Photo: Oasisamuel (Shutterstock)

In addition to the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines currently approved in the US, several other vaccines are used in other countries. One of them, the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, has not yet been approved in the US and has been the subject of controversy. Here is an overview of what we know.

How is this vaccine different from the others we have?

The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine uses an adenovirus (related to one of the viruses that cause the common cold) to carry a piece of DNA that encodes instructions for the coronavirus spike protein. Our cells use this DNA to make the protein, and then our immune system recognizes the protein as an invader and makes antibodies that can recognize and fight the virus. This is a similar mechanism to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In contrast, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA in a lipid bubble instead of DNA in a modified virus.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is given in two doses and can be stored at refrigerator temperature for six months. It is also supposedly cheaper than the other vaccines about $ 4 per dose instead of $ 10 for Johnson & Johnson or $ 20 or more for the mRNA vaccines.

Where is this vaccine already being used?

According to the New York Times vaccine trackerIt is approved for emergencies in 46 countries as well as the European Union and is fully approved in Brazil. The UK, Australia, India, Canada and Mexico are among the countries where it is currently used.

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Why is it not approved in the USA?

The first large-scale trials of the vaccine, which were completed in December 2020, set the stage for several countries to approve the vaccine and begin using it. There were concerns at the time that studies were being conducted differently in different countries with different time intervals between doses, and that some participants were given the wrong dose (although it turned out to be well protected from COVID despite the mistake).

The company conducted a recent study that included participants in the United States announced results of that study this week. They plan to apply to the FDA for emergency approval so that this vaccine can also be used in the United States.

Haven’t other countries stopped using it?

Earlier this month, several countries stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine because some people who received the vaccine reportedly developed blood clots. (Blood clots can have a variety of causes and occur as a result of COVID.) However, an analysis found that the occurrence of blood clots was no more common in people who received the vaccine than in a similarly large group of people. In other words, there was no reason to believe that the vaccine was causing the clots. The vaccination programs were resumed.

Is it as good as the other vaccines?

Like the other vaccines currently approved in the US, it appears to provide 100% protection against life-threatening cases of COVID, with less effectiveness against mild and moderate cases of the disease. The full data has not yet been released, but the total numbers are comparable to the other vaccines we have.

Somewhat worrying is that the numbers used in AstraZeneca’s press release were out of date at the time of its publication, and it appears that The company chose a 79% effectiveness figure from a previous analysis instead of the 76% calculated using the latest data. Vaccine trials have an independent data security monitoring body that alerted the discrepancy. However, this change in numbers does not mean that the vaccine is necessarily less effective, it just undermines the experts’ trust in the company doing the trials. We will learn more in a few weeks, when the FDA is expected to publish an informational document summarizing and interpreting the data from the US study.

Photo: Fizkes (Shutterstock)

Public figures, corporations, and everyday people often have a habit of prolonging the controversy they lead in court. It’s not enough to put out a fire with an apology or delete an account. Instead, we tend to dive headlong into the vortex and try to climb out with more combative tweets or comments.

Of course, I’m talking about the concept of “tweeting,” which follows a nearly identical playbook when it occurs: say something stupid, get a backlash, divert the blame from that backlash by criticizing everyone else who came up with the Point fingers at you and implode spectacularly and embarrassingly.

How does it look like?

For a current example, check out recent tweets from e-commerce giant Amazon Arguing with politicians on Twitter all week. In particular, the company has deployed the type of snark that is characteristic of major brands on the platform, albeit in relation to allegations of appalling working conditions at one of its fulfillment centers.

Amazon is clearly upset with this week’s flak, and has continued to lock horns with officials on separate subjects, with even CEO Dave Clark interferes. It was a monumental tweeting exercise deployed by a corporate monolith that could probably have slipped the pile into the internet’s empty memory if only he had just kept his mouth shut.

There are many other examples – both prominent and humble – who have walked this dangerous, predictable, and fun path. There is Elon Musk, former President Trumpwho have favourited journalists Glenn Greenwald and Allison novel, in addition to short-lived bad guys like Bean dad and Cheese Wife Guy.

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Since this is a faux pas that anyone can commit regardless of their online platforms, it’s worth checking out what you could do instead of tweeting it in a catastrophic way.

What should be done instead?

Perhaps instinct to retreat from a spectacular fall right away is instinct, but it rarely works. Make a serious mistake on social media – be it falsely accusing someone who is a pedophile or publication perform tweets– and the inevitable fallout has become its own cultural canon by this point, with at least one New York Times bestseller dedicated to the topic.

We should now know how the dynamic works, and how to tackle it: Completely delete your app or account instead of defending yourself from a bunch of strangers on the internet. Decompress and indulge in the serenity of existing in the organic, physical world where people thousands of miles away do not direct their anger at your transgressions. You can breathe fresh air and perhaps approach the situation with clearer eyes. From there, you can begin to erase your name, atone for the dumpster set on fire, or continue to ignore it altogether.

Think about the situation from other people’s perspective

Perhaps hubris is the driving force behind everyone who tweets about it. When you go on a social media offensive to defend your actions, you are likely only thinking of yourself – and that way you will not win an argument.

You clearly offended someone, and now you might be wondering why. Once you look at the details of your actions and the reaction they are getting, you will find that doubling down is not very productive.

Consider the merits of a proper apology

People who tweet about it often do a U-turn and gather some sort of simpering mea culpa. I frame these excuses as such because it is possible in your apology to use a defense mechanism that holds your enemies, not yourself, accountable.

In general, never say “I’m sorry if people have been offended” or “I’m sorry if your feelings have been hurt.” This will only lead to more outrage as it will affect the situation through your response to your words or actions and not your actions. Remember, apologizing is an act of catharsis and shows personal growth, or at least the initiative to learn.

If you’ve really stirred up the waters and caused a tidal wave of retribution, write the apology on a Word document or on an online publisher like Medium and let the world know. Pensively study the substance of the holds that are directed at you and do your best to redeem yourself. Ultimately, this is far more lovable than firing angry and incredulous tweets at your critics, which, as we now well know, never works.

It’s easy to take Spotify for granted – until slow streaming speeds or a lack of internet connection prevent you from listening to music or catching up on your favorite podcast. Fortunately, Spotify now lets you download music and podcasts to your smartphone or computer so you can keep listening even when you’re offline. This option comes in handy when you’re on a long drive through areas with spotty cellular network. Listening to downloaded content instead of streaming it from Spotify’s servers can also reduce your monthly data usage.

You can download content from Spotify’s Android, iOS, Mac and Windows apps or via the Spotify web player. However, the download permissions differ between the account types:

• Premium Spotify users can download full playlists and podcast episodes.
• Free users can download podcasts.

Unfortunately, Spotify doesn’t let you download entire albums or even specific tracks. You need to save the songs you want to download in a playlist first. However, you can download as many playlists and podcasts as your device’s memory allows.

Downloaded content stays in your offline Spotify library for as long as you want. However, you need to connect to the Spotify server at least every 30 days to check your account status. If you don’t, your access to the downloaded songs will expire.

How to download audio content from Spotify

On the desktop (Mac, Windows, Web)

1. Open the Spotify desktop app or go to open.spotify.com.
2. Sign in and make sure your device is connected to the internet.
3. To download music: Open a playlist and toggle it “Download” Button on.s.
4. How to download a podcast:: Click the down arrow next to the episode name.
5. Wait for the download to complete. Downloaded content is saved in your library and shows a green arrow.

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If you don’t already see the download option on your desktop app, make sure you are running the latest version of the app that you can get. And then wait; At the moment, Spotify is still introducing the function.

Mobile (Android, iOS)

1. Open the Spotify app and make sure you are connected to WiFi or cellular data (Note: Downloading from cell phone affects the data limits of your cellular plan.)
2. Open a playlist or podcast that you want to download.
3. On Android: Tap the “Download” Counter.
4. On iOS: Tap the down arrow icon.
5. Downloaded songs and podcasts are indicated with a green check mark. You can access all offline content from the “Your library” Tab.

The suicide squad meets a new friend.Gif: Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has just given the world a new, expanded look James Gunns The suicide squad. Who could have guessed that a movie with a Throw so big Would a beefy trailer break down?

Just based on The Suicide Squad’s use of Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” in the new trailer, you can instantly get the very specific energy from James Gunn that Warner Bros. relies on to wow everyone Margot Robbie Harley Quinn reunites with Amanda Waller of Viola Davis and Rick Flagg of Joel Kinnaman in a reboot that definitely disguises itself as a “non-sequel”.

It is in the finer details, however, that you can see how Gunn plans to mix these characters with a ton of new faces for a deadly mission that will leave more than a few of them dead when things are over. While we knew The Suicide Squad would bring a bunch of classic DC villains to the big screen in new incarnations, in the early footage of the trailer it’s interesting to see how this team’s dynamics seem far more collaborative than they are in David Ayer’s film .

The team is preparing to get Harley. Gif: Warner Bros.

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After Harley is distracted in a way that could jeopardize her mission, Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), Thinker (Peter Capaldi), King Shark (Steve Agee and Sylvester Stallone), and Bloodsport (Idris Elba )) change their plans a little to find their colleague. What’s worth noting here is that Bloodsport has been found to aim to point out one of the teams that Waller oversees while another made up of Javelin (Flula Borg), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Blackguard (Pete Davidson) and Monga ( Mayling Ng), Weasel (Sean Gunn), TDK (Nathan Fillion) and Savant (Michael Rooker) are working on something else.

Harley laments that everyone showed up too late to save her after taking matters into her own hands. Screenshot: Warner Bros.

It is No wonder Harley shows up early Given the importance of character in the larger Warner Bros. and DC portfolio and the fact that Robbie has consistently been one of the brighter lights in what we call “DCEU. “Where the first Suicide Squad movie was about the team rescuing Amanda Waller, the mission they are presented with sends them to Corto Maltese, where Harley is apparently almost left behind, but only because she’s the goddamn Harley of Quinn . She’s back in her classic black and red motif and at some point will be wearing both a dress and a more combat-ready costume reminiscent of her appearances in the Injustice games.

Savant, Blackguard and Weasel in jail.Gif: Warner Bros.

While the trailer doesn’t go into detail about why Waller is leading multiple teams at once, or whether The Suicide Squad will simply see the team fall before the other gets in the picture, it takes a moment to remind you of what this whole endeavor is Over. Waller explains that any of the criminals she types to become part of her task force disobey her orders and will kill her instantly. As dangerous as Savant, Blackguard, and Weasel are, Waller’s offer (presumably for time out from their sentences) obviously has some value.

Captain Boomerang, TDK and Blackguard are getting ready to go somewhere. Gif: Warner Bros.

It’s also important to keep in mind that Warner Bros. James Gunn more or less gave free reign to kill characters at his discretion. Such cheesy sequences give the impression that Captain Boomerang, TDK and Blackguard are on the chopping block. However, boomerangs can be useful, especially for characters who may have a future Warner Bros. ‘ upcoming flash movie Depending on which direction the studio decides.

Harley launches a rocket and King Shark has a snack. Gif: Warner Bros.

As delightful as it is to have Harley fun while having different fashionable (and practical) styles at the same time, fans will probably be most excited when The Suicide Squad takes up DC Comics’ King Shark (who previously appeared on the site) CW is the lightning bolt), a massive, if feeble-minded, bully who likes to eat people and ask simple questions.

The squad receives a briefing from Waller.Gif: Warner Bros.

Just as King Shark can be played for laughs, the trailer also reveals that part of the movie’s lightness comes from the team’s gallows humor that connects at least some of them in carrying out Waller’s orders. As dangerous as the talking man shark is, neither Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) nor Polka-Dot Man seem particularly concerned about being in his presence because the real threat is that they have been brought together.

The thinker is being interrogated. Screenshot: Warner Bros.

Like the Thinker (doctor who is Peter Capaldi) – also another DC character who appeared on The Lightning TV series – fits into that story is one of the more interesting questions the trailer raises. He seems to cross with Harley and Co. While they’re already in the middle of a mission, he shouldn’t be part of it. Your questioning of him is likely everything for the show as the newly-installed Maltese government of Corto, which shoots the first time it finds out that foreigners have invaded their country, is in the majority.

Peacemaker ponders his willingness to eat cock for freedom. Screenshot: Warner Bros.

Apparently, cock eating jokes are back. This supposedly connects some people as they wander through lush tropical jungles in countries amid political upheaval.

King Shark pulls himself into a bat. Gif: Warner Bros.

Despite all the chaos in their lives, most of the squad will still manage to find time to celebrate and have just enough time to make up for the blood and death of the film. Some of these are supplied by characters like Harley – in some formidable action sequences in the spotlight – others by King Shark. Ok, maybe a lot from King Shark. The rain is a nice touch as it tears apart a poor gang.

But surprisingly, the fish-human hybrid isn’t really the trailer’s highlight.

Starro greets the world while Belle Reve’s overseer watches. Screenshot: Warner Bros.

There’s always a reason Amanda Waller brings criminals together to do their dirty work for them, and from the looks on all of their faces, she hasn’t mentioned that they might encounter a massive alien starfish on their journey.

How connected Warner Bros. was has always been a little doubtful. ‘Suicide Squad movies are destined for the rest of its live-action DC projects, but the Suicide Squad’s ferocity is unlikely to have a material impact on the studio’s other functions where these characters might appear, and frankly, that’s probably for the best. Judging by what the studio dropped today, it wants The Suicide Squad to be a ridiculous, fun, raging movie that will make you forget what came before it in hopes of a better cinematic future.

The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6.

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