Tiny bubbles in our body to fight cancer better than chemo
Researchers have found that tiny bubbles in our body might potentially be used to treat cancer and could fight the disease better than chemotherapy. Healthy cells in our body release nano-sized bubbles that transfer genetic material such as DNA and RNA to other cells. It’s your DNA that stores the important information necessary for RNA to produce proteins and make sure they act accordingly. According to the researchers, these bubbly extracellular vesicles (EV) could become mini treatment transporters, carrying a combination of therapeutic drugs and genes that target cancer cells and kill them. Also Read – An income drop can harm brainThe study, published recently, focused on breast cancer cells in mice. “What we’ve done is improve a therapeutic approach to delivering enzyme-producing genes that can convert certain drugs into toxic agents and target tumours,” said the study’s lead author Masamitsu Kanada, Assistant Professor at the Michigan State University. These drugs or prodrugs start out as inactive compounds. But once they metabolize in the body, they are immediately activated and can get to work on fighting everything from cancer to headaches. Also Read – Shallu Jindal honoured with Mahatma AwardAspirin is an example of a common prodrug. In this case, researchers used EVs, to deliver the enzyme-producing genes that could activate a prodrug combination therapy of ganciclovir and CB1954 in breast cancer cells. Minicircle DNA and regular plasmid – two different gene vectors that act as additional delivery mechanisms for DNA – were loaded into the vesicles to see which was better at helping transport treatment. This is known as a gene-directed enzyme, prodrug therapy.
APTN National News OTTAWA — The federal government’s strategy to deal with the high number of murdered and missing Indigenous women is not supported by nearly 60 studies that have examined the issue, according to a new report.The Harper government has rejected calls for a national inquiry into the causes behind the nearly 1,200 Indigenous women who have been murdered or gone missing since 1980, arguing the issue has been studied enough and now is the time for “action.” Justice Canada has even released a list of 40 reports to support that position.A report released Thursday shows that those 40 studies do not “support the government’s stance.” The report, by the Legal Strategy Coalition on Violence Against Indigenous Women (LSC), reviewed a total of 58 studies dating back to 1994.The LSC report said the federal government wrongly believes that violence against Indigenous women is not a sociological problem, but rather one as a “series of crimes.” Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he personally doesn’t believe the issue to be a sociological one.“Despite diverse authors, the reports reviewed show strong consensus about the root causes of this violence; it is a sociological issue,” said the report. “The recommendations that are repeated time and again in so many of the reports highlight exactly why and inquiry is needed: to ascertain the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented and to identify and address obstacles to implementation.”The report said that many of the studies “stress that the economic and social marginalization of Indigenous women makes them more susceptible to violence and less able to escape violent circumstances.”The LSC report found that many of the studies found that a toxic mix of family breakdowns, overcrowded housing, food insecurity, lack of access to education and chronic underfunding for services targeting Indigenous women increased their exposure and vulnerability to violence.Added to this is the continuing racism and sexism in Canada, the legacies of colonialism, the shadow of residential schools and discriminatory legislation like the Indian Act.“And yet, police and health care professionals fail to adequately prioritize the health and safety of Indigenous women and a lack of culturally sensitive programs prevent the services that already exist from addressing challenges specific to Indigenous women’s experiences,” said the report.Executive Summary of LSC reportDownload (PDF, Unknown)The report was released a day before a planned roundtable on murdered and missing Indigenous women that will include federal and provincial premiers and cabinet ministers along with Indigenous leaders and the families of victims.The roundtable aims to hammer out a strategy to stem the disproportionate level of violence faced by Indigenous women.LSC includes a number of First Nation, universities and human rights organizations including Amnesty International, the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association, Dalhousie University, University of Saskatchewan, Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto and the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, among others.news@aptn.ca@APTNNews
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for states coast to coast to legalize betting on sports, breaking a longtime ban and creating a potential financial boon for states and the gambling industry. The first bets could be placed within weeks.Despite opposition from the major sports leagues and the Trump administration, the high court struck down a federal law that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states. States that want to take advantage of the ruling now will generally have to pass legislation to allow sports books to open. Some, including New Jersey, which brought the case to the Supreme Court, have a head start.Sports leagues had expressed concerns about any expansion of sports gambling. Their huge businesses could be badly harmed if people thought the outcome of games could be altered by someone who had wagered money on a certain result.However, the ruling also could be seen as merely bringing an activity out of the shadows that many people already see as a mainstream hobby. Americans wager about $150 billion on sports each year illegally, according to the American Gaming Association. The law the justices struck down forbade state-authorized sports gambling with some exceptions and made Nevada the only state where a person could wager on the results of a single game.Stock prices for casino operators and equipment makers surged after the ruling was announced.Gambling on sports could quickly become widely available, with one research firm estimating that 32 states would likely offer sports betting within five years.The ruling “opens up the floodgates” for sports gambling in any state that wants to have it, said Daniel Wallach, a sports law expert in Florida.The decision had been eagerly anticipated by gamblers and also states that hope their cut of legalized sports betting can help solve budget problems. States that have already laid the legal groundwork include New Jersey, where one racetrack said it would begin taking bets within two weeks. Mississippi and West Virginia have also been preparing for sports betting, and gamblers there could be placing bets as early as this summer and certainly before the NFL season starts in September.Delaware, too, could quickly expand beyond certain bets currently offered at its casinos. Pennsylvania and New York have also made moves to begin sports gambling. However, other states that want to allow sports betting could still see several Super Bowls come and go before people there can place a legal bet close to home.The Trump administration had urged the high court to uphold the law, surprising perhaps because the president is the former owner of a New Jersey casino, the Trump Taj Mahal, now being remade into a Hard Rock casino resort. All four major U.S. professional sports leagues and the NCAA also had urged the court to uphold the federal law, saying a gambling expansion would hurt the integrity of their games. They also said that with legal sports betting in the United States, they’d have to spend a lot more money monitoring betting patterns and investigating suspicious activity.Sports gambling proponents argued that the leagues already do that work and that legal sports betting will make enforcement easier than it is now, when most bets in the U.S. are made illegally. They say state regulators are capable of monitoring suspicious bets, as is done in Nevada.On Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Major League Baseball issued statements saying the “integrity” of their games would remain a priority. Representatives of the National Hockey League, National Football League and NCAA said they were reviewing the court’s decision.Some saw other concerns, including for some gamblers. The ruling “will likely increase gambling participation and gambling problems unless steps are taken to minimize harm,” said Marlene Warner, the president of the National Council on Problem Gambling’s board of directors. The council said any government body or sports league that receives a direct percentage or portion of sports betting revenue should dedicate some of it to treat gambling problems.The law the justices struck down was passed by Congress in 1992 and called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court, “The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make.” The court’s “job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution,” he wrote. “PASPA is not.”Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Ginsburg wrote for the three that when a portion of a law violates the Constitution, the court “ordinarily engages in a salvage rather than a demolition operation,” preserving what it can. She said that instead of using a “scalpel to trim the statute” her colleagues used “an axe.” Breyer agreed with the majority that part of the law must be struck down but said that should not have doomed the rest of the law.Congress could try to step in again. Sen. Orrin Hatch said he would soon introduce legislation to set national standards for sports betting, but It is unclear whether the rest of Congress will want to join him.The ruling was a particular victory for New Jersey, which has fought for years to legalize gambling on sports at casinos and racetracks. Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie tweeted that it was a “great day for the rights of states and their people to make their own decisions.” The state’s current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, said he was “thrilled” to see the high court strike down the “arbitrary ban.” Several hours after the Supreme Court ruled, New Jersey lawmakers introduced new legislation that would regulate and tax sports gambling in the state.Casinos and racetracks in the state are also moving quickly. Monmouth Park, a racetrack at the Jersey Shore, has already set up a sports book operation and said Monday it plans to start taking bets within two weeks “unless someone stops us.” And Tony Rodio, president of Tropicana Entertainment, said his Atlantic City casino will offer sports betting once it can get it up and running.“It’s been a long time coming,” he said.___Parry reported from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Associated Press reporters Michael Catalini in Oceanport, New Jersey; Ben Nuckols in Washington and Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, contributed reporting.___Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko
The company says in a release that bird deterrents used on tailings ponds weren’t in place for smaller bodies of water.It says those ponds are now included in its waterfowl protection plan.In 2010, Syncrude was fined $3 million after more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a tailings pond.That same year, more than 550 birds had to be killed when an early winter storm forced them to land on waste ponds belonging to Syncrude and Suncor Energy. FORT MCMURRAY, A.B. – Syncrude has agreed to plead guilty and pay $2.75 million in fines over the deaths of 31 great blue herons at an Alberta oilsands mine.The birds were found dead or dying in 2015 at an abandoned sump pond at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake mine north of Fort McMurray.Syncrude subsequently faced charges of failing to properly store a hazardous substance under Alberta legislation as well as federal charges under the Migratory Birds Act.
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Stage North is looking for show submissions for their next season to be submitted before their Board Meeting on May 7th, 2019.The Theatre Society shares the call is open to the public to submit and if your play is accepted you would be asked to register as a member of Stage North. Available show slots include October, December, February, and April.To submit a show for consideration, the Board will need the following; A show title and authorThe synopsis of the showA DirectorA ProducerA Stage ManagerA budgetShow submissions need to be received Tuesday, May 7th at the Society’s Board Meeting at 6:30 PM, held at the Stage North rehearsal space. Located at 11520 East Bypass Rd.If you are unable to attend the Board Meeting or have further questions email; stagenorth@stagenorth.ca
New Delhi/ Lucknow: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu held a flurry of meetings with Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BSP’s Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in an apparent bid to rally support for a non-BJP government at the Centre. Naidu, who arrived in the national capital on Friday, also met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav and leaders of the Communist Party of India. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss account details under automatic exchange frameworkHe then flew to Lucknow and met the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party chiefs. “It is a pleasure to welcome Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu Ji to Lucknow,” Akhilesh Yadav tweeted. Naidu did not speak to the media after any of his meetings. Sources, however, said that Naidu and Gandhi discussed the possibility of forming a joint alliance of all Opposition parties. He told Gandhi to have a strategy ready, in case the NDA falls short of a majority and still stakes claim to form the government, the sources said. Naidu told all the leaders that “we all should come together and put our act together” to form the next government by keeping the BJP out, a source said. Also Read – Trio win Nobel Medicine Prize for work on cells, oxygenLater, Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other Congress leaders met at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence to evolve their party’s strategy. “The campaigning of this Lok Sabha Election 2019 has ended and as we await the last phase of polling, Andhra Pradesh CM Shri N Chandrababu Naidu paid me a visit to discuss the ongoing and future political scenario of our country,” Pawar said in a tweet after the meeting at his residence. Naidu met CPI leader G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja over breakfast, asking them to “come together”. Reddy and Raja separately met Pawar at his residence. The Telugu Desam Party chief has held several rounds of discussion with various Opposition leaders, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. Naidu’s TDP was a part of the NDA but quit the alliance a few months ago. On Friday Naidu said that not only the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) but any outfit which is against the BJP is welcome to join a grand alliance after the election results are declared on May 23. As Opposition leaders scramble to form a joint anti-BJP front, hectic deliberations among them are likely to continue in the days ahead.
Wales have announced that Aaron Ramsey will miss their Uefa Nations League clash with the Republic of Ireland due to “family reasons”The loss of the Arsenal midfielder will come as another blow for head coach Ryan Giggs after Gareth Bale returned to Real Madrid.Wales were handed a 4-1 thrashing by Spain at Cardiff on Friday after a brace from forward Paco Alcacer, along with goals from defensive duo Sergio Ramos and Marc Bartra.Ramsey, whose Arsenal future remains increasingly uncertain, played the full 90 minutes of the loss but could not make an impact with Sam Vokes grabbing an 89th-minute consolation goal.Now the 27-year-old will be replaced by Swansea City’s Daniel James for Tuesday’s game in Dublin.
Daniel James impresses Patrice Evra Manuel R. Medina – September 12, 2019 The Manchester United legend gave Daniel James a passionate speech after the youngster was voted Player of the Month for August.“Daniel James has been called up to the senior team from the under 21’s this morning. Aaron Ramsey will no longer travel with the squad to Dublin due to family reasons,” read a statement on the Wales FA Twitter.SQUAD UPDATE | DIWEDDARIAD CARFANDaniel James has been called up to the senior team from the under 21’s this morning. Aaron Ramsey will no longer travel with the squad to Dublin due to family reasons.#TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/lYWOUUrI5M— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) October 15, 2018
The 19-year-old has donated a minibus to his former Escola de Futebol O Fintas in Braga, where he was developed as a footballer.Full-back Diogo Dalot moved from Porto in the Portuguese First Division to Manchester United in the English Premier League in the summer of 2018.He had barely spent one season as a professional with his club, debuting in 2017.But the 19-year-old doesn’t forget where he comes from, and he just donated a minibus to his Escola de Futebol O Fintas in Braga.“I wanted to give them something because they didn’t get anything for my transfer to here and I’m aware of their difficulties,” Dalot told the Manchester United official website.“I needed to help – it’s my job. I didn’t do it for the press. I did it because I wanted to and they’ve helped me get here.”“I think we [as footballers] can all help in some way. I don’t think it’s just all about the money, but I tried to help in this way and I think it was good for them,” he added.“I remember the days when my dad had to drive my friends and I [to matches] because they didn’t have a van for the players.””I will try and help more if I can. I gave them a shirt too and they thought it was just the shirt, so they were very surprised [about the minibus],” he continued.“I Facetimed them when I was traveling to a United game, so it was a good moment to see.”
Lukaku backed to beat Ronaldo in Serie A scoring charts Andrew Smyth – September 14, 2019 Former Inter Milan star Andy van der Meyde is confident Romelu Lukaku will outscore Cristiano Ronaldo in this season’s Serie A.The Red Devils will pay Crystal Palace a visit tonight, as part of the Premier League Matchday 28.“I think when we play them at [their] home it’s always a tough game,” he said.“Of course we have a few injuries so we need to stick together as always, but this time more than ever. I think we’re going to be ready for it.”“In the last game, Crystal Palace did well, but we just need to keep focusing on ourselves first and, of course, be ready for the dangers,” Dalot recalled.“I think we’ve had some very good games. The away games have been incredible. I think we are keeping the team solid and playing good football and the away games, for me, have been a good experience to be a part of.”Next up for #MUFC:🆚 Crystal Palace📆 Wednesday 27 February⏰ 20:00 GMT🏟 Selhurst Park🏆 #PL pic.twitter.com/qr00vzO854— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 25, 2019
Additional beds available for homeless due to rainy weather in San Diego KUSI Newsroom Posted: February 26, 2018 February 26, 2018 SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — The Inclement Weather Shelter Program at Father Joe’s Villages and Connections Housing Downtown for homeless San Diegans has been activated by the San Diego Housing Commission in partnership with the City of San Diego.Shelter nights are provided when the temperature is 50 degrees or below and there is a 40 percent chance of rain, or in exceptional weather conditions, such as one or more inches of rain within 24 hours and sustained winds of over 25 MPH.The date(s) is listed below:Monday, February 26Father Joe’s Villages Shelter — up to 250 individualsCheck-In: 4 p.m. — Throughout the nightCheck-Out: 5 a.m.Meal provided1501 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92101The City of San Diego funds the Inclement Weather Shelter Program at Father Joe’s Villages.PATH San Diego/Connections Housing Downtown Shelter – Up to 30 individualsCheck-In: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.Check-Out: 7 a.m.Meal provided1250 6th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101The San Diego Housing Commission funds the Inclement Weather Shelter Program at PATH San Diego/Connections Housing.Inclement Weather Shelter Program–Downtown San Diego Area The Inclement Weather Shelter Program in the city’s downtown area is a partnership of the San Diego Housing Commission, City of San Diego, Father Joe’s Villages, PATH San Diego/Connections Housing Downtown and 2-1-1 San Diego. For more information about this shelter program or other county-wide shelter programs, dial 2-1-1, or visit www.211sandiego.org KUSI Newsroom, Categories: Local San Diego News Tags: Father Joe’s Villages, Weather FacebookTwitter
Bradley Elliott, 57, of Sterling, worked for the district as a junior varsity hockey coach at Kenai Central High School for the 2005-06 school year. He was also involved with the hockey program at Soldotna High School for three seasons, from 2007 to 2010. The victims that filed the suit are “seeking damages in excess of $100,000 from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association and former hockey coach”, according to court documents. Elliott faces 62 years and 240 days in prison, with 42 years suspended and a $300,000 fine. A status hearing is scheduled for December 18, according to Courtview. Facebook0TwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享A former hockey coach on the Kenai Peninsula was sentenced on Monday to 62 years in prison for sexual abuse of six minors and possession of child pornography. According to charging documents, Elliott plead guilty to a total of 15 charges, including six charges of 2nd-degree sexual abuse of a minor, one charge of possession of child pornography and eight charges of indecent photography. A suit was filed against the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association in February claims the two organizations failed to “warn students” and alleges negligent hiring, training and supervision practices. The damages sought in excess of $100,000 were listed in court documents for “psychological and counseling expenses, rehabilitation expenses, physical injury, emotional distress, pain and suffering, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life.”
During the second half of the 1980s, the arrival of the compact disc turned the music business into a money-spinning juggernaut, with the format moving from essentially zero early in the decade to 400 million units produced in 1988 alone. But that explosive growth was driven less by superstars of the era — although Whitney Houston and Guns N’ Roses sold many millions of the high-priced discs — than by people replacing their old vinyl albums and cassettes with a more convenient format.The same syndrome has taken hold with streaming: According to BuzzAngle’s 2017 year-end report, a whopping 51% of songs consumed are from “deep catalog” (music three or more years old), with an additional 12.5% coming from “catalog” (18 months to three years old). Which means that for all the discovery opportunities that a virtually unlimited pool of music can offer, people are using it far more to hear music they already know, or to explore previously untraveled corners of a genre or a favorite artist’s oeuvre. Popular on Variety The distribution executive points to Jai Wolf’s song “Indian Summer” — which was released in 2015 but has taken on new life via multiple syncs, including an Izze beverage campaign and uses in “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” — as an example of how such factors can make a new hit out of an older song (it has nearly 55 million plays on Spotify). Also key are playlists like Spotify’s “This Is” — which combine an artist’s older music with new — and recommendations on streaming services, which represent more frequent and active endorsement than what was available in the physical world. “There are all kinds of ways of rabbit-holing into the platforms now, where one artist leads to another and another, and you can connect the dots musically,” adds the distribution exec. “You didn’t really have that in a record store unless someone told you.” The exec also notes playlist promotion and seasonal opportunities like Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day as ways to get classic songs in front of fresh audiences.Just as streaming has broken down barriers between musical genres, it can break them down between eras as well. “If you’re a 14-year-old kid who likes N.W.A or Led Zeppelin but doesn’t know Public Enemy or Cream, there’s a whole world just a click away,” the major-label exec says. “The trick is leading them to it.” ×Actors Reveal Their Favorite Disney PrincessesSeveral actors, like Daisy Ridley, Awkwafina, Jeff Goldblum and Gina Rodriguez, reveal their favorite Disney princesses. Rapunzel, Mulan, Ariel,Tiana, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine all got some love from the Disney stars.More VideosVolume 0%Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcutsKeyboard Shortcutsplay/pauseincrease volumedecrease volumeseek forwardsseek backwardstoggle captionstoggle fullscreenmute/unmuteseek to %SPACE↑↓→←cfm0-9Next UpJennifer Lopez Shares How She Became a Mogul04:350.5x1x1.25×1.5x2xLive00:0002:1502:15 That trend was not lost on new Sony Music Entertainment CEO Rob Stringer. For 28 years, the company has been host to one of the most popular catalog labels in the business, Legacy, which has won multiple Grammy Awards for beautifully curated collections from Sony’s vast repertoire — which includes Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson and many others — as well as new releases from heritage artists like Willie Nelson and Earth, Wind & Fire. But in recent months management found the business to be too oriented toward physical releases, and a major reorganization is under way, a source close to the situation tells Variety. By mutual consent, Legacy president Adam Block agreed to step down earlier this year, and several other staffers have or will leave the company.Yet Legacy, which is housed within Sony’s Commercial Music Group under the direction of president Richard Story, is also staffing up in the digital space, with nine new roles and more likely to come. The source tells Variety that the company felt renewed urgency in realizing it did not have sufficient staffers specializing in deep catalog, streaming, marketing and analytics. The insider stressed that the company will continue to release lavish boxed sets and other physical product, but it has moved to correct that imbalance.Promoting catalog on streaming is a dramatically different proposition than pushing physical product, according to a veteran distribution executive. “Format changes have always given catalog a bump,” the executive says. “But what’s different now is the idea of lifetime value — before, you were trying to get people to buy something once, but now you’re trying to get people to keep coming back.”Key to that repeat business is discovery, which is generally discussed in terms of new music but is just as relevant for catalog. “When a song or an artist is featured on, say, [former] President Obama’s Spotify playlist, or in film or TV or in a commercial, it can lead to a big boost in streaming numbers,” says another major-label executive. “For example, [the N.W.A biopic] ‘Straight Outta Compton’ led thousands of people to discover N.W.A and Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s older cuts.”
Popular on Variety ×Actors Reveal Their Favorite Disney PrincessesSeveral actors, like Daisy Ridley, Awkwafina, Jeff Goldblum and Gina Rodriguez, reveal their favorite Disney princesses. Rapunzel, Mulan, Ariel,Tiana, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine all got some love from the Disney stars.More VideosVolume 0%Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcutsKeyboard Shortcutsplay/pauseincrease volumedecrease volumeseek forwardsseek backwardstoggle captionstoggle fullscreenmute/unmuteseek to %SPACE↑↓→←cfm0-9Next UpJennifer Lopez Shares How She Became a Mogul04:350.5x1x1.25×1.5x2xLive00:0002:1502:15 The company claims 92 million monthly active users and 450 million page views per day. Users are typically Generation Z, or China’s post-millennials, who tune in for a mix of live streaming, gaming, and short-form content.Bilibili considers content under one of two headings: professionally user-generated video (brands and creators who may be remunerated through donations and sponsorship) and user-generated video content.But the mix is changing. The company says it has been a buyer of factual content for the past two years. And it is now increasingly looking to produce and co-produce its own shows. It has worked with National Geographic on “China’s Hidden Kingdoms” and with NHK on the “WHK” anime show. With the BBC it has adapted car-themed men’s lifestyle show “Top Gear” as both a “Borrowed Gear” show and as a fan event which attracted a claimed 400,000 visitors over three days before the premiere of “Top Gear” season 25.China’s authorities have this year fined Bilibili and other streaming companies for content infringements. But the company appears to be finding favor with investors. It is one of the few Chinese tech stocks to have risen this year, from $11.50 at flotation to $14.97 per ADR at the market close on Monday. At that price it is valued at $4.19 billion.Regulators are seeking greater control over live streaming, user comments and user-generated content. Increasingly, that means more self-censorship by the platforms themselves. Executives in Brisbane declined to reveal how many staff are involved in compliance, but they confirmed that the company has teams in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Shanghai involved in filtering comments and content.The company believes that it can minimize such occurrences not jut through real-name registration, but also by requiring users to take a web citizenship test before they can start to feed back into the site. It also operates a graded warning system before users see their accounts suspended.
Bilibili, a specialty Chinese video platform best known for animation and games content, is setting out a stall as a viable and attractive partner for international co-productions.A presentation of so-called bullet comments (real-time audience feedback that overlays on-screen content) drew gasps from an audience of executives at the World Congress of Science & Factual Producers in Brisbane, Australia, on Monday. It was unclear whether the intakes of breath were in horror or awe at this glimpse of the future and such huge levels of interaction with video content.Bilibili, which was founded in 2009 and earlier this year earned itself a share listing on the NASDAQ, followed up Monday’s surprising demo with a more select lunchtime presentation Tuesday. Its executives took turns to tout the company’s jaw-dropping numbers and to tease glimpses of its business deals with top-tier international TV groups, including U.K. and Japanese public broadcasters BBC and NHK, respectively, and a six-year corporate relationship with Discovery.
More information: Hierarchical multiscale structure– property relationships of the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) beak. N. Lee et al. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2014. rsif.royalsocietypublishing.or … .1098/rsif.2014.0274 (Phys.org) —A team of researchers at Mississippi State University has found that the beaks of woodpeckers are constructed in such a way as to help dissipate energy. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the team describes their work in analyzing the beaks of several red-bellied woodpeckers and how they found that it has three layers that all help to absorb shocks as the bird pecks away at trees looking for insects inside. Most everyone knows that woodpeckers bang away at trees (or sometimes other structures) with their beaks to create holes that allow them access to insects hidden inside. Prior research has shown that woodpeckers have a variety of features throughout their heads that help absorb shock, preventing the birds from suffering brain or other damage as they hunt for their prey. In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn if there was anything special about their beaks that might also help soften the internal blow as the birds hammer away at a tree, between one and three hundred times a minute.Close inspection revealed that the beak’s outer or rhamphotheca layer was made of a keratin sheath, which was, like most birds, arranged in a scale pattern, with defined edges between each scale. There was one major difference however, the scale edges, which are not straight but follow a zig-zag course (and have been nick-named sutures because they resemble those used in surgery), were much more wiggly than other pecking birds, such as chickens. This, the researchers noted, would help deflect compressing forces as the beak hit the wood. They found that the scales were also thinner and more elongated than other pecking birds as well, which appears to allow for more sliding of scales over one another during pecking, serving as a shock-absorber.The researchers also found that the middle “foam” layer of the bird’s beak, was more porous than other pecking birds, which would of course allow for directing the energy from impacts into other parts of the birds head that are better able to handle the abuse.Taken as a whole, it appears a woodpecker’s beak offers a first line of defense against head damage when pecking, dissipating energy where possible and directing the rest to where it will do the least damage. © 2014 Phys.org Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society Interface A male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). Credit: Ken Thomas/public domain
Explore further Mechanical properties and microstructure of cranial and beak bones of the woodpecker and the lark Citation: Study reveals shock-absorbing ability of woodpecker beaks (2014, May 7) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2014-05-reveals-shock-absorbing-ability-woodpecker-beaks.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Kolkata: The panel of judges on behalf of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) visited every ward in the city on Sunday and collected CDs from the puja committees regarding their awareness drives against dengue.The move is a part of KMC’s unique decision of awarding the Durga Puja committees that will spread awareness campaign against dengue in the best possible way. The award is called “Swastha Bandhab Sarad Samman 2018.””More than 1,600 puja committees are taking part in this dengue awareness drive. They have done door-to-door campaign on Thursday and Friday and today (Sunday), they held camps with flexes and banners for awareness drive on vector borne diseases. Our panel of judges visited a number of puja committees today (Sunday) and collected the CDs with photographs and videos that they have prepared, highlighting the way they have gone with the drive,” said Atin Ghosh, Member, Mayor-in-Council (MMiC), Health. Also Read – Rain batters Kolkata, cripples normal lifeAccording to sources in KMC’s Health department, 47 puja committees in borough I, 90 in borough II, 105 in borough III, 66 in borough IV, 34 in borough V, 65 in borugh VI, 84 in borough VII, 134 in borough VIII, 95 in IX, 152 in X, 134 in XI, 139 in XII, 89 in XIII, 120 in XIV, 40 in XV and 98 in XVI have applied for taking part in the campaign.”This is the first time we are organising this campaign involving the puja committees. The response has been good and we hope that from next year there will be more participation,” a senior official of KMC’s Health department Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Mercedes car in Kolkata, 2 pedestrians killedsaid.The city has been divided into eight zones, each comprising two boroughs. The puja committees have to ensure that the premises are clean and there is no accumulation of water. From every borough, five puja committees will be recommended for final selection.Three puja committees from every zone, i.e. 24 of them, will get “best three” award. Apart from this,three puja committees from each zone will get “Mayor’s choice”.The “best three” pujas will get Rs 30,000 cash award while the committees that will get “Mayor’s choice” will get Rs 5,000 cash award. The awards will be given on October 11 and on the day of Panchami.
