Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on disease control, CCP China, Singapore, U.S., Ukraine, Taiwan
News (1) to (8) / Report by : Diao Wenhui, Wang Zhikang / Source: WeChat official account of Shenzhen Advanced Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences via China Science News / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2023/2/494241.shtm
News (1)
Scientists realize "Lego-style" efficient and stable assembly of flexible electronic devices by developing a new flexible universal interface that can be assembled by pressing for 10 seconds
It is expected to be applied to the next generation of intelligent flexible medical devices
In recent years, flexible electronic devices have shown broad application prospects in biomedical engineering fields such as human health detection and analysis, and wearable devices. However, in the assembly of flexible electronic devices, commercial conductive adhesives used to connect different modules are easily deformed and broken, making interface instability a long-standing problem in this field, which seriously hinders the stretchability and signal quality of the entire device. .
Recently, a group of scientists from Singaporean, Chinese and American universities have found another way. They bypassed the idea of using "commercial glue" to assemble flexible electronic devices, but developed a BIND interface (biphasic, nano-dispersed interface, BIND) based on a bicontinuous nano-dispersed network. This new type of interface can be used as a general interface for flexible modules, rigid modules, and packaged modules that are usually included in flexible electronic devices. It only needs to be pressed for 10 seconds to achieve "Lego-style" efficient and stable assembly.
Image : The "Velcro" flexible assembly method developed by the research team and its application in electromyographic monitoring
The achievement was published in the top international journal Nature on 15 February 2023. Liu Zhiyuan, a researcher at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (referred to as "Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology"), Chen Xiaodong, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and Bao Zhenan, a professor at Stanford University in the United States, are the co-corresponding authors. Nanyang Technological University University doctor Jiang Ying is the first author.
Image : Screenshot of the article online
News (2)
A accidentally discovered "Velcro"
As we all know, the human-machine interface is the information exchange between the digital virtual world and the real physical world between people and electronic equipment, and flexible electronic devices are the key core and leading foundation of the human-machine interface technology.
In recent years, the research on flexible electronic devices in the field of biomedical engineering has been very hot, and research teams around the world have also developed a variety of flexible electronic devices. It can be roughly divided into two types: implantable and body surface. Its main function is to collect physiological data such as stress signals, temperature signals, physiological electrical signals, ultrasonic signals, and biochemical signals to monitor human health.
"These flexible electronic devices are generally assembled from different modules." Liu Zhiyuan introduced that the basic modules can be divided into three categories, namely, flexible sensing modules that directly fit the human body, and silicon-based microelectronic rigid modules that are responsible for data transmission and calculation. modules, and encapsulated modules that protect the device from mechanical wear and external corrosion. "Because the shape parameters, material properties, and processing conditions of these three modules are different, they are often prepared separately, and then assembled together with commercial conductive adhesives to form flexible electronic devices with different functions."
However, the bottleneck of commercial conductive adhesives undermines the overall stability of flexible electronics.
Jiang Ying explained that no matter how good the stretchability of a single module is, as long as the stretchability at the module interface is weak, the stretchability of the entire device will be restricted. "We once put the developed flexible electronic device in the body of a rat and wanted to monitor its dynamic physiological signals for a long time. As a result, within a few days, the flexible sensing module itself was fine, but the interface was interrupted when the rat was running. In this case, the device is difficult to apply in practice."
Based on this, they have been conducting related research to try to solve this ubiquitous flexible interface problem, and the turning point occurred in 2017.
At that time, Liu Zhiyuan was studying for a Ph.D. in Chen Xiaodong's research group, and visited Bao Zhenan's research group. There, he accidentally discovered that under specific preparation conditions, the flexible interface based on SEBS block polymers and gold nanoparticles, that is, the BIND interface , There is a "Velcro" type of electrical and mechanical dual adhesive properties when face-to-face lamination, which is a new phenomenon that has never been reported before.
After returning to Singapore, Liu Zhiyuan conducted in-depth research on this new type of flexible interface with Jiang Ying, who is also a Ph.D student in Chen Xiaodong's research group.
News (3)
Flexible BIND interface has a hundred times superiority
They soon discovered that this flexible interface can be used as an interface between flexible modules, just like a natural "Velcro", which can stably bond flexible sensors with different functions together, thereby realizing the flexible module and efficient connections between them.
Image : Screenshot of the article online
In addition to flexible sensing modules, flexible electronic devices also need to be assembled with rigid modules, packaging modules, etc. but it is not easy to completely assemble these different modules together and play the functions of flexible electronic devices, especially the connection between flexible modules and rigid modules, their interface mechanical performance is the lowest, and the stress concentration and The degree of damage is also the highest.
Therefore, they used methods such as OTS modification to prepare the BIND interface on the hard module, so that the hard module can be efficiently connected to another flexible module with a BIND interface.
"This method is very universal, just like 'Lego', any modules with BIND interface, as long as they are pressed together face to face, flexible electronic devices can be assembled together more flexibly and efficiently." Jiang Jiang Ying said, "It can match the mature process of the industry, such as flexible polyimide PCB."
Liu Zhiyuan introduced that the joint team then imaged and identified its nanoscale mechanical properties through atomic force microscopy, and quantitatively analyzed it with hierarchical Auger electron spectroscopy. Bicontinuous nano-networks. "We also constructed the bicontinuous network growth mechanism at the BIND interface based on molecular dynamics simulations, and then optimized its electrical and mechanical properties."
In order to verify the practical application of this new interface in intelligent flexible medical devices, the joint team prepared an implantable neuromodulation sensor system assembled using this interface, and used the body surface multi-channel device completed by the National Science Foundation of China Major Scientific Instrument Project. The electrophysiological signal sensing system collects electrophysiological signals.
Experiments have shown that the flexible medical device using the new interface can monitor different internal and external organs with high precision, high fidelity and anti-interference, including the epidermis, cerebral cortex, sciatic nerve, peroneal muscle, bladder, etc. when compared with the signal quality of the system assembled with commercial conductive adhesive raised dramatically.
According to reports, the flexible module interface using the BIND interface has a conductive stretch rate of up to 180% and a mechanical stretch rate of 600%, much higher than the common interface connected by commercial conductive adhesive (45% and 60% respectively). ;For the hard module interface, its conductive stretch rate reaches 200%, and can be applied to polyimide (PI), glass, metal and other hard materials; for the package module interface, the BIND interface can provide 0.24 N/ mm adhesion, which is 60 times that of traditional flexible packaging.
News (4)
The BIND interface is expected to be applied to the next generation of intelligent flexible medical devices
"There is no doubt that the BIND interface of flexible electronic devices developed by the team is excellent in characterization and application, and its design logic and experimental verification are impressive." A reviewer gave a high evaluation of this achievement.
In fact, when they submitted this five-year research result to Nature in September 2021, they received the review email in just 3 days, and received 3 reviewers' opinions in just three months.
"One of the reviewers asked about the growth mechanism of the bicontinuous nano-network structure in the BIND interface, which is an important suggestion." Jiang Ying recalled, "Because we are studying a new nanostructure, it should not only Limited to the study of 'what' and 'how to use', we should also explore the 'why' to explain the phenomenon of macroscopic experiments from the perspective of microscopic mechanism."
In this regard, the research team cooperated with the team of solid mechanics and academician of the National Academy of Engineering Gao Huajian to construct the bicontinuous network growth mechanism of the BIND interface based on molecular dynamics simulation, explaining the interaction between the polymer fluid substrate and the high-momentum metal atoms. The role was finally highly recognized by the reviewers.
News (5)
External experts' positive comments on the research results
At the same time, counterparts at home and abroad also gave positive comments on the research results.
For example, Zhang Yihui, a professor at Tsinghua University, commented in a research brief published by Nature at the same time, "This work improves the mechanical and electronic stability of flexible electronic interfaces, and greatly promotes the practical application of flexible electronic devices such as electronic skin and implantable devices."
Professor Takao Someya of the University of Tokyo commented, "This research provides a method for flexible electronic modules with different hardness, which is a major breakthrough in the assembly of flexible electronics and is expected to accelerate the large-scale industrialization of flexible electronics."
Israel Hebrew University Professor Shlomo Magdassi commented, "This is a fast and simple flexible device assembly technology that can accelerate the development of flexible electronic devices with different functions and complexities."
News (6)
The BIND interface in intelligent flexible sensor devices can be used in many medical fields but it has limitations
"Our research provides a stretchable, stable and efficient general interface for the modular assembly of smart flexible electronic devices, which not only simplifies the use of flexible medical devices, but also accelerates the development of multimodal and multifunctional flexible medical devices." Liu Zhiyuan said that the intelligent flexible sensor devices assembled through this interface can be used in many medical fields, such as implantable human-machine interface, body surface health monitoring, intelligent flexible sensing, soft robots, etc. "However, it also has certain limitations, such as conductivity optimization, biocompatibility for long-term implantation, etc."
Based on this, the research team will proceed from the fields of biomedicine, molecular dynamics, and organic synthesis to continue to develop smart sensing materials for the next generation of new medical devices, and create intelligent, flexible, and interactive human-machine interface sensing devices , applied to neurorehabilitation robots and systems.
News (7)
The achievement is a result of Teamwork efforts among NTU, Stanford University and Chinese research centres
This achievement was completed in cooperation with Nanyang Technological University and Stanford University under the strong support of the National Fund Committee's major scientific research instrument development project hosted by Li Guanglin, a researcher at the Neuroengineering Center of Shenzhen Advanced Institute, and the National Key Research and Development Program and Neural Engineering Research Center hosted by Liu Zhiyuan. It is supported by the Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence Collaborative System of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Key Laboratory and Platform of Health Informatics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
News (8)
Scientists rekindle failing spinal cord cells to improve weak muscles in stroke patients
Reporter : Yao Yiqi / Source : The Paper via China Science News / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2023/2/494243.shtm
On 21 February 2023, "Nature Medicine" published a clinical research report entitled "Epidural stimulation of the cervical spinal cord for post-stroke upper-limb paresis", stating that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may become a rehabilitation method for rejuvenating the upper extremity after a stroke.
Studies have pointed out that due to the limited current neurorehabilitation methods, nearly three-quarters of people after stroke have long-term impairment of upper limb motor control. Epidural electrical stimulation is a clinically approved technique that electrically stimulates the spinal cord to promote the recovery of leg motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. Can epidural electrical stimulation be used to restore upper extremity capacity in stroke patients? Few experts have explored this yet.
Marc P. Powell, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, and colleagues performed cervical spinal cord implants in two patients (female, 31 and 47 years old) with chronic upper limb muscle weakness after stroke into the SCS electrodes.
Image : The trial implanted SCS electrodes into the cervical spinal cords of two patients with chronic upper extremity weakness after stroke. Image credit: Nature Medicine
Get stroke patients to move gradually
After 29 days, the results showed that continuous epidural electrical stimulation improved the patient's upper limb motor abilities such as strength and flexibility. It also acquired fine motor skills, such as picking locks and handling utensils, and eating independently, while one patient was unable to perform these tasks for 9 years. The study also showed that there was no decline in the upper limb ability of the patients after 4 weeks of cessation of stimulation.
Of the two patients, SCS01 was a 31-year-old woman who had a right thalamic hemorrhagic stroke (the term for a hemorrhagic stroke) nine years ago due to a vascular cavernous malformation (an abnormality in a blood vessel that can cause a range of neurological problems). One type, which occurs in the thalamus region on the right side of the brain). SCS01 damage was limited to the internal capsule, midbrain, and pons of the brain.
SCS02 is a 47-year-old woman who had a right middle artery (MCA) defect three years ago due to a dissection of the right carotid artery (a gap that occurs between the intima and media of the carotid artery, or between the media and adventitia), which causes hemorrhagic stroke, resulting in massive infarction in the MCA field. The damage in SCS02 was more widespread, affecting the corona radiata (the part of the brain's white matter that is made up of nerve fibers from the cerebral cortex and is responsible for connecting different regions of the brain) in the right hemisphere.
The study further explains that, in both cases, extensive damage to the CST (pyramidal tract in the central nervous system) leads to chronic upper limb impairment. The test compares the damaged hemisphere and the white matter by calculating the FA symmetry score (FAS, a quantitative index used to evaluate the integrity of white matter. The calculated score usually ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 means completely damaged and 1 means completely normal white matter). Relative white matter integrity between uninjured hemispheres. FAS = 0.17 for SCS01 and FAS = 0.35 for SCS02 were found. This indicates that the unilateral injury of the CST was more severe in both participants.
Researchers implanted two linear catheters near the spinal nerve roots of the participants' cervical C3 and thoracic T1 vertebrae, and data showed that unipolar stimulation of the patient's head contact evoked activity in the shoulder and trapezius muscles in terms of achieving muscle contraction, tail contact, on the other hand, engages the interaction of the intrinsic hand muscles. In terms of whether SCS can increase muscle strength, the study found through controlled trials that SCS01 continued to increase the strength of isometric contraction and extension in the shoulders and elbows. The mean torque at the elbow of SCS01 more than doubled when SCS was provided compared to when no SCS was provided (Day 9: 9.8 vs. 22.0 Nm (an SI unit of torque); Day 23: 11.6 vs . 24.6 Nm). SCS02 also shows improvement in this respect.
In terms of muscle sensitivity, the study showed that the patients' upper body movements were significantly smoother under stimulation. SCS01 was asked to reach toward different targets to maximize active extension of the elbow. The researchers also found in a controlled trial (with SCS vs. no SCS) that the SCS01's peak velocity was reduced by 34% when grasping a left target and by 47% when grasping a right target.
Since SCS02 was more severely injured, she performed a simpler task in which she was asked to reach for the farthest of three horizontal lines (with 10 cm between lines). Without stimulation, SCS02 never reached that farthest line, but with stimulation, she was able to reach the furthest line every time in the trial. This is reflected in the elbow movement angle, which increased by 23 degrees on the SCS02 under stimulation, the maximum reach distance increased by 7.8 cm, and the total movement time was shortened by 37%. As with SCS01, her movements were smoother during stimulation (20% reduction in velocity peaks), and trajectory variance and total path length were also significantly improved.
"brain-fiber sensory impulse-motor neuron-muscle" path
Regarding how these effects are achieved, at the online press conference "Nature Medicine press briefing" for the study held at 10 pm on 15 February 2023, Beijing time, Marco Capogrosso, one of the experts in this experiment and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, explains: "Instead of sending signals directly to the muscles, our brain sends signals to cells located in the spinal cord, which receive the signals and then make the muscles move. A stroke 'disables' most of the cells in the spinal cord."
"So the input signal from the brain is weak, and even though these neurons receive strong signals, these signals are still perceived as noise. So, how do we improve this situation so that these signals can be sensed again? Our idea is that instead of starting in the brain, we can find an alternative shortcut by starting in the spinal cord. This way, we can increase the receptivity of the cells in the spinal cord to weak signals, while filtering out the noise so they can 'hear better' ’ these signals,” says Marco Capogrosso.
Marco Capogrosso goes on to explain, "Specifically, we found that there are fibers called 'sensory impulses' in the human body. These neurons are normally used by the brain to sense movement, and they are directly connected to the muscles. What's more, they are directly connected to the main motor neurons that control muscle movement. So we decided to stimulate these sensory nerves, so that even if the signal from the brain is weak, these motor neurons can receive any information very well. Overall, our path is 'Brain—fiber sensory impulse—motor neuron—muscle'. We started with neurosurgery and aimed to target these neurons directly and provide more ways for them to sense and transmit signals."
Another research expert, Douglas Weber, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, also said at the meeting: "It does provide a new way for stroke patients, that is, we provide patients with a permanent opportunity, We used to think that stroke treatment had to be done over a certain period of time, like six months, after which the patient either got better or stayed the same. The new treatment shows that patients will have a permanent implanted system even when they are desperate. There is also a chance of recovery.”
"However, our study only invited two participants, and further studies in larger cohorts are needed to verify the safety and efficacy of this approach." Douglas Weber said.
News (9)
'Giant white balloon' appears over Hawaii, local advises air traffic control
Image : Recently, high-altitude balloons have appeared over many countries. (Associated Press)
Since the incident of Chinese spy balloons invading the airspace in the United States, the United States claims that Chinese balloons have flown over 40 to 50 countries, and Western allies are also very sensitive to balloons. Another balloon appeared over Hawaii on Sunday, but no one has yet heard about its origin.
According to comprehensive foreign media reports, the Oakland Marine Air Traffic Control Center said on Sunday that a huge white balloon was found over the Pacific Ocean at a distance of 955 km from Honolulu in northeast Hawaii. It has been advised that if the object is seen, air traffic control is required.
A few days ago, U.S. officials revealed that the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. mainland on the 4th of this month was probably supposed to fly over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds. Guam and Hawaii are the main military bases of the U.S. Pacific Garrison.
News (10)
Biden visits Kiev, talks with Zelenskyy to focus on future war situation
Image : White House national security adviser Sullivan said Biden focused on discussing all aspects of the war when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Reuters)
U.S. President Biden visited Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on the 20th, expressing his support for Ukraine. This is also Biden's first visit to Kiev since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy focused on discussing all aspects of the war, including the fighting in the coming months, and the capabilities Ukraine needs to succeed on the battlefield .
According to comprehensive foreign media reports, Sullivan pointed out in the White House press conference that President Biden is very focused on using the time of his visit to seriously talk to President Zelensky, discuss the outlook for 2023, and strive to reach a consensus on the goals. During the meeting, the two discussed the battlefield situation in the next few months and what capabilities Ukraine needs to successfully win on the battlefield.
Sullivan mentioned that Biden and Zelenskyy talked about Ukraine's energy, infrastructure, economic support and humanitarian needs, and mentioned the agenda for Ukraine in the upcoming UN General Assembly, the Ukraine peace plan, etc. Biden also heard press clippings from Zelenskyy's team discussing future U.S. and international partners securing support for Ukraine.
Sullivan said that Biden emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that Ukraine would retreat and the West would be divided but in fact it was completely the opposite. Sullivan emphasized that the visit on 20 February showed one thing, that is, the U.S. side will continue to stand up and stand firm.
News (11)
Visiting Kiev on the eve of the anniversary of the Russian invasion, Biden: Ukraine has stood up "democracy has stood up"
Reporter : Yang Fuyi / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4217341 / Image : On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden made an unexpected visit to Kiev on the 20th, expressing his support for Ukraine. The picture shows Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shaking hands after mourning the fallen soldiers. (European News Agency)
U.S. President Joe Biden paid an unexpected visit to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on the 20th, expressing his support for Ukraine on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. This is Biden's first visit to Kiev since the outbreak of the war. His historic meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky boosted the morale of all Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Zelenskyy bluntly said that Biden's visit brought Ukraine "closer to victory"; Biden declared that Russian President "Putin's war of conquest is losing", "One year has passed, Kiev has stood up, Ukraine has stood up, democracy has stood up".
Biden's visit lasted more than 5 hours and arrived in Kiev at around 8 am local time on 20 February. After meeting with Zelenskyy, the two visited together in the center of Kiev. On the occasion of Biden's visit, air raid sirens were sounded all over Kiev.
Biden, 80, said the trip was aimed at "reaffirming our unwavering and continuing commitment to support Ukraine's democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
On the 20th, Biden promised to increase military aid to Ukraine by US$500 million (approximately NT$15.2 billion). The military aid package will include artillery shells, anti-armor systems and air defense search radars "to help defend Ukrainians from aerial bombing"; The United States will announce additional sanctions against Russia this week, targeting Russian elites and companies trying to evade sanctions in support of the "Russian war machine".
Biden and Zelenskyy held a joint press conference at the Ukrainian presidential palace. According to a CNN report, Biden said in his speech that Putin launched the invasion war a year ago. He thought Ukraine was weak and the West had different positions. He thought he could outlast us, but he should now know that "One year from now, the evidence is in this room. We're standing here together."
Biden referred to the resilience of the Ukrainians, who at the outset of the war anxiously watched the build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and international concern that Kiev might fall in the face of a Russian invasion.
Biden recalled that when he spoke to Zelenskyy at the beginning of the war, Russian warplanes were flying in the sky and Russian tanks were crossing the Ukrainian border, "You (Zelenskyy) told me that you could hear the explosions", "I never forgot these words".
Biden recalled that Zelenskyy asked him on the phone to "call world leaders and ask them to support Ukraine" and "the world is about to change."
Biden said, "One year has passed, Kiev has stood up, Ukraine has stood up, and democracy has stood up," "The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you." Biden bluntly said that Kiev has a place in his heart, and Ukraine's courage in this war is moving, "I know I will come back (Kiev)."
Zelenskyy said that the negotiations between him and the Biden-Harris administration team in Kiev were fruitful, which was a great encouragement to Ukraine. "This dialogue brings us closer to victory"; the results of Biden's visit will definitely be seen, " It will definitely have an impact on the battlefield to liberate our territory ".
Zelenskyy also called Biden's surprise visit the most important visit in the history of "Ukraine-U.S. relations". Ukrainians will remember the attention, care and attitudes that President Biden and the United States have brought to Ukraine. The level of cooperation, I thank you (Biden)."
Zelenskyy said he had spoken about the supply of more advanced Western weapons to Ukraine, citing the recent U.S. decision to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine as another defining moment, "The decision on the tank has laid the groundwork for the formation of the tank alliance, which is of historical importance; we also talked about long-range weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine, even if they have not been supplied before."
News (12)
The Pentagon had objected! Biden insists on personal visit to Kiev, takes train from Poland to Ukraine
Reporter : Chen Chengliang / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4217258
US President Biden paid an unannounced visit to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on the 20th and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to US media reports, Biden himself insisted on visiting Kiev in person, or took the train from Poland to Ukraine.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, a senior White House official with knowledge of the matter said Biden received a series of plans for the trip to Ukraine. One idea is for Biden and Zelenskyy to meet at an undisclosed location on the Polish-Ukrainian border. Another idea is to hold the meeting in the city of Lviv, a western Ukrainian city that has been hit by Russian airstrikes several times since the war began but remains relatively safe from the intense fighting on the Eastern Front.
The Secret Service, which handles U.S. presidential security, and the Pentagon have objected to the plan due to security concerns, given the obvious fact that Ukraine is an active battlefield, the report said.
In the end, Biden chose to visit Kiev himself, a city that became a symbol of Ukraine's resolve after Russian forces tried and failed to capture it early in last year's war, senior White House officials said.
According to the "New York Times" report, for security reasons, Biden's trip to Kiev was conducted in secret. After having dinner with his wife Jill at a restaurant on the evening of the 18th, Biden left Washington without warning. The White House announced Biden's visit to Poland on the evening of the 19th. Officials have repeatedly denied Biden's possible visit to Ukraine.
News (13)
The fifth case in the world! German AIDS patient completely cured
Image : The "Düsseldorf patient" in Germany became the fifth case in the world to be completely cured of AIDS. The picture shows HIV-infected lymphocytes. (Associated Press)
It is almost impossible to recover after being infected with AIDS. Although patients can still live a healthy and long life with the development of modern medical care, they basically have to spend their entire lives with AIDS virus (HIV). However, the fifth complete cure case in the world has recently appeared in Germany. He is a 53-year-old man who is called the "Düsseldorf patient" for privacy reasons.
According to "ABC" reports, the world's first AIDS cured patient was the "Berlin patient" in Germany in 2009, and later publicly named Timothy Ray Brown, followed by the "London patient" in the United Kingdom in 2019, and the United States in 2022 "City of Hope Patient" and "New York Patient".
Both the Düsseldorf patient and the above-mentioned survivors underwent high-risk stem cell transplants to replace the body's immune system. These stem cell donors all have anti-AIDS mutations that only 1% of the world's total population will have. There is no CCR5 protein in the cells, and the HIV virus often enters the cells through this protein to complete the infection.
The researchers revealed at a medical conference in 2019 that the treatment of the Düsseldorf patient was quite successful, but could not confirm a complete cure. However, the Düsseldorf patient has stopped taking his HIV medicines since then, and the HIV virus has not been detected in his body so far, so medical staff have now declared him cured.
German expert Bjorn-Erik Ole Jensen, who published the latest AIDS cure case in the journal Nature Medicine, said that this undoubtedly brings considerable hope but there is still a lot of work to be done in the current AIDS treatment.
News (14)
President Tsai Ing-wen has a deposit of 59.44 million and owns 13 pieces of land
Reporter : Wu Shuwei / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4217461
The Supervisory Yuan released the latest issue of the special issue of Integrity today. President Tsai Ing-wen has a deposit of more than NT$59.44 million, which is an increase of more than NT$3.79 million compared to the NT$55.64 million declared last time. When managing the 2020 presidential election ballot subsidy, as of 1 November 2022, the account balance was 94,529,057 yuan.
The Control Yuan released the 195th issue of the special issue on clean government today, announcing the property declaration status of President Tsai, Vice President Lai Ching-te, former Premier Su Zhenchang and others.
Regarding the land held by President Tsai, there is no change from the previous declaration. A total of 13 lands have been declared, including 4 trusts. Among the 9 untrusted land parcels, 2 are in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 3 are in Wenshan District, Taipei, 1 is in Neihu District, Taipei, 1 is in Shilin District, Taipei, and 2 are in Banqiao District, New Taipei City. For the land that is a trust, it is specially marked that "shares of common land acquired by inheritance are real estate that is difficult for the trust industry to be exempted from trust."
The 4 parcels of land that have been entrusted are located in 2 parcels in Baoqing Section, Songshan District, Taipei 1 parcel in Daan Section, Daan District, Taipei, and 1 parcel in Siwei Section, Yonghe District, New Taipei City.
For the buildings, President Tsai declared a building, located in Zhongshan District, Taipei, with an area of 107.4 square meters. The owner is Tsai Ing-wen and other 5 co-owners. The reason for the acquisition is inheritance, and the acquisition price is due to inheritance The same shareholdings have been built for more than 55 years, and there is no data to support the price; the trust's two buildings are in Da'an Section, Da'an District, Taipei, and Siwei Section, Yonghe District, New Taipei City, both of which are the same as the previous declaration.
President Tsai has deposits of NT$59,443,953, an increase of NT$3,794,055 compared to the previous deposit of NT$55,649,898; marketable securities of 4,136,370 yuan, which are shares of Zhongzheng Enterprise Company, the number of shares is 413,637, and the face value is 10 yuan , this part is the same as the last declaration.
President Tsai also owns the copyrights of two books, "Scrambled Onions and Eggs to Xiaoying's Bento" and "Yingpai: Lighting up Taiwan's Mile Road", the value of which is inestimable; there is also a rental debt, which was leased to Taipei in January 2014 The land on Zhongshan North Road in Zhongzheng District of the city was given to the host company at a monthly rent of 90,000 yuan, and at the same time, 1.1 million yuan was invested in the host company from October 1998.
In the remarks column, I entrusted a lawyer to set up a "Tsai Ing-wen Entrusted Shuangbang Law Firm Entrusted Trust Property Special Account" at Changhua Bank, and the lawyer managed the 2020 presidential election ballot subsidy for paying insufficient campaign funds and donating to the "Xiaoying Education Fund" Clubs, charitable donations, and other business needs. As of November 1, 2022, the account balance is 94,529,057 yuan.
In addition, the remarks column also pointed out that President Tsai’s mother passed away on 3 March 2018, and the inheritance procedures only completed the public joint registration of 9 pieces of land and 1 piece of building share in the declared real estate, and the rest of the estate (including Genzon Enterprise Co., Ltd. Stocks, gold bars, gold jewelry and other movable properties) are still in the name of the mother, and the procedures for inheritance, division and distribution have not been completed.
News (15)
Zhu Lilun meets with visiting Delegation of U.S. House of Representatives, discusses cross-strait relations and National Defense issues
Reporter Shi Xiaoguang/ https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4217711 / Image : Chairman of the Kuomintang, Zhu Lilun, met with a visiting delegation of U.S. House of Representatives yesterday to discuss cross-strait relations and national defense issues. (provided by the KMT)
Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, Zhu Lilun, received Rep. Ro Khanna, D-CA, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-MA, and Jackson ( Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-IL) and the staff team, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on cross-strait relations and Taiwan's national defense issues.
Zhu Lilun said that the Kuomintang advocates a "2D strategy" that combines "defense" and "dialogue" , and firmly believes that this is the best solution to Taiwan, cross-strait and regional peace and stability. He also emphasized that strengthening Only by maintaining and promoting the channels of communication between the two sides of the strait while maintaining Taiwan's own national defense and self-defense forces can they truly reduce risks and reduce the possibility of conflicts.
In addition, the two sides also discussed the Republic of China's national defense and military service reform, Taiwan-US relations, and energy development and other related issues. Zhu Lilun thanked the US for its long-term support and friendship with the Republic of China, and looked forward to working together for regional peace and stability in the future.
The KMT pointed out that the visitors included Rep. Ro Khanna, D-CA, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-MA, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-IL ), Geo Saba (Rep. Ro Khanna, Chief of Staff), Reed Kearins (Rep. Tony Gonzales, Legislative Director), Merrilee Rogers (Rep. Jake Auchincloss, Legislative Staff).
News (16)
The U.S. cross-party Congress delegation met Zhang Zhongmou and You Xikun as Taiwan and the U.S. hope for democracy, stability and peace
Reporters : Huang Liangjian and Tang Jie'an / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/02/20/a103653569.html
U.S. Congressman Khanna led a cross-party delegation to visit Taiwan from February 19th to 23rd. Meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen, exchanging views on issues such as US-Taiwan economic and trade relations, regional security, and digital development.
U.S. Congressman Khanna led a delegation of four cross-party congressmen to visit Taiwan. On the 20th, they visited Legislative President You Xikun and met with TSMC founder Zhang Zhongmou in the morning. , innovation and other aspects of cooperation.
U.S. Democratic Congressman Khanna: "We met with Dr. Zhang Zhongmou this morning to discuss the semiconductor industry. Since I represent the Silicon Valley constituency, I am very aware of the important economic ties between the United States and Taiwan."
Among them, Khanna and Auchincloss are members of the "Ad Hoc Committee on Strategic Competition with the CCP" in the House of Representatives. Last year, they proposed the "US-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act", which received cross-party support. The core content was included in the "2023 National Defense Authorization Act" to complete the legislative process. In 2022, a joint letter was also signed to support Taiwan's participation in the "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" and assist Taiwan in joining international organizations.
In this regard, on behalf of the Legislative Yuan, Chairman of the National Assembly of Taiwan You Xikun expressed his deep gratitude to the American cross-party congressmen who are firmly supporting Taiwan, "We also hope that Taiwan and the United States will use the common language of "democracy" and "freedom" to ensure global peace, stability and development."
You Xikun, Legislative President of the Republic of China: "Democracy and freedom are our common language. We are allies of democracy. We must work together to ensure global peace, stability and development. We look forward to more cooperation between Taiwan and the United States on the framework of five laws and six guarantees."
Gonzales, the fellow Republican Congressman, also shared on Twitter the day before that he and his Democratic partners proposed the "U.S.-Taiwan Advanced Research Partnership Act", which aims to strengthen Taiwan's and U.S. Homeland Security cybersecurity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the four members of the House of Representatives visiting Taiwan are all important friends of Taiwan and firmly speak out for Taiwan. Last year, at least 37 U.S. members of Congress visited Taiwan, setting a new high in the past ten years.
News (17)
Blinken warns CCP: Giving Russia deadly weapons will have serious consequences
Reporters : Yu Liang and Zhang Yuexin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/02/20/a103653562.html
On Monday (20 February 20), U.S.; Secretary of State Blinken said in the Turkish capital that he had warned the Chinese Communist Party at the Munich Security Conference earlier that if it helps the Russian army invade Ukraine, it will be punished. Serious consequences.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: "I expressed these concerns directly to Wang Yi, a senior Chinese diplomat, just a few days ago at the Munich Security Conference. I think China (CCP) knows what is at stake if it continues to provide such material assistance to Russia. "
On Monday, in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, US Secretary of State Blinken once again expressed the US’s concern about the CCP’s aid to Russia’s lethal weapons. He warned China that this would seriously damage Sino-US relations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “It would have serious consequences for our relationship if CCP provided a lethal weapon to Russia invading Ukraine, or systematically helped it evade sanctions. As I said, we are very concerned that CCP is considering doing this .”
Blinken emphasized that it is not only the United States that pays attention to the CCP’s aid to Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: "Many other countries attach great importance to the CCP's provision of such support to Russia. This will really be a problem, related to China's (Communist) relationship with many countries, not only the United States."
In the year since the Russia-Ukraine war, the CCP has not expressed any condemnation of Moscow.
News (18) to (21) / Editor: Lin Congwen / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/2/17/n13931982.htm
News (18)
CCP claims victory in epidemic prevention, criticized for ignoring the suffering of Chinese people
Reporters : Zhao Fenghua and Luo Ya / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/2/17/n13931982.htm / Image : On 31 January 2023, family members of the deceased lined up in front of the Shanghai Baoxing Funeral Home. (Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Since the CCP released its strict epidemic prevention policy in early December 2022, the number of infections and deaths in mainland China has skyrocketed, causing medical and the funeral system collapse. However, the CCP declared on 16 February that the epidemic prevention had won a decisive victory and created a historical miracle. Some medical experts said in an interview with The Epoch Times that this claim is against the facts and highlights the CCP’s disregard for the suffering of ordinary Chinese people.
News (19)
The CCP’s statistics are political propaganda and cannot be trusted
On 16 February 2023, the CCP declared at the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee that "the covid death rate is the lowest in the world", "the epidemic prevention has achieved a decisive victory", "created a miracle in the history of human civilization that a country with a large population successfully emerged from the pandemic", and the prevention and control strategy "completely correct" etc.
Dr. Jonathan Liu, a professor at the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of the Kangmei Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, said in an interview with The Epoch Times on 16 February that the number of deaths from covid in China is huge, and the CCP’s statistics are political propaganda and cannot be trusted.
Dr. Liu said, "We know that (for those infected), the CCP has set a very strict diagnostic standard for these hospitals, including doctors. One is a positive nucleic acid test, and the other is to rule out underlying diseases. Even if it is caused by the covi infection If you die from pneumonia, even if you are infected with covid, you die from a heart attack, myocardial infarction, or other underlying diseases, it will not count (the death from covid).”
Image : The number of infections in China has skyrocketed, and a large number of people have died. The picture shows on December 28, 2022, a deceased person was on a gurney in Tianjin First Central Hospital. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)
The CCP official recently reported that from 8 December 2022 to 9 February 2023, 83,000 people died from the epidemic in hospitals in mainland China. In this regard, Dr. Liu said: "In fact, according to the general law of infectious diseases, these 80,000 cases are not credible. If the average number of deaths affected by covid is so many (in China), then there is a huge base. The average death rate is about 1%, which is too small.”
Dr. Liu said: "All the figures are political figures, entirely to prove the so-called CCP's 'great victory in the fight against the epidemic'. Its so-called great victories one after another, in fact, you look at history, when the "People's Daily" or When the Communist Party media said these things, it was often when the Chinese people were suffering. This history has been repeated time and again.
"From the great famine, to disasters caused by man-made disasters in the past, such as the dam break in Henan, including the Tangshan earthquake, it (the CCP) used the suffering of the Chinese people to prove the greatness of the party, which is a lie. In fact, you have to look at the number of people infected 1. The (crowd) of funeral parlors, including the reports I have seen of the death of many scholars, proved from different angles that the number of deaths in China is actually very large, and even the registered users of WeChat and mobile phones have decreased sharply. This is very convincing evidence.
"That is to say, when these people died, many of them died at home, especially in rural areas. Many people were short of medical care and had no time to go to the hospital. Passed away. Many died at home and went to burial.
"Chinese people sometimes keep a low profile when facing the death of their family members. Anyway, the government doesn't count, and the people don't go around talking about it. Some people don't even tell their relatives. Deal with it. So, the actual number of deaths should be very large.
"It (the CCP) uses the so-called 'strict diagnostic criteria' and uses this figure to prove that the so-called blockade is correct, and that it is correct to release it. Everything is correct, and all policies are correct. What the Chinese people believe The loss you suffer is a bitter pill to swallow. Do not seek compensation from the government.
"The CCP has now achieved a 'great victory', that is to say, the blockade is a great victory, and it is also a great victory to lay down without warning and fully liberalize it. In the end, it is the so-called safeguarding of the interests of the party.
"In fact, historically speaking, whenever the Communist Party strengthens party rule, it is the time when the Chinese people suffer. I really hope that the Chinese people will seek their own blessings, learn more about real information, and protect themselves."
News (20)
The CCP self-subsidizes gold and ignores the suffering of the people
As for the CCP’s claim that it has created a miracle of epidemic prevention, Dr. Liu believes that “at first glance, it is self-subsidizing rhetoric.”
Dr. Liu said: "In any normal country, during the lockdown period, all local government officials caused some catastrophic events in the community, such as people being unable to seek medical treatment, unable to have children, and some people even committed suicide by jumping off the building, and the price of goods rose seriously. Then local officials must be held accountable, and relevant officials at the central government must also be held accountable. In foreign countries, if such a thing happened, media reporters would have gone there long ago, and the whole thing will be exposed and reported publicly. Then the relevant responsibilities People are immediately dismissed.
Image : On 24 November 2022, in Beijing, several Dabai stood on a street in a blocked residential area. (Noel Celis / AFP)
"However, there is no freedom of the press in mainland China. In the past three years, the common people have suffered so much. I have not seen a single official responsible for the (excessive) blockage-explaining violence, closing the door and causing losses to the common people. Because the Communist Party is essentially the same as these ruling ideas of officials are the same, that is, to control the people, to be obedient and to be obedient citizens.
"The (Chinese Communist Party) government let go of it when it lay flat. The excuse was that a small cold is fine, and herd immunity is enough. It didn't care about everything at once. The medical resources were not ready, and a large number of infections were caused in the end. Unlike a normal government, epidemic control measures have to be gradually loosened. In Canada, if there is a large number of infections, such as medical run-off, it is a matter of people's livelihood, and the news will be reported on a rolling basis. However, (in China) I have not seen (official) reports.
"The CCTV media reports are all about the so-called good situation and how the leaders care about the people. Even the situation of some crematorias is almost classified as a state secret by the CCP. Before, the people could still take some pictures but now they are not allowed to take pictures. Later, it was put under semi-military control, and the police and armed police were put on guard, and ordinary people were not allowed to take pictures casually.
"Actually, a large number of Chinese people have died from the epidemic, which proves that the policy is wrong and completely failed. But we have seen that behind every natural disaster is a man-made disaster caused by the Communist Party, and it is an example of its disregard for the lives of Chinese people. The result. That's what it is, tyranny, tyranny and lies.
"One more thing, the CCP's power and tyranny has always had such a logic, that is, dead people can't speak, no matter whether you are an official in the CCP or an ordinary person, as long as you are killed, no matter how you die, your pain Others don't know.
"We have seen that after the (epidemic prevention) was opened up, many family members of the second generation of the red family passed away. In fact, they expressed a lot of dissatisfaction with the (CCP) policy, but their opinions were quickly dismissed by 'harmony' . That is to say, the common people are not free.”
News (21)
The CCP lost its credibility, people overcame the wall to find the truth
"Of course, with the dissemination of information on the Internet, the iron curtain of the CCP's tyranny has gradually torn open. It can't be so arrogant all the time." Dr. Liu said, "Actually, the common people now are very concerned about the CCP's government. They really don’t believe the information anymore, they don’t even care about it anymore, they are also looking for the truth, like breaking the Internet (breaking through the network blockade), many people are breaking the Internet, including many young people, who need to apply for passports, get rich, and start going abroad. "
Image : High school students from mainland China who decide to study abroad face even bigger hurdles beyond the entrance test. The picture shows students from mainland China who came to Hong Kong to take the SAT test in May this year. (Yu Gang/The Epoch Times)
"Actually, when these young people go abroad, it is not only their own decision, it must be the decision of the whole family. Many parents also let their children come out first. Because everyone knows that after the three years of (dynamic clearing) pain, including (the CCP government), all of a sudden, in December last year, the Chinese people have really felt the CCP’s capriciousness, violence, and information monopoly, and everyone is actually looking for the truth,” he said.
News (22)
There is no cure, a large number of patients with the sequelae of covid died in the hospital
Editing / Report by : Li Yun / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/02/17/a103651458.html
During the three years of the epidemic, the CCP fought the epidemic extremely, resulting in heavy loss of life. After the New Year, the CCP announced that the epidemic was coming to an end, but there are still a large number of patients in hospitals suffering from sequelae. An insider revealed that at present, a large number of patients with covid sequelae in the hospital have died due to no cure.
On 17 February, Ms. Liu, who works as a nurse at a hospital in Beijing, told NTDTV that there are so many patients with covid sequelae in the hospital that there is no cure.
Ms. Liu, a nurse at Beijing Hospital: "There are still many people in the hospital who are infected with covid. He is hospitalized in the hospital with underlying diseases. It seems that there is not much work to do. He has been in the hospital for a long time, with oxygen and anti-inflammatory drugs. It is maintained every day, and people will die at any time, especially in hospitals."
For example, Ms. Liu said that some doctors fooled their families and sent these patients to the intensive care unit for emergency treatment. It cost tens of thousands of dollars a day, and finally died.
Ms. Liu: "I have a brother-in-law. He was in Shenzhen. After he tested positive, he could not speak clearly. After being rescued in the hospital for 4 months, he returned home and died. After being infected, he was still in the hospital. He had white lungs and couldn't get up. He coughed a lot, and then the oxygen will not work. There is no way, now that the covi-positivity is over, there will be many sequelae, and the hospital has no medicine to treat this disease, and it has not been researched. "
In early December 2022, the CCP loosened its anti-epidemic measures without warning or preparation. The tsunami of the epidemic swept across the country. The number of infections and deaths increased sharply. Hospitals were overcrowded.
Ms. Liu: "Basically, more than 90% of them were sunburned, and many people died. Hospitals broke out and crematoriums were full. In Beijing, from 8 December to 10 January, basically 10,000 people died a day or even more than this. Not to mention ordinary people, doctors and nurses will die, there is no such medicine.”
Around the Chinese New Year, a large number of elderly people in Beijing died, resulting in a sharp drop in the demand for care workers. Like many nurses, Ms. Liu returned to her hometown after losing her job. Recently, as more and more patients suffer from the covid sequelaes, they have flocked to major cities to work as nurses in hospitals.
Ms. Liu: "In the past three years of the epidemic, the hospital has been closed. It is still closed now. Now you go in to work as a nurse, and you still have nucleic acid done for you. After doing the nucleic acid and waiting for 8 hours, you can enter the official ward. This The procedure has been going on. The hospital has set up a nursing company. No matter how much money you earn, you will be deducted 50 yuan a day. My family members are not allowed to go in and have to be served by nurses. They peel off layer by layer, and finally strip you off. They may not be cured.”
In early February, the CCP claimed that the current round of the epidemic in China was coming to an end.
However, a mainland doctor said that in early February, his outpatient clinic received more than 100 patients a day, and nearly 70 patients had symptoms related to covid. The most common symptoms were cough, chest tightness, fatigue and night sweats.
Doctor from mainland China: "The peak of the epidemic has passed, but the shadow of the symptoms left by the covi infection has not left. There are still a large number of patients with covid-related symptoms in outpatient clinics, and the persistent symptoms of covid cannot be ignored."
Sun Guojun, a doctor from mainland China: "The number of sequelae of covid has increased from 12 to 16, especially the first batch of people who have passed the test have shown various symptoms."
In mid-February, a person in the medical field in mainland China said that the number of patients with covid sequelae is increasing, and the orders of cough medicine manufacturers have doubled several times!
People in the medical field in mainland China: "Just after the new year, Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical has entered the busiest production state in more than 10 years. Guizhou Bailing Pharmaceutical is also a cough medicine production workshop. It has been running at full capacity since the second day of the new year. Now not only has the purchase of cough medicines in offline physical stores doubled, but the online orders for cough medicines have also doubled several times."
According to a report by China Business News on 12 February, domestic cough medicine companies have ushered in the busiest start of work season. Representatives of several cough medicine companies said that their orders are scheduled for March and April or even later.
The above-mentioned person in the medical field said that people are now talking less and less about the epidemic, but in reality many people are still dying.
A person in the medical field in mainland China: "Recently, I have heard more about the sudden death of people who are not too old. There are more and more of them, and many of them are experts in medicine and pharmacy but when the news is released, the concern for these people is that the cause of death is mostly kept secret, leaving a lot of room for people to think about it.”
Although the CCP claims that the prevention and control of the epidemic has achieved a so-called major victory, Chinese experts and celebrities, including officials, are still dying of the disease one after another.
News (23)
China CDC's surveillance of virus variation in local cases of covi infection released on 18 February 2023 (Extract)
(1) Overall situation. From 26 September 2022 to 16 February 2023, a total of 25,632 local cases of the covi genome valid sequences were reported across CCP China, all of which were mutant strains of Omicron, with a total of 78 evolutionary branches, and the main epidemic strain was BA. 5.2.48 (53.4%), BF.7.14 (24.9%) and BA.5.2.49 (13.9%). The composition ratio of 20 evolutionary branches such as BA.5.2 is between 0.1% and 2.4%, and the composition ratio of 55 evolutionary branches is less than 0.1% (0.6% in total) (Figure 4-1).
Figure 4-1 Trend chart of the variation of covi strains across the country
Description: 1. Sampling date: 26 September 2022 to 14 February 2023.
2. The numbers marked in the figure are the effective genome sequence numbers of BA.5.2.48, BF.7.14 and BA.5.2.49 evolutionary branches respectively.
3. "Others" refers to evolutionary branches with a proportion of less than 0.1% of Omicron mutant strains nationwide.
(2) The monitoring situation of local virus variants since December. From 1 December 2022 to 16 February 2023, a total of 16,931 local cases of covi genome valid sequences were reported across the country, all of which were mutants of Omicron, with a total of 34 evolutionary branches. The main prevailing strains are BA.5.2.48 (60.4%) and BF.7.14 (28.9%) (Table 4-1). A total of 15 local variant strains of special concern were found, including 1 case of XBB.1, 1 case of XBB.1.5, 1 case of BQ.1, 5 cases of BQ.1.1, 1 case of BQ.1.1.17, 4 cases of BQ.1.2 and 2 cases of BQ.1.8.
Table 4-1 Situation of covi variant strains in the whole country
(1 December 2022 to 16 February 2023)
Omicron evolutionary branch | Constituent ratio (%)
BA.5.2.48 | 60.4%
BF.7.14 | 28.9%
BA.5.2.49 | 6.5%
BA.5.2 | 2.1%
BF.7 | 1.0%
BA.5.1 | 0.4%
BA.2.76 | 0.1%
BA.5.2.1 | 0.1%
BA.5.2.20 | 0.1%
BN.1.3 | 0.1%
Other | 0.3%
Total | 100%
(3) The covi mutation by province. Overall, BF.7 and its subclades are the dominant strains in Beijing, Tianjin and Inner Mongolia; Jiangsu BF.7 and its subclades are basically equal to BA.5.2 and its subclades; other provinces are dominated by BA.5.2 and its subclades The branch is the dominant strain (Figure 4-2).
Figure 4-2 Surveillance of covi mutations in various provinces
Description: 1. Sampling time: 1 December 2022 to 14 February 2023;
2. The numbers marked in the figure are the effective genome sequence numbers of BA.5.2.48, BF.7.14 and BA.5.2.49 evolutionary branches respectively.
News (24)
Beijing's inconsistencies, why the virus antibody test was carried out
Report by : Zhou Xiaohui / Editor : Pushan / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/2/10/n13927271.htm / Image : The Wuhan Institute of Virology photographed from the air. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
According to China News, Wang Quanyi, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal CDC, said in an interview with the media that in order to comprehensively assess the infection situation of covid in CCP China, it is necessary to understand the population's serum antibody level and Beijing is about to launch a population serum antibody survey. Subsequently, many places such as Hunan, Hubei, Wuhan, and Shenzhen also issued notices, saying that the new coronavirus antibody test will be carried out in the near future, and the price will be 30-50 RMB per time. The notifications from various places also mentioned that antibody testing can be used as an auxiliary diagnosis of covi infection, and at the same time provide a basis for the timing and vaccination plan of the covid virus vaccination.
Do the Beijing authorities really think everyone is forgetful? I remember that in the second half of 2021, although various places continued to adopt strict prevention and control measures and nucleic acid testing for all staff, many people had received two shots of the covi vaccine for more than 80% of the population, but it turned out that the vast majority of infected people were deeply confused by the complete vaccination situation, and they have questioned whether the vaccine is effective.
At that time, Guan Yi, a professor of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong and an expert in virology, publicly put forward three suggestions and opinions in an interview with the media on 8 November. The first is to advocate antibody testing. He said: "Don't just do a nucleic acid test for all employees. You should do an antibody test to see how many antibodies our citizens have in their bodies after being vaccinated. You should touch this tiger's butt...." The second is to target the quality of vaccines produced by vaccine companies requires companies to "regularly announce the results of vaccine inspections, and if they fail to meet the standards, they will be expelled." The third is to advocate coexistence with the virus and oppose the "dynamic clearing" policy.
The subtext of Guan Yizhi's words is that there is a problem with the vaccine. It is impossible for the vaccine to eliminate the virus, and the quality of the vaccine can be known through antibody testing. Guan Yi's suggestion won the support of a large number of netizens. But why did Guan Yi say that "tiger's buttocks should be touched" when doing antibody testing? Is it difficult to do antibody testing?
Obviously, the water in it is very deep. Just over two months before Guan Yi made the proposal, that is, on 27 August, Zheng Zhongwei, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party’s vaccine research and development working group and director of the Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Research Center of the National Health Commission, said at the press conference of the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism it is clearly stated that it is "unnecessary and not feasible" to carry out antibody testing on people who have been vaccinated, and to re-vaccinate those who have not developed antibodies after vaccination. Because "the antibody level gradually decreases after vaccination, which is a natural response of the human immune system. However, the decrease in the antibody level does not mean that the vaccine loses its protective effect. The protection of the vaccine, in addition to neutralizing antibodies, mainly relies on immune memory." . "In the past, the normal vaccines did not carry out antibody testing of the population, and there was no legal requirement in this regard, so we think it is unnecessary to carry out."
On the one hand, Zheng Zhongwei emphasized the need to continue to vigorously promote vaccination, and even need booster injections to increase antibody levels, implying that vaccination and booster injections can maintain a high level of antibodies in the body and resist the virus; Antibodies exist but isn't that a bit of a contradiction? What is the reason?
The writer wrote an article at the time and believed that the reason why the Beijing authorities opposed the antibody test should be because of two concerns. One was that there was a problem with the vaccine and that it would not be able to produce antibodies. The author once learned the news that ten doctors and nurses in a department of a large hospital in mainland China conducted an antibody test after receiving the Sinovac vaccine, and the result was that the two did not produce antibodies. According to the proportion of 20% who did not develop antibodies, or reduced to 10%, perhaps 100 million of the 1.1 billion people did not develop antibodies after being vaccinated. Do vaccine companies with dignitaries behind them dare to take this responsibility?
The second is to worry that through antibody testing, the public will know the harm caused by the vaccine to the human body. Typically, antibody testing involves obtaining a blood sample via a fingerstick prick or drawing blood from a vein in the arm and testing the serum. Doctors abroad found that blood clots, damaged white blood cells, graphene, and other unknown substances existed in the blood of fully vaccinated people, and blood clots and damaged white blood cells were the cause of myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and acute leukemia. The culprit, a large number of sudden death and myocarditis cases in Europe and America, are all related to this. Although the inactivated vaccines produced in mainland China are different from those in Europe and the United States, many vaccine recipients in mainland China also developed symptoms such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and acute leukemia. What kind of mystery is there in this?
Based on the above two reasons, it is understandable that Zheng Zhongwei said on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party that antibody testing is unnecessary. One question is, why did the Beijing authorities decide to carry out antibody testing now?
You know, Guan Yi's third suggestion has now been fully implemented in the mainland. In December 2022, after the CCP authorities realized that the spread of the epidemic could not be stopped through the extreme zero-covid policy, they suddenly released it without warning and without adequate preparation for the people and medical institutions. The result was a large number of deaths. However, funeral parlors all over the country cannot meet the "needs" even if they work overtime.
Based on the spread of the virus in the past two months, CCP experts have concluded that mainlanders should have an infection rate of 80% to 90%, including both those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated. In the case of widespread infection among mainlanders, is it really for the sake of the public that the Beijing authorities conduct a population serum antibody survey?
First of all, the two worries that the CCP once had no longer exist. Because even if the serum test finds no antibodies, or finds that the vaccine has caused harm to the human body, the CCP authorities can completely attribute it to the sequelae caused by the virus infection, and the public will not know the truth.
Secondly, the CCP's statement that "antibody testing can be used as an auxiliary diagnosis of covi infection, and at the same time provide a basis for the timing and vaccination plan of the covid virus vaccination" is not convincing. In this wave of epidemics, 90% of Chinese people have obvious symptoms, and they can be diagnosed with the virus without antibody testing. Since those asymptomatic people are not infected, why do they need to do antibody testing? In addition, since you will be infected with or without the vaccine, will the vaccine be effective even if there is no antibody after the infection is detected? Such rhetoric can only deceive people who have no brains.
So, what is the purpose of the Beijing authorities in this move? Is it to promote further vaccination? After the public has long been aware of the problem of the CCP’s vaccines, and the public has long disbelieved what the CCP says, it is obviously difficult to achieve this goal. The author believes that the biggest possibility is that it is used by some research institutes of the CCP for some kind of ulterior research.
Although the CCP deliberately played down and repeatedly denied that the virus that ravaged the world in 2020 came from the Wuhan virus laboratory, it has been analyzed before, and various evidences show that the virus was leaked from the Wuhan laboratory, and the purpose of the CCP laboratory to create this virus is worthy world exploration.
After the virus has been raging for more than three years, with multiple variants appearing and causing a large number of deaths, the CCP must of course know whether the human body has finally formed effective antibodies, whether these antibodies can be further broken through, and so on. Some overseas self-media believe that this means that the CCP will carry out "a new round of transformation of immune escape strains".
We must not underestimate the evilness of the CCP. Any action of the CCP under the banner of serving the people has its ulterior secrets behind it. Therefore, it is better for the public to stay away from the serum antibody test launched by Beijing itself.
News (25)
Pentagon senior official shocked: Xi Jinping does not trust the PLA, CCP’s military-governmental gap is huge
Editor : Chu Tian / https://www.aboluowang.com/2023/0220/1869007.html
The CCP still expresses its dissatisfaction with the shooting down of the reconnaissance balloon by the United States. Colin Kahl, the US undersecretary for policy at the Department of Defense, pointed out that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not aware of this beforehand. This highlights "a huge military-political divide" within the Chinese system, with Xi "not trusting his military".
Kahl told the New York Times on the 17th that Xi Jinping may know the overall plan of China's high-altitude reconnaissance balloon, but he did not know about the balloon in this incident until the balloon floated over the United States and attracted widespread attention.
He pointed out that "the Chinese Communist Party made these things (high-altitude reconnaissance balloons) mainly to support their 'a potential war' in the Western Pacific" and to monitor US military bases in Guam and Hawaii.
Kahl noted that he suspects that Xi Jinping asked the Chinese military about it, and that the military began to "back off and make excuses." "There is a huge military-political gap in the system of the People's Republic of China", Xi Jinping "doesn't trust his army, he doesn't trust it".
The report directly pointed out that Kahl's judgment may be the most explicit public comment made by a senior official of the Joe Biden administration on the Chinese Communist Party. Because Xi Jinping has always portrayed himself as a passionate successor of the communist revolution who "does not forget his original intention" and "the core of close ties" between the party and the army.
But Kahl said that both the United States and China want to end the balloon incident, and believe that the two countries are very embarrassed by the whole situation and "both want to get things back on track." Among them, the United States is willing to "let the situation enter a state where the two sides can have a mature dialogue."
On the other hand, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a discussion at Columbia University on the 17th that communicating with China in times of crisis is far more difficult than talking with Soviet leaders during the Cold War. "They (the CCP) tend to suppress in crisis, not dialogue."
Chinese officials are more inclined than U.S. leaders to think about the very long term, which complicates the communication, Haynes said.
As for whether the US got any intelligence from the salvaged Chinese reconnaissance balloons, Carr said, "They (the CCP) didn't get much intelligence from us, but we learned a lot from them." He declined to provide any details until the results of the analysis were known.
However, Kahl pointed out that the payload of the Chinese spy balloon is capable of full motion and high-resolution video recording, and has an antenna that can intercept electronic transmissions.
Kahl mentioned that China's high-altitude reconnaissance balloons are not designed to monitor the continental United States. This shows that after the balloon floated from Canada to Montana, the senior Chinese military officials played by ear.
News (26)
Xi Jinping mourns: The number of days is up! Hu Xijin leaked the secret: The police are crazy busy
Editor : Fang Xun / https://www.aboluowang.com/2023/0220/1868938.html
Image : Web Screenshot
Local governments across China are facing fiscal crises. In the mid-1990s, local governments lost most of their ability to collect taxes due to government policy changes. They are also given broad powers to borrow money or raise money by selling long-term leases on state land to developers.
Since the autumn of 2021, a slow-moving real estate crisis has disrupted the financing models of Chinese local governments. Dozens of developers have sharply scaled back plans to lease more land as they default on at least some of their massive debts. Revenue from government land sales fell by nearly a quarter last year.
News (27)
Hu Xijin: One-third of the civil servants in the country are policemen
Last month, hundreds of workers employed by the government's mass nucleic acid testing program took to the streets to demand unpaid wages. The protests came a month after medical students at universities and hospitals demanded higher wages and more protective gear. Many of these students have been forced to work as the country's healthcare system struggles to cope with the high number of cases.
At this time, Hu Xijin, the above-mentioned man with a pan, issued another article saying:
Civil servants at leisure, nine to five? That's the old calendar. Did you know that about one-third of the civil servants in the country are police officers? How can the police today not work overtime on holidays? Have you ever seen it? As for other civil servants, all the secretaries, mayors and county heads that Lao Hu met were crazy busy. Do you think the boss is so busy, can their subordinates be free? If the boss of your company is still busy with various things in the unit after get off work, can the people around him leave? ...
Hu Xijin’s statement inadvertently reveals how many policemen are kept under the CCP’s regime, and most of these policemen are used as tools for maintaining stability (repression). The main reason for not being able to get out of trouble.
Taiwanese people should really be thankful that they have moved from an authoritarian system to the aura of freedom and democracy!
News (28)
Jiang Zemin's "traitorous" behavior exposed! The CCP added the Chinese names of eight places on the Sino-Russian border
Editor : Shi Fang / https://www.aboluowang.com/2023/0221/1869213.html / Image : Recently, China added the names of eight places on the Sino-Russian border, exposing Jiang Zemin's traitorous behaviour. (Internet screenshot)
Recently, the official website of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Communist Party of China added the original Chinese names to the eight place names on the Sino-Russian border. Some netizens interpreted it as being convenient for use, but others believed that this exposed the traitorous scandal of the former leader of the Communist Party of China, Jiang Zemin.
On 14 February 2023, the official website of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Communist Party of China issued a notice of "Regulations on the Contents of Public Maps". Among them, the 14th point requires that the place names of the 8 places on the Sino-Russian border should be marked with the original Chinese names in brackets in addition to the geographical names pronounced in the current Russian language on the map.
The eight locations are "Vladivostok" bracketed "Haishenwei"; "Ussuriysk" bracketed "Shuangchengzi"; "Khabarovsk" bracketed "Boli"; "Goveshchensk" encloses "Hailanpao"; "Sakhalin" encloses "Kuyedao"; "Nerchensk" encloses "Nibuchu"; "Nikolayevsk" encloses note "Temple Street"; "Stanov Mountains" include "Wai Xing'an Mountains".
These eight places that require Chinese names were all once Chinese lands, which were forcibly ceded to Russia since the Qing Dynasty through the "Aigun Treaty", "Beijing Treaty" and "China-Russia Exploration and Division of the Northwest Boundary".
Article 52 of the International Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which came into force in 1980, states that a treaty "concluded by the threat or use of force" is void.
Successive Chinese governments since the Republic of China have not recognized these treaties. However, according to the book "Jiang Zemin and His Man", on 9 and 10 December 1999, Jiang Zemin and then Russian President Yeltsin signed the "Protocol on the Narrative Protocol between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation on the East and West Sections of the Sino-Russian Boundary".
The Protocol recognizes the validity of these treaties. Moreover, a large area of territory that was occupied by Tsarist Russia without signing the contract was permanently assigned to Russia, including the Tannu Wulianghai area of about 170,000 square kilometers that was voted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1953 to be Chinese territory, 3,600 square km covering 64 villages in Jiangdong, and the 76,400-square-km Sakhalin Island.
News (29)
It is said that the three generations of each "White Hair Movement" protester will be implicated! To prevent crowds from gathering, the CCP stopped the bus and sent police officers to board the subway
Editor : Shi Fang / https://www.aboluowang.com/2023/0220/1868940.html / Image : Chinese retirees, dissatisfied with the drop in medical subsidy costs, gathered in front of Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital to protest. Picture: Taken from Twitter @pearlher
After the implementation of medical insurance reforms in Dalian and Wuhan, Liaoning, China, a large number of retirees gathered to protest. Large-scale demonstrations broke out on the 8th and 15th. On 20 February 2023 a number of Chinese netizen accounts on Twitter said: "It is rumored that the CCP held an emergency meeting on the 19th, and will deal with those who participated in the white-haired movement in accordance with the standards of the June 4th Tiananmen incident. One person protesting three generations will be implicated."
Chinese netizens also released a video of a large number of black-clad policemen escorting people into the car, and the scene was once chaotic.
Friends from Wuhan sent:
Yesterday, I heard that an emergency meeting was held, and those who participated in the parade and assembly will be dealt with according to the "6.4" standard. One person will be implicated for three generations. All buses and subways to Jiefang Park and Zhongshan Park were suspended yesterday. All units sent people to the grassroots to maintain stability. At 4 am yesterday, the police and special police were already in place. pic.twitter.com/fxzp5uGtls
— Hooligan fighter Unicornliumangzhanji Bona fide hooligan (@GvqVd6J2jdCOJYP) February 19, 2023
The CCP implemented medical insurance reforms in Wuhan and Dalian on the grounds of "strengthening the pooling fund", and cut the medical subsidy from 260 yuan (about NT$1,150) per person per month to 83 yuan (about NT$367). Retired elderly gathered at Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital, Zhongshan Park, and Dalian People's Square to sing "The Internationale" and "Unity is Strength" and other "songs" to protest.
Following the white paper revolution at the end of 2022, China once again set off a "white hair movement" for medical insurance reform. Multiple Twitter accounts posted today that all buses and subways going to Jiefang Park and Zhongshan Park in Wuhan were suspended on the 19th. All government units sent people to the grassroots to maintain stability. Police and special police arrived at the scene at 4 am.
A netizen wrote in a message: "These white-haired old men have experienced all the catastrophes since the Communist Party occupied the world, and they are lucky enough to survive until today. Can't let them go? They have to scrape the flesh on the legs of flies!", "In the eyes of the Communist Party, ordinary people are food, supplies and tools on shelves. Disposable."
Image : The CCP police escorted the people who participated in the white hair movement into the car. Picture: Taken from Twitter @GvqVd6J2jdCOJYP
News (30)
Taiwan CDC: 8 more cases of severe influenza last week, second local case of hantavirus
Reporter : Wu Liangyi / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/4217873 / Image : The Taiwan CDC announced today that eight new cases of severe influenza were reported last week, and a man in his 50s in the north was diagnosed with hantavirus syndrome, the second case of hantavirus this year. (file photo)
In addition to the local covid epidemic, the CDC announced on 21 February 2023 that there were 8 new cases of severe influenza last week, and a man in his 50s in the north was diagnosed with hantavirus syndrome is the second case of hantavirus this year.
The flu epidemic continues. Last week, the number of outpatient and emergency flu-like visits reached 44,596, which was the same as the previous week. In the past four weeks, contracted laboratories isolated respiratory viruses with influenza virus being the most common, followed by adenovirus and respiratory fusion virus. Influenza virus isolation was dominated by type A H3N2, indicating that respiratory viruses such as influenza continued to be active in the community.
In this flu season, from 1 October 2022 to 19 February 2023, a total of 49 severe cases of influenza (41 cases of type A H3N2, 3 cases of type A H1N1, 1 case of untyped type A, and 4 cases of type B), Most of the age groups are older than 65 years old, accounting for 41%, 90% have not been vaccinated against this season's flu vaccine, and 78% have a history of chronic diseases; 9 of them died (8 cases of H3N2, 1 case of type B), all of whom had a history of chronic diseases, and not vaccinated against this season's flu.
According to the CDC, there were 8 new cases of severe influenza complicated by influenza last week (6 cases were type A H3N2, 1 case was type A H1N1, and 1 case was type A untyped), 4 cases were male and 4 female, and the age range under the age of 10 to 90 years old, 5 of them had a history of chronic diseases such as hypertension and cardiopulmonary vascular diseases, and 7 of them had not been vaccinated against this season's influenza vaccine, and the onset dates were between 10 February and 16 February 2023; 4 new deaths (30s to 80s, all type A H3N2), with a history of underlying diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma, all of whom have not been vaccinated against this season's flu vaccine, were admitted to the hospital due to illness or respiratory symptoms. He contracted the flu and later died of kidney failure and respiratory failure.
In addition, the CDC also announced today a new case of hantavirus syndrome in the Republic of China. This is also the second confirmed case this year. It is a male in his 50s in the north. He has no recent travel history and his activities are mainly at work and around his home. There are no traces of rats in the house, and they will come into contact with rat carcasses or their excrement due to work needs.
He developed fever, headache and other symptoms successively on 30 January 2023. He returned home after seeking medical treatment that day. Due to his symptoms worsening, he fainted again at home on 3 February. He was sent to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital. He was confirmed by a notification test and has been discharged from the hospital; The relevant contacts have no suspected symptoms. The health unit has carried out various investigations and health education prevention and control work, and went to the surrounding area of the case to conduct rat patching operations to clarify the possible source of infection.
Hantavirus syndrome is a zoonotic disease. Human beings inhale or come into contact with flying dust, objects contaminated with hantavirus rodent excrement or secretions, including feces, urine, and saliva, or are bitten by virus-carrying rodents. , there is a risk of infection.
According to statistics over the years, there have been a total of 42 cases in the Republic of China since 2011, one of which was imported from abroad. The infected country of origin is Indonesia. There are cases every month, and there are risks for all ages.
The first case of hantavirus in Taiwan for the year 2023 is reported on 11 February 2023.
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