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Daily Archives: January 13, 2022
Transhumanism, virtual internships and other cool stuff that top 7 tech startups have to offer in 2022 – News Hour Press India
Posted: January 13, 2022 at 5:53 am
The tech startups are grabbing the eyeballs with new advancement every single day. Its amazing to see how quickly the paradigm is changing and the impact is nothing short of impressive.
The world has seen an overwhelming rise in the popularity of vertical short video apps in the last 5 years. Tiktok became so popular that every other social media app copied its format.
But since the Indian Government banned TikTok and other Chinese apps due to security reasons, it has opened a vast market for Indian as well International app developers to capture.
Founded in May 2019 by Lakshminath Dondeti and Vidya N, Rizzle has emerged as the fastest-growing vertical short video app in India. Rizzle gives a new approach to the format which is still open to experiments and innovations.
This is yet another out-of-the-box idea of the tech genius Elon Musk. It focuses on developing devices that understand the language of the brain! It is a great initiative for people with disabilities of hearing and speech.
The ultimate goal of Neuralink is to support human limitations by incorporating technology into the human brain and body which is also known as transhumanism.
The startup was founded by Musk and other people in 2016 and has received a funding of 158 million since then, out of which 100 million were given by Musk.
Who knows if this becomes the laying of the founding stone for future cyborgs!
With each passing year, a tech user is getting rid of as many cables and hardware as possible. From chargers to earphones, everything has become wireless.
Even the storage devices are being ditched by a majority of the users who are going for cloud storage instead.
Wasabi is one such cloud storage platform that has gained popularity recently. It was founded in June 2017. What makes it so popular is that it is almost 80 per cent less costly than other leading cloud storage applications available.
Tech geeks are looking forward to more useful applications that Wasabi has to offer.
The year 2020 saw everything go virtual. From schools and colleges having their classes and exams online to dance instructors teaching Zumba via zoom calls.
Even music events, concerts and award shows were attended by people via their smartphone screens.
Lumaki is an innovative startup that focuses on helping students to have virtual internship programs.
It provides a 2-in-1 virtual onboarding and recruitment platform. The year 2022 can see more platforms like these to cater to the needs of the lockdown.
A start-up for the star-tups! This one deserves attention in 2022. The major problem for any start-up around the globe is to get funds. Genius minds can work on great ideas but they need help from the big players in the industry.
Equivisto helps the startups to connect with the people who may be interested in their projects and fund them. One can expect Equivesto to get a lot of attention from the people planning to launch their start-ups in 2022.
Nimble robotics founded by Simon Kalouche manufactures robots specially designed to cater to the needs of the E-Commerce industry.
The E-commerce industry has been at its best pace for the last 8-10 years, but the pandemic gave the already fast-growing industry a nitro boost. People filled up their free time during the lockdowns.
The startup produces robots for picking, packing, and handling products which is a big help for e-Commerce companies.
Udaan has gained funding of 1.2 billion in the last 5 years. This Bangalore startup was founded in 2016 by Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, Vaibhav Gupta and focuses on providing a one roof service solution to the wholesalers and goods manufacturers.
Udaan will be one of the most interesting startups to look forward to in 2020, as it made an investment in a restaurant startup PetPooja last year.
Also Read : Goodness score, an algorithm by Goodspace proving to improve hiring efficacy
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Podcasting Legends Joe Rogan And Adam Curry Discuss Crypto And The Metaverse | Bitcoinist.com – bitcoinist.com
Posted: at 5:53 am
Is Joe Rogan close to becoming a Bitcoiner? The biggest podcaster in the world received podcasting pioneer Adam Curry and at one point, the conversation turned to Bitcoin and crypto. In retrospect, it was inevitable. Even though Joe Rogan had Andreas Antonopoulos as a guest a couple of times back in the day, he seems clueless about it all.
Related Reading | How Chinas Tech Firms Are Racing For Metaverse Trademarks
Thats perfectly fine, though. As one of the Internets main success stories, Rogan doesnt need Bitcoin. His audience, on the other hand Luckily, Adam Curry was there to help. The new project from the man many call the Podfather is promoting the Value 4 Value model and what hes deemed Podcasting 2.0. The idea is that a new generation of podcast will be set up to receive Bitcoin payments in real-time over the Lightning network using compatible Podcasting 2.0 apps.
Recently our sister site NewsBTC, as part of their Lightning Speed series, discussed the Podcasting 2.0 phenomenon:
You already know this, the Lightning Network allows for micropayments that are almost free. Anyone can use it, and its approaching mass adoption by the minute. Not only can creators now plug into an open monetization platform with hundreds of millions of users, they can even access a new type of monetization that was never before possible. Those new types are, real-time payment streaming, micro-tipping, and other monetization strategies that simply arent possible on fiat payment rails.
In any case, what did Joe Rogan and Adam Curry discuss in their recent conversation?
Adam Curry introduces his Podcasting 2.0 idea by saying that a lot of young people are opting out of the current system and building parallel networks. Thats what the Value 4 Value model permits, a direct-to-consumer approach that doesnt need an intermediary and bypasses the advertising and sponsorships model thats prevalent today. This is all thanks to the Lightning Network.
It makes sense for Adam Curry to be a Bitcoin maximalist. Im just on the Bitcoin train because I believe that my money is safer there, he says as a way to assure that hes not against the US dollar. What is he against, then? The money system is broken, Curry believes. Its expensive and inefficient; it finances wars and needs armies to protect it. And then, on top of it, theres the banking system. Another artifact of old thats doing more harm than good.
Then, its Joe Rogans turn. He has a lot of hope for cryptocurrencies. He thinks that theyll be the future of the world or theyre going to go to zero, those are the two options. Bitcoin and Ethereum seem to be the ones who people who are in the know talk about the most, Joe Rogan says.
Adam Curry interrupts and lets him know. The difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum is that in Bitcoin, there will only be 21 million. It cant be changed. It cant be inflated. You cant say the same about Ethereum.
Oh, Joe Rogan says.
The Metaverse portion of the conversation starts with a revelation. Brian Cox from Succession will commercialize an NFT. Adam Curry cant give more details, but wow. Joe Rogan shows him a Beeple piece he owns and defends NFTs from Currys jokes. Adam thinks Non-Fungible Tokens materialize Klaus Schwabs dream of You will own nothing and youll be happy.
Curry doesnt seem to like NFTs, but he gives them this. In the dream of the metaverse, the Silicon Valley controlled metaverse, NFTs are going to be very-very important. Then, he gives Ethereum some flowers. The Ethereum crowd is building a more decentralized metaverse.
Related Reading | Twitter CEO to Joe Rogan: I Think Currency of The Internet Will Be Bitcoin
After that, Joe Rogan fantasizes about big companies creating private coins that act as stock of sorts. Curry stops him and tells him Facebook tried that and the governments wouldnt allow it. Thats not the plan. The plan is the Central Bank Digital Currency. You will have crypto. You will have a digital wallet. It will be directly from the Federal Reserve to you, Adam Curry says. Then, theyll have total control. However, Bitcoin fixes this.
The clip ends by describing the metaverse depicted in Neal Stephensons Snowcrash, the transhumanist dream, and Elons supposed brain chip. It was a much longer conversation, what else did they talk about? Thats out of our wheelhouse. Go to Spotify and find out, if you feel so inclined.
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Podcasting Legends Joe Rogan And Adam Curry Discuss Crypto And The Metaverse | Bitcoinist.com - bitcoinist.com
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From whodunnits to cerebral sci-fi: what movie trends will 2022 bring? – The Guardian
Posted: at 5:53 am
Now arguably more than ever, its hard to predict what will and wont connect with cinemagoers over the next 12 months, a tumultuous time of uncertainty extending until an unknowable date. While the rough release schedule is more than certain to change (a number of January releases have already moved as a result of Omicron), what it does do is show us what the industry is banking on right now, outside of the bread-and-butter business of superheroes.
Heres a look at what youll be seeing the most of in 2022:
It seems odd that a genre as reliably rewarding as the whodunnit was ever not in fashion but after star-packed murder mysteries dominated the multiplex throughout the 70s and 80s, the years since saw a retreat to the small screen. It took Kenneth Branaghs lavish, if creatively redundant, remake of Murder on the Orient Express to remind studios of audience interest, making a shock $351m worldwide back in 2017. This year sees the belated follow-up, a redo of Death on the Nile with a slightly less impressively starry cast Penlope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench and Michelle Pfeiffer replaced with Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Russell Brand and Annette Bening landing in February. Later this year will also see a Netflix sequel to Rian Johnsons 2019 hit Knives Out, officially untitled as of now but tentatively called Knives Out 2 because probably, bringing back Daniel Craig and sending him to Greece to find a killer from a cast including Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Janelle Mone and Kate Hudson. The streamer paid over $450m for the rights to the franchise. Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell will also hunt for a murderer in the West End in See How They Run, with a cast of suspects including Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Adrien Brody. A high school reunion ends in murder in the comedy Reunion which stars Jillian Bell and Lil Rel Howery (a set-up thats almost identical to Apples new series The Afterparty with Tiffany Haddish and Ilana Glazer) while Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are currently filming Murder Mystery 2 for Netflix so that could also be a late addition.
Another once-prolific genre that then fell out of favour, the slasher has seen a surprise resurgence in the past few years thanks to the box office success of Happy Death Day and the return of Halloween. Cheaply produced and based on an easily replicated formula, its also found its obvious place within the world of streaming with Netflixs Fear Street trilogy and Theres Someone Inside Your House and Amazons I Know What You Did Last Summer remake. This month sees the inevitable return of Ghostface in Scream, a much-anticipated franchise-restarter bringing back the original Campbell-Cox-Arquette trio for more meta mayhem (if it makes as much as analysts predict it could lead to even more slashers in 2023). Next month, Leatherface follows suit in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a tortured production sold to Netflix during the pandemic, another attempt to relaunch the grimy gore-heavy series, with Dont Breathes Fede Alvarez involved as writer-producer and Eighth Grades Elsie Fisher starring. Michael Myers will also be making his final stab at killing Laurie Strode, AKA Jamie Lee Curtis, later in the year with Halloween Ends but the mammoth box office for his return might extend the originally envisioned trilogy. Theres also the intriguing prospect of an A24 slasher from Cat Persons Kristen Roupenian called Bodies, Bodies, Bodies about a game that goes awry starring Maria Bakalova, Amandla Stenberg and Pete Davidson.
While science-fiction that tackles something a little chewier than whether Godzilla or Kong can punch the hardest is never exactly not a thing, the next year provides a steadier stream than usual of options aiming more for mind over matter. After a premiere at Cannes last summer, Columbus director Kogonadas After Yang will hit cinemas in March, a quiet drama with Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith about a family trying to save their live-in robot from extinction. David Cronenberg returns later this year with Crimes of the Future, a horror-tinged sci-fi tale set in a distant future where people explore the limitless potential of transhumanism, said people including Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen. Cronenbergs son Brandon will also follow his well-received Sundance hit Possessor with Infinity Pool, a thriller starring Alexander Skarsgrd and Mia Goth as a rich couple who discover something unusual beyond the gates of their all-inclusive resort. Yorgos Lanthimos is also reuniting with The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara and star Emma Stone for Poor Things, a Victorian era Frankenstein-esque tale of a woman brought back to life by a scientist who replaces her brain with that of her unborn child. One of the most intriguing big bets comes from the Mad Max director George Miller and his epic romance Three Thousand Years of Longing about a lonely scholar whose encounter with a wish-granting djinn leads to unexpected consequences. And while plot details are yet to be revealed, Jordan Peeles mysterious new film Nope, starring Daniel Kaluuya, has debuted a poster that hints at a sci-fi mind-trip.
A look ahead at any year in the past five decades would show an unhealthy smattering of 2s, 3s and colons but in 2022, theres a more specific form of sequel thats set to dominate. Long-awaited, fan-petitioned follow-ups will be cosying up against the more expected superhero fare, studios betting on nostalgia to drive audiences out to the big screen or to stream. The aforementioned Scream is the first big test, to see if a 90s-born franchise can still pack em in, weeks before Paramount also bets on Jackass Forever, the first entry from the team since 2010. The oft-delayed Top Gun: Maverick will also test if audiences still feel the need for both speed and Tom Cruise outside of the Mission: Impossible franchise (his only fruitful endeavour these days). Reese Witherspoons belated return as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde 3 is allegedly set for a summer release (although recent reports suggest that might not happen) with help from Mindy Kaling scripting. Halloween will see the return of sister witches Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in Hocus Pocus 2, after much fan speculation, haunting a new generation on Disney+ while the platform will also see Amy Adams returning as a fish-out-of-water princess in Disenchanted. And finally, Kevin Smith will complete his cult comedy trilogy with Clerks III.
It might be a surprise to anyone who doesnt spend hours scouring the very bottom rows of the streaming underworld but Bruce Willis is working harder than you, I or anyone we know. His admirably consistent brand of cheaply made action thrillers is ever-expanding (he was in nine films in 2021) and in 2022, he will star in another 10 VHS-era films tailored toward the most undemanding of viewers. In the next 12 months, he will be seen in Gasoline Alley with Luke Wilson, Fortress 2 with Shannen Doherty, A Day to Die with Frank Grillo, The Wrong Place with Ashley Greene, Vendetta with Mike Tyson, Corrective Measures with Michael Rooker, Die Like Lovers with Dominic Purcell, White Elephant with John Malkovich, Paradise City with John Travolta and Wire Room with Kevin Dillon.
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From whodunnits to cerebral sci-fi: what movie trends will 2022 bring? - The Guardian
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What lies on the other side of the UKs Omicron wave? | Omicron variant – newsconcerns
Posted: at 5:53 am
The Omicron variant has unleashed a tidal wave of Covid that is sweeping through countries at breakneck speed. In the UK, infections soared to unprecedented highs in recent weeks, but may finally have reached a peak. So what is in store on the other side of the wave?
Mass vaccination, boosters, and the spectacular infection rates seen in the Omicron wave are building high levels of population immunity that will drive infection rates down. The wave will peak at different times from place to place, with adherence to Plan B and shifts in peoples behaviour before and after Christmas all playing into the timing and speed at which infections fall. While the Office for National Statistics said infections were still rising in England last week, the wave may already have peaked in London.
Not in the foreseeable future. The more likely scenario is that Omicron continues to circulate, with cases rising and falling in line with peoples mixing patterns and changes to measures that prevent transmission. When plan B is lifted and more people return to work, cases may well rise. But in the summer, as people spend more time outdoors, infections may fall again, then rise next winter. It will all come down to human behaviour. People may feel safer and socialise more as cases come down, sending infections up again. The virus wont be wiped out because waning immunity means there will be a constant supply of people who are newly susceptible to the infection.
Before the Omicron wave hit, about 5% of the UK population had no immunity to Covid, either through vaccination or past infection. Most of the severe disease caused by Omicron has occurred in this group of people. On the other side of the Omicron wave, there will be hardly anyone who hasnt got some immunity from infection or vaccination and this should help to keep hospital admissions down.
But Omicron is still spreading fast, with nearly four million people infected in England alone last week. While infection rates appear to have stalled in the under-50s, they are rising in older, more vulnerable age groups. It still isnt clear how severe Omicron can be in older people who had their boosters early and may now be seeing that immunity wane.
If cases keep falling, then population immunity and the arrival of new antiviral drugs that aim to slash hospitalisation rates, will help the UK emerge from the crisis. We can definitely start planning for the future in which we are treating Covid like other diseases, but we arent there yet, said Prof Rowland Kao, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh.
With Omicron spreading fast and causing less severe disease, some researchers believe it is time to rethink how Test and Trace is done. I think we are already at the point where PCR testing is a waste of resources, and contact tracing is probably a waste of resources too, said Tim Colbourn, professor of global health systems and epidemiology at UCL. One option is to rely more on lateral flow tests and for people to message their close contacts whenever they test positive.
Other measures, such as pool testing samples from groups of people, and wastewater surveillance for the virus could flag new outbreaks, Prof Kao said, while some physical distancing and mask wearing in crowded places would continue to keep cases down. We mustnt forget that vulnerable groups will still likely remain more vulnerable, Kao said.
More Covid variants are inevitable and, like Omicron, they will have to evade immunity to some extent to spread widely. The key to reducing the risk of new variants is driving down case rates globally, but to date, vaccine hoarding and the widespread use of boosters in wealthier countries has left vast swathes of the world under-vaccinated. New variants may emerge from mutations in Omicron or other variants that are still in circulation.
Not necessarily. The Alpha variant was more virulent than the original Covid virus that emerged from China, and the Delta variant was more virulent still. Omicron is somewhat milder, but there is no guarantee that future variants will be. The good news is that so far, even though several variants have developed resistance to antibodies, meaning they can spread among people who have immunity, so-called T cell defences have proved far more robust. The T cell defences are crucial for preventing hospitalisations and may continue to hold up well against future variants.
Thats the hope. This year, doctors will have access to at least two new antiviral drugs, Pfizers paxlovid and Mercks molnupiravir. Both are aimed at those most likely to become severely ill with Covid. If taken soon enough after infection, paxlovid and molnupiravir can reduce hospitalisations by 89% and 30% respectively. At the beginning of the pandemic, Covid was by far the leading cause of death, said Prof Colbourn. This year we should be able to reduce the burden of Covid by 95% of what it was then, and it could fall out of the top 10 public health problems by May or June. The next test will be the next variant.
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What lies on the other side of the UKs Omicron wave? | Omicron variant - newsconcerns
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Neve Campbell Is Still the Reigning Queen of ‘Scream’ – ELLE.com
Posted: at 5:52 am
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If you came of age in the late 90s, theres a good chance Neve Campbells signature chestnut bob and concerned, piercing gaze defined your formative cinematic experiences. Perhaps you saw her play a shy burn victim-turned-witch in the cult classic The Craft. Or maybe you watched, in total awe, as she kissed Denise Richards while portraying a manipulative outcast in Wild Things. And if both of those performances somehow passed you by, theres no way in hell you didnt see her star as Sidney Prescott, the ultimate final girl in Wes Cravens iconic slasher, Scream, and its sequel, Scream 2. Interestingly, all four of those movies came out within a two-year stretch, between 1996 and 1998, solidifying Campbell as one of the decades biggestand most talked-aboutstars.
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When Canadian-born Campbell was cast as Sidney Prescott, a strong and steady high schooler merely just trying to survive the wrath of a murderous Ghostface killer, she was only 22 years old, and though it was her first starring role, she never could have known that shed go on to live with the character for over 25 years, reprising her in four sequels. Scream, the fifth film and first iteration since Cravens death in 2015, premieres Jan. 14. She also had no idea that she was about to be catapulted to a level of fame so high that, within the span of a year, she would break box office records, host Saturday Night Live, and appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.
That height of fame was not something a 22-year-old really knows how to handle, she says during a Zoom conversation, conducted in late 2021 from the comfort of her childrens room, where bunk beds sit behind her. (Campbell is mother to sons Caspian, 9, and Raynor, 3, with partner JJ Feild.) I was lucky that I was working so much that I didnt get lost. I see a lot of celebrities when theyre at that height fall down the rabbit hole, whether its addictions or breakdowns. Instead of partying, Campbell says during that time she worked 15 or 16 hours a day for ten months a year filming Party of Five, the acclaimed Fox TV series that launched her career, and spent her time off appearing in movies.
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Getty Images
This will tell you how tired I was, she starts. I was in a car with my manager and my publicist and my manager said, Tell her, tell her, to my publicist. And he goes, Im really excited to tell you: I got you Rolling Stone. And I went, What? Im so tired. I dont want to do another photo shoot. I had no idea what a big deal it was to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Spoiler alert: She did the shootobviouslyand while the cover line read Neve Campbell: Red-Hot Party Girl, the accompanying profile and Campbells recollection of her youth are basically the opposite. To clarify, before landing Party of Five, Campbell was born and raised in Guelph, Canada, before training as a ballerina at the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto. I was just dancing, dancing, dancingI was very disciplined and it was kind of insular, she says. She didnt pay much attention to pop culture and was definitely not a horror film buff. (The Changeling freaked her out too much.)
But landing Scream changed everything. Campbell was enamored by the hilarious meta script written by Kevin Williamson (who then went on to create the beloved teen drama Dawsons Creek), and the originality of the scaresa trademark Craven move. In hindsight, its no surprise that the 1996 film was a megahit, becoming the highest-grossing slasher film in the world until 2018. All that success, though, meant that Campbell kept getting offers to star in even more scary movies. I was never going to do another horror movie because I already made the best one, she says. Why would I downgrade?
Its a fair question. So she ditched Hollywood for a while as a way to recalibrate. Scream 3 was released in 2000 and three years later, Campbell moved to England for seven years, where she dove into the theater community. I learned a great deal about myself and craft, she says. I immersed myself in a different way that is really hard to do in the States. When she started looking for on-screen roles again, this time, the offers were different and came in the form of prestige TV: She made a memorable guest appearance on Mad Men and landed a recurring role on House of Cards. I was suddenly out of that young ingenue thing and I was seen more as a grown woman. The rules are more interesting with these roles.
Brownie HarrisParamount
Its always surprising to me to have people come up and say, Sidney Prescott changed my life.
Ride-or-die Scream fans will likely agree with Campbells assessment. Watching Sidney grow from a timid high schooler with so many boy problems into a knife (and gun)-wielding badass who mentors a younger generation of Woodsboro teens trying not to die has been a fascinating and emotional journey. Instead of just fighting for her life when Ghostface returns, shes sharing life-or-death wisdom, institutional knowledge, and escape routes that might actually work. (Check out Scream 4, which premiered in 2011 and was the first film in the franchise to show Sidney as part of the older generation, to see her experienced wits at work.) Though Campbell cant share much about the new Screams plot, she does reveal that Sidney is now a mother, which brings out a whole other level of survivalism. As a mom, the idea of anything threatening your children will be dire for her.
But Campbell did need a little convincing to come back and reprise her role, especially without Craven in charge. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directors behind another cheeky slasher film Ready or Not, helm the film and ultimately won her over with a letter about how much Scream impacted their work and how they hoped to treat her character and the story.
Still, it took lengthy negotiations for Campbell to officially sign on. Only in the past few years have I felt confident to ask [for more money] because I used to be told, Oh you cant ask, she says. I wonder if Id been a male working on the fifth film of this franchise, if it wouldve been the same conversation in my negotiation. We got there in the end, but I feel like it would have been different if I was a man. I honestly do.
Paramount
Paramount
Reprising the role of Sidney once again means stepping back into the shoes of a woman who has had an enormous impact on viewers. Its always surprising to me to have people come up and say, Sidney Prescott changed my life. She made me feel more confident. She made me less of a victim. She made me take action, says Campbell. You dont expect that when you make a film like this, especially in this genre.
Sidney might not have that impact on people were it not for Campbells portrayal, rife with vulnerability, intelligence, and a palatable dose of humor. The character may not always make the right moves, but she is fearless and desperate to survive no matter whateven if it means killing a few baddies along the way. That soft confidence is why, when you settle in to watch a Scream film, knowing that half of the characters will be sliced and diced by the end credits, you hope that maybe, just maybe, Sidney Prescott will make it out alive.
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Neve Campbell Is Still the Reigning Queen of 'Scream' - ELLE.com
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How the Face of Antifa is Wreaking Havoc on the Far-Right – MSNBC
Posted: at 5:51 am
About this episode:
Its been one year since a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. They were attempting to overturn Joe Bidens presidential election win by preventing the Congressional certification of his victory.
As the attack on the Capitol unfolded, people on the internet immediately began to identify rioters and widely share details about them. Many of the rioters were fired from their jobs or even arrested.
This practice is called doxxing. And using it to chase down far-right extremists became popular through a man named Daryle Lamont Jenkins. Jenkins is a self-described anti-fascist and the founder of One Peoples Project. For over 20 years, Jenkins and his organization have used the internet to expose and publicly shame white supremacists.
His work has brought him into direct contact with white supremacists at events like the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, as well as with Black members of the far-right.
This week on Into America, host Trymaine Lee speaks with Jenkins about his fight to take on and put a stop to right-wing extremists.
Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at intoamerica@nbcuni.com.
Find the transcript here.
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How the Face of Antifa is Wreaking Havoc on the Far-Right - MSNBC
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Expert Says Children Will Soon Have More than Two Biological Parents – Futurism
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It may sound like something out of utopian sci-fi, but a prominent futurist says were not too far off from breaking the genetic mold that has until now comprised the building blocks of human life.
In a wide-ranging interview withThe Washington Post, futurist Amy Webb predicted that the science of procreation will significantly change the way we have babies and may even change the maximum number of biological parents a person can have.
What were talking about here is a technology that unlocks our ability to be more selective and to intentionally design life, said Webb, discussing her new book The Genesis Machine, co-written with geneticist Andrew Hessel. Maybe that means one person using their own genetic material to bring an embryo to term; maybe it unlocks opportunities to select traits from more than two parents.
The author and founder of the Future Today Institute consulting firm admitted that while scientists and futuristic soothsayers like herself dont yet know the full applications for gene editing technology like CRISPR and others that are sure to follow, she believes the possibilities and optionality that could soon be afforded those who decide to procreate could be significant and a net good.
As always, the question of genetic engineering often leads directly to discussions of the potential for governmental abuse. But Webb dismissed those concerns, quipping to WaPo thatall roads on this path lead to eugenics name-checking the 1997 sci-fi flickGattaca.
While those for whom future is their business need to acknowledge the geopolitical advantages that some countries might try for by elevating their populations intelligence and physical traits, that doesnt mean we should reject synthetic biology wholesale, Webb suggested.
The thought of making pregnancy easier for people who really want to become parents is something we should be embracing, she told WaPo. Right now, creating a child relies on chance and serendipity, or enough money for a lot of [in-vitro fertilization] cycles. Its shockingly difficult in the year 2022 to make a baby. It shouldnt be that way.
Its an exciting prospect indeed, especially considering how prevalent maternal illness and even death can be in general and for mothers of color in particular.
Theres no reason not to imagine, design, and fund technology that will make getting pregnant, carrying fetuses to term, and giving birth as safe as, say, getting cosmetic surgery and with that kind of tech within our grasp, the sky is literally the limit when it comes to how reproductive science will look decades down the road.
READ MORE:Futurist Amy Webb says babymaking could get crazy and the smartphone will die [The Washington Post]
More on our not-so-distant genetic futures: Could We Gene Hack Ourselves to Be Blissed Out Sex Maniacs, Like Our Distant Cousins the Bonobos?
Care about supporting clean energy adoption? Find out how much money (and planet!) you could save by switching to solar power at UnderstandSolar.com. By signing up through this link, Futurism.com may receive a small commission.
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Poseida Therapeutics Announces Eric Ostertag to Serve as Executive Chairman and Transition Role of CEO to Current President and CBO Mark Gergen -…
Posted: at 5:49 am
Company provides summary business update and 2022 preview
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure, today announced the appointment of Eric Ostertag as Executive Chairman and the transition of current President and Chief Business Officer, Mark Gergen, to the role of Chief Executive Officer effective as of February 1, 2022. The Company also provided a summary business update and 2022 preview.
Poseida Therapeutics (PRNewsfoto/Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.)
Poseida announces President Mark Gergen to serve as CEO, effective 2/1. Eric Ostertag named Executive Chairman. $PSTX
"For the last four years, Mark and I have worked closely to build Poseida into the organization it is today, making tremendous progress on a wide variety of initiatives which includes taking the company public in 2020, and preparing for the next wave of growth that lies ahead," said Eric Ostertag, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Poseida Therapeutics. "Going forward, Mark will assume the overall leadership of the company while I will focus on high-level strategy, intended to maximize the value of our differentiated genetic engineering platforms and product candidates. In addition to continuing to chair the board of directors, I will also work to expand and further develop our scientific advisory boards."
As Poseida's founder and CEO, Ostertag directed the Company's spin out in early 2015 from parent company Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company that commercialized gene editing technology in research applications. Ostertag also founded Transposagen, where he was CEO from 2003 to 2015. Ostertag earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, Poseida grew to over 250 employees, raised significant private capital and successfully completed an IPO in 2020. The Company has also built a significant global intellectual property portfolio; received FDA clearance on four Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for novel cell therapies, dosing over 100 patients in clinical trials; and established multiple collaborations, including the recently announced gene therapy collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda"), which has a potential total value of up to $3.6 billion.
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"It is a privilege to take on the role of CEO and lead the organization as we continue our progress toward our mission to redefine cell and gene therapy. The partnership Eric and I have built in guiding the company will continue," said Mark Gergen, Poseida's President and Chief Business Officer. "I am very excited about 2022 and the opportunities we will have to differentiate our platforms in both cell and gene therapy. We are highly focused on getting to key inflection points on our solid tumor and allogeneic CAR-T programs as well as advancing our gene therapy efforts, including those associated with our recent collaboration with Takeda."
Gergen joined Poseida in February 2018, serving as Chief Business Officer and Chief Financial Officer before being appointed President and Chief Business Officer in July 2020. During his career in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, Gergen has provided strategic leadership to companies as they scale, grow, and execute on the promise of their technologies. Before joining Poseida, he held key leadership roles including that of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Halozyme, Inc., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. and as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He has also served in senior management positions at CardioNet Inc., Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc., and Medtronic, Inc. Gergen received a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a B.A. in business administration from Minot State University in North Dakota.
Both Ostertag and Gergen will continue to serve as members of the Company's Board of Directors.
Business Update and 2022 Preview
Annual R&D DayThe Company will soon host its second annual R&D Day, scheduled for Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Dr. Ostertag will lead the event, featuring presentations highlighting the current product pipeline, advancements in early discovery and research programs, and detailing novel next generation approaches and technology applications. To register for the webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Poseida website.
P-PSMA-101 Autologous CAR-T for Prostate CancerA Phase 1 trial evaluating P-PSMA-101, the Company's autologous CAR-T candidate for the treatment of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is ongoing. Initial clinical data was presented in late August 2021 at the CAR-TCR Summit demonstrating encouraging early results at low doses in this difficult to treat patient population with high unmet need. The Company will be presenting additional data during the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium taking place February 17-19, 2022, in a poster titled, "Phase 1 study of P-PSMA-101 CAR-T cells in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)."
P-BCMA-ALLO1 Allogeneic CAR-T for R/R Multiple MyelomaThe Phase 1 trial of P-BCMA-ALLO1, an allogeneic CAR-T product candidate for the treatment of relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, is currently initiating with a clinical data update expected later in the year. In addition to the continued product manufacturing at the current contract manufacturing organization, the Company is exploring a parallel path to enable manufacturing of P-BCMA-ALLO1 at its in-house GMP manufacturing pilot plant in San Diego, following successful manufacturing runs of the allogeneic CAR-T product candidate P-MUC1C-ALLO1.
P-MUC1C-ALLO1 Allogeneic CAR-T for Solid Tumors The Company announced on December 20, 2021 that the IND submitted for the P-MUC1C-ALLO1 product candidate had been cleared by the FDA. The Phase 1 clinical trial start-up is underway and will evaluate P-MUC1C-ALLO1 in various solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, lung and colorectal cancers. P-MUC1C-ALLO1 is manufactured at the Company's in-house GMP manufacturing pilot plant in San Diego. Initial clinical data from P-MUC1C-ALLO1 is expected to be presented at a scientific meeting this year.
Dual P-CD19CD20-ALLO1 Allogeneic Car T for B-cell MalignanciesDue to the prioritization of the lead allogeneic programs and the focus on achieving associated milestones in 2022, the Company is shifting expectations for an IND filing of its first dual CAR-T program from the end of 2022 into 2023.
P-OTC-101 In Vivo Liver Directed Gene Therapy for OTCThe Company's leading internal gene therapy program, P-OTC-101, an in vivo liver-directed gene therapy for ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, continues with IND enabling activities and evaluation of both a fully nanoparticle delivery approach as well as a hybrid nanoparticle/AAV approach. A decision of whether to pursue the fully nanoparticle or hybrid approach going forward is expected by mid-year.
Partnerships and CollaborationsThe Company's research collaboration with Takeda focused on nonviral in vivo liver- and HSC- directed gene therapies is underway. The collaboration, announced in October 2021, provides validation of Poseida's genetic engineering technology and approach. In 2022, the Company will continue to evaluate and explore additional opportunities for collaboration and partnership enabled by the breadth and versatility of the piggyBac, Cas-CLOVER, nanoparticle and other technology platforms.
About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to utilizing our proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create next generation cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure. We have discovered and are developing a broad portfolio of product candidates in a variety of indications based on our core proprietary platforms, including our non-viral piggyBac DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER Site-specific Gene Editing System and nanoparticle- and AAV-based gene delivery technologies. Our core platform technologies have utility, either alone or in combination, across many cell and gene therapeutic modalities and enable us to engineer our portfolio of product candidates that are designed to overcome the primary limitations of current generation cell and gene therapeutics. To learn more, visit http://www.poseida.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking StatementStatements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the potential benefits of Poseida's technology platforms and product candidates, Poseida's plans and strategy with respect to developing its technologies and product candidates, future roles and contributions of Poseida's executive officers, and anticipated timelines and milestones with respect to Poseida's development programs and manufacturing activities. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Poseida's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with development and regulatory approval of novel product candidates in the biopharmaceutical industry and the other risks described in Poseida's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statement contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Poseida undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.
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Where Greenpeace and Cato Align – The Globalist
Posted: at 5:49 am
Opaque land ownership rights engender corruption. Opposing organizations Greenpeace and Cato should unite in canvasing for the adoption of a blockchain register countering dead capital.
Greenpeace is one of the worlds most influential non-governmental organizations. With offices in 55 countries, several thousand staff, and a budget in the hundreds of millions of Euros range, it is committed to campaigning against climate change, deforestation, commercial whaling, genetic engineering and the nuclear industry.
The Cato Institute, by contrast, is much smaller: Just 100 staff (plus 46 faculty and 70 adjunct faculty) and an operating budget of around $31 million. It was founded by the Koch brothers and is committed to free markets and other libertarian causes.
These two groups do not often agree with each other, but when they do, it is worth taking note of what they are saying.
I was interviewing Rolf Skar, Special Projects Manager at Greenpeace who directs the organizations forestry campaigns. He told me something which sounded as though it could have come straight from the Cato Institute and, in particular, from Catos Nobel Prize-winning economist, Hernando de Soto.
Skar argued that one of the biggest problems, and biggest contributions to deforestation in Indonesia is lack of transparency around land ownership rights. Theres no single map defining land ownership, and the system has become hopelessly corrupted.
Any official with a Sharpie can change the map. This corruption allows small landowners to be bulldozed aside with no recourse to defending their rights in court. He suggested the situation was similar in Brazil, and, no doubt, in many other countries.
Poorly defined ownership rights create what economists call dead capital. This is something to which people have a de facto claim, but not one that is backed up in law. De Soto estimated in 2015 that around 5.3 billion people own almost $10 Trillion in dead capital.
Examples of dead capital include land where ownership records are unclear or contradictory, or where there is no legal recourse to enforce ownership rights.
Other examples include informal dwellings built on land that is not designated for residential building.
This happens in heavily regulated cities in developed countries but is far more widespread in the developing world. Market traders respect each others ownership of a particular roadside pitch or timeslot in lieu of a formal record of ownership.
Without official title, these owners cannot sell or bequeath their assets nor can they borrow money secured against their ownership. Theres no opportunity for their enterprises to grow fracturing the cascade of wealth between the generations.
Corruption and incompetence in administration is leading governments on every continent to fail in one of their foremost duties: protecting the rights of people to build better lives for their families.
Massive devastation of the worlds forests is just one of the consequences. Trapping people in poverty and the destruction of indigenous peoples follow from the same inability to protect land rights.
When such opposing organizations as Greenpeace and the Cato Institute are aligned on their analysis of the problem, there must be potential for cooperation: a manifesto or charter for land rights that both can endorse.
This, then, is the challenge: Can Greenpeace and the Cato Institute come together to negotiate such a manifesto? It would be a statement of the problem alongside an outline of steps which governments can take to solve the problems.
Any 21st century solution to the problem of poorly defined ownership rights is likely to be built on incorruptible, probably non-governmental platforms.
An unhackable blockchain property rights register can operate entirely outside the control of corruptible officials.
Since we are seeking a decentralized system, it makes sense to get it adopted in a few countries first. The early adopters will benefit from early investment and a smoother transition to a functioning economy, but later adopters may benefit from tweaks to the technology.
Indonesia is the fourth-largest country in the world by population and 14th by land area. Brazil is the sixth-largest by population and fifth by area, so these two should be enough to be going on with.
Corruption is an insidious cancer which corrodes cooperation and sews cynicism. It tilts power and wealth away from voluntary exchange towards force and coercion.
Rainforests are home to the trees which sequester carbon, the biodiversity which promises future pharmacological breakthroughs and previously undisturbed indigenous peoples. Corruption of land records threatens all of this.
For the first time, technology offers a solution to the problem that devastates the environment and blights the prospects of some 70% of the worlds people.
The practical experience and the moral weight of Greenpeace and Cato can map a path to the solution.
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Influence of diurnal phase on behavioral tests of sensorimotor performance, anxiety, learning and memory in mice | Scientific Reports – Nature.com
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To understand the effects of circadian phase on mice behavior, 24 mice were divided into two groups when 4week-old (active phase: mice were maintained in reverse light; inactive phase: mice were maintained in normal light). All mice (8week-old) during the active and inactive phases were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests (initial test), including: rotarod, von Frey test, open field, elevated-O-maze, lightdark box, water maze, T-maze, contextual fear conditioning, and active avoidance. To further confirm the results at a different age, all the behaviors were repeated again three months later (retest, 20week-old) (Fig.1A). Behavioral testing was started two hours after lights on/off; Zeitgeber Time (ZT) 14 for the active group and Zeitgeber Time (ZT) 2 for the inactive group. Ten minutes before the test, tested cages were relocated from animal room to the waiting hallway (red dim light, 15lx) to minimize the effect of light (Fig.1B). Tests were then conducted under the following light intensities: open field (400lx), elevated-O-maze (350lx), lightdark box (440lx), water maze (440lx), T-maze (400lx), contextual fear conditioning (inside the dark box), and active avoidance (inside the dark box).
Effects of diurnal phase on motor coordination and sensory stimulation. (A) Time course of the experimental procedure. Two groups of mice (n=12; 6 males and 6 females in each group) were housed in normal light and reverse light condition. Behavioral tests were conduct 2h after lights on/off (ZT 2 for inactive group, and ZT 14 for active group). (B) The relative position of animal rooms (one reverse light, one normal light) and behavioral testing rooms of the animal house unit. (C) Illustration of rotarod test (left), there is no difference detected in the latency to fall between active group and inactive group in neither the initial test (middle), nor the retest 3months later (right). (D) For von Frey test, mice tested in the active phase exhibit a slightly more sensitive in cutaneoussensory testing than mice tested in the inactive phase in the initial tests. Three months later, mice tested in the active phase still exhibit more sensitivity to filament stimulus compared to mice tested in inactive phase. Blue circles: male mice; Red circles: female mice.
To test the influence of the lightdark cycle on motor coordination and sensory stimuli, mice were subjected to the rotarod and von Frey tests. Our results show that there are no differences on the latency to fall in the rotarod test between inactive and active groups in the initial test (p=0.54, t(22)=0.61), nor the retest three months later (p=0.94, t(22)=0.07) (Fig.1C). Next, to assess sensitivity to sensory stimuli, all mice were subjected to the von Frey test; a mechanicalstimulationbya filament to hind paws. Mice tested in the inactive phase are slightly less sensitive in the initial test (p=0.049, F(1,44)=4.06). For the retest three months later, the results are similar to the initial test, mice tested in inactive phase are still less sensitive than tested in active phase (p=0.0085, F(1,44)=7.59) (Fig.1D). These results suggest that the performance of motor coordination and balance is not influenced by diurnal activity, but cutaneoussensitivity is more responsive in the active phase.
To better understand the effects of diurnal rhythm on anxiety, we chose three common tests associated with anxiety like behavior: the open field test, elevated-O-maze, and lightdark box. All mice were subjected to these three tests. Our results show that there were no significant differences detected between inactive and active groups in the open field test in the initial test (travel distance, p=0.25, t(22)=1.17; time in center zone, p=0.09, t(22)=1.72), nor the retest three months later (travel distance, p=0.89, t(22)=0.13; time in center zone, p=0.57, t(22)=0.56) (Fig.2A). For the elevated-O-maze test, there were no significant difference detected in the initial test (travel distance, p=0.244, t(22)=1.19; during in the open arms, p=0.11, t(22)=1.64). However, mice tested in inactive period showed higher travel distance (p=0.01, t(22)=2.62) and exhibited a trend to stay longer in the open arms (p=0.06, t(22)=1.94) in the retest (Fig.2B). Next, we subjected all the mice to the lightdark box test, in the initial test there were no differences in time spent in the light compartment: p=0.75, t(22)=0.31). Three months later, all mice were subjected to the tests again. Mice tested in the inactive period spent more time in the light compartment (p=0.036, t(22)=2.23) (Fig.2C). The results show that there were no remarkable differences observed in anxiety tests while testing mice during active or inactive periods in the first test. However, three months later upon retesting, we did observe that mice exhibited less travel distance in the elevated-O-maze and spent less time in the light compartment.
Effects of diurnal phase on anxiety tests. (A) There is no significant difference in distance traveled or time spent in the center zone of open field between active and inactive groups in the initial test, nor in the retest 3months later. (B) In the elevated-O-maze, there is no significant difference detected in distance travel or times spent in the open arms between active and inactive groups. However, 3months later, the mice from the inactive group travelled a higher distance, but with no significant difference in time spent in the open arms in the retest. (C) In the lightdark box, there is no significant difference in time spent in the light box in the initial test. In the retest 3months later, mice tested in active phase spent less time in the light compartment. Blue circles: male mice; Red circles: female mice.
It is unclear whether a time-of-day may influence the performance of spatial learning and memory. To investigate the effects of diurnal rhythm on spatial learning and memory, the water maze was used. All mice were subjected to the water maze for 4 days to examine acquisition. The results show there were no differences in escape latency (p=0.24, F(1,22)=1.45) and travel distance (p=0.85, F(1,22)=0.03) in the initial test, nor the retest three months later (escape latency, p=0.53, F(1,22)=0.39; travel distance, p=0.65, F(1,22)=0.2) (Fig.3A). Seven days after the last training, the escape platform was removed, and mice were subjected to the water maze, and spatial memory was evaluated. There were no significant differences detected between the active group and inactive group for the initial test (time spent in target zone, p=0.82, t(22)=0.22; platform crosses, p=0.06, t(22)=1.9), nor the retest three months later (time spent in target zone, p=0.21, t(22)=1.28; platform crosses, p=0.22, t(22)=1.25) (Fig.3B). These data suggest that there are no obvious differences detected in spatial learning and memory between mice tested in active or inactive period.
Effects of diurnal phase on spatial learning and memory. (A) During water maze training, there is no difference in escape latency or travel distance between active and inactive groups, neither in the retest 3months later. (B) For the memory retrieval of the water maze, there is no significant difference detected in time in target zone or platform crosses 7days after the last training, nor in the retest. Blue circles: male mice; Red circles: female mice.
Next, to better assess whether the circadian period affects other types of cognitive behavior, we conducted T-maze, contextual fear, and active avoidance tests. For T-maze alternation, the results show there were no differences in percentage of correct choices in the initial test (p=0.79), nor the second test three months later (p=0.8) (Fig.4A). For contextual fear conditioning, there were no differences detected in freezing time during the pre-shock session (p=0.07, t(22)=1.88), and there was no difference in freezing time detected in the test session 24h after the shock (p=0.15, t(22)=1.47) (Fig.4B). Three months later, all mice were subjected to the footshock chamber again. Mice tested in the active phase exhibited an increase in freezing time during the pre-shock session (p=0.007, t(22)=2.94), but no differences during the test session (p=0.21, t(22)=1.27), suggesting mice tested in the active phase show better long-term memory of the footshock chamber (Fig.4B). For active avoidance, mice tested in the active period exhibited higher escape success rate than those tested in the inactive phase (p=0.0028, t(22)=3.36), suggesting that mice learn active avoidance better during the active phase. Three months later all the mice were subjected to active avoidance testing again, and the results show there was no significant difference (p=0.25, t(22)=1.15) (Fig.4C). Clock genes have been extensively studied and show circadian expression in the brain11,12. To further confirm physiological gene expression pattern of active and inactive periods in these mice, three days after the last behavioral test, we harvested hippocampal tissue for clock gene expression four hours after lights on/off. Our results show that hippocampal tissue harvested in the active period (Zeitgeber Time 16, ZT16) exhibit higher expression of Per1 (p=0.0001, t(8)=6.74) and Per2 (p=0.0013, t(9)=4.57), and lower expression of Bmal1 (p=0.0049, t(9)=3.69) compared to tissue harvested during the inactive phase (Zeitgeber Time 4, ZT4) (Fig.4D). These results confirm the mice had differential gene expression between active and inactive phase.
Effects of diurnal phase on T-maze, contextual fear, active avoidance, expression of clock genes. (A) In the T-maze test, there is no significant difference in the percentage of correct choices observed influenced by diurnal rhythm, nor in the retest. (B) For the contextual fear conditioning, there is no difference in freezing time during the pre-shock session between active and inactive groups. Twenty-four hours after the footshock, both active and inactive groups show increased freezing time during the test session, but no significant difference was detected. Three months later, mice tested in active phase exhibited a higher percentage of freezing in the pre-shock session, but no difference in freezing time during the test session. (C) For active avoidance, mice tested in the active phase feature higher escape success rates compared to mice tested in the inactive phase. In the retest, no significant difference is detected. (D) The phase differences in expression of clock genes (Per1, Per2, and Bmal1) in the hippocampus at ZT4 (inactive group) and ZT16 (active group). Blue circles: male mice; Red circles: female mice.
In order to determine whether differences in sex could be contributing to our results, for each measure we compared a model in which phase predicted the behavior to a model that in addition contained sex as a predictor. We applied a Bonferroni 5% corrected threshold of 0.00156 to take into account the fact that we ran 32 tests (0.05/32=0.00156). Our figures show results for males and females where males are colored blue and females colored red. We found two behavioral results exceeded the 5% threshold; time spent in open arms (p=0.00017) and travel distance (p=0.0012) of elevatedO-maze at 20weeks in our analysis. However, the small sample size and consequent low power means we cannot exclude the presence of a sex difference. Table 1 provides a summary of the sex difference analyses.
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