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Rolling Stone Pays Tribute to Jamaican Music
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Rolling Stone Pays Tribute to Jamaican Music with 60 Songs
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Rome, Italy - February 15, 2022, detail of the album cover and cd of the Legend The Best Of Bob Marley, The Wailers album. Editorial credit: Stefano Chiacchiarini '74 / Shutterstock.com
BY STAFF WRITER, JAMAICANS.COM
Rolling Stone, the American monthly magazine that reports on music, politics, and popular culture, honored the 60th anniversary of Jamaican independence with a listing of 60 of the greatest songs – one from each year since independence from England was achieved in 1962 – that represent the island’s extensive musical history. The magazine noted that Jamaica, a small island nation in the Caribbean has created some of the most influential music styles in history, including ska, rock steady, reggae, dub, and dancehall. Jamaica is also home to an abundance of talented artists who have a prolific output of recordings. Rolling Stone selected some of the tracks for their new direction in sound, while others were listed because they spurred a movement, created controversy, represented a turning point in the career of the artist, or had other significant impacts when they were released. The magazine acknowledged that there were “too many records to choose from in any given year” and that some important recordings may not be included, but this is just an indication of the richness of the island’s musical history. Commenting on the list, the Jamaican dancehall fusion artist, Yaksta, said he was happy that his breakout recording of “Ambition” from 2021 was included among the influential tracks. He went on to say that the inclusion of his song inspired him to continue in his musical career, noting that sometimes he gets discouraged, but that this accomplishment will continue to inspire him. l Check out the songs at www.cawnyc.com
Kitchen Corner Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice are topped with a seasoned tomato sauce. —BDEGER, AllRecipes.com
Ingredients 1 cup cold water ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound ground beef 6 medium green bell peppers 16 ounces tomato sauce, divided 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2 Bring water and rice to a boil in a covered saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 3 Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until evenly browned and crumbly, 7 to 9 minutes.
Step 4 Hollow out bell peppers by removing and discarding the tops, seeds, and membranes. Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary to make sure they stand up straight. Step 5 Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.
Step 6 Prepare filling by mixing cooked beef, cooked rice, 1/2 of the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of filling into each hollowed pepper.
Step 7 Mix remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Step 8 Bake in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until peppers are tender, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 248 calories; protein 16g; carbohydrates 25.6g; fat 9.4g; cholesterol 45.9mg; sodium 563.6mg.l
Will Omicron-specific Booster Shots be More Effective at Combating COVID-19? 5 Questions Answered
BY PRAKASH NAGARKATTI & MITZI NAGARKATTI THE CONVERSATION
On Sept. 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the use of updated COVID-19 booster shots that are specifically tailored to combat the two most prevalent omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. The decision comes just a day after the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of the shots. The CDC’s backing will enable a full roll-out of the reformulated vaccines to begin within days. The new booster shots – one by Moderna and another from PfizerBioNTech – come as more than 450 people are still dying of COVID-19 every day in the U.S. As of Aug. 31, 2022, only 48.5% of booster-eligible people in the U.S. have received their first booster shot, and just under 34% of those eligible have received their second. These low numbers may in part be influenced by people waiting for the newer versions of the vaccines to provide better protection. But booster shots have proven to be an essential layer of protection against COVID19.
1. What is different about the updated booster shots? The newly authorized shots are the first updates to the original COVID-19 vaccines that were introduced in late 2020. They use the same mRNA technology as the original vaccines. The key difference between the original COVID-19 shots and the new “bivalent” version is that the latter consists of a mixture of mRNA that encodes the spike proteins of both the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. As of late August 2022, the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants are dominant worldwide. In the U.S., currently 89% of COVID-19 infections are caused by BA.5 and 11% are caused by BA.4. The inability of the original vaccine strains to prevent reinfection and to trigger long-term protective immunity prompted the need for the reformulated vaccines.
2. How does a bivalent vaccine trigger an immune response? In an actual COVID-19 infection, the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses its protruding spike protein to latch onto human cells and gain entry into cells. The spike protein triggers the production of so-called neutralizing antibodies, which bind to the spike protein and prevent the virus from invading other cells. But when the virus mutates, as we know that it does, the antibodies that were previously produced in response to the virus can no longer effectively bind to the newly mutated spike protein. In this respect, the SARS-CoV-2 virus acts like a chameleon – a master of disguise –by changing its body configuration and escaping recognition by the immune system.
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Omicron-specific Booster Shots/ continued from page 17 The ongoing viral mutations are why antibodies produced in response to the original vaccine strains have over time become less effective at fending off infections by new variants. The concept of bivalent vaccines aimed at protecting against two different strains of a virus is not new. For instance, Cervarix is an FDA-approved bivalent vaccine that provides protection against two different types of human papillomaviruses that cause cancer.
3. How protective will the new shots be against infection? There are as of yet no human studies on the efficacy of the new bivalent vaccine at preventing reinfections and providing long-term immune protection. However, in human clinical trials and laboratory studies, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna found that their initial version of the bivalent vaccine, which was directed against the original SARS-CoV2 virus and an earlier omicron strain, BA.1, induced a strong immune response and longer protection against both the original strain and the BA.1 variant. In addition, the companies reported that the same early combination generated a significant antibody response against the newest omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, though this antibody response was lower than that seen against subvariant BA.1. Based on those results, in spring 2022 the FDA rejected the BA.1 bivalent boosters because the agency felt the boosters may fall short of providing sufficient protection against the newest strains, BA.4 and BA.5, which were by then spreading quickly throughout the U.S. and the world. So the FDA asked Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to develop bivalent vaccines specifically targeting BA.4 and BA.5, instead of BA.1. Because clinical trials are time-consuming, the FDA was willing to consider animal studies and other laboratory findings, such as the ability of antibodies to neutralize the virus, to decide whether to authorize the bivalent boosters. This decision has stirred up controversy over whether it is appropriate for the FDA to approve a booster without direct human data to support it. However, the FDA has stated that millions of people have safely received the mRNA vaccines – which were originally tested in humans – and that the changes in the mRNA sequences in the vaccines do not affect vaccine safety. Thus, it concluded that the bivalent vaccines are safe and that there is no need to wait for human clinical trials. It is also noteworthy that influenza vaccines are introduced each year based on prediction of the strain that is likely to be dominant, and such formulations do not undergo new clinical trials. Based on available evidence from the previous COVID-19 vaccines, we believe it is very likely that the new boosters will continue to offer strong protection from severe COVID-19 lead-
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ing to hospitalization and death. But whether they will protect against reinfection and breakthrough infections remains to be seen.
4. Will it only be a booster shot? The bivalent vaccines can only be used as a booster shot at least two months after the completion of the primary series – or initial required shots – or following a previous booster shot. The Moderna bivalent vaccine is authorized for use in people 18 years of age, while the Pfizer bivalent vaccine is authorized for those 12 years of age and older. Because of the superiority of the bivalent vaccines, the FDA has also removed the use authorization for the original monovalent Moderna and Pfizer COVID19 vaccines for booster purposes in individuals 18 years of age and older and 12 years of age and older, respectively. The new bivalent vaccines contain a lower dose of mRNA, and as such are meant to be used only as boosters and not in people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccination.
5. Will the new shots protect against future variants? How well the bivalent vaccines will perform in the face of new variants that might arise will depend on the nature of future spike protein mutations. If it is a minor mutation or set of mutations when compared to the original strain or to omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, the new shots will provide good protection. However, if a hypothetical new strain were to possess highly unique mutations in its spike protein, then it’s likely that it could once again dodge immune protection. On the flip side, the successful development of the updated vaccines demonstrates that the mRNA vaccine technology is nimble and innovative enough that – within a couple of months of the emergence of a new variant – it is now likely possible to develop and distribute new vaccines that are tailor-made to fight an emerging variant.l This article has been updated to reflect the CDC’s endorsement of the reformulated shots. Prakash Nagarkatti is a Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina. Mitzi Nagarkatti is a Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina
GENERATIONS
19 September is Healthy Aging Month: Follow These 10 Steps to Promote Healthy Aging and Good Brain Health
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is offering 10 steps to promote healthy aging and good brain health during September and throughout the year. “Lifestyle choices play a vital role in healthy aging and brain health, and it’s never too soon to start,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President & CEO. “Eating right, exercising the body and mind, getting proper sleep, and being socially active all contribute to healthy aging and good brain health, and can potentially reduce the risk of developing a dementia-related illness.” AFA offers the following 10 steps for healthy aging: Eat Well: Adopt a low-fat diet high on fruits and veggies, like strawberries, blueberries, and broccoli. Take daily vitamins. Limit intake of red meats, fried and processed foods, salt, and sugar. In general, foods that are “heart healthy” are also “brain healthy.”
Stay Active: Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain and can also help improve mood and overall wellbeing. Brisk walking benefits brain health, while aerobics can boost your heart rate, and weight training builds strength and flexibility.
Learn New Things: Challenge your brain by starting a new hobby like playing tennis, learning to speak a foreign language, trying a cooking class, or something you have not done before. Even something as simple as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand stimulates the brain by forcing it to think outside of its normal routine. Get Enough Sleep: Getting a consistent sleep every night is key; at least seven to nine hours is ideal. Having a good sleep environment is also helpful. Insomnia or sleep apnea can have serious physical effects and negatively affect memory and thinking.
Mind Your Meds: Medication can affect everyone differently, especially as you age. When getting a new medication or something you have not taken in a while (whether over the counter or prescription), talk to your doctor or local pharmacist.
Stop Smoking and Limit Alcohol: Smoking can increase the risk of other serious illnesses, while too much alcohol can impair judgment and cause accidents, including falls, broken bones, and car crashes.
Stay Connected:Social interaction and maintaining an active social life are very important for brain health, cognitive stimulation and mood. Invite friends and family over for a meal, board games, or just to hang out. Engaging in your community and participating in group activities is also beneficial.
Know Your Blood Pressure: Blood pressure can impact your cognitive functioning. Visit your physician regularly to check your blood pressure and make sure it is in normal range.
See Your Doctor: Maintain checkups. Health screenings are key to managing chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, all of which can impact brain health. Speak with your physician about any concerns or questions you have about your health.
Get a Memory Screening: Our brains need regular checkups, just as other parts of our bodies do. Memory screenings are quick, noninvasive exams for our brains. You can talk to your doctor about getting a screening as part of your annual wellness exam.l
