#no im not projecting at all /sar

[rorey-coss]

penny lamb is an mcr fan aaaaaaand post

[nightyraven-art]

Currently writing 3 projects and I'm still sane. Atm. Idk later

If I'm not here I'm writing stuff and my writing process is rather messy lmao.

Help, that's a cry for help and I feel like if I write one thing, millions ideas come but my mind is an enigma it comes with different ideas despite knowing that that's my struggle.

This is curse is called starting new projects and new finish others.

But dw somehow my brain knows hoe to figure it out and idk how it does this.

Idk it's just an enigma...

[emaanemaa]

i love you, i’m sorry | SAR au

☆ cole and kirby are away for preseason, and y/n has an unexpected anxiety attack

☆ note -> im projecting, had an anxiety attack so i wrote about it. thought, hey i could use this for content, so i did. if you struggle with this, you’re not alone, you are seen, i love you all, we will get through it <3

☆ warning -> undiagnosed anxiety, lowkey angsty, comfort kinda ? be advised <3

never seeking proper care for her anxiety was the worst mistake y/n ever made. it came and went for a few months, and she believed it was a small issue that would eventually resolve itself. that was until she was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably in bed while cole, and kirby were away for one of their preseason games, and all she could do was hope and pray they would answer her calls.

the phone line rang continuously, each time the call went to voicemail she dialed one of their numbers again, desperate to reach them.

"please pick up, please."

y/n had never felt so hopeless in her life, no one was coming to her rescue this time as sobs racked through her body, screaming at the universe to give her just a minute with one of her boys.

the last call went to voicemail, causing y/n to break down and throw her phone across the room, letting it hit the floor, not caring if it had been broken. her body slumped over on the bed, shoving her face into the covers that still smelled like her boys, crying, and babbling about her unfair life.

"why is this happening to me? please just pick up the phone damn it!"

the anxiety attacks never had a cause, or reason, only rarely happening on a late night, when y/n was desperate for sleep. most of the time it was normal, a little bit of nerves when in crowds, or having to speak infront of a group of people, but this was entirely different. she felt like her life was falling apart, and she had no meaning to life. her heart was pounding, her head throbbing, her tears spilling out with no sign of stopping, she was hopeless.

that was until her phone rang, making her jump. and crawl off of the bed to find her discarded phone. it was lit up with cole's name, making her heart swell and more tears to run down her face. she quickly swiped to answer, putting the phone up to her ear.

"cole, baby, please talk to me."

her voice was hoarse, and every few seconds she would sniffle, causing her to wipe her nose with her sleeve, which just so happened to belong to one of kirby's hoodies.

y/n's anxiety wasn't news to the boys. she had casually told them about her issues with it when they first got together and they promised to always help her out when they could because they didn't want to see their girl struggling, but it was difficult, for obvious reasons.

cole understood immediately what she needed, putting her on speaker and setting his phone on the desk in their hotel room, signaling kirby to come closer and join.

"y/n, you're ok, you're safe, we love you. don't worry your pretty little head about anything ok? kirby and i are almost home, just a few more hours and we will be right there with you, i promise. there's nothing to be afraid of, your mind is playing tricks on you, trying to hold you back, ok? you tell those voices and your heart that you are stronger than that, and you won't let them control you any longer."

y/n continued to cry, listening to cole speak to her, trying to remember his instructions, letting herself envision she was there with them, and he was holding her through his speech. she could hear the boys whispering; their hushed conversation was cut short when kirby started to speak.

"baby, i know this is hard for you, i wish i could be there and help you through this like we always do, but i need you to be strong, ok? i need you to be our brave girl and fight this as hard as you can. we will stay right here on the phone with you as long as you need, ok? we love you, i love you."

y/n started to nod, telling herself to calm down and breath, it would all be over soon, all she needed was to talk to the boys a little longer and eventually she would forget anything was ever wrong.

she got back on the bed and laid down, pulling the covers over her body, closing her eyes and listening to the boys on the phone before she spoke to them.

"i would like it if you stayed on the phone until i fall asleep. im going to try again, just keeping talking to me or each other and i'll get over it soon. i love you, i’m sorry."

[artistic-calathea]

DOODLE DUMP BECAUSE I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY DRAWN ANY ACTUAL ART PIECES IN A WHILE :D

These ⬇️ were over the span of about a week, and I finished it just a day or 2 ago !!

I drew these ⬇️ last month in aprilll?? I think?

I kinda just worked on it whenever I didn't have any other inspiration which is why there isn't too much

I also want to rant about these and the process n stuff a little bit so I am going to :)

Making the first one I started redrawing old stuff from a sketchbook (the person in the pretty dress, person in the sweater), and then I got distracted watching qsmp vods and drew Dapper and Juanaflipa!!

It was the first time I drew them not as eggs (so they might look totally different next time I draw them sorryyy) and it was super fun !!!! Im working on drawing all the qsmp eggs but it's not gonna be done for a bit since I am also not caught up on whats going on

the last stream I saw was a few days after the Brazilian members crashed and now I hear of France?? Idk but I'll prob try to catch up this week and finish the drawing soon :)

Also all the nature !!!! Literally my favorite thing to draw ever. I could just sit by a plant and draw it and never get bored

Sadly there are not many plants near my house so I might just have to go into the woods and look for cool plants to draw this summer heheheee oh nooo if it's the only way I guess... I just have no other option than going into the awesome woods with the nature and no other people and loud music in my headphones 😔 /sar Im so excited ajauvsv

THAT WASNT EVEN ABOUT THE PROJECT SORRY I always get distracted and ramble when talking about art (I am not going to stop doing this though its so fun!!)

Nowww about the project art,

Short version, these little sillies are being included because when I actually start the project in a few years I wanna look back on this and see how my art improved and how the story changed!

LONG VERSION...

"the project" as I've been calling it, is a goal of mine in life to create something emotional and meaningful that matters to people and can maybe help someone feel less alone :)

It is not that right now though ! At the moment it's just an idea since I don't really have the resources or skills to make it the way I would want to, but these sketches and stuff help me keep track of the idea while I get ready to make the thing

I have some papers with project stuff that I might post if anyone seems really interested in the project as it is right now (they are messy and hard to understand so I don't currently plan on uploading them anywhere)but if not I will likely just keep quietly working on it :3 and I'm definitely gonna change up a few things !! Some things on that page may not even make it into the actual project 👁️👁️

That's all I have until I draw more ! :P (also if you read all that you r automatically very cool and nice and you get 🪲 🐛🐜🐞 bugs :) /pos bug s good)

BYEEE :D

[letsa-go-wee-hee-hee]

Urgent ‼️

Hello my friends, I am Nuha. I am

now suffering from kidney infections due to unclean water and unhealthy food in Gaza. 💔🙏 Please help me.🙏🙏

Please remember 5CAD = 3.61USD

https://www.gofundme.com/f/4qzqg-help-a-family-from-gaza

#240 on the Vetted Gaza Fundraiser List by el-shab-hussein and nabulsi

#Line number on Butterfly effect project is 169

Verified by / @90-ghost @northgazaupdates @riding-with-the-wild-hunt

@sar-soor

(im going to reblog all my asks because i never got any notifications and checked them just now. please support these people because i can't)

[meloncalic]

How about Damien for the character post? 👀

MY BOYYY

First impression: HE PRETTY. but also i was very suspicious of Mark in a suit because of the Dark implications and.. now... yeah i was in for a world of hurt.

Impression now: absolute best boy. i would love to hug him. meta/canon-wise he is one of, if not the most, fleshed out of mark's characters and i love him.

Favorite moment: OOMF what to choose (aHAH get it get it cause -)

either: literally the first time we see him in the Manor with him being all excited to see us "There you are old friend!!!" he's like a lil puppy pls

or.. 

“Some things just can't be fixed, and I'm okay with that. But if you let me help you, then maybe, together, we can start to set things right." :')) help me pls i'm so soft for him he deserves the world

Idea for a story: i think it would be really cool to just see a soft, fluffy Damien and DA having fun in college. no angst maybe the tiniest bit of foreshadowing but just them. being friends or maybe more

Unpopular opinion: listen i know i KNOW it's just me in denial and i'm pretty sure Mark himself has explicitly said Dark didn't shove u into the mirror to save you... (but i listen to that as much as i do "engineer isn't actor")

...in my version/canon (which i will eventually do a whole post on) Damien kicks you out of the Dark to save you. it was his last act as purely himself and he didn't want you cursed and burdened with that existence :)

Favorite relationship: *deep sigh* x me... lissen /hj but like i said with my Actor post,, i can see Mark x Damien if the Poker Night never happened

Favorite headcanon: this dude absolutely loves plants. takes care of them as a stress reliever for work. no im not projecting what are you talking about /sar

[doberbutts]

This is maybe a dumb question. But how did you get good at your job? I’m a dog trainer at a popular pet store and I think I’m pretty good at the basics and actually really enjoy the job. I do research for stuff I don’t know, but I don’t have anyone to shadow or anything. What are some ways I can improve and learn more. The dog training world is so mixed and kinda fucked up, I have a lot of trouble figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Does that make sense? Maybe im just being stupid and insecure

Well, this is going to sound a bit silly, but... I didn't get decent at dog training by working at a pet store. I already knew how to train dogs up to their standards before I worked there.

I got decent at training dogs, and continue to improve, by pursuing dog training skills on my own dime and time. I take classes, I apprentice under people, I chase competition titles, I speak directly to working dog handlers and listen to what they have to say about training. I go to workshops and seminars, I attend online classes, I talk to friends who are better trainers than me about training problems I'm having.

If I just stopped at pet store level training I would be just barely good enough to work at a pet store.

Work your own dog. Pick a practice you both enjoy and reach for the stars. Find your local kennel club and see who is offering classes. Attend dog events just for funsies to see what you might enjoy. If an opportunity presents itself, don't be afraid to chase it. I talk about this all the time on here: almost every single thing I do nowadays is because I wanted to do it, I saw the opportunity, and I chased that opportunity until I had what I wanted in my hands.

When I was in high school, I met a woman at a dog park who ran a shar pei rescue who needed a hand with rehabbing some of the dogs, so I offered to help in exchange for education. When I was in tech school, I was given a client that ran a SAR club and once I was done with their project I asked to be taught how SAR works. When Creed's litter appeared on my radar via my SAR contacts, I messaged his breeder and asked if I could have a puppy. When I met someone with a dutch shepherd by chance at a dog event, I asked to speak to her about dog stuff and we ended up talking about mondio and I told her I'd always wanted to try it and she invited me to come to her club and have fun. When I was at another dog event I wanted to meet some Swissy people and ended up bumping into what would eventually be Sushi's breeder while she was showing Sushi's parents. When Tiki died, one of my chi breeder contacts posted that they had a lot of people back out of their waiting list due to the pandemic, so I asked if I could have one of the puppies. When Petco screwed me over, I put in an application to every dog training place I could find and went with the highest bidder. When the place I take the girls for conformation posted on their socials that they were looking to fill apprentice positions, I called them. When that same place said hey, why don't you join our rally classes, I think you'd have a lot of fun, I did so.

You will continue to get no where and to spin your wheels if you do not pursue what you want. I simply chased what I was looking for every time I saw the chance.

[lvlpin]

okay here' an actual shortie that I think I'm done.

-----------

He’ll miss the times where his kids would all sleep with him for the night because it was too cold in their rooms or just wanted comfort. After all, they’ll someday get too big to fit in his arms.

Six and Stanley were already getting into the phase where they rejected any form of affection because it's embarrassing (Gabriel would disagree) and Sar and N are getting too heavy for him to take them flying out.

Still, he savors the moments where all four of them are in his bed, with Six and Stanley awkwardly hugging his sides and Sar and N on his wings. The weight was slowly crushing him but it felt nice, even if Gabriel had to deal with numb limbs the next day.

The twins on either side of him, resting their hands on his arms or shoulder. Stan’s head does give him some inconvenience with spacing but he doesn’t allow that to stop him from cuddling up in Gabriel’s neck. 

His wings were spread open to let Sar and N sleep. Sar had a minor habit of accidentally grabbing a fist full of feathers when he’s sleeping and N on occasions just melt into his wings, leaving tar on them before it adsorbs it back into itself. 

The first time it happened, he nearly freaked out when he woke up and found his middle child was stuck in his wing and he didn't know what to do because how are you supposed to get tar out of feathers when its also your kid at the same time. N did wake up and reformed but it really scared him along with the other 3 kids.

It was a memorable and horrific event and one of his tar covered feather was stuck into the scrapbook along with the photo of himself with N in his wing.

Apparently, Gabriel didn’t have to kiss goodbye the feeling of his kids sleeping with him as they still do it on occasion. 

Mostly after a long hunt out and they're all exhausted but proud, Six dragging himself and Sar out of the tv, the both of them excitedly talking about how awesome the night was with N following soon after and making some weird chiming sounds. Stan would then be last to pop out of the screen and follow his siblings to the kitchen to a quick celebration.

The celebration mainly consisted of them pulling food from their shared sash that Gabriel can never find and celebrating for about ten minutes before they all get too tired to do anything and he herds them to wash up before going to their rooms.

He'll go to sleep himself before getting woken up by all four of them asking if they could sleep with him for the night and he lets them.

But they all collectively forgot that they were nearly the same height as him and weighed a lot more than when they were all still very young.

Six and Stanley both on his arms, as his arms were always their spot, no matter how many siblings they have, with Six crushing him still in his jacket and Stanley’s head pointing into his neck and shoulder. Sar was taking as much space as he possibly could on his right wing with both fists in his feathers and N was practically melted into all of his left wing.

He tries to shift into a more comfortable position as best he could in his predicament. Only for Sar to mumble something and make him freeze in place, not wanting to wake any of them up. 

He eventually concluded that he couldn't move at all. He leans his face back and gets as comfortable as he could. He wiggled his arms and wings around and drifted off.

They were still his kids and he loves them all. Even if he's literally getting squished to death by all of them. 

------------------

I definitely hc that Sar mumbles in his sleep, N just kinda liquidfies itself, and Six is a snorer. Poor Stanley has to sleep with them all in their shared room.

Bonus, Gabriel has bedhead and messy feathers since he moves alot in his sleep (no im not projecting shhh)

-sunglasses

poor N waking up and realizing it's tar and it starts to panic which makes the others panic even more before it finally got control of itself-

six snoring is just. same. also alt gabriel moving around a lot- dadbriel lives in my mind rent free;; he loves all his kids So Much even if they're a Little Shit (six & stanley) and a Sweet Summer Child (N & Sar)

ALSO i literally forgot to draw N and Sar in this but ksjhfkjshd- sleeping pile ,,,, clenches heart /pos

[transmascnepetaleijon]

king. tell me about your trans dave au

deep breath.

in my au dave wears boys clothes because theyre actually just bros old clothing and the short hair came with nescecity, its cut that short because it was getting in the way of strifing.

bro calling him little man and bro and shit came from my mom doing that (sorta, she doesnt call me little man and bro) when i cut my hair. this makes sense with the theory that bros head is like messed up because of lord english aka caliborn who is a known misogynist, and whats more misogynistic than thinking a woman cant have short hair am i rite (many things.)

i already have some other stuff sorted out about it:

his hair was first cut when he was 8 by bro. with his sword. it was first just cut into something like an ear lenght cut and dave just trimmed it afterwards. also when bro did that dave freaked the fuck out cus he thought he was going to get decapitaded. lots of fun huh /sar. he eventually got better and better at cutting his own hair throughout the years and thats why hair lenght wasnt a problem to him on the meteor.

im still not sure how he ended up finding out about trans people and his own identity and blah blah blah but the idea is that he found out through the internet and was like oh shit girls can be boys??? thoughtfull emoji. john jade and rose also kinda helped him because when he met john (the first one of the three) john thought he was a dude (he technically was, he just didnt know yet) and dave just went with it.

GT: my names john! what about yours?

TG: (oh shit fuck uh a boy name whats a boy name shit shit shit oh got it) dave

a lot of his gender and sexuality problems and ponderings happen in game as well.

"but jake what about the internalized homophobia? that doesnt make any sense when hes trans!" well my friend this is where my epic swag transgender bi boy experiences come into play, because what better way to solve plot holes than using projection. when he was there talking with his friends trying to come off as a boyish boy a manly man he thought "boys like girls and if im a boy now that means i should like girls" and so he begun just like asserting how much he liked girls every sentence with the bitches and your mom and all that jazz, even if hes not entirely sure if he does (figuring out your sexuality is hard yall). at some point in between him meeting the other kids and turning 13 he ended up actually identifying as a boy (??? i dunno man just roll with it)

he binded with bandages. yes it fucked his breathing up and yes it wasnt healthy. i like to think the outfits he alchemized came with good proper binders so my boy can stop suffering.

even though he already identifyed as trans when he godtiered but still freaked out because holy shit a penis.

hes talked about being trans to jade, karkat, rose, terezi and i think itd be cool if he talked to dirk as well. imagine how sweet this would all be. ough i want to write it.

i think this is all i have right now? feel free to add on i want to know your Thoughts & Opinions, lets make this au a collective effort.

anyways trans dave is entirely possible even if i have to bed canon in betweent my fingers to make it happen. hell you dont even have to do that your hc is valid even if some chump thinks its """impossible""" to happen. just have fun and enjoy yourselves

[aalt-ctrl-del]

im still salty

Japan and eastern cultures take public health very seriously, yknow, cause of sars and other airborne viral pathogens. Its social custom to wear face makes when you’re sick, or when you work in the food industry. Bakers and other food handlers wear masks, or servers, as routine custom.

And we got these ninny trumpet and anti-vaxx germ deniers, out there protesting the ‘harsh oppression’. Like these people, think they are so entitled. Cause their ancestors came to the Americans and took land from its people, and fought off the Brits. So they could live free. trumpets are out there throwing fits, claiming they got more rights than everyone else.

they can’t learn a new trade, or do something constructive with themselves during this time. They won’t make masks for healthcare workers. They won’t get online and talk to others, struggling during this difficult time. Those people can find new ways to make a living, adapt to our current climate - as sudden as it is. They just want to go out there and be destructive.

Clear self-induced suicide behavior. I should pay someone to help me with this research article.

There’s so much work to be done. Plans we need to script up, projects to draft up, new methods of contagion control that must be researched and implemented correctly; primum non nocere that bitch up. The trumpets keep screaming “we want things to go back to normal. RIGHT. NOW!”

News flash. That normal is over. your idiot dictator with the soft boiled brain totally dashed it into a million-ba-jillion pieces. You wanted this tiny handed golfing orangutan with two left feet, to run your most precious country. So now, you all are going to adapt, just like every other person hit with hardship and cataclysms throughout history. AND YA’LL ARE GUNNA LIKE IT TOO.

So pull yourself up by your bootstraps, karen mcBitch. We have a long road ahead, we need to get started. The workers and essential employees have to take matters into their own capable hands, whether you’re ready or not.

the virus aint waiting. It’s time to take action. 

[zanguntsu]

looked at the stats and i liked what i see (even though i was off some) but im pretty disappointed with the gameplay because its all basic. all melee and no real cool strong attack. cmon klabe give us a vortex move, a boost move, a charge attack, a heal move klab bls, anything

so im not gonna talk about gameplay and im skipping over to just to stats

mugetsu overtakes quincichigo as the highest sp and i fucking called it i called it and i also called the heart affiliation AND the freeze resistance so ha. 802 sp is Excellent but its also a sar character and thats alright ig. he has a double killer of hollow and no aff and while i like the idea of double killer im ehh about the choices even though hollow killers are much more viable now because of epic raids. like if it was soul reaper and hollow, which are aizens affiliations, it would be better. he has some funky skills like, brand new skills and shit. but he also has frenzy so thats extremely good and he has recover 20% stamina? idk if it works like the link but im interested in it. mugetsu seems like a good pve unit which is fair

and here we got the pvp character! he’s alright ig but he also now has the highest attack in the game so hesus Christ we have the highest sp and highest attack characters on one banner. I predicted we would have a flurry poise melee character so hey at least i was right about that. wasnt power as i hoped but thats just me projecting and wanting more power characters. he has last ditch survival which is. honestly really appropriate even though i still want a heal move ichigo one day. like otherwise its a pretty standard nad character with the captain killer and all, even though he should have had an arrancar or espada killer imo. But he also has new skills, decreased captain damage and prevent bbs healing so he’s literally Made for pvp. he is literally made to fuck up all the captains in bbs. also his prevent bbs healing trait was specifically geared towards unohana cause hes also Mind with captain killer and now im gonna strangle klab because How Could you do this to my mom she was already dethroned by nnoitra as the top pvp character and now youre just gonna lucky luciano her too huh

[floydvalleyhealthcare]

Floyd Valley Healthcare Sets Clinics for Second Priority Group

(Le Mars) As directed by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Floyd Valley Healthcare anticipates moving from Tier 1A Frontline Healthcare workers caring for COVID patients to Tier 1B Priority Group.  These clinics will begin the second week of February after the clinics wrap up for the 1A Priority Group.  

Due to the current and short-term projections for vaccine allocation for Iowa, Infectious Disease Advisory Council (IDAC) recommends the following more narrowly defined, eligible populations for Phase 1B:

o   Persons aged > 75years, OR the following populations vulnerable to high risk of exposure or severity of illness:

o   Individuals with disabilities living in home settings who are dependent on attendant care staff, and their attendant care staff, if not otherwise vaccinated under Phase 1A.

o   Correctional facility staff and individuals incarcerated, including state and city or county-operated facilities.

o   Staff of and individuals living in congregate settings, not covered by the first two bullets, including shelters, sober living homes, behavioral health treatment centers, and detention centers. College dormitories shall not be included as part of Phase 1B.

o   Where public health data indicates outbreaks or clusters of disease among food, agriculture, distribution and manufacturing workers who work in or live in congregate settings that do not allow for social distancing. For example, working in a meatpacking or manufacturing production line or migrant workers who live in bunkroom style housing.

o   PK-12 school staff, early childhood education, and childcare workers. Sub-prioritization should consider persons who work with younger and at-risk children in care, to better ensure child well-being and mitigate impact to parent workforce.

o   First responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, and dependent adult abuse and child welfare social workers).

o   Inspectors responsible for health, life and safety, including those in hospital and long-term care settings, child, and food production safety.

o   Government officials, including staff, to ensure continuity of government, engaged in state business at the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session.

1B Priority Group clinic dates are:  

·      February 10th and 11 th from 11 a.m.  – 7 p.m.

·      February 17th and 18 th from 11 a.m.  – 7 p.m.

·      February 24th and 25 th from 11 a.m.  – 7 p.m.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling 712.546.3646.  Please bring your insurance information as there will be an administration fee, which is covered by most insurance providers.

Those vaccinated will be required to remain for 15 minutes of observation after receiving the vaccine, with 30 minutes of observation being recommended for patients who have experienced a severe allergic reaction in the past, such as to oral medications, foods, bees, etc.  Due to social distancing concerns and potential adverse reactions with this new vaccine, we are discouraging all staff from one entity or facility to receive the vaccine at once, but spreading vaccinations for your staff through the various clinic times.  

Due to storage and handling of this sensitive vaccine, there will be no off-site clinics or drop-ins to planned clinics allowed.  While we understand the desire for many to receive this vaccine, we ask that you are patient as we work through this process.  Please do not overwhelm the appointment desk with general inquiries, we will update our communities of additional steps in the vaccination process through all Plymouth County media, our website at FloydValley.org and our Facebook page.

Due to the volume of people to be vaccinated and stringent guidelines, Floyd Valley Healthcare will not be vaccinating any group early or keeping a waiting list for those wishing to be vaccinated.  All vaccinations will be given in a vaccination clinic setting and not on an individual basis.  All clinic dates are based on adequate vaccine supplies, but dates could change if supplies are not received in a timely manner.  

More Vaccination Recommendations

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices released more recommendations December 12, recommending two doses of the vaccine 28 days apart (+/- 2 days) for most individuals, including several specific populations:

·      Pregnant and breastfeeding women after having informed discussion with patient as risk of COVID infection is higher than risk to fetus/infant.

·      Immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant and cancer patients. May be less effective but still recommended.

·      Individuals with underlying health issues, such as COPD, asthma, diabetes, etc.  

·      Individuals over 65.

·      Those who have completed isolation after COVID-19 infection.

·      Those who have received other vaccines at least 14 days ago and those who plan to have vaccines in 14 days.

·      Those who have completed quarantine after COVID-19 exposure. This is not a safety-based recommendation; rather, it protects vaccine staff. The exceptions are long term care and congregate settings, in which vaccination is recommended for quarantining individuals using adequate PPE.

·      If I already had COVID-19, there is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. The CDC cannot comment on whether people who had COVID-19 should get a COVID-19 vaccine at this time.   A previous infection with COVID-19 infection, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, is not considered a contraindication to vaccination and serologic testing for SARS-CoV-1 antibodies is not recommended prior to vaccination.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is not currently recommended in:

·      Individuals under 18

·      Individuals with a known history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (see Full EUA Prescribing Information at https://www.modernatx.com/covid19vaccine-eua/ ).

·      Individuals with a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic, etc.) to any prior vaccine or other SC/IM/IV injection. However, if individuals experienced a less severe reaction vaccine is recommended.

[resilientreader]

all the aesthetic asks if u haven’t been asked already?? ✨

y u p yup u got it dude

flower crown: when did you last sing to yourself? uhhh prob today i guess, i was humming along to a song during class

fairy lights: if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know? who is a true friend?

daisies: what is the greatest accomplishment of your life? writing actual full stories

1975: what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise? going to disney w my family when i was young and having the time of my life

matte: if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? yes. i’d leave all online communities and only stick around to like, discord or just give some online friends my number so we can message each other, and i’d like. try to get closer to my family

black nail polish: do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things? sort of not really, but i do hope to write a book and visit a couple major cities and a couple other countries in my life, i guess

pantone: describe a person close to your life in detail. gonna do in a doc or somethin

moodboard: do you feel you had a happy childhood? eh

stars: when did you last cry in front of another person? like, 2 years ago

plants: pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

converse: would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them? no, wouldnt wanna put that weight on someone n i gotta click with someone first

lace: when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you? alex, friend. this was like the other day actually

handwriting: if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

cactus: what is your opinion on brown eyes? gorgeous

sunrise: pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally. will do in a doc so this post doesnt get too long

oil paints: what would you title the autobiography of your life so far? fifty shades of what NOT to do in life

overalls: what would you do with one billion dollars? save some of it, donate some of it, use some it to take trips to friends’ places, stuff like that

combat boots: are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way? i guess so, yeah, and no not really. it takes me a long time to actually get upset w ppl bc of this so i like??? nasty ppl????? get in my life?? n it just takes me a while to kick them out again

winged eyeliner: write a hundred word letter to your twelve year old self. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ill do this in a doc

pastel: would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel? i like both but uhhh,,,,,,,pastel,,,,,i guess???

tattoos: how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain. good nice, let the people do what they want to their bodies without judgment

piercings: do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not? no it makes me uncomfy and tbh i feel like if i resort to wearing makeup casually it would make me feel like i need makeup to look “good” so i avoid it

bands: talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way. will ALSO do in doc so this wont get too long

messy bun: the world is listening. pick one sentence you would tell them. being right shouldn’t be a priority and compassion is the only thing you truly need.

cry baby: list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel. i,,havent been to a concert yet actually lmao, just never had the chance

grunge: who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

space: do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised? not rlly, i do a lot of my work in bed and my bed def isnt organized

white bed sheets: what is your night time routine? stay up and work on ideas/projects and/or talk to friends until im teetering on the edge of collapsing from exhaustion

old books: what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know? hi im gay

beaches: if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why? dye it extra my hair color xdd but uhhh i’d get it p short and i guess???? dye it with whatever?????? idrk honestly

eyes: pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do? alex, u, my sister, sar, and uhhhhhhhhhh an irl friend. we could go on a Road Trip across america or somethin

11:11: name three wishes and why you wish for them. will do in a doc. all of these questions are asking for LONG answers and im bein ruSHEd outta the house so i gotta do these in a SEC

painting: what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up. i havent MADE a costume before but i remember one time when i was rlly young i BEGGED my parents to let me get a scooby doo costume but lmAO i only was able to get it the next yr

lightning: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

thunder: what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars? kill a friend lmao

storms: you on only listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only see one person for the rest of your life. which and why? one person for the rest of my life. didnt say jackshit abt not MESSAGING other people in my life. and uhhhhh i guess i would choose???? my sister or you????????? since yall are the least problematic and most lovable ppl i kno ok

love: have you ever fallen in love? describe what it feels like to realise you’re in love. a slow realization that, when it happens, leaves ur head spinning for days as u try to figure out what the FUCK feelings are anyways

clouds: if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair? im totally down, yeah

coffee: what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone? hot chocolate and my sister

marble: what is the most important thing to you in your life right now? my friends

[punk-rock-pixie]

1-50 for the OC asks boi do 'em all

1. Your first OC ever?

FUCKIN MEI.

Cuz I was a weaboo piece of shit once. 

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Hazel and Wendy. My beautiful children. Hazel is a demigirl of the dystopian future and Wendy is a trans female elf of the same world Both do magic and alchemy. They’re gonna be girlfriends. 

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

I mean the time twins are made with the help of my friend Timmi

4. A character you rarely talk about?

That’d be Kuro. 

Made her back in 2012. She is a shinigami and she is a total mary sue.

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? 

Either of the time twins, Wendy or Mr. Wicca. I love those four so much….

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

Not really. I have two sets of twins and the others don’t look alike. 

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

Yes. Kuro was part of the D. Gray-Man series. The time twins are part of this web comic idea called Eereree. Blue Topaz is of course my gem for Steven Universe.

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs 

I don’t but here’s Wendy and Hazel

Wendy: Good evening, chaps. My name’s Wendy. I currently am the assistant of Mr. Wicca. Love to stay and chat, but Mr. Wicca has me on some errands currently

Hazel: Evening, all. Hazel’s the name, alchemy’s the game. I… also really don’t have a lotta time. I’ve got a kingdom to rule after all because, of course, my brother won’t help me. He’s a pain in the ass, but I love ‘im anyway. 

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

LITERALLY TAKE KURO AWAY. 

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design? 

I mean… None are super like hard… Mostly Wendy is hard because she has vitilligo, and I can never remember which pattern I used for her.

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? 

Maybe Mr. Wicca. He’s always excited about magic but idk he has his points.

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot

I love the other eereree characters honestly. 

 13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? 

Mr. Wicca is mischievous as fuck. He uses his elixirs to screw with people. 

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory 

I have Kuro’s backstory up because I’m on my Deviantart page for this crap. 

I wrote this way back when so yeah….

Long ago when the world was created, small pieces of shiny fragments called innocence were scattered around the world after the great flood. One in particular was called the Heart… When people discovered this “Heart” it was somehow split into two halves- two sisters with large, white wings. Adam and Eve cared for these two…. until the day the Earl came. He stole half the heart. This part of the Heart *aka Dark (obviously)* was raised to become an enemy towards the human race. After about 200 years of being raised, the kidnapped part of the heart had become so sick and twisted with evil, that her wings turned an ominous black.Her sister, on the other hand, had learned how to survive on her own. She worked in a town called Mater building dolls, playing with the children, and helping those in need. *holy beep what a do gooder* Her wings may have stayed white, but they seemed to glow even whiter with every good deed she did.Soon, after about 400 AD, the two were locked in a supreme battle. The pure side thought her sister had betrayed the human race, but in reality she was only kidnapped and manipulated to kill. (NOTE: The Earl taught her that the human race was a foul thing, and it needed to die off)) From what the Pure girl had said, the Dark girl had turned on her “father” and killed him. Or so she thought…Now, in the 21st century the Earl is back and even stronger than before. The two girls have been doing all they can to keep him from sending the universe into utter chaos and causing the complete destruction of the human race…

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

Yes! @dreamxng-forever and I constantly crack jokes about our eereree characters. Her princess is in love with the time prince, but she forgets he is like…. SUUUUPER fucking gay. “Is it hot in here or is it just you.”“Oh, Sar, uh. That’s just our kingdom’s natural climate. You see, we have lava falls…”

“Ohhh… Okay…. SO IS IT HOT IN HERE OR IS IT JUST-”

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? 

Definitely Wendy or Mr. Wicca.

17. Any OC OTPs? 

Hazel and Wendy all the way. They’re girlfriends maybe. Mr. Wicca also would be nothing without Wendy. They’re very close friends. 

18. Any OC crackships?

  Not really????

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

Chloe Lockwood. I created her in like sixth grade. First OC. I projected a lot onto her. Even though we was good at a lot in school, she was bullied a lot. She felt alone, but she had one really good friend who cared about her a lot. It’s something I went through when I was in elementary school. 

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details  (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

Hazel and Hades sing a lot together. Hazel sounds a bit like a higher pitch Meg from Hercules. Hades has my voice essentially. Both are basically parts of me in a sense of like… idk. everything. Hazel is my more like…. Confident, get-shit-done side and she doesn’t take a lotta shit. Hades is more my sensitive side. He was affected differently by what the two went through I guess.

21. Your most artistic OC

Wendy. She draws flora and fauna when not in the lab. She probably owns an etsy or something. 

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how? 

Hazel- She isn’t COMPLETELY stone cold and Hades really isn’t just a shy ball. Hazel can be vulnerable but doesn’t like it a lot. Hades really can fight. He’s just scared to. He isn’t totally helpless. Mr. Wicca is not good and pure. He is actually a terrible person, but Wendy keeps him under control. 

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Hazel started out as having my dead name, much more feminine, and likes dresses. Now, she has some form of pixie cut or something punky, REFUSES to wear something to feminine because of her mother, and is also Filipino rather than white. Hades also became Filipino. Or they might be Japanese. Idk. 

 24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

I’d like to meet the time twins. They’re both parts of my personality. Idk. 

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)

The time twins, like I said lmao. Mostly the three of us share personality traits and interests. 

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? 

Not really?????

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song? 

Nope.

28. Your most dangerous OC? 

Likely Kuro. Again, she is kinda a mary sue in a way. Although, Hazel IS trained in combat so idk. Also Mr. Wicca straight up has magic. But probably Kuro.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?

Mr. Wicca. He lives in a creepy haunted cabin already. 

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection? 

Well Hades has a not-so-secret one. Hazel might have one.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)

Okay so Wendy would have like this gorgeous like elven/fae/magic aesthetic blog filled with flowers, potions, and pretty stuff. You can SMELL the lavender off her blog. 

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? 

The time twins. Think about it- rich kids probably in a super haunted mansion. They have to solve mysteries left behind by their dead parents? Idk

33. Your shyest OC?

Mei. She doesn’t like speaking. Crippling social anxiety. 

34. Do you have any twin characters?

The time twins and Mei/Yamiyo. 

35. Any sibling characters? 

Above answer.

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)? 

I mean. Most of Eereree are friends so. The main job of my OCs in an ever-changing future is to go back in time and be like “whatever you just did…. it fucked this shit up. Fix it”

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human 

I have already. Kuro and Wendy. The twins LOOK non-human, but they are. They’re just like horribly experimented on. Well, and I also briefly mentioned Blue Topaz. She came out all skinny and weird. She has a scythe as her gem weapon. She’s blue I like her. 

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer? 

Mr. Wicca loves to waltz. Blue Topaz because of fusion. 

39. Introduce any character you want 

I mean…. Okay. 

Mr. Wicca has been practicing magic for as long as he can remember. He’s about 500 years old and keeps himself young with necromancy. His assistant, Wendy, is an elf who is a few hundred years old. Both work together create potions and elixirs that they give to the time twins to sell. Mr. Wicca dyes his hair lavender to keep out any silver while Wendy dyes hers blue for fun. Mr. Wicca wouldn’t be anywhere without Wendy, and he sees her like the little sister he never had. 

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!

Just all the head canons between my eereree twins and @dreamxng-forever ‘s eereree twins.

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

NO. OH MY GOD I’D LOVE FOR THAT TO BE A THING.

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?

The Time Twins. 

 43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

Gay. Probably not human. 

44. Something you like about your OCs in general

They’re all very unique. 

45. A character you no longer use?

Kuro, Mei, Yamiyo, and Chloe. 

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?

Oh, yes. 

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

No. I don’t usually talk about my OCs 

 48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure

No. They’re all garbage people. 

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes

Hades fuckin ADORES memes. 

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wantIf you want, you can tag your ask answers with #yetanotherOCmeme so I can check them out too `v´9 

 have a lot of diversity in my characters and I’m proud of myself for not going into like default for them

Hazel: Demigirl or maybe genderfluid. Idk. She uses She or they. Panromantic demisexual, polyamorous. Either Filipino or Japanese. Main ruler of the Clockwork Kingdom. She and her brother are people who survived through abuse. Super toned

Hades:  Cis graysexual/homoromantic boi. Social anxiety despite having to do public speaking every day. SUUUUPER bad ADD/ADHD. Takes potions for it because “medication is a social construct” he says. Chubby boi is trying to work out. 

Wendy: Trans MTF lesbian. black and has vitiligo. Insomniac and recovering from some eating issues. 

Mr. “Wics” Wicca: Albino. He’s not sure what he is. “I like what I like. I don’t know what the bloody hell I am” loves Wendy more than anything. She’s like his little sister and is very protective of her, even though she is a capable young lady. “Wics” is the nickname Wendy gives him to annoy him. 

[prevsapphism]

i.graine + small talk! like / reply if you read and wna interact w modern!ig/raine because this is like Vital to her modern verse.

igraine got the idea for small talk when she was in her late teens and realised she ‘cldnt make a career out of painting’ because her work wld almost never b consistent, and inconsistency is rlly bad for igraine. and also this stigma that ‘’’’’artists starved’’’’ or whatever. 

so her idea was to create somewhere where artists cld hang out and create art and make small talk in a safe, warm, friendly environment. 

which brings me to the next point. its name, small talk arts centre, came from when igraine was trying to name her Vision so that graeme wld go through w it and bankroll them. they realised that whenever she described their project to other ppl, they always said the same thing: ‘somewhere where artists can hang out and make small talk.’ small talk arts centre sounded cute and catchy so it stuck :,)

the building was actually given to igraine as a belated birthday present in august of 1991.

 it was an old cafe building that was down on its luck in downtown portland. graeme pretty much only agreed because he ‘loved’ his wife ( read: he wanted them to shut up ) and it was rlly cheap because it was going out of business. 

it was very slow going at first....

‘small talk in 1991 was nowhere near the artistic hub it is now ; bustling, cosy, seemingly alive. it was sleepy and esoteric, known only amongst portlands art students and struggling local artists looking for ig.raines loving enthusiasm and free use of paintbrushes, coloured pencils and charcoal. 

but it soon blossomed under igraines care and drive. it was one of the most popular artists hangouts on the west coast by 1998.

from the outside, small talk looks like this, and im gna transpose copy and paste my tags on that photo into text for more description:

the bldg w the blue trim in that photo is literally what small talk looks like from the outside, although the trim is carmine-red. it has old fashioned storefront style letters on the front, rlly big windows, and climbing plants up the walls when its warm out. the sign hanging is wooden and handpainted. it has a light on top so you can read it when its dark out.

small talk is rlly big inside, and it shld b-- its always bustling. the inside / main floor is never empty-- ppl r always sat at the tables drawing or painting w watercolours or colouring on the tables themselves ( the tops r chalkboard and washed at the end of every day ) and talking. hardly anybody in small talk is ever idle.

theres a rainbow flag on one wall and this is stencilled on the other, w each phrase in rainbow colours :,)

downstairs in the bldg is the merry widow tea parlour, which is a victorian / gothic-themed teashop owned by a guy and his boyfriend. they opened there in 2011 and theyve been a smash hit since, esp round hallowe’en. igraine knows the owners rlly well and they let the small talk team get free tea all the time, esp because they pay rent to igraine now!  they arent a cat cafe, but they do have a cat!! shes a three year old tuxedo cat and their mascot. shes called the honourable miss lucinda and sometimes if its quiet on small talks main floor she gets loose and wanders round upstairs. ( the merry widow is a great date spot btw ;0 ) 

upstairs in the bldg is a loft-type lvl, w skylights overtop. theres a Bigge expanse at the forefront, which overlooks the main floor below over a balcony. ‘messier’ crafts, like painting and sculpture are to b done up here. the upper lvl has easels and painting / other art supplies, and also a corner w beanbag chairs and a power strip for ppl to Chill in. 

towards the back of the upper lvl r the four, five personal studio spaces, which can b bought and paid for monthly ( it costs less for students ) as well as igraines personal studio in the very corner, and lys office. 

at the very top / on the roof, theres a beautiful expansive patio, which igraine opens for normal activity when its warm out, does summer group stuff, her pride activities and their midsummer festival! there r flowers growing up there and kids like to draw on the patio w chalk :,) its one of igraines favourite places in small talk, esp when the sun is rising

these r igraines coworkers and they love them with all her heart.

holland will probably b the one to greet you first, as thats basically her job, and hes friendly and funny, yea, but hes goddamn LOUD shes even louder than igraine. seriously holls its 9.15 am why r you so :VVVVV. also shes never not wearing a hawaiian shirt or SOMETHING tropical print, no matter what time of the year it is. 

if its not holland, itll probably b caesar, who is much more laid back by comparison. he looks intimidating-- hes quiet and outwardly calm, has two sleeve tattoos, and usually dressed in blacks and greys-- but florians easygoing and a softie. theres a reason he leads the tiny picasso programme there w mads.

talking of which, the tiny picasso programme is Wildly Popular at small talk. its an art programme in the summer led by mads and caesar for kids aged preschool-age to about second grade, and usually they ‘make their own masterpieces, learn to follow directions thru art and the power of self expression’ as it says in the desc on the tiny picasso sect of small talks website. sometimes they have like. a concrete craft to make. they r occasionally seasonal, if a season or holiday is coming up, but they keep their creations strictly secular. ( eg flowers for spring, beach stuff for summer, snowflakes for winter etc. ) 

come late winter / early spring, parents r CLAMOURING in caesar and igraines email inboxes to get their kids into tiny picasso-- it operates on a first come, first served basis because it Blew Up when it was introduced in 1995.

igraine also talked to several local school gsas and worked w them to do programmes during the school year where leetle lgbt kids can make gӓÿ art at small talk. 

there r also a couple interns of varying degrees of paid / unpaid floating round small talk on Any Given Day.

small talk has SO MANY inside jokes. 

one of them is ‘caesar....’ ( read the tags on this post )

another one is holland and caesar being ~In Luv~ because they fuckening R and they jokingly flirt w each other all the time and REFUSE to ADMIT IT and its like GODS GUYS just KISS ALREADY

another is caesars nickname, queso. a lot of the kids he works with cant pronounce ‘caesar’ as ‘seezer’ instead of ‘kay-sar’, ( because theyre all like 4-6, ) which gradually devolved to ‘queso,’ and now all the kids call him that and so does small talks staff :,) 

small talk is rlly famous locally and there r accolades of photos and newspaper and magazine articles where its been featured framed on the walls!!

you can also get a membership at small talk!! i dont know what a membership entails but! you can. b a member. 

they have tshirts on their website and also in person probably!

theres a paper shop down the block from small talk and igraines like. in there every week for supplies. 

its funded by ppl who donate to it, members / studio renters and the programmes!

[dorcasrempel]

Researchers identify cells likely targeted by Covid-19 virus

Researchers at MIT; the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; along with colleagues from around the world have identified specific types of cells that appear to be targets of the coronavirus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Using existing data on the RNA found in different types of cells, the researchers were able to search for cells that express the two proteins that help the SARS-CoV-19 virus enter human cells. They found subsets of cells in the lung, the nasal passages, and the intestine that express RNA for both of these proteins much more than other cells.

The researchers hope that their findings will help guide scientists who are working on developing new drug treatments or testing existing drugs that could be repurposed for treating Covid-19.

“Our goal is to get information out to the community and to share data as soon as is humanly possible, so that we can help accelerate ongoing efforts in the scientific and medical communities,” says Alex K. Shalek, the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor of Chemistry, a core member of MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), an extramural member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, an associate member of the Ragon Institute, and an institute member at the Broad Institute.

Shalek and Jose Ordovas-Montanes, a former MIT postdoc who now runs his own lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, are the senior authors of the study, which appears today in Cell. The paper’s lead authors are MIT graduate students Carly Ziegler, Samuel Allon, and Sarah Nyquist; and Ian Mbano, a researcher at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa.

Digging into data

Not long after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, scientists discovered that the viral “spike” protein binds to a receptor on human cells known as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Another human protein, an enzyme called TMPRSS2, helps to activate the coronavirus spike protein, to allow for cell entry. The combined binding and activation allows the virus to get into host cells.

“As soon as we realized that the role of these proteins had been biochemically confirmed, we started looking to see where those genes were in our existing datasets,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “We were really in a good position to start to investigate which are the cells that this virus might actually target.”

Shalek’s lab, and many other labs around the world, have performed large-scale studies of tens of thousands of human, nonhuman primate, and mouse cells, in which they use single-cell RNA sequencing technology to determine which genes are turned on in a given cell type. Since last year, Nyquist has been building a database with partners at the Broad Institute to store a huge collection of these datasets in one place, allowing researchers to study potential roles for particular cells in a variety of infectious diseases.

Much of the data came from labs that belong to the Human Cell Atlas project, whose goal is to catalog the distinctive patterns of gene activity for every cell type in the human body. The datasets that the MIT team used for this study included hundreds of cell types from the lungs, nasal passages, and intestine. The researchers chose those organs for the Covid-19 study because previous evidence had indicated that the virus can infect each of them. They then compared their results to cell types from unaffected organs.

“Because we have this incredible repository of information, we were able to begin to look at what would be likely target cells for infection,” Shalek says. “Even though these datasets weren’t designed specifically to study Covid, it’s hopefully given us a jump start on identifying some of the things that might be relevant there.”

In the nasal passages, the researchers found that goblet secretory cells, which produce mucus, express RNAs for both of the proteins that SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect cells. In the lungs, they found the RNAs for these proteins mainly in cells called type II pneumocytes. These cells line the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs and are responsible for keeping them open.

In the intestine, they found that cells called absorptive enterocytes, which are responsible for the absorption of some nutrients, express the RNAs for these two proteins more than any other intestinal cell type.

“This may not be the full story, but it definitely paints a much more precise picture than where the field stood before,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “Now we can say with some level of confidence that these receptors are expressed on these specific cells in these tissues.”

Fighting infection

In their data, the researchers also saw a surprising phenomenon — expression of the ACE2 gene appeared to be correlated with activation of genes that are known to be turned on by interferon, a protein that the body produces in response to viral infection. To explore this further, the researchers performed new experiments in which they treated cells that line the airway with interferon, and they discovered that the treatment did indeed turn on the ACE2 gene.

Interferon helps to fight off infection by interfering with viral replication and helping to activate immune cells. It also turns on a distinctive set of genes that help cells fight off infection. Previous studies have suggested that ACE2 plays a role in helping lung cells to tolerate damage, but this is the first time that ACE2 has been connected with the interferon response.

The finding suggests that coronaviruses may have evolved to take advantage of host cells’ natural defenses, hijacking some proteins for their own use.

“This isn’t the only example of that,” Ordovas-Montanes says. “There are other examples of coronaviruses and other viruses that actually target interferon-stimulated genes as ways of getting into cells. In a way, it’s the most reliable response of the host.”

Because interferon has so many beneficial effects against viral infection, it is sometimes used to treat infections such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The findings of the MIT team suggest that interferon’s potential role in fighting Covid-19 may be complex. On one hand, it can stimulate genes that fight off infection or help cells survive damage, but on the other hand, it may provide extra targets that help the virus infect more cells.

“It’s hard to make any broad conclusions about the role of interferon against this virus. The only way we’ll begin to understand that is through carefully controlled clinical trials,” Shalek says. “What we are trying to do is put information out there, because there are so many rapid clinical responses that people are making. We’re trying to make them aware of things that might be relevant.”

Shalek now hopes to work with collaborators to profile tissue models that incorporate the cells identified in this study. Such models could be used to test existing antiviral drugs and predict how they might affect SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The MIT team and their collaborators have made all the data they used in this study available to other labs who want to use it. Much of the data used in this study was generated in collaboration with researchers around the world, who were very willing to share it, Shalek says.

“There’s been an incredible outpouring of information from the scientific community with a number of different parties interested in contributing to the battle against Covid in any way possible,” he says. “It’s been incredible to see a large number of labs from around the world come together to try and collaboratively tackle this.”

The research was funded by the Searle Scholars Program, the Beckman Young Investigator Program, the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research, a Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry, the National Institutes of Health, the Aeras Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science Project Pilot Program, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

Researchers identify cells likely targeted by Covid-19 virus syndicated from https://osmowaterfilters.blogspot.com/