The Blue Jays' biggest star arrived Saturday morning when top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. officially reported to Spring Training. Guerrero took part in a few rounds of batting practice and hit at least one ball out of the park. The Dominican native is expected to speak to the media Monday for the first time this spring as he sets out to begin his first full Major League Spring Training.

The current system for delivering NHS cardiovascular disease (CVD) health checks is not working effectively and must be reviewed to ensure that it reaches people with the highest risk, the National Audit Office has said.1In a review of the commissioning, delivery, and performance of CVD health checks the watchdog found that just over one in 12 people (8.8%) who were eligible attended a health check in 2023-24—which, if maintained, would equate to a five year coverage of 44%.Health checks were first introduced in 2009, with the aim of reducing ill health from CVD by offering everyone aged 40-74 without a pre-existing heart condition a check-up every five years. However, problems have arisen since the responsibility for commissioning these checks was transferred to local authorities in 2013, said the National Audit Office.The move led to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) losing its ability to influence local authority performance,...

Endogenous reprogramming of glia into neurogenic progenitors holds great promise for neuron restoration therapies. Using lessons from regenerative species, we have developed strategies to stimulate mammalian Müller glia to regenerate neurons in vivo in the adult retina. We have demonstrated that the transcription factor Ascl1 can stimulate Müller glia neurogenesis. However, Ascl1 is only able to reprogram a subset of Müller glia into neurons. We have reported that neuroinflammation from microglia inhibits neurogenesis from Müller glia. Here we found that the peripheral immune response is a barrier to CNS regeneration. We show that monocytes from the peripheral immune system infiltrate the injured retina and negatively influence neurogenesis from Müller glia. Using CCR2 knock-out mice of both sexes, we found that preventing monocyte infiltration improves the neurogenic and proliferative capacity of Müller glia stimulated by Ascl1. Using scRNA-seq analysis, we identified a signaling axis wherein Osteopontin, a cytokine highly expressed by infiltrating immune cells is sufficient to suppress mammalian neurogenesis. This work implicates the response of the peripheral immune system as a barrier to regenerative strategies of the retina.

Peripheral taste neurons exhibit functional, genetic, and morphological diversity, yet understanding how or if these attributes combine into taste neuron types remains unclear. In this study, we used male and female mice to relate taste bud innervation patterns to the function of a subset of proenkephalin-expressing (Penk+) taste neurons. We found that taste arbors (the portion of the axon within the taste bud) stemming from Penk+ neurons displayed diverse branching patterns and lacked stereotypical endings. The range in complexity observed for individual taste arbors from Penk+ neurons mirrored the entire population, suggesting that taste arbor morphologies are not primarily regulated by the neuron type. Notably, the distinguishing feature of arbors from Penk+ neurons was their propensity to come within 110 nm (in apposition with) different types of taste-transducing cells within the taste bud. This finding is contrary to the expectation of genetically defined taste neuron types that functionally represent a single stimulus. Consistently, further investigation of Penk+ neuron function revealed that they are more likely to respond to innately aversive stimuli—sour, bitter, and high salt concentrations—as compared with the full taste population. Penk+ neurons are less likely to respond to nonaversive stimuli—sucrose, umami, and low salt—compared with the full population. Our data support the presence of a genetically defined neuron type in the geniculate ganglion that is responsive to innately aversive stimuli. This implies that genetic expression might categorize peripheral taste neurons into hedonic groups, rather than simply identifying neurons that respond to a single stimulus.

A young couple who met on the Internet answers God’s call to missions to help others find Christ using their IT and web design skills.

OM Philippines hosts micro-business workshops that offer a future with hope.

Through the ups and downs of starting a new team, millennial workers see fruit when they start asking the right question.

A Roma man’s cry to God for mercy to spare his son’s life transforms his future and the future of his small town.

First MENA travelling team shares stories from a year of adventures around the Arab world.

OM workers explain, their home has become a mix of Latin American and Middle Eastern cultures.

Five years of displacement has taken its toll on Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, but many have met Jesus and discovered eternal hope.

OM Italy organises an annual summer camp for children in Torre Pellice, where many hear the gospel for the first time.

An Italian girl receives a vision of Jericho that guides her to speak with a woman on Transform 2013 outreach day.

Artists present visual and performing arts during the international art Festival Week hosted by OM Arts International’s Incarnate programme.

2012 marked the end of 30 years of OM under the leadership of Mauricio Hernandez, who has now handed over to Daniel Caballero.

With the vision to promote healthy lives, OM educates people in topics like diabetes to reduce its incidence among members of the community.

A volunteer from Germany serving with OM El Salvador for 5 months learned that she can do all things through Christ.

Tony and his son Gabriel are moved by the mission-oriented heart of a local Pastor in El Salvador and decide to lend a hand.

OM Ecuador team member Candy Arteaga shares a story that demonstrates how God leads us to Himself, even while we wait for healing.

Donald Trump is back in Washington, arriving with billionaire Elon Musk. His first stop was to speak to House Republicans.

President-elect Donald Trump was welcomed at the White House on Wednesday after declining to do the same for President Joe Biden after the 2020 election.

Australia batter Usman Khawaja has laughed off the subject of Nathan McSweeney's strike rate of 41.92 being lower than his in Tests 48.3.

India vs South Africa: Tilak Varma played an unbeaten 107-run knock from 56 balls at a strike rate of 191.07

Podcasts are looking like an increasingly viable channel to engage with customers

1. Ameesha Patel sparks dating rumours with Nirvaan Birla after cozy Dubai pic goes viral  TOI Etimes
2. Gadar 2 Actress Ameesha Patel Gets Age Shamed As She Drops A Cosy Photo With Nirvaan Birla  Zee News
3. Ameesha Patel gets trolled over intimate pic with businessman Nirvaan Birla  ap7am
4. Ameesha Patel’s Cozy Photo With 'Darling' Nirvaan Birla Triggers Dating Rumours  News18
5. Did Ameesha Patel Confirm Dating Nirvaan Birla? Gadar 2 Actress Drops Romantic Pic From Dubai Getaway With 'Darling'  Times Now

'L-Istorja, Int' (History, You), will be the theme for the 50th anniversary celebrations for Malta's Republic Day

Returning to Washington, Trump meets with Biden in the Oval Office

Parts of Spain are bracing for more dangerous flooding on Wednesday as a fresh storm system is set to release huge amounts of rainfall.

The torrential downpours come just 15 days after a storm system triggered catastrophic flooding, killing at least 223 people and devastating the province of Valencia.

Once again, the affected area is under orange alert for heavy rainfall.

In Valencia, dozens of municipalities have cancelled classes.

While the meteorological agency does not predict Valencia will get the worst of this storm, sewage systems are still full of mud from the last floods, which could complicate drainage.

This time, the areas under red alert are around the Malaga and Tarragona regions.

In Malaga, around 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes on the banks of the Guadalhorce River. The same area also experienced flooding two weeks ago.

Residents of the province of Malaga received cell phone alerts on Tuesday night, warning of an “extreme risk of rainfall” and advising them to avoid travel.

Schools will not open on Wednesday across all of Malaga and the Granada coast. Meanwhile, some roads are being blocked, schools are closing, and rail lines are being cancelled in Tarragona, in the south of Catalonia.

The preventative measures on Wednesday stand in contrast to the lack of an early warning in Valencia two weeks ago.

There, despite being on red alert for rainfall, residents were generally not advised to stay home or seek higher ground until the flooding had already reached catastrophic levels.

Both storm systems were caused by a weather phenomenon known as a Dana in Spain or a “cut-off low.” These occur when low-pressure areas get cut off from the westerly winds of the jet stream. Since they are isolated from the jet stream, they can move slowly and erratically, releasing huge amounts of rain over small areas.

This storm system began affecting Spain on Tuesday and is expected to last until at least Friday, according to Spain’s meteorological agency.

Speaking at COP29 on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez linked the intensity of these weather events to climate change. “Climate change kills,” he said, urging more action to reduce greenhouse gases to prevent future natural disasters.

Last week, hundreds of residents of a Valencia suburb particularly badly hit by last week’s deadly floods protested during a visit by Spanish King Felipe and Prime Minister Sanchez, with some throwing mud at them.

Chanting “Murderers, murderers!” they vented pent-up anger over what has been widely perceived by local residents as tardy alerts from the authorities about the dangers of the storm and flooding in the Valencia region, and then a late response by the emergency services when disaster struck.

“It was known and nobody did anything to avoid it,” a young man told the king, who insisted on staying on to talk to the people despite the turmoil, while the prime minister had withdrawn.

Security forces killed four terrorists, including a “high-value target”, during an exchange of fire in Balochistan’s Kech district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.

According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the general Balgatar area of Kech District on the “reported presence of terrorists”.

“During [the] conduct of the operation, after an intense fire exchange between own troops and the terrorists, four terrorists including a high-value target, terrorist ring leader Sana [alias] Baru were killed,” the statement said.

It added that the killed terrorist was a focal recruitment agent, “especially suicide bombers, for the so-called Majeed Brigade in District Kech and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.”

A sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.

Pakistan’s security forces “remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” the statement said.

The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.

Attacks escalated after the TTP broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.

Last Sunday, security forces killed 10 terrorists and injured eight others during three different engagements in North Waziristan.

On Nov 7, security forces killed five terrorists during an exchange of fire in South Waziristan, while four soldiers were martyred in the operation.

In another incident on Nov 4, security forces killed seven terrorists in separate operations, with one terrorist killed in Balochistan and the other six killed during two operations in KP.

Likewise, on November 2, four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in KP’s South Waziristan region.

Advance care planning (ACP) is a complex and iterative communication process between patients, surrogates and clinicians that defines goals of care that may include, but is not limited to, documentation of advance directives. The aim of ACP is to promote patient-centred care tailored to the patient's clinical situation through informed preparation for the future and improved communication between patient, clinicians and surrogates, if the latter need to make decisions on patient's behalf.

The aim of this article is to review research related to ACP in acute and chronic respiratory failure, regarding the process, communication, shared decision-making, implementation and outcomes.

Research has produced controversial results on ACP interventions due to the heterogeneity of measures and outcomes, but positive outcomes have been described regarding the quality of patient–physician communication, preference for comfort care, decisional conflict and patient–caregiver congruence of preferences and improved documentation of ACP or advance directives.

The main barriers to ACP in chronic respiratory failure are the uncertainty of prognosis (particularly in the organ failure trajectory), the choice of the best timing for initiation and the lack of training of healthcare workers. In acute respiratory failure, the ACP process can be very short, should include the patient whenever possible, and is based on a discussion of treatments appropriate to the patient's functional status prior to the event (e.g. assessment of frailty) and clear communication of the likely consequences of possible options.

All healthcare worker dealing with patients with serious illnesses should have training in communication skills to promote engagement in ACP discussions.

5 rare supernova images captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope  India.com

1. Kanguva Box Office Day 1 Advance Booking: Suriya Starrer Jumps By 353%, Already Enters Biggest Tamil Openers Of 2024!  Koimoi
2. 5 Reasons To Watch Suriya and Bobby Deol Starrer 'Kanguva' In Theatres  Zee News
3. Waiting for Suriya's 'Kanguva', watch these blockbuster films by National Award-winning actor for free  India TV News
4. Kanguva budget and actor salaries: Suriya took Rs 39 crore, Bobby Deol earned Rs 5 crore for his role – How much money others charged for the film  The Financial Express
5. Kanguva Movie Release, Review Live Updates: Suriya-starrer has already earned over Rs 7.3 crore before opening day  The Indian Express

1. Zomato welcomes rival Swiggy on Dalal Street  The Economic Times
2. Swiggy's dollar millionaires: 70 employees to pocket over $1 million each as company delivers IPO  Moneycontrol
3. Swiggy shares surge 17% on debut, market capitalization exceeds Rs 1 lakh crore  The Times of India
4. Swiggy Share Price & IPO Listing Highlights: Swiggy shares surge 10% after listing at premium on NSE, BSE  BusinessLine
5. Swiggy's IPO debut sees strong gains, but competition challenges loom  Business Standard

Produced by Maddock Films, the action epic will release in theatres on Christmas, 2026 

Kannada star Shivarajkumar opens up on playing a character with two shades in ‘Bhairathi Ranagal’, his upcoming films and ‘Fire Fly’, produced by his daughter Niveditha Shivarajkumar

Experience interactive storytelling at Vroooom, the virtual reality film festival presented by Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad and Annapurna College of Film and Media

Shivarajkumar, who will next be seen in ‘Bhairathi Ranagal’, said that the makers of Vijay’s ‘Thalapathy 69’ has approached him with an interesting character

Also starring Krithi Shetty and Shilpa Manjunath among others, the film has music scored by Santhosh Narayanan

Justices G. Jayachandran and C.V. Karthikeyan clear the decks after the producer deposits ₹6.41 crore on Wednesday

Earlier this month, the ‘Marry Poppins’ star, 98, endorsed Kamala Harris while reciting a speech he once read alongside Martin Luther King Jr

Netflix has expanded the cast of live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender in its second season, with Singapore actor Chin Han one of the latest eight additions. He will play the role of Long Feng — leader of Dai Li, the secret police force of Ba Sing Se, or the capital of the Earth Kingdom. Another new joiner is Taiwanese-American actor Justin Chien, who starred with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh in the Netflix series The Brothers Sun (2024) and will play King Kuei, ruler of the Earth Kingdom in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Meanwhile, Vietnamese-Australian actor Hoa Xuande, who starred with American actor Robert Downey Jr in the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer (2024), will play Professor Zei, head of the anthropology department at Ba Sing Se University.  Other actors in the cast are Amanda Zhou as Joo Dee, Crystal Yu as Lady Beifong, Kelemete Misipeka as The Boulder, Lourdes Faberes as General Sung and Rekha Sharma as Amita.

Whether assessee is eligible for 50% for dispute tax where his file is in appeal and similar issue was settled in favour of other assessee by the Karnataka High Court case

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he would take $1 as his salary a year and not the $400,000 that comes with the US president's job and will refrain from going on any vacation.

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