NEW DELHI: Since the election results were announced last week — handing out a clear mandate to the Narendra Modi-led BJP — real estate brokers across the country have been prodding buyers to book their dream homes fast, since with a stable government on the cards, builders could increase prices any time soon. Business for thousands of brokers has been thin over the last year or so as negative sentiment engulfed the market and home sales tanked. Investors fled and genuine home buyers waited anxiously to see if a new stable government can infuse life into the economy. “It might just be a case of brokers trying to perk up […]

The government will stockpile 100 million face masks to prepare for a second wave of coronavirus but will also send them to about 70 countries in need."We've already allocated the budget necessary to stock up 100 million masks," Minister of Food and Drug Safety Lee Eui-kyung said Thursday. "Some 70 ...

Islamabad : It has been rather unfortunate that despite a huge relief package of Rs50 billion for Utility Stores Corporation and a cut in POL products by almost 31 rupees in a month by the federal government, its impact has not trickled down to the grassroots level, as the general public is still...

There is a growing perception among the people of Karachi that they are being intentionally deprived of their fundamental rights by both the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf -led federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party -led Sindh government.Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal said...

NEW DELHI: India’s top medical research body has turned down a proposal by the Modi government to test water from the Ganges river as a cure for coronavirus, ThePrint news portal said on Thursday.

It said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) turned down the government’s “request” to conduct research on a theory that Gangajal, or water from Ganges river, could possibly cure Covid-19.

Speaking to ThePrint, a source in the ICMR said the agency has refused to get involved as it is focussing on the Covid-19 battle and doesn’t want to waste time on other research amid the pandemic.

The move came after the country’s apex medical research body received a “request” from the Ministry of Jal Shakti to conduct “further research” on a proposal by an NGO, Atulya Ganga, said an ICMR official, who didn’t wish to be named.

In its letter last month, Mr Atulya had cited the presence of a “ninja virus”, called bacteriophage, in Ganges water that could cure Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Bacteriophage is a special type of virus that eats harmful bacteria, the letter said.

According ThePrint, the NGO asked the government on April 3 to conduct a study on the possibility of this virus acting as a cure. It sent a copy each to the ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The ministry’s National Mission for Clean Ganga, the department administering the Modi government’s ambitious Namami Gange programme, then wrote to ICMR on April 30 requesting a clinical trial.

The ICMR then held a meeting to discuss the idea, but refused to proceed, offering only its “help” to the NGO, ThePrint said. “We had indeed received a letter from the Ministry of Jal Shakti for such research. The experts at ICMR also held a meeting on this matter. Then we asked those proposing this research that you should tell us about hospitals and doctors that are ready and willing to conduct some research on it. We will certainly help them in this regard,” said the ICMR official.

“As of now we are still treating plasma therapy as a trial for treatment for corona (Covid-19), then how can we so quickly accept a virus called bacteriophage, found in the water of Ganges, as a cure? Right now, there is no logic in the argument that the virus found in Ganga’s water can indeed fight the coronavirus disease,” added the official.

However, he added that if the ministry takes an initiative into the matter then ICMR will extend its assistance to it.

Speaking to ThePrint, Dr Rajnikant Srivastava, ICMR’s head of the Department of Research Management, Policy Planning and Communication, in Delhi and Director of Regional Medical Research Centre, Gorakhpur, said: “A presentation was made after the Jal Shakti ministry’s proposal. The matter is at a very preliminary stage. Nothing has been decided on the future course of action. We will support the Jal Shakti ministry in all the work it does on this front.”

A senior official of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, meanwhile, said there are several special properties in the river and many people were demanding research on them.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2020

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government is set to substantially ease norms for foreign investment in the construction sector, hoping to drum up interest in the prime minister’s plans for 100 smart cities as well his affordable housing initiative. The government is seriously considering the removal of all restrictions on size and minimum capitalisation for the smart cities as well as affordable housing projects. “The discussions are on for exempting smart cities from all FDI conditionalities. We need to give them a push by making it attractive for investors,” said a government official. The new policy is also expected to provide easier exit windows.The proposal could be moved for the […]

Alastair Hughes, CEO (Asia Pacific) of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), who was in Bangalore to hold a board meeting of the Asia Pacific region comprising China, Japan, Australia, South East Asia and India, spoke to BusinessLine to share the real estate market sentiment and key issues on corporate leasing. How is the realty market in India as compared to other countries in Asia Pacific ? India has seen a dramatic recovery. The hangover did not last very long as it had in 2010-2011. The market is very dynamic here right now. While Asia-Pacific began to recover in 2012-2013, India went through a lull, largely due to lack of business confidence, […]

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Israel in a show of support for the new coalition government, resuming travel after a coronavirus suspension, the State Department announced Friday.

The head of Libya’s U.N.-supported government Friday warned of an escalation in the battle for Tripoli after rockets struck near foreign embassies in the capital, drawing sharp condemnation from the European Union and United Nations.

ADB has a vacancy for the position of Public Management Officer (Governance) in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department. The deadline for submitting applications is on 18 May 2020.

This working paper proposes flood footprint and accountability to coordinate risk management projects through appropriate spatial planning at river basin scale.

While the the stock markets, the corporate world and a large section of the country’s citizens are celebrating the election verdict, 45-year-old Shailesh Singh, a Delhi-based executive, is a worried man. Singh has been hunting for an apartment in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the past six months but has not been able to zero in on one. Now he is afraid that in the euphoria generated by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decisive victory, real estate prices may start rising again, making his purchase more expensive. Why prices won’t move up Singh’s worries might be premature. Realty experts are of the view that while there might be some […]

The real estate sector is pinning hopes on the new government for revival. Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) Chairman Lalit Kumar Jain expressed hope that the new government would bring in a positive change to real estate developers and buyers by introducing reforms given the challenges of slump in sales, high prices and liquidity crunch that the sector has been facing. ‘Housing for all’ “We expect the government to take concrete steps to implement its promise given in the BJP manifesto of ensuring ‘Housing for All’ in eight years,” he added. For an immediate plan of action, Jain suggested efficient and accountable governance in building approval […]

Privatization has different effects depending on the types of owners to whom it gives control in corporate governance.

Privatization has different effects depending on the types of owners to whom it gives control in corporate governance.

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad district administration on Wednesday resumed 3.31 acres of prime government land in Jubilee Hills allotted to Anand Cine Services, an outdoor film unit, as the management failed to utilise it for the purpose it was assigned. The resumed land could be worth nearly Rs 100 crore. According to revenue records, the Hyderabad district administration had allotted five-acre government land (survey No. 403) on Road No.76, Jubilee Hills in Shaikpet mandal in 2001 for putting up cinema settings and parking area. The state government had set up the Andhra Pradesh Land Management Authority (APLMA) last year and asked all district collectors to identify parcels of government land allotted […]

Telangana government has plans to infuse a sum of Rs 50,000 crore to uplift the infra status in Hyderabad in the next five years. KT Rama Rao, Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (MA&UD) has shared that the fund would be utilised for the development of the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration area. A corpus of Rs 50,000 crore is being readied by the Telangana government, which would go into the development of the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration (HUA) region. KT Rama Rao, Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (MA&UD) has shared the information. HUA region comprises the core of the city as well as its outskirts falling within the Outer […]

KOLKATA: For the next couple of months from now, the Mamata Banerjee government will not acquire any land from farmers even if it is required for government projects. The message has already reached government departments after the chief minister’s press meet with Anna Hazare in New Delhi on Wednesday. The Trinamool chief will champion the cause of farmers as she did earlier. All infrastructure projects in Bengal will therefore, have to wait till the Lok Sabha polls are over. Mamata Banerjee doesn’t want any land controversy before the elections. State departments have been asked not to place any proposals for land acquisition for the time being. This even after the […]

NEW DELHI: Low-cost housing, which found several mentions in BJP’s 2014 election manifesto, is likely to get infrastructure status, making it easier for real-estate developers to get finance from banks and for longer tenures, and eventually increasing the supply of houses. While developers are in favour of an infrastructure tag to the housing sector as a whole, the government is likely to grant it only to the low-cost segment, said a senior government official, who did not wish to be named. According to government definition, low-cost houses are those with an area of up to 40 sq metres. BJP’s manifesto talks about rolling out a massive low-cost housing programme to […]

The dust has settled on the elections drama and the BJP is now firmly in the driver’s seat. By and large, this is being seen as the best possible news for the Indian real estate sector – and rightly so. Narendra Modi has the business mind-set, background and also determination which are called for to bring India’s entire economy back on track. What the real estate sector now awaits is his policy approach to the issue of housing in India. Now, as the country stands poised on the verge of a major change in economic climate, it is a good time to reflect on why boosting the housing sector is […]

INDORE: To ensure hassle-free establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) in Indore, the state government is all set to go for Development Control Regulation (DCR). On the lines of Gujarat, a single window clearance system is being planned for them. A decision to this effect is likely to be taken during the meeting of the state cabinet in Bhopal on Wednesday. Once cleared, the Act will empower the SEZ development commissioner to sort out the issues and give necessary permission to the SEZs that have already been allotted land by the state government and received notifications for the SEZ status. They include TCS, Infosys and Impetus. While TCS and Impetus […]

Thousands of cyclists took over streets in the center of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana on Friday evening to protest against the government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa and the restrictions it has imposed to fight the coronavirus.

The minimum wage in Portland could increase to $15.52 an hour, and $13.50 an hour in the rest of the state, according to a plan unveiled by Oregon Governor, Kate Brown. Jillian Kitchen reports.

Thousands of cyclists took over streets in the center of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana on Friday evening to protest against the government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa and the restrictions it has imposed to fight the coronavirus.

A 5-year old boy has died in New York from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the novel coronavirus, highlighting a potential new risk for children in the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday.

Three children in New York have died from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo told a daily briefing on Saturday.

Our increased reliance on the internet and smart tech means we are watched more than ever before. Is that something to fight – or is our concept of privacy just outdated?

The UK government has refused to say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has employed, with less than three weeks to go until its target of recruiting 18,000 of them by mid-May

Title: Have a Hangover? Try This Herbal Remedy
Category: Health News
Created: 5/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM

ABSTRACT

Bacillus subtilis contains two known cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP)-dependent receptors, YdaK and DgrA, as well as three diguanylate cyclases (DGCs): soluble DgcP and membrane-integral DgcK and DgcW. DgrA regulates motility, while YdaK is responsible for the formation of a putative exopolysaccharide, dependent on the activity of DgcK. Using single-molecule tracking, we show that a majority of DgcK molecules are statically positioned in the cell membrane but significantly less so in the absence of YdaK but more so upon overproduction of YdaK. The soluble domains of DgcK and of YdaK show a direct interaction in vitro, which depends on an intact I-site within the degenerated GGDEF domain of YdaK. These experiments suggest a direct handover of a second messenger at a single subcellular site. Interestingly, all three DGC proteins contribute toward downregulation of motility via the PilZ protein DgrA. Deletion of dgrA also affects the mobility of DgcK within the membrane and also that of DgcP, which arrests less often at the membrane in the absence of DgrA. Both, DgcK and DgcP interact with DgrA in vitro, showing that divergent as well as convergent direct connections exist between cyclases and their effector proteins. Automated determination of molecule numbers in live cells revealed that DgcK and DgcP are present at very low copy numbers of 6 or 25 per cell, respectively, such that for DgcK, a part of the cell population does not contain any DgcK molecule, rendering signaling via c-di-GMP extremely efficient.

IMPORTANCE Second messengers are free to diffuse through the cells and to activate all responsive elements. Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling plays an important role in the determination of the life style transition between motility and sessility/biofilm formation but involves numerous distinct synthetases (diguanylate cyclases [DGCs]) or receptor pathways that appear to act in an independent manner. Using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism, we show that for two c-di-GMP pathways, DGCs and receptor molecules operate via direct interactions, where a synthesized dinucleotide appears to be directly used for the protein-protein interaction. We show that very few DGC molecules exist within cells; in the case of exopolysaccharide (EPS) formation via membrane protein DgcK, the DGC molecules act at a single site, setting up a single signaling pool within the cell membrane. Using single-molecule tracking, we show that the soluble DGC DgcP arrests at the cell membrane, interacting with its receptor, DgrA, which slows down motility. DgrA also directly binds to DgcK, showing that divergent as well as convergent modules exist in B. subtilis. Thus, local-pool signal transduction operates extremely efficiently and specifically.

ABSTRACT

Protein homeostasis is critical for proliferation and viability of all organisms. For Candida albicans, protein homeostasis also modulates the transition between yeast and filamentous forms, which is critical for virulence. A key regulator of morphogenesis is the molecular chaperone Hsp90, which mediates proteostasis under physiological and stress conditions. Hsp90 regulates morphogenesis by repressing cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling, such that inhibition of Hsp90 causes filamentation in the absence of an inducing cue. We explored the effect of perturbation of another facet of protein homeostasis and discovered that morphogenesis is also regulated by the proteasome, a large 33-subunit protein complex consisting of a 20S catalytic core and two 19S regulatory particles, which controls degradation of intracellular proteins. We identified a conserved role of the proteasome in morphogenesis as pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome induced filamentation of C. albicans and the related species Candida dubliniensis, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida parapsilosis. For C. albicans, genetic depletion of any of 29 subunits of the 19S or 20S particle induced filamentation. Filaments induced by inhibition of either the proteasome or Hsp90 have shared structural characteristics, such as aberrant nuclear content, and shared genetic dependencies, such as intact cAMP-PKA signaling. Consistent with a functional connection between these facets of protein homeostasis that modulate morphogenesis, we observed that proteasome inhibition results in an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins that overwhelm Hsp90 function, relieving Hsp90-mediated repression of morphogenesis. Together, our findings provide a mechanism whereby interconnected facets of proteostasis regulate C. albicans morphogenesis.

IMPORTANCE Fungi cause life-threatening infections and pose a serious threat to human health as there are very few effective antifungal drugs. Candida albicans is a major human fungal pathogen and cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. A key trait that enables C. albicans virulence is its ability to transition between yeast and filamentous forms. Understanding the mechanisms regulating this virulence trait can facilitate the development of much-needed, novel therapeutic strategies. A key regulator of morphogenesis is the molecular chaperone Hsp90, which is crucial for proteostasis. Here, we expanded our understanding of how proteostasis regulates fungal morphogenesis and identified the proteasome as a repressor of filamentation in C. albicans and related species. Our work suggests that proteasome inhibition overwhelms Hsp90 function, thereby inducing morphogenesis. This work provides a foundation for understanding the role of the proteasome in fungal virulence and offers potential for targeting the proteasome to disarm fungal pathogens.

Interpretation of a 3D seismic survey located on the western margin of the Northern North Sea Basin demonstrates how the propagation, overlap and linkage of two north–south-striking, en echelon normal fault segments exerted a powerful influence over prospective subtle stratigraphic traps. The relay ramp that formed between the segments appears to have focused sediment dispersal, controlled reservoir distribution and aided post-depositional petroleum migration. Integration of electrical well log data, root-mean-square (RMS)-amplitude analysis and biostratigraphy with seismic interpretation demonstrates that a series of elongate, linear, sand-prone (reservoir) channel complexes characterize the depositional slopes generated by fault growth. The combination of synsedimentary rotation of bedding due to fault propagation and associated footwall uplift led to erosion and truncation of a laterally extensive, older channelized system (Lower Sequence), the downdip parts of which extend beyond the relay ramp. Its subsequent drape by transgressive shales created the subtle stratigraphic trap that now hosts the Cladhan Field, with charge occurring because the sandstones belonging to the Lower Sequence extend as far as the active kitchen in the neighbouring (hanging-wall) depocentre situated downdip and to the east. In contrast, the exploration of a younger, Upper Sequence of sandstones has proven to be disappointing due to their more restricted distribution, lack of access to charge, and occurrence of faults that offset and breach the thin end of the stratigraphic wedge. The implication is that partially breached relay ramps not only provide a preferential site for syn-rift clastic reservoirs to develop but also form important migration pathways through which oil passed from a petroleum kitchen into a trap.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf collection available at: http://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/under-explored-plays-and-frontier-basins-of-the-uk-continental-shelf

Chinese telecomms firm Huawei will be allowed to provide technology for key parts of the UK's super-fast 5G infrastructure, prime minister Boris Johnson has said, despite opposition from the US

"This government has failed to show any self-criticism whatsoever, when it is glaringly obvious to everybody that big mistakes have been made."

बीते बुधवार को सरकार ने फीचर फोन और लैंडलाइन यूजर्स के लिए आईवीआरएस सेवा लॉन्च की थी। वहीं, अब सरकार जियोफोन यूजर्स के लिए अलग से आरोग्य सेतु मोबाइल एप को पेश करने की तैयारी कर रही है।

शॉर्ट वीडियो एप लाईकी ज्वाइन करने का मतबल लाईकी के लाखों यूजर्स को रियल टाइम में कोरोना के संक्रमण के बारे में जानकारी देना और रोकधाम के उपाय को बताना है।

SCOTLAND’S Economy Secretary has penned a letter to the UK Government venting her frustration at being given “insufficient time” to consider workplace safety proposals.

The UK Cinema Association aims to resume business before July release of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Tenet, as studios and distributors scramble to protect theatrical business model

The UK cinema industry is understood to be lobbying the government to approve a proposed reopening scheme that would see venues welcome customers by the end of June.

Phil Clapp, the chief executive of the UK Cinema Association said: “We’ve made representations to government on the safeguards which UK cinemas would look to have in place for audiences and staff alike upon re-opening, and have asked that consideration be given – with these in mind – to allow cinemas to open by the end of June.”

"I just couldn't be more proud of you and the prospect of your presidency," Newsom told Biden Friday during a campaign event.

A 5-year old boy has died in New York from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the novel coronavirus, highlighting a potential new risk for children in the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday.

Government should tell the people clearly about the exact state of the pandemic to enable them to prepare accordingly, said Congress senior spokesperson Ajay Maken.

The UK government has refused to say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has employed, with less than three weeks to go until its target of recruiting 18,000 of them by mid-May

Canadian forces were involved in "six long years of fighting," Lt-Gov. Russ Mirasty said, urging people to take a moment to "remember them and to honour their legacy of peace."

Thousands of cyclists took over streets in the centre of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana on Friday evening to protest against the government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa and the restrictions it has imposed to fight the coronavirus.

County officials in northern California county are threatening to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom if he doesn't ease his requirements to begin letting municipalities lift lockdown measures amid the coronavirus crisis that has fractured the global economy.