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covid-safer-hotties · 7 months ago

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Price to power to size to portability, the AirFanta 3Pro is one of the best on the market. Here's the latest review (Also preserved in our archive)

Afiliate links if you want this guy to make a buck from your purchase: www.amazon.com/stores/AirFanta/page/0D35BA0F-6AFE-48BB-BB83-E984C65192D4?asc_campaign=c192889518f863d96d278a446b3a951d&asc_source=01H1P39M5ZSG9J6WR6B1HBK9M0&language=en_US&linkCode=sl2&linkId=be7b5afa91953d14a40a0b6fb293d6aa&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&tag=namespacebran492-20

air-fanta.com/?dt_id=2137762

AirFanta is a name that I hear more about every day. While it’s a relatively niche company, it’s quickly becoming well-known – at least within the air quality ‘enthusiast’ community – for performant yet affordable air purifiers and air quality monitors. I’ve been using the AirFanta G2 Air Quality Monitor for quite a few months now, but the two products that have always interested me the most are 3Pro and 4Lite air purifiers.

After having the 3Pro set up inside my office for over two weeks now, I am happy to be able to present my full review of the device. For anyone unaware, this purifier is designed to filter a massive amount of air (we will discuss the CADR and more soon!) at a relatively affordable price. It does this by being essentially a pre-assembled CR (Corsi-Rosenthal) Box – a form of air purifier that was itself created due to the need for affordable and effective air purification devices.

While the 3Pro doesn’t embrace the typical DIY aspect of traditional CR Boxes, it has the advantage of having proven performance (no need to worry about whether your DIY box is effective!) and being ready to go out of the box. However, perhaps my favourite aspect of this device over traditional CR Boxes is how easily obtainable it is. While this probably isn’t an issue for anyone in the U.S. or Europe, I find it hard to source good HEPA filters in New Zealand at an affordable price. The 3Pro ensures I don’t run into this issue.

In today’s review of the AirFanta 3Pro, I want to answer a few key questions. Firstly, how does it perform? Secondly, how does it compare to more ‘traditional’ air purifiers? Finally, and most importantly, is the 3Pro worth the markup compared to making your own CR Box at home? By the end of the article, I will share the answers and my opinions regarding each of these questions. Let’s dive in!

The key selling point of the AirFanta 3Pro is its fantastic CADR – especially at this price. For anyone new to air purifiers, CADR stands for clean air delivery rate, which indicates how much air an air purifier can clean and deliver in a set period. The measurement typically used for CADR is CFM, or cubic feet per minute. A higher CADR in CFM indicates the purifier delivers more clean air.

CADR is calculated by considering both the filter efficiency and the airflow through the filters, making it a much better metric (and the standard for air purifiers) than airflow alone. Most CADR tests use a room of around 30m3 and test how much faster the purifier removes particles from the air than if they were left to settle naturally without any other influences.

So, what is the CADR of the 3Pro? It is quite impressive, 413cfm (702 m3/h) at full speed. To best put this in perspective, I recommend reading the fantastic HouseFresh review to see how it compares to other devices currently on the market (spoiler alert; it performs very favourably). I also believe these official figures, as multiple other sources have confirmed them.

The AirFanta 3Pro uses HEPA H11 filters, which are rated to provide ≥ 95% filtration. It’s worth noting that while this figure may not seem that high and that while many air purifiers use higher-rated filters, the H11 filters used here aren’t necessarily bad. That is because, unlike respirators and masks, air purifiers are not designed to purify the air as best possible on a single pass. Rather, if an air purifier can continually filter the same air after multiple passes through the filter, the particle count and concentration will be significantly reduced.

This is important to note because H11 filters are less dense, allowing for better airflow and generally with less noise. Compared to masks, you can think of the balance between filtration and breathability – generally, the more filtration a mask or respirator provides, the less breathable it is. The same goes for air purifiers. The key difference here is that purifiers are designed to have air pass through them multiple times, unlike a mask or respirator, which only has one chance to filter the air before the wearer breathes it. This is why, despite having ‘only’ an H11 filter, the 3Pro can achieve a fantastic CADR.

Of course, this is a very simple explanation, but it’s important to clarify this because I can predict many questions asking, ‘But why weren’t better filters such as HEPA H13 filters used?’. While I can’t speak for the exact answer (you’d have to ask Adam from AirFanta about that!), it’s likely to strike a balance between single-pass filtration performance, airflow, and noise level. While we’ll dive into it soon, I believe complaints about the H11 filter will quickly disappear once you see the performance that the AirFanta 3Pro has to offer.

It’s also worth noting that carbon filters are available, which will provide filtration through adsorption for VOCs and many odours. While I didn’t get these filters to test, some people will opt for them to help manage VOCs. Since these add another layer to the filter, they will likely slightly drop the CADR, but probably not enough to make any significant impact (and, of course, the extra filtration is a big benefit).

AirFanta also has a full list of third-party certifications and test results, which can be viewed here. Interestingly, both bacterial efficiency and viral efficiency reports from Guangzhou Institute of Microbiology Group Co., Ltd. (a CNAS-accredited laboratory) have been provided, and both reports show a > 99.99% decrease in particle concentration after 60 minutes of use in a 30m3 room. The bacterial test goes further and shows the results after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes. These results show a ≥ 95.63%, ≥ 99.91% and 99.99% drop in tested particles, respectively.

These results show that, at least in a room around 30m3 in size, the AirFanta 3Pro can reduce bacterial and viral particles by ≥ 99.9% in 30 minutes, with 60 minutes seeing a near complete removal of such particles. While we can’t tell exactly what size the particles were in this testing (at least not without paying for access to the original standards), these results are very promising. Potentially worth noting is that since the 3Pro is rated for 702 m3/h, there would have been around 23 air changes within one hour in the 30m3 test chamber. Therefore, the ≥ 95.63% is after almost six air changes, and ≥ 99.91% after around 12.

Of course, these tests and the stated CADR are at the device’s maximum fan speed, which isn’t ideal in many situations. While it’s important to know a device’s maximum performance when needed, it’s more likely you’ll want to leave the device running at a lower speed either all the time or at least quite regularly. Below are the stated CADRs at different fan speeds:

6 – 413CFM 5 – 374CFM 4 – 321CFM 3 – 247CFM 2 – 141CFM 1 – 57CFM Of course, I was also curious to run some tests myself, but I must make the disclaimer that my tests are far from scientific. That said, I wanted to perform some testing similar to a real-life setting where the AirFanta 3Pro is likely to be used. As such, I decided to set up a test room. I measured this room to be 25.6m3, which is about the size of a standard bedroom (it is a bedroom!). While this room is smaller than what I believe this device is intended for, it’s the most controllable room in my house regarding airflow as it only has one door and one window, which can easily be closed and no other forms of ventilation or air disturbances.

In this room, I burned incense until I reached a PM2.5 concentration of 500ug/m3. However, since I can’t exactly control the PM concentration, it ended up being somewhere between 500 and 600 in my tests. I then put the incense out and did a control test to see how long it took the particles to settle without any assistance at all. This took around 90 minutes, and I used this as my baseline.

I monitored the particle concentrations with five AirGradient monitors that were located in each corner and the centre of the room. I then reran this experiment three more times – once with the purifier at maximum speed, once at half speed, and once at the minimum speed to see how long the concentration took to reach < 5ug/m3. I measured the particle concentration by averaging the data from all five monitors to ensure the whole room had been filtered. Here are my results.

In this graph, you can see the baseline data in blue (labelled Ambient) and the particle concentration drop from the AirFanta 3Pro at maximum speed (speed 6) in red. As you can see, it took around 90 minutes for the particle count to drop to < 5ug/m3 without the purifier running but less than 20 minutes with the device at maximum speed. I was very impressed by these first results, and while I wouldn’t want to run the device at full speed often as it is loud, I appreciate having a good peak performance for times when you need to clean the air in a room quickly.

I reran this test, but this time with the 3Pro at half speed (speed 3) and was impressed by the relatively low performance drop. I was worried my results were incorrect, and I reran this three times, but each result was within one minute of the initial result. It looks like a large chunk of the device’s performance is retained between the higher speeds, even though the noise level decreases significantly. This gave me high hopes for the 3Pro’s performance at minimum speed.

Unfortunately, but perhaps not unexpectedly, the device performed far worse at the lowest speed (speed 1). While the particle concentration did drop more quickly than without the device, it was vastly slower than at the faster speeds. It is worth noting that this is not bad at all, as the device is very quiet at this speed and we can see the performance is clearly there, if needed, just turn the device to a higher speed. However, I had inflated hopes after seeing the great performance at higher speeds. Of course, this does match with the stated speed 1 CADR which is roughly 1/8 of the maximum CADR at speed 6.

If we add the times it took the 3Pro to reduce the PM concentration to below 5ug/m3 at each speed setting, we can see that it took between 17.3 minutes and 80.1 minutes to clean the room, depending on the speed. Interestingly, between the higher speeds (speeds 3-6), there appears to be little performance drop-off but a significant improvement in noise levels. At the slow end, the device takes a long time to filter the room, and if you want to use these near-silent speeds, you will probably want to have the device constantly on.

It’s worth noting that previously, the AirFanta 3Pro came with a voltage dial on the adapter. This could be used to adjust the speed, and many reviews of the device still refer to this voltage dial (essentially, a speed dial). Newer versions come with a speed dial with speeds 1-6, so I have referred to speeds instead of voltages for this section.

Before concluding this section, I was also curious how this device would perform if I lit incense in the room while the air purifier was on. I didn’t have a reason for doing this other than curiosity. Still, considering the stellar performance at the higher fan speeds, I wondered how the purifier would handle a pollutant source emitting particles while the device was running. Below, you can see the results (keeping in mind that this same room reaches over 1000ug/m3 when burning incense without an air purifier).

As you can see, the AirFanta 3Pro significantly reduced the maximum particle concentration in the room and rapidly cleaned the air once the incense finished burning. I would be very confident using a device such as this even during periods of heavy pollution, such as during wildfire season.

Overall, I’m quite impressed with the performance of the AirFanta 3Pro, and although it’s loud at full speed, it’s great to know that it’s more than capable of cleaning a small to medium-sized room quickly when needed. Larger rooms will take longer to filter, but I am confident this device can do it based on this performance.

If you prefer a quieter device, you can still use the AirFanta 3Pro, but you will want to leave it at a lower speed and constantly have it on. Thankfully, at the lower speeds, it’s a relatively quiet device, and I found it easy to work even with the purifier constantly on – as long as it was set to a lower speed, such as 1 or 2.

On the certifications page (located here), AirFanta also discloses and publically makes its results from non-performance-related certifications publicly available. There are a few pertinent and important documents here, so let’s discuss these before moving on. For the 3Pro, we can find the following documents provided:

UL507 certificate of AirFanta 3Pro CE-EMC certificate of AirFanta 3Pro and 4Lite CE-LVD certificate of AirFanta 3Pro and 4Lite FCC certificate of AirFanta 3Pro and 4Lite California Air Resources Board certification of Airfanta 3Pro Let’s review these individually, beginning with the UL507 certificate at the top. This certification might seem minor, but this is a safety standard for low and mid-powered fans such as those in PCs, kitchen hood vents, and, obviously, some air purifiers. The documentation for this certification is extensive (around 200 pages long), but this certification ensures the fans on the 3Pro are safe from a range of potential issues.

The next two certifications, both CE certificates from the European Union, indicate that the device meets EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) and LVD (low voltage directive) requirements. These are essentially further safety tests and indicate that the device is safe and provides high protection from potential EMC and LVD dangers.

The FCC certificate shows that the AirFanta 3Pro complies with FCC requirements, which are pertinent to customers from the United States. Still, these certifications are also helpful for trust-building with global customers. While I’m not U.S.-based, I certainly feel more confident in a product if it’s also FCC-compliant.

Finally, the CARB (California Air Resources Board) certification shows that the AirFanta 3Pro complies with California’s electrical safety and ozone requirements. This is particularly important as ozone can be a big issue with some air purifiers, and it’s reassuring to know that this is not an issue in the case of the AirFanta 3Pro.

If you’ve ever seen a CR Box, you will already know exactly what to expect from the 3Pro because that’s exactly what it is – a CR Box with pre-chosen parts that come as one ready-to-assemble package. While CR boxes aren’t that hard to assemble, the 3Pro streamlines the process and removes the difficulty of selecting and choosing your own parts. While some enthusiasts might opt for another CR Box, many other prospective customers will appreciate this approach.

When you open the 3Pro’s box, you will be met with six ‘layers’ that must be assembled. This is a very clean approach, as it means that the packaging for the device is relatively compact (albeit still quite heavy), and it even means that the device can be transported and reassembled easily. While it would be a stretch to call this device portable (that’s what the AirFanta 4Lite and SmartAir QT3 are for!), this means it is far more compact than other air purifiers with similar CADRs. While it is still quite large, you could easily take it on the road and use it at hotels, or perhaps even fly with it if you are taking large suitcases.

Back to actually assembling the product! Once you open the box, you will see six panels layered on top of one another. These are the cube’s six sides, with four being HEPA filters, one being a solid plastic base for the device, and the final being the top, where the four fans are located. Assembling the device is easy, and you will want to place the base on the ground before slotting the four filters into it. The only potential difficulty with assembling this purifier is holding the four sides in place as you slot the top on, but even this is quite straightforward with the included velcro intended for exactly this purpose.

A manual is included, but the device is so easy to put together and take apart that I can’t imagine anyone ever using it past the first assembly. Even then, it’s not really needed, as assembling the device is quite self-explanatory. The only note I think might be important to the user is that the mesh surface on the filters should be facing outwards (not the filtering surface, which should face inwards).

All of this is to say that assembling the device is very straightforward, and no one should be scared away or turned off this device because it has a small DIY element. It’s also a bit easier to assemble than other CR boxes as the slots have already been cut out of the base plate, and everything can be put together without the need for glue, tape, or other materials. Perhaps more helpful, the filters have already been chosen, and there is no need to shop around for the best price-performance filter.

Once assembled, the device takes the shape of quite a compact CR Box. On top of that, I must add that I think this device also looks a lot better than any traditional CR Box – at least any that I’ve ever made! While it still has an industrial look, it’s a device that could quite easily fit into a classroom, office, or room without attracting too much attention. While I value aesthetics much less than performance, I appreciate having a device that looks good, too – especially if it can blend in.

Once assembled, the device feels quite solid, and despite there being no adhesive or tape used in the assembly of the purifier, I feel confident lifting it and moving it without dislodging the pieces. With that said, I tend to lift the device from the bottom and hold the top down to ensure none of the pieces slide out from their intended positions.

On top of the purifier are four large fans connected to a controller that will allow you to adjust the speed of the device. These fans look almost identical to large PC fans, and they’re held in place by a wire bracket that also serves as an extra layer of protection to stop any children or animals from getting fingers or paws into the fans. That said, if you have the device around children, you may want to place it up higher so they can’t easily reach the fans.

That’s really all there is to the design of this device. It’s very simple, but it’s also affordable and performant. While some might miss the smart features and connectivity of more pricey air purifiers, the two types of devices cater to very different customers. Overall, I’m a fan of this straightforward approach, which reminds me of the SmartAir Sqair.

The AirFanta 3Pro uses four 140mm fans to push air through the filters. Characteristically, smaller fans tend to have higher-pitched sounds than larger fans and the AirFanta 3Pro sits somewhere in the middle as it uses medium-sized fans. If you have a desktop PC with a case fan (not the other fans, such as the higher-pitched CPU fan), you’ll likely already know what these fans sound like, as most desktop cases use 120mm or 140mm fans. This isn’t an unpleasant sound, but it is quite audible.

To see how loud the AirFanta 3Pro is, I conducted noise tests at 30cm and 2 metres with a sound level metre that measures in dBA (A-weighted decibel). dBA differs from traditional dB because it is adjusted for the human ear’s sensitivity to different frequencies. Low and very high frequencies are de-emphasized, mimicking how humans perceive loudness. In other words, it’s a better representation of the actual noise level than dB for a device such as an air purifier. However, I do want to note this as many other websites use dB, which will explain why my results are significantly different.

For further context, here are a few examples of the volumes of some noises in dBA. Obviously, these can vary, and especially with dBA, they will vary between different devices. However, they are rough examples:

10 dBA – Breathing or leaves rustling: Extremely quiet. 30 dBA – Whispering: Comparable to a quiet library. 40 dBA – Refrigerator hum: A typical low background noise. 50 dBA – Moderate rainfall: Light, soothing noise. 60 dBA – Normal conversation: The sound of talking at a close distance. 70 dBA – Vacuum cleaner: Considered moderate noise, can be annoying over time. 80 dBA – Heavy traffic or a loud alarm clock: Noise becomes uncomfortable after prolonged exposure. As you can see, at the lowest speeds, the 3Pro doesn’t add much to the noise of most rooms, but at the highest speeds, it can sound almost as loud as a vacuum cleaner (provided you are close to it). This is a lot of variation, but I like how this device gives the user full control over speed and noise, allowing them to pick a good balance.

I think most people will have this device running on speed 2 or 3, and both sounds are very manageable at a distance. If you do want a short burst of cleaning, the device will be significantly louder, and that’s why I only recommend using the higher speeds when needed.

When it comes to power consumption, the device can go from very low power to relatively high power. Here is a list of the wattage and voltage at each fan speed:

6 – 33.2 watt – 12v 5 – 27.4 watt – 11v 4 – 18.9 watt – 9.3v 3 – 11.1 watt – 7.3v 2 – 4.7 watt – 4.8v 1 – 2.2 watt – 3.0v I won’t dive into power costs here because those vary greatly depending on where you reside, but I hope these specifications can give some insights. What’s most impressive to me is how much range this device has, whether we are discussing volume or power draw. There is such a large range that you can choose exactly what setting works best for you and leave the device to it.

The AirFanta 3Pro costs $149 or $159 (USD) depending on whether you opt for the CE-certified or CARB-certified version (the CARB variant is the lower priced of the two). It’s surprising to see a different price on these two units, but I assume it’s due to extra costs, either with the CE certification or getting the device into Europe. Either way, if you’re in the U.S. (or any non-EU country), the CARB variant will work, and that’s the model I received.

In the box, you will get six panels to assemble the 3Pro. This includes four HEPA H11 filters, which, as per AirFanta, should be good to last 6-12 months, depending on air quality conditions. In most cases, I would assume these filters will last closer to 12 months, but those who experience severe wildfire seasons or whose homes are exposed to consistent year-round pollution may need to replace the filters more regularly.

When you need your first filter replacement, you can opt for the default H11 filters or H11 filters with activated carbon. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem you can choose the filters you get with the device initially. If you want activated carbon filters from the get-go, you must purchase the device alongside an extra pack of filters. The activated carbon filters will set you back $74.99 compared to the basic filters, which cost $54.

The filters aren’t cheap, but it’s important to remember that each filter replacement pack you order has four individual filters, which is a substantial amount of filter materials. It’s also important to note that, unfortunately, you will need to purchase official AirFanta filters as they are smaller than most square HEPA filters, and other filters will not fit on this device. I don’t think this is a big deal, as I appreciate the smaller form factor of this device over larger devices, and even four HEPA filters from other brands will not be cheap.

If we estimate that most users use each set of filters for around nine months, your yearly filter costs for non-activated carbon filters will be $67.5. On the other hand, if you opt for the extra VOC adsorption of the carbon filters, you are looking at an ongoing cost of just under $100 per year. This is in a similar price range to other equally performant air purifiers, and this device’s initial cost is also much lower.

While power cost also needs to be factored into the ongoing cost equation, that cost will vary significantly depending on your air purifier usage (hours, speed, etc) and location. However, regardless of usage patterns, you should plan to spend between $67 and $100 on replacement filters for this device every year.

Overall, I’ve been very happy with the AirFanta 3Pro. While it’s not a perfect air purifier – if one even exists – this is a fantastic device that balances many difficult factors. Ultimately, it comes in as an affordable air purifier that doesn’t skimp on performance. In fact, it has a higher CADR than many more (and much more) expensive air purifiers. Furthermore, it offers a wide range of speeds that allow the user to choose the ideal balance between speed and sound for the setting.

I’ve always been a fan of the CR box concept, but I think the AirFanta 3Pro takes this a step further and, due to this, will appeal to many more people. While I’ve never had an issue constructing CR boxes, I often have difficulty sourcing the parts (especially good filters), and I appreciate how the 3Pro can provide the same or better performance at a slightly higher price while also simplifying the shopping process for me.

Surprisingly, for a device of this size, it’s also quite portable, and you will be hard-pressed to find anything that provides a higher CADR than this device while also being ‘packable’. While I still wouldn’t go so far as to say it can fit in a backpack, it can definitely fit in a car or suitcase and is ideal for longer trips where you might be staying in hotels with unknown air quality. If, on the other hand, you want to use it around the house, it’s also a great device.

The biggest disadvantages I see with the AirFanta 3Pro are the sound and the design. There’s no denying that while the device is powerful, it’s also loud at its higher speeds. While this isn’t unusual for an air purifier, it is worth noting that you probably won’t want to run this device at its higher speeds unless necessary. I usually find myself using speed 2 or 3, which is the sweet spot for most users. On the upside, the lower speeds are almost silent, and although they significantly diminish performance, they are good for users who are okay with constantly running the device.

The design may also bug some users. While I don’t mind (and actually like) the device’s industrial design, I know some people don’t use CR boxes due to the design. If you don’t like the look of CR boxes, the chances are you also won’t like the design of this device. With that said, this design allows this device to have such a good price-to-performance ratio, and I think many potential customers will appreciate this more.

Overall, the AirFanta 3Pro is a cost-effective air purifier that should be on your radar – especially if price is a concern. If you’ve tried the 3Pro, I would love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to use the comments section below! Furthermore, if you have any remaining questions, please don’t hesitate to as,k and I will do my best to reply. Thank you for reading.

Pros: High CADR (413 cfm) for effective air purification Affordable compared to similar high-performance devices Pre-assembled CR box design simplifies setup Portable and compact for travel use Certified for safety (UL507, CE-EMC, FCC, CARB) Cons: Loud at higher speeds Design may not appeal to all users (industrial look) Limited to proprietary filters, increasing costs No activated carbon filters included in basic kit

#mask up #public health #wear a mask #pandemic #wear a respirator #covid #still coviding #covid 19 #coronavirus #sars cov 2

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alexanderlightweight · 3 months ago

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Amazing to see you better and back writing again! I've been pretty much off tumblr for a while because on RL stuff so quite a shock (but a wonderful surprise) to see I'd missed a Writing Wednesday, but great fun to read through the recent prompts and answers - you still write as beautifully as ever! If you are in the mood for it, I'd love to see something with Alec changing from 'In Command' to 'Melting/Falling Apart' as he walks to Magnus - any verse is good :)

hi!!! it's been a while yes but its amazing to be back and good to hear from you! I get that, RL makes it really hard to be online sometimes, when I wasn't writing I tried to stay somewhat active but tbh writing is why i'm interested in being online so I was kinda bad at it.

i'm actually relieved my writing hasn't gotten too rusty, so i'm thankful to hear that! I hope you enjoy this, it's in the petals vs and is Mirai's POV

<3 lumine

in his wake petals fall

Mirai is pleased with her position as Alec Lightwood’s second.

He’s tough but fair — though he has his own weaknesses — and beyond that, he takes the lives of his hunters seriously.

Which means that when someone from the outside fucks up and puts either lives or the reputation of his Insitutte in danger, he takes it seriously.

Like now, where he stands half-naked and dripping from his hurried decontamination shower and is dressing down a dirt-smudged, scowling shadowhunter.

“You opened up a manhole to track down a nest of demons and then you just happened to leave it open? Along with the other three hatches and locked areas you went through that allowed two dozen minor demons to flood the streets? I had to send two teams back down to make sure no mundanes fell or were dragged in.”

As he speaks Alec’s volume stays calm and measured and despite being two inches shorter than the hunter he’s scolding, he holds every bit of power in the room with just the tone of his voice. It’s cold, like ice despite the gentle pitch of it and every single hunter in the room can hear the anger and disappointment in it.

“I didn’t know we were supposed to shut it.”

It’s not a question and it’s not even an attempt at an apology and Mirai knows that Idris’ latest and best will be sent back by daybreak.

“Why is he even here?”

It’s a valid question even if the answer is the same as it always is, politics.

“His mother just joined the council.” Kaleb has barely looked up from his tablet since Alec was called from his office to deal with the dozens of demons loose in a mundane night market. They’d needed his skill to deal with it quickly and efficiently and even Jace was woken up to direct a city wide communication web despite having only just ended a shift. “We accepted the transfer because his scores were among the top, apparently they no longer test for critical thinking.”

“...”

Mirai has never seen a nephilim move so quickly without active runes before. Alec’s strength due to his training and use of the bow is legendary but there is still something impressive about watching him lift someone taller and broader than him with the ease of a cat dangling a mouse.

Alec shakes him, as if that will somehow help impart the lesson he wishes to teach him. Considering that half of Alec’s skin is still raw and pink from being regrown after ichor coated it, Mirai imagines the only one truly suffering is her commander. But if this helps relieve his stress after the evening he’s had, she’ll take it.

“Alexander—”

Salvation comes in the form of Magnus Bane and Mirai will always be grateful for the privilege of having his private phone number. It means that there is always a quick way to de-escalate the many situations Idris creates.

Her commander drops the offending hunter like an ichor covered stele and moves just as quickly — yet far less angrily — to his husband.

“Magnus.”

Just as soft but no longer filled with ice, Alec’s tone turns from a cold dagger to a cool, gentle breeze petting against the senses. The dark furrow of his brow and the angry turn of his lips smoothes too quickly to catch as his eyes soften and he smiles.

If Mirai was any less confident, she’d wonder if he’d ever actually been angry at all.

There’s a quick moment where Alec’s gaze catches her and she relaxes at the pleased acknowledgment there.

Good.

So far Alec’s never minded that she uses Magnus to reign him in, sometimes she feels almost as if he plays into it, just a bit.

Then something will happen that will remind her that no matter how far he plays into it, Alec Lightwood-Bane truly is just a smitten mess for his husband. No matter how fierce his anger or great his agony, Alec’s attention will always shift to where Magnus Bane is.

Having no need to worry about the success of her mission — the minute Alec heard his husband it was a success — she nods to Kaleb who smirks and taps the tablet in his hands.

He’ll have the hunter processed and escorted back to Idris before Magnus is done taking her commander out for dinner.

When she turns, Magnus has already summoned actual clothing beyond damp sweatpants for Alec and a crown of flowers that he’s actually holding away from her commander.

“Magnus, please?” Alec’s voice is a quiet plea, something so fragile compared to his strength just moments before, as if being denied the flower crown he knows his husband specifically brought just for him will truly break him.

Magnus Bane laughs, winking at her as he shakes his head in mock pity.

“Duty first, darling. I can hardly give you the flowers if they might get ruined in a few moments. You finish handling things here, then you get the crown.”

It’s an opening that in any other situation Alec might take him up on, but Mirai has watched this particular scene replay itself for months and as always, Alec delegates.

“Mirai?”

“Everything here will be handled shortly. I’m sure sending a scathing letter for the council to read publicly will be a much more effective use of your time, sir.”

He definitely agrees, if the way Alec’s immediately turning back to Magnus and dips his head down along with the offering the full effect of wide, glossy hazel eyes peering up pleadingly.

Magnus caves instantly, a crown with flowers Mirai doesn’t know from memory but a scent that tells her is honeysuckle, placed on Alec’s brow.

#lumine writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #in his wake petals fall #petals vs #magnus bane #malec #alec lightwood #mirai lakecastle

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insanescriptist · 4 months ago

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A test of your reflexes

(Written in response to all those JL members capture Hood fics. As much fun as writing Jason is as a damsel in distress can be and vaguely cathartic/traumatic for all involved, a lot of them diminish his skills and that of the JL itself. So, I just wanna have fun with this.

So set during UtRH-ish but a couple tweaks.)

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Batman looked pissed.

To be fair, he always looked stoic or displeased, so it was actually much scarier to see him looking mad.

Wally was so glad he was not on the other side of that and he was allowed snacks as the data was reviewed in the emergency meeting.

And also, it was very much decisively proven that Batman did have the scariest and most capable rogues; how many others had actually gotten onto the Watchtower, in custody, escaped, hacked the Watchtower and then escaped?

There's a reason they had dusted off the Hall of Justice's meeting table and had Cyborg on the line. Along with most others who did have a secure line of communication. A Tele(scope)™ meeting.

With the zeta system having been hacked, it was considered unsafe to use until the entire system had been cleared. So he, Wonder Woman and Superman were in the Hall, looking at screens.

So far, only the team up of Braniac and Lex had done something similar and this one guy had not only done it, but done it solo?

Yeesh, and he thought Dick's beef with Deathstroke the Terminator was scary.

This Hood guy was Batman levels scary.

Wally shivered at that and the thought of, 'is he Batman-level capable as well?'

"With more thorough review, it's been discovered the camera footage on the Watchtower was manipulated," Cyborg stated. "Along with the Zeta system and it's record logs. Electrical consumption records show several extra zetas than are recorded but the log data once you dig into it is beyond salvageable. Discovering which receiving and outgoing zetas were used is going to take time and checking them individually, which will also need to be cleared of potential traps because it-"

"Hood has accomplices." Batman finished. "Accomplices I haven't had evidence for existing prior."

"Are you saying he's been running rings around Gotham's underworld and tugging your cape as a solo act?" Hal asked in derision, leaning over Green Arrow.

"I know he has backing. You don't get that sort of training from just anywhere."

"If I didn't know better, I'd assume he was a Bat," Green Lantern drawled. "Those on the Watchtower saw the domino mask, the confidence and how he moved. That's how the League moves."

"League training alone does not make a League operative."

"Suure. But it really does look like Ra's sent one to distract you in Gotham. And then when captured, he decided to fuck us all, because we still don't know how big of a information breech we're dealing with. Which can now be making it's way to Ra's al Ghul or the black market to be sold."

"To clarify," Wonder Woman interjected. "What evidence do we have that this Hood still maintains ties to Ra's al Ghul? As Batman said, League training alone does not make a League operative or else both he and Green Arrow would count too. None the less, we still need to act as if this Hood does, in order to properly defend ourselves from possible consequences. How much headway has been made on determining the scope of the breach?"

"Between the zetas and the cameras, that's plenty wide enough." Cyborg admitted. "He had access to the gamut and knows how to bury his tracks. As a temporary measure, I'm going to clone and isolate the data from all systems to another device to review at will. In order to restore system access and resume normal operations, everyone will have to re-register for zeta permissions and choose new passwords. But first, I'll be checking out all the zetas in the Watchtower with Martian Manhunter and Superman to ensure they're safe on our end."

Batman got a second call on his line. "Oracle?"

"Batman, we need someone at Arkham's. I'm sending you footage. Right now. Joker's cell from ten minutes ago."

Wally had not seen Batman move that fast in ages. Batman's frown got deeper, as he looked at cameras that they could not see.

"Hood took Joker. And then the Joker disappeared in a camera blank spot and Hood is also at large."

"Oh fuck." Wally cursed.

----

Meanwhile Jason Todd, looked at the bottle in his hand, half full of beer and half full of miniaturized Joker.

And then he shot that with the Phantom Zone Ray Gun. It was just a beer bottle after all. Disgusting contents and all.

Stirring up trouble with the Justice League would mean that he'd have to lay low for a good six months, maybe abandon the identity of Hood and the not so little crime empire he had been building. For a plan of practically impulse, it worked out well. Less so in how he wanted it to go -it wasn't the three of them, he didn't get answers or avenged- but it was something he could do now, so he did it. Because fuck the Joker for his continued breathing. Better for the world that Joker was gone.

Sure, it was good work and necessary work to remove the trash from any society, the worst criminals permanently but what about those big enough to have some notoriety that were also well-deserving of death criminals? Wouldn't that be the greater good done for less effort?

If he was actually going to be dedicated to taking out the worst of humanity, small and easy pickings were small time and petty in comparison. If he was going to take someone out, it had better be someone worth it.

And without the beer. That dulls reflexes.

And living a costume lifestyle meant a constant text of his.

#dc #jason todd

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fearfulfertility · 6 months ago

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CONFIDENTIAL PROGRESS REPORT

DRC, Insemination Operations Command, Mobile Operations Unit

Date: [REDACTED]

To: Minister [REDACTED], Ministry of State Security

From: Administrator [REDACTED], Mobile Operations Unit

Subject: Cost of Conscripting Youth in Rural Communities

[REDACTED] (Arkansas, FEMA Zone 6) is an outlier for a small rural community with a population of [REDACTED] and a long history in the lumber industry. Of particular note, [REDACTED]% of the 18-25-year-old population has tested positive for high fertility markers and subsequently been conscripted as surrogates. The DRC Planning & Evaluation Office has been monitoring the situation as a case study of the economic impact of forced surrogacy conscription.

Mobile Paternity Units (MPU)

The newly deployed Mobile Paternity Units (MPUs) accelerate conscription rates by conducting field-based surrogate insemination protocols. The MPUs are fully equipped mobile hubs designed to identify, secure, and inseminate fertile surrogates in regions lacking the infrastructure or security to establish permanent paternity compounds.

Currently there are [REDACTED] MPUs in commission, operating in circular routes- - - - -

[SYSTEM RESPONSE]

[AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOL ENGAGED]

[SECURITY LEVEL]: [HIGH]

[USER IDENTIFICATION]: [Executive Level-01A]

[CREDENTIAL AUTHENTICATION IN PROGRESS...]

[ENTER PASSWORD]: [***************]

[PROCESSING INPUT...]

[VALIDATING PASSWORD...]

[█░░░░░░░░░░░░] 10% [███░░░░░░░░░░] 30% [███████░░░░░░] 60% [███████████░░] 90% [█████████████] 100%

[PASSWORD ACCEPTED]

[ACCESS GRANTED]: [HIGH CLEARANCE MODE ACTIVATED]

[SECURITY OVERRIDES]: [Enabled]

[REDACTED DATA]: [Unlocked]

MPU Background Context

The rural disruption program continues to be a success thanks to the deployment of the MPUs, which have been incredibly effective at deliberate societal destabilization.

As mentioned in last quarter's deployment report, in addition to the direct impact of mass insemination, MPUs employ covert biochemical measures to destabilize social order further. By introducing a cocktail of hormones and aphrodisiacs into the water supply, the MPUs incite heightened states of lust, confusion, and distraction among the population.

Among surrogates, this amplifies the effects of prenatal nymphomania, who, driven by uncontrollable desires, contribute to a pervasive atmosphere of hedonism and chaos. It also magnifies the feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors of the non-surrogate members of the community, who participate in the physical activities with almost primal intensity.

The relentless pursuit of physical gratification prevents the community from focusing on its deteriorating condition, eroding familial bonds, productivity, and any sense of collective purpose. The combination of mass pregnancy, chemical manipulation, and social disarray leaves these towns paralyzed while serving the DRC’s objectives of surrogate acquisition and societal control.

By the time the vast majority of surrogates give birth and the MPUs return to collect the resultant offspring, the workforce is effectively crippled and vulnerable to collapse. Their ability to organize, resist, or rebel against external control diminishes, dependent on external support, unable to mount any meaningful opposition.

The cumulative consequences are both immediate and long-term, unraveling the town’s economic stability, social cohesion, and cultural identity.

I. Labor Market Collapse

As their pregnancies advance, these surrogates are unable to contribute meaningfully to the workforce. Compounding this crisis, the introduction of aphrodisiacs to the water supply inflames the atmosphere of widespread indulgence and physical fixation, leaving critical sectors paralyzed:

Agriculture: Fields go untended as the remaining workforce is too distracted or physically compromised to perform essential tasks.

Retail & Services: Shops and local businesses experience severe staff shortages, with employees increasingly abandoning their posts in favor of personal distractions. Productivity is reduced, and many businesses shut permanently.

Construction & Infrastructure: Public services (water supply, power, policing) are abandoned as skilled laborers become unavailable or uninterested.

This mass disengagement leads to a cascading failure across the economy. The distraction and incapacitation ensures that productivity never recovers.

“It’s like everything just… fell apart overnight. Most of the boys are now carrying these enormous pregnancies, some with 10, 12, or even 16 babies. They’re so big they can barely move, let alone work. My nephew is bedridden, his stomach so swollen and stretched it looks like he’ll burst. Businesses are shutting down left and right. The diner is now it’s closed because the staff is too preoccupied, too exhausted or too pregnant to keep things running.” - Victor Hayes, Charlevoix, Michigan, FEMA Zone 5

II. Population & Social Erosion

The breakdown of social order is exacerbated by prenatal nymphomania. This heightened state of physical fixation pervades the community, undermining traditional values and civic responsibilities:

Educational Decline: Schools lose both students and teachers as attendance drops. Classrooms empty out, and extracurricular programs vanish as the youth prioritize physical distractions over learning and participation.

Community Disintegration: Social events, youth programs, and local traditions deteriorate. The focus shifts away from community-building activities as families experience fragmentation and isolation as personal indulgence takes precedence over collective well-being.

The resulting social decay ensures that the community’s structure collapses from within, leaving it vulnerable and dependent.

“It’s like the entire town has lost its mind. My little brother is one of the surrogates. He’s just 19, and carrying 14 babies. He can barely move now, his belly is so massive and tight with those babies. And it’s not just him — every boy his age is the same. The weirdest part is they used to fight this, but now they seem so into it. And the rest of us? It’s like we’re all under a spell. Nobody wants to work, go to school, or even talk about what’s happening. Everyone’s just chasing some kind of high, day in and day out. There’s no sense of responsibility, no one to keep things running.” - Collin Tanner, Owensboro, Kentucky, FEMA Zone 4

III. Economic Ripple Effects

The economic consequences of the MPU deployment extend beyond immediate labor shortages. As the population becomes consumed by the chemically-inflamed environment, traditional economic functions disintegrate:

Real Estate Market Collapse: The prospect of family life and economic stability vanishes. Young adults are physically incapacitated or disinterested in establishing households or familial units.

Healthcare Strain: The need for prenatal care among the surrogates overwhelms local clinics. Meanwhile, rising cases of substance abuse and physical exhaustion further strain the system. Access to local healthcare diminishes, and locals become dependent on DRC resources.

This economic freefall ensures that recovery becomes unattainable, plunging towns into long-term decline.

“I’m 21, and I’m carrying 15 babies right now. My belly is so huge and heavy, I can barely get out through the front door. I used to work at the hardware store, and I was saving up to get my own place. But that dream’s gone now. Everyone my age is pregnant or taking care of someone who is. I’m too big and too tired to care. We’re all trapped in these enormous pregnancies, and there’s no help coming.” - S???-994-O, Andersonville, Georgia, FEMA Zone 4

IV. Collapse of Social Norms

These combinations contribute to a disintegration of social and familial distinctions, fostering an environment where traditional lines of propriety become increasingly obscured:

Dissolution of Familial Roles: As surrogates’ pregnancies advance and the community’s pervasive fixation on physical indulgence, interactions begin to appear that defy established familial roles. Young surrogates, often confined to their homes due to the extreme size of their pregnancies become focal points of attention in ways that undermine traditional respect and relational boundaries.

Loss of Interpersonal Distinctions: The community’s collective fixation results in behaviors and dynamics that would otherwise be constrained by societal norms. Familiarity within and outside households devolves into ambiguous interactions influenced by heightened compulsions.

The cumulative effect of these blurred boundaries ensures traditional norms are rendered obsolete, leaving the community adrift in a state of chaotic permissiveness.

“It’s hard to explain how things got this way. My cousin is one of the surrogates. He’s only 19, and his belly is just… massive... swollen beyond anything you’d think possible. He’s carrying 14 babies, and the sheer size of it, how tight and stretched his skin is... There’s something about seeing him like that — so heavy, so full — that just draws you in. Now, when I see my cousin leaning back against the couch, his huge belly dominating his frame, moaning as the babies kick and move inside him, I can’t stop myself from feeling drawn in. His body his so full and stretched... it’s mesmerizing.” - Derek Knight, Fulton, Illinois, FEMA Zone 5

V. Long-Term Consequences

The deployment of MPUs and the ensuing mass insemination drive the town into an inescapable cycle of decline:

Economic Decay: With the majority of the workforce incapacitated, businesses fail, infrastructure deteriorates, and investment ceases. The community becomes a “ghost town,” marked by derelict buildings and economic stagnation.

Dependency on External Aid: As self-sufficiency erodes, the town becomes reliant on DRC support. Demoralization set in, deepening the dependency cycle.

Loss of Cultural Identity: Traditions and community legacies fade as the surrogates’ incapacitation prevents participation in cultural life, collective heritage disintegrates into chaotic, aimless distraction.

“It’s like everything that held us together just fell apart. Both my brothers were turned into two swollen balls of babies by the end. Everyone their age was knocked up, fattened, and taken. The whole town looks like it’s been abandoned, a bunch of ghostly reminders of what used to be. We barely survive on government aid, but even that feels like a band-aid on a wound too big to heal. The town feels hollow.” - Jackson Bender, Northampton, Massachusetts, FEMA Zone 1

Conclusion

The deployment of MPUs and the ensuing biochemical manipulation devastate rural communities. The combined impact of enforced surrogacy, incapacitation, and chemically-induced distraction ensures that these towns collapse economically, socially, and culturally.

[SYSTEM RESPONSE]

[AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOL ENGAGED]

[SECURITY OVERRIDES]: [Disabled]

[REDACTED DATA]: [Locked]

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Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

#blackmpreg #mpreg #mpregkink #malepregnancy #mpregbelly #pregnantman #mpregmorph #mpregcaption #mpregstory #mpregbirth #mpregart #mpregnancy #aimpreg #mpregroleplay #malepregnant

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spiralnymph · 11 months ago

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Re: A Word on the Prototyping Process for Rotdolls. Internal Communication.

I hope this message finds you well.

It has come to my attention that there is a bit of confusion among staff regarding the development, prototyping, and testing processes for the SPIRAL (Synthetic Priority-Intensive Reborn Automata Limbsprite) series Rotdoll. This will be a brief overview regarding the questions I found prevalent or important to note.

To start, the transitional candidate must be in a state considered “too far gone,” "incurable" or “irreparable.” This is the number one criteria used when our manufacturers’ scouting contractors are procuring viable product. In fact, we tend to advise them on using those exact keywords. These candidates are rotting, barely functional, and while we cannot “fix” them, we can give them a chance. Once a promising candidate is located, we make contact and gain approval. Then the rebirth can begin.

The sedated Limbsprite is brought in, and we begin taking our protocolar measurements. Stretch out the legs, measure from heel to back of knee. From back of knee to buttocks. Around the widest section of the thigh. Around the knee. Around the widest section of the calf. Around the ankle. Repeat the same pattern on the other limbs; There should be no skipping of the second leg, as these naturally occurring bodies have imperfections and mismatched measurements that must be accounted for in the upgrading/rebirthing process.

Once the measurement phase is complete, our manufacturing drones are utilized in crafting what we call the Reciprocity Vessel Shell, or more commonly the RV-Shell, for the lucky Limbsprites who make it this far. They should consider themselves to have won the lottery! Their Shell will keep them going, as well as allow them to act out fulfilling lives in service to those they are in the possession of. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Next is the programming phase.

Once the Shell has been installed on the fleshwire of the Limbsprite’s exterior, and the necessary processing, function and suppression components (which come with our proprietary firmware pre-loaded) have been implanted into the subject’s brain and body, we can begin the programming process. This stage is the most time intensive, as there has to be a determination made based on the individual unit regarding what services it can or should be put forth to perform.

Maybe this Rotdoll is more suited for deployment in war, or perhaps this one is only to be used for janitorial service. This one is bound for corporate chauffeuring, and this one will be the worlds most efficient espionage and infiltration tool. To draw from a real example, take prototypal batch F; Most, if not all, Rotdolls belonging to batch F were in some capacity suited for direct combat. This, however, is atypical. Most batches are far more diversified in their application potential; Batch H, for instance, contained no two Rotdolls consigned to the same Service. This variance in Rotdoll implementation is something our company (rightfully!) touts above our competitors; It takes a massive amount of expertise to be able to direct such dissimilar units on their individual utilities. Yes, due to this, we have investors hesitant to buy in, given that the demand ebbs and flows depending on the stock we have at any given time, but the investors we do have remain passionate about the work we do here, and know to trust our process, as they have seen the broadly-applicable results.

To continue the process, we reinforce what the Executives have come to call the “Exertive Will.” This is the drive that our SPIRALs (and all Rotdolls broadly) experience that pushes them towards the goal we assign to them. With Rotdolls being more prone to hardware exhaustion, processing fatigue, Wirepain, and the industry-dreaded Techrot than the average automata on the market, we strive to imprint the Exertive Will on our units very early and very concertedly, to ensure that the units we distribute are not doomed to early failure and unmarketability.

I won't get into the weeds on the details of Exertive Will. That is jargon for our engineers to untangle. The purpose of this email is just to clear up some of the disconcertment that seemed to be spreading around among some of our newer employment bracket.

I hope that this was informative, and if you have any further inquiries, please bring them to your floor manager, and they will explain what their (and your) clearance allows.

From the office of

[NAME MISSING]

Gossamer Branch Manager of [LOCATION MISSING]

** This is classified internal communication meant only for the addressees copied on the original electronic mail. Sharing this message or the information therein is a breach of company non-disclosure clauses as well as local law. If you have received this message in error, please respond to this message with your email address and delete correspondence completely.

#745 #rotdolls #empty spaces

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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When Microsoft named its new Windows feature Recall, the company intended the word to refer to a kind of perfect, AI-enabled memory for your device. Today, the other, unintended definition of “recall”—a company's admission that a product is too dangerous or defective to be left on the market in its current form—seems more appropriate.

On Friday, Microsoft announced that it would be making multiple dramatic changes to its rollout of its Recall feature, making it an opt-in feature in the Copilot+ compatible versions of Windows where it had previously been turned on by default, and introducing new security measures designed to better keep data encrypted and require authentication to access Recall's stored data.

“We are updating the set-up experience of Copilot+ PCs to give people a clearer choice to opt-in to saving snapshots using Recall,” reads a blog post from Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Windows and devices. “If you don’t proactively choose to turn it on, it will be off by default.”

The changes come amid a mounting barrage of criticism from the security and privacy community, which has described Recall—which silently stores a screenshot of the user's activity every five seconds as fodder for AI analysis—as a gift to hackers: essentially unrequested, preinstalled spyware built into new Windows computers.

In the preview versions of Recall, that screenshot data, complete with the user's every bank login, password, and porn site visit would have been indefinitely collected on the user's machine by default. And though that highly sensitive data is stored locally on the user's machine and not uploaded to the cloud, cybersecurity experts have warned that it all remains accessible to any hacker who so much as gains a temporary foothold on a user's Recall-enabled device, giving them a long-term panopticon view of the victim's digital life.

"It makes your security very fragile,” as Dave Aitel, a former NSA hacker and founder of security firm Immunity, described it—more charitably than some others—to WIRED earlier this week. “Anyone who penetrates your computer for even a second can get your whole history. Which is not something people want.”

In addition to making Recall an opt-in feature, Microsoft’s Davuluri also writes that the company will make changes to better safeguard the data Recall collects and more closely police who can turn it on, requiring that users prove their identity via its Microsoft Hello authentication function any time they either enable Recall or access its data, which can require a PIN or biometric check of the user’s face or thumbprint. Davuluri says Recall’s data will remain encrypted in storage until the user authenticates.

All of that is a “great improvement,” says Jake Williams, another former NSA hacker who now serves as VP of R&D at the cybersecurity consultancy Hunter Strategy, where he says he's been asked by some of the firm's clients to test Recall's security before they add Microsoft devices that use it to their networks. But Williams still sees serious risks in Recall, even in its latest form.

Many users will turn on Recall, he points out, partly due to Microsoft’s high-profile marketing of the feature. And when they do, they’ll still face plenty of unresolved privacy problems, from domestic abusers that often demand partners give up their PINs to subpoenas or lawsuits that compel them to turn over their historical data. “Satya Nadella has been out there talking about how this is a game changer and the solution to all problems,” Williams says, referring to Microsoft's CEO. “If customers turn it on, there’s still a huge threat of legal discovery. I can’t imagine a corporate legal team that’s ready to accept the risk of all of a user’s actions being turned over in discovery.”

For Microsoft, the Recall rollback comes in the midst of an embarrassing string of cybersecurity incidents and breaches—including a leak of terabytes of its customers' data and a shocking penetration of government email accounts enabled by a cascading series of Microsoft security slipups—that have grown so problematic as to become a sticking point given its uniquely close relationship with the US government.

Those scandals have escalated to the degree that Microsoft's Nadella issued a memo just last month declaring that Microsoft would make security its first priority in any business decision. “If you’re faced with the trade-off between security and another priority, your answer is clear: Do security,” Nadella's memo read (emphasis his). “In some cases, this will mean prioritizing security above other things we do, such as releasing new features or providing ongoing support for legacy systems.”

By all appearances, Microsoft's rollout of Recall—even after today's announcement—displays the opposite approach, and one that seems more in line with business as usual in Redmond: Announce a feature, get pummeled for its glaring security failures, then belatedly scramble to control the damage.

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just-like-her-father · 3 months ago

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(Listen to the music to enhance the reading experience.)

Eight years ago, Florence greeted Charlotte Stark not with fanfare, but with quiet curiosity. A name whispered along marble corridors of old Italian banking halls, in the leather-scented salons of private innovation clubs, and in university courtyards where theory wrestled with practice. Back then, she was an outsider. Today, she is Florence’s beating heart of intellect, innovation, and influence — a sovereign force whose dominion spans the realm of economic reformation, cognitive technology, and futurist philosophy.

The transformation was not gradual; it was exponential.

She arrived in 2017 — twenty-four, enigmatic, American-born but philosophically borderless. Charlotte Stark, then a polymath fresh off a controversial exit from a U.S. think tank, stepped into Florence with a singular mission: to redefine how cities think, build, and thrive.

In her first public appearance, held in the minimalist atrium of the Istituto per le Scienze Cognitive Avanzate, Charlotte addressed an audience of jaded economists and optimistic engineers. They expected tech jargon and futurist fluff. What they got was clarity wrapped in elegance:

“Economics is not the study of money,” she said, eyes calm, voice measured. “It is the study of vision. Currency is just the applause.”

That quote would go on to become the opening line of The Stark Doctrine, a widely circulated economic paper that challenged the traditional GDP framework and introduced the Vision-Impact Gradient — a new metric for evaluating a nation’s worth by its ability to manifest intent into scalable change.

In less than two years, Stark Novae, her self-founded think-and-do tank, had revitalized a decaying Florentine industrial park and turned it into a cybernetic incubator zone. Her work fused predictive AI, sustainable energy models, and economic behavioral theory. What struck most was not just what she built — but how.

She implemented Italy’s first decentralized AI-governed green grid in a consortium of Tuscan towns. Energy costs dropped. Community trust surged. Stark Novae was suddenly not just admired, it was followed.

In a 2020 interview at TechFlorence, she stunned the room by asking:

“Why are we still romanticizing fossil energy in a city that gave us the Renaissance? If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he’d be programming synthetic photosynthesis, not painting ceilings.”

Florence, a city that once resisted outsiders’ dominance, embraced her. Even the most traditional Italian institutions — the Accademia delle Scienze, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Vatican’s AI-Ethics Council — sought her counsel.

As the world began turning to Florence for innovation models, Charlotte became the epicenter. She didn’t chase markets; markets began to orbit her.

Her public lectures drew thousands — but it was her closed-door midnight salons that rewrote policy. In the candlelit backrooms of converted convents, she’d gather philosophers, bioengineers, quantum coders, and chefs. Conversations ranged from post-human cognition to the future of bread.

A local journalist once called her “the high priestess of synthesis — she speaks like she’s explaining the future to the past.”

In 2023, she co-authored The Cognitive City, a blueprint for cities run on adaptive neural logic. That document, now translated into 18 languages, became required reading in design schools and U.N. developmental summits.

She was no longer just a thinker. She was a shaper.

Her empire expanded: A NeuroDynamics Lab outside Siena. A Civic Ethics Simulator used by mayors across Europe. A Reality Layer Protocol — a semi-augmented environment designed to re-train human attention spans — quietly beta-tested in schools under her nonprofit, Synapse Florence.

And she never lost the flair.

Riding through Oltrarno, in tailored trousers and fingerless gloves, she became as much a part of Florence’s daily myth as Brunelleschi’s dome. She quoted Foucault at wine tastings, debated political economy in vintage cafés, and had standing Tuesday breakfasts with local grandmothers who adored her fluent Italian and her deep love for saffron risotto.

The world watched as Charlotte took the stage at the Telekinesis - Intellect Union Conference 2025, held poetically at Galileo’s restored observatory.

Dressed in stark ivory and soft steel blue, she walked to the podium with the solemn grace of someone about to shift a paradigm.

“Telekinesis is not a fantasy,” she opened. “It’s the final frontier of cognitive bandwidth. The mind, if given the right conditions and interface, is the most efficient processor known to man. The question is not how — but why haven’t we yet?”

She then unveiled NeuroBridge v1.4, a functioning prototype of a brain-interface conduit that allowed short-distance object manipulation through trained intent pathways. The crowd — a constellation of Nobel Laureates, policy giants, and disbelieving scientists — stood breathless as she demonstrated lifting a titanium sphere, three inches above the platform, without touching it.

The interface, according to her, was still in infancy. But the implications were seismic: intent-based interaction, neural-syntactic reprogramming, and even post-verbal cognition.

She didn’t seek applause. She simply nodded and said:

“Human potential is not capped by biology. It is capped by permission.”

Florence erupted.

Within days, investment surged. NeuroBridge became a joint project with Italian state labs, and Charlotte launched the Stark Initiative for Cognitive Sovereignty — aiming to give marginalized communities access to emerging brain-tech tools.

Today, Florence refers to her simply as La Signora della Mente — The Lady of the Mind. Her face is painted on murals next to da Vinci. Her quotes are engraved on bridges. Teenagers cite her like she’s Socrates with better hair.

She chairs four international panels. Advises two European presidents. Sleeps four hours. Meditates in hidden monasteries. Dines with artisans. Still walks into every room like she owns the blueprints of the universe.

And what of her next move?

A recent cryptic post from her official channel read:

“The future is not being invented. It’s being remembered. Like something we lost in a past life and are finally learning to rebuild.”

In Florence, Charlotte Stark is no longer a guest.

She is the standard.

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theinsigniaconsultant · 16 days ago

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rafiqul01693 · 2 years ago

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Unlocking Success: The Best Use of Facebook Marketing

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, Facebook remains a powerhouse for businesses seeking to connect with their target audience and drive results. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers an unparalleled platform for businesses to enhance brand visibility, engage with customers, and boost sales. Here's a comprehensive guide on the best use of Facebook marketing to maximize your business potential:

1. Create a Compelling Business Page:

Your Facebook business page is the digital face of your brand. Ensure it's visually appealing, consistent with your brand identity, and includes essential information such as your business hours,

contact details, and a compelling 'About Us' section. Use high-quality images and a captivating cover photo to make a lasting first impression.

2. Leverage Facebook Ads:

Facebook's robust advertising platform allows businesses to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. Invest time in creating eye-catching ad creatives, compelling copy, and a clear call-to-action.

Experiment with different ad formats, such as carousel ads, video ads, and lead ads, to find what resonates best with your audience.

3. Engage with Your Audience:

Social media is all about building relationships. Regularly engage with your audience through comments, messages, and posts. Promptly respond to inquiries, address concerns, and foster a sense of community. Encourage user-generated content by running contests or asking for reviews, turning your audience into brand ambassadors.

4. Utilize Facebook Groups:

Facebook Groups provide a unique opportunity to create a community around your brand or industry. Join relevant groups and participate in discussions, positioning yourself as an authority in your niche. Alternatively, create your own group to foster a sense of belonging among your customers and prospects.

5. Harness the Power of Facebook Analytics:

Facebook Insights offers valuable data on your page performance, audience demographics, and content engagement.

Use these insights to refine your strategy, identify popular content, and optimize your posting schedule. Data-driven decisions are key to a successful Facebook marketing campaign.

6. Optimize for Mobile Users:

A significant portion of Facebook users access the platform on mobile devices. Ensure that your content is mobile-friendly, with concise and visually appealing elements. This includes mobile-optimized ads, responsive landing pages, and a seamless user experience.

7. Implement Facebook Pixel:

Facebook Pixel is a powerful tool that helps you track the actions users take on your website after clicking on your ads. Use this data to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, retarget website visitors, and optimize for conversions. Facebook Pixel is an invaluable asset for refining your marketing strategy.

8. Run Targeted Contests and Giveaways:

Engage your audience by running contests and giveaways. Encourage participants to like, share, and comment on your posts to increase organic reach. Ensure that the prizes align with your brand and attract your target audience, fostering a positive association with your business.

9. Stay Consistent with Content Strategy:

Consistency is key in maintaining an active and engaged audience. Develop a content calendar and post regularly to keep your audience informed and entertained.

Mix up your content types, including images, videos, articles, and user-generated content, to maintain variety.

10. Test and Iterate:

The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Continuously test different strategies, analyze results, and iterate based on the feedback and data you receive. This iterative approach will help you stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing consumer behavior.

#digital marketing #online marketing #seo services #marketing agency #seo expert #seo marketing #best digital marketing agency #facebook marketing #facebook ad agency services #facebook ads #facebook advertising

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rohitpalan · 2 years ago

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Forecasting Communication Test and Measurement Market Growth: Trends and Predictions

Various industries are increasing the demand for communication tests and measurements to upsurge the global market. These essential industries use smart and advanced communication networks to enhance performance. A few of these industries are as follows:

Telecommunications: The telecommunication sector is significantly growing the demand for high-quality, fast, and relevant communication networks. The increasing demand for 5G networks to enhance efficiency, solutions, and performance fuels the global market. These telecommunication companies optimize their infrastructure, identify network issues, and provide better quality services to their consumers.

Internet of Things: The growing advanced technologies, such as the Internet of Things, continue expanding the global market. The increasing wireless communications play a significant role in providing seamless connectivity and industry standards. The demand for the Internet of Things is widely adopted by end users, including industrial automation, agriculture, smart cities, and industrial automation.

Get an overview of market drivers and challenges affecting this industry: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-14511

Automotive: The demand for connected and autonomous cars is increasing for communication tests and measurements in the automotive industry. It offers safety, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems, and reliability. Communication tests and measurements ensure security, wireless connectivity, latency, and better performance in the automotive sector.

Aerospace and Defense: The increasing demand for advanced communication systems, radar systems, reliable data transmission, and satellite communications in the aerospace sector drives the global market. These communications are crucial in enhancing performance, interoperability, and compliance.

Data Centers and Cloud Computing: Increasing demand for advanced communication test centers fuel the global market. These efficient operations provide fiber optics, high-speed interconnects, and networking equipment to transfer data rates and latency.

Broadcasting and Media: The broadcasting and media sector communicates through high-quality data signals, audio, and video. Adopting communication tests and measurements optimizes high performance, validates signal quality, and analyzes errors.

Key Takeaways:

The communication test and measurement market is estimated to capture a valuation of US$ 17.78 billion with a CAGR of 8.3% by 2033.

The United States dominates the global market by capturing a maximum share during the forecast period.

Based on the end-user industry, network equipment manufacturers dominate the global market by registering a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period.

Request for Methodology: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/request-report-methodology/rep-gb-14511

How are Key Players Playing Crucial Roles in the Global Market?

Key players are developing advanced communication tests and measurement devices to meet consumer requirements. These players invest much in research and development activities to develop improved and unique products. They also adopt various marketing tactics to upsurge the global market, which includes mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, partnerships, and product launches.

Recent Developments in the Global Market

Key Insight Technologies announced its newly launched products with 5G network technologies such as beaming, mm-Wave testing, and massive MIMO. The company collaborates with other organizations to promote 5G networks.

Anritsu Corporation developed test equipment to verify the interoperability and performance of 5G network devices to expand its business portfolio.

Communication Test and Measurement Market by Category

By Test Solutions:

Wireless

Wireline

By Service:

Product Support Service

Professional Service

Managed Service

By Type of Test:

Enterprise

Field Network

Lab and Manufacturing

Network Assurance

By Organization Size:

Small and Medium Enterprises

Large Enterprises

By End User:

Network Equipment Manufacturers

Mobile Device Manufacturers

Telecommunication Service Providers

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

The Middle East and Africa

#Communication Test and Measurement Market

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covid-safer-hotties · 8 months ago

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Also preserved on our archive (Daily updates!)

By Stephani Sutherland

Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming. They may work better than shots in the arm

Alyson Velasquez hates needles. She never liked getting shots as a kid, and her anxiety only grew as she got older. “It really ballooned in my teens and early 20s,” she says. “It became a full-blown phobia.” She would panic at the sight of a needle being brought into an exam room; more than once she passed out. Velasquez says that she took an antianxiety medication before one appointment yet still ran around the room screaming inconsolably “like I was a small child; I was 22.” After that episode Velasquez, now a 34-year-old financial planner in southern California, quit needles completely. “No vaccinations, no bloodwork. For all of my 20s it was a no-go for me,” she says.

Then COVID showed up. “It finally hit a point where it wasn’t just about me,” Velasquez says. “It felt so selfish not to do this for the greater public health and the safety of our global community.” So she got vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2021, although she had to sit on her husband’s lap while he held her arms. “It was a spectacle. The poor guy at CVS ... he did ask me, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’” She very much did. “I’m very pro-vaccine. I am a rational human. I understand the necessity of [getting] them,” she insists. But today she still struggles with each injection.

Those struggles would end, however, if all her future vaccinations could be delivered by a nasal spray. “Oh, my God, amazing!” Velasquez says.

The amazing appears to be well on its way. Vaccines delivered through the nose are now being tested for several diseases. In the U.S., early clinical trials are showing success. Two of these vaccines have generated multiple immune system responses against the COVID-causing virus in people who received them through a puff up the nose; earlier this year their makers received nearly $20 million from Project NextGen, the Biden-Harris administration’s COVID medical initiative. Researchers are optimistic that a nasal spray delivering a COVID vaccine could be ready for the U.S. as soon as 2027. Although recent efforts have focused on inoculations against SARS-CoV-2, nasal vaccines could also protect us against the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more.

A few nasal vaccines have been introduced in the past, but they’ve been beset by problems. The flu inoculation FluMist has not gained popularity because of debates about its effectiveness, and a different vaccine was pulled from the market decades ago because some people had serious side effects. In China and India, nasal vaccines for COVID have been approved because those countries prioritized their development during the pandemic, whereas the U.S. and other wealthy nations opted to stick with arm injections. But this new crop of vaccines takes advantage of technology that produces stronger immune responses and is safer than preparations used in the past.

In fact, immunologists say these spritzes up the nose—or inhaled puffs through the mouth—can provide faster, stronger protection against respiratory viruses than a shot in the arm. That is because the new vaccines activate a branch of the immune system that has evolved for robust, rapid responses against airborne germs. “It may be more likely to really prevent infection from getting established,” says Fiona Smaill, an infectious disease researcher at McMaster University in Ontario. Such inoculations may also help reduce the enormous inequities in vaccine access revealed by the pandemic. These formulations should be cheaper and easier to transport to poor regions than current shots.

But nasal vaccines still face technical hurdles, such as how best to deliver them into the body. And unlike injected vaccines, which scientists can measure immune responses to with blood tests alone, testing for immunity that starts in nose cells is more challenging. But researchers working in this field agree that despite the hurdles, nasal formulations are the next step in vaccine evolution.

Traditional vaccines injected through the skin and into an arm muscle provide excellent protection against viruses. They coax immune cells into making widely circulated antibodies—special proteins that recognize specific structural features on viruses or other invading pathogens, glom on to them and mark them for destruction. Other immune cells retain a “memory” of that pathogen for future encounters.

Intramuscular injection vaccines are good at preventing a disease from spreading, but they do not stop the initial infection. A nasal spray does a much better job. That’s because sprays are aimed directly at the spot where many viruses first enter the body: the nose and the tissue that lines it, called the mucosa.

Mucosa makes up much of our bodies’ internal surfaces, stretching from the nose, mouth and throat down the respiratory tract to the lungs, through the gastrointestinal tract to the anus, and into the urogenital tract. Mucosa is where our bodies encounter the vast majority of pathogenic threats, Smaill says, be it flu, COVID, or bacterial infections that attack the gut. This tough, triple-layered tissue is specialized to fight off invaders with its thick coating of secretory goo—mucus—and with a cadre of resident immune cells waiting to attack. “Mucosa is really the first line of defense against any infection we’re exposed to,” Smaill says.

Mucosal immunity not only prepares the immune system for the fight where it occurs but also offers three different types of protection—at least one more than a shot does. Nasal vaccines and shots both mobilize immune messenger cells, which gather the interlopers’ proteins and display them on their surfaces. These cells head to the lymph nodes, where they show off their captured prize to B and T cells, which are members of another part of the immune system called the adaptive arm. B cells, in turn, produce antibodies, molecules that home in on the foreign proteins and flag their owners—the invading microbes—for destruction. Killer T cells directly attack infected cells, eliminating them and the microbes inside. This provides broad protection, but it takes time, during which the virus continues to replicate and spread.

That’s why a second type of protection, offered only by the mucosal tissue, is so important. The mucosa holds cells of the innate immune system, which are the body’s “first responders.” Some of these cells, called macrophages, recognize invasive microbes as foreign and swallow them up. They also trigger inflammation—an alarm sounded to recruit more immune cells.

Another part of this localized response is called tissue-resident immunity. These cells don’t have to detect telltale signs of a pathogen and make a long journey to the infected tissue. They are more like a Special Forces unit dropped behind enemy lines where a skirmish is occurring rather than waiting for the proverbial cavalry to arrive. This localized reaction can be quite potent. Its activation is notoriously difficult to demonstrate, however, so historically it’s been hard for vaccine makers to show they’ve hit the mark. But it turns out that one type of antibody, called IgA, is a good indicator of mucosal immunity because IgAs tend to predominate in the mucosa rather than other parts of the body. In an early trial of CoviLiv, a nasal COVID vaccine produced by Codagenix, about half of participants had detectable IgA responses within several weeks after receiving two doses. That trial also showed the vaccine was safe and led to NextGen funding for a larger trial of the vaccine’s efficacy.

It’s possible an inhaled vaccine may provide yet one more layer of protection, called trained innate immunity. This reaction is a bit of a mystery: although immunologists know it exists and appears also to be produced by intramuscular injections, they can’t quite explain how it works. Immune cells associated with trained innate immunity seem to have memorylike responses, reacting quickly against subsequent infections. They also have been found to respond against pathogens entirely unrelated to the intended vaccine target. Smaill and her colleagues found that when they immunized mice with an inhaled tuberculosis vaccine and then challenged them with pneumococcal bacteria, the mice were protected. In children, there is some evidence that a tuberculosis vaccine, in the arm, generates this type of broad response against other diseases.

Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University who is working to develop a nasal vaccination for COVID, sees two major potential benefits to nasal immunity in addition to better, faster, more localized protection. First, attacking the virus in the nose could prevent the disease from being transmitted to others by reducing the amount of virus that people breathe out. And second, Iwasaki says, the spray may limit how deeply the infection moves into the body, so “we believe that it will also prevent long COVID.” That debilitating postinfection condition, sometimes marked by signs of entrenched viral particles, disables people with extreme fatigue, chronic pain, a variety of cognitive difficulties, and other symptoms.

Making a new vaccine is hard, regardless of how you administer it. It needs to raise an immune response that’s strong enough to protect against future invasions but not so strong that the components of that response—such as inflammation and fever—harm the host.

The lining of the nose puts up its own barriers—literal, physical ones. Because the nasal mucosa is exposed to so many irritants from the air, ranging from pet hair to pollen, the nose has multiple lines of defense against invading pathogens. Nostril hair, mucus, and features called cilia that sweep the nasal surface all aim to trap small foreign objects before they can get deeper into the body—and that includes tiny droplets of vaccine.

And lots of small foreign particles—often harmless—still make it through those defenses. So the nose has developed a way to become less reactive to harmless objects. This dampened reactivity is called immunological tolerance, and it may be the biggest hurdle to successful development of a nasal vaccine. When foreign particles show up in the bloodstream, a space that is ostensibly sterile, immune cells immediately recognize them as invaders. But mucosal surfaces are constantly bombarded by both pathogens and harmless materials. The immune system uses tolerance—a complex series of decisions carried out by specialized cells—to determine whether a substance is harmful. “This is very important because we can’t have our lungs or gastrointestinal tract always responding to nonharmful foreign entities that they encounter,” says Yale infectious disease researcher Benjamin Goldman-Israelow. For example, inflammation in the lungs would make it hard to breathe; in the gut, it would prevent the absorption of water and nutrients.

These barriers may hamper the effectiveness of a nasal flu vaccine that’s been around for a while, called FluMist in the U.S. and Fluenz in Europe. The inoculation is safe, says infectious disease scientist Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis, but it faces a similar problem as do injected flu vaccines: it isn’t very effective at warding off new seasonal flu strains. This might be because flu strains are so common, and people are frequently infected by the time they are adults. Their immune systems are already primed to recognize and destroy familiar flu particles. FluMist is built from a live flu virus, so immune cells probably treat the vaccine as an invader and demolish it as soon as it shows up in the nose, before it has a chance to do any good. This preexisting immunity isn’t such an issue in children, who are less likely to have had multiple flu infections. Nasal flu vaccines are routinely used to inoculate kids in Europe.

In other vaccines, researchers often use adjuvants, special agents that attract the attention of immune cells, to boost a response. Some nasal vaccines use adjuvants to overcome tolerance, but in the nose, adjuvants can pose unique dangers. In at least one case, a nasal adjuvant led to disastrous consequences. An intranasal vaccine for influenza, licensed in Switzerland for the 2000–2001 season, used a toxin isolated from Escherichia coli bacteria as an adjuvant to provoke a reaction to the inactivated virus. No serious side effects were reported during the trial period, but once the vaccine was released, Swiss officials saw a concerning uptick in cases of Bell’s palsy, a disease that causes weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, often leading to a drooping or disfigured face. Researchers at the University of Zurich estimated that the adjuvanted flu vaccine had increased the risk of contracting Bell’s palsy by about 20 times, and the vaccine was discontinued. “We need to be cautious about using adjuvants like that from known pathogens,” says pharmaceutical formulations scientist Vicky Kett of Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland.

To get around the challenges posed by the nose, some researchers are exploring vaccines inhaled through the mouth. Smaill is working on one of them. She and her McMaster colleagues aerosolized their vaccine for COVID into a fine mist delivered by a nebulizer, from which it rapidly reaches the lungs. Experiments in mice have shown promising results, with mucosal immunity established after administration of the vaccine.

Another vaccine strategy is to use a harmless virus to carry viral genes or proteins. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City selected a bird pathogen, Newcastle disease virus (NDV). “It’s naturally a respiratory pathogen,” so it infects nasal cells, says Michael Egan, CEO and chief scientific officer of CastleVax, a company that formed to develop the NDV vaccine for COVID. A small early clinical trial showed the CastleVax vaccine was safe and caused robust immune responses in people. “Those results were very promising,” Egan says. People who received the vaccine also produced antibodies that indicated multitiered mucosal immunity, not simply the adaptive immunity from a shot in the arm.

Following that trial, the CastleVax project received NextGen funding, and results from a trial of 10,000 people are expected in 2026. Half of those people will receive a messenger RNA (mRNA) injection, and half will get the new NDV nasal spray. The data should show whether the new nasal vaccine can do a better job of preventing infection than the mRNA injections. Egan has high hopes. “We’re expecting to see a lot fewer breakthrough infections in people who got the vaccine up the nose by virtue of having those mucosal immune responses,” he says.

Florian Krammer, one of the Mount Sinai researchers behind the vaccine, engineered NDV particles to display a stabilized version of the spike protein that’s so prominent in SARS-CoV-2. “You end up with a particle that’s covered with spike,” he says. Spike protein in the bloodstream can raise an immune response. But the NDV vaccine works in another way, too. The virus particle can also get into cells, where it can replicate enough times to cause virus particles to emerge from the cells, provoking another immune reaction. Before moving into human trials, however, researchers had to complete clinical trials to establish that the Newcastle virus is truly harmless because the nose is close to the central nervous system—it has neurons that connect to the olfactory bulb, which is part of the brain. Those trials confirmed that it is safe for this use.

Nasal sprays aim directly at the spot where most viruses first enter the body: the nose. This type of caution is one reason a COVID nasal vaccine approved in India hasn’t been adopted by the U.S. or other countries. The inoculation, called iNCOVACC, uses a harmless simian adenovirus to carry the spike protein into the airway. The research originated in the laboratories of Diamond and some of his colleagues at Washington University at the start of the pandemic, when they tested the formulation on rodents and nonhuman primates. “The preclinical data were outstanding,” Diamond says. Around the time he and his colleagues published initial animal results in Cell in 2020, Bharat Biotech in India licensed the idea from the university. In a 2023 phase 3 clinical trial in India, the nasal vaccine produced superior systemic immunity compared with a shot.

Diamond says American drug companies didn’t pursue this approach, because “they wanted to use known quantities,” such as the mRNA vaccines, which were already proving themselves in clinical trials in 2020. As the pandemic took hold, there was little appetite to develop nasal vaccine technology to stimulate mucosal immunity while the tried-and-true route of shots in the arm was available and working. But now, four years later, an inhaled vaccine using technology similar to iNCOVACC’s is being developed for approval in the U.S. by biotech company Ocugen. Both inhaled and nasal forms of the vaccine are set to undergo clinical trials as part of Project NextGen. These new vaccines are using classical vaccine methods based on the virus rather than using new, mRNA-based technology. The mRNA preparations were developed specifically for intramuscular injections and would have to be significantly modified.

Codagenix, which is developing CoviLiv, sidestepped the need for a new viral vector or an adjuvant by disabling a live SARS-CoV-2 virus. To make it safe, scientists engineered a version of the virus with 283 mutations, alterations to its genetic code that make it hard for the virus to replicate and harm the body. Without all these genetic changes, there would be a chance the virus could revert to a dangerous, pathogenic form. But with hundreds of key mutations, “statistically, it’s basically impossible that this will revert back to a live virus in the population,” says Johanna Kaufmann, who helped to develop the vaccine before leaving Codagenix for another company earlier this year.

Because most people on the planet have now been exposed to SARS-CoV-2—in the same way they’re regularly exposed to the flu—some nasal vaccines are being designed as boosters for a preexisting immune response that is starting to wane. For example, Yale researchers Iwasaki and Goldman-Israelow are pursuing a strategy in animals deemed “prime and spike.”

The idea is to start with a vaccine injection—the “prime” that stimulates adaptive immunity—then follow it a few weeks later with a nasal puff that “spikes” the system with more viral protein, leading to mucosal immunity. In a study published in 2022 in Science, Iwasaki and her colleagues reported that they primed rodents with the mRNA vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, the same shot so many of us have received. Two weeks later some of the mice received an intranasal puff of saline containing a fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Because the animals had some preexisting immunity from the shot, the researchers didn’t add any adjuvants to heighten the effects of the nasal puff. Two weeks later researchers detected stronger signs of mucosal immunity in mice that had received this treatment compared with mice that got only the shot.

“Not only can we establish tissue-resident memory T cells” to fight off the virus in the nose, Iwasaki says, but the prime-and-spike method also produces those vigorous IgA antibodies in the mucosal layer. “And that’s much more advantageous because we can prevent the virus from ever infecting the host,” she notes. The study suggests that this approach might also lessen the chances of transmitting the disease to others because of the lower overall viral load. Experiments in hamsters demonstrated that vaccinated animals shed less virus, and they were less likely to contract COVID from infected cage mates that had not been vaccinated themselves.

Although most of the new vaccine strategies are aimed at COVID, nasal vaccines for other diseases are already being planned. Kaufmann, formerly of Codagenix, says the company currently has clinical trials underway for nasal vaccines against flu and RSV. CastleVax’s Egan says “we have plans to address other pathogens” such as RSV and human metapneumovirus, another leading cause of respiratory disease in kids.

Vaccines that don’t need to be injected could clear many barriers to vaccine access worldwide. “We saw with COVID there was no vaccine equity,” Smaill says. Many people in low-income countries never received a shot; they are still going without one four years after the vaccines debuted.

In part, this inequity is a consequence of the high cost of delivering a vaccine that needs to stay frozen on a long journey from manufacturing facilities in wealthy countries. Some of the nasal sprays in development don’t need deep-cold storage, so they might be easier to store and transport. And a nasal spray or an inhaled puff would be much easier to administer than a shot. No health professional is required, so people could spray it into their noses or mouths at home.

For these reasons, needle-free delivery matters to the World Health Organization. The WHO is using the Codagenix nasal spray in its Solidarity Trial Vaccines program to improve vaccine equity. The CoviLiv spray is now in phase 3 clinical trials around the world as part of this effort. “The fact that the WHO was still interested in a primary vaccination trial in the geographies it’s passionate about—that’s indicative that there is still a gap,” Kaufmann says. CoviLiv was co-developed with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest maker of vaccines by dose. The partnership enabled production at the high volume required for Solidarity.

The CastleVax vaccine with the NDV vector provides another layer of equity because the facilities required to make it already exist in many low- and middle-income countries. “The cool thing is that NDV is a chicken virus, so it grows very well in embryonated eggs—that’s exactly the system used for making flu vaccines,” Krammer says. For example, for a clinical trial in Thailand, “we just shipped them the seed virus, and then they produced the vaccine and ran the clinical trials,” he says. Many countries around the world have similar facilities, so they will not need to depend on pharma companies based in richer places.

Even high-income countries face barriers to vaccination, although they may be more personal than systemic. For very many people, the needle itself is the problem. Extreme phobia such as Velasquez’s is uncommon, but many people have a general fear of needles that makes vaccinations stressful or even impossible for them. For about one in 10 people needle-related fear or pain is a barrier to vaccinations, says C. Meghan McMurtry, a psychologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Needle fear “is present in most young kids and in about half of adolescents. And 20 to 30 percent of adults have some level of fear.” A review of studies of children showed that “concern around pain and needle fear are barriers to vaccination in about 8 percent of the general population and about 18 percent in the vaccine-hesitant population,” McMurtry adds.

Some people are wary of injected vaccines even if they’re not afraid of needles, Kett says; they see injections as too invasive even if the needle doesn’t bother them. “We’re hopeful that something administered by the nasal route would be less likely to come across some of those issues,” Kett says.

In the U.S., however, sprays and puffs won’t be available until they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which requires clear evidence of disease protection. As Diamond points out, standards for such evidence are well established for injections, and vaccine makers can follow the rule book: regulations point to particular antibodies and specific ways to measure them with a simple blood test. But for nasal vaccines, Iwasaki says, “we don’t have a standard way to collect nasal mucus or measure antibody titers. All these practical issues have not been worked out.”

Iwasaki is also frustrated with a restriction by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that stops researchers from using existing COVID vaccines in basic research to develop new nasal sprays. The rule is a holdover from 2020, when COVID injections had just been developed and were in short supply; people had to wait to get vaccinated until they were eligible based on factors such as age and preexisting conditions. “That made sense back then, but those concerns are years old; things are different now,” Iwasaki says. “Now we have excess vaccine being thrown out, and we cannot even get access to the waste, the expired vaccine.”

Today scientists want to contrast the effectiveness of nasal formulations with injections already in use. “Those comparisons are really important for convincing the FDA that this is a worthy vaccine to pursue,” Iwasaki says. But the restriction has held up studies by her company, Xanadu, slowing down work. (The CDC did not respond to a request for comment.)

Despite the bureaucratic and scientific hurdles, the sheer number of nasal vaccines now in clinical trials encourages Iwasaki and other scientists pursuing the needle-free route. They say it seems like only a matter of time before getting vaccinated will be as simple as a spritz up the nose.

Velasquez, for one, can’t wait for that day to arrive. The circumstances that finally forced her to reckon with her fear of needles (a global pandemic, the prospect of parenthood and the numerous blood tests that accompanied her pregnancy) were so much bigger than her. If not for them, she might still be avoiding shots. “So having vaccines without needles—I would get every vaccine any doctor wanted me to get, ever. It would be a complete game changer for me.”

#vaccination #mask up #covid #pandemic #public health #wear a mask #covid 19 #wear a respirator #still coviding #coronavirus #sars cov 2 #get vaccinated #vaccinate your kids

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pranjj · 1 month ago

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Udaan by InAmigos Foundation: Elevating Women, Empowering Futures

In the rapidly evolving socio-economic landscape of India, millions of women remain underserved by mainstream development efforts—not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of access. In response, Project Udaan, a flagship initiative by the InAmigos Foundation, emerges not merely as a program, but as a model of scalable women's empowerment.

Udaan—meaning “flight” in Hindi—represents the aspirations of rural and semi-urban women striving to break free from intergenerational limitations. By engineering opportunity and integrating sustainable socio-technical models, Udaan transforms potential into productivity and promise into progress.

Mission: Creating the Blueprint for Women’s Self-Reliance

At its core, Project Udaan seeks to:

Empower women with industry-aligned, income-generating skills

Foster micro-entrepreneurship rooted in local demand and resources

Facilitate financial and digital inclusion

Strengthen leadership, health, and rights-based awareness

Embed resilience through holistic community engagement

Each intervention is data-informed, impact-monitored, and custom-built for long-term sustainability—a hallmark of InAmigos Foundation’s field-tested grassroots methodology.

A Multi-Layered Model for Empowerment

Project Udaan is built upon a structured architecture that integrates training, enterprise, and technology to ensure sustainable outcomes. This model moves beyond skill development into livelihood generation and measurable socio-economic change.

1. Skill Development Infrastructure

The first layer of Udaan is a robust skill development framework that delivers localized, employment-focused education. Training modules are modular, scalable, and aligned with the socio-economic profiles of the target communities.

Core domains include:

Digital Literacy: Basic computing, mobile internet use, app navigation, and digital payment systems

Tailoring and Textile Production: Pattern making, machine stitching, finishing techniques, and indigenous craft techniques

Food Processing and Packaging: Pickle-making, spice grinding, home-based snack units, sustainable packaging

Salon and Beauty Skills: Basic grooming, hygiene standards, customer interaction, and hygiene protocols

Financial Literacy and Budgeting: Saving schemes, credit access, banking interfaces, micro-investments

Communication and Self-Presentation: Workplace confidence, customer handling, local language fluency

2. Microenterprise Enablement and Livelihood Incubation

To ensure that learning transitions into economic self-reliance, Udaan incorporates a post-training enterprise enablement process. It identifies local market demand and builds backward linkages to equip women to launch sustainable businesses.

The support ecosystem includes:

Access to seed capital via self-help group (SHG) networks, microfinance partners, and NGO grants

Distribution of startup kits such as sewing machines, kitchen equipment, or salon tools

Digital onboarding support for online marketplaces such as Amazon Saheli, Flipkart Samarth, and Meesho

Offline retail support through tie-ups with local haats, trade exhibitions, and cooperative stores

Licensing and certification where applicable for food safety or textile quality standards

3. Tech-Driven Monitoring and Impact Tracking

Transparency and precision are fundamental to Udaan’s growth. InAmigos Foundation employs its in-house Tech4Change platform to manage operations, monitor performance, and scale the intervention scientifically.

The platform allows:

Real-time monitoring of attendance, skill mastery, and certification via QR codes and mobile tracking

Impact evaluation using household income change, asset ownership, and healthcare uptake metrics

GIS-based mapping of intervention zones and visualization of under-reached areas

Predictive modeling through AI to identify at-risk participants and suggest personalized intervention strategies

Human-Centered, Community-Rooted

Empowerment is not merely a process of economic inclusion—it is a cultural and psychological shift. Project Udaan incorporates gender-sensitive design and community-first outreach to create lasting change.

Key interventions include:

Strengthening of SHG structures and women-led federations to serve as peer mentors

Family sensitization programs targeting male allies—fathers, husbands, brothers—to reduce resistance and build trust

Legal and rights-based awareness campaigns focused on menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, domestic violence laws, and maternal care

Measured Impact and Proven Scalability

Project Udaan has consistently delivered quantifiable outcomes at the grassroots level. As of the latest cycle:

Over 900 women have completed intensive training programs across 60 villages and 4 districts

Nearly 70 percent of participating women reported an average income increase of 30 to 60 percent within 9 months of program completion

420+ micro-enterprises have been launched, 180 of which are now self-sustaining and generating employment for others

More than 5,000 indirect beneficiaries—including children, elderly dependents, and second-generation SHG members—have experienced improved access to nutrition, education, and mobility

Over 20 institutional partnerships and corporate CSR collaborations have supported infrastructure, curriculum design, and digital enablement.

Partnership Opportunities: Driving Collective Impact

The InAmigos Foundation invites corporations, philanthropic institutions, and ecosystem enablers to co-create impact through structured partnerships.

Opportunities include:

Funding the establishment of skill hubs in high-need regions

Supporting enterprise starter kits and training batches through CSR allocations

Mentoring women entrepreneurs via employee volunteering and capacity-building workshops

Co-hosting exhibitions, market linkages, and rural entrepreneurship fairs

Enabling long-term research and impact analytics for policy influence

These partnerships offer direct ESG alignment, brand elevation, and access to inclusive value chains while contributing to a model that demonstrably works.

What Makes Project Udaan Unique?

Unlike one-size-fits-all skilling programs, Project Udaan is rooted in real-world constraints and community aspirations. It succeeds because it combines:

Skill training aligned with current and emerging market demand

Income-first design that integrates microenterprise creation and financial access

Localized community ownership that ensures sustainability and adoption

Tech-enabled operations that ensure transparency and iterative learning

Holistic empowerment encompassing economic, social, and psychological dimensions

By balancing professional training with emotional transformation and economic opportunity, Udaan represents a new blueprint for inclusive growth.

From Promise to Power

Project Udaan, driven by the InAmigos Foundation, proves that when equipped with tools, trust, and training, rural and semi-urban women are capable of becoming not just contributors, but catalysts for socio-economic renewal.

They don’t merely escape poverty—they design their own systems of progress. They don’t just participate—they lead.

Each sewing machine, digital training module, or microloan is not a transaction—it is a declaration of possibility.

This is not charity. This is infrastructure. This is equity, by design.

Udaan is not just a program. It is a platform for a new India.

For partnership inquiries, CSR collaborations, and donation pathways, contact: www.inamigosfoundation.org/Udaan Email: [email protected]

#InAmigosFoundation #ProjectUdaan #UdaanByInAmigos #InAmigosForChange #WomenWithInAmigos

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saltygolemmonster · 1 month ago

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How Professional Landscape Design Increases Property Value in Pune

In Pune’s competitive real estate market, every detail counts when it comes to property valuation. While interior design often takes center stage, professional landscape design is a powerful yet frequently overlooked factor that can significantly boost your property’s worth. At Floriyard, a leading provider of Landscape Development Services in Pune, we’ve seen firsthand how strategic outdoor spaces can elevate curb appeal, functionality, and market value.

Whether you're a homeowner looking to sell or a business wanting to enhance your commercial property, investing in expert landscaping delivers measurable returns. In this blog, we’ll explore: ✔ The direct correlation between landscaping and property value ✔ Key design elements that attract buyers and tenants ✔ How Floriyard’s expertise can transform your outdoor space

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Modern buyers and commercial tenants value functional outdoor areas such as: ✔ Entertainment-ready patios (with pergolas or decking) ✔ Sustainable gardens (native plants, rainwater harvesting) ✔ Zen relaxation zones (water features, meditation corners)

These features effectively "expand" your property’s livable space without construction costs.

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Strategic tree planting and green walls can: ✔ Reduce cooling costs by up to 25% (by shading buildings) ✔ Act as windbreaks in winter ✔ Improve air quality—a selling point for health-conscious buyers

Pune-Specific Landscape Value Boosters

1. Climate-Adapted Designs

Pune’s tropical climate demands: ✔ Drought-resistant plants (like agaves and succulents) ✔ Permeable paving (to prevent monsoon waterlogging) ✔ Shade trees (e.g., Neem or Peepal) to combat summer heat

2. Low-Maintenance Luxury

Busy urban professionals prefer designs that are: ✔ Automated irrigation systems ✔ Evergreen shrubs (minimal leaf shedding) ✔ Artificial turf options (for always-green lawns)

3. Security & Privacy Enhancements

Gated communities and offices benefit from: ✔ Thorny perimeter plants (e.g., Bougainvillea) ✔ Tall bamboo screens (natural privacy walls) ✔ Lighting-integrated pathways (safety + aesthetics)

Floriyard’s Expertise: From Concept to Value Creation

Our Landscape Development Services in Pune are tailored to maximize your investment:

✔ Site Analysis – Soil testing, sun mapping, and drainage planning ✔ Custom Design – 2D/3D renderings aligned with your vision ✔ Premium Materials – Locally sourced stone, sustainable wood ✔ Smart Maintenance Plans – Seasonal care to preserve beauty

Featured Project: A Baner residence saw a 22% higher valuation after our team redesigned its backyard with a stone patio, native plant garden, and decorative lighting.

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Ready to Elevate Your Property’s Worth?

Invest in landscaping that pays dividends. Floriyard combines creativity, sustainability, and technical precision to deliver spaces that captivate and appreciate.

Address: Bhumkarnagar, warje, Left Bhusari Colony, Bhusari Colony, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra 411058 Phone: 74100 47474 Get Direction

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mohammedrinshad · 8 months ago

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How the Best Digital Marketer in Malappuram Can Boost Your Business

In today’s digital age, the success of any business depends on how well it can leverage digital marketing strategies. Whether you’re running a small local business or a growing enterprise, having a solid digital marketing strategy is crucial. But how do you ensure your business stands out from the competition? The answer lies in working with a skilled digital marketer – someone who can tailor strategies that align with your goals, audience, and market trends.

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#digital marketing #marketing #seo services #seo #social media #google ads #search engine optimization #contentmarketing #bussiness #email marketing

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antaxzantax · 10 months ago

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Umbrella Pharmaceuticals - Chapter 54

Summary: Oswell E. Spencer hires Albert Wesker as security chief at Arklay Laboratory.

The Berlin Wall fell.

The Soviet Union dissolved and, with it, the definitive consolidation of Western hegemony.

A new world order ordered by the markets was born.

It was the corporations' time, Umbrella's time.

Spencer and Ashford had met urgently at Umbrella Pharmaceuticals headquarters in Bonn to discuss the future of the company and the joint course of action they would formulate for the bioweapons market.

Spencer never changed his mind. He set up Umbrella as an enterprise for his personal enrichment and for the extension of his individual fortune, as he promised his father Abraham. However, the serendipity of the Progenitor virus caused a deviation from his original route as a traditional businessman that uncovered new and affluent avenues for him to refocus his existential state. He had had a few ideas that had shaken him by their scope and overweening ambition, but these ideas were purely personal and unrelated to the subject at hand: the future of a multinational.

Ashford held a position that only the threat of thermonuclear war had quelled: Umbrella was to play a central role in the expansion and maintenance of Western hegemony. Alexander, like his father, his grandfather and virtually all his ancestors before him, wanted empire. Unlike the old glories who mourned the disintegration of the British Empire, Alexander looked to the wide ocean of nation-states with which to negotiate and in which to incite coups and civil wars. The Ashfords, and the Stuarts by extension, had cast themselves in the role of guardians of the old order regardless of whether the peasant carries a hoe or a computer. Specifically, of an old order dreamed up as an industrial and rationalist reproduction of the absolutism to which their Stuart forebears were usually prone.

And that was going to be a problem.

Spencer did not want Umbrella to survive. Although promising at first, his partnership with Ashford had turned into an ordeal of constant conflicting opinions because of the lack of a guiding principle between the two. He had experienced his long corporate career as enriching and forging a character that would have made his ancestors proud, but he was about to reach the limit of his effort and patience and could not simply walk away.

If he ran, the Ashfords would own Umbrella in its entirety along with the Progenitor virus patent. Even if he kept a boxcar of samples, the Ashfords would destroy his legacy, ruin his name and the rest of the Spencers would jump down his throat for giving those jocks such a succulent steak. Then, there was the matter of Alex and his mixed feelings about her. She certainly needed an heir, but... She wasn't even English. And he didn't quite trust her. She had killed Marcus as a test of loyalty and that honored her, but it remained to be found out if her ambition and his matched or, on the contrary, her role as prodigal daughter would be abruptly cancelled by a bullet in the head.

He had to do something. He would rather die than lose control of his half of the company. Seeing Ashford excited about a hypothetical invasion of Iraq with Umbrella's explicit involvement turned his stomach. His grandfather was governor of India, not the head of a militia of down-and-out highlanders. He wanted order and control, and to resolve conflicts from the discretion of his office, whereas the Ashfords wanted to involve Umbrella in a second battle of Culloden with the prince at the helm[1].

He sensed that Ashford also wished to leave. However, their bond had been twisted to the point of making a peaceful exit impossible at this time. Therefore, Spencer had to design and execute his tactic carefully. First, he had thought of a radical measure, but one he believed to be effective: hiring Soviet personnel. He had his eye on a man, Sergei Vladimir, who would repel Alexander for his furious anti-communism and begin to build a faction of loyalists. In this sense, Vladimir was an interesting addition as a disenchanted Leninist and former Red Army colonel. It was Vladimir who had contacted Spencer through his agents to join the UBCS[2], a paramilitary unit against biological disasters that was set up in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear incident.

He could not anticipate what the consequences would be, but he took comfort in having taken a first step.

Only time would tell.

A sip from the coffee cup. Sherry stood up on the couch to touch the bandage on her head. Her tiny finger touched a bump that made her shudder.

William pulled his daughter's hand away and forced her to sit next to him as the girl began to look distressed.

“It's nothing. Just a bump. Dad is fine.”

William was not well at all. The incident... He was in a coma for two full days. Fortunately, with no after-effects. A persistent headache for a few months and a requirement to avoid any further blows to the head on pain of permanently damaging his cognition. The man and the woman...

He had been placed on a three-month leave of absence for a full recovery. He had not been fired or suspended from employment and pay. They simply sent him to the hospital, paid all the bills and sent him home for a paid vacation. Annette, for her part, was still working.

The incident happened at full speed. He was pissed off because he had been demoted. Then he went to the sales office and was beaten out of there for his inappropriate behavior. He went to the lab and ran into the woman. The woman drove him crazy and then the bearded man showed up and beat him like a savage into unconsciousness.

The chain of events seemed logical, but him being alive and employed didn't make sense.

There were two words that fluttered around inside his skull and with which he had established a traumatic relationship: Alexia and Alexander. The woman said her name was Alexia I don't know what and she believed the bearded man's name was Alexander because she remembered in a flash the meeting at the Spencer mansion and Albert's comment about the identity of those present. Alexia said she was the head of investigations, while the bearded man stared at her silently with the expression of a serial killer.

He was prescribed antidepressants to cope with the loss of the G-virus. In reality, the existence of the G-virus was never mentioned to a lay doctor, but the incident passed for an accident at work and a nervous breakdown that a stranger invented to justify William's leave and his taking Prozac. He had been pill-popped since waking up from the coma to alleviate the extreme feeling of emptiness.

G. Golgotha virus. Destroyed. Forever.

Tears bathed his eyelids.

Sherry hugged her father and joined him in sobbing.

“Alpha. Beta. Pi.” Auguste rolled down the window. “This is it.”

Alfred started the engine. The Lamborghini Diablo roared. He stepped on the accelerator and pulled into the fraternity compound. The gravel road circled a circular lake decorated with an imitation of the Trevi Fountain. At the end of the road was the entrance to a three-story colonial mansion. Scattered around the doorway and stairs swarmed the members of the exclusive fraternity linked to Raccoon City University. As they advanced, heads turned and whispered to each other.

Alfred gave them a wry smile. He found it amusing that students from a crappy provincial university thought they were part of the upper class. They were just a bunch of children of the American upper-middle class that so repulsed him. Unnecessarily overbearing and obsessed with a ridiculous display of wealth. Classists with money, but no classy.

Alfred parked the vehicle on the snowy margin of the gravel road. He turned off the engine as Auguste got out and put on his cap with the visor back. When Alfred got out, he smoothed his suit jacket and replaced the gold watch his father had given him for his twentieth birthday. They both stood in front of the hood to survey the scene. Boat blondes, leather shoes and polo shirts with the college logo. The spitting image of the American lifestyle.

“Do you have the coke on you?” asked Auguste.

“I have five grams left over.”

“Shall we get a couple in before we go in? I'm not going to last all night sober.”

Alfred removed his purse and wallet from inside his jacket. With the help of a platinum credit card, he prepared four stripes which he consumed instantly and discreetly.

“Better.” Auguste breathed in sharply. “Let's go.”

They made their way to the entrance. Under the threshold, Richard and Tracy were waiting to greet them. Alfred met Richard by chance at the university. He had been sitting in the library reading a couple of things when Richard approached him about studying together. Alfred didn't mind but regretted it as soon as Richard questioned him about his religious affiliation.

“I am Catholic.”

Alfred replied dryly to tertiary the absurd conversation. Richard said nothing more and just studied in silence. The next day, however, Richard approached him in one of the corridors and invited him to the fraternity party. Likewise, Alfred self-invited his cousin Auguste so that he would not end up retired in a corner and on the verge of suicide from boredom.

Richard and Tracy stepped forward.

“Welcome to Alpha-Beta-Pi!” Tracy greeted effusively. “Ready to party?”

Alfred responded to the welcome with a forced smile. Auguste extended his hand to Richard and Tracy.

“Auguste Campbell, Alfred's cousin.”

“Nice to meet you.” Richard shook his hand second. “Come on in. We have fifteen minutes to spare before it starts.”

Alfred and Auguste accompanied their hosts into the building. There were beer cans with swallowing tubes set in the hallway. Auguste was fidgeting casually, and Alfred had gotten the urge to smoke to calm the cocaine-induced excitement. Richard and Tracy led them into the main room, where there was no one else except the four of them.

Tracy hooked Auguste. Richard went straight for Alfred.

“Would you like to have a drink?”

“Do you mind if I smoke?” Alfred showed him a pack of unbranded cigarettes.

“No, of course not. Go ahead.” Richard repositioned the collar of his shirt.

Alfred lit a cigarette with the zippo he kept inside the pack.

“I'm glad you came, and with your cousin. We love meeting new people.”

Alfred exhaled, controlling his euphoria. He was half listening to what Richard was saying.

“I found your seminar the other day very interesting. And for that reason, I tried to talk to you the other day. I'm sorry if I offended you.”

“You didn't. But why did you ask me about my religion?” Alfred really wanted to know why.

“Nothing special. It's because I was struck by your critical and somewhat nihilistic approach to research.” Richard tried hard to sound sympathetic. “I don't mean that you are, but I felt a little depressed when I finished.”

“It is a continuation of the work of my great-grandfather, Arthur Ashford. He experimented with classical conditioning long before Skinner published his thesis.”

“Wow, a man ahead of his time.”

“It was.”

Richard kept his hands in his pockets, uncomfortable with his guest's curt attitude.

“And what part of the UK are you from?”

Alfred took a puff.

“Scotland, but I live in Northern England.”

“Oh, you're Scottish. Edinburgh?”

“Highlands.”

“I would like to visit Scotland. Maybe I'll let you know about a getaway.” Richard laughed.

Alfred finished his cigarette and went to the standing ashtray they had placed in the corner. Richard followed behind him as if he were his shadow. The party hadn't even started, and he was feeling anxious. He would escape to the bathroom to take two more drags.

“What about the rest of the guests? Anyone who likes horror movies?” It sounded like a snub, but Alfred was serious.

“There's Peter.” Richard took it as a joke. “He's got a little strange taste.”

Alfred sat on the couch waiting. He watched Auguste chatting animatedly with Tracy.

In short.

The rest of the guests milled around in the main hall. The carillon clock struck midnight. Alfred got up to greet people he didn't give a shit about. Auguste fell into his good graces and soon set out to smoke pot with his new friends. The only thing he liked was the music, a mix of New Order with Huey Lewis and the News, Mariah Carey and Billy Idol.

“Alfred? Are you Alfred?”

Alfred turned around. A young man about his own age, curly red hair, pronounced dark circles under his eyes and a pleasant smile.

“Richard told me you liked horror movies, didn't he?”

Alfred nodded.

“My name is Peter Lee. I am a medical student. My specialty is anatomy.”

They shook hands.

“Alfred Ashford. I am doing a pre-doctoral research stay.”

“You look very young. How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

Peter was surprised.

“Wow. You are a genius.”

Alfred shrugged his shoulders.

“Well...” He drank from his glass of water. “And what's your favorite horror movie?”

“Hellraiser by Clive Barker.”

Peter looked at him ecstatically.

“Hellraiser... What a coincidence. It's also one of my favorites along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Do you like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?”

“I prefer Halloween, but that is also among my favorites.”

“Have you seen Cannibal Holocaust?”

“I have an original copy...”

Peter sipped half his glass in one gulp.

“Do you know what snuff is?”

Alfred raised an eyebrow in confirmation. Peter was thrilled.

“I invite you to my house. I have some Japanese stuff you'll like.” He finished drinking his glass. “Friday?”

“Saturday night.”

“Bake St. 2013. A two-story mansion. A gift from my parents.”

Alfred memorized the address. Peter withdrew. Auguste shouted expletives with his new colleagues.

Ulysses slid to the edge of the bed. Alexander gently caressed his waist. It had been years since he had enjoyed a good orgasm. But that man was not the Ulysses of her youth, the handsome gentleman who stole his heart from an intense but short-lived passion that left a permanent imprint on him. He had paid for that man and had given him the name Ulysses to raise his spirits. Since his father's death, whether male or female, his relationships had been limited to one-night stands. If he had abhorred commitment before, the shocks he suffered after the founding of Umbrella had deterred him from emotionally relating to anyone. And so little had he sought such liaison that his apathy affected his small family.

He justified himself with excuses until his mother clarified his thoughts after the incident at the Antarctic base. Like an epiphany, and with his daughter strapped to a hospital bed after attacking her psychologist, he understood his distraught mother's warning.

It was the end. If he did nothing, it would be the end. And he didn't want it to be the end. His complacency had absorbed him in a way that frightened him and made him burst into bitter weeping.

The death of his mother in 1988 reaffirmed the evidence that he was completely alone. But his mother's death was different. It was a light departure, agreed upon, like that of a son who leaves on a trip and his mother bids him farewell on the platform. There was no decay, no strange thoughts, but a melancholy acceptance, for the situation was quite different.

In the previous years, from 1983 onwards, he tried to erase CODE: Veronica from his memory. His obsession reached the extreme of rummaging through his grandfather Arthur's old psychology books to suppress that memory. Obviously, nothing worked, so he resorted to the old reliable one of there is no such thing as what is not mentioned. With all the evidence suppressed, only he himself remained as a witness. His mother didn't believe it when he told her. However, since he and his father had been the masterminds, Elizabeth ordered him not to reveal the secret, and so he would act.

With his stupid project buried under tons of detritus, Alexander rediscovered his children. After the incident in Antarctica, he called Spencer to notify him of his absence and showed up at the Institute to accompany his daughter during intake. Elizabeth kissed them both when they returned. She did not congratulate Alexander because that is what Edward would have done for him. As for Alfred, during the first Christmas vacation after the incident, he hugged him for the first time. Alfred cried and the child told him about his experience of abuse, emotional repression, and sexual confusion at Jacob II; and Alexander, though he did not cry, empathized with his firstborn because he must have survived the same and prevailed, thus forging his character and sealing his future as head of the family. Alfred wiped away his tears and his eyes radiated admiration. Alexander felt comforted and that Christmas he regained his good humor.

What he started in that year carried him through to the present, and he realized he would give his life not to change it. Perhaps that was what his father would really have wanted. He would not know, but his mother rested in peace as she witnessed a seeming contentment that had never reigned at Ashford Hall since he was invested peer of the United Kingdom after inheriting his father's dignity.

For this reason, he struck William Birkin with the intention of killing him.

Alexia stopped him and interceded on the employee's behalf. She blamed herself and allowed William Birkin to live and keep his job.

The why escaped his discernment and eliciting it from her was not an option.

“William Birkin,” he whispered.

Ulysses cocked his head.

“I hate it,” Alexander mumbled into the void.

“Go ahead.”

Albert entered Spencer's office in the Raccoon City mansion. Spencer didn't get up from his seat, and Albert saw that a cane was propped next to his desk. He noticed that the decorations followed the same pattern as in the rest of the house, with hunting and classical art as the main motifs.

“Forgive me for not greeting you properly, but I am not feeling very healthy today due to the infirmities of age.” Spencer excused himself and invited him to sit down with a wave of his hand. “Would you like some tea?”

Albert nodded. Spencer pointed to the teapot for him to help himself. He noticed him more aged than last time.

“I read your letter of resignation as Arklay's chief researcher and your application to the Department of Information, and both made me feel bad.” Spencer dramatized. “You've worked for me for twelve long years. You have never let me down and your resume is enviable, Mr. Wesker. That distressed me, because I felt you were leaving by the back door, and in my family, we were always strict about credit.” Spencer took a sip from his cup of tea. Albert, without touching his cup, remained expectant. “I wish to make you a proposal.”

Albert swallowed hard. Spencer would look upon him as a god would pity his faithful.

“I would like to continue to think that you are one of my most faithful employees, and that I can rely on you for tasks of greater consequence than serving as a simple clerk. I know you were at the military academy and, although you have no formal experience as a soldier, you are in good shape and do well at shooting and fighting with your hands; for that is, among other qualities, what I am looking for.” Spencer fell silent and glanced at the cups before regaining his composure. “I want to make you security chief at Arklay Lab. But being head of security won't mean taking care of idle employees and repelling unwanted visitors; my integrity and that of my daughter Alex while we're here will depend on you; that things work in this place and, above all, that you accept me as your sole authority.”

Spencer underlined ‘sole authority’ as if he could see that phrase shining on a blank sheet of paper.

“I accept.” Albert did not hesitate.

“Come to the laboratory next Tuesday at noon. You will be met at the main entrance, just down the stairs from the fountain. Good afternoon.”

Albert stood up.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Spencer.”

Spencer took another swig from the cup. Albert went to the door and grabbed the doorknob.

“Loyalty is the most graceful of virtues, my father used to say.”

He closed the door.

[1] Battle fought in Scotland in 1746 by Prince Charles Edward Stuart against the House of Hannover for the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the United Kingdom. The prince was defeated.

[2] Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service.

#resident evil #alexia ashford #alfred ashford #alexander ashford #albert wesker #william birkin #oswell e spencer #annette birkin #sergei vladimir

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