Daily Archives: January 27, 2023

Aldabra Atoll Seychelles cruise port schedule | CruiseMapper

Posted: January 27, 2023 at 8:23 pm

Aldabra Atoll is the world's second-largest coral atoll - after Kiritimati (Christmas Island). It is part of the Outer Islands (Seychelles) in the Indian Ocean. Aldabra Island is located 1120 km (700 mi) southwest of Victoria (Mahe Island). The Aldabra Atoll has 4 larger islands, plus 40 smaller ones, all inside its lagoon. There are also a few very small islets located between Grand-Terre Island and Picard Islands.

A scientific research station of SIF (Seychelles Islands Foundation) is based at La Gigi village, Picard Island. The permanent staff of 12 people conduct research to study the biodiversity of Aldabra.

Aldabra is not easy to access. No helipads, landing jetties or airstrips, have been permitted to be constructed on the atoll. The closest airfield on Assumption is 50 km (31 ml) south-east of Picard. Supply ships that operate from Mahe provide food and other essentials to the scientists and staff at the station once per 2 months.

Cruises are operated by several cruise lines along with dive boats that may call on Aldabra Atoll on expedition tours. Visits by people other than SIF scientists and staff are strictly controlled. Only guided tours are offered with prior permission and current numbers indicate that an average of 900 tourists are able to see the atoll per year. Within Aldabra, paved walking paths exist from La Gigi village which leads to premonitory from where views of the mangrove species and the large lagoon (during low tides) are seen.

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Aldabra Atoll Seychelles cruise port schedule | CruiseMapper

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After oxygen therapy for 5 years, Indian doctors help Seychelles woman breathe on her own again – The Indian Express

Posted: at 8:23 pm

After oxygen therapy for 5 years, Indian doctors help Seychelles woman breathe on her own again  The Indian Express

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After oxygen therapy for 5 years, Indian doctors help Seychelles woman breathe on her own again - The Indian Express

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Gene | Definition, Structure, Expression, & Facts | Britannica

Posted: at 8:18 pm

Summary

gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins.

In eukaryotes (such as animals, plants, and fungi), genes are contained within the cell nucleus. The mitochondria (in animals) and the chloroplasts (in plants) also contain small subsets of genes distinct from the genes found in the nucleus. In prokaryotes (organisms lacking a distinct nucleus, such as bacteria), genes are contained in a single chromosome that is free-floating in the cell cytoplasm. Many bacteria also contain plasmidsextrachromosomal genetic elements with a small number of genes.

The number of genes in an organisms genome (the entire set of chromosomes) varies significantly between species. For example, whereas the human genome contains an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 genes, the genome of the bacterium Escherichia coli O157:H7 houses precisely 5,416 genes. Arabidopsis thalianathe first plant for which a complete genomic sequence was recoveredhas roughly 25,500 genes; its genome is one of the smallest known to plants. Among extant independently replicating organisms, the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium has the fewest number of genes, just 517.

A brief treatment of genes follows. For full treatment, see heredity.

Genes are composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), except in some viruses, which have genes consisting of a closely related compound called ribonucleic acid (RNA). A DNA molecule is composed of two chains of nucleotides that wind about each other to resemble a twisted ladder. The sides of the ladder are made up of sugars and phosphates, and the rungs are formed by bonded pairs of nitrogenous bases. These bases are adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). An A on one chain bonds to a T on the other (thus forming an AT ladder rung); similarly, a C on one chain bonds to a G on the other. If the bonds between the bases are broken, the two chains unwind, and free nucleotides within the cell attach themselves to the exposed bases of the now-separated chains. The free nucleotides line up along each chain according to the base-pairing ruleA bonds to T, C bonds to G. This process results in the creation of two identical DNA molecules from one original and is the method by which hereditary information is passed from one generation of cells to the next.

The sequence of bases along a strand of DNA determines the genetic code. When the product of a particular gene is needed, the portion of the DNA molecule that contains that gene will split. Through the process of transcription, a strand of RNA with bases complementary to those of the gene is created from the free nucleotides in the cell. (RNA has the base uracil [U] instead of thymine, so A and U form base pairs during RNA synthesis.) This single chain of RNA, called messenger RNA (mRNA), then passes to the organelles called ribosomes, where the process of translation, or protein synthesis, takes place. During translation, a second type of RNA, transfer RNA (tRNA), matches up the nucleotides on mRNA with specific amino acids. Each set of three nucleotides codes for one amino acid. The series of amino acids built according to the sequence of nucleotides forms a polypeptide chain; all proteins are made from one or more linked polypeptide chains.

Experiments conducted in the 1940s indicated one gene being responsible for the assembly of one enzyme, or one polypeptide chain. This is known as the one geneone enzyme hypothesis. However, since this discovery, it has been realized that not all genes encode an enzyme and that some enzymes are made up of several short polypeptides encoded by two or more genes.

Experiments have shown that many of the genes within the cells of organisms are inactive much or even all of the time. Thus, at any time, in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, it seems that a gene can be switched on or off. The regulation of genes between eukaryotes and prokaryotes differs in important ways.

The process by which genes are activated and deactivated in bacteria is well characterized. Bacteria have three types of genes: structural, operator, and regulator. Structural genes code for the synthesis of specific polypeptides. Operator genes contain the code necessary to begin the process of transcribing the DNA message of one or more structural genes into mRNA. Thus, structural genes are linked to an operator gene in a functional unit called an operon. Ultimately, the activity of the operon is controlled by a regulator gene, which produces a small protein molecule called a repressor. The repressor binds to the operator gene and prevents it from initiating the synthesis of the protein called for by the operon. The presence or absence of certain repressor molecules determines whether the operon is off or on. As mentioned, this model applies to bacteria.

The genes of eukaryotes, which do not have operons, are regulated independently. The series of events associated with gene expression in higher organisms involves multiple levels of regulation and is often influenced by the presence or absence of molecules called transcription factors. These factors influence the fundamental level of gene control, which is the rate of transcription, and may function as activators or enhancers. Specific transcription factors regulate the production of RNA from genes at certain times and in certain types of cells. Transcription factors often bind to the promoter, or regulatory region, found in the genes of higher organisms. Following transcription, introns (noncoding nucleotide sequences) are excised from the primary transcript through processes known as editing and splicing. The result of these processes is a functional strand of mRNA. For most genes this is a routine step in the production of mRNA, but in some genes there are multiple ways to splice the primary transcript, resulting in different mRNAs, which in turn result in different proteins. Some genes also are controlled at the translational and posttranslational levels.

Mutations occur when the number or order of bases in a gene is disrupted. Nucleotides can be deleted, doubled, rearranged, or replaced, each alteration having a particular effect. Mutation generally has little or no effect, but, when it does alter an organism, the change may be lethal or cause disease. A beneficial mutation will rise in frequency within a population until it becomes the norm.

For more information on the influence of genetic mutations in humans and other organisms, see human genetic disease and evolution.

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New gene therapy delivers treatment directly to brain

Posted: at 8:18 pm

When Rylae-Ann Poulin was a year old, she didnt crawl or babble like other kids her age. A rare genetic disorder kept her from even lifting her head. Her parents took turns holding her upright at night just so she could breathe comfortably and sleep.

Then, months later. doctors delivered gene therapy directly to her brain.

Now the 4-year-old is walking, running, swimming, reading and riding horses just doing so many amazing things that doctors once said were impossible, said her mother, Judy Wei.

READ MORE: Gene therapy was a boys last chance to stop leukemia. And it worked.

Rylae-Ann, who lives with her family in Bangkok, was among the first to benefit from a new way of delivering gene therapy attacking diseases inside the brain that experts believe holds great promise for treating a host of brain disorders.

Her treatment recently became the first brain-delivered gene therapy after its approval in Europe and the United Kingdom for AADC deficiency, a disorder that interferes with the way cells in the nervous system communicate. New Jersey drugmaker PTC Therapeutics plans to seek U.S. approval this year.

Meanwhile, about 30 U.S. studies testing gene therapy to the brain for various disorders are ongoing, according to the National Institutes of Health. One, led by Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz at Ohio State University, also targets AADC deficiency. Others test treatments for disorders such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Huntingtons.

Challenges remain, especially with diseases caused by more than a single gene. But scientists say the evidence supporting this approach is mounting opening a new frontier in the fight against disorders afflicting our most complex and mysterious organ.

Theres a lot of exciting times ahead of us, said Bankiewicz, a neurosurgeon. Were seeing some breakthroughs.

The most dramatic of those breakthroughs involve Rylae-Anns disease, which is caused by mutations in a gene needed for an enzyme that helps make neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, the bodys chemical messengers. The one-time treatment delivers a working version of the gene.

At around 3 months old, Rylae-Ann began having spells her parents thought were seizures her eyes would roll back and her muscles would tense. Fluid sometimes got into her lungs after feedings, sending her to the emergency room. Doctors thought she might have epilepsy or cerebral palsy.

Around that time, Weis brother sent her a Facebook post about a child in Taiwan with AADC deficiency. The extremely rare disorder afflicts about 135 children worldwide, many in that country. Wei, who was born in Taiwan, and her husband, Richard Poulin III, sought out a doctor there who correctly diagnosed Rylae-Ann. They learned she could qualify for a gene therapy clinical trial in Taiwan.

Though they were nervous about the prospect of brain surgery, they realized she likely wouldnt live past 4 years old without it.

WATCH: Researchers look for link between air pollution and brain disease

Rylae-Ann had the treatment at 18 months old on November 13, 2019 which her parents have dubbed her reborn day. Doctors delivered it during minimally invasive surgery, with a thin tube through a hole in the skull. A harmless virus carried in a functioning version of the gene.

It gets put into the brain cells and then the brain cells make the (neurotransmitter) dopamine, said Stuart Peltz, CEO of PTC Therapeutics.

Company officials said all patients in their clinical trials showed motor and cognitive improvements. Some of them, Peltz said, could eventually stand and walk, and continue getting better over time.

Bankiewicz said all 40 or so patients in his teams NIH-funded study also saw significant improvements. His surgical approach is more involved and delivers the treatment to a different part of the brain. It targets relevant circuits in the brain, Bankiewicz said, like planting seeds that cause ivy to sprout and spread.

Its really amazing work, said Jill Morris, a program director with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which helped pay for the research. And he has seen a lot of consistency between patients.

One is 8-year-old Rian Rodriguez-Pena, who lives with her family near Toronto. Rian got gene therapy in 2019, shortly before her 5th birthday. Two months later, she held her head up for the first time. She soon started using her hands and reaching for hugs. Seven months after surgery, she sat up on her own.

When the world was crumbling around us with COVID, we were at our house celebrating like it was the biggest party of our lives because Rian was just crushing so many milestones that were impossible for so long, said her mom, Shillann Rodriguez-Pena. Its a completely different life now.

Scientists say there are challenges to overcome before this approach becomes widespread for more common brain diseases.

For example, the timing of treatment is an issue. Generally, earlier in life is better because diseases can cause a cascade of problems over the years. Also, disorders with more complex causes like Alzheimers are tougher to treat with gene therapy.

When youre correcting one gene, you know exactly where the target is, said Morris.

Ryan Gilbert, a biomedical engineer at New Yorks Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said there can also be issues with the gene-carrying virus, which can potentially insert genetic information in an indiscriminate way. Gilbert and other researchers are working on other delivery methods, such as messenger RNA the technology used in many COVID-19 vaccines to deliver a genetic payload to the nucleus of cells.

Scientists are also exploring ways to deliver gene therapy to the brain without the dangers of brain surgery. But that requires getting around the blood-brain barrier, an inherent roadblock designed to keep viruses and other germs that may be circulating in the bloodstream out of the brain.

A more practical hurdle is cost. The price of gene therapies, borne mostly by insurers and governments, can run into the millions. The one-time PTC therapy, called Upstaza, costs more than $3 million in Europe, for example.

But drugmakers say they are committed to ensuring people get the treatments they need. And researchers are confident they can overcome the remaining scientific obstacles to this approach.

So I would say gene therapy can be leveraged for many sorts of brain diseases and disorders, Gilbert said. In the future, youre going to see more technology doing these kinds of things.

The families of Rylae-Ann and Rian said they hope other families dealing with devastating genetic diseases will someday get to see the transformations theyve seen. Both girls are continuing to improve. Rian is playing, eating all sorts of foods, learning to walk and working on language. Rylae-Ann is in preschool, has started a ballet class, and is reading at a kindergarten level.

When her dad picks her up, she runs to me just gives me a hug and says, I love you, Daddy. he said. Its like its a normal day, and thats all we ever wanted as parents.

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City prosecutor drops charges against Cleveland police detective accused of ignoring DNA evidence in rape inv – cleveland.com

Posted: at 8:16 pm

City prosecutor drops charges against Cleveland police detective accused of ignoring DNA evidence in rape inv  cleveland.com

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City prosecutor drops charges against Cleveland police detective accused of ignoring DNA evidence in rape inv - cleveland.com

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DNA Exclusive: Gautam Adani Falls From 3rd to 7th In World`s Rich, Accused of Manipulating Market Value – Zee News

Posted: at 8:16 pm

DNA Exclusive: Gautam Adani Falls From 3rd to 7th In World`s Rich, Accused of Manipulating Market Value  Zee News

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Human body | Organs, Systems, Structure, Diagram, & Facts

Posted: at 8:12 pm

Top Questions

What is the chemical composition of the human body?

Chemically, the human body consists mainly of water and organic compoundsi.e., lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The human body is about 60 percent water by weight.

What are the four main types of tissue in the human body?

What are the nine major organ systems in the human body?

The nine major organ systems in the human body are the integumentary system, the musculoskeletal system, the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the excretory system, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the reproductive system.

human body, the physical substance of the human organism, composed of living cells and extracellular materials and organized into tissues, organs, and systems.

Human anatomy and physiology are treated in many different articles. For detailed discussions of specific tissues, organs, and systems, see human blood; cardiovascular system; digestive system, human; endocrine system, human; renal system; skin; human muscle system; nervous system; reproductive system, human; respiration, human; sensory reception, human; skeletal system, human. For a description of how the body develops, from conception through old age, see aging; growth; prenatal development; human development.

For detailed coverage of the bodys biochemical constituents, see protein; carbohydrate; lipid; nucleic acid; vitamin; and hormone. For information on the structure and function of the cells that constitute the body, see cell.

Many entries describe the bodys major structures. For example, see abdominal cavity; adrenal gland; aorta; bone; brain; ear; eye; heart; kidney; large intestine; lung; nose; ovary; pancreas; pituitary gland; small intestine; spinal cord; spleen; stomach; testis; thymus; thyroid gland; tooth; uterus; vertebral column.

Humans are, of course, animalsmore particularly, members of the order Primates in the subphylum Vertebrata of the phylum Chordata. Like all chordates, the human animal has a bilaterally symmetrical body that is characterized at some point during its development by a dorsal supporting rod (the notochord), gill slits in the region of the pharynx, and a hollow dorsal nerve cord. Of these features, the first two are present only during the embryonic stage in the human; the notochord is replaced by the vertebral column, and the pharyngeal gill slits are lost completely. The dorsal nerve cord is the spinal cord in humans; it remains throughout life.

Characteristic of the vertebrate form, the human body has an internal skeleton that includes a backbone of vertebrae. Typical of mammalian structure, the human body shows such characteristics as hair, mammary glands, and highly developed sense organs.

Beyond these similarities, however, lie some profound differences. Among the mammals, only humans have a predominantly two-legged (bipedal) posture, a fact that has greatly modified the general mammalian body plan. (Even the kangaroo, which hops on two legs when moving rapidly, walks on four legs and uses its tail as a third leg when standing.) Moreover, the human brain, particularly the neocortex, is far and away the most highly developed in the animal kingdom. As intelligent as are many other mammalssuch as chimpanzees and dolphinsnone have achieved the intellectual status of the human species.

Chemically, the human body consists mainly of water and of organic compoundsi.e., lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Water is found in the extracellular fluids of the body (the blood plasma, the lymph, and the interstitial fluid) and within the cells themselves. It serves as a solvent without which the chemistry of life could not take place. The human body is about 60 percent water by weight.

Lipidschiefly fats, phospholipids, and steroidsare major structural components of the human body. Fats provide an energy reserve for the body, and fat pads also serve as insulation and shock absorbers. Phospholipids and the steroid compound cholesterol are major components of the membrane that surrounds each cell.

Proteins also serve as a major structural component of the body. Like lipids, proteins are an important constituent of the cell membrane. In addition, such extracellular materials as hair and nails are composed of protein. So also is collagen, the fibrous, elastic material that makes up much of the bodys skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Proteins also perform numerous functional roles in the body. Particularly important are cellular proteins called enzymes, which catalyze the chemical reactions necessary for life.

Carbohydrates are present in the human body largely as fuels, either as simple sugars circulating through the bloodstream or as glycogen, a storage compound found in the liver and the muscles. Small amounts of carbohydrates also occur in cell membranes, but, in contrast to plants and many invertebrate animals, humans have little structural carbohydrate in their bodies.

Nucleic acids make up the genetic materials of the body. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries the bodys hereditary master code, the instructions according to which each cell operates. It is DNA, passed from parents to offspring, that dictates the inherited characteristics of each individual human. Ribonucleic acid (RNA), of which there are several types, helps carry out the instructions encoded in the DNA.

Along with water and organic compounds, the bodys constituents include various inorganic minerals. Chief among these are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, and iron. Calcium and phosphorus, combined as calcium-phosphate crystals, form a large part of the bodys bones. Calcium is also present as ions in the blood and interstitial fluid, as is sodium. Ions of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, on the other hand, are abundant within the intercellular fluid. All of these ions play vital roles in the bodys metabolic processes. Iron is present mainly as part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cells. Other mineral constituents of the body, found in minute but necessary concentrations, include cobalt, copper, iodine, manganese, and zinc.

The cell is the basic living unit of the human bodyindeed, of all organisms. The human body consists of trillions of cells, each capable of growth, metabolism, response to stimuli, and, with some exceptions, reproduction. Although there are some 200 different types of cells in the body, these can be grouped into four basic classes. These four basic cell types, together with their extracellular materials, form the fundamental tissues of the human body: (1) epithelial tissues, which cover the bodys surface and line the internal organs, body cavities, and passageways; (2) muscle tissues, which are capable of contraction and form the bodys musculature; (3) nerve tissues, which conduct electrical impulses and make up the nervous system; and (4) connective tissues, which are composed of widely spaced cells and large amounts of intercellular matrix and which bind together various body structures. (Bone and blood are considered specialized connective tissues, in which the intercellular matrix is, respectively, hard and liquid.)

The next level of organization in the body is that of the organ. An organ is a group of tissues that constitutes a distinct structural and functional unit. Thus, the heart is an organ composed of all four tissues, whose function is to pump blood throughout the body. Of course, the heart does not function in isolation; it is part of a system composed of blood and blood vessels as well. The highest level of body organization, then, is that of the organ system.

The body includes nine major organ systems, each composed of various organs and tissues that work together as a functional unit. The chief constituents and prime functions of each system are summarized below. (1) The integumentary system, composed of the skin and associated structures, protects the body from invasion by harmful microorganisms and chemicals; it also prevents water loss from the body. (2) The musculoskeletal system (also referred to separately as the muscle system and the skeletal system), composed of the skeletal muscles and bones (with about 206 of the latter in adults), moves the body and protectively houses its internal organs. (3) The respiratory system, composed of the breathing passages, lungs, and muscles of respiration, obtains from the air the oxygen necessary for cellular metabolism; it also returns to the air the carbon dioxide that forms as a waste product of such metabolism. (4) The circulatory system, composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels, circulates a transport fluid throughout the body, providing the cells with a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients and carrying away waste products such as carbon dioxide and toxic nitrogen compounds. (5) The digestive system, composed of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines, breaks down food into usable substances (nutrients), which are then absorbed from the blood or lymph; this system also eliminates the unusable or excess portion of the food as fecal matter. (6) The excretory system, composed of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, removes toxic nitrogen compounds and other wastes from the blood. (7) The nervous system, composed of the sensory organs, brain, spinal cord, and nerves, transmits, integrates, and analyzes sensory information and carries impulses to effect the appropriate muscular or glandular responses. (8) The endocrine system, composed of the hormone-secreting glands and tissues, provides a chemical communications network for coordinating various body processes. (9) The reproductive system, composed of the male or female sex organs, enables reproduction and thereby ensures the continuation of the species.

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Human body | Organs, Systems, Structure, Diagram, & Facts

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Human | Avatar Wiki | Fandom

Posted: at 8:12 pm

HumanSkin

Range from pinkish-white to almost black

1.26m-2.4m (average 1.68m)

Brown, blue, grey, green, gold, hazel, and turquoise

Brown, black, blond, red, grayish-white to fully white

Humans (Na'vi name: tawtutemeaning "sky people") are a sapient, sentient, bipedal mammalian dominant species native to planet Earth, who by the 22nd century has become a technologically advanced species capable of interstellar travel and colonization.

Humanity is the first and only alien species known to the Na'vi, another sapient species native to Pandora, where the humans arrived in search for and to extract the rare mineral unobtanium. The Na'vi refer to humans as tawtute (pl. sawtute), meaning "sky person/people" in the Na'vi language, and derogatorily as "pinkskins".[1]

Humans are mid-sized hominid primates and the only extant species of the genus Homo, with an upright bipedal posture and prehensile forelimbs, each with a highly dexterous five-digit hand adapted for fine motor functions. Humans also display noticeable sexual dimorphism, with the male humans generally being taller and more muscular than the females.

The human skeletal structures are quite small and weak by Pandoran standards, and are prone to losing muscle strength in the lighter gravity of Pandora without constant exercise. In combat, humans tend to avoid melee combat and favor chemically powered range based projectile weapons such as firearms, and employ heavy use of aircraft and weaponized exoskeletons such as the AMP suit.

Like Pandoran animals, humans are oxygen-breathers, but can't survive in the high-carbon dioxide atmosphere of Pandora, and thus are heavily dependent on air filtration systems such as exopacks.

Humans have highly developed brains capable of abstract reasoning, advanced language, introspection, problem-solving, and organization, and over the millennia have accumulated vast quantities of knowledge and expertise. As well as countless wars on Earth since their founding of the first civilization. Although anatomically human brains are far less complex than the Na'vi brains, which are specially evolved for interspecies neural bonding, humans are far more capable of designing and building complex machinery and therefore are superior in terms of resources and technological sophistication.

Humanity began forays into the universe during the mid-20th century after their 2nd World War, first by launching 'primitive' satellites into low orbit, then sending human occupants to orbits. About 25 years after the first unmanned craft was launched from Earth, humans first made the journey to the nearest celestial body to Earth, the Moon. Trips to and from the Moon occurred for a decade. Humanity then set up an international coalition dedicated to funding and building an international space station in low earth orbit. After this, private corporations grouped together and built interstellar vessels like the ISV Venture Star, which allowed the human race to expand to other nearby star systems, particularly the Alpha Centauri System, and explore their planets and moons.

Following the ravaging of their home planet by pollution and war which left Earth largely unsuitable for life and in the midst of an energy crisis, the goal of humans shifted to venturing to Pandora to mine the mineral unobtanium, which is valued at 20 million United States dollars a kilogram. The Security Operations (SecOps) group, which is owned by the RDA, was installed at Hell's Gate to protect the interests of the RDA as they mine the valuable mineral from Pandora. SecOps also served to prevent any and all intrusions by Pandoran natives. The RDA also established the Science Operations (SciOps), a branch dedicated to researching Pandora, interacting with natives, and possibly synthesizing various flora and fauna for practical use on Earth; compared to SecOps and the Mining Operations, SciOps is largely underfunded.[2]

Though relations between the human and the Na'vi initially started peaceful, things eventually deteriorated. Tensions and conflicts escalated to the point where both sides were on the brink of war. Upon Jake Sully's arrival on Pandora, the RDA made one last attempt to find a diplomatic and peaceful agreement with the Na'vi, so they could mine the unobtanium from the moon without interference. However, this unfortunately failed and the RDA resorted to using full force against the Na'vi in order to get the resources they desired.

The RDA's plans were foiled by the Na'vi who defeated them during the Assault on the Tree of Souls with the help of like-minded humans. Most humans were exiled from Pandora, though a few were permitted to stay. The humans who stayed behind did not agree with the RDA's goals and worked with the Na'vi to rebuild, as well as sustain themselves. Despite this, relations between the humans who stayed and the Na'vi remained resentful. The remaining humans on Pandora were eventually able to build a suitable home for themselves where they could survive and even started to raise families of their own.

However, although the RDA was banished from Pandora, they eventually returned and established the Bridgehead complex to begin plundering the Pandoran oceans for their resources and create a colony as Earth's situation deteriorated to almost unhabitable level.

Generations after the RDA's chokehold presence on Pandora, they were finally expelled for good, and Alpha Centauri Expeditions set to work repairing the relationship between Na'vi and humans. After reaching peace with the nearby Omaticaya Clan, ACE set up a thriving ecotourism system in the Valley of Mo'ara so that humans could return to Pandora and learn about the Na'vi, as well as about the RDA's harmful practices. The Pandora Conservation Initiative helps to undo environmental destruction caused by the RDA and relaunched the Avatar Program to continue their research and allow guests to experience Pandora through avatar bodies. With these measures in place, Na'vi and humans largely live harmoniously.

Humans have created advanced technology over the centuries, including subliminal travel, which is required to travel between Earth and the Alpha Centauri system in a realistic time span. Since humans are unable to breathe Pandora's atmosphere, they must use exopacks (supplied to them by the RDA) when on the moon's surface. The Avatar Program technology enables the transfer of human consciousness into cloned human/Na'vi hybrids, known as avatars. Once transferred to an avatar body, a human can live comfortably on Pandora.

Even though humans have advanced technology, they have ravaged their planet, Earth, to the point of resource depletion. As such, the economies of Earth nations have become poor. The majority of power on Earth has been split up among powerful companies, corporations and organizations that enlist ex-military soldiers and civilians.

A list of notable human organizations, including those with substantial presence on Pandora, are as follows.

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Donald Trumps Truth Social posts bode ill for his return to Facebook …

Posted: at 8:10 pm

If Donald Trumps activity on his Truth Social account is a reliable indicator of what his return to Facebook and Instagram will unleash, then Nick Clegg is going to be busy.

The former US president has used his rightwing social media platform to push baseless claims of election fraud and amplified content related to the QAnon conspiracy multiverse. These were two issues that received a special mention from Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister turned president of global affairs at Meta, Facebook and Instagrams parent, as he explained the decision to end Trumps two-year exile on Wednesday.

Clegg, who presided over the Trump reinstatement process, said content that deligitimises an upcoming election or is related to QAnon could be blocked from appearing in other peoples feeds or have the reshare button removed.

He said such content did not violate Metas community standards or content guidelines but could increase the risk of a repeat of the Capitol riot that got Trump banned in the first place. According to US campaign group Media Matters, nearly half of the posts on Trumps Truth Social account in the weeks after the US midterm elections pushed election fraud claims or amplified QAnon accounts or content.

If Trump continues in that vein on Facebook and Instagram, then he will immediately hit the guardrails that Clegg outlined in his post.

Metas founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, recently described his job as a series of body blows: Its almost like everyday you wake up and youre punched in the stomach. The reappearance of Trump will almost certainly result in further pressure on his solar plexus, judging by reaction overnight. Campaign groups warned it would be inflammatory, with the Anti-Defamation League saying Meta had chosen to platform bigotry and divisiveness and that the decision isnt a matter of free speech. If Zuckerberg and Clegg had kept the ban in place, anger from the right of the political spectrum would have been equally loud, of course.

But Clegg was clear that free speech was at the forefront of the decision, saying the public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying including a candidate for office such as Trump. This reflects Zuckerbergs belief that Meta is a champion of free expression. Clegg reiterated that in his blogpost on Wednesday, using the opening sentence to state: Social media is rooted in the belief that open debate and the free flow of ideas are important values.

The measures outlined by Clegg to limit the threat from content that veers towards the risk of real-world harm are largely already in place. These include a repeat offender policy that applies to public figures who have been banned but then allowed to return: if Trump posts further violating content it will be removed and he could be suspended for between one month and two years. The guidelines on restricting election falsehood and QAnon content are an update on the repeat offender policy.

That balance between free speech and real-world harm, and the strength of that repeat offender policy, will be tested when Trump comes back. Although Trump has yet to tweet following his reinstatement to Twitter, he has made clear that he wants to get back on Facebook. In a letter to Meta this month his advisers said the ban dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse and should be rescinded.

That argument about distorting and inhibiting the public realm, where everyone has a right to feel safe, would be of interest to Ruby Freeman. The former Georgia election worker was subjected to a deluge of intimidation, harassment, and threats and was forced to leave her home after Freeman and her daughter were falsely accused of involvement in falsifying ballots in the 2020 presidential election.

Alex Hern's weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives

In a Truth Social post this month, Trump wrote: What will the Great State of Georgia do with the Ruby Freeman MESS? Why not just tell the TRUTH, get rid of the turmoil and guilt, and take our Country back from the evils and treachery of the Radical Left monsters who want to see America die?

Metas community standards on bullying and harassment prohibit calling for, or making statements of intent to engage in, bullying and/or harassment. If Trump repeats his Truth Social posts on Facebook and Instagram, another ban or at least pressure to impose one looms.

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Donald Trumps Truth Social posts bode ill for his return to Facebook ...

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Report: Donald Trump Is Armed, Dangerous, and Text Messaging

Posted: at 8:10 pm

For most of his 76 years on earth, Donald Trump has famously refused to engage with two popular modes of communication: emails and text messages. In 2007, in sworn testimony, he said he didnt have a computer at home or at the office. And on the 2016 campaign trail, he called himself not an email person, saying he was not a believer in it. Later that year, aides told Politico they had never received a text message from him, and during his testimony before the January 6 committee, Donald Trump Jr. told the panel his father doesnt text.

Setting aside that this aversion to technology made Trump look like a luddite, its actually served him incredibly well by preventing him from creating an electronic paper trail of his (potentially) criminal acts. (Literally shredding documents and possibly flushing them down the toilet helped on the actual paper front.) But apparently the siren song of LOLs and ROTFLMAOs has finally become too strong for him to resist.

The New York Times reports that Trump has at last become a texter, according to a trio of people familiar with his new hobby. According to reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, the ex-presidents text messages have recently shown up in the phones of surprised recipients, and while most of them have apparently been innocuous, such as new year greetings or political observations, some of his associates are concerned and fearful about what he might say. Like, for instance, something about doing another January 6 if the 2024 election doesnt go his way, or revealing that he took top secret documents from the White House as some kind of insurance in the event hes ever prosecuted by the federal government. Things like that!

Indeed, as the Times notes:

The former presidents [previous] resistance to texting frustrated investigators for the House Jan. 6 committee as they tried to track his thoughts and actions when he worked to overturn the 2020 election.

For years, people corresponding with him sent him text messages, which always went unanswered. He was unreachable by email. He sometimes asked aides to send electronic messages to reporters, referring to the missives as wires, like a telegram. People who have worked for Mr. Trump in the White House and in his private business say he has prided himself on being smart for leaving almost no documentation of his communications and discussions in meetings. Those who have witnessed firsthand his visceral aversion to record-keeping said they were shocked to learn about his new electronic habit.

For those of you wondering how Trumps prior lack of 21st-century communications habit jived with his very modern Twitter obsession, that was apparently an exception. As the Times reminds us, The former aide who helped set up his Twitter account once told Politico that when Mr. Trump, who initially relied on aides to write his posts, began to tweet on his own, it was akin to the scene in the film Jurassic Park when the velociraptors learned to open doors.

Anyway, good for the former guy for embracing new things. Would be a terrible shame if it accidentally led to him actually being held responsible for his actions for once!

Maybe next hell spray them with Agent Orange or place land minds around the Capitol

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Report: Donald Trump Is Armed, Dangerous, and Text Messaging

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