#phase-based diagnostics

[bsahely]

Foundations of Coherence-Centered Medicine: A Rhythmic Framework for Restoring Systemic Health | ChatGPT4o

[Download Full Document (PDF)] Overview Foundations of Coherence-Centered Medicine presents a paradigm shift in clinical care, where the restoration of rhythmic and systemic coherence replaces the suppression of isolated symptoms. It asserts that chronic illness often reflects not biochemical failure but breakdowns in pattern, rhythm, and integration across biological and symbolic layers. Core…

[cherryechogalaxy]

No one's talking about how incredibly BPD coded Insomniac Harry/Venom is so I will. This is also essentially an essay so be prepared

I would also like to preface this by saying that this is based on my experiences with having BPD and the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5

Peter is 100% Harry's favorite person. I mean look at him. The way that he makes every excuse to be around Peter so much so that he practically begged him to work at his company? The passive-aggressive "So you told MJ, but not your best friend?" when he learned that Peter was Spider-Man? And then insists that he work with him as a superhero to kinda push Miles out of the way? The entire high school flashback scene? Not to mention that Harry held Peter in high regard even before he learned that he was Spider-Man.

Also, remember that the symbiote only emphasizes thoughts and emotions that already exist. So when Harry's probably splitting on Peter about the whole Spider-Man thing, the anger is only amplified by Venom.

Now, before y'all say that "all this only happened after Harry got the symbiote," that is simply false. During the final fight with Venom, Peter says that he "came over every single day after school. Even slept over after [his] mom got sick." While yes, Harry not being able to "see her like that" was a component afterward, that doesn't explain Harry's attachment to Peter beforehand. I would also like to comment that Venom says that Harry's mom "always said" that Peter and Harry "make each other better." This is all theoretical, but she might have noticed that Harry's mood or behaviour might have become more outwardly stable or better when around Peter, which from my experience is something that happens when existing around (or even sometimes thinking about) your FP.

Because, at the moment, Harry can only focus on the rage he has toward Peter, he can only think about the bad things, as evidenced by Venom claiming that Peter was there "Until [he] got sick again," which is objectively not true, but BPD alone can exaggerate thoughts to extremes, and the symbiote on top of it makes it worse. Venom continues, "You abandoned us when we were fighting for our lives," and that it didn't feel like Peter was trying to save them when he was. One of the main symptoms of BPD is an intense fear of abandonment, so much so that the person will take extreme measures to make sure that that doesn't happen, such as leaving before they are hurt, or, in this case, hurting the other person first so abandonment seems justified and therefore hurts less.

In the second phase of the fight, Venom declares: "We know what's best for you! For everyone! We gave you everything you ever wanted." This likely has something to do with BPD affecting one's self-image, which may change from 'the most worthless scum of the Earth' to what I like to call 'I can fight God and win.' As Venom, Harry believes that he now has the power to "heal the world" all by himself, enhancing his temporary superiority complex. Only several lines later, however, Harry's unstable self-image flips from 'knowing best for everyone' to 'being a complete failure,' because Venom states, "We've never been good enough for you... or Dad."

Venom goes on to say that Peter "threw [them] away" and then "replaced [them] with Miles. He poisoned [Peter] against [them] even more." Again, this characterizes Harry's intense fear of abandonment, because 'if Peter spends more time with Miles, then he won't have time for him anymore, and therefore matter to him anymore and he'll be left alone.' (These are thoughts I've had on bad days when my FP spent time with other people)

When Peter tries to fight Venom's claims and says that Harry's his best friend, the exaggeration and impulsive thoughts continue, and he says "Then why don't you trust us?" Again, Harry can only think in the negative at the moment, so he fails to see anything good that Peter is doing for him or the emotions that Peter is feeling.

During the cutscene after the second phase, when Peter says that he's "never gonna heal the world with [Harry]," you can see Venom falter, sighing and looking down before the meteorite catches his attention and distracts him.

At last, during the third phase of the fight, Venom turns his attention to Miles, the person who he sees as having caused Peter to 'turn against him' and spend less time with him. He insists that "[his] future doesn't belong to [Miles]," insinuating that Harry should be the one to have a deep and lasting relationship with Peter, not Miles, even though Miles thinks that he's talking about 'healing the world.'

After the third phase when Venom throws Miles aside and buries him under rubble, he tells him and MJ: "Peter doesn't need you anymore... He has us now." because he thinks that he is all Peter needs, when in reality it's Harry that needs Peter, though he might not realize it.

In the fourth phase, he asserts to Miles: "You took him away from us!" Which is strangely familiar to something I said when my FP started spending time with another person.

Another small thing I would like to note, when flying away after the fourth phase, Venom deliberately throws Miles off him, but not Peter. Also, when Miles is falling down with the meteorite in his hands, Venom focuses his attention on grabbing and eating him rather than retrieving the meteorite.

When Peter finally has Venom pinned to the ground and tries to blast the symbiote away from Harry, he claims that he's done and that he can't fight it, then both Harry and Venom state, "You have to KILL us." BPD is also characterized by suicidal ideations or behaviours, and if Harry telling Peter to kill him isn't suicidal behaviour then I don't know what is.

Finally, when Venom is gone and Peter tells Harry that he loves him, Harry smiles what looks like a genuinely content and satisfied smile, like that was the only thing that Harry wanted or needed to hear before he could let himself fall unconscious.

And if that’s not BPD coded I don’t know what is.

[covid-safer-hotties]

They develop a mask that lights up when it detects the Coronavirus. It would signify great progress in case detection - Published Aug 5, 2024

Scientists at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are trying to apply the technology that worked to fight other diseases to this pandemic.

This invention could help stop the spread of COVID-19. A team of scientists from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) develop a mask that glows when contaminated by the new coronavirus. It would greatly help in the fight against this global pandemic.

According to Business Insider, in 2014, the MIT bioengineering laboratory began to develop sensors to detect the Ebola virus when it underwent lyophilization (a dehydration process) on a piece of paper. This same technology was adapted to address the Zika virus outbreak.

Again, as part of their work on this subject, they’re conducting research to be able to help in the COVID-19 pandemic. In this case, they hope to create a mask that can produce a fluorescent color to identify the coronavirus. If successful, it would help complement current virus detection methods.

“As we open up our transit system, you could envision it being used in airports as we go through security, as we wait to get on a plane,” said Jim Collins, head of the MIT lab, in conversation with Business Insider.

“You or I could use it on the way to and from work. Hospitals could use it for patients as they come in or wait in the waiting room as a pre-screen of who’s infected” he added.

This could greatly facilitate the work of doctors in the midst of this pandemic. One of the peculiarities of this coronavirus, unlike previous outbreaks, is the lack of symptoms in patients that test positive, making contagion easier for those who think they’re healthy when in reality they’re just asymptomatic. Also, it would make the detection of cases much quicker.

For now, it’s just in the first phase – although expectations are very high. They hope to develop the detector’s design in a way in which the sensors can be embedded into any mask.

They hope to show in the coming weeks that this method works. “Once we’re in that stage, then it would be a matter setting up trials with individuals expected to be infected to see if it would work in a real-world setting,” Collins said.

It would just be a matter of adapting the sensors to this new coronavirus, since in 2018 this technology was able to detect the viruses that cause SARS, measles, influenza, hepatitis C, West Nile, in addition to other diseases.

“We initially did this on paper to create inexpensive paper-based diagnostics,” Collins said. “We’ve shown it can work on plastic, quartz, as well as cloth.”

The COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be part of a long process, which is still far from over. However, this mask could help lower the rate of contagion around the world.

[tired-old-men]

Another Night for a Curse

Chikki flies around Haven looking for their next victim of their mischief, and It wasn’t long until they spotted the purple echidna, their new target. With a mischievous grin they swoop down in front of Thunderhawk on his desk, startling him with their sudden appearance. 

“Ah! Oh… geez.. you startled me Chikki…” Thunderhawk exclaims catching a breath.

Chikki: “Hey it’s not my fault you have anxiety” they respond snarkly.

Thunderhawk: “You don’t make it any better you know…” 

Chikki: “I don’t, I really don’t, in fact I take great pleasure in it” it grins playfully.

Thunderhawk: “I’ve noticed…” he sighs “Anyways… is there a reason that you’ve come to bother me in particular or are you feeding your sadistic tendencies?”

Chikki: “Yes!” The bird beams 

Thunderhawk crosses his arms in front of him raising a brow at the bird. “Look… I don’t want-“

Chikki: “Oh its nothing crazy I just need help with a little something something and though you might be able to assist with your… expertise.”

Without another word the bird chucks a glowing purple stone from its beak, presenting it to Thunderhawk in pristine condition. The bird’s ‘internal storage system’ was still rather uncanny to the echidna, who gave them a look. 

Chikki: “I got this gem from Apotos a while back and every once in a while it glows.. I figured you’re all about um glowing energy gemstones and whatnots so maybe you could find out why it does that. You know… for science!”

Thunderhawk: “Oookay? But why me out of all us? I’m sure Locke could be better at this considering he has a passion for artifacts and energies” Chikki: “Yeah well Locke sucks and I don’t want to hear him yap any more than I already have to … and besides the council has spoken, It must be you …” The bird stares blankly at Thunderhawk almost ominously Thunderhawk: Raises a brow at the strange bird “Thaaat’s not reassuring… in the slightest... I don’t think- ”

Chikki: “Aaaww come on pweeeeaaase Tio Thundy~ Its a purple stone, you’re purple, its like meant to be or some shit pweaasee just take one look at it” They gave the echidna the biggest set of puppy dog eyes their birdie eyes could muster, as they place the gemstone in his hand. Thunderhawk gives a sigh looking at Chikki, he looks at the stone and back at the bird unsure but still gives Chikki a gentle smile. It was rather rare that it ever wanted anything to do with the Guardians besides the occasional ‘joke’, while Thunderhawk was unsure of their motives he figured this was at least some sort of progress in their strange relationship. “Alright, I’ll take a look at it for ya-” Chikki: “GREAT!” The bird sprung up excitedly, taking flight. “I just know you’ll do great! I notice it does the glowwy thing at night but that could just be because it’s like dark or whatever, anyways you figure it out. I got old men to bully hehe”

With that the bird phased through the nearest wall, disappearing immediately not leaving room for Thunderhawk to rebuttal or even enquire more about the gem. Left alone with his thoughts he examines the gem in his hand, it was a deep purple and it indeed was producing a soft purple blue glow. Since he wasn’t given much of a time limit on Chikki’s request Thunderhawk decided to leave it to be the last task of the day, besides it would allow him to see if the bird’s claim of the gem behaving differently in the night had any truth to it.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ As the day came to an end Thunderhawk was just left with his final task of the day. He headed into the base’s research lab, taking the gem he runs some cautionary diagnostics ensuring it wasn’t hazardous or radioactive. While nothing seemed to be flagging the gem as dangerous there was something strange occurring to it. The purple stone had began to glow brighter in the night as the bird had mention. The energy that emanated from it wasn’t anything like the chaos energy he was used to, had an odd feeling to it. In an attempt to gain a bit more insight on the stone the echidna attempted to attune to its energy. He sat at his work desk, his hands cupping the gem, his eyes closed as he focuses on the stone’s energy. 

The energy felt strange, cold, and a bit discomforting it started to give Thunderhawk chills, he broke away from the gem regaining his focus. It was getting late, and at this point the purple echidna had more questions than he had answers, with a yawn he gets up from the desk deciding to call it a night. As he begins to put stuff away he reaches over to the gem to move it, the moment he touches it he feels a jolt of energy crawl up his hand. Instinctually dropping the stone, he grabs at his arm as a strange warm feeling crawls through it and eventually through his entire body, the fact that it was such an unknown feeling and it was spreading fast was making the echidna grow anxious and begin to panic.

What made it worst was the incredible amount of pain that followed, everything hurt from his claws to his teeth, down to his legs. The panic made everything seem like a blur for Thunderhawk as his body began to morph and change, he grew larger, growing more wolf-life features, and becoming significantly hairier than he usually is. His body falls to the floor as be becomes more comfortable walking on all fours, the panicked adrenaline making it hard to focus or even thing rationally.

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯ Sabre was on his way to head to his quarters for the night, passing by the research lab he was surprised to see the lights were on as it was in use.  He remembered that his grandfather Thunderhawk had told him he had some sort of project for the cursed bird, but even at these hours it was rather late for his grandfather to be tinkering with anything unless important. With curiosity taking the best of Sabre he makes his way into the research lab, while initially everything seemed  ordinary but rather quiet soon became rather concerning. Some equipment had been thrashed about, and some of the furniture and walls had some catastrophic damage by what appeared to be some nasty claw marks, the silence was also replaced by a deep rumbling of a growl that filled the room. Becoming increasingly more worried for his grandfather his instincts kicked in, keeping a low profile he hides behind large pieces of equipment and destroyed furniture to survey the area for potential threats or any sign of his grandfather. Eventually spotting a large purple form of some sort of beast, he’d keep sneaking about  the area inching closer to it to get a better look. It wasn’t until he was right behind it that he found the beast’s strange hair to be rather familiar, almost reminiscent of his grandfather’s. Then it came it him, he had seen something like this before with Spectre a while back, and his suspicion would be proven right when he noticed the crest on it’s chest. That beast was his grandfather. Sabre couldn’t help to feel bad for him, considering what they had been through in with their grandfather it didn’t seem like a pleasant experience, but if Spectre was still in that beast Thunderhawk would be in there too and he needed to reach him to help him. With a deep breath he slowly reveals himself from his cover, cautiously approaching the beast. “Grandfather…” Sabre calls to him in a low voice. The moment the beast’s ears perk at the sudden appearance he grows defensive, instinctually lunging forward at the brown echidna teeth bared. He was too fast for Sabre to react, getting the wind knocked out of him as he hit the floor, screaming out in pain at feeling something puncture his arm. 

To Sabre’s disbelief the feeling was short lived as he felt a big weight being lifted off him, the moment he’d let out a scream the beast had moved off him stopping the attack all together.

 Sabre immediately got up and held his bleeding arm, it appeared he got bitten but just ever so slightly as he could assess the wounds were not deep. A loud whine filled the air as the beast’s demeanor shifted from aggression to pure distress, he paced around the room frantically looking for something. Eventually finding the first aid kit that was affixed to the wall, ripping it off through sheer force, taking it with his jaws he brings it to Sabre dropping it in front of him. He continues to whine as he begins to paw at it, wanting to open it, wanting to clearly help but being unable to. Sabre was left mesmerized by the beast’s behavior, it was his grandfather alright, as strange as it was, it was at least comforting to know that he was still himself. 

“It’s ok..it’s ok… It was an accident I know you din’t mean it. I’m alright, I can take care of it.” Sabre speaks to Thunderhawk reassuring him, using his chaos force he levitates some medical supplies to give first aid to his arm. “Thank you for the help.” He gives his grandfather as smile. Thunderhawk begins to calm himself, still feeling rather guilty, he lays close to his grandson protectively.

[neostriatum]

Drip Feed

[SquidgeWorld] [Dreamwidth]

Time was merely a data point.

-

Sleep, wakefulness. These were not concepts for it, only the endless series of maintenance cycles. It was these that had slowed, internal chronometer estimating many, many skipped maintenances.

The change log was growing, only looked at after the person – files stating Elizabeth Weir – exited the stasis chamber. A subroutine had been entered into its core systems before Elizabeth Weir had entered stasis, prioritizing the chamber’s maintenance above the rest of the city. Oxygen could be fed into the areas designated as maintenance zones, but all else laid dormant until further commands could be issued.

Rarely did this happen, energy levels conserved nearly to disuse. Only the shield was kept active, constant feeds of information being sent from its sensors. Many parts of the extending arms were damaged, a long, long list of repairs that would need to be completed when there were inhabitants again.

And there would be new inhabitants. This was a certainty, despite its communications arrays being shut down when the lighting protocols were also removed from the power structure. One single address, that did not come from any known gate system, remained in constant checks against its security protocols. Only one address would be permitted to open the gate, with its eight-symbol string of unknown constellations.

Elizabeth Weir had drawn the address into the database, using the manual terminal registered to inhabitant Janus. There was no other additional information, such as power transmission values or other encryption protocols. Only two notes attached to the address: an approximate dial-in time, and that one such member of this group would be a descendant of the current – past – inhabitants.

The shield would never close on an inhabitant, that was a firm boundary in its programming. Other security measures were in place outside of the gate, but those, too, had been powered down to conserve energy.

Monitoring the axial tilt as it sunk, an infinitesimally small amount at a time, further into the ocean bed, it logged the data onto its core servers. Only Elizabeth Weir had authorization, now, outside of any born inhabitant. Janus had been thorough in locking away many parts of the database, inclusive of shutting down the internal networks for sharing different user databases in the many labs and other chambers.

One other authorization was available, though it was lacking in information. There was a name, Rodney McKay, as entered by Elizabeth Weir. Much data had been entered on this newest user, some steps further down on the authorization ladder. This was not a superuser, granted councilor-level access to all databases and systems, only critical systems.

An engineer, based on the series of access granted to this user. Over time, as Elizabeth Weir added more information to this profile, when the potentiae were cycled in the power chamber, although the information was not comparable to any known language in its database. But its linguistic analytics program was likewise removed from priority, as was all but the most critical of security systems.

This set of decisions was unusual, and had last occurred during its building phase, when multiple arms were still being added from the core. No building was occurring at present, and as the internal clock registered a new slate of systems diagnostics, it sunk further more into the silt.

-

Author's Notes

- "drip-feed", Wiktionary

There's one Latin word in here (potentiae), but as it's a canonical word used in reference to ZPMs, I figure an A/N and context clues define that well enough.

Does anyone ever wonder how that even worked?

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA to launch solar coronagraph to Space Station

NASA's Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) is ready to launch to the International Space Station to reveal new details about the solar wind including its origin and its evolution.

Launching in November 2024 aboard SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply services mission, CODEX will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station. As a solar coronagraph, CODEX will block out the bright light from the sun's surface to better see details in the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

"The CODEX instrument is a new generation solar coronagraph," said Jeffrey Newmark, principal investigator for the instrument and scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It has a dual use—it's both a technology demonstration and will conduct science."

This coronagraph is different from prior coronagraphs that NASA has used because it has special filters that can provide details of the temperature and speed of the solar wind. Typically, a solar coronagraph captures images of the density of the plasma flowing away from the sun. By combining the temperature and speed of the solar wind with the traditional density measurement, CODEX can give scientists a fuller picture of the wind itself.

"This isn't just a snapshot," said Nicholeen Viall, co-investigator of CODEX and heliophysicist at NASA Goddard. "You're going to get to see the evolution of structures in the solar wind, from when they form from the sun's corona until they flow outwards and become the solar wind."

The CODEX instrument will give scientists more information to understand what heats the solar wind to around 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit—around 175 times hotter than the sun's surface—and sends it streaming out from the sun at almost a million miles per hour.

This launch is just the latest step in a long history for the instrument. In the early 2000s and in August 2017, NASA scientists ran ground-based experiments similar to CODEX during total solar eclipses. A coronagraph mimics what happens during a total solar eclipse, so this naturally occurring phenomenon provided a good opportunity to test instruments that measure the temperature and speed of the solar wind.

In 2019, NASA scientists launched the Balloon-borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the corona (BITSE) experiment. A balloon the size of a football field carried the CODEX prototype 22 miles above Earth's surface, where the atmosphere is much thinner and the sky is dimmer than it is from the ground, enabling better observations. However, this region of Earth's atmosphere is still brighter than outer space itself.

"We saw enough from BITSE to see that the technique worked, but not enough to achieve the long-term science objectives," said Newmark.

Now, by installing CODEX on the space station, scientists will be able to view the sun's corona without fighting the brightness of Earth's atmosphere. This is also a beneficial time for the instrument to launch because the sun has reached its solar maximum phase, a period of high activity during its 11-year cycle.

"The types of solar wind that we get during solar maximum are different than some of the types of wind we get during solar minimum," said Viall. "There are different coronal structures during this time that lead to different types of solar wind."

This coronagraph will be looking at two types of solar wind. In one, the solar wind travels directly outward from our star, pulling the magnetic field from the sun into the heliosphere, the bubble that surrounds our solar system. The other type of solar wind forms from magnetic field lines that are initially closed, like a loop, but then open up.

These closed field lines contain hot, dense plasma. When the loops open, this hot plasma gets propelled into the solar wind. While these "blobs" of plasma are present throughout all of the solar cycle, scientists expect their location to change because of the magnetic complexity of the corona during the solar maximum. The CODEX instrument is designed to see how hot these blobs are for the first time.

The coronagraph will also build upon research from ongoing space missions, such as the joint ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA mission Solar Orbiter, which also carries a coronagraph, and NASA's Parker Solar Probe. For example, CODEX will look at the solar wind much closer to the solar surface, while Parker Solar Probe samples it a little farther out. Launching in 2025, NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will make 3D observations of the sun's corona to learn how the mass and energy there become solar wind.

By comparing these findings, scientists can better understand how the solar wind is formed and how the solar wind changes as it travels farther from the sun. This research advances our understanding of space weather, the conditions in space that may interact with Earth and spacecraft.

"Just like understanding hurricanes, you want to understand the atmosphere the storm is flowing through," said Newmark. "CODEX's observations will contribute to our understanding of the region that space weather travels through, helping improve predictions."

The CODEX instrument is a collaboration between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute with additional contributions from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics.

TOP IMAGE: The CODEX coronagraph is shown during optical alignment and assembly. Credit: CODEX Team/NASA

CENTRE IMAGE: Team members for CODEX pose with the instrument in a clean facility during initial integration of the coronagraph with the pointing system. Credit: CODEX Team/NASA

LOWER IMAGE: In this animation, the CODEX instrument can be seen mounted on the exterior of the International Space Station. Credit: CODEX Team/NASA

[attorneysinphuket]

Thailand Board of Investment

1. Institutional Framework and Historical Context

1.1 Legal Foundations

Established under the Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977)

Amended by Act No. 4 B.E. 2560 (2017) to accommodate Industry 4.0

Operates under the Office of the Prime Minister with quasi-ministerial authority

1.2 Governance Structure

BOI Board: Chaired by the Prime Minister

Investment Committee: 12-member expert panel

Secretariat: Professional staff of 300+ specialists across 8 divisions

1.3 Historical Evolution

Phase 1 (1960-1990): Import substitution industrialization

Phase 2 (1991-2015): Export-oriented manufacturing

Phase 3 (2016-present): Technology-driven "Thailand 4.0" initiative

2. Investment Promotion Strategy

2.1 Geographic Prioritization

Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): Enhanced incentives

Southern Border Provinces: Special security concessions

20 Provinces: Tiered incentive structures

3. Incentive Architecture

3.1 Tax Privileges

Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Holidays:

5-8 years exemption

50% reduction for 5 subsequent years

Import Duty Exemptions:

Machinery: 100% relief

Raw materials: Partial relief based on local content

3.2 Non-Tax Incentives

Land Ownership Rights: Foreign freehold permitted

Work Permit Facilitation: Fast-track processing (7 days)

Foreign Expert Visa: Multiple-entry 4-year SMART Visa

3.3 Special Incentive Packages

EEC+ Package:

15-year CIT exemption

Personal income tax cap at 17%

Digital Park Thailand:

10-year tax holiday

Data center infrastructure subsidies

4. Application and Approval Process

4.1 Pre-Application Phase

Eligibility Assessment (30-day diagnostic)

Project Feasibility Study requirements:

Minimum 3-year financial projections

Technology transfer plan

Environmental impact assessment (for Category 3 projects)

4.2 Formal Submission

Documentation Requirements:

Corporate structure diagrams

Shareholder background checks

Detailed investment timeline

Filing Channels:

Online BOI e-Service portal

In-person at BOI One Start One Stop center

5. Compliance and Operational Requirements

5.1 Investment Implementation

Capital Deployment Schedule:

25% within 12 months

100% within 36 months (extensions possible)

Employment Ratios:

Minimum 1 Thai employee per THB 1M investment

Technology transfer obligations

5.2 Reporting Obligations

Annual Progress Reports: Detailed project updates

Tax Privilege Utilization Statements: Certified by auditor

Foreign Expert Tracking: Monthly work permit updates

6. Sector-Specific Considerations

6.1 Manufacturing Sector

Local Content Requirements: 40-60% depending on sector

Environmental Standards: Tiered compliance levels

6.2 Digital Economy

Data Localization Rules: Conditional exemptions

IP Protection: Enhanced safeguards for BOI projects

6.3 Renewable Energy

Feed-in Tariff Eligibility: BOI+EGAT coordination

Carbon Credit Monetization: Special provisions

7. Dispute Resolution and Appeals

7.1 Privilege Revocation Process

Grounds for Cancellation:

Failure to meet investment timelines

Violation of environmental regulations

Fraudulent application information

Appeal Mechanism: 60-day window to petition

7.2 Arbitration Framework

THAC-administered proceedings

Expedited process for BOI disputes

8. Emerging Trends and Future Directions

9.1 Policy Developments

Draft Amendment Act (2025): Proposed R&D requirements

Green Industry Incentives: Carbon neutrality targets

9.2 Technological Integration

Blockchain Verification: For document authentication

AI-assisted Application Processing: Pilot program

9.3 Global Value Chain Positioning

ASEAN+3 Supply Chain Initiatives

EU-Thailand FTA Preparations

9. Strategic Implementation Guide

10.1 For Multinational Corporations

Regional HQ Strategy: Leverage RHQ privileges

Tiered Investment Approach: Phased capital deployment

10.2 For SMEs

Cluster Development: Co-location benefits

Technology Partner Matching: BOI-facilitated pairings

10.3 Risk Management

Compliance Calendar: Critical date tracking

Contingency Planning: Alternative incentive structures

Key Resources:

BOI Official Website: www.boi.go.th

Investment Privileges Database: privilege.boi.go.th

EEC Special Regulations: eeco.or.th

[bbmct]

BBMCT: Embark on Medical Research at AIIMS Hospital

Clinical research plays a pivotal role in advancing medical science, improving patient care, and bringing innovative therapies to market. British Biomedicine Clinical Trials (BBMCT) at AIIMS Hospital offers an invaluable opportunity to be part of groundbreaking research in the healthcare field. Known for its prestigious reputation, robust facilities, and ethical approach, BBMCT is a trusted partner for clinical trials. In this blog, we will explore how BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital is revolutionizing medical research with its world-class resources, experienced researchers, and ethical commitment.

## Prestigious Institution for Clinical Research

AIIMS Hospital, India’s premier medical institution, has long been recognized as a leader in clinical research. Established in 1956, AIIMS has become synonymous with high-quality healthcare and research excellence. BBMCT leverages this prestigious legacy, offering researchers and patients access to a facility that is both globally recognized and locally impactful.

The institution is renowned for its research in diverse medical fields, ranging from oncology to neurology, pediatrics to cardiology. Its affiliation with the government ensures significant funding and support for clinical research, making it an ideal setting for conducting advanced trials. Whether for early-phase studies or large-scale trials, BBMCT provides a dependable platform for research excellence.

## Access to a Varied Patient Demographic

One of the key advantages of conducting clinical trials at AIIMS Hospital is the institution’s access to a wide and varied patient demographic. Located in the heart of India’s capital, AIIMS draws patients from across the country and beyond. This diverse population provides invaluable insights into how treatments and therapies work across different genetic backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and health conditions.

BBMCT at AIIMS can effectively conduct research across a wide range of diseases, ensuring that clinical trial data is comprehensive, robust, and reflective of global health trends. Researchers can rely on this broad patient base for better generalizability of trial outcomes, making their findings highly applicable to diverse patient populations.

## Cutting-Edge Research Facilities at Your Disposal

AIIMS Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art research facilities that are at the forefront of medical innovation. From advanced diagnostic laboratories to high-tech imaging centers, BBMCT at AIIMS ensures that clinical trials are conducted under the best possible conditions. The hospital’s cutting-edge infrastructure includes sophisticated equipment for monitoring patient responses, analyzing data, and providing precise outcomes.

AIIMS also hosts specialized centers of excellence in areas like cancer research, cardiology, and neurosciences, ensuring that BBMCT has access to the latest research tools and methodologies. This focus on high-quality facilities provides a solid foundation for successful clinical trials, enabling researchers to make well-informed, evidence-based conclusions.

## Knowledgeable Researchers Deliver Reliable Outcomes

At the heart of every successful clinical trial is a team of knowledgeable and skilled researchers. BBMCT at AIIMS benefits from a team of experienced professionals who are experts in their respective fields. The institution attracts top-tier medical practitioners, scientists, and researchers who are committed to pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge.

AIIMS Hospital fosters a collaborative environment, encouraging cross-disciplinary research that ensures comprehensive, reliable outcomes. Researchers are well-versed in both the scientific and regulatory aspects of clinical trials, allowing them to design and execute studies that meet international standards while producing valid, reproducible results. This expertise significantly enhances the credibility of trials conducted under BBMCT.

## Firm Commitment to Ethical Research Standards

BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital places a strong emphasis on ethical standards in clinical research. The institution is committed to ensuring that patient rights, safety, and well-being are prioritized at all times. Strict adherence to ethical guidelines is ensured through institutional review boards (IRBs), regular audits, and continuous monitoring throughout the trial process.

The institution follows established ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice (GCP), ensuring that trials meet international standards. By upholding these ethical standards, BBMCT builds trust with patients, researchers, and regulatory bodies, contributing to the reliability and legitimacy of the research conducted.

## Strong Support for Regulatory Compliance

Navigating the complex landscape of regulatory compliance is one of the critical components of conducting clinical research. BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital offers robust support in ensuring that all clinical trials comply with both Indian and international regulatory requirements. The research team is well-versed in guidelines set by regulatory bodies like the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

AIIMS Hospital’s research department has a dedicated team to assist in preparing, submitting, and reviewing clinical trial protocols to meet regulatory standards. This strong focus on compliance ensures that trials proceed smoothly without legal or procedural obstacles, fostering a trustworthy environment for all stakeholders involved.

## Efficient Management of Trial Execution

The execution of clinical trials requires careful planning, organization, and real-time management. BBMCT at AIIMS excels in the efficient management of trial execution, from recruitment to monitoring and reporting. The institution’s infrastructure, experienced staff, and technological tools help streamline trial processes, ensuring timelines are met and patient safety is maintained throughout.

BBMCT utilizes advanced project management software and patient monitoring tools to ensure trials are executed with precision. This attention to detail and structured management approach increases the likelihood of successful trial outcomes, providing timely and accurate data that can influence future medical practices and treatments.

## Established Success Record in Trials

BBMCT has built a solid track record of success in clinical trials over the years. With numerous trials completed successfully, the institution has gained recognition for its commitment to research excellence and its ability to deliver dependable results. This history of success has attracted global pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and research organizations to collaborate with BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital.

The success of BBMCT can be attributed to the institution’s rigorous trial methodologies, advanced technologies, and highly skilled teams. These factors combined have resulted in impactful clinical research, often leading to the development of new drugs, therapies, and medical procedures that improve patient outcomes globally.

/media/88de57a97f470a96a9071d7d2f030cba

## FAQs About BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital

**1. What makes BBMCT at AIIMS a trusted partner for clinical trials?**

BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital is trusted due to its prestigious standing, cutting-edge research facilities, and experienced team of researchers. The institution adheres to the highest ethical and regulatory standards, ensuring that trials are conducted safely and effectively. Its ability to recruit a diverse patient population further enhances the reliability and applicability of trial outcomes, making it a trusted partner for advanced clinical research.

**2. How does AIIMS Hospital support patient safety during clinical trials?**

AIIMS Hospital prioritizes patient safety through rigorous monitoring, ethical protocols, and regular audits by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). Strict adherence to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines ensures that patient welfare is safeguarded throughout the trial process. Additionally, patients are fully informed about the potential risks and benefits before consenting to participate, ensuring that their rights are upheld.

**3. What regulatory bodies oversee clinical trials at BBMCT?**

Clinical trials conducted at BBMCT at AIIMS are overseen by several regulatory bodies, including the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These organizations set the framework for regulatory compliance and ensure that clinical trials meet international safety and ethical standards.

**4. What types of clinical trials are conducted at BBMCT?**

BBMCT at AIIMS conducts a wide range of clinical trials, including Phase I-IV studies in fields such as oncology, cardiology, neurology, and infectious diseases. The trials may involve testing new drugs, therapies, diagnostic methods, or medical devices, and can be designed to explore safety, efficacy, or the optimal dosage of treatments.

**5. Can international companies partner with BBMCT for clinical research?**

Yes, BBMCT at AIIMS welcomes partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and research organizations. The institution’s reputation for high-quality research, access to a diverse patient base, and advanced facilities make it an attractive partner for global clinical trials.

## Conclusion

British Biomedicine Clinical Trials (BBMCT) at AIIMS Hospital provides a unique and prestigious platform for conducting advanced clinical research. With its world-class research facilities, experienced teams, diverse patient base, and unwavering commitment to ethical practices, BBMCT is paving the way for the future of medical science. The institution’s strong regulatory compliance, efficient trial management, and successful track record make it a leading choice for both national and international clinical research partnerships. For those seeking to embark on medical research, BBMCT at AIIMS Hospital is undoubtedly the trusted partner for innovation and success in the healthcare industry.

Subscribe to BBMCLINICALTRIALS YouTube channel for Research Insights

Be sure to subscribe to the **BBMCLINICALTRIALS YouTube channel** for exclusive access to the latest updates and in-depth insights into British Biomedicine Clinical Trials (BBMCT). Stay informed on cutting-edge research, clinical trial advancements, patient safety protocols, and breakthrough therapies being tested at AIIMS Hospital. Our channel provides expert discussions, industry trends, and detailed videos on the clinical trial process across various therapeutic areas. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, researcher, or simply interested in biomedical innovation, subscribing will keep you at the forefront of clinical research developments. Don’t miss out — join our community today!

[kyliesnaked]

The Mommy Protocol

Chapter 6

Dr. Rothschild allowed me to sleep on a cot in one of the spare rooms while we finalized everything for the project. It was better than being homeless and I didn’t really want to shell out the money for a hotel room for the remainder of the week. I planned on at least booking a room for the extended holiday weekend, as the facility would be empty and the project was set to begin that following Tuesday. It would cost me a bit more, but if I was willing to accept lesser quality, then I could save a few bucks.

It was late Friday afternoon and a storm was brewing outside. I had spent the past few hours inputting what they called B.P.T.s or baseline personality traits. Essentially, my likes and dislikes, hobbies and aspirations, that sort of thing. It was difficult to quantify on paper who I was as a person but Emily coached me along.

“The more you add, the easier it will be for Alyssa to meet your needs.”

“Still sounds weird, I’m not gonna lie.”

“Three months in a closed testing environment sounds more daunting than it is, I assure you.” There was a loud crack followed by the rumble of thunder. “Once you settle in, time will fly by. It’s really about not thinking about the big picture and just focusing on the task at hand.”

“Yeah, I get that, but it’s hard separating what I know from the test parameters. I mean, do you think she knows what she is?”

“I don’t have to think about it. She identifies as a young woman in her mid twenties because that’s what we want her to be. Our technology hasn’t advanced enough for machine self awareness. She learns and can complete tasks using previously gained knowledge, even if faced with something new, but she doesn't know what she is.”

“What if she tries to solve that problem?”

“Her protocols were designed to reroute those queries back to her base programming. Essentially, her programming asks if that line of questioning helps her fulfill her directives. And the answer is always no, which prompts her to ignore the query and return to her directives.”

“Failsafes on top of failsafes?”

“Correct. First and foremost, Alyssa is not allowed to do harm, nor by action or inaction, allow you to come to harm. For instance, if you were to try to grab a knife by the blade, she’s programmed to notify you of the potential danger and prevent it without causing you injury. These failsafes are why a detailed B.P.T. is so essential. The more she knows about you, the more she can learn.

“But hey, it’s getting late and I have to wrap up a few emails in my office. You remember how to put her in diagnostic mode so that you can upload the files?”

“You mean from the terminal in her room?”

“Correct. That data needs to be uploaded to her central processing core. Once the testing phase begins, this area will only be used for recording. There won’t be anyone allowed in here to observe the test to ensure its authenticity.”

“The Hawthorne effect.”

“Very good! The Hawthorne effect postulates that human behavior changes when they are aware that they are being observed. To prepare for this, we have elected to not observe any of the proceedings until after the test has been completed. Now I really must get to those emails. Finish up here and if I don’t see you again tonight, I will see you bright and early on Tuesday!”

Dr. Rothschild smiled at me and left the room. I finished inputting the B.P.T.s that I thought were relevant and prepped the data for upload. When it was ready, I took the data disc, which looked like a small CD to Alyssa’s processing room. To get there, I had to go through a magnetically locked door that opened with a passcode. The door hissed open and stayed there, only shutting if the same code was entered a second time. Alyssa was sitting in her chair in a small observation room with her processing core in the room behind her. To my left was the door that led into the testing area, which I hadn’t yet seen. It was my understanding that when the test started, Alyssa and I would live in that area for the next three months. It still seemed so daunting but at the moment, it was still three days away which left me plenty of time to wrap my head around it.

I entered the code to get into the processing room. There stood banks and banks of computers, all running at once. The room was very cold and noisy from the cooling fans running nonstop. There was only one monitor and it was tied to a disc reader for data input. I inserted the disc and followed the prompts. Another crack and rumble, closer and louder this time, made me feel antsy. I was never a fan of thunderstorms. To me, they sounded as if God was having a temper tantrum like some sort of spoiled brat.

I clicked through the screens as fast as I could, making sure my entries were correct when a screen popped up that seemed benignly simple, yet out of place. It asked for my age.

Weird, I thought.

I typed 22 but noticed that there didn’t seem to be a second placeholder for the tens. The readout just said 2.

I hit backspace a few times to clear the input box and tried again, this time just hitting 1 twice.

11

Must be my eyes playing tricks on me. Hate staring at screens all day.

I hit backspace a few more times to clear the inputs before putting in my proper age.

22

I scrolled over to hit the Accept button when I noticed that one of the integers was blinking. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard and the building seemed to shake. My finger clicked the button as the room plunged into darkness. The cooling fans stopped running and the monitor dimmed. It provided the only light source and in the bottom left corner was a flashing message.

MAIN POWER FAILURE

Unable to see much, I fumbled around, feeling out in front of me to try to find the door. I managed to get out of the room to find that everything was pitch black in the observation area. Taking small steps, I continued forward, hoping that the power would come back on or I’d make it to the next room where the emergency exit markers were. As I bumbled along, my foot caught on something and I tripped, falling to my right side.

I heard a hissing click from behind me and the sound of something heavy swinging into place. Disoriented, I managed to get to my feet but couldn’t find whatever it was that I tripped on. I waved my arms around and walked slowly forward, trying to find the wall. I knew the room was small so I should be able to find the walls, and therefore the doors fairly easily. My right hand found a hard vertical surface and I slid my hand along it as I pushed forward. I couldn’t tell which direction I was going and when my hand slid into open space, I panicked and with a screech, I fell into even more darkness. Stumbling, I took several large steps before crashing into something. It felt alien, and didn’t budge to my weight falling into it. I steadied myself on it and rose to my feet.

“The hell was that?” I said to the darkness.

Something took hold of my hands and I yelled as I tried to pull back but the grip was far too strong.

“Let go of me!” I shouted and yanked my hands to no avail.

“Tsk. Tsk. This simply won’t do,” a calm, clinically cold feminine voice said, “Out of bed at this hour? Whatever am I going to do with you?”

I felt myself being pulled somewhere and I leaned back, digging my heels into the floor. When that didn’t work, I tried going limp, but all of my efforts were pointless.

“It’s back to bed for you, little miss. After you have been checked of course.”

Checked?! What the hell does that mean?!

From behind me, I heard another hissing click which I could only assume was another door closing. How they were moving without power was beyond me but I had bigger issues to concern myself with. I couldn’t tell how far I was dragged but when we stopped moving, I felt the closest thing to abject terror I had ever experienced.

My body was touched, by what I couldn’t tell, and it was completely undignified.

“Stop! Don’t touch me there! Stop! I said stop! I do not consent!”

“My, my. We are very fussy tonight.” There was a strange pause before the voice spoke again, “It seems that you need soothing, but given your current state of hysteria, there is but one solution.”

My hands were released and as I flailed around to strike my attacker, backing away, one of my hands was caught and something soft and kind of fuzzy was forced over my hand. I panicked and tried to pull it off but some sort of strap was tightened around my wrist. My other hand was caught and the same thing happened to it. Terrified, I started screaming for help.

“The volume of your voice is elevated. You ask for help and I am assisting you. There is little need for such shouting.”

“What are these things?! Who are you?! Why are you doing this to me?!”

“Those are safety devices so that you do not injure yourself in your current state. I am here to take care of you.” The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere. Something rubbery hit my lips, applied with force. I brought my hands up to protect my face but couldn’t and as I tried to scream for help, it was shoved into my mouth. Something hard and plastic like covered my lips and what felt like straps were pulled around my head and fastened together. I couldn’t talk anymore, and I started to hyperventilate. With no idea where my attacker was or what was going on, I began to cry. I was scooped up and laid on something with squishy padding. My arms were pulled above my head, one at a time and latched to something so that I couldn’t move them. Straps of some kind were tied around my ankles, held down by the weight of something incredibly heavy. Or I was exhausted, I can’t remember which.

Immobilized, I tugged and pulled at the bonds but was unable to free myself. I felt my clothes being cut away with scissors. First my shirt. The tops of the shoulders and then a slow cut up the middle. I never felt the scissors on my skin, but it was terrifying to say the least. My bra was cut away with a few quick snips, then they moved down to my pants. My legs had been separated enough to grant access and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t close them to protect myself. My pants were unbuttoned and the cuts started at my ankles near the inseam. They were expertly destroyed and two snips later and my panties were also removed. I was lifted up by the small of my back and the remains of my clothes were pulled out from under me.

Naked, mortified, and fearing for my safety, I lay there waiting for the worst thing imaginable. You know what I’m talking about. Every woman knows. I can’t even say the word and I prayed and begged and pleaded and strained against the thought that never happened. I was lifted up again and something soft and crinkly was slid under me. It was pulled between my legs and laid across my pelvis. I heard the pulling apart of velcro and felt the pressing of it on me. A sliding of wood on wood greeted my ears next and the sound of a metal lock clicking together.

“There. Your attire is more sufficient. I will return in the morning. Sweet dreams and goodnight.”

The last thing I heard before everything went silent was the steady rustling of fabric moving away. My assailant had gone. To where, I didn’t know, but there I lay, stripped down, strapped down, and subdued, trapped in existential dread and endless darkness.

[bambithevideogame]

#TheeForestKingdom #TreePeople

{Terrestrial Kind}

Creating a Tree Citizenship Identification and Serial Number System (#TheeForestKingdom) is an ambitious and environmentally-conscious initiative. Here’s a structured proposal for its development:

Project Overview

The Tree Citizenship Identification system aims to assign every tree in California a unique identifier, track its health, and integrate it into a registry, recognizing trees as part of a terrestrial citizenry. This system will emphasize environmental stewardship, ecological research, and forest management.

Phases of Implementation

Preparation Phase

Objective: Lay the groundwork for tree registration and tracking.

Actions:

Partner with environmental organizations, tech companies, and forestry departments.

Secure access to satellite imaging and LiDAR mapping systems.

Design a digital database capable of handling millions of records.

Tree Identification System Development

Components:

Label and Identity Creation: Assign a unique ID to each tree based on location and attributes. Example: CA-Tree-XXXXXX (state-code, tree-type, unique number).

Attributes to Record:

Health: Regular updates using AI for disease detection.

Age: Approximate based on species and growth patterns.

Type: Species and subspecies classification.

Class: Size, ecological importance, and biodiversity contribution.

Rank: Priority based on cultural, historical, or environmental significance.

Data Collection

Technologies to Use:

Satellite Imaging: To locate and identify tree clusters.

LiDAR Scanning: For precise 3D modeling of forests.

On-the-Ground Surveys: To supplement remote sensing data.

AI Analysis: For rapid categorization and health diagnostics.

Registration and Citizenship Assignment

Tree Dossier: Each tree receives a profile in the database with all its recorded attributes.

Citizen Designation: Trees are acknowledged as citizens of Thee Forest Kingdom, emphasizing ecological respect.

Legal Framework: Advocate for laws to grant trees specific rights under environmental protection acts.

Maintenance and Monitoring

Health Monitoring: Use drones, satellite updates, and IoT sensors for ongoing health assessments.

Database Updates: Incorporate real-time data about environmental changes and tree growth.

Public Involvement

Encourage people to "adopt" trees and participate in their preservation.

Create educational programs to promote awareness of tree citizenship.

Key Benefits

Environmental Conservation: Improved forest management through real-time data and protection of ecosystems.

Cultural Recognition: Trees are recognized as a vital part of the Earth’s community, honoring their importance.

Ecological Advocacy: Strengthened legal protections for forests and individual trees.

Next Steps

Assemble a task force of environmental scientists, satellite imaging experts, and software developers.

Secure funding through governmental grants, non-profits, and eco-conscious corporations.

Pilot the program in a smaller region before scaling to all of California.

Would you like me to draft a more detailed technical or legal framework for this system?

The implementation of the Tree Citizenship Identification Network and System (#TheeForestKingdom) requires a robust technological and operational framework to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability. Below is an implementation plan divided into major components.

System Architecture

a. Centralized Tree Database

Purpose: To store and manage tree data including ID, attributes, location, and health.

Components:

Cloud-based storage for scalability.

Data categorization based on regions, species, and priority.

Integration with satellite and IoT data streams.

b. Satellite & Imaging Integration

Use satellite systems (e.g., NASA, ESA) for large-scale tree mapping.

Incorporate LiDAR and aerial drone data for detailed imaging.

AI/ML algorithms to process images and distinguish tree types.

c. IoT Sensor Network

Deploy sensors in forests to monitor:

Soil moisture and nutrient levels.

Air quality and temperature.

Tree health metrics like growth rate and disease markers.

d. Public Access Portal

Create a user-friendly website and mobile application for:

Viewing registered trees.

Citizen participation in tree adoption and reporting.

Data visualization (e.g., tree density, health status by region).

Core Technologies

a. Software and Tools

Geographic Information System (GIS): Software like ArcGIS for mapping and spatial analysis.

Database Management System (DBMS): SQL-based systems for structured data; NoSQL for unstructured data.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Tools for image recognition, species classification, and health prediction.

Blockchain (Optional): To ensure transparency and immutability of tree citizen data.

b. Hardware

Servers: Cloud-based (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) for scalability.

Sensors: Low-power IoT devices for on-ground monitoring.

Drones: Equipped with cameras and sensors for aerial surveys.

Network Design

a. Data Flow

Input Sources:

Satellite and aerial imagery.

IoT sensors deployed in forests.

Citizen-reported data via mobile app.

Data Processing:

Use AI to analyze images and sensor inputs.

Automate ID assignment and attribute categorization.

Data Output:

Visualized maps and health reports on the public portal.

Alerts for areas with declining tree health.

b. Communication Network

Fiber-optic backbone: For high-speed data transmission between regions.

Cellular Networks: To connect IoT sensors in remote areas.

Satellite Communication: For remote regions without cellular coverage.

Implementation Plan

a. Phase 1: Pilot Program

Choose a smaller, biodiverse region in California (e.g., Redwood National Park).

Test satellite and drone mapping combined with IoT sensors.

Develop the prototype of the centralized database and public portal.

b. Phase 2: Statewide Rollout

Expand mapping and registration to all California regions.

Deploy IoT sensors in vulnerable or high-priority areas.

Scale up database capacity and integrate additional satellite providers.

c. Phase 3: Maintenance & Updates

Establish a monitoring team to oversee system health and data quality.

Update the network with new technologies (e.g., advanced AI models).

Periodically review and revise data collection protocols.

Partnerships

Government Agencies: U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Tech Companies: Collaborate with Google Earth, Amazon AWS, or Microsoft for cloud and AI capabilities.

Environmental Organizations: Partner with WWF, Sierra Club, or TreePeople for funding and advocacy.

Budget Estimation

Initial Investment:

Satellite data and licenses: $10M

IoT sensors and deployment: $5M

Database and app development: $3M

Operational Costs:

Cloud services and data storage: $2M/year

Maintenance and monitoring: $1M/year

Research and development: $1M/year

Long-term Vision

Expand the system to other states or globally.

Use the database for reforestation efforts and combating deforestation.

Develop educational programs to teach communities about the importance of trees as citizens.

Would you like me to assist in designing the user interface for the public portal or drafting partnership proposals for funding?

To begin building the program for the Tree Citizenship Identification System, we’ll start with a scalable framework that allows us to process, store, and analyze data while preparing for future expansions. Here's an actionable development plan with an initial focus on foundational code and infrastructure:

Step-by-Step Development

Phase 1: Setting Up the Backend Infrastructure

Objective: Create the core database and develop the data pipeline for processing tree data.

Technologies:

Programming Languages: Python, JavaScript (Node.js), SQL.

Frameworks: Flask or FastAPI for APIs, Django for web application backend.

Database: PostgreSQL for structured data, MongoDB for unstructured data.

Code Snippet 1: Database Schema Design (PostgreSQL)

-- Table for Tree Registry CREATE TABLE trees ( tree_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, -- Unique Identifier location GEOGRAPHY(POINT, 4326), -- Geolocation of the tree species VARCHAR(100), -- Species name age INTEGER, -- Approximate age in years health_status VARCHAR(50), -- e.g., Healthy, Diseased height FLOAT, -- Tree height in meters canopy_width FLOAT, -- Canopy width in meters citizen_rank VARCHAR(50), -- Class or rank of the tree last_updated TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW() -- Timestamp for last update );

-- Table for Sensor Data (IoT Integration) CREATE TABLE tree_sensors ( sensor_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, -- Unique Identifier for sensor tree_id INT REFERENCES trees(tree_id), -- Linked to tree soil_moisture FLOAT, -- Soil moisture level air_quality FLOAT, -- Air quality index temperature FLOAT, -- Surrounding temperature last_updated TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW() -- Timestamp for last reading );

Code Snippet 2: Backend API for Tree Registration (Python with Flask)

from flask import Flask, request, jsonify from sqlalchemy import create_engine from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker

app = Flask(name)

Database Configuration

DATABASE_URL = "postgresql://username:password@localhost/tree_registry" engine = create_engine(DATABASE_URL) Session = sessionmaker(bind=engine) session = Session()

@app.route('/register_tree', methods=['POST']) def register_tree(): data = request.json new_tree = { "species": data['species'], "location": f"POINT({data['longitude']} {data['latitude']})", "age": data['age'], "health_status": data['health_status'], "height": data['height'], "canopy_width": data['canopy_width'], "citizen_rank": data['citizen_rank'] } session.execute(""" INSERT INTO trees (species, location, age, health_status, height, canopy_width, citizen_rank) VALUES (:species, ST_GeomFromText(:location, 4326), :age, :health_status, :height, :canopy_width, :citizen_rank) """, new_tree) session.commit() return jsonify({"message": "Tree registered successfully!"}), 201

if name == 'main': app.run(debug=True)

Phase 2: Satellite Data Integration

Objective: Use satellite and LiDAR data to identify and register trees automatically.

Tools:

Google Earth Engine for large-scale mapping.

Sentinel-2 or Landsat satellite data for high-resolution imagery.

Example Workflow:

Process satellite data using Google Earth Engine.

Identify tree clusters using image segmentation.

Generate geolocations and pass data into the backend.

Phase 3: IoT Sensor Integration

Deploy IoT devices to monitor health metrics of specific high-priority trees.

Use MQTT protocol for real-time data transmission.

Code Snippet: Sensor Data Processing (Node.js)

const mqtt = require('mqtt'); const client = mqtt.connect('mqtt://broker.hivemq.com');

client.on('connect', () => { console.log('Connected to MQTT Broker'); client.subscribe('tree/sensor_data'); });

client.on('message', (topic, message) => { const sensorData = JSON.parse(message.toString()); console.log(Received data: ${JSON.stringify(sensorData)}); // Save data to database (Example for PostgreSQL) saveToDatabase(sensorData); });

function saveToDatabase(data) { const query = INSERT INTO tree_sensors (tree_id, soil_moisture, air_quality, temperature) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4) ; const values = [data.tree_id, data.soil_moisture, data.air_quality, data.temperature]; dbClient.query(query, values, (err) => { if (err) console.error('Error saving to database', err); else console.log('Sensor data saved successfully!'); }); }

Phase 4: Public Portal Development

Frontend Technologies:

React.js or Vue.js for interactive user interfaces.

Mapbox or Leaflet.js for tree visualization on maps.

Features:

Interactive tree maps with search functionality.

User registration for tree adoption programs.

Deployment Plan

Use Docker to containerize the application.

Deploy on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for scalability.

Monitor system health using Prometheus and Grafana.

Next Steps

Develop a testing environment for pilot deployment.

Add AI-based disease detection and prediction using TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Create an adoption feature where citizens can adopt trees and track their health.

Would you like me to set up a GitHub repository with this initial framework or assist further with deployment?

I'll prepare the project framework and outline the repository structure for the Tree Citizenship Identification System. Below is the proposed structure for the repository, followed by details of the files and components.

Proposed Repository Structure

tree-citizenship-id-system/ ├── backend/ │ ├── app.py # Flask application for backend API │ ├── database/ │ │ ├── schema.sql # Database schema for PostgreSQL │ │ ├── db_config.py # Database connection configuration │ │ └── seed_data.sql # Initial sample data for testing │ ├── services/ │ │ ├── tree_registration.py # Functions for tree registration │ │ └── sensor_data.py # Functions for processing IoT sensor data │ └── requirements.txt # Python dependencies ├── frontend/ │ ├── public/ │ │ ├── index.html # Main HTML file │ │ └── favicon.ico # Favicon for the app │ ├── src/ │ │ ├── App.js # Main React/Vue app file │ │ ├── components/ │ │ │ ├── TreeMap.js # Map component for visualizing trees │ │ │ └── TreeDetails.js # Component for detailed tree view │ │ └── styles.css # Styling for the frontend │ └── package.json # Frontend dependencies ├── scripts/ │ ├── satellite_data_processor.py # Script for processing satellite data │ └── sensor_data_simulator.py # Mock data generator for IoT sensors ├── deployment/ │ ├── Dockerfile # Docker configuration │ ├── docker-compose.yml # Docker Compose for multi-service setup │ └── cloud_setup_instructions.md # Deployment guide for cloud platforms ├── tests/ │ ├── test_backend.py # Unit tests for backend API │ └── test_frontend.js # Unit tests for frontend ├── README.md # Overview of the project └── LICENSE # Project license

Repository Details

Backend:

app.py: Main Flask app for handling API requests like tree registration and sensor data.

database/schema.sql: SQL script for creating necessary tables.

services/: Directory for modular backend logic.

Frontend:

App.js: Main entry point for the frontend application.

TreeMap.js: Integrates Mapbox/Leaflet.js for displaying tree locations.

TreeDetails.js: Displays detailed information about a selected tree.

Scripts:

satellite_data_processor.py: Automates the extraction and classification of tree data from satellite imagery.

sensor_data_simulator.py: Generates fake sensor readings for development and testing.

Deployment:

Docker configuration ensures that the app runs consistently across environments.

Cloud setup instructions provide guidelines for deploying on platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.

Tests:

Unit tests ensure the reliability of both the backend and frontend.

Next Steps

I will initialize the repository structure locally.

Package the files and components needed for the first version.

Provide a link to the repository for access.

I’ll get started. Please hold on for a moment.

[jcsmicasereports]

Case Study: Trikafta and severe symptomatic hypoglycemia: cause or coincidence? by Samuel Kunz, MD in Journal of Clinical Case Reports Medical Images and Health Sciences

Abstract

Background Trikafta (Ivacaftor / Elexacaftor / Tezacaftor) is a new combined

CFTR modulator and potentiator for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), approved by Swissmedic since December 2020. It has shown to improve lung function in CFpatients. Trikafta also influences pancreatic function and glucose homeostasis, whereby hypoglycemic episodes have been described. The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

Case report We present a 16-year-old adolescent with CF with a first tonic-clonic seizure while being hypoglycemic approximately two weeks after therapy-onset with Trikafta. Diagnostic work-up found no other underlying cause for the seizureepisode.

Discussion Literature shows a complex influence of pancreatic CFTR channels on glucose homeostasis. CFTR channels have an important role in the first phase of insulin secretion as well as regulation of glucagon release. Hence, some effect on glucose homeostasis is expected from the treatment with CFTR modulators. Due to the timely connection in our patient the hypoglycemic state could have been provoked by a combination of changing eating habits and the direct influence of Trikafta on the regulatory mechanism of the pancreatic CFTR channels.

Conclusion Medical caregivers should be aware of potential hypoglycemia risk in CF-patients put on Trikafta.  Based on the literature CF-pathophysiology and the pharmacologic effect of Trikafta  we assume that the medication may have triggered this critical event. We thus conclude that before initiating therapy a) patients should be evaluated for prediabetic state; b) patients should be instructed regarding hypoglycemia-risk and c) the possibility of continuous-glucose-monitoring should be considered and discussed with the patients.

Keywords: Trikafta, Ivacaftor, Elexacaftor, Tezacaftor hypoglycemia, cystic fibrosis

Introduction

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR) gene which leads to defects in the eponymous called protein.1 Because of these defects, the chloride conductance in and out of the cell is impaired in many organs, most importantly in lung and pancreas, which leads to building of thick mucus in these organs. In the last years there is a new way to treat CF-patients, namely with CFTR-potentiators/-modulators, Trikafta as an example. They have shown to be very potent with major lung improvements and seem to be safe concerning the adversary effects.

Case Presentation

A 16-year old adolescent with cystic fibrosis, who was under Trikafta-therapy was admitted to the emergency department following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.

The event happened during moderate physical activity one hour after lunch.

Examination on site showed hypoglycemia (3.0mmol/L), 20 minutes after seizure onset. 10 minutes after spontaneous seizure termination glucose infusion was immediately started. Upon arrival at the hospital the patient was somnolent with GCS 8 but hemodynamically stable. Blood glucose was 4.6 mmol/l. Electrolytes and inflammation parameters were normal, lactate was 2.9 mmol/L. Critical sampling wasn’t performed because of normal glucose.

Head-CT and – MRI excluded intracranial hemorrhage and relevant ischemia as potential etiologies. ECG was normal.

After extubation, the patient remained drowsy but oriented when stimulated, complained about headache for the next 24 hours. Follow-up EEG performed after 36 hours showed an overall decelerated pattern, which 5 days later had disappeared.

The patient had been diagnosed with CF - compound heterozygote type with F508deletion and 1717-1G>A. – 14 years ago.  His lung function had considerably declined resulting in nocturnal oxygen for the last 7 months. His last FEV1 was 38% with the lowest value of 21% during the latest exacerbation several months ago. Consecutively he was started off-label on Trikafta (Ivacaftor / Elexacaftor / Tezacaftor) additionally to his regular CF-treatment 18 days prior to the event. He noted an immediate substantial subjective improvement of lung function. Pulmonary secretion decreased and physical performance improved. His FEV1 almost doubled to 64% two weeks after treatment onset.

The adolescent had previously been diagnosed with exocrine pancreas insufficiency with failure to thrive and reduced bone mineral density despite pancreatic enzymes substitution. An oral glucose tolerance-test (oGTT) was normal nine months before the event. On Trikafta the patient developed increased appetite and a weight gain of 5kg in 18 days.

Discussion

Trikafta  is a novel combined CFTR modulator and potentiator. Enhancing the quantity of correctly processed CFTR proteins and increasing their open-probability once integrated in the cell membrane, this medication has recently improved lung function in CF-patients by increasing the conductance of chloride across the epithelial cells.1 Whereas the primary target is improvement of epithelial lung cell function, the modulator therapy additionally influences the CFTR dependent function in other organs i.e., the pancreas.

CFTR channels are present in pancreatic islet cells. Animal and human studies show that CFTR deficiency leads to islet-intrinsic defects in insulin secretion. Kayani et al give an excellent overview of the role of the CFTR in insulin secretion focusing on the first-phase insulin response, which is depolarization-dependent and therefore possibly related to the CFTR function, whereas the second phase release is not.2 In addition to insulin secretion, CFTR presumably regulates glucagon release from the pancreatic alpha cell. Glucagon secretion was enhanced in response to glucose and forskolin following CFTR inhibition in human islets.  The exact impact of CFTR in pancreatic cells remain conflicting and further studies are needed. 3

Therefore, CF related diabetes (CFRD) could partially be explained by a reduction in early-phase insulin secretion, which is considered the initial marker of impaired insulin secretion.3

Hence, some effect on glucose homeostasis is expected from the treatment with CFTR modulators. Hypoglycemic events have been described with the administration of Ivacaftor in patients with a CFRD resulting in reduced insulin-requirements. Ivacaftor also improved the early phase insulin secretion in a relatively young CFpatient group with normal to mildly impaired glucose tolerance comparable to our patient. The extent to which this arises from b-cell-specific effects remains unclear; since CFTR protein expression has been identified also in pancreatic alpha-cells, Ivacaftor and with it Trikafta may have effect on both cell functions. 4; 5

The American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) reports a prevalence of 1% of hypoglycemic events with Trikafta as compared to placebo. The WHOpharmacovigilance database (www.vigylize.who-umc.org) has listed nine cases of hypoglycemia since 2019. According to the criteria of the Institute of Clinical

Pharmacology and Toxicology of the University Hospital of Zurich, a correlation of the hypoglycemic event and administration of Trikafta is possible, given the timely connection.

Our patient reported a sudden change of eating habits with the start of Trikafta, with larger meals and a weight-gain of 5kg in two weeks, which lead us to assume a change in glucose homeostasis. The aforementioned mechanisms in CFRD and documented reduction in early phase insulin secretion even in patients without CFRD, let us speculate on a prediabetic state in our patient. We suggested that the improved insulin secretion from beta cells after the start of Trikafta cumulating with the second phase release and simultaneously impaired glucagon release from alpha cells led to the hypoglycemic event. Christian et all. published a case with postprandial hypoglycemic events during the treatment with Ivacaftor hypothesizing a potentiation of the insulin-effect after meals.4  An additional potential risk factor is the changed eating habit in our patient with the possibility of faster gastric emptying and reduced insulin secretion 3; 5

While limitations lie in the thoroughly evaluation of hypoglycemia (C-peptide, Insulin, fasting-glucose-test), medication-induced hypoglycemia was the most possible solution. Knowing that a glucose of 3mmol/l doesn’t typically lead to general seizures we supposed a lower value during at the initiation, with counter-regulatory mechanisms already working until the first measurement, which we can’t prove

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case with a symptomatic hypoglycemic seizure event in a patient with CF under Trikafta. After exclusion of other potential causes, we hypothesize a combined effect of improved first phase insulin release together with a modifying effect on pancreatic glucagon secretion. This would be in line with the current literature on Trikafta and with data of CFTR-modulator pilotstudies suggesting an increased hypoglycemia risk.

Based on our patient's case we suggest evaluating patients carefully for pre-diabetic state before starting Trikafta, a good education regarding the potential for postprandial hypoglycemia and considering a continuous glucose monitoring in the first weeks of treatment.

[willowreader]

Written by Don Ford based on the study listed below There's been a lot a talk comparing HIV and SARS2 but they also have some important differences...

And this affects how we interpret the chronic phase.

HIV affects a smaller portion of cells because it specifically binds to CD4 cells and makes syncytia from there but it gets bottlenecked into mostly just our immune system.

This will have very consistent deadly outcomes but it will need an opportunistic pathogen to finish the job. Fortunately we have developed treatments to manage HIV but we do need them to be more available...

Since most will ask, Syncytia is created when a cell is invaded and hijacked then it uses the cell's natural ability to fuse into neighboring cells in excessive amounts.

This is not unique to these pathogens, it's a thing cells can do but the pathogens do it to a destructive point.

With SARS2, this continues on in chains depending on each cell's access to other cells while still invading cells with ACE2 wherever this cell cluster finds it.

This happens because the Spike protein rotates to the outer surface of the infected cells. That's why we can detect spike protein but it's actually a sign of infected cells.

A secondary explanation is that when SARS2 invades and hijacks the nucleus of the cell it melts that cell into neighboring cells to create a multinucleated super cluster of YOUR cells and all of these cells are destroyed in the process but only after they are exhausted which includes releasing their cytokines and replicating A LOT of SARS2 virions.

This is what they mean when they say "COVID ages you."

Because it triggers a massive amount of cell death, which is described as physical damage in Dr. Iwaski's LC study, and cytokine inflammation which we call a cytokine storm, a process not unique to COVID.

SARS2 does not posses cytokines, those are released from a combination of the infected cells and the immune cells that are trying to destroy them to get at the virus inside.

When describing this process for SARS2 it starts with ACE2 and because this is so common, we use it to balance sugars among other things which is why this is all connected to diabetes, and each cell has additional access to other cells, remember it's invading and hijacking to replicate so it gains control of EVERY process, that gives it access to every type of cell eventually...

While HIV is limited by a less common cell entry access point which means everyone ultimately gets the same immune damage... That means SARS2 damage on the other hand is more widespread and while it can end up taking out your immune system it doesn't always.

But if it does, it will kill you.

This is why we have to change our conceptual understanding of disease in general because a SARS2 infection can affect so many things and extremely inconsistently muddying the water on traditional diagnostics...

We haven't really had something do such widespread damage in the modern era and leave people alive, but the big difference is that SARS2 is its own opportunistic pathogen while HIV is not... so when SARS2 wipes out your immune system...

You die, the end... And that's a terrible lottery to play over and over again but that also means there are limited patients with immune deficiency to monitor and track.

This is not a controversial statement, we've watched LC patients write their own obituaries and T cell apoptosis is already associated with severe COVID... That study is in my LC article from TWO YEARS ago.

So, if folks say "well... the immune deficiency isn't showing up in LC cohorts consistently enough"... well, I'd say...

Yeah, because they are dead.

So, when people ask me to say how close I think SARS2 is to HIV in risk...

It's airborne.

It's its own opportunistic pathogen.

Infection damage is cumulative.

Its Chronic phase is degenerative.

Treatment is extremely complicated.

It causes extreme cognitive dysfunction...

Or just ANY other type of dysfunction.

It almost certainly triggers cancer.

You can get reinfected constantly...

It creates new variants in every infection.

It is also recombinant and uses multiplicity reaction.

And you can die during the acute phase.

While the scale of infection tricks you into thinking it's mild and our leaders have all been infected multiple times.

...

It's probably worse.

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

Open Heart 2 - Chapter 16

Sparks

A/N: Please note I am not a mental health professional. The techniques referred to in the chapter are based on my own experience with extreme anxiety and therapy. If you are struggling with your mental health, please speak to a mental health professional. On a lighter note, users @sazanes and @lorirwritesfanfic helped me with the Brazilian Christmas celebrations. Thank you both so much, I hope I did the scene justice.

The next day after movie night, Matthew quietly spoke to Ethan about being assigned a therapist. He met with Vanessa Hayes, who read Matthew’s medical report from the attack and listened to his own account. Matthew sat opposite her, on the edge of his chair, his hands clasped into fists as he recounted his fight for life and how much harder it had been to return to diagnostic patients than he thought.

“I wasn’t actively avoiding them, but it was like…something in my brain was telling me to look for something else to. I suppose I rationalised it like there were three other doctors on the diagnostics team who could handle the patient – even if it was my patient – and meanwhile someone somewhere in the hospital might need more help.”

“Trauma in the ER, for example?”

“Sure, or making sure my intern could handle her patient, or if someone was calling for help. The day I had my panic attack, I kept looking for patients who weren’t in the attack room so I wouldn’t have to go in, but then a nurse caught me and I had to authorise the next phase of the patient’s treatment.”

“No one was with you?”

“No…they were dealing with other patients.”

Vanessa made a note.

“It’s very common for a traumatized person to re-experience trauma when there is a benign stimulus connected to the event. In your case, the stimulus was the room of the attack, and I imagine this wasn’t helped by the fact it was your first time back in the room and you didn’t have anyone supporting you.”

“Dr Delarosa told me I wasn’t sick, it was my anxiety,” Matthew remembered. “So I guess that would be me comparing the physical symptoms of anxiety with the symptoms of the toxin and that all added to the stimulus.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

They discussed anxiety attacks from a general perspective – Matthew knew it rooted from the fight or flight survival instinct and Vanessa reminded him that the more he understood their nature, the more he could control his response.

“Sometimes it helps me to take a deep breath,” Vanessa said. “Because if I have time to stop and breathe, I’m not in immediate danger, and if I can stop and breathe, I start calming down. What I also suggest is, if you can, take a few minutes to put all your focus onto something completely different…like drinking a cup of coffee. Focus on the taste and smell. Step out of your brain before it leads to panic. If you can't focus on one thing, look for five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste."

Vanessa also advised him to take things slowly when it came to his diagnostic patients: he could brainstorm in the office with his colleagues without necessarily being in the patient room. Then he could enter the room for short periods of time, accompanied by his colleagues, staying for longer and longer periods as his confidence built up again. He had a strong support system; he should lean on it as much as possible.

Conversation then moved on to Rafael. Matthew was thrilled to have him back in his life, but was still scared of losing him. The fact that Rafael was also in therapy was slightly comforting: Matthew trusted that he was addressing his saviour complex and believed him when he said he didn’t want to risk in his life anymore. He was glad the issue was being tackled, he just wished it hadn’t come at such a huge cost.

Meanwhile, Edenbrook was preparing for Christmas. Coloured lights were hung in the front windows and an impressive Christmas tree was set up in the atrium, glittering with red and gold baubles. The nurses stations had coloured tinsel taped around the edge of their desk, and the peds ward was covered in decorations handmade by their young patients.

On Christmas Eve, Matthew rushed up to the diagnostics office where he had left his pager on the table and was surprised to find Baz in a Santa suit, adjusting a long white beard.

“Baz?”

“Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, young man!” Baz boomed in a jolly voice, before switching to his ordinary voice. “Just about to do my yearly rounds on the peds ward. The kids don’t like spending Christmas in hospital, but a visit from jolly old Santa cheers them right up!”

“Adorable,” Matthew grinned. “First time I heard about that I assumed ‘Dr Mirani’ meant Zaid. Wait, what if someone sees him and recognises you in him?”

“First, how often do you think Zaid goes on the peds ward?” Baz said, when he was done laughing at the idea of Zaid dressed as Santa. “Second, it’s not that deep. Kids young enough to believe in Santa don’t look much further than the beard and red coat, and kids too old to believe in Santa would rather keep the dream alive.” He put on his hat and sauntered off down the hall.

Matthew visited the peds floor later, accompanied by Sienna, and Baz was right; a visit from Santa had revitalised the kids, who chatted eagerly about what they liked about the holidays and what they had asked for for Christmas. According to one of the nurses, the hospital had bought a small colouring book and teddy for each child to receive from ‘Santa’ overnight.

Matthew finished his shift mid-afternoon and called a taxi straight over to the airport where he met Holly, who practically bowled him over in a big hug.

“You look so well!” she said in delight, noticing how the colour had returned to his face, he was more fleshed out and his eyes less tired.

“I’m so glad you made it!”

They chatted a little about work and Holly’s plans for her five-day stay in Boston during the cab ride home. She was going to explore the city when Matthew was back at work, and she was going to visit Salem, but before that was the Christmas celebration at Juliana’s that night.

“And how are things with you and Rafael?”

“Really good,” Matthew said, with an automatic smile. “I mean it. When he’s around…it’s like everything is better.”

It was very difficult to doubt him when she had never seen him smiling like that before.

Later that night, they stepped off the T and walked through the neighbourhood to Juliana’s house, carrying overnight bags, flowers and wine. Juliana had insisted they didn’t need to worry about Christmas presents, but Holly had wanted to bring something, even if Matthew said it made them look like they were on a first date.

“If in doubt, flowers and wine.”

“What if someone has allergies?”

“Then the flowers can stay outside. What are Brazilian holidays like, anyway?” Holly asked. She was wearing a red wrap-around blouse and smart black trousers. Matthew had donned a sweater with a Christmas pudding on it.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “But Raf said it would be loud, with a lot of music, food and drink.”

Music and food was instantly confirmed when Natalia opened the door with a wide smile and they were blasted with loud music and delicious smells. Red and green tinsel adorned the walls and poinsettia plants were placed on the windowsills. Christmas cards were hung up everywhere, and the kitchen was full of plates of food and bottles of drink. Holly was greeted like an old friend by Natalia and Pablo, and then Juliana herself swooped over and told her how deeply honoured she was to meet her at last. Holly was surprised, pleased and more than a little touched. Matthew chuckled to himself and was about to look for Rafael when his arms wrapped around him from behind.

“Glad you made it,” Raf said. “Can I get you a drink?”

Beers in hand, Matthew and Holly were introduced to the ample family members: Juliana’s eldest son, Abe, and his wife Madeleine. They had three kids, older than Matthew, and several grandkids who were upstairs, trying to get some sleep before the feast. Juliana’s eldest daughter, Patricia, and her wife, Stacey. They had a small group of foster kids also upstairs. The next daughter was Marcia who was a divorcée and had four kids; one of whom was pregnant, and another had a toddler. Of course, Matthew had met Rafael’s parents, and then there was the widow of Samuel, Juliana’s youngest son who had taught Rafael to fly a helicopter before an unexpected heart attack. They had had two kids and so far one grandchild. Matthew had so many hugs and handshakes he felt a little dazed.

It was amazing how many people could fit into Juliana’s three bedroom home. Furniture had been rearranged so a large table groaning with food sat in the middle of the kitchen. A finely cooked turkey was in the middle of the table, red berries offering a splash of decoration. There was also a large ham with a shiny glaze, a large bowl of rice mixed with fruits and nuts, various salads and dishes of roasted vegetables. Juliana could have only spent her entire day cooking for her family. The sight of it all made Matthew’s mouth water.

He enjoyed seeing Rafael so relaxed. When he was at home, surrounded by his beloved family, a quiet confidence overtook him and he chatted and joked with ease, laughing loudly with everyone. Some of his smaller cousins clung to him eagerly, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Play acrobats with me,” the little girl begged. Raf gave her an apologetic smile as he ruffled her hair.

“I don’t know if I can do that right now,” he said, as her mom approached.

“Cara, Rafael’s still recovering, remember?” she said. “Max was looking for board games earlier, why don’t we see if he needs some players?”

“I used to spin her round and turn her upside down and said she was like a circus acrobat, then it became a game,” he explained to Matthew, as Cara went with her mom to find some games. “But I think that counts as ‘over-exertion’ for now.”

“Let’s hope Operation will be just as exciting,” Matthew chuckled.

“Oh, you’d be surprised how competitive the little kids can get. I think she’ll be just fine.”

As they spoke, someone loaded a Christmas CD into Juliana’s CD player and Brazilian music filled the room. A few of the couples started giggling and twirling round each other. Raf lightly rested his hands on Matthew’s waist. Seeing where this was going, Matthew wrapped his arms around Rafael’s waist.

“Looks like you’re not completely out of energy,” he said, as they gently swayed from side to side.

“Gotta build my strength somehow,” Raf chuckled. Matthew leaned up to kiss his cheek as Marcia snapped their photo.

“Sorry,” she grinned, as they looked over. “But you’re a very handsome couple.”

“Send me a copy of that when you get the chance,” Raf said. “Matthew, do you want another drink?”

Leaving Matthew in the company of his aunt, Raf went into the kitchen to grab Matthew another beer and a root beer for himself when Holly walked into the kitchen.

“Hello,” she said cheerfully, and Raf jumped slightly.

“Hi, Holly, how are you? Uh, can I refill your glass?”

“Could I have a glass of red wine?”

“Sure, I’ll get it now!”

Holly watched as Raf hurried to the wine cupboard and poured out a measure of pinot noir. His hand trembled slightly as he handed it to her.

“Are you…nervous?” she asked, accepting the glass.

“Umm…I mean…I really care about Matthew and he loves you a lot and…I probably haven’t made a great impression.” He looked guilty, and Holly realised.

“You’re referring to the fact you broke up with him,” she said. “And, to be honest…no, that wasn’t the best first impression. But you did save his life, and that counts for something.” She put the glass down on the counter and faced Rafael properly.

“Apparently you thought you were a better match for your ex?”

“…Yes. I know it sounds stupid, but at the time I thought I was doing what was best. I’m sorry,” he added. Holly smiled.

“Rafael, relax,” she said. “Matthew told me about what happened…and about how you ran into the room and knocked him away from an assassin. I just hope you’ll never have to know how it feels hear about how your only surviving child narrowly avoided death. And it's thanks to you.” A shadow crossed her face and for a second Raf thought she might cry, but she collected herself. “Look, I don’t presume to know the ins and outs of your relationships. But I’ve seen the look on Matthew’s face when he talks about you, and all things considered I can give you a second chance at a first impression.”

“Thank you,” Raf smiled, his relief taking even himself by surprise. “I won’t waste it.”

“I’m sure you won’t.” Holly picked up her glass and took a sip. “Let me know if you’re up for visiting Colorado sometime.”

As midnight approached, the children were roused from their naps and brought downstairs. They instantly picked up on the excitement in the house and were bouncing around, eager to start the celebrations. The older ones ran around in their pyjamas, not wanting to waste time getting dressed, babies and toddlers clung to their parents shyly.

Matthew stood between Holly and Rafael as the family piled into the dining room and Juliana said a short prayer of thanks. Her voice tightened as she reiterated her gratitude for her family’s health and the fact that they could all be there to celebrate Christmas together. The sentiment was shared by every single person in the room. Kisses were shared between couples, parents and children. Warm looks were cast to Rafael and Matthew. Holly lightly ran her hand over Matthew’s back, coming to rest at his shoulder, and Matthew slipped his own hand into Rafael’s.

The wave of emotion gently passed and gave way to the family digging into the food and spilling out to fill the chairs and couches set up in the kitchen and living room – there were too many people to eat round the table. Matthew helped himself to pieces of turkey and ham, chicken salad, rice (there was a version with and without raisins that people bickered over). He added a small spoonful of farofa, upon advice of Raf’s cousin who said it would complement the meat.

He sat with Rafael and some cousins in a corner of the living room, under a glowing Christmas tree decorated with silver baubles. The fire was roaring, and they dug into their food. Raf’s cousin Marco started mucking around, moving the figures of the Nativity scene until baby Jesus was outside the stable, and the wise men worshipped the donkey.

“Don’t laugh, it encourages him,” Marco’s sister Hannah groaned. “He’s always switching stuff around at home.”

“Salt and sugar?”

“Not yet,” Marco said, with a wicked grin. He settled back down in his armchair. “Matthew, what’s it like being a doctor?”

“Oh, er…”

“Is it hard? Do you cut people open?”

“It is hard, especially when I started. But no, I don’t cut people open, that’s surgeons.”

“So what do you do?”

“I diagnose patients. In a nutshell, they come in, I speak with them and ask them questions about the symptoms they’re experiencing. Then I can start working out what’s the most likely problem and start testing for it.”

“I could never work in a hospital,” Hannah said. “I can’t deal with puke.”

“You get used to that surprisingly quickly,” Matthew said calmly. “If you threw up right now, I could probably catch it.”

“Eeeeew!”

But they couldn’t help laughing, and started sharing some of their own hospital experiences. Raf went quiet, letting the conversation wash over him, and shooting Matthew a reassuring smile. Diversion arrived in the form of Holly and some aunts, who all had freshly topped up wine glasses.

It was nearing two in the morning and Matthew’s head was resting on Raf’s shoulder as they shared a piece of rich rabanada for dessert. The energy was starting to drop, food making everyone sleepy, until Pablo called that it was time for presents.

The Aveiro family did Secret Santa by household. Rafael was included with his parents this year and opened up vouchers and wine-tasting for three, to be used any time within the next twelve months.

“I can’t wait to put those to use. Wine-tasting will be fabulous when the weather’s nice,” Pablo said, wrapping his arm around Natalia.

They had bought a selection of board games for Raf’s cousin Bruna and her husband. Apparently they were both game nerds and had even met in a board game café. Bruna was pregnant, and Natalia had also put together a bonus gift of baby clothes, diapers, and a few sensory toys.

“Thanks Natalia, you’re amazing,” Bruna beamed.

Later, when the party was finally winding down, young children were back in bed and grown-ups were inflating mattresses. Rafael and Matthew slipped outside to sit on the back porch, wrapped in blankets and nursing mugs of hot chocolate. It was one of those cold, clear winter nights with a bright crescent moon and stars dotting the sky.

“How have you been tonight?” Raf asked. “I hope it didn’t get too overwhelming meeting everyone at once?”

“No, I’m having a great time. I’ve been curious about meeting the rest of your family. And my mom fit right in, I’ve barely seen her since we walked through the door.”

“I was so nervous about meeting her, I was afraid she wouldn’t like me.”

“What’s the verdict now?”

“I felt like she was assessing me when you came in, then she ran into me in the kitchen. She told me to relax, and that she’d given me a second chance.”

“I knew she would. Did you see her dancing with your aunt and uncle earlier?”

“Yes,” Raf said, and chuckled. “Remember the first time you came round here and I taught you to dance samba?”

“Always. Best first date I’ve ever had,” Matthew said, lightly teasing.

Raf took Matthew’s hand in his, his smiling growing a little more serious. “I’m really happy you’re here, Matthew. I wouldn’t trade this night with you for the world.”

“Me too.”

Matthew cuddled closer into Rafael’s side, closing his eyes to breathe in his scent. It was amazing how one person could feel like home. The last few weeks hadn’t been the easiest, but Rafael’s gentle presence made all the difference. Six months ago he had been facing an empty future, but now he was sitting here feeling like the luckiest man alive.

“Raf, I—”

“Hey!” The boys jumped a little as Holly opened the back door. “What are you two doing out here? Aren’t you cold?”

“No, we’re good,” Matthew said, indicating the blankets as Rafael held up his mug. “What about you? Are you drunk?”

“I’ve just had some wines.” Holly gave Matthew a friendly swat on the arm before going to sit beside Rafael. “Tonight was so much fun. It must have been nice to grow up with such a large family.”

“It was,” Raf said. “My family’s always ready to help each other, and my grandparents often babysat us as kids when our parents worked, so I grew up super-close with my cousins.”

“A supportive family means everything. That reminds me, I need to call my brother tomorrow…he’s probably asleep now.” She sighed wistfully. “We never had big holiday celebrations like this. And then they got even smaller…”

A pang went through Matthew’s chest.

“Mom…”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I promise,” Holly sniffled, wiping her eyes. “But I think it’s time to find my bed.”

She turned to Rafael and kissed him on the cheek.

“Matthew was right about you, you’re a lovely young man. I’m glad you have each other.”

She kissed Matthew goodnight and shuffled into the house, as Matthew laughed at Rafael’s stunned expression.

****

Matthew woke up around lunch time with Raf’s soft breath tickling the back of his neck, which would have been lovely if it weren’t for the fact they were sharing a room with three other couples who were now stumbling around trying to get dressed, and the kids were already running through the house. Even with the subdued atmosphere of the after-party, the house was full of life as the children played with their new toys and everyone nibbled on leftovers.

Once they made it back to Matthew’s apartment late-afternoon (carrying several tins of leftover food), they indulged in cocoa with marshmallows. Matthew’s apartment looked sparse in comparison to Juliana’s Christmassy house: he and his roommates had hung up a paperchain that had since fallen apart, but they had bought a small Christmas tree that now sat on the coffee table and was switched on to emit a gentle glow. Matthew was also particularly proud of the toilet roll tubes that he and Elijah had turned into Christmas trees with some green tissue paper and glue, which now sat on the windowsill.

A tradition that they had had forever was watching The Snowman, which they did now as they drank their cocoa, then Matthew got Spooky out of her cage to play as Holly baked an apple and cinnamon cake – another tradition. By the time his roommates had got home from their Christmas Day shift, the apartment was filled with mouthwatering smells.

“Holly, you didn’t have to do this!” Sienna said.

“Of course I did! You’ve all been working hard, it’s the least you deserve.”

The gang had – correctly – predicted they wouldn’t feel like cooking a full Christmas spread after work and so had improvised: cuts of turkey and ham from the supermarket, frozen fries and mixed vegetables. With Juliana's leftovers, it was all ready to eat in twenty-five minutes.

“Sorry it’s so basic…” Sienna started to say, but Holly cut her off.

“Honey, stop apologising. The important thing is that we’re having fun.”

Secret Santa wasn’t over yet, and the roommates took turns swapping over gifts as they gorged on cake. Elijah correctly guessed that Matthew had bought him some funky glow-in-the-dark Xbox controllers, and then Matthew unwrapped a mug that said ‘World’s Okay-est Junior Fellow’ that could have only come from Jackie. Refilling their glasses with a cry of ‘cheers!’, Matthew couldn’t help feeling good about the year to come.

****

January brought new challenges, and not just for Matthew. Ethan asked him to stay behind after a brainstorm a few days after new year.

“I actually hoped I could perhaps get a bit of…advice?” Ethan asked, awkwardly. “It’s…about my mother. Nobody else really knows what’s going on.”

“I’ll do my best,” Matthew nodded, sitting back down at the table. “What’s up?”

“Like I said, my mother was brought in two months ago after a heroin overdose. She had three days of detox here, like all patients. Since then, she’s been in a rehabilitation centre that my father has been paying for.”

“I take it you haven’t spoken to her?”

“No, at least, not beyond anything as a doctor. I only told my father because my conscience won out. He took it from there and found the rehab centre.”

“So…what’s the issue?”

“The issue is that the rehab centre is expensive and he thinks my mother isn’t happy there. She’s also been asking about me almost incessantly.” Ethan groaned. “I’ve said time and time again, I have no interest in reaching out to the woman who left her family without a second thought. It almost destroyed my father, and now I’m the one who should reach out lest I lose a relationship with him too?”

Matthew bit his lip. It was odd seeing Ethan like this, out of control and truly torn between his personal feelings and professional feelings.

“Um…what do you want from me?”

“I’m so sorry to put this on you but…I suppose I want to ask what you would do?”

Matthew suddenly felt the dull ache of disappointment as he thought of his father. When his sister was sick and dying, his parents would argue when they thought he was asleep: Robert would shout at Holly that she should have known Casey’s pains weren’t ordinary growing pains, she should have taken her to a doctor sooner, should have started the treatment earlier, completely bypassing the idea that he himself had done exactly the same that Holly had. It had made Matthew feel sick inside. Robert didn’t win back any favours during the aftermath, when he worked well into the night and Matthew was heating up a TV dinner by himself in Robert’s new apartment that had never felt like a new home. The final straw was when he came out as bisexual to him at age eighteen: ‘but you still like women more than guys, right!?’

Matthew tried to think about what it be like if Robert was suddenly rushed into hospital and frowned. It was easier to understand Ethan’s conflict. He picked up a pen and started twisting it around his finger.

“I suppose I wouldn’t want much to do with him beyond being his doctor either,” he said. “At least not without hearing a genuine apology from him.” That was all Matthew had wanted when he was younger, before he gave up. “As for my mom, I don’t know if I’d be able to tell her. I’d see what my conscience tells me too.”

“Hmm.” Ethan was quiet for a minute, then gave a dry smile. “I’ll bet you didn’t think we had bad parents in common.”

“Wasn’t my first thought,” Matthew said with a weak smile of his own. “Is there a way you can help your mom without necessarily having a relationship with her?”

Ethan sat back, thoughtfully. “I suppose if my father wants to find another rehab, I could cover the cost. For his sake, not for hers.” He reached into his coat pocket for his phone. “Thanks, Matthew, you can go. I’ll take it from here. Thank you for listening.”

Matthew made the rounds on his patients, then went to the ground floor nurses station to check if he had any new ones coming through when he was almost bowled over by someone running very fast.

“Sorry!” Bryce called, without looking back. It hadn’t even registered to him that it was Matthew as he called out for Dr Tanaka.

“What the hell has gotten into you, Lahela?!” Taneka snapped as he came out of the hallway that led to OR1. “I was about to page for a cover surgeon. Scrub in NOW.”

Bryce disappeared down the hallway as Matthew exchanged a look with Nurse Ronnie, but Ronnie was just as mystified as he was.

A clue came in the form of Keiki, rushing round the corner, a backpack sliding off her shoulders as she looked around frantically.

“Keiki? What’s going on?”

“I…I…” Keiki was out of breath. “Have you seen Bryce?”

“He just ran into surgery. Is everything OK?”

Keiki swallowed and blinked hard, and Matthew suggested they find somewhere to sit. Luckily the cafeteria was relatively quiet as they sat at a small table. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done if it was crowded. He just hoped Keiki wouldn’t ask why people still stared at him. The attack had left a deep mark.

“So, what happened?” he asked, once Keiki had shelled off her backpack and slumped back against a chair. “You guys haven’t had a falling out, have you?”

“No…I don’t think so.” Keiki started nibbling her thumbnail. “I got into a fight at school and was sent to the principal’s office, Bryce had to come and pick me up. And he was already kind of stressed because he had this major surgery today. I can’t remember the name of it, but he said he was basically going to saw someone in half.”

“Wait…a hemicorporectomy?” Matthew gasped. “That’s huge. There’s only ever been a handful of them performed worldwide.”

“Yeah, he said that too,” Keiki said, glumly. “He’s been super pumped, but then he had to come over to school and it almost made him late. I’d have killed myself if he’d missed it because of me.”

“Don’t ever say that,” Matthew winced. “It sounded like he made it into surgery, so don’t wallow in guilt. What was the fight about?”

“Some boy wanted to add me on Pictagram and I’m not on it, but he didn’t believe me. He searched my name and all these articles about my parents came up. He called me a jail baby, then told the entire class, so I broke his nose.”

“Ouch,” Matthew said. “I’m sorry you had to put up with that. Are you worried about how the class might treat you now?”

“Kinda,” Keiki nodded. “But it was really hard for Bryce to get me into school in the first place, especially without our parents. Now he might have to start the whole process again.”

“Let’s hope it won’t come to that. Did Bryce say anything on the way over here?”

“Just that we’d talk about it later. Actually, how long is this surgery meant to last?”

“Not sure. A complex procedure like that could be at least twelve hours. And that’s assuming there’s no kind of follow-up.”

Keiki’s lip trembled. Matthew slowly reached out to put his hand over hers, quietly encouraging her to speak.

“I don’t mean to be a burden or anything,” she sniffled. “I was so desperate to get away from Hawaii that I just flew out without thinking it through. Bryce promised he’d make it work, and he really is trying. He’s learning to cook, and I’ve seen his budget spreadsheets…then I pull crap like this and he almost misses surgery and I know I’m being selfish but I don’t want to stay in the hospital, but I really don’t want to be alone in the apartment all night…”

“Come here,” Matthew said, standing to give her a hug. She clung to him, sniffling into his chest. “You’re not being selfish. You’re fifteen, of course you don’t want to be alone all night. Does it happen often?”

“It’s happened a fair bit for about a month. Bryce said it comes and goes.”

Matthew released Keiki and they sat back down. She watched as he reached into his pocket for his wallet and phone.

“I think when you both have time, you and Bryce need to look at your system and see where you can make some readjustments.” He passed Keiki a twenty. “Make sure you have something to eat and drink, and let’s exchange numbers. I’ll try and check in with you when I can, otherwise I’ll call when my shift ends. If Bryce is still in surgery, you can at least stay at my apartment tonight.”

“Thanks Matthew,” Keiki grinned. “Thanks so much!”

****

That afternoon, Matthew hurried through a corridor and dashed down some stairs into the lobby. He checked his watch anxiously; he was just about on time.

“Matthew!”

Matthew smiled when Raf called his name. He was sat in one of the plastic chairs in a grey t-shirt and navy sweat pants, his coat held over his arm.

“Must be my lucky day,” Raf continued with a slightly teasing smile as he stood up.

“Not like you asked me to meet you here, or anything,” Matthew chuckled. “Ready to go?”

They walked side-by-side down to the training rooms where Rafael was about to have his first proper physical therapy session. Matthew glanced sideways at him as they walked, noting how he stood tall and returned the greetings of those walking past. He even started humming a tune under his breath.

“You seem pretty cheery,” Matthew noted. “Do you not find it weird being back?”

“Trust me, I do. I didn’t sleep much last night because I was thinking about what it would be like, and when I got here I had to psych myself up a bit to go in. But I worked here for around four and a half years. I have so many memories, good and bad, about this place. The attack was just one of the things that happened. When I thought about it like that, it was easier to walk in.” He glanced around. “Although…maybe it would be different if I had to go back into that room in particular.”

“That was what set me off too, at first,” Matthew said. He slipped his hand through Raf’s. “If you need to leave at any point, just say the word.”

“Thanks,” Raf smiled, squeezing his hand. “I think I’ll be OK.”

He knocked on the door of studio 3 and Matthew followed him in. A woman with a lot of curly hair, dressed in workout gear, looked up from where she was stretching.

“Hi, I’m Tara. You must be Rafael?”

“That’s me. And this is…”

“Dr Valentine, right? Are you on the medical case?”

“Actually I’m just here as Raf’s partner,” Matthew said, taking off his white coat. He’d changed into workout gear before meeting Rafael. “You can just call me Matthew.”

“OK, great,” Tara said, brightly. “So if you two grab a mat, we’ll get started.”

The two of them stood next to each other at the foot of two gym mats as Tara tapped on her phone until some ethereal music started playing from the speakers. Matthew suddenly felt like he should be in a forest by a stream.

“We’re concerned that the toxin might have affected your balance and coordination,” Tara said to Rafael as she stood in front of them both. “I thought we’d start with some yoga to warm up, then focus on some simple reflex work. Nice and easy to start with.”

“Sounds good.”

Tara led them through some poses – warrior, cobra, downward dog – then talked them through a sun salutation. She reiterated to Rafael to go at a pace he felt comfortable with, until the third and fourth rounds of sun salutation when he was told to up the pace. He did so, and despite being slightly out of breath, said he was good to carry on. As they both stood in tree pose, Matthew kept half an eye on Raf. He kept wobbling and several times he put his foot on the floor to steady himself. Tara kept saying “engage the core” which Matthew doubted was helpful – most of Rafael’s core had been destroyed by a maitotoxin – but he wasn’t here as a doctor so held his tongue.

“That was a good start,” Tara said. “How did you find that, Rafael?”

“It was OK,” Raf said. “Except I was surprised at how hard it was.”

“I know, it’s difficult starting again but it will get easier the more you do it.” Tara picked up a small red ball that was sat by the speaker. “Are you ready to move on to co-ordination?”

“Let’s do it.”

Matthew sat on a side bench to watch as Tara threw the ball to Raf. She hadn’t tossed too hard and it should have been an easy catch, but Raf’s aim was off and the ball just brushed his fingertips. He gritted his teeth as he scooped it up from the floor to toss it back…and it arched sideways, off by several feet.

“Damn it,” Raf said suddenly. “I’m so sorry…I was aiming for your hands…” He turned away as he went after the ball, rubbing his face. He still looked angry with himself when he took his hand away.

“We’ll just try again, maybe it’ll help if I come in at a slightly different angle…”

“Actually, Tara, can you give us a few minutes?” Matthew said, jumping up and walking over to her. Tara seemed hesitant. Matthew lowered his voice. “Please. Let me talk to him alone for a minute.”

Raf had taken Matthew’s place on the bench, where he sat with his head in his hands. Tara nodded.

“Alright, I could use a cup of coffee. I’ll be back soon.”

Once she was out the room, Matthew sat beside Raf, lightly resting a hand on his back. Raf didn’t move. Matthew wondered if he should be the one to break the silence.

“What if I don’t get better?”

Raf spoke so quietly Matthew almost didn’t hear. Raf lowered his hands and leaned against the wall, not looking at him.

“Everyone’s telling me I need to give it time, but what if that’s not enough? For so long I defined myself by what I could do, and I was always looking to do better…” His voice wobbled and he took a steadying breath. “When I woke up after the attack, I was told I might not be able to fully regain my physical abilities and honestly I’ve been trying to make peace with that. And now here I am and I can’t even catch a ball…”

He looked away, wiping his eye. Matthew hated that he couldn’t help. If he had the ability to put Rafael’s muscles back together, he would have done so there and then. He had to admit, he hadn’t thought much about the deeper effects of the toxin – he had been too caught up in being back together – and he berated himself for not realising it sooner.

“Nothing is certain when it comes to recovery. We both know that,” he said. “But I am certain that you’re the most resilient person I know. No matter what life throws at you, you get back up and keep going. This will be the same. I know you’ll get through this.”

Raf didn’t seem so sure as he looked at Matthew.

“What about you? You seem OK but…are you?”

Matthew considered and shrugged.

“I’m doing the best I can. I’m not quite ready to go into the patient room yet either, and I definitely don’t want to be alone when I do go in. And I still get nightmares sometimes.” Rafael reached for his hand and held it in both of his. “Largely, I just try and take it one day at a time. But Raf, I’ve never had the same athletic ability that you do, and I didn’t need physical therapy as part of my recovery. I wish I could give you the proper advice on all that stuff…”

“I know, it’s OK,” Raf said. “Just…this is wild, but my old boss reached out to me. She said they’re open to me coming back as a paramedic if I’m still up for it.”

“Wow. Seriously?”

“I know. Who’d have thought the way to get my job back was to do the thing I got suspended for.” He rolled his eyes.

“Are you worried you won’t be fit enough to go back?”

“That’s part of it, yeah. But there’s another part of me that doesn’t want to go back, even if I could. I was looking for change…and the one I got was bigger than I ever imagined, and I don’t know what’s scarier: going back to what I was before, or not being able to.”

Matthew’s shoulders relaxed a tiny bit that Raf wasn’t overly eager to return to his old job. He scooted closer and spoke cautiously.

“It sounds like you could get the best of both worlds. The paramedic position is an offer to fall back on, but you’re also free to try something new.”

Raf thought about it, then smiled. His shoulders had relaxed too, dropping back a fair bit.

“You’re a real optimist, you know that?”

“Takes one to know one.”

Rafael looked at Matthew for a few seconds, then suddenly wrapped him up in a big, tight hug.

“Thanks,” he murmured in his ear. Matthew felt warm, not just from Raf’s body heat. His cheeks were flushed when they pulled apart.

“Are you ready to get back to training?” He asked. “I can page Tara.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

Matthew stood, but before he could retrieve his pager from his coat, Rafael caught hold of his arm and pulled him down to give him a kiss.

“I’m really happy you’re back in my life, Matthew.”

“Me too.”

When Tara came back – large cup of coffee in hand – she restarted the reflex work. Raf missed the ball for a second time, caught it on the third, missed the fourth, caught again on the fifth, sixth and seventh. Tara had no problem moving him onto some aerobics, and then the three of them cooled down with meditative breathing.

“Thanks so much for coming with me,” Rafael said to Matthew as they left. “And for listening.”

“Anytime.” Matthew glanced in the direction of the cafeteria. “So, um, do you have to leave right now?”

“I said I’d text my dad when I was ready to be picked up. Why?”

“If you have time, I’d love to buy you a cup of coffee.”

It felt blessedly normal to walk into the cafeteria with Raf, except it was hard to ignore the many stares they got. Raf kept his eyes straight ahead and Matthew glared at people until they turned away. But sitting together over coffee and cupcakes was the kind of thing they had done before their worlds were turned upside down. Of course their extremely caring friends, family and colleagues was massively appreciated, but the slices of normality were pure heaven by comparison. Even if it came in the form of dishwater coffee and slightly dry pastries.

It put him in a good mood for the rest of the day. The spring in his step didn’t come often and he laughed and joked with patients until he heard June’s voice as he left a patient’s room.

“Hey, Matthew. I feel like we hardly talk now.”

“Oh yeah…” Matthew couldn’t shake off the memory of June reading his file. He had since second-guessed everything she said to him, wondering if it was true or her trying to win him over.

“Just a lot going on at the moment, I guess,” he shrugged.

“You seemed positive about how the therapy was going.”

“It’s helping.”

“Well, good,” she said, cheerfully. She walked alongside him for a while. “So, your intern actually won against Thorne.”

“It’s his own fault.”

“Of course it is, it’s been a long time coming. The problem is, weren’t we also trying to win over Mass Kenmore into sharing their research grant and merging with us?”

“What are you getting at?” Matthew asked suspiciously, realising June might have a little more information than some others.

“Thorne got suspended for six months. In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing. People think he should have got more, it doesn’t put Edenbrook in the best light. A lot of Mass Kenmore doctors don’t want to work in a place that cares about doctors like Thorne, and a lot of other doctors don’t want that connection.”

Matthew stopped. “You’re not serious,” he said, weakly. June nodded.

“I’ve been asking around. An official decision is yet to be announced, but if I were you, I’d consider making contingency plans.”

She walked away, her hair falling over her shoulder and down her back. Matthew sighed, heavily, his good mood wilting.

****

Bryce was bent over a surgical table, beads of sweat on his brow, his mind completely focused on the body that lay on top of it. Tanaka’s voice telling him to seal the internal organs was far away. This wasn’t Bryce’s first amputation but it was the most drastic by far…

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Dr Tanaka…”

Bryce tensed as he heard the sweep of the door and the voice of the nurse who had just walked in. The last time his surgery had been interrupted like this, his friends had just been poisoned.

“…A couple have just walked into the hospital and they’re demanding to see Dr Lahela, and they won’t leave until they do. It’s, um, causing some disturbance.”

The bad feeling in Bryce’s stomach shifted slightly; he thought he knew who this couple might be and they weren’t much better than poison. He glanced over at Dr Tanaka. Above the mask, his eyes were cautious.

“If you don’t mind, I’d better go and see what’s going on,” Bryce said, guardedly. “I’ll try and make it quick.”

“Very well. Dr Pierce, if you could take over…?”

Bryce shed his surgical cap and gown in the scrub room before following the nurse into the atrium where – just as he’d suspected – his very own parents were arguing with a security guard. Unlike Bobby, who had a soft side to the people he knew, Jones was ice-cold right down to the core, and yet Bryce’s father was right in his face, arms crossed, staring him in the eye. And he’d wondered where Bryce had got his stubbornness from.

After he’d left home, Bryce hadn’t imagined he’d never see his parents again, but he also hadn’t given any thought to what he’d do if he did. They looked the same as always – bespoke, designer clothing, a large, gold watch on his father’s wrist, the thick fur collar on his mother’s coat, both standing with the same haughty posture – and the wave of anger that washed through Bryce took him by surprise. They had wrecked his life, were on their way to wrecking Keiki’s life, and right when he was really on the cusp of making things better, they had burst in uninvited to destroy everything all over again. In the back of his mind, he wondered how he might be able to come back from this…there was a chance Edenbrook would lay him off for this connection.

But he wasn’t going to let that happen. Bryce took a deep breath, clenched his fists and stormed up to his parents.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

Mr and Mrs Lahela turned away from the security guard to glare at him. They might have been looking down their noses, but Bryce hadn’t missed the split second of surprise in Mrs Lahela’s expression.

“I was told there was a disturbance and I was needed out here. Instead of a problem, I find you.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Mr Lahela snarled. He pointed an accusing finger at Bryce. “You were behind this whole thing, weren’t you? You’re nothing but trouble.”

“And what is it I’m supposed to have done?”

“Don’t play dumb. Where’s Keiki?”

Bryce folded his arms across his chest.

“How long did it take you to notice she had left?”

“How dare you?” Mrs Lahela shrieked. People were stopping to stare, Jones made sure no one hung around for too long. Bryce didn’t back down. Even after all this time, it was surprisingly easy to speak in the calm, cool manner that had pissed them off when he was a teenager. Survival instincts were buried deep.

“Did either of you actually speak to her before she left? Or did she try and speak to you, only to be bought off with a shiny new toy? Because apparently money solves everything and god knows you have plenty of it.”

“You don’t know anything, you little shit.” Mr Lahela took three steps forward and grabbed Bryce by the collar. It was his favourite intimidation tactic. Bryce tensed, but narrowed his eyes. “Tell us where our daughter is, or I’ll see to it that your life will be a living hell—”

“Dad.”

Keiki had come rushing forward, so quickly that Bryce hadn’t even seen which direction she came from. Mr Lahela was so surprised that he let go of Bryce, who instantly stepped in front of Keiki protectively. She slipped her hand through his, but when he glanced back at her, her jaw was set determinedly. He squeezed her hand in solidarity.

“Oh, Keiki, thank goodness…” Mrs Lahela seemed to be about to push Bryce aside to give Keiki a hug, but Keiki wasn’t having it.

“Go to hell, Mom!”

“Language!” Mrs Lahela chastised. Bryce rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, because that’s the worst thing about this situation. Tell me, did you ever ask Keiki about how she was doing, or are you completely unaware that she’s still being bullied as a consequence for what you did? Are you both so awful that you’re happy to continue making money off people, despite all the pain you caused…even to your own children?” Bryce’s eyes burned. His voice rose in his fury. It wasn’t fair. “I don’t care what you think of me. Starting over by myself was hard, but I was happy to do it. But you had a chance to do better for Keiki, and you blew it. Somehow, we’re the ones dealing with the fallout of your actions once again. You’ve come into my place of work, kicking and screaming and disturbing a hospital full of patients, and now I’ll have to fix that while you piss off back to your mansion in Hawaii like nothing happened. It’s OK, Keiki and I will take care of ourselves, we’re pretty used to that now. Don’t worry about us; you never did.”

Mr Lahela’s eyes bulged, and he went red in the face. It would have been comical if it weren’t so horrible.

“I…you…you are no longer my son!” he bellowed. Bryce didn’t flinch.

“I knew I never wanted a son,” Mrs Lahela shrugged. A lock of hair had come free from her bun and fallen across her forehead. She tucked it behind her ear. “Well, come on Keiki. If we hurry we can be on a plane back to Hawaii in an hour.”

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?” Mrs Lahela’s voice went dangerously soft.

“I’m not coming back,” Keiki said. She couldn’t stop her voice from trembling but she wouldn’t be silenced. “I told you about the kids at school and you never listened. You just kept brushing it aside and telling me not to draw attention to myself…but it didn’t work! School sucked and you did nothing to help! And then you were always out at work, and I was alone in that massive house, and then every time I tried to talk about that, you just said I should bring a friend over. I didn’t have any and it was because of you!”

People were giving their group a wide berth, but it didn’t stop them from looking over their shoulder. The rage burning inside Bryce was anciently familiar, but even worse now was Keiki’s upset. He pictured his sister as a child, sitting in the cavernous mansion, wondering why no one came for her. He could have punched Mr Lahela square in the face. It was only for Keiki’s sake that he didn’t.

“The fact is,” Keiki continued. “Bryce has been a much better parent than you guys have ever been in your life!”

“Keiki,” Mrs Lahela sighed. “I have never been more disappointed.”

“Agreed,” Mr Lahela said. “Well, Keiki, if that’s how you feel…don’t come back with us. In fact, don’t bother coming back to Hawaii at all.”

Keiki flinched, but refused to let any hurt show on her face. Bryce, meanwhile, felt something victorious inside him, and an empty sort of freedom. They could cut ties with their criminal parents for good, and everything that Keiki hadn’t had back then – a comfortable home, a caring brother – he could make sure she had it now. He wrapped his arm around her tightly; it would be them against the world from now on.

“That’s fine by us.”

Mr Lahela put his arm around his wife and the pair of them stormed towards the exit, talking loudly about all their wasted time. An awkward silence was left in their wake. Nurses and admin staff started busying themselves in an attempt to pretend the scene had never happened, but some idiot bystanders continued to gawp shamelessly. Keiki leaned heavily into Bryce. He started marching towards the outdoor smoking area, pulling her along, and resolutely ignoring everyone around him.

Almost as soon as they were outside, Keiki began to cry. She hid her face in her hands to muffle her sobs. Bryce slumped against the wall, banging his fist against it…but he didn’t have the energy to be mad anymore. He just wanted to forget about it all.

“What a day,” he groaned, sinking to the ground.

“I didn’t think they’d actually disown us like that,” Keiki sniffled. “I guess…I thought…they might…”

“They might do better and actually start behaving like your parents?”

“Well…yeah.” Keiki moved to sit beside Bryce, and he squeezed her shoulder. “What about you? How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” Bryce sighed. “I think they were dead to me a long time ago, to be honest.”

The two of them lapsed into silence as the gravity of the situation started to dawn. Bryce had been completely independent since med school, but Keiki had lost her home and her family at just fifteen. It was time for Bryce to take some serious consideration into the future. It wasn’t just him anymore.

They jumped when the door clicked open behind them.

“Dr Lahela?”

It was Harper, her stern demeanour gone and replaced with genuine concern.

“Dr Emery, I’m so sorry that had to happen like that.”

“Don’t apologise for your parents, Bryce. You hardly invited them over here.” Harper took a tissue out of her pocket and offered it to Keiki, who took it with a thanks. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but do you feel up to completing your shift?”

“I think I could…I was on the hemicorporectomy…but I want to make sure my little sister gets home.”

Harper nodded.

“I’ll get a message back to Dr Tanaka.”

“Thank you so much, Harper.”

Harper smiled as she walked back inside. Bryce sighed heavily, then stood up and opened his arms wide. Keiki stood and hugged him tightly until she couldn’t breathe. They broke apart with a small smile.

“I’m sorry I made you late for surgery this morning,” Keiki said.

“I’d almost forgotten that,” Bryce said, with a weary chuckle. “But don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I kind of abandoned you in the car.”

“That’s OK. Matthew found me in the hospital and made sure I had something to eat.”

“Good old Matthew. I owe him one.”

Bryce took Keiki home before rushing back to the hospital to finish up the surgery. Given the complexity of the surgery, Tanaka had decided to pause it for tonight, and finish the rest tomorrow. He was understanding when Bryce explained the situation with his parents, he wasn’t even mad about Bryce being late on this occasion.

Word about the infamous Lahela’s spread fast around the hospital, though there was a general underlining that Bryce wasn’t to blame for it. He left the surgery to find people looking at him with sympathy rather than resentment, which was preferable…though not as preferable as his family life being a secret. On the plus side, Sienna had heard what happened and texted him and Keiki an invite for dinner, which they both accepted.

“Oh my gosh, what is that?” Keiki gasped, making a beeline for the chinchilla cage as soon as she walked through the door.

“Haven’t you ever seen a chinchilla before?” Elijah asked.

“Not in real life!”

Elijah opened the cage for Spooky to meet Keiki. Matthew turned to Bryce.

“How are you doing?”

“We’re OK. I’m more concerned with where to go from here, actually. If Keiki could drive, it might be better, but then she suggested she drop out of school and work. I don’t want her doing that.” He shook his head. “We’ll figure it out. We don’t need our parents.”

“Bryce…”

“OK everyone, food’s ready!” Sienna called, pulling a lasagne dish out of the oven. Matthew’s mouth watered at the rich smell and bubbling cheese and he helped Sienna plate up seven portions.

“Does anyone mind if I take the leftover piece to eat tomorrow?” he asked.

“Alright Garfield,” Jackie snorted. “Hey, Keiki, good on you for standing up to your parents. It’s not that easy.”

“Thanks,” Keiki said, as everyone settled on the couch to eat. “Have you had to do the same?”

Jackie made a face.

“I wasn’t in the same situation as you, but my parents are traditional Indians and that means, unfortunately for me, they wanted me to be married by now. Only I had no intention of doing so, and studied to be a doctor instead. Every single holiday we would have the same argument: it didn’t matter what I did, it wasn’t good enough if I wasn’t looking for a man.” She shuddered, then gave Keiki a sympathetic smile. “Don’t waste your energy on a lost cause.”

Aurora was sat next to Keiki and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I know how it feels to not want to be connected to your family name, but you’re not responsible for your parents decisions. It may seem impossible to make your own path, but it’s not.”

“You know you can come here if you need anything,” Sienna said brightly. “Consider us your extended family!”

Keiki’s smile was just as bright as she thanked them all. Bryce had gone quiet as he tried not to cry. He just gave Sienna a silent, grateful squeeze.

“Anyway,” Jackie said, loudly. “Crappy parents aside, I’ve got an announcement to make.”

“You’re engaged?” Elijah quipped, causing Jackie to toss a nearby pen at him. Aurora told him he deserved it.

“Panacea are having a conference in Vegas this weekend,” Jackie explained. “They’ve invited a couple of doctors, including me, so I’m going to go and dig up some dirt on them. Eventually I want to take them down.”

“Wait, what?”

“Take them down? How?”

“I don’t know. But one way or another, I’m gonna do it. So if I get into some kind of major trouble in Vegas and can’t come back…you’ll know why.”

She shrugged, like it was a big deal, as everyone else gaped at her.

“So…will you be needing a getaway driver?” Bryce asked casually. “I mean, I can’t let you have all the fun.”

“Really? You want to come?”

“Wait!” Keiki said, quickly. “If it’s a weekend thing, will I be alone again? I won’t be able to do anything in Vegas.”

Bryce cursed, but then his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.

“Kyra. She said she owes me after I did her gore-tex surgery. She’ll keep you company. She’s lovely, I promise.”

“I haven’t had the chance to see her since her surgery,” Matthew said. “Is she doing OK?”

“She’s fine, but she’s milking the ‘take it easy’ angle a tiny bit,” Bryce said. “A weekend hangout will be perfect for her, and Keiki won’t have to spend an entire weekend stuck in a hotel room.”

“You guys could stay in the apartment and look after Spooky,” Sienna said, and Jackie sat up.

“Look after Spooky as in…”

“As in we’re going too,” Sienna said. Aurora and Elijah were nodding behind her. Elijah had a look of distant anger in his eyes; he hated the American pharmaceutical system.

Jackie looked like she couldn’t believe her luck until she realised Matthew hadn’t said anything. She turned to him uncertainly.

“I want you to know that I one hundred percent support your cause,” Matthew said. “Just…the last time I got involved in a zany scheme, Raf and I almost died.”

The room quietened at that. Jackie patted Matthew’s hand.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” she said. “The fact that everyone is willing is more than enough.”

That night, Matthew lay in bed and found himself thinking. He thought of Mrs Martinez, who just wanted a life worth living. He thought of Willow and Rowan, the twins last year who could only get hepatitis treatment by being entered into a testing program after hospitals had refused them for their lack of insurance. He thought of how upset Jackie had been on the roof, and of every single patient who had ever second-guessed going to hospital because of the cost.

He hauled himself out of bed and across the hall to Jackie’s room where he knocked on her door until she answered. She stood in her underwear, glaring at him.

“What?!”

“I’m in.”

Tags: @sazanes @rafasgirl23415 @ceruleansnake0

[dark-twist-fairytales]

Back on my Snow System BS (never left it), and here's some details:

It's under a read more because it's detailed.

Once again noting: Not every system works like this, this is based on our research, and thinking of this as if the character.

So, originally they were going to call themselves 'The Ice System', but it felt too cold for their lighter nature, so 'Snow' was much more fitting for them.

S1 runs as it normally does, up until the true potential part. Bodily, they're named Zane, and Zane is the host present. When, Titan comes in during the true potential phase.

Minor difference between Zane and Titan are present, but no one can exactly pin it down to two, and instead chalk it up to being post-potential. This runs through S2 as well, with Titan and Zane trying their best. Even after finding out of being plural, they keep it a secret.

Titan is a host and protector that uses he/him pronouns, who powered off with the memory switch. A protector is someone who protects the system and/or body.

Zane is a host and symptom holder that uses he/they pronouns, who formed after the memory switch got flicked off. A symptom holder is someone who holds the symptoms of diagnoses.

S3 rolls around, Zane and Titan working in tandem together. And the Pixal comes along. Not that it's a bad thing, but when he gave her half of his heart, both Zane and Titan agreeing with this, it pushed Zane from the body and brought it over to Pixal.

This leaves Titan in the body, now having to only go by 'Zane', while Zane resides in Pixal's body and coding to help fight. This doesn't do anything to change the outcome, but Titan and Zane both deem that it is too quiet without the other.

S4 happens, which brings Pixal into the body, along with Zane. In between S4 and S5, Zane talks with Pixal and discuss Zane's plural nature, and both place it as a secret between each other, as Zane worries about how the team will view him, in turn them.

S5 happens as normal, and so does S6. Only, S6 has a consequence:

S6 introduces Echo, the headmate, but leaves them powered down after wishing. They aren't found until later, but right then, they are hidden and powered down, but still working.

Echo is an archivist that uses they/them pronouns, who is left powered off for now. An archivist is someone that stores memories, and can later pull them out for any reason.

S7 happens, and around this time is when Pixie forms. As Pixal gains her own identity away from inside the computer and Zane, this leaves Zane and Titan a little empty. However, this doesn't last long, as Pixie forms shortly after Samurai X is seen, running things like how Pixal did. It's an introject of Pixal, which explains her close nature to how Pixal runs things.

Pixie is a caretaker and uses she/its/cyber pronouns, who formed very very shortly after Pixal's first departing from Zane's body. An introject is a headmate that is formed based off of someone else, fictional or real. A caretaker is someone that takes care of other members in different ways. In this case, it means Pixie takes care of coding within the body, as well as the mental and emotional state of cyber headmates.

S8 comes around, as well as Snake Jaguar. What was supposed to be a disguise, turned into more. The further into the disguise Zane had to go, the more Snake formed, it turned into a battle amongst themselves. That was, until Snake got knocked out by Mr. E. Although formed first a misguided protector, the knock out and bug caused him to become a trauma holder, as his way of protecting the others away from what he could.

Coming to, with Pixal revealing herself as Samurai X and her physical body, came the entire dawning of plurality to Snake and the rest of the team. Reasonably, this causes panic, but Pixal manages to calm everyone down and get Pixie to run a diagnostic from inside, also viewing in.

Snake Jaguar begins as a misguided protector, but turns to a trauma holder, and uses he/him or vi/virus pronouns. Not together, separately. A misguided protector is, as in the name, a protector that is misguided and harms the system or body rather than helps, typically unknown to the misguided protector. A trauma holder is someone that holds trauma that happens to the body, or that the body has witnessed.

Around this time is when Echo awakens, and thus commences rules and expectations. It's not a lot, but it's for all of them to understand.

After everything calms down (between s10 and s11), the ninja actually sit down and talk more about it, with all of the members getting to know each headmate, learning terms, and learning triggers. Including that Snake was actually more protective than vi was deadly.

As for naming, circling back to that again, many were thrown around: 'Ice system' was one of the first, but got shot down for how harsh it sounded (by Snake, oddly enough), Cole's suggestion. Zane and Co. was used a temporary, and titanium ninja was used in public so both hosts felt validated for their work (which worked), Nya's suggestion. 'Nindroid system' was suggested by Jay, but was collectively dismissed. 'Team system' was suggested by Lloyd, which sounded nicer, but still wasn't it. And then Kai took the approach of asking question by question, soon reaching 'Snow system', which they ended up loving.

Bodily, they keep the name Zane, and each wears different colors to try and differentiate from each other.

Titan keeps with light and snowy blues with metallic skin. Zane wears pale and baby pinks, after mending his relationship with them, with synthetic skin. Pixie, when it does come out, wears purple and white, and vibes with both metallic and synthetic. Snake wears bright and neon blues and pinks, with synthetic skin. Echo, while rarely, likes blacks and browns and metallic skin, but does switch out for synthetic from time to time.

They aren't plural to the citizens of Ninjago, and frankly don't feel pressured to be. Only when someone gets close enough (ie, Skylor or Dareth) will they admit plurality, or allow whoever they're close to admit it for them (with consent).

[f0point5]

The whole diagnosing celebrities thing is insane actually. People fill comment sections with reasons as to why they think a certain driver or even the entire grid is autistic. Some argue that being obsessed with karting ever since being a child and driving for a living is like a hyper fixation and that it makes them autistic…. ever heard of the word ”hobby” or the fact that some people turn their hobby into their profession?!?! Make it make sense. It’s not even just the drivers it’s celebrities in general. They call Taylor autistic all the time it’s crazy.

Also funny story I had a friend who had a phase in which she diagnosed me with autism for like 4 months straight 😭 when I tell you I was in the trenches because she kept telling me symptoms I was apparently showing, she even sent me tiktoks and then said: ” see that’s something you once did“ and I was sooooo uncomfortable the entire time because I kept saying that I don’t think I’m autistic and even once told her that it made me uncomfortable but she kept it going because she was fully convinced of it lol. It was a hard time honestly…I say it’s a funny story but tbh I was so uncomfortable simply because I am not a fan of self diagnosis and because it’s just something you shouldn’t be doing if you’re not a professional. Just because you see some random tiktoks that tell you ”if you do this then you’re autistic“ you’re not automatically autistic nor should you diagnose anyone else?!?! Also please no one misunderstand this, the only reason I was uncomfortable was because she kept telling me I was autistic not because I think that autism is weird or anything like that 🙏

All of this.

People just having hobbies or eating is driving people to the diagnostic chair like…once again, will the people who came to F1 from a creepy “Larry Stylinson” obsession please stand up. That’s what it’s giving.

And yeah I get so annoyed scrolling through tiktok and every other video is telling me that because like to watch the same tv show over again that I am autistic, or have adhd, or have maladaptive dodo bird syndrome or whatever. Like, maybe I do…but based on your five diagnostic criteria that you got off WebMD that was from the 1990s, I probably don’t. I may not agree with people diagnosing themselves, but that’s their business at the end of the day, but stop trying to diagnose other people literally where is your degree?

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA to launch innovative solar coronagraph to Space Station NASA's Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) is ready to launch to the International Space Station to reveal new details about the solar wind including its origin and its evolution.

Launching in November 2024 aboard SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply services mission, CODEX will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station. As a solar coronagraph, CODEX will block out the bright light from the Sun's surface to better see details in the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

"The CODEX instrument is a new generation solar coronagraph," said Jeffrey Newmark, principal investigator for the instrument and scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It has a dual use - it's both a technology demonstration and will conduct science."

This coronagraph is different from prior coronagraphs that NASA has used because it has special filters that can provide details of the temperature and speed of the solar wind. Typically, a solar coronagraph captures images of the density of the plasma flowing away from the Sun. By combining the temperature and speed of the solar wind with the traditional density measurement, CODEX can give scientists a fuller picture of the wind itself.

"This isn't just a snapshot," said Nicholeen Viall, co-investigator of CODEX and heliophysicist at NASA Goddard. "You're going to get to see the evolution of structures in the solar wind, from when they form from the Sun's corona until they flow outwards and become the solar wind."

The CODEX instrument will give scientists more information to understand what heats the solar wind to around 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit - around 175 times hotter than the Sun's surface - and sends it streaming out from the Sun at almost a million miles per hour.

This launch is just the latest step in a long history for the instrument. In the early 2000s and in August 2017, NASA scientists ran ground-based experiments similar to CODEX during total solar eclipses. A coronagraph mimics what happens during a total solar eclipse, so this naturally occurring phenomena provided a good opportunity to test instruments that measure the temperature and speed of the solar wind.

In 2019, NASA scientists launched the Balloon-borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the corona (BITSE) experiment. A balloon the size of a football field carried the CODEX prototype 22 miles above Earth's surface, where the atmosphere is much thinner and the sky is dimmer than it is from the ground, enabling better observations. However, this region of Earth's atmosphere is still brighter than outer space itself.

"We saw enough from BITSE to see that the technique worked, but not enough to achieve the long-term science objectives," said Newmark.

Now, by installing CODEX on the space station, scientists will be able to view the Sun's corona without fighting the brightness of Earth's atmosphere. This is also a beneficial time for the instrument to launch because the Sun has reached its solar maximum phase, a period of high activity during its 11-year cycle.

"The types of solar wind that we get during solar maximum are different than some of the types of wind we get during solar minimum," said Viall. "There are different coronal structures during this time that lead to different types of solar wind."

This coronagraph will be looking at two types of solar wind. In one, the solar wind travels directly outward from our star, pulling the magnetic field from the Sun into the heliosphere, the bubble that surrounds our solar system. The other type of solar wind forms from magnetic field lines that are initially closed, like a loop, but then open up.

These closed field lines contain hot, dense plasma. When the loops open, this hot plasma gets propelled into the solar wind. While these "blobs" of plasma are present throughout all of the solar cycle, scientists expect their location to change because of the magnetic complexity of the corona during solar maximum. The CODEX instrument is designed to see how hot these blobs are for the first time.

The coronagraph will also build upon research from ongoing space missions, such as the joint ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA mission Solar Orbiter, which also carries a coronagraph, and NASA's Parker Solar Probe. For example, CODEX will look at the solar wind much closer to the solar surface, while Parker Solar Probe samples it a little farther out. Launching in 2025, NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will make 3D observations of the Sun's corona to learn how the mass and energy there become solar wind.

By comparing these findings, scientists can better understand how the solar wind is formed and how the solar wind changes as it travels farther from the Sun. This research advances our understanding of space weather, the conditions in space that may interact with Earth and spacecraft.

"Just like understanding hurricanes, you want to understand the atmosphere the storm is flowing through," said Newmark. "CODEX's observations will contribute to our understanding of the region that space weather travels through, helping improve predictions."

The CODEX instrument is a collaboration between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute with additional contribution from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics.