Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

DOVER, DELAWARE – Delaware State Auditor Kathy McGuiness and Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro together will host a virtual Fraud Town Hall via Facebook live on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 beginning at 3:00 pm. The Auditor’s Office and the Department of Insurance want to jointly raise awareness of the types of fraud schemes both agencies regularly […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement today after a jury convicted State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness of Official Misconduct, Structuring, and Conflict of Interest: “From the moment I took office, I promised that no one would be either above the law or beneath justice. Today’s guilty verdict confirmed that. After weeks or grueling trial […]

DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness today released a new special report that reviews federal and state legislation concerning pharmacists’ provider status and shows that Delaware is one of only 13 states yet to pass reimbursement and provider status legislation. “Pharmacists have been long on the frontlines of healthcare, which has become more obvious […]

DOVER, Delaware – Today, Delaware State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness released the following statement in response to the Memorandum Opinion and Order from the court confirming the Auditor’s Office’s power to conduct performance audits: Judge Karsnitz released his decision in our court case with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) regarding our requests […]

ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) is a membrane-bound transporter responsible for the efflux of various xenobiotics and endobiotics, including protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), an intermediate in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Certain genetic mutations and chemicals impair the conversion of PPIX to heme and/or increase PPIX production, leading to PPIX accumulation and toxicity. In mice, deficiency of ABCG2 protects against PPIX-mediated phototoxicity and hepatotoxicity by modulating PPIX distribution. In addition, in vitro studies revealed that ABCG2 inhibition increases the efficacy of PPIX-based photodynamic therapy by retaining PPIX inside target cells. In this review, we discuss the roles of ABCG2 in modulating the tissue distribution of PPIX, PPIX-mediated toxicity, and PPIX-based photodynamic therapy.

The Pokémon series is no stranger to mobile games, being responsible for one of the most successful ever (Pokémon Go), as well as many others with different takes on the massive franchise, but this time it’s a Pokémon card game - a tradition nearly as old as the original games - that has taken the spotlight in Pokémon TCG Pocket.

For the physical version of Pokémon TCG, the collecting has always been as big or bigger than the battling, and right off the bat we can see that TCG Pocket has made plenty of room for both these aspects in its design. In fact, the battling isn’t even available until you level up a few times, which, while a bit limiting, is a fine way for players to get their bearing and collect a few cards before they start competing. The game does suffer from just a tad bit too much forced tutorialization in the early stages, particularly when getting to the battles, but it’s still hardly the worst sinner among mobile titles in this regard.

The collecting all starts with the opening of packs, an infamously addictive part of any card game, and they’ve done a good job of making the process quite satisfying TCG Pocket. More importantly, the number of packs given for free is quite generous - at least two packs a day by default - meaning the game is perfectly playable without spending money, regardless of whether you’re in it for the collecting or battling aspect. Whenever you obtain new cards, they also get filled out in a sort of card Pokédex, which adds to the fun of collecting new ones.

A lot of what makes the collecting in TCG Pocket enjoyable, however, is quite simply the excellent card art. This is, of course, borrowed mostly from the game’s physical counterpart, and strengthened by little touches like being able to being able to zoom in and tilt the cards, with a slight holographic on the rarer ones. Whether they’re cute or cool, the Pokémon themselves are at the heart of this franchise and with the generally splendid art the game does a great job of bringing them to life, in some ways doing them more justice than recent mainline entries with low-detailed 3D models.

As for the other part of aesthetics, namely sound design, the game is also passable in this area but nothing special with slightly boring battle music. It's not the biggest issue perhaps, as most are likely to play mobile games with sound disabled, but with all the cosmetic unlockables (which we shall get to) it   seems like a wasted opportunity not to have unlockable battle themes when the Pokémon series has so many great ones to draw upon from its legacy.

Looking for a moment at the less positive side, while Pokémon TCG Pocket is fairly generous to free-to-play players, it does still suffer from some of the pitfalls that are typical of that type of mobile game; namely, the amount of noise that comes with too many currencies, constant quests and rewards, and perhaps a few more types of cosmetics than is necessary. Again, I wouldn't describe Pokémon TCG Pocket as the worst sinner of this type of issue, mostly just that it can be a bit overwhelming at first, and of course knowing that it’s intended to add to the addictiveness of the game can be a bit iffy, but ultimately it isn’t too hard to ignore aspects you don’t care about and simply enjoy the ones you do.

It might be high time to touch on the battles themselves, which to many players might be their first encounter ever with the actual rules of these pretty collectible cards. While it might not be simplest card game ever invented, I’m happy to say the TCG Pocket variant is still intuitive, fun, and quite strategic once you get the hang of it. To summarize it in very brief: you play and evolve Pokémon from your hand onto the field and charge them up with energy types to allow them to attack. Just like in the RPGs, only one Pokémon is active at a time and can use one move per turn, while you can assign others to your “bench”, where they await their turn in the spotlight. Unlike in the RPGs, switching Pokémon won’t cost you your turn (only some energy), meaning benched Pokémon can potentially step into action immediately - if you have the energy necessary. Rather than any form of life-points, you win the battle by defeating three of your opponents' Pokémon, which each award one point.

This bench system and charging up of your Pokémon before they can take action might in some regards make the game slower compared to other card games, but it also adds a strategic element, since you can generally see what moves you and your opponent have available in the immediate future and can only really be caught by surprise by item or support cards (which can be quite useful but rarely complete game changers). It’s not the type of game where you perform crazy one-turn game-winning combos, but it’s fun for the strategic aspect and of course the satisfaction that comes from evolving your Pokémon throughout the battle - and sometimes pulling off an impressive comeback.

Adding to this are the EX-cards, extra powerful cards that come with the added risk of rewarding the opponent two points if defeated rather than one. I’ve seen complaints that this risk is too big in a game when it only takes three points to win (unlike the physical version of the game where you need six points), but when the card is extra strong and you have the option of switching it out it seems justified, plus you still have that golden window of playing it when your opponent already has two points, at which point the extra risk is nullified.

Ultimately there is one distinct issue with the battle system, however, which is how type weaknesses are handled. Pokémon TCG, whether physical or digital, has condensed Pokémon down to nearly half as many types (a tad too few in my opinion, though all 18 would definitely have been overwhelming), while the weaknesses and resistances are reduced to one type per card, and in TCG Pocket resistances are removed so you only have the weaknesses. This, for example, means that (most) Water types are weak to Lightning   but not Grass, while Fire types are weak to Water but not Ground (which has been combined with Fighting). The issue however is not so much the differences from the RPGs as it is simply having these basic and pretty consistent weaknesses in a game that, unfortunately, strongly encourages mono-type   decks in its design (or one type + colorless), since you’ll be needing specific energy types to charge your Pokémon and receive them at random if your deck uses multiple types.

While there is something to be said for having to commit to certain types, it’s a bit unfortunate that it’s taken to the degree where dual-type decks can feel awkward and triple-type decks, while allowed, require very specific cards or a lot of luck to pull off. The result is that when most players play with only one type and all types have one weakness, online matches will often either play out without weaknesses playing any role or with one player having an advantage before the first card is even played. One can always hope that this is somehow redesigned a bit in the future, but for now it’s an unfortunate though not game-breaking issue, as the weaknesses are at least a bit milder here, adding only a flat amount of damage rather than a multiplier.

Lastly it wouldn't review this game without mentioning the nostalgic aspect, which to many a player might add an extra appeal to the experience. Even as someone who hasn't dabbled in Pokémon cards for nearly 20 years, I can still recognize many that I’ve owned myself at some point, and it’s also great to revisit the first generation, which has smartly put front and center for now (with a small mix from other generations on top). I consider it a good call to start off with a single set of a manageable size for now - one that doesn’t seem too daunting - while leaving plenty of room to grow in the future.

All in all, Creatures Inc. and Dena Co. have done a great job adapting the Pokémon card game to mobile in a way that can appeal to both old and new players, and to those who want to collect and those who want to battle. It brings Pokémon to life with great card art and, contrary to unfortunate trends, the game is also fairly generous to its free-to-play players (and certainly a cheaper alternative to collecting the physical cards). While it does suffer from a few design issues and some classic pitfalls, it’s overall one of the better mobile games out there at the moment and certainly worth checking out for those who have nostalgia for the Pokémon TCG or old school Pokémon in general.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463039/pokemon-tcg-pocket-android/

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen lawyer Willian McGinley to serve as his White House counsel.

With competition heating up in the foundry business – India this week approved three new semiconductor plants involving Tata Group and CG Power,, and is looking to achieve dominance in the industry – existing foundries have to up their game. Chief among them is Intel, which has been trying to recover from historical missteps that […]

William McGinley is returning to the Trump White House to serve as his White House Counsel, President-elect Trump announced.

President-elect Donald Trump revealed on Tuesday evening that he had chosen William McGinley to serve as his White House Counsel.

The post President-Elect Donald Trump Picks William McGinley to Serve as White House Counsel appeared first on Breitbart.

1. Xi Jinping leaves for APEC meeting and state visit in Peru  CGTN
2. Peru and China to sign strengthened free-trade agreement in Xi's APEC visit  Hindustan Times
3. Amid unease over Trump 2.0, Xi Jinping heads to South America; Peru first stop  Firstpost
4. Moments in Motion | President Xi's memorable moments - Peru  Xinhua
5. Another Modi, Xi meet likely at G20 in Brazil  Deccan Chronicle

As White House Counsel, McGinley will be the point legal adviser for the president in regards to ethics, oversight and judicial nominations. He served as cabinet secretary during Trump's first term.

UPDATE: EDDIE McGuire has the backing of the Collingwood board to remain president after accepting his apology for his explosive radio comments about Caroline Wilson.

Joël McGuirk a dénoncé son retrait imprévu du dernier plateau de «Tout le monde en parle», lundi, au micro de Sophie Durocher, à QUB radio.

Raising deep concern over the partnership between Swiggy Instamart and PharmEasy for a rapid drug delivery model, the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has apprised the Drug Controller

No Bones About It

Tim McGraw wants to hear from you!

My siblings and I sold our ancestral property recently. Assuming my share was X, I recently bought a flat and the cost is about 65% more than X.What would be my tax implication? Thanks

"Agriculture is both the cause and solution to many of the world's water problems," he stated.

The post David Molden receives CGIAR award for Outstanding Scientist first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Fruits of new investments in CGIAR could include big boost in rice production for Asia, sustainable irrigation for millions of parched farms in Africa, and dramatic drop in forest destruction tied to agriculture. Washington, D.C. and Montpellier, France — CGIAR, the world’s largest agriculture research partnership, today announced its funding has doubled from $500 million […]

The post CGIAR doubles funding to $1 billion in five years first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Event to be rescheduled for later in the year.

The post CGIAR Science Week 2024 postponed first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

IWMI and IFPRI, through the CGIAR's NEXUS Gains Initiative, are undertaking a comprehensive strategy to address low water productivity in Pakistan.

The post IWMI and CGIAR’s NEXUS Gains Initiative to build sustainable strategy to address water shortage in Pakistan first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

CGIAR Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi and IWMI Director General Mark Smith met Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The post IWMI-CGIAR to launch new program for water and nutrition to mark 40th anniversary first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR’s Executive Managing Director, discusses the global research consortium’s vital role in transforming food, land, and water systems.

The post CGIAR EMD Ismahane Elouafi discusses food security and climate solutions on Agro América first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled the 'myCGHS' app (!--ref1--) for iOS devices, integrating advanced security measures such as two-factor

Yoga helps overcome flight or fight response in the body and kick start the rest and healing mechanism, empowering individuals to take control of any

Threat type: Ransomware

Aliases: Trojan-Ransom.BlackMatter(IKARUS), Ransom:Win32/Lockbit.STB(MICROSOFT)

Platforms: Windows

Overall Risk Rating: Low

Damage Potential: Medium

Distribution Potential: Low

Reported Infection: Low

Information Exposure: Low

Overview:

This Ransomware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It drops files as ransom note. It avoids encrypting files with the following file extensions.

India's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector grew 5.7 per cent by value and 4.1 per cent by volume in the July-September quarter driven by rural demand which grew faster than urban markets for the third consecutive quarter, according to the latest report by consumer intelligence firm NielsenIQ.

There has been a 60 per cent rise in the average FMCG basket size among India's rural consumers in the last two years, driven by a growing preference for convenience products, according to the latest Group M and Kantar report released on Monday.

London : Faber & Faber (Plays), 2023.

Manchester : Manchester University Press, [2020]

London : Nick Hern Books, 2022.

Report to assess firms’ AI maturity is based on a survey of 1,000 CxOs and senior executives from over 20 sectors, spanning 59 countries

The five films nominated for an Academy Award this year for visual effects were each selected for their own unique reasons. Kevin Baillie, a VFX artist who was worked on some of Hollywood's biggest movies, breaks down the visual effects in this year's Oscar nominees.

The Saints cut center Connor McGovern on Monday, a sign that starter Erik McCoy is ready to return from injured reserve.

We check into an eco resort set on one of the largest islands in the Andaman chain, famed for its white sand beaches, spectacular sunsets and vibrant marine life. We check into the eco friendly resort to explore Havelock island

[U.K.] : BBC ; Opus Arte, [2002]

Redlands, California : Esri Press, 2024

Sensex, Nifty updates on 18th April 2024: Equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty extended losses on Thursday. As per provisional figures, BSE Sensex fell 332.23 pts or 0.46 per cent to trade at 72,611.45 as of 3.35 pm and Nifty 50 declined 103.70 pts or 0.47 per cent to trade at 22,044.20., Bharti Airtel, Power Grid Corp, M&M, BPCL, and Tata Steel were the top gainers, while Nestle, Apollo Hospitals, Axis Bank, HCL Technologies, and ONGC were the major laggards. The stocks that hit a 52-week high on the NSE include AAA Tech (19.33 per cent), Just Dial (12.95 per cent), Indo Tech (10 per cent) and Hi-Tech Gear (10 per cent).

already Top 300 drug brands are already under mandatory QR code net 

The Sanjiv Puri-led group looks set to feed on the success of its brand extension strategy

At the very least, feedback and views can be sought from stakeholders and analysts during pre-Budget consultations when such major changes are being considered

With this, the foundation completes donating 1,000 ECG machines to many health facilities across India since 2018