text:
Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative and the Sustainable Development Agenda of China-Africa in 2030
Dr.Nadia Helmy
Chinese President "Xi Jinping" proposed during his speech before the virtual session of the (general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly), on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, to launch the "Global Development Initiative" to guide global development towards a new stage of balanced and coordinated the comprehensive growth response to the severe shocks of the pandemic of the (Covid-19). The Chinese "Global Development Initiative" came in support of economic and social development around the world. Comrade Chinese President"Xi Jinping"relied on a number of stimuli supporting it, as follows:
1) The Global Development Initiative launched by Comrade "Xi Jinping" is based on revitalizing the economy and striving to (achieve stronger, greener and balanced global development).
2) President Xi's call for (commitment to achieving development as a priority in order to promote global development).
3) Chinese President "Xi Jinping" proposed that (place development at the top of the global macro-policy agenda, strengthen policy coordination among major economies, and ensure policy continuity, consistency and sustainability).
4) President "Xi" sought to call on the countries of the world with our need to (promote more equitable and balanced global development partnerships, to achieve more synergy between multilateral development cooperation processes, and to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development).
5) That is why the Chinese President, Comrade "Xi Jinping", stressed the necessity of (committing to a people-centred approach, while protecting and improving the livelihoods of peoples and nations, and protecting and promoting human rights through development).
6) President "Xi" linked his global development initiative with the "Belt and Road" initiative, with finding common ground between them and (continuing commitment to achieving benefits for all, and paying attention to the special needs of developing countries).
7) What was new in the international and international initiative of President "Xi Jinping" was his highlighting (the importance of development driven by innovation and harmony between man and nature).
8) And in the belief of the Chinese government and President "Xi", in the importance of China globally to support the efforts of the international community in (the issue of global climate change), so came the call of Comrade "Xi Jinping" to develop a plan aimed at (China's endeavor to reach the peak of carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060), by emphasizing China's support and leadership for all global efforts to achieve these goals of preserving the global environment from the threat of climate change and toxic emissions.
9) In the interest of China to lead all global development initiatives, President "Xi" affirmed (China's support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, pledging that China will not build any new coal-fired energy projects abroad).
10) President "Xi" called for the international community, led by China, to "continue to adhere to results-oriented measures and build a community with a shared future for global development"
11) In practice, the Chinese government has set some indicators, foundations and guiding standards to lead global development efforts, at the invitation of Presidential "Xi Jinping" to achieve and accomplish the following:
"The world's need to increase inputs to development, and to strengthen cooperation on the basis of giving priority to the areas of poverty alleviation, food security, response to the (Covid-19) pandemic, the provision of vaccines, development financing, climate change, green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity are among the other areas, in addition to accelerating the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"
Hence, we understand that (the global development initiative launched by Chinese President Comrade "Xi Jinping" is consistent with the Chinese development initiative, the Belt and Road, and contributes to building a better future for mankind), which was confirmed by United Nations Secretary-General "Antonio Guterres" stressing that:
The "Global Development Initiative" proposed by Chinese President "Xi Jinping" is of great importance in promoting global equality and a balanced sustainable development, stressing the United Nations' full support for the Chinese initiative for President "Xi", with the United Nations' desire to strengthen cooperation with China in achieving and leading this global development initiative.
As a practical proof of the success of the Chinese global initiative for development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, "Wang Wenbin", affirmed at a press conference that:
"Dozens of countries and many international organizations have clearly expressed their support for the China Global Development Initiative or taken a positive turn on it"
In my personal belief, that in itself (is a real success for China's efforts to lead the future of global development, formulate the future of humanity and support all development strategies of African and developing countries, through work and coordination with the United Nations development efforts and all relevant international organizations, as well as sponsoring China's support for the efforts of African and global civil society to implement the United Nations Development Agenda 2030, to keep pace with all global developments, in implementation of the Chinese call for President "Xi Jinping", with all of us participating in the future), and to support of this Chinese international initiative, so the focus of all Chinese speeches to President "Xi Jinping" affirmed the China's support for the UN's development efforts, in a manner that serves (promoting global equality and the balance of sustainable development in Chinese cooperation with the United Nations and all international organizations and civil society around the world), in a way that finally supports (the Chinese initiative for the Belt and Road and work for the benefit of all poor and developing peoples, primarily African countries, leading China to promote joint construction, openness, inclusiveness and a common future for mankind), according to the call by the Chinese leadership of "Xi Jinping" and leaders of the Communist Party of China.
Related Topics:AfricaChinaEconomicsSustainabilityUN
China and Africa Move into New Era of Cooperation
Presidents Chakwera and Nyusi toast for laudable Malawi-Mozambican relations
Associate Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Politics and Economics / Beni Suef University- Egypt. An Expert in Chinese Politics, Sino-Israeli relationships, and Asian affairs- Visiting Senior Researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)/ Lund University, Sweden- Director of the South and East Asia Studies Unit
The Spirit of the Olympic Games and the Rise of China
Andrew Korybko
A girl stands outside her home in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia. © UNICEF/Tanya Bindra
Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin pledged that his homeland will help rehabilitate his hosts after getting a clearer understanding of the full extent of the damage that the terrorist-designated Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) inflicted on the northern part of the country throughout the course of its approximately half-year-long occupation of the Afar and Amhara Regions. China's Xinhua recently cited official Ethiopian government statistics about this which claim that the Amhara Region suffered damages upwards of approximately $5.7 billion.
According to their data, the TPLF partially or fully damaged 1,466 health facilities and vandalized water, electricity, and transport infrastructure. 1.9 million children are out of school in that region after more than 4,000 schools were damaged by the group. Over 1.8 million people were displaced from the Afar and Amhara Regions while 8.3 million there are suffering from food insecurity. The scale of this humanitarian crisis is massive and the direct result of the US-led West's Hybrid War on Ethiopia that was waged to punish the country for its balanced foreign policy between the US and China.
It's here where Russia can rely on its recent experiences in helping to rehabilitate Syria and the Central African Republic (CAR) in order to optimize its pledged rehabilitation of Ethiopian. Those two countries are much more war-torn than Ethiopia is, the latter of which only saw fighting in its northern regions instead of the entirety of its territory like the prior two did. The most urgent task is to ensure security in the liberated areas, which can be advanced by summer 2021's military cooperation agreement between Russia and Ethiopia.
This pact could potentially see Russia sharing more details of its earlier mentioned experiences in order to enhance the Ethiopian National Defense Force's (ENDF) security and stabilization operations in the northern part of the country. Syria and the CAR survived very intense Hybrid Wars that utilized cutting-edge military tactics and strategies against them similar to those that were subsequently directed against Ethiopia by the TPLF. It would help the ENDF to learn more about the challenges connected to ensuring security in areas that have been liberated from such contemporary Hybrid War forces.
The next order of business is to help the many victims of that country's humanitarian crisis. Russia's experience with assisting Syria in this respect, which suffered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises in decades, can be of use to Ethiopia. This is especially the case when it comes to aiding its internally displaced people. Their immediate needs must be met and maintained, which might require urgent support from that country's trusted partners such as Russia. Provisioning such in an effective and timely manner can also improve Russia's international reputation too, especially among Africans.
Northern Ethiopia's post-war rehabilitation must be comprehensive and sustainable. The country's Medemer philosophy — which has been translated as "coming together" – will form the basis of these efforts. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed touched upon this in his 2019 Nobel Peace Prize speech and his book of the same name that was released earlier that year. Its English translation hasn't yet been published but Medemer was explained at length by high-level Ethiopian officials during an early 2020 US Institute of Peace panel talk and in Ethiopian writer Linda Yohannes' insightful book review.
An oversimplification of it in the economic context is that Medemer preaches the need for comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable growth through public-private and other partnerships that bring prosperity to all of its people, which in turn strengthens socio-political relations between them. It seeks to apply positive aspects of foreign models while avoiding the bad ones. The Medemer mentality aspires to balance cooperation with competition, constantly improving itself as needed, in order to synchronize and synergize Ethiopia's natural economic advantages in people, location, and resources.
In practice, this could see Russian public and private companies partnering with Ethiopia's primarily public ones to rehabilitate the northern regions' damaged infrastructure. Since sustainable growth is one of Medemer's key concepts, the country's Russian partners could also train more laborers, social workers, teachers, and doctors throughout the course of these projects while offering scholarships to some internally displaced youth for example. In that way, Russia and Ethiopia could truly embody the Medemer spirit by literally bringing their people closer together as a result of these noble efforts.
All the while, Russia's international media flagships of RT and Sputnik should be active on the ground documenting the entire experience. The immense influence that Moscow has in shaping global perceptions can be put to positive use in exposing the foreign-backed TPLF's countless crimes against humanity in northern Ethiopia. This can powerfully counteract the US-led West's information warfare campaign against its government, which misportrays the TPLF as innocent victims of the "genocidal" ENDF, exactly as similar Russian media efforts have done in debunking Western lies against Syria.
The world wouldn't only benefit by learning more about the US-led West's lies against Ethiopia, but also in seeing how effectively Russia is working to reverse the damage that their TPLF proxies inflicted in the northern part of that country. Russia is also a victim of their information warfare campaign, which misportrays the Kremlin as a dangerous and irresponsible international actor. The truth, however, is that Russia is a peaceful and responsible international actor that has a documented track record of cleaning up the West's Hybrid War messes in Syria, the CAR, and prospectively soon even Ethiopia too.
Upon taking the lead in rehabilitating northern Ethiopia, Russia should diversify the stakeholders in that country's prosperity in coordination with its hosts. It's in Ethiopia's interests as well to receive assistance from as many responsible and trusted partners as possible. Russia can help by requesting that relevant aid and multilateral rehabilitation efforts be placed on the agenda of the proposed heads of state meeting between the Russian, Indian, and Chinese (RIC) leaders that presidential aide Yury Ushakov said was discussed for early 2022 during President Putin's latest video call with President Xi in December.
The RIC countries stood with in solidarity with Ethiopia at the United Nations in the face of the US-led West's subversive attempts to weaponize international law against it. They're strong economies in their own right, not to mention through their cooperation via BRICS and the SCO, the latter organization of which also has anti-terrorist and other security dimensions. These two multipolar platforms could potentially be used to extend economic, financial, humanitarian, and security cooperation to their Ethiopian partner to complement bilateral and trilateral efforts in this respect.
Russia's increasingly strategic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could also lead to Moscow working more closely with Abu Dhabi on related rehabilitation matters with their shared partners in Addis Ababa. Observers shouldn't forget that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) played a crucial role in brokering peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2018. He even awarded their leaders his country's highest civil honor when they both visited the UAE that summer. Furthermore, Al Jazeera alleges that the UAE has maintained a humanitarian (and possibly even military) air bridge to Ethiopia.
Regardless of whether or not the military aspect of this reported bridge is true or not, there's no denying that the UAE has emerged as a major stakeholder in Ethiopia's success. It deposited $1 billion in Ethiopia's central bank in summer 2018 as part of its $3 billion aid and investment pledge at the time. The UAE also plans to build an Eritrean-Ethiopian oil pipeline in order to help the latter export its newly tapped reserves in the southeast. Additionally, DP World signed a memorandum with Ethiopia in May 2021 to build a $1 billion trade and logistics corridor to separatist Somaliland's Berbera port.
Considering the closeness of Emirati-Ethiopian relations, it would therefore be fitting for RIC to incorporate the UAE as an equal partner into any potential multilateral plan that those countries might come up with during their proposed heads of state summit sometime in early 2022. It enjoys excellent relations with all three of them so it's a perfect fit for complementing their shared efforts. Plus, the UAE has the available capital needed to invest in high-quality, long-term, but sometimes very expensive infrastructure projects, which can ensure northern Ethiopia's sustainable rehabilitation.
It's pivotal for Russia to prioritize its pledged rehabilitation of Ethiopia ahead of the second triennial Russia-Africa Summit that's expected to take place in October or November after fall 2019's first-ever summit saw Russia return to Africa following a nearly three-decade-long hiatus. Coincidentally, Ethiopia requested last April to hold the next event in Addis Ababa. That would be a sensible choice since its capital city hosts the African Union headquarters, has sufficient infrastructure, and can serve most of the continent through its Ethiopian Airlines, which regularly wins awards as Africa's best airline.
The interest that Ethiopian Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegunu recently expressed in courting more Russian investment ahead of the next summit goes perfectly well with Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Terekhin's vow to heighten cooperation between those countries' ruling parties. This in turn raises the chances that the present piece's proposals could hopefully serve as the blueprint for beginning relevant discussions as soon as possible on Russia's pledged rehabilitation of Ethiopia with a view towards achieving tangible successes ahead of the next Russia-Africa Summit.
That timing is so important since Russia mustn't miss the opportunity to showcase its bespoke "Democratic Security" model in Ethiopia. This emerging concept refers to the comprehensive thwarting of Hybrid War threats through economic, informational, military, and other tactics and strategies such as the action plan that was proposed in the present piece. "Democratic Security" approaches vary by country as evidenced from the differing ones that Russia's practicing in Syria and the CAR, but the concept could attract many more African partners if it's successful in Ethiopia by next fall's summit.
Russia must therefore do everything in its power to bring this best-case scenario about. Rehabilitating Ethiopia won't just improve millions of lives, expose the war crimes committed by the US-led West's TPLF proxies, and enable Russia to showcase its "Democratic Security" model to other African countries, but ensure that the continent's historical fountainhead of anti-imperialism and pan-Africanism survives its existential struggle. Upon that happening, Ethiopia can then serve to inspire a revival of these ideas all across Africa through its complementary Medemer concept and thus strengthen multipolarity.
From our partner RIAC
Decade of Sahel conflict leaves 2.5 million people displaced
Two displaced women sit at a camp in Awaradi, Niger. © UNOCHA/Eve Sabbagh
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called on Friday for concerted international action to end armed conflict in Africa's central Sahel region, which has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes in the last decade.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the agency's spokesperson, Boris Cheshirkov, informed that internal displacement has increased tenfold since 2013, going from 217,000 to a staggering 2.1 million by late last year.
The number of refugees in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger now stands at 410,000, and the majority comes from Mali, where major civil conflict erupted in 2012, leading to a failed coup and an on-going extremist insurgency.
Increase in one year
Just last year, a surge in violent attacks across the region displaced nearly 500,000 people (figures for December still pending).
According to estimates from UN partners, armed groups carried out more than 800 deadly attacks in 2021.
This violence uprooted some 450,000 people within their countries and forced a further 36,000 to flee into a neighbouring country.
In Burkina Faso alone, the total number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) rose to more than 1.5 million by the end of the year. Six in ten of the Sahel's displaced are now from this country.
In Niger, the number of IDPs in the regions of Tillabéri and Tahoua has increased by 53 per cent in the last 12 months. In Mali, more than 400,000 people are displaced internally, representing a 30 per cent increase from the previous year.
Climate, humanitarian crisis
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating with crises on multiple fronts.
Insecurity is the main driver, made worse by extreme poverty, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the climate crisis are also felt more strongly in the region, with temperatures rising 1.5 times faster than the global average.
Women and children are often the worst affected and disproportionately exposed to extreme vulnerability and the threat of gender-based violence.
According to the UNHCR spokesperson, "host communities have continued to show resilience and solidarity in welcoming displaced families, despite their own scant resources."
He also said that Government authorities have demonstrated "unwavering commitment" to assisting the displaced, but they are now "buckling under increasing pressure."
Bold response
UNHCR and humanitarian partners face mounting challenges to deliver assistance, and continue to be the target of road attacks, ambushes, and carjacking.
In this context, the agency is calling on the international community to take "bold action and spare no effort" in supporting these countries.
UNHCR is also leading the joint efforts of UN agencies and NGOs to provide emergency shelter, manage displacement sites and deliver vital protection services, including combating gender-based violence and improving access to civil documentation.
In 2021, more than a third of the agency's Central Sahel funding needs were unmet.
This year, to mount an effective response in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, the agency needs $307 million.
SADC extends its joint military mission in Mozambique
Kester Kenn Klomegah
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has collectively decided to extend its force mission mandate in Mozambique for three months to provide military support in fighting terrorism in Cabo Delgado, the northern seaside provincial district that suffered frequent militant attacks displacing thousands out of their homes.
The South African Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), according to the final communiqué released after the leaders of the southern African countries gathered to review significant issues, among them the operations of the joint military force dispatched last year as attacks reached its greater heights to Mozambique.
Chairperson of the SADC's Organ on Politics, Defense and Security and South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa told the gathering in Lilongwe, capital of Malawi, where the regional bloc held its extraordinary summit and reviewed progress in Mozambique, described SAMIM as highly successful in defeating the militant groups particularly in Cabo Delgado.
"I would like to express my appreciation and commend SAMIM for its work on the ground, as well as recognize the member states that have supported this work financially and in the deployment of military personnel and equipment," the final report quoted Ramaphosa.
SADC cannot allow terrorism to spread to other provinces in Mozambique and to the region, and it is imperative to promote a spirit of unity among member countries as terrorism and violent extremism threaten the stability and development that the region has achieved over the past four decades, says the report.
The communiqué also approved the framework for support to Mozambique in addressing terrorism outlines, among others, comprehensive strategic actions for consolidating peace, security, and the socio-economic recovery of Cabo Delgado.
The Maputo daily Noticias wrote after the SADC summit that a budgetary allocation of US$29.5 million has been set aside for the three-month extension, after several years of high-level consultations and this would mean until at least mid-April. The SAMIM extension set from mid-January.
Addressing the opening session of the summit, the current SADC Chairperson, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, urged regional bloc member states to stick together and ensure that SAMIM remains multidimensional and comprehensive. He entreated SADC member countries not to relent, regress or even retreat on their commitments.
"What remains now is for us to stay the course and stick together. We cannot relent. We cannot regress. We cannot retreat. Our approach to this mission must continue to be multidimensional and comprehensive. It must not only focus on neutralizing the threat, but also have post-conflict plans to rebuild," said Chakwera, added that the collective mission is paramount and the stakes for all the Member States are high because what they are fighting for is regional stability, and the sustainability of the quest for the bloc's integration and socio-economic development.
Chakwera welcomed the comprehensive Cabo Delgado Reconstruction Plan launched by his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyusi, and his government, which, among other issues, seeks to provide humanitarian support to the affected population, including internally displaced persons, and uplift their living standards.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi however expressed high optimism about the current military situation in Cabo Delgado. He said that all the bases from which the terrorists used to plan their actions are now in the hands of the Mozambican forces, and 2022 would be a decisive year to support the regional standby force in the final fight against terrorism in Mozambique.
For the Mozambican President Nyusi the extension of the SAMIM mission demonstrates the spirit of unity and solidarity that the Southern African Development Community members have readily and warmheartedly shown with the people of Mozambique.
Mozambique has grappled with an insurgency in its northernmost province of Cabo Delgado since 2017, but currently fast improving after the deployment of joint military force with the primary responsibility of ensuring peace and stability, and for restoring normalcy in Mozambique.
Mozambique has consistently maintained that all problems especially relating to conflicts and crises should be resolved largely based on the approaches of Africans, and of course with moral, political and material support from regional blocs such as SADC and the continental organization – African Union, and the involvement of United Nations with its UN Security Council.
With an approximate population of 30 million, Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources but remains one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world. Mozambique is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).


In the world of A.I., the best virtual assistant might turn out to be your virtual self.
Have you ever wished you could clone yourself? Imagine how much you could accomplish.
The future of A.I. will make something kind of like that possible. By scanning your face and voice and observing how you talk and what you know, future A.I. could build a virtual assistant that's a virtual you.
Sounds like science fiction. But one company is already working on it.
A company based in Pasadena, Calif., called ObEN built a 3D A.I. avatar technology that produced what it calls a "personal A.I.," or PAI.
I spoke to ObEN co-founder and CEO Nikhil Jain this week. He told me ObEN's technology generates a 3D, computer-generated representation of the user's face with a single selfie.
ObEN also learns to copy your voice. Once it's got your voice down, it can do things with your voice that you cannot — speak Chinese, for example, or sing.
That "personality" is based not only on how you speak, but on what you know as well. It's even possible to add knowledge manually.
ObEN is a technology play, rather than a product. Some of the first ObEN-based products will enable fans in South Korea and Hong Kong to interact with A.I. versions of celebrities.
The company is also partnering on less frivolous applications. For example, ObEN is working with Kaiser Permanente to develop avatars of doctors who can interact with patients, according to Jain.
Today, Kaiser interacts with patients through an email-like message system on its website. It would be easy to imagine a virtual video avatar popping up and informing patients of, say, blood-test results, and then being able to answer non-medical questions on the spot (such as general questions about making an appointment). That avatar would be a representation of the patient's actual, specific doctor.
Another application is in marketing and advertising. Celebrities have always been used for advertising. But ads are becoming increasingly personalized and interactive. The use of celebrities for personalized, interactive marketing doesn't scale — unless, of course, the celebrities are virtualized.
ObEN is also working on WeChat integration. WeChat is the major messaging app in China.
By far the most interesting potential applications for ObEN's technology are for enterprise and business.
Above all, ObEN envisions the use of its technology as a super assistant that looks and sounds like you. This "virtual you" would be able to go out and interact with business associates, partners, clients and others, setting up meetings, interacting and generally helping the real you carry the load.
ObEN also sees a role in the sharing economy of the future, where Airbnb-type services can use virtual avatars to negotiate arrival schedules and deal with various lodging situations between guests and hosts or even provide general customer service.
ObEN has the potential to help both on a personal and a professional level. Like the 1996 science fiction comedy Multiplicity, where Michael Keaton's character feels overwhelmed by competing demands of work and family (and so does the obvious thing and has himself cloned), ObEN's virtual assistant application would create a virtual you to do a lot of the gruntwork and low-level communication and decision-making at both work and home.
In the perfect ObEN universe, different simultaneous instances of your PAI would be off scheduling meetings, answering questions, negotiating rates and even telling bedtime stories to your children, according to Jain, while you are freed up to focus on the stuff that requires human attention and experience.
At the end of the day, the user can review everything the PAI did that day.
ObEN's PAI approach is one answer to the question of how virtual assistants with agency might function. We've assumed for years that virtual assistants will do more than just answer our questions, which is mostly what they do today. Future virtual assistants should buy things, negotiate fees, automatically remind co-workers of their deadlines and more.
Consider Amy, the x.ai virtual assistant. Amy is A.I. that interacts via email and schedules meetings. Amy has a personality and can make decisions in an email conversation, such as the meeting participants and the Amy virtual assistant negotiating available times for meetings. Amy is a virtual person, and many people who encounter Amy assume they're interacting with a real human.
If our virtual assistants are to be "personalities" like Amy, they could also be virtual representations of ourselves. This approach is actually more transparent than the A.I. that's currently used.
For example, when people interact with Amy, or when they use Google's "Smart Reply," they usually don't know A.I. was involved. With something like ObEN's PAI, it's obvious what's going on — it's obviously A.I.
Interestingly, the use of one's self as the virtual assistant "personality" also could serve as a kind of authentication, if done right.
Today, ObEN's technology is nascent, and many of the applications discussed here lie far into the future.
That's true. It's not going to happen overnight. But it is going to happen.
I wrote about the coming age of "me bots" two years ago, predicting that bots and agents would interact as us for trivial conversations.
These probably will, or at least should, be tied into our virtual assistants.
What's easier to predict is that they'll be available on various media. For example, ObEN is working on something that replaces live video chat. But other technologies will use only voice or only text (for use in messaging apps or email).
Voice A.I. is interesting. But ObEN's audio-visual approach is highly compatible with two major trends.
The first is face scanning, as represented in Apple's iPhone X. This kind of technology could produce extremely accurate 3D renderings of people. And that capability should be standard in smartphones in three years.
The second trend is the rise of augmented reality and virtual reality.
With people spending more time using augmented reality, first with phones and later with smart glasses — and also spending more time in virtual reality — the idea of interacting with video versions of people's virtual agents becomes more compelling.
Imagine if Siri, Cortana and Alexa were each represented by a universal "person" created by the company to represent that virtual assistant. Then, imagine these virtual assistants gaining agency and acquiring the ability to show up in other people's augmented reality glasses. Video Siri shows up and says, "Carl would like to schedule a meeting for next week." Then the same video Siri shows up again representing Janet.
When everyone who interacts with you via virtual assistant does so using the same face and voice, confusion is inevitable. It doesn't work.
It would be far more clear, and far easier to authenticate, if, instead of video Siri, video versions of Carl and Janet themselves showed up in the glasses.
Predicting the future is all about following the trends to see where they intersect.
Virtual assistants are growing more sophisticated and will gain agency. A.I. is advancing. Face-scanning will become mainstream. Augmented reality and virtual reality will definitely become ubiquitous.
All this points to a future where A.I. virtual assistants, which look and sound just like us, will help us in myriad ways.
People fear a future where A.I. takes our jobs. But the more likely outcome is that A.I. will simply do some of the work, enabling us to succeed better at our jobs.
We'll all have a clone of our own.


text:
Q: Bootstrap-vue still recommended with Bootstrap 5? Since Bootstrap 5 no longer using jQuery and is using vanilla JS I'm wondering if Bootstrap-Vue is still recommended being used or not, regardless of the fact that Bootstrap-Vue don't support Bootstrap 5 yet.
Just wanna get an idea if I should start learning Bootstrap-Vue or not.

A: BootstrapVue is currently an implementation of Bootstrap 4.5 on Vue 2.6.
It's not using Vue 3.
It's not using Bootstrap 5.
Discussion around a Vue 3 + Bootstrap 4 version here.
Authors also mention work on a Bootstrap 5 + Vue 3 has not started yet but it's planned, on a separate branch.

Should you learn this version of BootstrapVue?
The concepts won't change much, but the implementation might, (not so much around template syntax, but more on controller syntax - around object vs composition API usage).
On the other hand, one could argue if you know Vue 2 object API syntax and have reasonable knowledge of Bootstrap 4, there's hardly anything to learn about BootstrapVue.
Currently, if a company wants to use BootstrapVue in production, they'll use Vue 2.6.12 and Bootstrap v4.5.3, even if they plan on refactoring for Vue 3 + Bootstrap 5 at some later point, when they become production ready.
The vast majority of companies using Vue right now are using Vue 2 and, because no major UI library (BootstrapVue, Vuetify) has released a Vue 3 version, the only option for using Vue 3 is writing your own CSS/theme, which most don't deem worth investing in.

Getting back to your question, it roughly translates into: should I learn Vue 2 and Bootstrap 4? My personal answer is: "Definitely." They will be in usage for many years to come, even after a BootstrapVue version for Vue 3 + Bootstrap 5 will be out.
Also, there's a high probability having knowledge about how current version works will give you a significant advantage in learning and understanding future versions.

Minor note: you start your question by saying

"Since Bootstrap 5 no longer using jQuery..."

BootstrapVue means Bootstrap powered by Vue instead of jQuery. BootstrapVue has always been jQuery-less. That's the main reason why people use it: to get Bootstrap in Vue projects without jQuery dependency.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
PE Week Wire, Jan. 17, 2007
Wall Street analysts beware: Your jobs could soon be outsourced.
That's the message coming from Adventity, an India-based company that this morning announced $20 million in VC funding led by Norwest Venture Partners. Well, Adventity doesn't put it quite so ominously, but it's hard to miss the implications of its sales pitch to corporation, I-banks and asset managers like private equity firms and hedge funds: Get high-quality research and analytics at a far lower cost than what you are accustomed to paying.
This is known as "knowledge process outsourcing," a twist on the more commonly-discussed business process outsourcing. Promod Haque, managing partner of NVP and a new Adventiy board member, says that the business opportunity partially relates to the cost arbitrage, but also to the availability of talent: "What you find in the high-end research and analytics space is that many of the skill sets used are by folks with engineering degrees and MBAs – and that talent is more readily available in India than in the United States."
I followed up by asking why such a person from India wouldn't continue following the traditional path of spending a few years in New York to make his/her fortune, with plans of then returning home. After all, you can still make better salaries on Wall Street than working for Adventity in India. His answer was two-fold: First, there is the obvious tug of home/family, and an acceptance of trading off some cash for comfort. Second, and of equal import, is the fact that U.S. immigration laws have become increasingly prohibitive.
It also should be noted that Adventity is more than just a research shop, with significant interests in areas like transaction processing. More specifically, it hopes to use such business lines to generate in-country revenue – perhaps up to 20%.
"We want to become the [First Data Corp.] of India," Haque says. He adds that Adventity should not require additional VC funding, save for possible acquisition capital.
*** Bids are due today for Tribune Co., and it looks like private equity firms will remain on the sidelines. CNBC's David Farber yesterday – and Zach Kouwe in today's NY Post — reported that a group of Apollo Management, Madison Dearborn and Providence Equity Partners have done significant due diligence, but couldn't find a way to make the numbers make sense. Ditto for Bain Capital and TH Lee. This means that the only folks likely to submit bids today are the Chandler family and, possibly, the tag-team of Ron Burkle and Eli Broad.
This development should not surprise regular readers of this column, as I've previously expressed disbelief that private equity firms would buy into a market (urban daily newspapers) that is so clearly sliding off a cliff. My only moment of self-doubt came when Avista agreed to acquire the Star-Tribune last month, but the basic explanation there is that Avista got a real bargain from a motivated seller (McClatchy). It is unlikely that public Tribune shareholders will be as generous. And that's a blessing for potential bidders.
*** Does anyone know what happened to Sand Hill Slave, the VC firm executive assistant whose racy blog was a source of occasional amusement? The site seems to have disappeared, which obviously raises questions as to whether or not she was outed/discovered…
*** Coller Capital just released its latest Private Equity Barometer, and it includes some results that mirror the ACG/Thomson Dealmaker's Survey from last week. Specifically, 49% of limited partners plan to increase their allocations over the next 12 months (57% will stay at current levels), but over 40% of LPs also expect the exit environment for North American and European buyouts will "deteriorate over the next year or two." In other words, LPs are increasing exposure to an asset class which they expect to provide decreased returns. My head hurts.
*** We had some tech glitches last night with people trying to sign up for peHUB Premium Subscriptions, which provide archived access to all past PE Week Wires and peHUB.com content (for just $124, plus tax). Our techies seem to have fixed it within the last hour, but please contact me via email if problems persist.
Cerberus Capital Management reportedly has dropped out of a group considering a rival offer for commercial real estate giant Equity Office. The consortium still includes Vornado Realty Trust, Starwood Capital and Walton Street Capital, but it is unclear if it will still be able to make an offer. The Blackstone Group agreed last year to acquire Equity Office for $36 billion (including $16 billion in assumed debt). It was believed that the rival bid would be in excess of $38 billion. www.equityoffice.com
Validus Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based reinsurance company, has filed for a $200 million IPO. It plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol VR, with Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch serving as co-lead underwriters. Validus was formed in October 2005, with funding from Aquiline Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Vestar Capital Partners, New Mountain Capital and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity. www.validusre.bm
Boston-Power Inc., a Westborough, Mass.-based developer of lithium-ion batteries, has raised $15.56 million in Series B funding, according to a regulatory filing. Granite Global Ventures was joined by return backers Venrock Associates and Gabriel Venture Partners co-led the deal. www.boston-power.com
VC Deals
Tigris Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Bonita, Fla.-based developer of cancer therapies, has raised around $16 million in Series B funding. NGN Capital led the deal, and was joined by Wexford Capital and Bushido Capital Partners. Riverbank Capital Securities acted as placement agent. www.tigrispharma.com
PostPath Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based maker of Linux-based email and collaboration servers, has raised $15 million in Series C funding. Jafco Ventures led the deal, and was joined by return backers investors Matrix Partners and Worldview Technology Partners. www.postpath.com
Trianz, a Bangalore, India-based provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing services, has raised $14 million from the NYLIM India Fund. www.trianz.com
Circulite Inc., a Hackensack, N.J.-based maker of implantable ventrical medical devices, has secured $10.2 million of a $25 million Series B round, according to a regulatory filing. Shareholders include Giza Venture Capital and Oxford Bioscience Partners. www.circulite.net
Electric Cloud, a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of software production management solutions, has raised $9 million in Series C funding. Rembrandt Venture Partners led the deal, and was joined by return backers Mayfield Fund, RRE Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. www.electric-cloud.com
Millennial Media, a Baltimore, Md.-based mobile advertising startup, has raised $6.3 million in Series A funding. Bessemer Venture Partners and Columbia Capital co-led the deal, with Acta Wireless also participating. www.millennialmedia.com
vMix Media Inc., a San Diego-based online media platform, has raised $5.5 million in Series B funding from return backers Mission Ventures and Enterprise Partners. It had announced the deal last week, but without a dollar amount. www.vmix.com
EyeGate Pharma, a Paris-based developer of iontophoresis technology to non-invasively deliver therapeutics for ocular indications, has raised $2 million in additional Series B funding from The Nexus Group. The round total now stands at $12 million, with first-tranche backers including Innoven Partenaires and Ventech. www.eyegatepharma.com
Geni Inc. has launched with a mission is "to create a family tree of the entire world." The Los Angeles-based startup is run by former PayPal COO David Sacks, and has raised an undisclosed amount of VC funding from The Founders Fund. www.geni.com
Therative, a San Francisco-based maker of a handheld consumer medical device for the treatment of acne, has raised an undisclosed amount of Series B funding. It brings the company's total venture capitalization to over $5 million. Backers include Foundation Capital, RWI Ventures and Band of Angels. www.theractive.com
Buyout Deals
Formation Capital and JER Partners have agreed to acquire Genesis HealthCare Corp. (Nasdaq: GHCI) for $63 per share. The total deal is valued at $1.7 billion, including the assumption of around $450 million in debt. GHC is a Kennett Square, Pa.-based long-term care provider with over 200 skilled nursing centers and assisted living residences in 13 eastern states. www.genesishcc.com
Akzo Nobel NV has received three bids for its pharmaceutical unit Organon BioSciences, according to Dow Jones. Each is in the range of Euro 8 billion to Euro 10 billion. One consortium includes Blackstone Group, Bain Capital, Alpinvest Partners NV, Apax Partners and Texas Pacific Group. The second includes KKR and Warburg Pincus, while members of the third are Carlyle Group, Advent International and BC Partners.
Interpool Inc. (NYSE: IPX) has received a $24 per share buyout offer from company CEO and chairman Martin Tuchman, who is being supported by other significant Interpool stockholders and Fortis Merchant Banking. Interpool is a Princeton, N.J.-based supplier of equipment and services to the transportation industry. www.interpool.com
Residential Credit Solutions Inc. has been formed as a Fort Worth, Texas-based residential mortgage investment and servicing company focused on credit-sensitive and servicing-intensive mortgage assets. It is backed by a $125 million capital commitment led by Equifin Capital Partners. Och-Ziff Capital Management also participated. www.equifincapital.com
ECI Partners has sponsored a Gbp56 million management buy-in of Aerial Facilities Ltd., a UK-based provider of products and solutions which extend the coverage of wireless networks. The new management team is led by CEO Ian Brown, who previously served as CEO of Redstone PLC. www.ecipartners.com www.aerialfacilities.com
Wellspring Capital Management has sponsored an equity recapitalization of ChemAid Laboratories Inc., a Saddle Brook, N.J.–based contract manufacturer of specialty hair care, skin care and bath and body treatment products. No financial terms were disclosed. www.wellspringcapital.com
Centre Partners Management LLC and affiliate Centre Southwest Partners LLC have formed Nexus Gas Partners LLC, a Dallas-based midstream service provider of natural gas gathering, transportation, processing and related pipeline services to natural gas producers in East Texas and Northwest Louisiana. No financial terms were disclosed. In related news, Nexus announced that it has acquired Dominion Midstream Services, which was previously a privately held company of the Dallas-based Dominion Gas Group. The acquired assets consist of the Logansport gathering and dehydration system, which currently gathers approximately 100 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Joaquin Field in Shelby County and Panola County, Texas and the Logansport, Grand Cane, Spider and Benson Fields in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. www.nexusgas.com
PE-Backed IPOs
Animal Health International Inc., a Westlake, Texas-based distributor of animal health products, has set its proposed IPO terms to 11.8 million common shares being offered at between $10 and $12 per share. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol AHII, with JPMorgan serving as lead underwriter. Charlesbank Capital Partners bought the company from Bain Capital in 2005, and holds a 76.4% pre-IPO position. www.walcointl.com
Mellanox Technologies Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of interconnect solutions for servers, storage and infrastructure equipment, has set its proposed IPO terms to six million common shares being offered at between $12 and $14 per share. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol MLNX, with Credit Suisse and JPMorgan serving as co-lead underwriters. The company has raised $89.34 million in VC funding since its 1999 inception, from firms like Intel Capital, Sequoia Capital, U.S. Venture Partners, Jerusalem Global Ventures and Walden Israel. www.mellanox.com
PE-Backed M&A
TestAmerica a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital has completed its acquisition of Severn Trent Laboratories Inc., an environmental testing firm with 32 laboratories throughout the United States, from Severn Trent PLC. No financial terms were disclosed. www.stl-inc.com www.testmaericainc.com
Triad Isotopes Inc., an Orlando, Fla.-based provider of radiopharmaceuticals that are used for both diagnostic imaging procedures and disease treatment, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Parthenon Capital. It used the infusion to has acquire three nuclear pharmacy operators: Diversified Pharmacy Group, Cox Nuclear Pharmacies and Coastal Nuclear Pharmacies. No financial terms were disclosed for the acquisitions, after which the founders of each of the merged companies will continue as senior members of Triad's management team. www.triadisotopes.com www.parthenoncapital.com
PE Exits
GTCR has completed its sale of home security monitoring company HSM Electronic Protection Services Inc. to The Stanley Works for $545 million. GTCR acquired HSM in 2004 from Honeywell International. www.gtcr.com www.hsmsecurity.com
Gresham Private Equity has sold UK childcare provider Busy Bee Group Ltd. to ABC Learning Centres Ltd. for Gbp71 million (approx. $140m). The deal closed late last year, with Downer & Co. advising ABC.
Allied Capital has sold portfolio company Palm Coast Data Holdco Inc. to Kable Media Services Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMREP Corp. (NYSE: AXR). The deal was valued at $92 million. Palm Coast is a Palm Coast, Fla.-based provider of fulfillment services to U.S. publishers of magazines and to membership associations. Allied acquired the company in partnership with company management in August 2005, and held an 85.7% stake. www.alliedcapital.com www.palmcoastd.com
TSG Consumer Partners has retained Piper Jaffray to explore strategic options for portfolio company Harry's Fresh Foods, according to The Deal. Harry's is a Portland, Ore.-based bulk seller of soups and other food products to supermarkets.
Spire Capital Partners of New York is raising up to $300 million for its second fund, according to a regulatory filing. As of December 8, it had secured $89.95 million in commitments. The firm's inaugural fund was capped at $260 million. www.spirecapital.com
Edison Venture Fund is planning to close its sixth fund by the end of March with $240 million, according to VentureWire. It already has secured $232 million in capital commitments from LPs like BlackRock, Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association, Lincoln Financial Group, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., New York State & Local Retirement System and the New Jersey Investment Council. www.edisonventure.com
Institutional Venture Partners is targeting $400 million for its twelfth fund, according to Private Equity Insider. www.ivp.com
Ralph Parks has joined Oaktree Capital Management as chairman of its Asia-Pacific operations. He previously was chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Asia Pacific. www.oaktreecapital.com
Clive Norton has joined Helix Associates, a private equity fund placement subsidiary of Jefferies International, as a London-based managing director. He previously was with Goldman Sachs as co-head of European private equity. www.helix-associates.com
Inder Duggal has joined MMV Financial as COO and CFO. He previously was CFO, secretary, treasurer and director of Canadian technology company Hummingbird Ltd. www.mmvf.com
Stuart Duty has joined Piper Jaffray as a managing director and co-head of its Healthcare I-banking team. He previously was a partner, COO and director of strategic investments with Oracle Investment Management. www.piperjaffray.com
Adam Roseman, founder and CEO of ARC Investment Partners, has been named interim CEO of Xyience Inc., a Los Angeles–based maker of healthy snack bars, beverages and nutritional supplements. A permanent CEO search is underway. www.xyience.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Mecometopus is een kevergeslacht uit de familie van de boktorren (Cerambycidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van het geslacht werd voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1861 door Thomson.

Soorten
Mecometopus omvat de volgende soorten:
 Mecometopus aesopus (Chevrolat, 1860)
 Mecometopus aurantisignatus Zajciw, 1964
 Mecometopus batesii (White, 1855)
 Mecometopus bicinctus Aurivillius, 1920
 Mecometopus cauaburi Martins & Galileo, 2011
 Mecometopus centurio Chevrolat, 1862
 Mecometopus giesberti Chemsak & Noguera, 1993
 Mecometopus globicollis (Castelnau & Gory, 1841)
 Mecometopus ion (Chevrolat, 1860)
 Mecometopus leprieuri (Castelnau & Gory, 1841)
 Mecometopus melanion Bates, 1885
 Mecometopus mundus (Chevrolat, 1860)
 Mecometopus palmatus (Olivier, 1795)
 Mecometopus polygenus Thomson, 1861
 Mecometopus remipes Bates, 1885
 Mecometopus riveti Gounelle, 1910
 Mecometopus sarukhani Chemsak & Noguera, 1993
 Mecometopus wallacei (White, 1855)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Collage: Tina Tiller
ScienceSeptember 9, 2021
New tactics against predators and pests promise to be more effective and humane
By Mirjam Guesgen
Made possible by
New Zealand is ready to think outside the trap-box when it comes to getting rid of pests. That means trialing everything from sterilisation to putting the fear in cats and making plants invisible (sort of).
Neuroendocrinologist Greg Anderson says the country is on the brink of something catastrophic. "Half of New Zealand's native species are extinct already and many of the rest are endangered," the University of Otago professor says. "With the current [pest control] technology we're just holding our ground at best. We need something radical to turn the tide."
Anderson says the problem with mammalian pests in Aotearoa is that they're great at making babies. His solution to our pest problem is a one-dose oral paste that permanently sterilises predators, regardless of sex or species.
He and his team – consisting of reproductive biologists, a chemist and a bait developer – have just been granted $1m through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Endeavour Fund to develop such a paste. It's one of 69 projects to receive funding this round.
There are a slew of advantages to sterilisation over poisoning or trapping, says Anderson.
Baits or traps are OK but some predators, like stoats, will sneak into a nest of newly-born kits and mate with all the females before those young have even had the chance to leave the nest and encounter any traps.
And this sterilisation paste would only work on mammals, not birds. "That's a god-send for New Zealand's forests," Anderson says, referring to the rare cases where birds fall victim to poisons destined for rats or stoats.
Plus, predators can become wary of bait after only eating a bit of it – not enough to kill them, end up feeling sick, and then learn to avoid the bait later on. They also tell their predator mates about it so they avoid the bait too. With a sterilisation paste the animals wouldn't know anything had happened.
The fact that a pest animal wouldn't feel the paste's effects also makes it potentially more humane than poisons, which can leave an animal feeling sick, thirsty, in pain or breathless.
Finally, it's a one-size-fits-all solution in that it would work on all mammal pests. That means no customising traps to fit a particular pest's size or shape and more individuals can be targeted at a time. "The wider we can spread this [to pests], the better," Anderson says.
A NZ stoat with a chick. (Photo: David Hallet/Department of Conservation)
His team will spend the first of the next three years homing in on a chemical formulation that targets a particular receptor in the mammal reproductive system. They'll test it on animal cells in a dish, then move on to testing it on rats and mice in the lab, before tackling the tricky task of turning it into an edible paste where the active ingredients don't get destroyed by the animals' acidic stomachs.
There will be a few details to figure out when it finally comes time to potentially implement the paste, including making sure that it's spread out in a way that pet cats don't inadvertently lick it up. "We wouldn't want to sterilise those animals but that can be managed. The Department of Conservation and the people who currently administer 1080 have decades of experience managing [distribution]," says Anderson. He adds that the effects could be reversible too.
But there may be a way to deal with cats as well: by scaring them away. Another project to receive MBIE funding will trial using sounds and smells to deter cats away from areas where native wildlife roam.
The project, led by wildlife ecologist Patrick Garvey from Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, will test out these scare tactics in different areas of the country.
Areas of interest include the perimeter of eco-sanctuary Zealandia, in Wellington, where birds that leave the protected sanctuary are being picked off by cats; and potentially the Te Atatu peninsula or other areas of Auckland where shorebirds like dotterel aren't having success breeding because of the felines. Garvey is currently working with councils, iwi and DOC to pin down which sites they'll use.
Garvey says the first step will be to figure out the right sounds and scents for deterring cats but that won't bug native species. They'll do this in large outdoor arenas before moving their experiments out into the wild.
Then they'll find ways to place the sounds and smells so that they're not freaking out native species as well. "This is a very important consideration as we want to ensure native wildlife are not impacted," he says. They'll also monitor the sites throughout the study to make sure birds and other non-target species aren't disturbed.
The researchers will also fit cats with tracking collars and capture their movements on camera traps to see if the technique is working. That is, that cats are staying away. They'll also monitor what's going on at bird breeding sites using cameras to see if scaring away cats leads to better breeding success for the birds.
Native wildlife isn't the only group to suffer at the paws of predators. Crops too come under attack from various insects. Chemical ecologist Ashraf El-Sayed, from Plant & Food Research, leads a team trying to make plants invisible to pest insects.
A group at Plant & Food had previously noticed that insect-infested apple trees protected their neighbours by changing the neighbouring trees' physiology, down to the gene expression level, and stopping them giving off insect-attracting odours.
They think this is thanks to the infested plant giving off a particular chemical signal that puts the neighbouring plants in stealth mode.
"Can we achieve what we've seen [the plants doing] but using a chemical signal we've created?" proposes El-Sayed.
If they could, it would mean an alternative to insecticides, which can in some cases leave toxic residues in food, water, air or soil, lead to insects becoming immune to them or runoff into the surrounding environment.
El-Sayed and his team have identified some specific components to that chemical signal but there are more to uncover. The first year of their MBIE-funded project will identify those compounds then test which bouquet produces the physiological stealth-mode response they've seen.
The final stage will see whether the mix actually protects plants – specifically pip fruits like apples and pears, and plants in the cabbage family – against a specific plant-eater or a range of plant-eaters.
El-Sayed says the project is harnessing the amazing ability of plants that often go unnoticed. "People usually look at plants as objects, not living things. No, not at all. Plants are living organisms that react and respond to all sorts of stimuli,"
The Spinoff's science content is made possible thanks to the support of The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a national institute devoted to scientific research.
The naming of Taranaki Mounga
Taranaki Mounga or Mount Egmont? Your preference depends on which history you most align with.
By Airana Ngarewa
Game-changer or greenwashing tool? The new climate law could go either way
If businesses have a better understanding of how climate change will affect them, they're more likely to work to mitigate their impacts.<br />
By Karen McWilliams
Scared of needles? This will help
Tips for kids nervous about getting their Covid vaccine, from a kid who knows.
By Emily Writes
A bit more than a sore head
The ripples of that smack of my head into hard bitumen at speed carried on into my 'self' – that person I saw in my mind's eye.
By Mark Graham
The Sunday Essay: On keeping a notes app
In a world of curated social media feeds, Sharon Lam revisits the chaos of her notes app.
By Sharon Lam
It's time to put car yard sexism in the rearview mirror
We wanted a new car. What we got was a serving of sexism straight from the 1970s.
By Chris Schulz
The new Auckland festival trying to fill the film calendar's NZIFF-shaped hole
Auckland cinephiles have something new to look forward to.
By Stewart Sowman-Lund
Live updates editor
Could the Big Day Out ever make a comeback? 'Never say never'
Eight years after its demise, we ask the Big Day Out's New Zealand promoter if it could ever return.
Tatou Publishing is here to rock the va'a
Two Sāmoan writers have founded a publishing house to support women of the Pacific.
By Sisilia Eteuati
The Spinoff has covered the news that matters in 2021, most recently the delta outbreak. Help us continue this coverage, and so much more, by supporting The Spinoff Members.Madeleine Chapman, EditorJoin Members
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Siouxsie Wiles on the worrying rise of omicron
And why we need to keep it out of the community for as long as possible.
By Siouxsie Wiles
Ten feel-good science stories you might have missed in 2021
Proof it hasn't been all bad.
Why you should care about antimicrobial resistance
This impacts all of us, even if you are someone who has never needed to take antibiotics before.
Siouxsie Wiles explains the Omicron variant of Covid-19
All there is to know about the new Covid-19 variant detected in South Africa.
How to care for yourself and others with Covid-19 at home
Here's what to do if you test positive.


The graphs of several third degree polynomials are shown along with questions and answers at the bottom of the page.
Polynomial of a second degree polynomial: cuts the x axis at one point.
Question 1: Why does the graph cut the x axis at one point only?
Figure 1: Graph of a third degree polynomial.
Polynomial of a second degree polynomial: 3 x intercepts.
Question 2: If the graph cuts the x axis at x = -2, what are the coordinates of the two other x intercpets?
Polynomial of a third degree polynomial: 3 x intercepts and parameter a to determine.
Question 3: The graph below cuts the x axis at x = 1 and has a y intercpet at y = 1. What are the coordinates of the two other x intercpets?
Polynomial of a third degree polynomial: one x intercepts.
Question 4: The graph below cuts the x axis at x = -1. Why does the graph of this polynomial have one x intercept only?
Figure 4: Graph of a third degree polynomial, one intercpet.
Since x = 0 is a repeated zero or zero of multiplicity 3, then the the graph cuts the x axis at one point.
An x intercept at x = -2 means that Since x + 2 is a factor of the given polynomial. Hence the given polynomial can be written as: f(x) = (x + 2)(x2 + 3x + 1). Find the other zero, which give the two other x intercpets, by solving the equation x2 + 3x + 1 = 0. The solutions are: x = -3/2 + SQRT(5) / 2 and x = -3/2 - SQRT(5) / 2.
Factor f as follows: f(x) = (x + 1)(x2 + x + 1). In solving the equation x2 + x + 1 = 0, the zeros are complex numbers and therefore do not show as x intercepts.
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Seedling #08M7B: Unknown parentage from a planned cross.


text:
Stanford Medicine Institute for Stem Cell Biology
and Regenerative Medicine
Developing New Stem Cell Lines for Study of Genetic Disorders
Studying mouse pluripotent stem cells carrying disease-causing mutations has already greatly enhanced scientific and medical knowledge of how genetic diseases develop. The institute is working to further this understanding by studying human pluripotent stem cell lines carrying mutations found in such genetic disorders as cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, adult and juvenile diabetes, autoimmune diseases, allergic disorders, and early onset heart and cardiovascular disease.
By studying how specific genetic mutations cause a cell to become diseased and how the proteins made by the mutated genes fail to function properly, researchers hope to generate drugs or therapies that make up for the genetic defects behind many diseases.
Because the human pluripotent stem cell lines approved for use under U.S. federal funding do not carry the mutations that would make the cell lines useful for studying genetic diseases, one goal of the institute is to generate new pluripotent stem cell lines. By creating human pluripotent stem cell lines that contain the genetic information that predisposes an individual to develop a specific disease, scientists can study the multi-step progression of that disease in many different tissue types.
The discovery of a method for making induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cells) has revolutionized the creation of pluripotent stem cell lines. Through exposure to four Yamanaka factors, adult cells can be reset to a pluripotent state. Institute researches have also been researching ways of changing mature cells directly into dedicated stem cells without going through pluripotent state.
An older method of creating pluripotent cell lines involves removing the nucleus from an existing pluripotent stem cell line and replacing it with a nucleus from an adult cell that carries genetic mutations implicated in human disease.
Another method is by transplanting an adult nucleus into an egg that has had its nucleus removed, stimulating the cell to divide as if the egg had been fertilized, and culturing the blastocyst-stage pluripotent cells. This process, called nuclear transplantation, has had limited success in mice, and has never been shown to be successful using human cells.
In addition to producing by nuclear transplantation mouse and eventually human pluripotent stem cell lines using nuclei from patients with known genetic diseases, researchers might even try to use cancer stem cell nuclei to produce pluripotent stem cell lines to study how the genetic alterations in the progression to the cancer operate developmentally to recreate cancer cells from normal cells.
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text:
Age of Dynasties
Age of Dynasties v2.1.3 MOD APK (Unlimited XP Point)
RoboBot Studio
Unlimited XP Point
Download (62M)
Immerse yourself in the Middle Ages at the age of Dynasties. Age of Dynasties is a strategy game in which you are the head of a country. As a king, you need to keep a cool head and make vital decisions and strategies for a nation. The country's destiny will depend entirely on you. So, make wise decisions during your reign. However, the game won't be fun if a wise king or a mad king will you be able to survive to…time
STORY OF THE GAME
The game takes place from 476 to 1492 AD, opening by the king's death, and you are his successor. In the kingdom you rule, there will be many small emirates,
Age of Dynasties is a strategy game set in the Middle Ages, from 476 to 1492 AD; download and experience the game will play the king rule at the head of his kingdom. Other rulers will have their own throne in your stronghold, and each will have to fight for their empire. Sometimes you have to make decisions as a crazy king, sometimes as a wise king like King Arthur's legendary.
Will you succeed in gaining the vassal states' loyalty and quelling all rebellions that want to bring down the rulers of your dynasty? Will you be able to prevent war and famine from wreaking havoc on your kingdom? What you decide has effects and consequences. In this game, you have to plan your moves wisely.
The gameplay of Age of Dynasties
The age of Dynasties begins with an empty throne. The king has passed away, and now it is your responsibility to rule the kingdom. You take on the roles of leaders for centuries to make things work. Easier said than done when you have to deal with rebellions, economic upheaval, and some unreliable confidant. The game offers various questions, and each player's decision changes the trajectory of the dynasty. Every king you have in control in the ages has a distinct personality. Some are wise, and some are greedy. Others are crazy. Those personality traits influence the results of the decisions you make.
Medieval Throne 2
Satisfying the people's requirements to keep the peace in the kingdom and challenge yourself through a series of historical events, which are flexibly connected with each other. By making choices, you actively accumulate resources and issue real decrees with every turn. But remember that each choice affects the longevity and future of the current king seated on the throne. The domino effect in decision-making is the best measure to distinguish good players. The player must manage thorny political affairs and the complicated personal relationships between the council members and the royal family. You can also build a magnificent castle, form alliances, enlist advisers' help, and become the undisputed master of the dynasty.
The main feature of the Age of Dynasties
This Offline strategy game can be played without Internet and Wifi connection to develop its Medieval empires. Conquer all: Make other kingdoms subdue you, defeat the emperor and the king, lead your army to victory in all battles. Build your own kingdom: Satisfy the requirements of lords, warriors, and knights to maintain peace in the kingdom and test your abilities in medieval wars. Game choice: Make the right decision in each season (spring, summer, autumn, winter) to build a powerful and prosperous kingdom. Medieval RPG game: Meet the requirements to maintain the royal throne and arrange marriages in your kingdom's best interests. Grow a dynasty: Choose lords for your dynasty, and keep trusted and knowledgeable royal members to build a flourishing kingdom and castle.
Dominate rival kingdoms: Collect iron, conquer new medieval empires and conquer their thrones, build your city, forge swords and armor, and guide knights to collect yourself against the enemy empire—kingdom management: Master thorny political affairs with rival kings. Make a choice in the royal affairs inside your castle to please all the lords in the council and the Middle Ages' royal family. War simulation: Improve tactics, lead battles like King Arthur, use tactics and strategies to plan moves, and conquer your opponent's golden throne in this turn-based strategy game. Explore Medieval Europe: Unlike King Avalon, there will be no dragons to aid in combat, fantasy kingdoms, or iron thrones. Think wisely in every respect, and always remember that your empire's resources are not inexhaustible.
Download Age of Dynasties (MOD, Unlimited XP Point)
You are now ready to download Age of Dynasties for free. Here are some notes:
Attention!!!!! We replaced some download links to download Moddroid APK. You can download Age of Dynasties there with a FASTER DOWNLOAD SPEED.
Lords Mobile: Kingdom Wars
2.70 + Mod: Auto Battle/VIP 15
Art of War: Legions
5.2.6 + Mod: Unlimited Soldiers/God Mode
Empire Defender TD
1.0.185 + Mod: Unlimited Money
2.508.184 + Mod: MEGA MOD
Rome Empire War
193 + Mod: Unlimited Money/Medals
World Conqueror 4
1.4.8 + Mod: Unlimited Money/Energy
Age of Dynasties: Roman Empire
1.0.3 + Mod: Unlimited Money/XP


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According to a recent news article from Huffington Post, the total number of workers who died on the job last year in the United States was nearly 5,000. This is up two percent from the total number or workplace deaths that occurred in the United States in the previous year. It should be noted that the figures for this year were only preliminary, and there will likely be an increase in the number when it is finalized, as is typically the case.
While the total numbers are up this year over last year, the rate of fatal workplace accidents has not changed. This is explained by an improved economy with more workers on the job than in previous years and more hours being worked than in previous years. The number of hours worked matters, because of the way in which the rate is calculated, at least in part by the total number of hours worked each year.
However, despite the fact that the rate has not increased, the United States Secretary of Labor is saying this is far more deaths on the job than should ever being occurring. He went on to say that 13 workers being taken away from their respective families each and every day is both tragic and unnecessary. The federal agency said employers need to make sure they are following all labor laws and providing a safe workplace environment for their employees to prevent these deaths from occurring.
As our Boston workers' compensation lawyers can explain, fortunately, for workers injured on the job, it is not necessary to prove that the employer was responsible for the workplace injury to be awarded benefits. The workers' compensation system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a no-fault system in which it is only necessary to prove that a worker was injured, and he or she was injured while working.
The report also noted that the highest rate of workplace deaths occurred among Hispanic or Latino workers. One reason suggested for this is because of the nature of jobs these workers are regularly asked to perform. Many of them work in dangerous jobs like in the oil and gas industry, as well as in agricultural jobs. Many do not realize how dangerous agricultural jobs can be. There are many injuries and deaths each year as result of accidents with farm equipment, grain silos, and lightning strikes. There are also injuries and illnesses caused by pesticide use.
In addition to Latino and Hispanic workers, death rates were also higher among workers over the age of 55. This past year, the total number of workers over the age of 55 who were killed on the job was higher than ever before. This is actually a nine percent increase in the rate from the previous year. One possible reason given for this increase is because workers often need to forego retirement for longer these days than ever before. However, it does seem strange that there is such a high rate of increase this year, when there have not been many recent changes in the economy, nor with respect to Social Security retirement benefits.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Boston work accident, call for a free and confidential appointment at 1-888-367-2900.


Mo Yan is the Nobel Prize-winning novelist born on February 17, 1955, as Guan Moye in Shandong province, China. One of his best books is Red Sorghum Clan published in 1987. He won Nobel Prize in 2012. Mo Yan is his pen name which means "Don't Speak" in native Chinese. He believed that best way of speaking for a writer is to write. He later took the French citizenship.
Mo Yan's novel are based on social conflicts and struggle of middle and lower class people. At the time of Cultural Revolution began in china he was 11 years old and worked as a farmer. He used to work in a cotton factory when he was 18. He published his first short novel "A Transparent Radish" in 1984, the same year he joined People's Liberation Army Arts College. He used to translate the works of authors like Gabriel García Márquez and William Faulkner.
In 1984, he was honored with a literary award by PLA magazine and in 1991, he did his Master's in Literature from Beijing Normal University.
Mo Yan's first novel is "Falling Rain on a Spring Night" published in 1981 and his second novel "The Garlic Ballads" reflects the true story of the Naomi farmers. At the beginning of his career, he wrote dozens of novels and stories in Chinese. He enjoys writing with his hands because he believes typing and using computers weakens your vocabulary. Many of his works have been translated into English by Howard Goldblatt, who is the professor of literature at the University of Notre Dame.
In his novel, Red Sorghum Clan he covers the Resistance War against Japanese, Cultural Revolution and Communist revolution. "The Republic of Wine" is his satirical novel for use of alcohol. His another novel "Life and Death is Wearing Me Out" is a satire against communism. He completed this novel in a period of one and half month. This book won the Newman Prize for Chinese Literature.
Mo is influenced by the work of Gabriel García Márquez and Lu Xun. His novels contain magical and social realism. He, himself is a great fan of reading and supports the idea of reading. His book contains black humor, human greed, and social reality. His works are like a commentary on social reality. His writing method is unconventional and unique. His writings have differentiated between good and bad, living and dead and past and present. His other significant work is Big Breast and Wide Hip.
Mo Yan's annual income in 2013 was $7.5 million. Yan's net worth is $25 million (2016).