The investment project is aligned with the following impact: Adequate, quality, sustainable, resilient, and safe transport infrastructure provided in the Greater Capital Region for the economic transformation of the country. The investment project will have the following outcome: Efficiency of road travel improved and the following outputs: (i) Output 1: Climate-resilient expressway along Laguna Lakeshore built; and (ii) Output 2: Institutional capacity of the Department of Public Works and Highways strengthened.

In the Laguna area, the government has prioritized improvement of public transport and is developing the South Commuter Rail Project, connecting Manila and Calamba. The government also released the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program in 2017 to improve the efficiency of road-based public transport operations, and started to establish bus terminals, such as the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, for more efficient and convenient bus operations.

A pair of ctenophores, or comb jellies, can fuse their bodies together, merging their digestive and nervous systems, without any issues with immune rejection

Two important barriers to a stable, powerful fusion reaction have been leapt by an experiment in a small tokamak reactor, but we don’t yet know if the technique will work in larger devices

The quantum principle of superposition – the idea of particles being in multiple places at once – could help make quantum batteries that charge within minutes

Researchers used a collection of charged atoms to create a quantum superposition of an exotic type of defect

An analysis of GPS data has revealed a slow and otherwise undetectable slip of tectonic plates that begins two hours before an earthquake - but detecting this in advance would require more accurate sensors

In the western US, the average maximum growth rate of fires has more than doubled over the past two decades

Anthropologists have been arguing for 20 years about whether Sahelanthropus, a hominin that lived about 7 million years ago, was one of the first bipedal apes

Ancient stone goods found across France may have been made by skilled craftspeople in what is now Paris, who traded along vast networks

Title: Two-Drug Inhaler Could Reduce Asthma Attacks
Category: Health News
Created: 5/19/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/20/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Study: Young Adults Who Had Depression Have 'Hyper-Connected' Brain Networks
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2014 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2014 12:00:00 AM

Title: Two Ebola Patients Who Received Experimental Treatment Have Recovered: Congo Officials
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2018 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2018 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pets Have Helped People With HIV Through Two Pandemics
Category: Health News
Created: 6/23/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/23/2022 12:00:00 AM

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies have been instrumental in investigating biological questions at the bulk and single-cell levels. Comparative analysis of two HTS data sets often relies on testing the statistical significance for the difference of two negative binomial distributions (DOTNB). Although negative binomial distributions are well studied, the theoretical results for DOTNB remain largely unexplored. Here, we derive basic analytical results for DOTNB and examine its asymptotic properties. As a state-of-the-art application of DOTNB, we introduce DEGage, a computational method for detecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in scRNA-seq data. DEGage calculates the mean of the sample-wise differences of gene expression levels as the test statistic and determines significant differential expression by computing the P-value with DOTNB. Extensive validation using simulated and real scRNA-seq data sets demonstrates that DEGage outperforms five popular DEG analysis tools: DEGseq2, DEsingle, edgeR, Monocle3, and scDD. DEGage is robust against high dropout levels and exhibits superior sensitivity when applied to balanced and imbalanced data sets, even with small sample sizes. We utilize DEGage to analyze prostate cancer scRNA-seq data sets and identify marker genes for 17 cell types. Furthermore, we apply DEGage to scRNA-seq data sets of mouse neurons with and without fear memory and reveal eight potential memory-related genes overlooked in previous analyses. The theoretical results and supporting software for DOTNB can be widely applied to comparative analyses of dispersed count data in HTS and broad research questions.

Most studies of genome organization have focused on intrachromosomal (cis) contacts because they harbor key features such as DNA loops and topologically associating domains. Interchromosomal (trans) contacts have received much less attention, and tools for interrogating potential biologically relevant trans structures are lacking. Here, we develop a computational framework that uses Hi-C data to identify sets of loci that jointly interact in trans. This method, trans-C, initiates probabilistic random walks with restarts from a set of seed loci to traverse an input Hi-C contact network, thereby identifying sets of trans-contacting loci. We validate trans-C in three increasingly complex models of established trans contacts: the Plasmodium falciparum var genes, the mouse olfactory receptor "Greek islands," and the human RBM20 cardiac splicing factory. We then apply trans-C to systematically test the hypothesis that genes coregulated by the same trans-acting element (i.e., a transcription or splicing factor) colocalize in three dimensions to form "RNA factories" that maximize the efficiency and accuracy of RNA biogenesis. We find that many loci with multiple binding sites of the same DNA-binding proteins interact with one another in trans, especially those bound by factors with intrinsically disordered domains. Similarly, clustered binding of a subset of RNA-binding proteins correlates with trans interaction of the encoding loci. We observe that these trans-interacting loci are close to nuclear speckles. These findings support the existence of trans-interacting chromatin domains (TIDs) driven by RNA biogenesis. Trans-C provides an efficient computational framework for studying these and other types of trans interactions, empowering studies of a poorly understood aspect of genome architecture.

Understanding the evolution of chromatin conformation among species is fundamental to elucidate the architecture and plasticity of genomes. Nonrandom interactions of linearly distant loci regulate gene function in species-specific patterns, affecting genome function, evolution, and, ultimately, speciation. Yet, data from nonmodel organisms are scarce. To capture the macroevolutionary diversity of vertebrate chromatin conformation, here we generate de novo genome assemblies for two cryptodiran (hidden-neck) turtles via Illumina sequencing, chromosome conformation capture, and RNA-seq: Apalone spinifera (ZZ/ZW, 2n = 66) and Staurotypus triporcatus (XX/XY, 2n = 54). We detected differences in the three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure in turtles compared to other amniotes beyond the fusion/fission events detected in the linear genomes. Namely, whole-genome comparisons revealed distinct trends of chromosome rearrangements in turtles: (1) a low rate of genome reshuffling in Apalone (Trionychidae) whose karyotype is highly conserved when compared to chicken (likely ancestral for turtles), and (2) a moderate rate of fusions/fissions in Staurotypus (Kinosternidae) and Trachemys scripta (Emydidae). Furthermore, we identified a chromosome folding pattern that enables "centromere–telomere interactions" previously undetected in turtles. The combined turtle pattern of "centromere–telomere interactions" (discovered here) plus "centromere clustering" (previously reported in sauropsids) is novel for amniotes and it counters previous hypotheses about amniote 3D chromatin structure. We hypothesize that the divergent pattern found in turtles originated from an amniote ancestral state defined by a nuclear configuration with extensive associations among microchromosomes that were preserved upon the reshuffling of the linear genome.

Neural reflexes occupy a central role in physiological homeostasis. The vagus nerve is a major conduit for transmitting afferent and efferent signals in homeostatic reflex arcs between the body and the brain. Recent advances in neuroscience, immunology, and physiology have revealed important vagus nerve mechanisms in suppressing inflammation and treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions. Numerous clinical trials indicate that there is significant benefit to vagus nerve stimulation therapy. Although many questions are still unanswered, it will be important, even necessary, to pursue answers that will be useful in guiding interventions to modulate immunological and physiological homeostasis.

ABSTRACTThe private health care sector is an important source of service delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, the private sector remains fragmented, making it difficult for health system actors to support and ensure the availability of quality health care services. In global health programs, social franchising is one model used to engage and organize the private health care sector. Two social franchise networks, ProFam in West Africa and Tunza in East and Central Africa, provide health care through branded networks of facilities. However, these social franchise networks include a limited number of private health care facilities, and in fragile contexts, like Burundi and Mali, they have faced challenges in integrating with national health systems. The MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery (MPHD) project in Burundi and Mali sought to expand the number of health facilities it engaged beyond the existing ProFam and Tunza networks. The expansion aimed to help improve service quality in more private facilities while advancing localization and reducing fragmentation for improved stewardship by health system actors. MPHD achieved this expansion by removing barriers for private health facilities to join inclusive, nonbranded networks and engaging local partners to build and maintain these networks. We share lessons learned regarding the growing role of local organizations as actors within mixed health systems and provide insights on strengthening stewardship of the increasingly heterogeneous private health care delivery sector in LMICs, particularly in fragile settings.

ABSTRACTWe describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a novel twinning approach: the Twinning Partnership Network (TPN). Twinning is a well-known approach to peer learning that has been used in a variety of settings to build organizational capacity. Although twinning takes many forms, the heart of the approach is that institutions with shared characteristics collaborate via sharing information and experiences to achieve a specific goal. We adapted a twinning partnership strategy developed by the World Health Organization to create a network of like-minded health institutions. The key innovation of the TPN is the network, which ensures that an institution always has a high-performing peer with whom to partner on a specific topic area of interest. We identified 10 hospitals and 30 districts in Rwanda to participate in the TPN. These districts and hospitals participated in a kickoff workshop in which they identified capacity gaps, clarified goals, and selected twinning partners. After the workshop, districts and hospitals participated in exchange visits, coaching visits, and virtual and in-person learning events. We found that districts and hospitals that selected specific areas and worked on them throughout the duration of the TPN with their peers improved their performance significantly when compared with those that selected and worked on other areas. Accreditation scores improved by 5.6% more in hospitals selecting accreditation than those that did not. Districts that selected improving community-based health insurance coverage improved by 4.8% more than districts that did not select this topic area. We hypothesize that these results are due to senior management’s interest and motivation to improve in these specific areas, the motivation gained by learning from high-performing peers with similar resources, and context-specific knowledge sharing from peer hospitals and districts.

Two thirds of Celtic fans believe the club should have an independently elected Fan Advisory Board according to new research from the University of Glasgow.

Two runners saved by the same public defibrillator appeal for all the life-saving devices to be publicly available. Tens of thousands of defibs are unregistered so ‘invisible’ in an emergency.

A fire engine on its way to a callout has been involved in a collision with two cars on a road junction in Edinburgh.

The hunt for missing flight MH370 will end in two weeks, Malaysia’s transport minister said yesterday.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick in the company's latest earnings report said he isn't worried about Rockstar getting Grand Theft Auto VI to run on the Xbox Series S.

"Look, we support the platforms where the consumers are for as long as they’re there, and we find a way to support platforms despite different levels of tech," said Zelnick (via VideoGamesChronicle) when asked about the Xbox Series S.

Zelnick added, "Our labels are really good at that. I’m not really worried. I’ve never worried about where hardware was going. And I’ve said this many times over the years because, first of all, I don’t worry about things over which I have zero control.

"Secondly, I believe in the audience. The audience is going to show up if you have great properties, and so we just have to make sure to be on an array of platforms."

Zelnick added PC is an important platform to release games on, despite the fact Grand Theft Auto VI has not been announced for PC.

"If one platform diminishes in value, there’s always another one," he said. "So we’re seeing great growth in PC right now, for example. And I have been able to view that open formats would continue to grow. PC is an open format.

"I do think PC will continue to be a more and more important part of the console business going forward, and that isn’t complicated for us to support at all. So the bottom line is we are selective about which platforms we support. We make the tech work when we can make it work as long as the audience is big enough to make that worthwhile."

Grand Theft Auto VI will launch for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2025.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463023/take-two-ceo-is-not-worried-about-grand-theft-auto-vi-performance-on-xbox-series-s/

Take-Two Interactive have sold their publishing label Private Division to an unnamed party, along with five of Private Division's "live and unreleased titles". The GTA 6 publisher have also finally confirmed that they have shut down OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome devs Roll7 together with Kerbal Space Program 2 creators Intercept Games, months after performing mass layoffs at both studios.

Read more

A few months ago, the rumour took root that GTA 6's release date would slip back from 2025 to 2026. An anonymous insider averred that studio heads were "worried" about the new open world game's progress - hence, perhaps, Rockstar's decision to mandate a full return to in-office work. Pshaw, say publishers Take-Two CEO. They announced a fall 2025 launch in March and have just doubled down on it in their latest financial briefing, with CEO Strauss Zelnick subsequently going on the tellybox to say that Take-Two are "highly confident in the timing", though he still has nothing to share about GTA 6 on PC.

Read more

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft had so many problems during its first crewed launch to the International Space Station that NASA officials aren’t sure whether it will be able to bring its crew back home as planned

Greg Eghigian's After the Flying Saucers Came and Luis Elizondo's Imminent both show how our fascination with UFOs goes beyond simple curiosity

Next-generation phone networks could dramatically outperform current ones thanks to a new technique for transmitting multiple streams of data over a wide range of frequencies

Researchers suspect the marine mammals may have been communicating across the vast distance

New NatGeo documentary was directed by the same duo who brought us the Oscar-winning Free Solo.

Starship will launch during the late afternoon so its descent into Indian Ocean is visible.

With a macrotrend/backdrop of platformization and convergence, the industry is exploring places where identity security, endpoint security, and network security naturally meet.

The post Identity, Endpoint, and Network Security Walk into a Bar appeared first on Gigaom.

1. Eight-month-old among six abducted in Manipur; two burnt to death  The Hindu
2. Manipur on boil: 2 more bodies found, 6 missing  The Times of India
3. Centre rushes 20 more CAPF companies to Manipur after fresh violence  The Indian Express
4. Three women, three children missing after Jiribam gunfight; Meiteis and Kukis hold bandhs in Manipur  The New Indian Express
5. Letters to The Editor — November 13, 2024  The Hindu

Earlier this year, Feral Interactive’s superb iOS version of Alien: Isolation (Free) was updated to change the game’s business model …

Continue reading "‘Alien: Isolation’ for Android Is Now a Free To Start Release Just Like iOS Letting Everyone Try Two Missions for Free"

Back in December, I reviewed Square Enix’s monster collecting RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on Switch. I loved …

Continue reading "‘Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince’ iOS Review – Much Better Than Switch, but Lacking in Two Ways"

As-yet unnamed “NewCo” will handle IBM’s “managed infrastructure services.”

Researchers say tornadoes in Harvey, Sheffield areas on Friday evening were record-breaking for the province.

While reading through the list of Grammy nominees earlier I came across quite a surprise. There, competing for record of the year alongside the likes of Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em and Chappell Roan's Good Luck Babe, was Now and Then by The Beatles. No, to my dismay, this isn't a time travel situation, but the result of AI. 

So, here's the story of how The Beatles got nominated for two Grammys — they also snagged a best rock performance nod — 50 years after formally breaking up. It starts with a demo John Lennon recorded in the 1970s that was given to Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison for inclusion on the The Beatles Anthology, released in 1995. While other tracks like Free as a Bird and Real Love made it on, technology wasn't advanced enough to separate Lennon's vocals and piano without reducing the recording's quality. 

But, last year McCartney and Starr used modern machine learning technology to pull Lennon's vocals for a new track. Now and Then, released in November 2023, includes McCartney on bass, Starr on the drums, Lennon's vocals and a guitar in Harrison's style (a 1995 recording of him makes up some of the background rhythm guitar. You can watch a documentary about making the track here. 

Unsurprisingly, the song is said to be the last from the Beatles. We'll have to wait until the awards show in February to see whether or not AI will help them win another Grammy. 

The New York legislature passed two bills on June 7, 2024 directed at children’s use of online technologies – the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act (S7694) that restricts access to addictive algorithmic feeds and the New York Child Data Protection Act (S7695) that bans sites from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal […]

Consultations on the reclassification of two progestogen-only contraceptive pills from prescription-only to pharmacy medicines have been launched.

The victims were identified as Shamshad and Faizan Qasri from Bihar's Batya Zila

Feb 29, 2024

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Ed Djerejian says Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin once told him, “There is no military solution to this conflict, only a political one.” Rabin was assassinated a few years later, and today bullets are flying, bombs are falling, and 1,200 Israelis are dead after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 and nearly 30,000 Gazans have been killed in the Israeli response. Yet Djerejain still believes that a breakthrough is possible even in the current moment, as horrible as it is. Djerejian, a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Relations, says the crisis has shaken the regional status quo to the point where—if the United States pursues diplomacy that includes principled pragmatism, coalition-building, and good old-fashioned backbone—a breakthrough may finally be possible. But in a recent paper he argues that any breakthrough will have to be built around a two-state solution, which he says is the only path to peace and stability not only in Israel and Palestine, but the wider Middle East. Djerejian’s career as a diplomat spanned eight U.S. presidential administrations beginning with John F. Kennedy’s, and he also served as U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.  

Jun 5, 2024

The war in Gaza has accelerated a major shift in Tunisia’s foreign policy. One of the first Arab countries to advocate for a two-state solution, Tunisia has now abandoned it. That shift has left Tunisia more isolated geopolitically, prompting it to now court Iran, China, and Russia.

Jan 8, 2024

Sensors, actuators, and IoT devices will enable AI to interact with the physical plane on a massive scale. The question is, how does one build trust in its actions?