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A new drug developed by US scientists can turn the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus against itself, shielding people from being infected. The medicine, NMT5, is expected to be effective against the newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, according to experts from The Scripps Research Institute. The medication coats SARS-CoV-2 with chemicals that can momentarily change the human ACE2 receptor, a molecule the virus typically grabs onto to infect cells. It is detailed in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. The ACE2 receptor blocks the virus’s entry into human cells when it is near. Stuart Lipton, a professor at The Scripps Research Institute and the study’s principal author, said: “What’s so neat about this drug is that we’re actually turning the virus against itself.”  The research team examined a library of compounds and identified NMT5 as having two crucial characteristics: it could identify and bind to a pore on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 and chemically alter human ACE2 using a nitroglycerin warhead. The scientists realised this might make the virus a means of self-destruction. They examined and tested NMT5 in both animals and isolated cells. The research demonstrated how NMT5 firmly adheres to SARS-CoV-2 viral particles as the viruses circulate within the body. The details of how the medicine adds a chemical, akin to nitroglycerin, to specific molecules if it comes close enough were then made public by the researchers. NMT5 adds a “nitro group” on the receptor when the virus is close enough to ACE2 to infect a cell. This alters the structure of ACE2 for around 12 hours, making it impossible for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to attach to it and infect cells. “What’s really beautiful is that this only knocks down availability of ACE2 locally when the virus is coming at it. It doesn’t knock down all the function of ACE2 elsewhere in the body, allowing for normal function of this protein,” Lipton stated. The drug inhibited 95% of viral binding in cell culture tests measuring how efficiently the Omicron form of SARS-CoV-2 can bind to human ACE2 receptors. According to the researchers, NMT5 significantly reduced viral levels in hamsters with COVID-19, reversed blood vessel damage in the animals’ lungs, and reduced inflammation. They said that the drug demonstrated efficacy against more than a dozen other viral variations, including the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta strains. The majority of anti-viral medications function by specifically inhibiting a virus, which can force it to develop treatment resistance. The researchers believe that the drug will likely be successful against many more SARS-CoV-2 variations because NMT5 is simply using the virus as a carrier. Because it doesn’t rely on attacking parts of the virus that frequently evolve, Chang-ki Oh, a senior staff scientist and the study’s first author, anticipated that the drug would remain effective even as new variants emerged. The molecule has only been tested in animal models, but the researchers are currently developing a drug version to test for usage in humans while doing additional safety and efficacy studies in animals.  

During the launch of 5G services in India on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that since even the country’s poorest people have always stepped forward to adopt new technologies, technology has truly become democratic in its truest sense. In his view, and that of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, this is a significant milestone. “Talking about Digital India, some people think that this is just a government scheme. But Digital India is not just a name, it is a big vision for the country’s development,” PM Modi made this statement when introducing 5G services and addressing the 6th India Mobile Congress at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. The objective of this vision, according to PM Modi, is to make technology that benefits the general public and collaborates with it accessible to them. In his words, “I have seen even the poor of the country always come forward to adopt new technologies… Technology has become democratic in its truest sense,” he stated.  Modi added that there was a time when a small number of wealthy individuals questioned the benefits of digital technology for the underprivileged. “Many people made fun of my vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat…a handful of elite people used to think digital is not for the poor. Go see what political leaders used to say in Parliament. But I had the conviction in the inquisitiveness of the common public,” PM Modi said. He continued, “I have always had faith in the understanding of the country’s common man, his conscience, and his curious mind.”  PM Modi urged everyone to observe his transparency. According to the prime minister, fewer people are using the internet in countryside than in cities. PM Modi also recalled a time when, as Gujarat’s chief minister, he went to an event in a remote village and was shocked to discover tribal women using their cellphones to take pictures. “I was so surprised. I went to them and asked them what they will do with these photos. They said, ‘download karenge’. They knew the word ‘download’,” PM Modi recounted. According to PM Modi, there were only two mobile manufacturing facilities in India in 2014, but there are now more than 200. “Internet users now consume 14GB per month. This used to cost Rs 4,200 per month in 2014. But now it costs somewhere between Rs 125 to Rs 150,” PM Modi stated.

The social and emotional development of children may be hampered by voice-controlled smart gadgets like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, says an expert in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare. The Archives of Disease in Childhood released the study’s findings online. According to Anmol Arora of the University of Cambridge, these gadgets may have long-term repercussions by limiting children’s capacity for empathy and compassion as well as their ability to think critically. While voice-control devices may serve as “friends” and help youngsters learn to read and communicate better, their sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and “human” sounding voices have raised worries about the long-term consequences on children’s developing brains. The author identifies three main areas of concern. These include inappropriate responses, inhibiting social growth, and hindering learning. He provides several well-known instances of inappropriate responses, such as a device that advised a 10-year-old to try touching a live plug with a coin. He notes that privacy concerns have also surfaced in relation to the recording of private conversations and that it is difficult to apply strict parental restrictions on such gadgets without drastically impairing their performance. He notes that since there is no requirement for a “please” or “thank you,” and there is no need to take voice into account, these devices are unable to educate children how to behave respectfully. Use of the devices is a poor way to acquire social interaction because it prevents non-verbal communication, according to his writing. “While in normal human interactions, a child would usually receive constructive feedback if they were to behave inappropriately, this is beyond the scope of a smart device.”  The early research on the use of voice assistants as social companions for lonely adults is encouraging. He points out that it’s not quite obvious, though, if this also applies to children. He emphasises that this is crucial at a time when COVID-19 limits may have already hampered children’s social development and they may have been spending more time alone with smart devices at home. Devices are made to quickly find answers to questions and search for information when it is requested, but the author worries that this may impede the natural ways that kids learn and take in knowledge. He claims that this process cannot be replicated by these devices because when children ask an adult a question, the adult can ask for context information, explain the boundaries of their knowledge, and test the child’s logic. He says that conducting research is a crucial learning experience that fosters logical reasoning and critical thinking. The population has benefited greatly from the rise of voice devices. The author recognises the significance and value of their capacities to quickly give information, help with daily tasks, and provide social companionship to lonely individuals. But he argues that “urgent research is required into the long-term consequences for children interacting with such devices.” In his conclusion, he states that “Interacting with the devices at a crucial stage in social and emotional development might have long-term consequences on empathy, compassion, and critical thinking.” Source: ANI