on the package numbers in 2019 and an average annual growth rate in recent years (53). The mass of generated plastic waste (m) is then estimated based on the average mass of plastics in the packaging material (mp) (54):m=npmp.[5]

The amount of MMPW for each source (i) can be calculated based on the waste generation rate of the above four sources (Rw), the fraction of plastic waste in the total waste (Pp), and the fraction of mismanagement waste in the total waste (Pm):MMPW=i=14RwiPpiPmi.[6]

We consider the former two source categories as medical waste while the latter two as municipal waste. The Pm for each country is specified according to the waste type. The Pm of municipal waste is based on Schmidt etal. (28). There is no solid data for the Pm of medical waste, and we use the data of Caniato etal. (55) as a function of the economic status (56) and the level of treatment and disposal of waste for individual countries. The dataset includes two scenarios, and we consider an additional scenario that is 50% lower than the lower one to account for the uncertainty of this fraction.

We estimate the river discharge of pandemic-associated MMPW to the ocean based on the watershed model developed by Schmidt etal. (28), which calculates the yield ratio of plastic discharge at the river mouth to the total MMPW generated in the entire corresponding watershed. We assume this ratio is the same for pandemic-associated plastic waste and other wastes. We consider a total of 369 major rivers and their watersheds in this study. We split the country-specific, pandemic-associated MMPW data to each watershed based on the amount of regular MMPW (28).

The NJU-MP model has a resolution of 2 latitude 2.5 longitude horizontally with 22 vertical levels and is driven by ocean physics from the Integrated Global Systems Model with 4-h time step (29). The model considers five categories of plastics with different chemical composition, and the density of each category is predetermined: polyethylene (PE, 950 kg/m3), polypropylene (PP, 900 kg/m3), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 1,410 kg/m3), polyurethane (PU, 550 kg/m3), and others (1,050 kg m3). The plastics densities are modeled to increase when biofouled but decrease when defouled (57). The densities determine their buoyancy as low-density polymers float, whereas high-density polymers sink to the sediment (58, 59). Each category has six size bins: four belong to microplastics: <0.0781 mm, 0.0781 to 0.3125 mm, 0.3125 to 1.25 mm, and 1.25 to 5 mm, and two belong to macroplastics: 5 to 50 mm and >50 mm. There is thus a total of 60 plastic tracers in the model. We assume all the plastic debris as spheres for simplicity. The pandemic-associated MMPW discharge from rivers are released as half 5 to 10 mm and half >50 mm for macroplastics, while the largest size bin (i.e., 1.25 to 5 mm) for microplastics. After their discharge into the ocean, the plastics undergo removal by beach interception (57) and sinking to the deeper ocean and eventually on the seafloor. Biofouling of light plastic types (PE and PP) is modeled following Kooi etal. (60) but adjusted for more realistic scenarios. Three types of plastics with different degrees of biological attachment are considered. In addition, the model considers the removal processes including ultraviolet degradation, fragmentation, and abrasion.

The MMPW generation and river discharge datafor all the countries are provided in the Environmental Biogeochemistry Modeling Group (EBMG), https://www.ebmg.online/plastics (61). All study data are included in the article and/or SI Appendix.

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42177349 and 41875148), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 0207-14380168), Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Jiangsu Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents Plan, and the Collaborative Innovation Center of Climate Change, Jiangsu Province. We are grateful to the High Performance Computing Center of Nanjing University for doing the numerical calculations in this paper on its blade cluster system.

Author contributions: A.T.S. and Y.Z. designed research; Y.P. and P.W. performed research; Y.P. and P.W. analyzed data; and Y.P., A.T.S., and Y.Z. wrote the paper.

The authors declare no competing interest.

This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

This article contains supporting information online at https://www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.2111530118/-/DCSupplemental.

The rest is here:

Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean - pnas.org

Sample Macros – Jitbit

Posted on by

Here are some example macros that will help you get started:

This macro renames all files in a given folder to "file1", "file2", "file3" etc. Just keep pressing Ctrl + Alt + Z in Macro Recorder and the macro will iterate to the next file.

This macro launches the Windows Update tool and forces it to check for updates by simulating a mouse click on the Check now link. The mouse-click uses relative coordinates, so its immune to window size and location change.

This macro has been tested under Windows 7 only, might not work under Vista or XP.

This macro launches Internet Explorer's "Proxy server" dialog.

The macro actually has no practical use, but it's a fine example of how a macro can use:

This script for Jitbit Macro Recorder launches Internet Explorer privacy cleaner. Tested under IE7, IE8. Never tested it with IE9 though.

Windows 7 introduced a new disk defragmenter tool that is automated in by this macro.

The macro simply starts the defragmenter and sends an Alt+D keyboard combination to its window.

1) The first line of the macrolaunches the Windows XP Disk Defragmenter:

2) The next line simply waits for the defragmenter window to appear:

3) Finally this block launches the appropriate item in the defragmenter window menu (which in our case is "Actions -Defragment"):

Of course you don't have to actually type these commands when you create a script in Macro Recorder, you can use the toolbar instead. First you click "Insert 'Open file' command", then you click "Insert 'Wait for window' command" etc... Jitbit's macro-language remains "hidden", it is used only if you decide to edit a saved macro in some external text editor like Notepad (which is the preferred way for some programmers and tech-geeks).

Full macro:

Last updated: 4/29/2017 more whitepapers

Read this article:

Sample Macros - Jitbit

Getting Started with Python PyAutoGUI

Posted on by

Introduction

In this tutorial, we're going to learn how to use pyautogui library in Python 3. The PyAutoGUI library provides cross-platform support for managing mouse and keyboard operations through code to enable automation of tasks. The pyautogui library is also available for Python 2; however, we will be using Python 3 throughout the course of this tutorial.

A tool like this has many applications, a few of which include taking screenshots, automating GUI testing (like Selenium), automating tasks that can only be done with a GUI, etc.

Before you go ahead with this tutorial, please note that there are a few prerequisites. You should have a basic understanding of Python's syntax, and/or have done at least beginner level programming in some other language. Other than that, the tutorial is quite simple and easy to follow for beginners.

The installation process for PyAutoGUI is fairly simple for all Operating Systems. However, there are a few dependencies for Mac and Linux that need to be installed before the PyAutoGUI library can be installed and used in programs.

For Windows, PyAutoGUI has no dependencies. Simply run the following command in your command prompt and the installation will be done.

For Mac, pyobjc-core and pyobjc modules are needed to be installed in sequence first. Below are the commands that you need to run in sequence in your terminal for successful installation:

For Linux, the only dependency is python3-xlib (for Python 3). To install that, followed by pyautogui, run the two commands mentioned below in your terminal:

In this section, we are going to cover some of the most commonly used functions from the PyAutoGUI library.

Before we can use PyAutoGUI functions, we need to import it into our program:

This position() function tells us the current position of the mouse on our screen:

Output:

The onScreen() function tells us whether the point with coordinates x and y exists on the screen:

Output:

Here we can see that the first point exists on the screen, but the second point falls beyond the screen's dimensions.

The size() function finds the height and width (resolution) of a screen.

Output:

Your output may be different and will depend on your screen's size.

In this section, we are going to cover PyAutoGUI functions for mouse manipulation, which includes both moving the position of the cursor as well as clicking buttons automatically through code.

The syntax of the moveTo() function is as follows:

The value of x_coordinate increases from left to right on the screen, and the value of y_coordinate increases from top to bottom. The value of both x_coordinate and y_coordinate at the top left corner of the screen is 0.

Look at the following script:

In the code above, the main focus is the moveTo() function that moves the mouse cursor on the screen based on the coordinates we provide as parameters. The first parameter is the x-coordinate and the second parameter is the y-coordinate. It is important to note that these coordinates represent the absolute position of the cursor.

One more thing that has been introduced in the code above is the PAUSE property; it basically pauses the execution of the script for the given amount of time. The PAUSE property has been added in the above code so that you can see the function execution; otherwise, the functions would execute in a split second and you wont be able to actually see the cursor moving from one location to the other on the screen.

Another workaround for this would be to indicate the time for each moveTo() operation as the third parameter in the function, e.g. moveTo(x, y, time_in_seconds).

Executing the above script may result in the following error:

Note: Possible Error

If the execution of the moveTo() function generates an error similar to the one shown above, it means that your computer's fail-safe is enabled. To disable the fail-safe, add the following line at the start of your code:

This feature is enabled by default so that you can easily stop execution of your pyautogui program by manually moving the mouse to the upper left corner of the screen. Once the mouse is in this location, pyautogui will throw an exception and exit.

The coordinates of the moveTo() function are absolute. However, if you want to move the mouse position relative to the current mouse position, you can use the moveRel() function.

What this means is that the reference point for this function, when moving the cursor, would not be the top left point on the screen (0, 0), but the current position of the mouse cursor. So, if your mouse cursor is currently at point (100, 100) on the screen and you call the moveRel() function with the parameters (100, 100, 2) the new position of your move cursor would be (200, 200).

You can use the moveRel() function as shown below:

The above script will move the cursor 100 points to the right and 100 points down in 2 seconds, with respect to the current cursor position.

Check out our hands-on, practical guide to learning Git, with best-practices, industry-accepted standards, and included cheat sheet. Stop Googling Git commands and actually learn it!

The click() function is used to imitate mouse click operations. The syntax for the click() function is as follows:

The parameters are explained as follows:

Here is an example:

You can also execute specific click functions as follows:

Here the x and y represent the x and y coordinates, just like in the previous functions.

You can also have more fine-grained control over mouse clicks by specifying when to press the mouse down, and when to release it up. This is done using the mouseDown and mouseUp functions, respectively.

Here is a short example:

The above code is equivalent to just doing a pag.click(x, y) call.

The last mouse function we are going to cover is scroll. As expected, it has two options: scroll up and scroll down. The syntax for the scroll() function is as follows:

To scroll up, specify a positive value for amount_to_scroll parameter, and to scroll down, specify a negative value. Here is an example:

Alright, this was it for the mouse functions. By now, you should be able to control your mouse's buttons as well as movements through code. Let's now move to keyboard functions. There are plenty, but we will cover only those that are most frequently used.

Before we move to the functions, it is important that we know which keys can be pressed through code in pyautogui, as well as their exact naming convention. To do so, run the following script:

Output:

The typewrite() function is used to type something in a text field. Syntax for the function is as follows:

Here text is what you wish to type in the field and interval is time in seconds between each key stroke. Here is an example:

Executing the script above will enter the text "Junaid Khalid" in the field that is currently selected with a pause of 1 second between each key press.

Another way this function can be used is by passing in a list of keys that you'd like to press in a sequence. To do that through code, see the example below:

In the above example, the text junaide would be entered, followed by the removal of the trailing e. The input in the text field will be submitted by pressing the Enter key.

If you haven't noticed this so far, the keys we've shown above have no mention for combined operations like Control + C for the copy command. In case you're thinking you could do that by passing the list ['ctrl', 'c'] to the typewrite() function, you are wrong. The typewrite() function would press both those buttons in a sequence, not simultaneously. And as you probably already know, to execute the copy command, you need to press the C key while holding the ctrl key.

To press two or more keys simultaneously, you can use the hotkey() function, as shown here:

If you would like to take a screenshot of the screen at any instance, the screenshot() function is the one you are looking for. Let's see how we can implement that using PyAutoGUI:

This will store a PIL object containing the image in a variable.

If, however, you want to store the screenshot directly to your computer, you can call the screenshot function like this instead:

This will save the screenshot in a file, with the filename given, on your computer.

The last set of functions that we are going to cover in this tutorial are the message box functions. Here is a list of the message box functions available in PyAutoGUI:

Now that we have seen the types, let's see how we can display these buttons on the screen in the same sequence as above:

In the output, you will see the following sequence of message boxes.

Confirm:

Alert:

Prompt:

In this tutorial, we learned how to use PyAutoGUI automation library in Python. We started off by talking about pre-requisites for this tutorial, its installation process for different operating systems, followed by learning about some of its general function. After that we studied the functions specific to mouse movements, mouse control, and keyboard control.

After following this tutorial, you should be able to use PyAutoGUI to automate GUI operations for repetitive tasks in your own application.

Go here to see the original:

Getting Started with Python PyAutoGUI

Germanys new government: what the world can expect in a post-Merkel era – The Conversation UK

Posted on by

Leaders of Germanys Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberals (FDP) have reached a deal on their coalition agreement for government, paving the way for a new administration to replace that of Angela Merkel.

The agreement is the product of negotiation by some 22 working groups, with around 300 participants from the three parties from national and state levels. It includes a detailed programme for the government to follow. The parties still need to sign off the deal, but an upset looks most unlikely, and the SPDs Olaf Scholz will be voted in as chancellor in the week beginning December 6.

The document is entitled Dare more progress: Alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability, (the unusual formulation a nod to chancellor Willy Brandts earlier slogan, Dare more democracy, and to the core concern of each of the three parties). There is a strong emphasis on modernisation in implicit contrast to what Christian Democrat governments such as Angela Merkels have stood for.

It should be borne in mind that, while the SPD and Greens are quite closely aligned on policy, the FDP is a much more difficult fit. While it is comfortable with some liberal social goals, this does not apply across the board. Its brand of low-tax, low-spend liberalism, with a distinct scepticism of regulation as a means of combating climate change, is an awkward stance for a party in this governing partnership.

Still, the parties have tried to allow each other some victories, rather than always landing at the lowest common denominator between the three. The SPD gets its minimum wage of 12 (10) an hour (up from 9.60), and the Greens have secured a commitment to an earlier exit from coal now timetabled for 2030 rather than 2038. The FDP gets a return to balanced budgets.

There are some striking social proposals in the plan, too. These include allowing cannabis to be sold for recreational use in some settings and removing a paragraph of German law which bans doctors from advertising the availability of abortions.

When these proposals come before parliament, MPs are likely to vote them through (the coalition agreement is considered by most to be binding). On issues affecting Germanys 16 states, the second chamber, where the new government lacks a majority, might throw the odd spanner in the works.

The goal is also to increase legal routes for migration to Germany and allow more asylum seekers to work - rather at odds with the more restrictive stance taken, for instance, by Denmarks social democrats.

If enough votes in parliament can be found to change the constitution, the voting age for parliamentary elections will be reduced to 16.

Passages on foreign and European policy are more equivocal, with some classic German fudging. We learn German-Russian relations are deep and diverse and that there will be a constructive dialogue between the two countries based on international law, human rights and a peaceful order in Europe, which Russia has already committed to.

At the same time, the interests of those who feel threatened in central and eastern Europe will be taken on board and the destabilisation of Ukraine is condemned. The relaxation of EU sanctions against Russia is linked to the full implementation of commitments in the Minsk agreement. The hot topic of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between the countries is not mentioned.

There is a commitment to deepening the European Union and it becoming a federal European state as a long-term aim. All three parties are strongly pro-European (even if on issues close to German interests, deeds may not always follow words), and there is no question Scholz and his government will seek to provide clear leadership.

A push for qualified majority voting on issues of common foreign and security policy at the European Council (as opposed to unanimous voting now) is also on the agenda. At the moment, what the EU can do is limited, as major global players can often find an individual member state to veto EU proposals.

However, changing EU treaties to make this proposal reality will be very difficult. Several member states, notably Poland and Hungary, are likely to be sceptical.

The language on Germanys transatlantic relationships is genuinely warm. However, the message to the UK is tougher. One paragraph states that the UK is one of Germanys closest partners outside the EU but there is also a call for complete adherence to the Brexit agreement, including in relation to Northern Ireland with penalties if that doesnt happen.

It also appears that the new German government will take a firmer line than its predecessor when it comes to the rule of law violations in Poland and Hungary.

Yet on European fiscal matters, the more sceptical stance of the FDP is clearly visible. There are references to growth and investment to reduce climate change but they sit alongside a need for debt sustainability.

Its not yet clear how Germany will position itself in debates about the speed of fiscal consolidation in the EU. FDP leader Christian Lindner, however, has sought to reassure poorer member states and says he will play a mediating role.

The biggest challenge for negotiators was marrying SPD and Green appetite for more investment with the FDPs opposition to new taxes, or relaxing the constitutional rules on new debt (the so-called debt brake). In the end, a compromise was found.

Debt related to the pandemic will be paid back slowly. The fiscal rules will apply from 2023 onwards, but it would appear that environmental investments will happen at an unprecedented level seemingly through Germanys state investment bank (so not counting towards the debt brake). All new laws will have a climate check (a Green achievement) as well as a digital check (an FDP demand to expand digitisation whenever possible).

Ministries have been allocated between the parties, and the division allows the partners to emphasise their strong suits in government. The SPD are leading on social justice topics (such as pensions, welfare and a major housebuilding programme), the Greens on environmental questions and foreign affairs, and the FDP on fiscal caution (getting the prized finance ministry) and digital issues.

With rising COVID rates, the new government will take office at an exceptionally challenging time. The pandemic, the need to co-ordinate between three coalition partners, the large number of new MPs, and the big gap between the FDP and its partners on fiscal and environmental policy, all have plenty of potential to throw the new government off course.

Read more from the original source:

Germanys new government: what the world can expect in a post-Merkel era - The Conversation UK

Crypto cash: Stakeholders talk about what could be the way forward – The Indian Express

Posted on by

The governments plan for a Bill to act against private cryptocurrencies has reopened the debate on the fast-moving, highly volatile sector, where policy has so far failed to catch up with technology. The Sunday Express meets a range of stakeholders from investors to coin exchange players and the government on what could be the way forward.

Aditya Singhs first serious foray into the world of cryptocurrencies happened over a failed payment. The owner of a recruitment firm that he runs with his brother, Singh says that sometime in 2015, one of their European clients wouldnt pay the commission and eventually stopped taking calls.

When we finally got through to the client, he gave us an option to pay in Bitcoins. We had our doubts but since there was no other way to get our commission, we agreed. Thats when we realised that there is a whole market around Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, he says, refusing to reveal his investment or other personal details.

The deeper he dug, the more drawn he was to this decentralised financial system that existed beyond the control of governments and banks. I also watched a lot of videos related to crypto currencies but they were mostly in English and I realised that discussion in Hindi about the fundamentals was missing in India, he says, adding that he soon began posting videos on YouTube.

The idea clicked. Adityas YouTube channel, Crypto India, has 1.97 lakh subscribers now and he is routinely invited as an expert by news channels.

Singhs story mirrors that of others across India, many of them from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, mostly aspirational young investors excited by the opportunities of this newest financial frontier from Kanha Mohanty, 24, an engineer in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, whose investments in cryptocurrencies earned him Rs 30,000 over the last one year, to the unemployed Pankaj Chowdhury, 26, from Howrah, West Bengal, whose mantra is to invest only as much as you can afford to lose.

In the absence of a regulatory framework or safety net, this interest in cryptocurrencies, mostly among first-time investors with little knowledge of either the products or the risks entailed, has caught the attention of policymakers. The government has decided to bring a Bill in the Winter Session starting Monday to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India with certain exceptions.

Currently, while India does not recognise cryptocurrencies as legal tender, there is no ban on trading in cryptocurrencies.

While there is not much clarity on the composition of The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, on November 24, the possibility of a ban on certain cryptos led to panic-selling, resulting in a correction of over 20 per cent across cryptocurrencies listed on Indian exchanges.

Its this volatility that marks cryptocurrencies. If stock prices are backed by the earnings and growth of a company, there is no such underlying factor for crypto prices, which are mostly driven by hype and demand.

Recently, investors lost millions of dollars as a new cryptocurrency inspired by Squid Game, the popular Netflix series, went on a roller-coaster ride. Its value plunged to nearly zero but within days, it was trading at $38 a token on an exchange called Pancakeswap. After a couple of days, the tokens value grew from $628.33 to $2,856.65, but five minutes later, it nosedived to $0.0007.

While Bitcoin, the worlds first cryptocurrency, was born out of the 2008 financial crisis, in India, it was around 2015-16 that the digital currency started to get noticed. In March 2020, the Supreme Court reversed the RBIs move to cut the money supply to crypto exchanges, resulting in an exponential increase in investment flows into crypto assets.

During the ICC T20 World Cup in October-November, cryptocurrencies virtually flooded drawing rooms.

Ranveer Singhs kuch toh badlega campaign for crypto trading platform CoinSwitch Kuber, aired repeatedly during the World Cup matches, was among those aimed at millennials in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. His hardsell was hinged on the low-entry barrier for those looking to invest in crypto, and the ease of transaction on a platform that now lays claim to being Indias largest crypto asset one.

CoinDCX, CoinSwitch Kubers rival platform, roped in actor Ayushmann Khurrana. Multiple other smaller exchanges also joined the ad pitch. Reports pegged the collective ad spends by crypto players at a cumulative Rs 50 crore during the course of this World Cup.

The buzz had an unintended consequence: a flurry of meetings in policy circles, and regulators stepping in to temper the claims by exchanges.

On November 3, an umbrella grouping of 13 members who are part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem put out an advertisement that said, Crores of Indians have invested over Rs 600,000 crore in crypto assets. Through the advertisement, the group including the Internet and Mobile Association of India, Blockchain & Crypto Assets Council (BACC), crypto exchanges and others said they are committed to complying with the BACCs self-regulatory code of conduct, and to ensuring secure access to crores of investors.

This declaration came on the back of alarm bells being raised at various levels within the government, regulatory circles and leaders in the investment fraternity. So far, going by the initial reactions, they dont seem to be on the same page.

While the Prime Ministers meeting on November 13 on the way forward for the sector called for progressive and forward-looking steps, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has advised caution.

On November 16, speaking at the SBI Banking Conclave, he said the issue evokes serious concerns on macro-economic and financial stability and that he is yet to see serious, well-informed discussion on it.

The RBI has in the past indicated that it is very much in the game, and getting ready to launch its own digital currency.

Capital market regulator SEBI, meanwhile, has reservations on regulating cryptocurrencies as a financial asset, while a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, which met on November 15, favoured regulating cryptocurrency exchanges.

Its this view that digital currencies be regulated, instead of an outright ban that is gradually gaining traction.

Speaking to The Indian Express at an Idea Exchange session, Nilesh Shah, MD Kotak Mahindra AMC and a part-time member of the PMs Economic Advisory Council, also favoured this.

I am not qualified enough to say if crypto is a fraud or not who knows, it may be the future and we are early entrants. So why not regulate and make people aware that this is high-risk, high-return? So that tomorrow, if it goes out of hand, it does not jeopardise many investors, he said.

Ashish Singhal, founder & CEO of CoinSwitch Kuber and BACC co-chair, whose Ranveer Singh ads created a stir, says, I believe that it (the ads) is one of the reasons why this has been taken up on urgency. But the crypto industry was booming even before the ads came out, so there is no point suppressing an industry We have to come out of the shadows How do we provide the right education to the user and ensure they understand the risk when they get into it So definitely, guidelines and self-regulation organisations are needed to lay down what is allowed.

Avinash Shekhar, co-CEO of cryptocurrency exchange ZebPay agrees. We are awaiting further details on the Bill There have been many positive steps taken by the government to learn and understand crypto and its impact on all stakeholders investors, exchanges, policymakers. So, we are looking forward to a crypto Bill that takes into consideration all the inputs from those discussions, he says.

Aditya Singh, the investor and YouTuber, isnt perturbed by reports of a ban. I feel everyone is reading too much into the Bill. The Finance Minister has clearly said that we are not going to ban cryptocurrencies entirely. Crypto has opened so many options and has become even more relevant after Covid, when jobs have been shrinking. For some families, yeh crypto bhagwan ka roop bankar aa gaya hai (its a manifestation of God), he says.

Original post:

Crypto cash: Stakeholders talk about what could be the way forward - The Indian Express

Data Shows a Myriad of Crypto Networks Are More Profitable to Mine Than Bitcoin Mining Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News

Posted on by

As the end of the year approaches, digital currency values have risen a great deal in 2021 and crypto asset miners have been profiting as a result. According to statistics, the most profitable coin to mine at the end of November is kadena, as an 18 terahash (TH/s) machine can get up to $326 per day. Scrypt coins are the second most profitable these days with up to $110 per day and Ethash miners can make up to $105 per day.

Close to 13 years ago when Bitcoin first launched, the cryptocurrency could be mined with a central processing unit (CPU). This means that anyone with a decent computer at the time could mine and find bitcoin (BTC) block rewards. After that phase, people started to leverage devices with specialized electronic circuits called graphics processing units (GPUs).

Today, bitcoin miners utilize application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices to mine BTC. Bitcoin mining rigs dedicate processing power to the SHA256 algorithm and this means a bitcoin ASIC mining device cannot mine coins like ethereum, litecoin, or kadena.

Those networks leverage different consensus algorithms and theres a slew of machines manufactured to mine specific crypto asset networks with unique consensus algorithms. SHA256 is a consensus algorithm used by Bitcoin, but SHA256 miners can also mine coins like bitcoin cash (BCH), bitcoinsv (BSV), peercoin (PPC), and unbreakable (UNB).

SHA256 cryptocurrencies are the fifth most profitable to mine at the end of November 2021. The top four most profitable consensus algorithms to mine today include Kadena, Scrypt, Ethash, and Eaglesong.

A Kadena-based ASIC miner can get up to $326 per day with 18 TH/s at $0.12 per kilowatt hour (kWh), according to asicminervalue.com stats. A Scrypt-based miner with 9.5 gigahash per second (GH/s) can get $110 per day with the same electrical costs.

750 megahash per second (MH/s) ASIC machines mining the algorithm Ethash (ethereum, ethereum classic, pirl) can get up to $52 per day. Eaglesong-based mining rigs that mine nervos (CKB) can get $45 per day with 12 TH/s.

There are also consensus algorithms such as Blake2bsia, X11, Blake256R14, and Equihash. Blake2bsia compatible mining rigs mine sia (SIA) and handshake (HNS), while X11 compatible rigs mine dash (DASH) and cannabiscoin (CANN). Blake256R14 mines decred (DCR) while Equihash-based machines can mine zcash (ZEC), hush (HUSH), and zencash (ZEN).

SHA256 miners mining bitcoin (BTC) with around 100 TH/s at $0.12 per kWh, can get up to $27 per day mining. The top bitcoin miners process at speeds up to 100 TH/s but SHA256 miners with at least 11.5 TH/s can turn a small profit. During the next few months, a number of next-generation miners are slated to launch.

Upcoming mining rig releases that pack a lot more hashpower will be dedicated to consensus algorithms like Ethash and SHA256, according to a few prior announcements. For instance, in July 2022, Bitmain is expected to release the Antminer S19 XP (140 TH/s) and Innosilicons A11 Pro ETH (2,000 MH/s) is reportedly coming soon as well.

What do you think about the top consensus algorithms today and the profits these networks can obtain? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Continue reading here:

Data Shows a Myriad of Crypto Networks Are More Profitable to Mine Than Bitcoin Mining Bitcoin News - Bitcoin News

Bitcoin Hit Another New All-Time High This Month. Why Crypto Investors Should Ignore the Ups and Downs – NextAdvisor

Posted on by

Editorial IndependenceWe want to help you make more informed decisions. Some links on this page clearly marked may take you to a partner website and may result in us earning a referral commission. For more information, see How We Make Money.

Bitcoin hit another new all-time high when it went above $68,000 for the first time on Nov. 10.

While its price has dropped as low as $56,000 since then, Bitcoins latest new record and current price is an impressive feat considering just a year ago the currency hovered around $15,000 per coin. Ethereum the next most popular crypto has seen a recent surge as well, and this month notched another new all-time high of its own above $4,800.

The surge in Bitcoins value in recent weeks follows the much anticipated first Bitcoin ETF debuting on the New York Stock Exchange, and a record-breaking October for the stock market in general.

Despite the new record high, Bitcoin is still a highly volatile and speculative investment. In fact, the last time the crypto saw a record high in mid-April, it abruptly lost over half of its value and plunged to around $30,000 by mid-July.

So what should crypto investors do in light of this latest increase? Nothing, according to the experts weve talked to. Given the cryptos history of volatility, this increase doesnt guarantee a long-term reversal. Bitcoins price is just as likely to fall back down as it is to continue climbing. The price swings are going to keep happening, and experts say theyre something long-term crypto investors will have to continue dealing with.

If youre investing in cryptocurrency, expect volatility to continue. Thats why experts recommend keeping your crypto investments to less than 5% of your total portfolio.

I know these things are super volatile, like some days they can go down 80%, Humphrey Yang, the personal finance expert behind Humphrey Talks, previously told NextAdvisor. But if you believe in the long-term potential of [Bitcoin], just dont check on it. Thats the best thing you can do.

Just like you shouldnt let a price drop influence your decision to buy crypto, dont let a sudden price increase alter your long-term investment strategy. Even more importantly, dont start buying more crypto just because the price is rising. Always make sure your financial bases are covered from your retirement accounts to emergency savings before putting any extra cash into a speculative asset like Bitcoin.

Bitcoins latest big jump also isnt anything new. While in the long-term Bitcoins price has generally gone up, we experience a lot of volatility along the way, says Kiana Danial, founder of Invest Diva.

READ MORE: How Much to Invest in Cryptocurrency, According to 5 Experts

Investors should continue to hold and not worry about the fluctuations, like Danial, who says shes not jumping on the hype.

No matter if crypto is going up or down, the best thing you can do is to not look at it. Set it and forget it like you would any traditional long-term investment account. If you let your emotions get too much into it then you could sell at the wrong time, or you might make the wrong decision, says Yang. You stress out about it, and I dont think thats a healthy way to approach it.

RELATED: Top Crypto News This Week

Read the original here:

Bitcoin Hit Another New All-Time High This Month. Why Crypto Investors Should Ignore the Ups and Downs - NextAdvisor

PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory IMEMC News – International Middle East Media Center

Posted on by

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR): Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian TerritorySummary for November 18 24, 2021

Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-layered violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse, and attacks on civilians, turning the West Bank into isolated blocks of land. Israeli settlers continued their attacks, including shooting and wounding Palestinian civilians; meanwhile, Israeli forces continued its razing and demolishing of Palestinian properties, mainly in Hebron and Jerusalem.

The Israeli settlement expansion works continued on Palestinian lands and properties. Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip enters its 15th year under closure, exacerbating the humanitarian hardships across the territory.

Israeli Forces shooting and violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

Soldiers shot and wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in excessive use of force in the West Bank: 3, including a child, were wounded in two separate incidents of army attacks on protestors in Qalqilia. Two others were wounded, including a journalist, in Ramallah.

In the Gaza Strip, PCHR documented 1 Navy shooting at fishing boats off Khan Younis coast.

Army incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:

Soldiers carried out 113 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this weeks incursions, 73 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 children and 3 women.

In the Gaza Strip, the military conducted 2 limited incursions into (eastern) central and southern besieged Gaza Strip.

Demolitions:

PCHR documented 6 incidents:

Hebron: a house and cemetery razed in Yatta.

Salfit: construction vehicle confiscated in Deir Ballout.

Nablus: a street razed near Asira ash-Shamaliya, northwestern Nablus.

Settler-attacks:

Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:

The Israeli occupation authorities continued its collective punishment measures against the Gaza Strip as the 15-year Israeli closure imposed on the territory deepened the populations humanitarian and living crises, as unemployment has skyrocketed at 45%, i.e. 217,000 able workers are unemployed, 63% of whom are youth.

More than half of the Gaza Strip population suffer in poverty, as the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics data shows that 53% of the Gaza Strip population is poor; meanwhile, more than 62.2% is classified as food insecure, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Additionally, occupation authorities continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the 2000 Second Intifada -still closed to this date- and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest, especially at al-Karama border crossing, alongside the Palestinian-Jordanian border.

Maher Haroun said to PCHRs fieldworker that:

I am a photojournalist and a reporter at Palestine Times Network, and I am studying media at Birzeit University. At approximately 04:45, while I was covering incidents occurred on the main street of Ein Monjed neighborhood, soldiers, during their withdrawal from the neighborhood, directly fired a rubber bullet around my knee, despite wearing the PRESS-marked vest and presenting away from clashes area. When I felt that I was injured, I tried to sit on the ground, because I couldnt walk. It turned out later that I was hit with a rubber bullet below my knee, and I sustained minor wounds. I received treatment on the spot.

In the evening, a protest launched from Abu Ubaidah Bin al-Jarrah Mosque and headed to Abu Shukheidem building. The army heavily fired teargas canisters at houses and shops in the camp. As a result, dozens of residents suffocated due to teargas inhalation.

a. Land razing, Demolitions, and Notices

Rabayah added that he hired a lawyer to follow the case and take the necessary procedures, but due to the outbreak of coronavirus, no decision was taken in this case. He said that he attempted many times to obtain a license or make a settlement to demolish one floor, but the occupation authorities refused. He pointed out that the Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem held 2 hearings relevant to the 2 buildings and issued a demolition decision without informing him as he and his family were surprised with the decision. Around a week ago, the Israeli police ordered him and his brother to self-demolish the buildings and gave them until Wednesday, 24 November 2021, to do so.

Rabayah said that he and his brother refused, as they cannot accept the idea of losing what he has earned for 18 years in minutes. He added the moment the Israeli bulldozers moved into the area to demolish the family houses was the hardest time he experienced in his entire life, especially demolished the houses on the furniture and contents as well as levelling a land planted with trees, which separated the 2 buildings.

It is noteworthy that the Wadi al-Hummus neighborhood extends from Sur Baher village with an area of around 3,000 dunums, and now occupation authorities ban its residents from building on about half of its area, under the pretext of its proximity to the wall that separates the neighborhood from several villages in Bethlehem.

Visit link:

PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory IMEMC News - International Middle East Media Center

How does CBD oil work on the body? – nativenewsonline.net

Posted on by

Details

As mentioned in many articles over the past few years, cannabidiol is a substance extracted from the Cannabis sativa plant grown under organic farming, selecting the species with a low THC content instead to enhance the excellent extract of the plant: CBD.

The CBD oil is obtained by treating the inflorescences from which it is possible to get a natural product, part of the CB1 type, which positively stimulates the human body.

Besides, thanks to the new European and British laws, you can now legally buy and use CBD products and order your product legally online at the best CBD flower shop: JustBob.

Several times, it has been shown that cannabidiol has no psychoactive effects or does not act on the mind, causing psychotropic reactions. Therefore, this substance does not give any addiction, but rather instils tranquility by giving well-being and becoming a good ally for treating various diseases and disorders.

The Cannabis plant already contains a very low percentage of CBD and THC in nature. It was possible to have plants with a higher concentration of cannabinoids thanks to the hybridization between selected species. Therefore, the new hemp contains a high percentage of CBD and a concentration of THC very close to zero. This is the only species that can be grown and sold legally.

THC causes an amplified alteration of the state of anxiety. On the contrary, CBD manages to interact with the serotonin reactor, the happiness hormone. As a result, it gives serenity and well-being to anyone who uses it, reducing anxiety and panic attacks. The simplest method to take CBD is to buy it in the form of oil: only a few drops of this product are enough to regain the lost serenity.

Cannabidiol oil can regulate heartbeat by calming agitation and allowing greater control over negative thinking. In addition, CBD interacts with dopamine neurotransmitters that create well-being and vitality by counteracting depressive symptoms.

Therefore, it can be identified as a natural antidepressant and an excellent aid for the treatment of various addictions, such as, for example, smoking, as it manages to stabilize the mood by counteracting the negative effect given by abstinence.

A migraine attack lasts between 4 and 72 hours. It is much more intense than a regular headache due to, for example, stress or allergy. During a migraine attack, you often have no choice but to go to bed, take pain relievers, and hope it will pass soon.

Pain relievers, however, have the disadvantage of having side effects and often offer only mild relief. In a study of 48 people, 40% of the participants had fewer migraines while taking CBD oil.

Another study of 26 participants found that people who used CBD oil have a better quality of life than those who used pain relievers.

These are just a few small studies; however, it seems helpful to try CBD oil if you suffer from migraines often.

If an acute migraine attack, you can also inhale CBD oil using a vaporizer. Therefore, the active ingredients will almost immediately pass into the blood.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes severe chronic pain in the muscles and connective tissue, and stiffness throughout the body.

Since CBD oil has an analgesic effect, it is not surprising that its consumption is beneficial for some people with fibromyalgia. However, there is still a lack of convincing scientific evidence in this regard.

Many people suffer from sleep disorders. About 10% of the population suffers from chronic insomnia, and 30% will experience it at some point in their life.

Marijuana is well known for helping with sleep disorders. For example, the use of marijuana with high THC values reduces the duration of REM sleep. This is useful in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because one dreams less and has fewer nightmares.

CBD is better suited than THC for insomnia instead.

With CBD, you can enjoy a deeper sleep. Deep sleep is the most crucial phase of sleep: it is the most restorative and calm phase.

User reviews reveal that CBD improves sleep for many people, while others benefit more from THC. Again, it's a matter of proving what's suitable for yourself. However, although THC can solve short-term sleep disturbances, THC has affected long term sleep quality.

CBD oil has virtually no side effects. It does not carry a risk of addiction and has no psychoactive effects.

Based on clinical studies conducted in 2010, researchers concluded that CBD can be used safely and is well tolerated. However, consuming CBD oil does cause side effects in some people. Here are these side effects:

- nausea- sleep disorders- irritability- oral dryness- hypotension- slowing of digestion- dizziness- hallucinations- drowsiness- mood swings

Too high a dose of CBD oil increases the risk of side effects. In addition, if CBD oil is not pure (and contains THC), there is a risk of experiencing side effects, including hallucinations. Changing CBD oil can be a solution.

Some CBD oils have relatively high concentrations of THC.

However, in the UK, CBD products are prohibited if they contain higher levels of THC and if they are not obtained from authorized plants.

So, make sure only to buy the best CBD oil at JustBob.shop, and you will have the best CBD products online at the best price!

DISCLAIMER: Branded Voices features paid content from our marketing partners. Articles are not created by Native News Online staff. The views and opinions expressed in the Branded Voices are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Native News Online or its ownership. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

Read the rest here:

How does CBD oil work on the body? - nativenewsonline.net

Claudia Winkleman health: Strictly host confesses ‘I’m doing the wrong job’ due to health – Daily Express

Posted on by

The bubbly and sarcastic presenter joined the BBC One dancing show back in 2004 but, even after 17 years, the star says that nerves get the better of her.is not helped by the fact that the star can barely read an autocue. In a past interview, Claudia revealed that it was thanks to daily use of CBD oil that she is able to conquer her nerves and sleep easy.

Addressing her sleep issues to The Sun, Claudia said: If you ever see Tess doing the show wearing something with a big sleeve, it is because I have hurt her arm where I have squeezed it because I am so nervous.

I cant do that right now, but I do get really scared.

Not because I think I am doing anything important I am not in scrubs holding a scalpel it is just because I dont want to let this magical team, which is what they are, down.

In live TV, we are tiny cogs and if you go off-piste and talk too long then you mess it up for everybody.

READ MORE:Alzheimer's disease: The vitamin deficency found in 70% of patients

In addition to her nerves, Claudia has to battle with her deteriorating eyesight, something which she has said is utterly embarrassing.

Addressing her poor eyesight she said: I can't even begin to tell you how blind I am. It's embarrassing. I can't read the autocue.

My eyes have deteriorated so badly, I'm not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job.

In order to salvage what was left of her sight, Claudia booked an appointment at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, which turned out to be one of the best decisions she could have possibly made, as she quickly got laser eye surgery.

Sticking to form, Claudia became extremely nervous about the surgery, quizzing doctors about all the possible side effects.

Claudia said: I booked into the doctor and he explained how they are going to do it. I had to ask him a few questions like, 'Am I going to die?' - to which he laughed at me - and, 'Could my eye pop out and roll?' He replied, 'You're quite highly strung yet hilarious.'

I handed over my credit card. He gave me an enormous thing and said you have to read that. I said I can't.

It was a frightening time but the operation was life-changing.

I am so grateful to the fantastic staff at Moorfields [Hospital], she added.

With her eyesight sorted, Claudia then set about tackling her sleep deprivation. Talking to The Mirror, Claudia explained that it was the coronavirus lockdown that didnt help her sleep schedule.

In lockdown, suddenly everyone was home. I wasnt napping, I was jangly and not my usual self, she explains.

After months of suffering, Claudia suddenly found solace in a shocking product - cannabis.

In fact, the star loved the products so much that she became an ambassador.It is important to note that the star takes a non-intoxicating compound of cannabis in capsule form, known as CBD.

Until lockdown, I hadnt even really heard of CBD, she says. Dont ask me anything sciencey [sic] because I have no idea, but it works for me.

My clever, brilliant cousin Sara sent me these Cannaray CBD capsules to try. I would take two every night and within a week I felt much more on an even keel. Ive never slept like it. Its not just a nap in the day now, its a super-nap. CBD has become part of my regime in the same way I brush my teeth.

According to Healthline, CBD has multiple health benefits including relieving pain and reducing anxiety and depression.

Studies have shown that CBD reduces chronic pain by impacting what is known as endocannabinoid receptors. As well as this, it is reported that CBD reduces inflammation and interacts with neurotransmitters to ease conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

See the article here:

Claudia Winkleman health: Strictly host confesses 'I'm doing the wrong job' due to health - Daily Express