Chromosomal resistance islands containing the methicillin resistance gene mecD (McRI_mecD) have been reported in Macrococcus caseolyticus. Here, we identified novel macrolide resistance genes in Macrococcus canis on similar elements, called McRI_msr. These elements were also integrated into the 3' end of the 30S ribosomal protein S9 gene (rpsI), delimited by characteristic attachment (att) sites, and carried a related site-specific integrase gene (int) at the 5' end. They carried novel macrolide resistance genes belonging to the msr family of ABC subfamily F (ABC-F)-type ribosomal protection protein [msr(F) and msr(H)] and the macrolide efflux mef family [mef(D)]. Highly related mef(D)-msr(F) fragments were found on diverse McRI_msr elements in M. canis, M. caseolyticus, and Staphylococcus aureus. Another McRI_msr-like element identified in an M. canis strain lacked the classical att site at the 3' end and carried the msr(H) gene but no neighboring mef gene. The expression of the novel resistance genes in S. aureus resulted in a low-to-moderate increase in the MIC of erythromycin but not streptogramin B. In the mef(D)-msr(F) operon, the msr(F) gene was shown to be the crucial determinant for macrolide resistance. The detection of circular forms of McRI_msr and the mef(D)-msr(F) fragment suggested mobility of both the island and the resistance gene subunit. The discovery of McRI_msr in different Macrococcus species and S. aureus indicates that these islands have a potential for dissemination of antibiotic resistance within the Staphylococcaceae family.

Summary:

The first basket clinical trial testing the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib resulted in evidence of activity in 13 unique cancer types with BRAF^V600 mutations, but the response rates were variable. Therefore, different cancer histologies with the same driver oncogene display different degrees of oncogenic pathway addiction.

See related article by Subbiah et al., p. 657.

A cluster of dendritic cells (termed mregDCs), observed in humans and mice, restricted antitumor immunity.

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, the clinical cancer community is grappling with how to continue providing access to experimental but potentially lifesaving therapies while keeping immunocompromised patients safe. To that end, cancer centers are making changes to their clinical trial programs, while pharmaceutical companies are deciding how—or whether—trials should continue.

A chemotherapy-induced shift to ICOSL⁺ B cells in breast tumors correlated with better survival.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Anoxic brain injury is a result of prolonged hypoxia. We sought to describe the nonquantitative arterial spin-labeling perfusion imaging patterns of anoxic brain injury, characterize the relationship of arterial spin-labeling and DWI, and evaluate the normalized diffusion-to-perfusion ratio to differentiate patients with anoxic brain injury from healthy controls.

An annual report released by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) at a press conference on Monday showed housing prices in the two mảo cities Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (HCMC) rose slightly in the third quarter (Q3) of this year.

In the third quarter of 2019, condotel and resort villa market saw both supply and consumption falling by double digits since the ‘Ghost month’ made investors hesitate.

The Vietnam’s real estate market has clearly seen signs of a downturn in many segments since the beginning of 2018. So how to gain profit from your realty investment?

Slayin 2 is a sequel done right. It takes the fast-paced, score-based 2D action of the iOS/Android original and inserts it into an RPG framework with multiple classes, upgrades, and secrets. Then it adds a layer of charming pixel art and plugs in some rocking tunes courtesy of Matt Creamer (Retro City Rampage). Not everything is perfect — a few difficulty spikes require a bit of grinding and the twitchy combat mechanics aren't especially deep — but overall Slayin 2 represents a smooth and successful transition from mobile to console.

There's a story in Slayin 2, but developers FDG Entertainment and Pixel Licker don't tell it with much urgency. Monsters have sacked the kingdom's castle... the royal family is missing... there's something about a coven of witches. It's all background noise, until after the final boss battle. Only then do we understand what was going on and the high stakes. It's a somewhat backward way of storytelling, but never mind; discovering new areas, finding secrets, and unlocking new gear will push you forward regardless.

Slayin 2 is divided into two modes: Story and Arcade. The latter is based on the endless rogue-like mobile game. You'll select from eight total heroes, then fight your way through waves of enemies and bosses, leveling up and collecting treasure — which a traveling shopkeeper will accept for new gear and other boons. If you die, the game records your high score and kicks you back to the very beginning. Had Slayin 2 included only this mode, it would be a passable experience.

Luckily, there's Story mode. While it employs the same level layouts and mechanics of Arcade mode, it adds a story, a town filled with shops and quest-giving NPCs, branching paths, and secret stages. Several of the town's residents provide riddles which may lead you to a hidden object or a secret exit. Others will join your crusade (and become playable characters) for a price. Still others will sell you charms, new weapons, or enhance your "spark" bar, which allows powerful special attacks. If you score well enough in the game's many stages, a local bard will even write a song in your honor. This RPG framework elevates the Slayin formula. It gives you purpose and direction, and things to ponder outside hacking and slashing.

This is essential to the success of Slayin 2, because its gameplay loop can be simple and grindy. As in the original iOS/Android game, here you'll take down enemies simply by running into them. By pushing left or right you'll extend your weapon — sword, mace, lance, magic orb, bow and arrow, etc. — and by making contact with a monster you'll do damage. It's an uncomplicated set-up that surely owes something to its mobile origins. FDG and Pixel Licker add plenty of enemy variety and special moves unique to each hero in order to keep things interesting, but the twitchy, left-right-left-right combat remains.

Slayin 2 isn't totally without strategy however. The development teams have mixed up the action with dual planes, so that players can jump from foreground to background by pressing the R button. This makes the momentary gameplay more dynamic and allows players to chain together combos and avoid enemy contact by bouncing back and forth between each plane. It's especially useful for boss fights (try facing a boss in Arcade mode with only one plane enabled and you'll see).

Speaking of bosses, they're all unique and present tricky-but-identifiable attack patterns. You'll start with a giant green slime and graduate to tree monsters, minotaurs, killer plants, and gargantuan crabs, among many others. You may see some more than others, as a handful of stages are unduly difficult. You'll need to replay easier levels multiple times to earn enough treasure to buy weapon upgrades and charms, which will allow you to survive in the more daunting levels. This irksome need to grind begins to evaporate towards the end of Slayin 2, as you amass a fortune and max out your weapons, but it does flavor the first third of the game.

If you do hit a wall, you can always invite a friend in couch co-op to share the burden. Local multiplayer is a great addition to the franchise, although it seems like Slayin 2 was balanced with a single player in mind.

Graphically, Slayin 2 represents a noticeable improvement over the premier mobile game. Its charming pixel art leaps off the screen and its detailed backgrounds grant each level its own personality. The driving soundtrack by Matt Creamer also stands out, thanks to heroic tunes and plenty of anachronistic electric guitar riffs that pair well with the game's non-stop action.

FDG and Pixel Licker could have replicated the original Slayin experience, slapped on a new coat of paint, published on Switch, and called it a day. Instead the studio transformed the rogue-like template into a more substantial role-playing adventure complete with story, side-quests, secrets, unlockable characters, and upgrades aplenty. The core combat mechanic still lacks nuance and a handful of difficulty spikes slow the game down, but in toto Slayin 2 is a solid sequel.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/443336/slayin-2-ns/

An AI based on deepfake technology can translate videos of a person speaking in one language into another. In future, it could help people who don’t speak the same language communicate

Please, I implore you: jump on this bandwagon.

Watford chairman Scott Duxbury has questioned whether the Premier League should return amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A strange supernova that’s 100 times brighter than it should be has long been a mystery, but it may be explained by the explosion slamming into a cloud of gas

About 80 per cent of stars in the Milky Way’s central bulge have relatively close encounters with another star, which can fling off any planets orbiting them

The latest version of ANYbotics' four-legged robot can do useful real-world inspection tasks

With four legs but no back or front, ALPHRED 2 can run, jump, and punch through boards in any direction

Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos

She’s also learning to iron.

If Stephen King keeps writing ‘em, we’ll keep seeing ‘em.

Billionaire Alex Waislitz stands to make millions after two financial services companies agreed to merge.

FIFA 20 Team Of The Season So Far continues this week, hopefully with the release of the Bundesliga FUT Squad. Here some predictions on who might be included, plus when they'll be announced.

At Aisles of War we have all your maritime warfare needs. From Spanish galleons to French corvettes our ship selection is unparalleled. We also have...

Manny wakes up and gives us more Blizzcon details. Jon builds a Titan. The PS4 comes out…and so do we.

A winner is you! You won’t feel asleep as you listen to this week’s show. As we prep for PAX, Alex tells us about Sword...

What’s old is new again as we deep dive into WoW Classic and how the heck did we even get onto this topic again? News from TGS, what games you’re playing in September, and even more releases coming in the second half of the month, please pity our reviewers.

We're back and better* than ever! On this special episode of the RPGCast we do a deeper dive into what we've been playing and discuss our holiday hauls. *Note: RPG Cast 526 may not actually be better than any other previous RPG Cast.

Platform sandals meet 40-denier tights as rock’n’roll goes bourgeois at Paris fashion week

At his Celine catwalk show on Friday night, the designer Hedi Slimane distilled what looks to be the most compelling trend of this season of fashion shows. Working title: rock’n’roll bourgeois.

Slim knee-length dresses were worn with slinky chain belts; towering platform sandals with sensible 40-denier semi-sheer tights; slim bootcut velvet trousers worn with Princess-line above-the-knee coats. This was a masterclass in Parisian allure: take one part Avenue Montaigne privilege, and mix with one part backstage pass. Shaken, not stirred.

The Guardian’s fashion editor heads to the stables to find out whether the tranquility of horses can help slow her busy life

One cold, bright morning in January, I stood in a field in Gloucestershire with my eyes closed and imagined I had four legs. Just metres away was a herd of eight horses. Before meeting them, advised therapist Lisanne Peters, it was wise to meditate. First, she told me to focus on sensations – the smell of hay; the birdsong. Then she instructed me to imagine myself, centaur-like, “with another back and another set of legs behind you. Feel how sturdy, how grounded, you are.”

Focused ultrasound, the researchers hope, could revolutionize treatment for conditions from Alzheimer's to epilepsy to brain tumors -- and even help repair the devastating damage caused by stroke.

New research finds that sleep problems in a baby's first 12 months may not only precede an autism diagnosis, but also may be associated with altered growth trajectory in a key part of the brain, the hippocampus.

The anti-cancer medicine venetoclax could improve the current therapy for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, according to preclinical studies. The promising preclinical results for this 'triple therapy' have underpinned a phase 1 clinical trial in Melbourne, Australia, that is combining venetoclax with hormone therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with ER+ breast cancer.

The star of M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye – and more recently, Friends – talks about drugs, his fiery marriage to Barbra Streisand and getting his best reviews from Groucho Marx and Muhammad Ali

The best review ever received by Elliott Gould – renowned actor and star of M*A*S*H and The Long Goodbye; not to mention, Ross and Monica’s dad on Friends – was from Groucho Marx. The two of them had become close in the comedian’s latter years – so close, Gould says, “he used to let me shave him”. One day Marx asked Gould to change a lightbulb in his bedroom. Gould took off his shoes, stood on the bed and replaced the broken bulb. Marx told him: “That was the best acting I’ve ever seen you do.”

Gould, now 81, has been telling the story for decades – but it is clear even in our pixelated video call that it still delights him. “Isn’t that great?” he says, his distinctive nasal, New York baritone now deepened with age. As we speak he is sitting at a computer at a friend’s house in Los Angeles, relaxed in a blue hoodie, with a seemingly bottomless mug of coffee before him. In isolation on either side of the Atlantic, neither of us has anywhere to be. And after more than half a century in Hollywood, in which he went from leading man to exile and, eventually, fixture – Gould could fill days, not just hours, with his stories. Even without his eight-year marriage to Barbra Streisand.

The White House is making "contingency plans" for a second wave of coronavirus after emails reportedly contradict their claims that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to safely reopen the economy were set aside because medical experts did not approve of them.

Audio of a private conversation shows the 44th president's unvarnished views about the former national security adviser's case and the White House's COVID-19 response.

"ARK: Survival Evolved" Crystal Isles is coming to PC soon, alongside a huge anniversary event on all platforms. Get the full details here.

Comfort, however, can be an issue

In an exclusive interview, climate activist Greta Thunberg has told New Scientist that the coronavirus pandemic shows we can act quickly in an emergency

Getting less sleep for five nights in a row can make you view other people’s expressions more negatively, including facial reactions seen over video calls

The remains of three slaves found in Mexico contain the earliest signs of the hepatitis B virus and yaws bacteria in the Americas, suggesting transatlantic slavery introduced these diseases

Amid the global coronavirus outbreak, a second epidemic of preliminary, unverified and misinterpreted research has broken out. Can it be fixed?

The top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives called for a pause in coronavirus legislation on Thursday, saying Congress should first assess the impact of earlier relief bills and then take a slower path forward through committee hearings.