Delthia Ricks
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dricks.bsky.social
Delthia Ricks
@dricks.bsky.social
4.6K followers 2.1K following 2.9K posts
Science writer, author, essayist & avid gardener.
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dricks.bsky.social
Delthia Ricks @dricks.bsky.social · Dec 21
The stark contrast between Rwanda’s handling of a deadly Marburg virus outbreak this year & the rest of the world’s chaotic response to #Covid provides textbook lessons in how to properly respond to a threat and how to make a threat worse www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
The contrast between Rwanda’s handling of Marburg and the chaotic response to Covid-19 is stark
The country’s response prevented a crisis – and provided the world with a valuable blueprint for effective outbreak control
www.telegraph.co.uk
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
dricks.bsky.social
Extortion👇
theferocity.bsky.social Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 9h
“U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Harvard pay $1 billion in a settlement in a Truth Social post Monday night, pushing back against reports that the White House would no longer demand a cash payment from the University.”
Trump Calls for $1 Billion Settlement From Harvard | News | The Harvard Crimson
U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Harvard pay $1 billion in a settlement in a Truth Social post Monday night, pushing back against reports that the White House would no longer demand a cash payment...
www.thecrimson.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
dricks.bsky.social
Minneapolis patients are avoiding medical care because they feel hunted by ICE. Masked & armed ICE agents have been seen inside & around the city's hospitals. Even U.S. citizens, if they have an accent or worry that they look like someone ICE might target, are fearful of seeking medical care👇
Minneapolis Patients Avoid Care, Say They Feel 'Hunted' by ICE, Doctor Says
'Birth doesn't feel as beautiful and as happy as it did before,' says an obstetric nurse
www.medpagetoday.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
ja-mendiola.bsky.social
#academicsky #science 🧪
phdcomics.com PHD Comics @phdcomics.com · 2h
It's a dream
February 3, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
plosbiology.org
Unlike other #bacteria, C. difficile must detect both germinant & co-germinant signals to trigger #spore #germination. This study finds that the CspC:CspA complex is a key signaling node that integrates environmental cues to regulate #Cdifficile spore germination @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4rtCKdZ
Model for Clostridioides difficile germination. Top: Model of the C. difficile proteins required for germination during sporulation. From left to right: interdomain processing of the CspBA fusion protein by the protease YabG occurs in the spore coat layer; heterodimerization of CspC and CspA and homodimerization of CspB; and loading of key germination proteins into the cortex region of the mature spore. Bottom right: Model of a C. difficile spore undergoing germination. Sensing of germinant and co-germinant signals (either directly or indirectly) by the CspC:CspA heterodimer (1) leads to the heterodimer adopting an active conformation (2). Bottom left: CspC:CspA heterodimer space-filling model. Residues at the center of the CspC:CspA heterodimer binding interface (I.) play important roles in transducing germinant and co-germinant signals, while residues at the periphery of the binding interface (II.) help stabilize the complex. Signal transduction by the CspC:CspA heterodimer initiates the activation of CspB (either directly or indirectly) (3). Active CspB then proteolytically activates the cortex-lytic enzyme SleC (4), which will go on to degrade the spore cortex (5), allowing for rehydration of the spore core and resumption of metabolic activity.
February 3, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
plosbiology.org
Why are there such big differences between the sexes when it comes to immune responses? This Essay looks at what further research is required to fully determine sex-differential mechanisms in #immunity.🧪 #immunosky
Knowledge gaps and research priorities to understand sex differences in immunity
Immunity differs profoundly according to biological sex, leading to sex differences in autoimmunity, infections, cancer and responses to immunotherapy and vaccines. This Essay explores the major…
plos.io
February 3, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
plosbiology.org
#Azole resistance in #Candida albicans poses a growing threat, and is linked to #StressResponse. @annaselmecki.bsky.social &co show that mutations in the oxidative stress TF Cap1 promote #DrugResistance while exposing a lethal vulnerability at high azole doses @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4rOrfOz
Top: Subcellular localization of Cap1-GFP in wild-type background (top, tetO-CAP1-GFP/CAP1), Cap1-GFP with C446* (middle, TeO-CAP1C446*-GFP/CAP1) and wild-type Cap1-RFP (bottom, CAP1C446*/TeO-CAP1-RFP) in CAP1/CAP1C446* background. Scale bar, 5 μm. Bottom: Schematic of subcellular localization and transcription activation of CAP1 in wild-type (CAP1/CAP1, left) and CAP1/CAP1C446*. Figure generated with BioRender.
February 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
erictopol.bsky.social
An exposé of the so-called "body protection compound" peptide (BPC-157) heavily promoted by paid influencers, without data on safety or efficacy, and now its proponents are pressuring FDA
www.statnews.com/2026/02/03/b...
From Croatia to MAHA: How an unapproved drug became the next hot peptide
BPC-157 hasn't been approved by the FDA. But that hasn't stopped this buzzy drug from gaining traction – and attention from MAHA.
www.statnews.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
erictopol.bsky.social
The skinny on intermittent fasting
"the better the study , the less it finds"
gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
February 3, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
cidrap.bsky.social
Emerging bat virus found in stored throat swabs from 5 patients with suspected #Nipah infection

The finding raises the concern that dangerous bat viruses may be silently co-circulating with Nipah virus.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Photo: Cloudtail the Snow Leopard / Flickr cc
February 2, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
microbesinfect.bsky.social
Integrated Metagenomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Regional Style Differences in Maotai-Flavour #Baijiu

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #OpenAccess #metabolomics #metagenomics #MicroSky
February 3, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
drpanmd.bsky.social
I served on the U.S. Census Bureau National Advisory Committee, which was disbanded by the Trump administration. Trump is already working to undermine the accuracy of the 2030 Census. This will impact political representation through the 2030s.
www.wral.com/news/ap/66a5...
Trump administration cuts number of sites for testing the 2030 census, focusing on the South
The Trump administration is eliminating four out of six planned locations for a 2030 census practice test. The test, which began Monday, will now take place only in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanbur...
www.wral.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
kff.org
KFF’s latest poll finds that voters overall, including independent voters, currently trust Democrats more than Republicans to address the cost of health care and most other health care issues — though neither party has an advantage on addressing the overall cost of living. https://on.kff.org/49XZyLG
Stacked bar chart showing share of registered voters who say they trust the Democrats, Republicans, or neither party to do a better job addressing key health care issues.
January 30, 2026 at 3:27 PM
dricks.bsky.social
Minneapolis patients are avoiding medical care because they feel hunted by ICE. Masked & armed ICE agents have been seen inside & around the city's hospitals. Even U.S. citizens, if they have an accent or worry that they look like someone ICE might target, are fearful of seeking medical care👇
Minneapolis Patients Avoid Care, Say They Feel 'Hunted' by ICE, Doctor Says
'Birth doesn't feel as beautiful and as happy as it did before,' says an obstetric nurse
www.medpagetoday.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
dricks.bsky.social
Vaccine maker Sanofi, a multinational company based in Paris, said it will no longer develop an mRNA vaccine for the flu. Word of the cancellation comes as flu cases continue to soar & pediatric flu deaths so far have reached 52. The vast majority of those children hadn't been vaccinated👇
Unvaccinated kids hit hard with flu as pediatric deaths rise to 52
The vast majority of children who have died of flu so far this season did not get the flu shot, the CDC reported Friday.
www.nbcnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:08 PM
dricks.bsky.social
Extortion👇
theferocity.bsky.social Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 9h
“U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Harvard pay $1 billion in a settlement in a Truth Social post Monday night, pushing back against reports that the White House would no longer demand a cash payment from the University.”
Trump Calls for $1 Billion Settlement From Harvard | News | The Harvard Crimson
U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Harvard pay $1 billion in a settlement in a Truth Social post Monday night, pushing back against reports that the White House would no longer demand a cash payment...
www.thecrimson.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
stevevladeck.bsky.social
Even if you don't have time to read all 83 pages of Judge Reyes's opinion barring the Trump administration from rescinding Temporary Protected Status for 350,000+ Haitians, please at least check out the four-page introduction.

It's a tour de force:

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
"On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: “America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions.”1 More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President Washington’s vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take. [screenshot of tweet]. So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) “damn” countries is Haiti. Relevant here, three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti’s TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. See 90 Fed. Reg. 54733 (Nov. 28, 2025) (Termination). Plaintiffs are five Haitian TPS holders. They are not, it emerges, “killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies.” They are instead: Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot, a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer’s disease, Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl. (SAC)) ¶ 1; Rudolph Civil, a software engineer at a national bank, id. ¶ 2; Marlene Gail Noble, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, id. ¶ 3; Marica Merline Laguerre, a college economics major, id. ¶ 4; and Vilbrun Dorsainvil, a full-time registered nurse, id. ¶ 5. They claim that Secretary Noem’s decision violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Government counters that the Court does not have jurisdiction, and, in any case, the Secretary did not violate the law. Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary’s decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. It then considers: whether Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; whether they will be irreparably harmed absent a stay; and whether a merged balance of the equities and public interest analysis favors a stay. See Part III. Each element favors Plaintiffs. See Parts IV, V, and VI. Plaintiffs charge that Secretary Noem preordained her termination decision and did so because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants. This seems substantially likely. Secretary Noem has terminated every TPS country designation to have reached her desk—twelve countries up, twelve countries down. See Section IV.A.2. Her conclusion that Haiti (a majority nonwhite country) faces merely “concerning” conditions cannot be squared with the “perfect storm of suffering” and “staggering” “humanitarian toll” described in page-after-page of the Certified Administrative Record (CAR). See Section IV.A.3.a. She ignored Congress’s requirement that she “review the conditions” in Haiti only “after” consulting “with appropriate agencies.” 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(3)(A); see Section IV.A.1. Indeed, she did not consult other agencies at all. See id. Her “national interest” analysis focuses on Haitians outside the United States or here illegally, ignoring that Haitian TPS holders already live here, and legally so. See Section IV.A.3.b. And though she states that the analysis must include “economic considerations,” she ignores altogether the billions Haitian TPS holders contribute to the economy. See id. The Government’s primary response is that the TPS statute gives the Secretary unbounded discretion to make whatever determination she wants, any way she wants. And, yes, the statute does grant her some discretion. But not unbounded discretion. To the contrary, Congress passed the TPS statute to standardize the then ad hoc temporary protection system—to replace executive whim with statutory predictability. See Section I.A. As to irreparable harm, the Government contends that, at most, the harms to Haitian TPS holders are speculative. But the Department of State (State) warns [screenshot] Dkt. 100 (§ 705 Reply) at 20–21.4 “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason” does not exactly scream, as Secretary Noem concluded, suitable for return. And so, the Government studiously does not argue that Plaintiffs will suffer no harm if removed to Haiti. Instead, it argues Plaintiffs will not certainly suffer irreparable harm because DHS might not remove them. But this fails to take Secretary Noem at her word: “WE DON’T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.” See Section IV.B.2.b. Finally, the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay. The Government does not cite any reason termination must occur post haste. Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959 lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our healthcare system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things—in the public interest is not one of them. For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Renewed Motion for a Stay Under 5 U.S.C. § 705, Dkt. 81.
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
cwebbonline.com
Anyone with a heart and soul should agree that children and babies do not belong behind bars. Thousands of kids will carry a lifetime of trauma and PTSD, done in our name, funded by our tax dollars.
February 3, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
publichealthguy1.bsky.social
as someone who worked in rural health policy, this is not a real thing. this is actually called giving up on rural america after your party broke everything and can’t put it back together. perfect time to exploit people with scams
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
Dr Oz on rural healthcare: "There's no question about it, whether you want it or not -- the best way to help some of these communities is gonna be AI-based avatars"
February 3, 2026 at 5:22 AM
dricks.bsky.social
Vaccine maker Sanofi, a multinational company based in Paris, said it will no longer develop an mRNA vaccine for the flu. Word of the cancellation comes as flu cases continue to soar & pediatric flu deaths so far have reached 52. The vast majority of those children hadn't been vaccinated👇
Unvaccinated kids hit hard with flu as pediatric deaths rise to 52
The vast majority of children who have died of flu so far this season did not get the flu shot, the CDC reported Friday.
www.nbcnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
dricks.bsky.social
In the lab: An intranasal #birdflu vax currently being studied in animal models apparently guards against highly pathogenic strains. Known as H5N1 avian flu, the virus jumped from wild birds to farm animals in the US, then to people. It has caused >70 human cases since 2024, including 2 fatalities👇
Intranasal Bird Flu Vaccine Protects Against Highly Pathogenic Strains in Rodents
Prior seasonal influenza virus immunity did not impair antibody responses or protection conferred by the intranasal H5N1 vaccine.
www.genengnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
compoundchem.com
February is #NationalGrapefruitMonth – did you know that grapefruit and grapefruit juice can affect some medications? This graphic explains why: www.compoundchem.com/2014/03/07/w...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of grapefruit. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interact with a large number of drugs, usually resulting in adverse effects. These interactions are caused by a class of compounds called furanocoumarins, in particular the compounds bergamottin and dihydroxybergamottin. Furanocoumarins inhibit some forms of an enzyme, CYP3A4, responsible for breaking down drugs in the body. As the prescribed doses of drugs take into account how quickly the drug is broken down in the body, this can cause higher concentrations of the drug in the bloodstream, which in turn can result in unpleasant side effects. The colour of pink and red grapefruits is caused by the compound lycopene.
February 2, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
plosbiology.org
How are energy #metabolism pathways distributed across the #cortex? @alaindagher.bsky.social &co map five pathways in the human #brain, linking metabolic organization with brain structural & functional properties, as well as developmental dynamics @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4c1JVp8
Left: Pathways involved in brain energy metabolism. Energy metabolism refers to processes involved in energy production from nutrient molecules. Glucose is the main energy source in the brain under normal physiological conditions. Glucose entering brain cells can be utilized in three parallel pathways. It can be processed through glycolysis to produce 2 ATP and 2 pyruvate molecules (blue). Lactate dehydrogenases catalyze the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate (purple). Pyruvate is transported into mitochondria, where it enters the TCA cycle to generate high-energy electron carriers NADH and FADH2 (green), driving the complete oxidation of glucose through the mitochondrial electron transport chain (red). Glucose entering the brain can also enter the PPP. PPP is an anabolic pathway that uses glucose to produce 5-carbon sugars and NADPH, an essential co-factor used in nucleotide and lipid biosynthesis (yellow). Glucose can also be stored in the form of glycogen via glycogen synthase, a process mainly active in astrocytes. Right: Energy pathway maps. Colors show z-scored mean expression values across all genes in each pathway. ppp, pentose phosphate pathway; tca, tricarboxylic acid cycle; oxphos, oxidative phosphorylation; lactate, lactate metabolism and transport.
February 2, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
nickburgis.bsky.social
Impressive advance in Huntington's Disease Research via supplementation with a glycolytic regulator biomolecule: F2,6BP restores mitochondrial genome integrity in Huntington’s Disease 🧪
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
F2,6BP restores mitochondrial genome integrity in Huntington’s Disease
Several reports have indicated that impaired mitochondrial function contributes to the development and progression of Huntington’s disease (HD). Mitoc…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
erictopol.bsky.social
The time of day for cancer immunotherapy is associated with major outcomes. Early is better. Results from a randomized trial of lung cancer, backs up the importance of our circadian rhythm and immune system
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 2, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Delthia Ricks
anodynesix.bsky.social
"The solution is simple: allow Palestinians their freedom and their rights. ... [T]hat solution is beyond the imagination of [US and Israeli leadership]."
February 2, 2026 at 12:28 AM