dsPIC33CK64MC105 Motor Control Plug-In Module (PIM) Information Sheet for External Op Amp Configuration

dsPIC33CK64MC105 Motor Control Plug-In Module (PIM) Information Sheet for Internal Op Amp Configuration

ISLAMABAD: As many as 1.6 billion of the world’s 2bn informal economy workers are affected by Covid-19 lockdown and containment measures, a new briefing paper issued by the International Labour Organi­sation (ILO) said.

Most are working in the hardest-hit sectors or in small units more vulnerable to shocks including workers in accommodation and food services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and the more than 500 million farmers producing for the urban market, the report says. Women are particularly affected in high-risk sectors, it adds.

The Covid-19 lockdown and containment measures threaten to increase relative poverty levels among the world’s informal economy workers by as much as 56 percentage points in low-income countries.

In high-income countries, relative poverty levels among informal workers is estimated to increase by 52 percentage points, while in upper middle-income countries the increase is estimated to be 21 percentage points.

In addition, with these workers needing to work to feed their families, Covid-19 containment measures in many countries cannot be implemented successfully. This is endangering governments’ efforts to protect the population and fight the pandemic. It may become a source of social tension in countries with large informal economies, the report says.

More than 75 per cent of total informal employment takes place in businesses of fewer than ten workers, including 45pc of independent workers without employees.

With most informal workers having no other means of support, they face an almost unsolvable dilemma: to die from hunger or from the virus, the briefing says. This has been exacerbated by disruptions in food supplies, which has particularly affected those in the informal economy.

For the world’s 67 million domestic workers, 75pc of whom are informal workers, unemployment has become as threatening as the virus itself. Many have not been able to work, whether at the request of their employers or in compliance with lockdowns. Those who do continue to go to work face a high risk of contagion, caring for families in private households. For the 11 million migrant domestic workers the situation is even worse.

The countries with the largest informal economies, where full lockdowns have been adopted, are suffering the most from the consequences of the pandemic. Informal economy workers significantly impacted by lockdown vary from 89pc in Latin America and the Arab states to 83pc in Africa, 73pc in Asia and the Pacific, and 64pc in Europe and Central Asia.

Countries need to follow a multi-track strategy that combines several lines of actions relating to both the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, the ILO said.

Among its recommendations, the report highlights the need for policies that reduce the exposure of informal workers to the virus; ensure that those infected have access to health care; provide income and food support to individuals and their families; and prevent damage to the economic fabric of countries.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020

SSD1963 LCD Controller Graphics Card Information Sheet

BANGALORE: When Sameer Rana was looking for a dream property last month, he was spoilt for options in the real estate market. Yet, the 44-year-old investment banker was not sure whether he had all the information to spend Rs 2 crore on an apartment. “Is the area safe? Are the nearby schools good? Will the builder give possession of the house on time? All such questions plundered my mind and I did not have the time to go through every property myself to decide,” Rana said, adding, “Brokers could not be trusted.” But now online start-ups, including Housing-.com, PropTiger, and CommonFloor, are setting up their own teams, data science labs […]

Physicists are finally getting their heads round what information truly is – and using it to gain new insights into life, the universe and, well… everything

Physicists are finally getting their heads round what information truly is – and using it to gain new insights into life, the universe and, well… everything

PMC has released expanded information about its selection process for journals that apply for participation. The current review process has been in place since November 2014 and focuses on the scientific rigor and editorial quality of each journal that applies to participate in PMC. Some of the attributes taken into account as part of this process include the article content, journal policies, language quality, and presentation of content. The same assessment considerations are used for reevaluation of currently participating journals. We encourage you to visit the Journal Selection for PMC page to learn more.

Publishers and journals interested in submitting an application to PMC are also encouraged to review our updated policies on agreement types. These policies provide the eligibility criteria for each type of participation agreement and should be considered alongside the pre-application requirements.

We hope these updates are informative and look forward to hearing your feedback.

Machine-readability of scholarly outputs is critical to supporting large-scale analysis of the scientific literature. To that end, PMC’s Tagging Guidelines and internal processes have been updated to support the JATS4R recommendations for tagging clinical trial information. NLM encourages PMC-participating publishers, journals, and data providers to review this guidance. Please contact us at pubmedcentral@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov if you have any questions.

Changes in U.S. health care delivery systems and Commission on Dental Accreditation standards provide impetus for interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice, but roadmaps for engaging dental and dental hygiene faculty to incorporate IPE in a systematic manner are limited. The purpose of this report is to describe the process for creating a strategy and gathering a variety of baseline data to use for determining objectives and metrics and the subsequent development of an IPE strategic plan at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry (SOD). SOD IPE committee members included representation from the UNC Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Business. A three-phase framework was developed. Phase 1 (IPE assessment) was an internal environmental scan including a 2017 faculty survey, departmental mapping of IPE activities, comparison of UNC with national results on the IPE component of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) survey of dental school seniors (2016 graduating class), identification of faculty joint/adjunct appointments at other UNC schools, and a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis. Phase 2 (visioning) consisted of development of IPE mission, vision, and priorities. In Phase 3 (implementation), priorities were developed. Data-gathering led to a strategic plan with three objectives: 1) increase faculty engagement and recognition, 2) develop predoctoral dentistry and dental hygiene IPE curricula, and 3) develop an infrastructure that supports IPE. Specific initiatives and activities, supporting metrics, and estimated costs were developed for each objective. The framework guided a systematic, transparent, and organized process for collecting and monitoring the evidence and directing activities. A three-year strategic plan for IPE was developed in 2017, and implementation is ongoing.

Studies of the former NE England coalfield in Tyneside demonstrated that heat flow perturbations in boreholes were due to the entrainment and lateral dispersion of heat from deeper in the subsurface through flooded mine workings. This work assesses the influence of historical mining on geothermal observations across Greater Glasgow. The regional heat flow for Glasgow is 60 mW m^–2 and, after correction for palaeoclimate, is estimated as c. 80 mW m^–2. An example of reduced heat flow above mine workings is observed at Hallside (c. 10 km SE of Glasgow), where the heat flow through a 352 m deep borehole is c. 14 mW m^–2. Similarly, the heat flow across the 199 m deep GGC01 borehole in the Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site is c. 44 mW m^–2. The differences between these values and the expected regional heat flow suggest a significant component of horizontal heat flow into surrounding flooded mine workings. This deduction also influences the quantification of deeper geothermal resources, as extrapolation of the temperature gradient above mine workings would underestimate the temperature at depth. Future projects should consider the influence of historical mining on heat flow when temperature datasets such as these are used in the design of geothermal developments.

Supplementary material: Background information on the chronology of historical mining at each borehole location and a summary of groundwater flow in mine workings beneath Glasgow are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4681100

Thematic collection: This article is part of the ‘Early Career Research’ available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research

Dr. Sethi raises an excellent point about the term functional neurologic disorder (FND) in his comment on the editorial.¹ It seems clear that reticence to use the term functional creates the ambiguity he mentions. Medically unexplained symptoms, categorized in the international classification of diseases as undifferentiated somatoform disorders, are a diagnosis that many providers are loathed to give. Whether that is because of concern about missing a diagnosis is not clear. Having evaluated and treated more than 400 of these individuals in the FND clinic at the University of Colorado, I can attest to the fact that patients arrive confused about their diagnosis. Multiple incorrect diagnoses, as Dr. Sethi points out, pack the medical histories of patients with FND, leading doctors and patients astray. I believe that the commentary by Perez et al.² gives us the best chance for a way forward, by teaching a new generation of residents and fellows how to approach patients in a nonjudgmental and open-minded fashion. It took 30 years to add Functional Neurologic Disorder to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, and it is still parenthetical to the term Conversion.³ Stripping the diagnosis of FND of its stigma and empowering care providers to rule in functional disorders is an actionable step which should be taken.

I read with interest the editorial by Strom¹ about functional neurologic disorders (FNDs). As a treating physician, I have struggled with the multiple diagnostic labels attached to these patients by physicians of different medical specialties during the course of their clinical disease presentation. A neurologist may assign a patient who presents with chronic fatigue the diagnostic labels of narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, or chronic Lyme disease. A rheumatologist may assign the label of collagen vascular disease, and a psychiatrist may diagnose depression. This diagnostic ambiguity is troublesome for patients and clinicians alike. I contend that even the term FND needs to be revisited. A patient should be broadly labeled as having a functional disorder and only after characterization sublabeled and referred to an appropriate specialty physician.

BACKGROUND:

Although autodialer centralized reminder and recall (C-R/R) from state immunization information systems (IISs) has been shown to raise childhood vaccination rates, its impact on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates is unclear.

METHODS:

In a 4-arm pragmatic randomized controlled trial across 2 states, we randomly selected practices representative of the specialty (pediatrics, family medicine, and health center) where children received care. Within each practice, patients 11 to 17.9 years old who had not completed their HPV vaccine series (NY: N = 30 616 in 123 practices; CO: N = 31 502 in 80 practices) were randomly assigned to receive 0, 1, 2, or 3 IIS C-R/R autodialer messages per vaccine dose. We assessed HPV vaccine receipt via the IIS, calculated intervention costs, and compared HPV vaccine series initiation and completion rates across study arms.

RESULTS:

In New York, HPV vaccine initiation rates ranged from 37.0% to 37.4%, and completion rates were between 29.1% and 30.1%, with no significant differences across study arms. In Colorado, HPV vaccine initiation rates ranged from 31.2% to 33.5% and were slightly higher for 1 reminder compared with none, but vaccine completion rates, ranging from 27.0% to 27.8%, were similar. On adjusted analyses in Colorado, vaccine initiation rates were slightly higher for 1 and 3 C-R/R messages (adjusted risk ratios 1.07 and 1.04, respectively); completion rates were slightly higher for 1 and 3 C-R/R messages (adjusted risk ratios 1.02 and 1.03, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

IIS-based C-R/R for HPV vaccination did not improve HPV vaccination rates in New York and increased vaccination rates slightly in Colorado.

The importance of noncoding RNA sequences has become increasingly clear over the past decade. New RNA families are often detected and analyzed using comparative methods based on multiple sequence alignments. Accordingly, a number of programs have been developed for aligning and deriving secondary structures from sets of RNA sequences. Yet, the best tools for these tasks remain unclear because existing benchmarks contain too few sequences belonging to only a small number of RNA families. RNAconTest (RNA consistency test) is a new benchmarking approach relying on the observation that secondary structure is often conserved across highly divergent RNA sequences from the same family. RNAconTest scores multiple sequence alignments based on the level of consistency among known secondary structures belonging to reference sequences in their output alignment. Similarly, consensus secondary structure predictions are scored according to their agreement with one or more known structures in a family. Comparing the performance of 10 popular alignment programs using RNAconTest revealed that DAFS, DECIPHER, LocARNA, and MAFFT created the most structurally consistent alignments. The best consensus secondary structure predictions were generated by DAFS and LocARNA (via RNAalifold). Many of the methods specific to noncoding RNAs exhibited poor scalability as the number or length of input sequences increased, and several programs displayed substantial declines in score as more sequences were aligned. Overall, RNAconTest provides a means of testing and improving tools for comparative RNA analysis, as well as highlighting the best available approaches. RNAconTest is available from the DECIPHER website (http://DECIPHER.codes/Downloads.html).

Genome-wide association studies have implicated thousands of noncoding variants across common human phenotypes. However, they cannot directly inform the cellular context in which disease-associated variants act. Here, we use open chromatin profiles from discrete mouse cell populations to address this challenge. We applied stratified linkage disequilibrium score regression and evaluated heritability enrichment in 64 genome-wide association studies, emphasizing schizophrenia. We provide evidence that mouse-derived human open chromatin profiles can serve as powerful proxies for difficult to obtain human cell populations, facilitating the illumination of common disease heritability enrichment across an array of human phenotypes. We demonstrate that signatures from discrete subpopulations of cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons are significantly enriched for schizophrenia heritability with maximal enrichment in cortical layer V excitatory neurons. We also show that differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are concentrated in excitatory neurons in cortical layers II-III, IV, and V, as well as the dentate gyrus. Finally, we leverage these data to fine-map variants in 177 schizophrenia loci nominating variants in 104/177. We integrate these data with transcription factor binding site, chromatin interaction, and validated enhancer data, placing variants in the cellular context where they may modulate risk.

Background

Advances in information communications technology (ICT) provide opportunities for enhanced diabetes care. Knowledge of the more acceptable communication modalities in patients of different ages will help to inform the direction of future innovations.

Methods

An anonymous ICT survey (examining access and use of mobile phones, computers, tablets, and the Internet and attitudes toward e-mail, Web-based consultations, and online peer-support) was conducted at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Diabetes Centre in Sydney, Australia. Survey deployment occurred during 4-month periods in 2012 and 2017. Respondents were stratified by current age (<40 or ≥40 years).

Results

A total of 614 unselected patients (20% with type 1 diabetes, 55% with type 2 diabetes, 13% with gestational diabetes mellitus, and 12% with an undisclosed type of diabetes) completed the survey. Access to ICT increased from 89% in 2012 to 97% in 2017. The most commonly owned device was a mobile phone (87% ownership in 2017). Increase in mobile Internet usage in the <40 years of age subgroup was significant (P = 0.04). Significant increases in Internet access and smartphone feature use were observed in patients aged ≥40 years (P ≤0.001 for all). Overall use of short message service (SMS, or text messaging) was high (90 and 80% for ages <40 and ≥40 years, respectively). Use of digital applications was low, even among the young (45% in 2017). Comfort with online consultations (40%) and support groups (32%) was also low.

Conclusion

Access to and acceptance and use of ICT is high, especially in those <40 years of age; however, the greatest increases were seen in those aged ≥40 years. High penetrance of mobile phones and text messaging in all age-groups would suggest that innovations involving an SMS platform have the greatest potential to enhance diabetes care.

ABSTRACTBackground:Some opportunities to routinely capture and improve respectful maternity care (RMC) during facility-based childbirth include quality improvement (QI) initiatives, community-based monitoring efforts through community score cards (CSC), and performance-based financing (PBF) initiatives. But there is limited guidance on which types of RMC indicators are best suited for inclusion in these initiatives. We sought to provide practical evidence-based recommendations on indicators that may be used for routine measurement of RMC in programs.Methods:We used a rapid review approach, which included (1) reviewing existing documents and publications to extract RMC indicators and identify which have or can be used in facility-based QI, CSCs, and PBF schemes; (2) surveying RMC and maternal health experts to rank indicators, and (3) analyzing survey data to select the most recommended indicators.Results:We identified 49 indicators spanning several domains of RMC and mistreatment including dignified/nondignified care, verbal and physical abuse, privacy/confidentiality, autonomy/loss of autonomy, supportive care/lack thereof, communication, stigma, discrimination, trust, facility environment/culture, responsiveness, and nonevidence-based care. Based on the analysis of the survey data, we recommend 33 indicators (between 2 and 6 indicators for each RMC domain) that may be suited for incorporation in both facility-based QI and CSC-related monitoring efforts.Conclusion:Integrating RMC indicators into QI and CSC initiatives, as well as in other maternal and neonatal health programs, could help improve RMC at the facility and community level. More research is needed into whether RMC can be integrated into PBF initiatives. Integration of RMC indicators into programs to improve quality of care and other health system outcomes will facilitate routine monitoring and accountability around experience of care. Measurement and improvement of women's experiences will increase maternal health service utilization and improve quality of care as a means of reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

BackgroundUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections managed in general practice. Many women with symptoms of uncomplicated UTI may not benefit meaningfully from antibiotic treatment, but the evidence base is complex and there is no suitable shared decision-making resource to guide antibiotic treatment and symptomatic care for use in general practice consultations.AimTo develop an evidence-based, shared decision-making intervention leaflet to optimise management of uncomplicated UTI for women aged <65 years in the primary care setting.Design and settingQualitative telephone interviews with GPs and patient focus group interviews.MethodIn-depth interviews were conducted to explore how consultation discussions around diagnosis, antibiotic use, self-care, safety netting, and prevention of UTI could be improved. Interview schedules were based on the Theoretical Domains Framework.ResultsBarriers to an effective joint consultation and appropriate prescribing included: lack of GP time, misunderstanding of depth of knowledge and miscommunication between the patient and the GP, nature of the consults (such as telephone consultations), and a history of previous antibiotic therapy.ConclusionConsultation time pressures combined with late symptom presentation are a challenge for even the most experienced of GPs: however, it is clear that enhanced patient–clinician shared decision making is urgently required when it comes to UTIs. This communication should incorporate the provision of self-care, safety netting, and preventive advice to help guide patients when to consult. A shared decision-making information leaflet was iteratively co-produced with patients, clinicians, and researchers at Public Health England using study data.

Background:

Historically, some chiropractors have been critical of vaccination, and this has been the subject of recent media attention in Canada. We explored the association between media attention and public dissemination of vaccination information on Canadian chiropractors’ websites.

Methods:

In 2016, we identified all Canadian chiropractors’ websites that provided information on vaccination by extracting details from the regulatory college website for each province using the search engine on their "find a chiropractor" page. We assessed the quality of information using the Web Resource Rating Tool (scores range from 0% [worst] to 100% [best]), determined whether vaccination was portrayed in a positive, neutral or negative manner, and conducted thematic analysis of vaccination content. We revisited all identified websites in 2019 to explore for changes to posted vaccination material.

Results:

In July 2016, of 3733 chiropractic websites identified, 94 unique websites provided information on vaccination: 59 (63%) gave negative messaging, 19 (20%) were neutral and 16 (17%) were positive. The quality of vaccination content on the websites was generally poor, with a median Web Resource Rating Tool score of 19%. We identified 4 main themes: there are alternatives to vaccination, vaccines are harmful, evidence regarding vaccination and health policy regarding vaccination. From 2012 to 2016, there was 1 Canadian newspaper story concerning antivaccination statements by chiropractors, whereas 51 news articles were published on this topic between 2017 and 2019. In April 2019, 45 (48%) of the 94 websites we had identified in 2016 had removed all vaccination content or had been discontinued.

Interpretation:

In 2016, a minority of Canadian chiropractors provided vaccination information on their websites, the majority of which portrayed vaccination negatively. After substantial national media attention, about half of all vaccination material on chiropractors’ websites was removed within several years.

Background:

We assessed the ability to supplement existing epidemiologic/etiologic studies with data on treatment and clinical outcomes by linking to publicly available cancer registry and administrative databases.

Methods:

Medical records were retrieved and abstracted for cases enrolled in a Los Angeles County case–control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Cases were linked to the Los Angeles County cancer registry (CSP), the California state hospitalization discharge database (OSHPD), and the SEER-Medicare database. We assessed sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of cancer treatment in linked databases, compared with medical record abstraction.

Results:

We successfully retrieved medical records for 918 of 1,004 participating NHL cases and abstracted treatment for 698. We linked 59% of cases (96% of cases >65 years old) to SEER-Medicare and 96% to OSHPD. Chemotherapy was the most common treatment and best captured, with the highest sensitivity in SEER-Medicare (80%) and CSP (74%); combining all three data sources together increased sensitivity (92%), at reduced specificity (56%). Sensitivity for radiotherapy was moderate: 77% with aggregated data. Sensitivity of BMT was low in the CSP (42%), but high for the administrative databases, especially OSHPD (98%). Sensitivity for surgery reached 83% when considering all three datasets in aggregate, but PPV was 60%. In general, sensitivity and PPV for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma were low.

Conclusions:

Chemotherapy was accurately captured by all data sources. Hospitalization data yielded the highest performance values for BMTs. Performance measures for radiotherapy and surgery were moderate.

Impact:

Various administrative databases can supplement epidemiologic studies, depending on treatment type and NHL subtype of interest.

VINHOMES GOLDEN RIVER - SERVICED APARTMENT The apartments are full modern furniture very neat and clean, well decorated Location 2: 2 Ton Duc Thang street, District 1 Special prices only available this month. Has balcony, bathtub, kitchen, TV, bed, fridge, sofa. High-quality wo...

Publisher 2K Games and The Golf Club developer HB Studios have announced PGA Tour 2K21 and released a teaser trailer for the game. 

Platforms and a release date were not announced, however, more information on the game will be released on May 14. Visit the official website here.

View the teaser trailer below:

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/443403/pga-tour-2k21-announced-more-information-coming-may-14/

Microsoft's AI could enable its popular chatbot to comment on news, but critics see a tool for spreading disinformation

Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday put a temporary hold on the release of secret materials from former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to a Democrat-led House committee.

The order stops the clock on a lower court's ruling requiring the Justice Department to turn over confidential grand jury materials underlying ...

False information about the pandemic is rampant; here’s how experts say you can identify what news to trust and what might be faulty

Coronavirus: the symptoms Read our LIVE updates on the coronavirus here

Key questions about furlough answered by David Barzilay from tax, accounting and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg

Half of those reading about coronavirus in the UK have come across false or misleading information, a watchdog has warned.

"Deepfakes" have received a lot of attention as a way to potentially spread misleading or false information and influence public opinion. But two specialists say that might not be a huge concern.

Peer review moves to Twitter, muddling public health information.

Posts from high-profile accounts tout questionable virus therapies and cures.

First and last names, email addresses, gender and sexual orientation, and credit card information of models and users was left on an insecure server

 

The officials deciding what to open, and when, seldom offer thoughtful rationales. Clearly, risk communication about COVID-19 is failing with potentially dire consequences.Photograph by michael_swan / Flickr

When I worked as a TV reporter covering health and science, I would often be recognized in public places. For the most part, the interactions were brief hellos or compliments. Two periods of time stand out when significant numbers of those who approached me were seeking detailed information: the earliest days of the pandemic that became HIV/AIDS and during the anthrax attacks shortly following 9/11. Clearly people feared for their own safety and felt their usual sources of information were not offering them satisfaction. Citizens’ motivation to seek advice when they feel they aren’t getting it from official sources is a strong indication that risk communication is doing a substandard job. It’s significant that one occurred in the pre-Internet era and one after. We can’t blame a public feeling misinformed solely on the noise of the digital age.

America is now opening up from COVID-19 lockdown with different rules in different places. In many parts of the country, people have been demonstrating, even rioting, for restrictions to be lifted sooner. Others are terrified of loosening the restrictions because they see COVID-19 cases and deaths still rising daily. The officials deciding what to open, and when, seldom offer thoughtful rationales. Clearly, risk communication about COVID-19 is failing with potentially dire consequences.

A big part of maintaining credibility is to admit to uncertainty—something politicians are loath to do.

Peter Sandman is a foremost expert on risk communication. A former professor at Rutgers University, he was a top consultant with the Centers for Disease Control in designing crisis and emergency risk-communication, a field of study that combines public health with psychology. Sandman is known for the formula Risk = Hazard + Outrage. His goal is to create better communication about risk, allowing people to assess hazards and not get caught up in outrage at politicians, public health officials, or the media. Today, Sandman is a risk consultant, teamed with his wife, Jody Lanard, a pediatrician and psychiatrist. Lanard wrote the first draft of the World Health Organization’s Outbreak Communications Guidelines. “Jody and Peter are seen as the umpires to judge the gold standard of risk communications,” said Michael Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Sandman and Lanard have posted a guide for effective COVID-19 communication on the center’s website.

I reached out to Sandman to expand on their advice. We communicated through email.

Sandman began by saying he understood the protests around the country about the lockdown. “It’s very hard to warn people to abide by social-distancing measures when they’re so outraged that they want to kill somebody and trust absolutely nothing people say,” he told me. “COVID-19 outrage taps into preexisting grievances and ideologies. It’s not just about COVID-19 policies. It’s about freedom, equality, too much or too little government. It’s about the arrogance of egghead experts, left versus right, globalism versus nationalism versus federalism. And it’s endlessly, pointlessly about Donald Trump.”

Since the crisis began, Sandman has isolated three categories of grievance. He spelled them out for me, assuming the voices of the outraged:

• “In parts of the country, the response to COVID-19 was delayed and weak; officials unwisely prioritized ‘allaying panic’ instead of allaying the spread of the virus; lockdown then became necessary, not because it was inevitable but because our leaders had screwed up; and now we’re very worried about coming out of lockdown prematurely or chaotically, mishandling the next phase of the pandemic as badly as we handled the first phase.”

• “In parts of the country, the response to COVID-19 was excessive—as if the big cities on the two coasts were the whole country and flyover America didn’t need or didn’t deserve a separate set of policies. There are countless rural counties with zero confirmed cases. Much of the U.S. public-health profession assumes and even asserts without building an evidence-based case that these places, too, needed to be locked down and now need to reopen carefully, cautiously, slowly, and not until they have lots of testing and contact-tracing capacity. How dare they destroy our economy (too) just because of their mishandled outbreak!”

• “Once again the powers-that-be have done more to protect other people’s health than to protect my health. And once again the powers-that-be have done more to protect other people’s economic welfare than to protect my economic welfare!” (These claims can be made with considerable truth by healthcare workers; essential workers in low-income, high-touch occupations; residents of nursing homes; African-Americans; renters who risk eviction; the retired whose savings are threatened; and others.)

In their article for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Sandman and Lanard point out that coping with a pandemic requires a thorough plan of communication. This is particularly important as the crisis is likely to enter a second wave of infection, when it could be more devastating. The plan starts with six core principles: 1) Don’t over-reassure, 2) Proclaim uncertainty, 3) Validate emotions—your audience’s and your own, 4) Give people things to do, 5) Admit and apologize for errors, and 6) Share dilemmas. To achieve the first three core principles, officials must immediately share what they know, even if the information may be incomplete. If officials share good news, they must be careful not to make it too hopeful. Over-reassurance is one of the biggest dangers in crisis communication. Sandman and Lanard suggest officials say things like, “Even though the number of new confirmed cases went down yesterday, I don’t want to put too much faith in one day’s good news.” 

Sandman and Lanard say a big part of maintaining credibility is to admit to uncertainty—something politicians are loath to do. They caution against invoking “science” as a sole reason for action, as science in the midst of a crisis is “incremental, fallible, and still in its infancy.” Expressing empathy, provided it’s genuine, is important, Sandman and Lanard say. It makes the bearer more human and believable. A major tool of empathy is to acknowledge the public’s fear as well as your own. There is good reason to be terrified about this virus and its consequences on society. It’s not something to hide.

Sandman and Lanard say current grievances with politicians, health officials, and the media, about how the crisis has been portrayed, have indeed been contradictory. But that makes them no less valid. Denying the contradictions only amplifies divisions in the public and accelerates the outrage, possibly beyond control. They strongly emphasize one piece of advice. “Before we can share the dilemma of how best to manage any loosening of the lockdown, we must decisively—and apologetically—disabuse the public of the myth that, barring a miracle, the COVID-19 pandemic can possibly be nearing its end in the next few months.”

Robert Bazell is an adjunct professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Yale. For 38 years, he was chief science correspondent for NBC News.

Read More…

During this pandemic, fake news has spread as fast as the virus itself. Amelia Heathman investigates why

"Do not sell my info" links popped up on websites New Year's Day as companies scrambled to comply with California's sweeping new consumer privacy protection law.

With so much false information circulating about the coronavirus outbreak, health officials are trying to set the record straight. Here's why that can backfire.

San Francisco (AFP) April 28, 2020
YouTube on Tuesday began adding fact-check panels to search results in the US for videos on hot-topic claims shown to be bogus. The Google-owned video streaming service said it is expanding to the US a fact-check information panel feature launched last year in Brazil and India. Fact-check information panels highlight credible findings by third-parties so YouTube viewers can make informed

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) is closely monitoring the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and is working diligently to address the VC industry’s needs and provide resources that aim to help firms and portfolio companies during this challenging time. This webpage provides important information and resources to venture-backed companies about the federal response to COVID-19, including tax credits, loan opportunities, and sick leave. NVCA will update this information as it becomes available.

Keep on reading: Coronavirus Information and Resources for VCs and Startups

In addition to tracing the early history of the Missouri and New York suits, we explain how these lawsuits are being used as conduits for misinformation.

The post Lawsuits as Conduits for Misinformation During COVID-19 appeared first on Bill of Health.

RESCHEDULED: This event has been rescheduled for November 11-13, 2020. Click here to learn more.

---

Informa Connect-CBI’s Patient Support Services Congress
June 16-18, 2020 | The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village | Princeton, NJ
www.informaconnect.com/patient-support-services-congress

Informa Connect-CBI’s Patient Support Services Congress is a comprehensive meeting for insightful and engaging dialogue around navigating compliance hurdles while strengthening and innovating patient-oriented programs.

Visit www.informaconnect.com/patient-support-services-congress for more information. Drug Channels readers will save $500 off the standard registration rate when they use code BNP667*.

Download the agenda here and see in-depth coverage on industry trends and next-generation patient services, such as:

• Critical Regulatory Updates and Effective Strategies for Monitoring & Oversight
• Novel Approaches to Services, Program Architecture and Operational Management
• The pros and cons of different support service models
• Measuring the Success of Patient Support Programs
• Innovation, AI, Changing Distribution Models and Market Mergers
• Transparency with Charitable Organizations

Create Your Own Customized Learning Experience for 2020!

Choose from Two In-Depth Tracks

• Legal and Compliance
• Innovation and Operations

Plus! Four Tailored Summits

• Summit A: Patient Adherence – Educate, Engage and Collaborate to Enhance Outcomes
• Summit B: Case Management for Novel and Innovative Therapies
• Summit C: Strategic Planning for Product Launch
• Summit D: Primer Course for Partnering with Patients

Leading Perspectives from Industry Trendsetters:

• Robert Britting, Director, Patient Services and Strategic Solutions, Teva Pharmaceuticals
• Stella Vnook, Chief Executive Officer, Diverse Biotech
• Katherine Chaurette, Vice President healthcare Law and Compliance, Blueprint Medicines
• Kimberly Goldberg, Director, U.S Data Privacy Counsel, Novartis
• Imtiaz Hussain, Senior Director, Patient Services, Bayer
• Cory Potomis, Associate Director, Ethics & Compliance Operations, Novo Nordisk, Inc.
• And so many more!

Visit www.informaconnect.com/patient-support-services-congress for more information. Drug Channels readers will save $500 off the standard registration rate when they use code BNP667*.

*Offer applies to standard rates only and may not be combined with other offers, category rates, promotions or applied to an existing registration. Offer not valid on workshop only or academic/non-profit registrations.

---

The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

Informa Connect-CBI’s 22nd Annual Medicaid and Government Pricing Congress
May 19-21, 2020 | Orlando, FL
www.cbinet.com/medicaidandgovernment

Exclusive Offer: Register by April 10th and save $500* (mention promo code MDCDC5).

With a volatile healthcare system combined with an election year upon us, the stakes are incredibly high for life sciences manufacturers. Staying on the pulse of industry trends, policies and regulations has never been more critical. The 22nd Annual Medicaid and Government Pricing Congress delivers critical updates and industry best practices to effectively contract, report and comply with state and federal healthcare programs. Gain timely, up-to-the-minute insights on:

• State Invoicing and Disputes
• GTN Models
• Innovative Contracting Strategies
• State Price Transparency and Reporting Requirements
• 340B Oversight and Compliance
• Preparing, Negotiating and Implementing FSS Contracts
• Bona Fide Service Fees and FMV
• And many other critical topics

Download the complete program agenda.

The 2020 agenda features 75+ speakers and 50+ sessions customizable by company type and size, as well as 10 hours of dedicated networking. Bio/pharma, regulatory and government experts representing HHS, Pfizer, Daiichi Sankyo, Sobi, Maryland Department of Health, BMS, Jazz, Novartis, Amneal, J&J, Sunovion, Gilead, VA, Granard, Insmed, UCB, Alnylam, Louisiana Department of Health, AstraZeneca, CMS, CSL Behring, Astellas, Lilly, Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, Theravance, Indivior, Sandoz, Alvogen, Takeda, OIG, AMAG, Aimmune, Exelixis, South Dakota Department of Healthcare Services, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Teva and many others are set to drive the dynamic dialogue.

Drug Channels readers can register today and use promo code MDCDC5 to save $500.

*Discount offer valid through 4/10/2020; applies to standard rates only and may not be combined with other offers, categories, promotions or applied to an existing registration. Offer not valid on workshop-only or non-profit registrations.

---

The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and other federal officials announced that Hassan Abu-Jihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, to foster increased communication between participating agencies at the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Fusion Center and the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2).

James Wilbur Fondren Jr., was convicted by a federal jury today on charges involving providing classified information to a man working with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and lying to the FBI about it.

"We at the Department are especially committed to encouraging compliance with the Act and to fulfilling President Obama's goal of making this Administration the most open and transparent in history."

Attorney General Holder and Secretary Janet Napolitano announced two major steps in their efforts to implement reforms to enhance information sharing among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and safeguard sensitive information used by the government—designed to expand joint capabilities to protect the United States from terrorist activity, violent crime and other threats to the homeland.