Category Archives: Evolution

Tolerance of humans and tameness are noted traits differentiating domestic and wild rabbits.

Getty Images

An international team of researchers led by Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), has found changes in gene expression patterns across the brain between wild and domestic rabbits, which likely contributed to the evolution of tameness during domestication.

By demonstrating that domestic animals acquired tolerance toward humans through regulatory changes of certain genes, researchers are able to better understand the link between genetic changes and the mechanisms of evolution in rabbits and, at a larger scale, of plants and animals in general. The research builds off Anderssons previous work demonstrating a link between rabbit domestication and brain structure.

The European rabbit is one of the most recently domesticated animals, exhibiting distinct morphological, physiological and behavioral differences from their wild counterparts. Tolerance of humans and tameness are noted traits differentiating the domestic and wild rabbits.

Domestication is often associated with the rapid development of such traits in a rather short evolutionary time period. As such, domestication has long been a major topic in evolutionary biology, as it allows researchers to study the mechanisms of evolution on a more manageable time scale.

In the study, published in Genome Biology and Evolution, the researchers compared gene expression patterns in four brain regions between newborns of wild and domestic rabbits. They detected hundreds of genes differentially expressed between the two.

It is important to notice that the drastic changes in behavior between domestic animals and their wild ancestors are associated with changes in how genes are expressed during the development of the brain, Andersson said. The domestication of plants and animals is one of the most important developments during human history. In this study, we shed light on how this process has altered brain function in domestic animals and made them tamer.

One significant finding was that genes involved in dopamine signaling, a chemical involved in fear responses, were expressed at higher rates in the amygdala, or area of the brain associated with memory, decision-making, and emotional responses, of the domestic rabbit. Notably, the amygdala is known as the part of the brain driving the fight or flight response, which would play a part in determining whether a wild animal flees in the company of humans or a tame animal tolerates human presence.

Researchers also found that genes associated with ciliary function were consistently downregulated in the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with learning and memory, of domestic rabbits. Cilia cells are tiny hair-like structures that aid in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.

The flow of this fluid contributes to the transmission of molecular signals across the brain. Since these ciliary genes are important for brain development, the researchers hypothesized that these changes contribute to the evolution of tameness.

We were really surprised by the consistent changes we observed that several genes involved in dopamine signaling were consistently unregulated in the domestic brain, and that many genes with associated with ciliary function was consistently downregulated, Andersson said.

Read more from the original source:

Study On Rabbit Brain Reveals Genetic Markers Of Domestication - Texas A&M University Today

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading distributor expands its premium portfolio with top games from dominant live-casino supplier

QTech Games, the number-one games distributor across Asia and all growth markets, has announced its latest high-profile partnership with the elite live-casino provider, Evolution.

Under the terms of the agreement, Evolutions multi-award-winning content suite has been made available to QTech Games clients and their players, adding more punch to a powerhouse platform setting the pace for bringing the best online games to market across emerging territories.

Evolutions cutting-edge live studio delivers a peerless immersive experience for players, who can now enjoy these engaging, real-time table games (from classics like blackjack, roulette, baccarat and three-card poker to regional favourites such as Indias Andar Bahar) via the flexible QTech platform which offers the fastest integration on the market.

This ever-evolving production line further bolsters QTech Games comprehensive catalogue of gaming domains, which offers a complete one-stop shop for global operators.

The deal organically advances Evolutions worldwide footprint, opening up an array of emerging markets for accelerated growth. As the fastest-growing distributor over the past few years, QTechs platform is localised for each region with native mobile apps, robust reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.

Ulf Norder, CCO at QTech Games, said: Were thrilled to team up with Evolution. Naturally, their stunning live-dealer portfolio needs no introduction. The QTech Games platform is integrated with the best games from the planets top providers and Evolution now stand at the zenith of that mountain with their garlanded games.

Of course, theres a huge revenue opportunity for operators due to the fact that live casino remains such an exciting online gaming sector in its own right. Seamless integration equips our clients with best-in-breed live games for their end users. Unrivalled customization options, dedicated tables and native speaking dealers also make it far easier to customise the experience to any specific market needs. Strong growth in casino vertical continues in the face of the pandemic, and we cant wait to see how these games perform across a range of new markets.

An Evolution spokesperson added: This deal seamlessly broadens Evolutions international scope, unlocking untapped markets from Asia to Eastern Europe and Latin America for diversified growth. Evolutions unflinching commitment to delivering engaging live-player experiences affords customers, who love these games, the visceral thrill of playing in a real-world casino, while QTechs peerless localised expertise made them the perfect fit for us.

QTech Games is a pioneering distributor across Asia and other sometimes-overlooked regions, so we look forward to seeing how our games connect with different and diverse audience sets. Evolution is constantly creating innovative and exciting content with which to offer players the ultimate gaming adventure its entertainment redefined.

Related

More:

QTech Games' premier platform takes another giant step with Evolution - European Gaming Industry News

Everything you need to know!

There are quite a few pocket monsters in the Pokemon universe that have a unique appearance depending on their gender. For instance, Pikachus tail ends in a point if Pikachu is male, and in a heart if its female.

Two more Pokemon with gender-based differences are Hippopotas and its evolution, Hippowdon -- two Ground-type Pokemon from Generation IV of the Pokemon universe.

Heres everything you need to know about collecting and evolving these Pokemon in Pokemon Go!

To start, Hippopotas is always brown and tan, but its specific color pattern is determined by its gender. If Hippopotas is female, it has a dark brown face with lighter accents. If its male, its face is tan and the rest of its body has darker accents. You can see these color differences in the screenshots below.

In Pokemon Go, Hippopotas can be evolved into Hippowdon using 50 Hippopotas Candy. (As of this writing, Hippopotas is appearing more frequently than normal as part of Pokemon Gos 2021 Sinnoh Celebration event, so this is a great time to stock up on that Candy!)

Hippowdons gender also determines its appearance. To be specific, female Hippowdon is dark gray and black, while male Hippowdon is tan and black (check them out in the screenshots below).

And there you have it!

Keep in mind, youarent required to collect both male and female Hippowdon in Pokemon Go. Instead, its just an optional goal you can complete if you want to have one of everything in the game!

To learn more about Pokemon Go, or to view the rest of our guides for the game, check out our previous coverage.

Link:

Pokemon Go Hippopotas and Hippowdon Evolution Guide - SuperParent

Yahoo Sports senior NFL writer Terez Paylor spoke with former NFL MVP and Seattle Seahawks legend Shaun Alexander about his life since he retired and his take on the evolution of the NFL game.

Shaun joins Yahoo Sports on behalf of the Fedex Air & Ground Players of the Year. Fans can vote for their favorite nominee at http://www.nfl.com/fedex

TEREZ PAYLOR: All right, I'm here with former NFL All Pro, former NFL MVP, as you can see from the giant trophy behind him, Shaun Alexander who's speaking on behalf of the FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year Award. And Shaun, we'll get to that in a second. But first of all, how are you doing today, man?

SHAUN ALEXANDER: Man, I'm doing good, man. Thanks for having me. This is a-- it's a lot of fun. It's fun to rep FedEx, you know, the Air and Ground Award since I won it before. But life is good, man. As crazy as this time is, like, football is still a great thing to pull people away from anything except, you know, cheering on your schools or cheering on your team. And they kind of loosen up a little bit. So this is good.

TEREZ PAYLOR: How much football do you still watch these days, my man? You watch a lot of pro football?

SHAUN ALEXANDER: You know, with my boys becoming, like, 11 and 9, it's starting to crank up again, you know what I mean? So I went--

TEREZ PAYLOR: OK. OK.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: --through a phase of, eh, you know? And so now they're like, dad, you know-- they're asking me questions like, hey, was you as good as, [LAUGHS] you know, [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHTER]

So it's fun answering those questions and seeing their friends respond to them after their dad's telling them who I was when I was playing. [LAUGHS] So that's--

TEREZ PAYLOR: That's hilarious.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: He was-- yeah.

TEREZ PAYLOR: OK.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: 'Cause I don't really tell 'em--

TEREZ PAYLOR: I got you.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: --too much.

TEREZ PAYLOR: Really? OK. Because I was wondering, like, of these running backs in today's game-- and this would be a compliment for them because you're an MVP. There's not a lot of running backs who've done that in the last two decades. Like, when you try to explain to your sons, I ran like this guy or I ran like that guy. Is there anybody that you bring up? Do you compare yourself to anybody, or no? Do you just put on the old tapes?

Story continues

SHAUN ALEXANDER: Yeah. No, you know. [LAUGHS] You know, I tell them, like, you know, sometimes they'll show a play, and I'll be like, oh yeah, you know what? I made a play like that before. So I can show them, like, a long run or show them [INAUDIBLE].

TEREZ PAYLOR: I got you.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: But what usually happens is, is a uncle or a cousin or friend that come over and they'll play a game and they'll be like, oh man. OK, dad. Yeah. Yeah, you was [INAUDIBLE].

TEREZ PAYLOR: I got you. What is it like for you to watch, like, where football's going? Like, it's still-- it's pretty pass happy now more than it used to be. But the game is more open. So like, do you like it? Because it was a little bit more-- I guess you could say it was more physical in a lot of ways. Defenses had more of a shot. But where football has gone, like, where are you at with it? Are you good with it? Do you enjoy it? Or do you like it the way it was when you played?

SHAUN ALEXANDER: Yeah, I think that it's always evolving, you know? I remember when they said-- it was kind of the end my career-- that they were going to create this thing called the horse-collar. And I said, what you mean? And he was like, they can't pull you back from the back of your-- I was like, I don't know if somebody's going to tackle me, you know what I mean? Like, what--

TEREZ PAYLOR: [LAUGHS]

SHAUN ALEXANDER: --if that's [INAUDIBLE]-- because I was always square you up and get you to miss. And if I got you to miss and you're on my back, how you going to pull me down? And so a lot of the things, you know, targeting and all that stuff, I'm just like, yeah, this just all helps the-- the offensive player. And so I also feel like, you know, great players would figure it out. And so, you know, Marshall Faulk, you know, he's going to figure out how to be Marshall Faulk. You know, Barry Sanders, they going to figure out how to do Barry Sanders things, you know? That doesn't change, you know?

And so that's the same way for me. Like, it didn't matter who I was playing against or what the scheme was, I'm going to figure out how to score touchdowns. And so that's what guys do. It's the guys that fit in the systems and program-type guys, those are guys that it'd be a little bit harder for them to go from generation to generation.

TEREZ PAYLOR: Now, FedEx has a Ground Player of the Year nominees, there's three of them this year. Henry, Cook, Alvin Kamara. Dalvin Cook's from Minnesota. What are your thoughts on those three guys? And as a former winner of this, is there something that you look back on as the years go and be like, yep, this is a really cool thing. Like, what does this add to your life when you get that trophy?

SHAUN ALEXANDER: Yeah, no. You know what? Even the whole FedEx Air and Ground NFL Player of the Year Award, it's so sweet, you know, to know that you are marked with three of the best guys for that year on the ground. Three of the best receiver-- quarterbacks for that year. This year is really special because-- and this one I'm a part of-- I want to get everybody to vote. And we want Yahoo Sports to get-- tell everybody to vote. Voting starts now. It ends at February 2nd at 3:00 o'clock. nfl.com/fedex or Twitter @NFL. Just get your social medias.

But this year is so special because it's always been more than just an award. It's also about impacting people. And the partnership with Direct Relief has been amazing. They are responsible for creating these emergency medical care bags that are helping about 500 people per bag. And for the winner, we gave $20,000 to them-- on behalf of them to that city to go get these emergency medical care bags out. And the goal is about the FedEx Cares 50 by 50, which is helping 50 million people by their 50th year, which is 2023.

And so can you imagine getting all the fans a part of, hey, we want you to be a part of us helping 50 million people. 50 million lives, you know? So that's what makes this thing so exciting, you know? I think that this year is going to be amazing. Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, great running backs. They get it done. I lean towards Derek. Bama guy. Like family to me. 2,000 yards. It's just really special. The air nominees are amazing. The ground nominees are amazing. It's going to be-- it's going to be exciting. I'm excited about just Direct Relief and the whole 50 by 50. It's just been a great cause and so I'm really glad that we got to bring it up and talk about it.

TEREZ PAYLOR: Thank you so much for your time, man. This was great. You know, again, thanks again, man.

SHAUN ALEXANDER: No doubt, man. Bless you, dude.

TEREZ PAYLOR: Take care.

Visit link:

Shaun Alexander speaks about the evolution of the NFL and his life since retirement - Yahoo News

New research suggests that the design of the visual processing system of Madagascars gray mouse lemur holds secrets about the origins of vision for humans and for primates around the world.

A single mouse lemur leaping from branch to branch.

Leaping about in the jungles, the gray mouse lemur could easily be confused with an actual mouse but only if mice had monkey-like bushy tails and were given to vaulting and bounding. This lemurs part-primate/part-rodent appearance may have to do with the fact that its evolutionary roots probably date from about 55 million years ago, when primates and rodents first took divergent evolutionary paths. Today, it still shares many physical traits with fossils of Earths earliest primates.

Gray is just one of many species of mouse lemurs. Despite being genetically unique and sometimes having distinctive mating calls, the various mouse lemur species look so similar that they are considered cryptic; its hard to tell them apart. In general, mouse lemurs weigh about two ounces, maybe a little more. They are the smallest known genus of primate.

Recent research comparing the visual processing system of the gray mouse lemur with that of much larger and more recently evolved primates including humans suggests that, once the visual cortex of very early primates settled into a highly functional design, it didnt evolve much further. Publishing in the February 2021 issue of Current Biology, scientists at the University of Geneva, the Max Planck Institute in Gttingen, and the National Museum of Natural History in Paris propose that, for modern primates of any size, the fundamental units of the visual cortex may be nearly identical in function, design, and size to those of the gray mouse lemur.

In their Current Biology article, the researchers describe using optical imaging methods to peer into the gray mouse lemurs primary visual cortex. There they witnessed sight in action. As the lemurs were shown visual stimuli consisting of moving gratings oriented in eight different directions, the researchers detected in their visual cortices the emergence of precise patterns of neuronal signaling. They also saw that patterns of neuronal activity were organized in the small patches that, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University described as columns. They saw that, distributed across the gray mouse lemur visual cortex, columns packed with neurons formed functional orientation maps. Neighboring maps with different orientation sensitivities were arranged in a circular fashion, forming pinwheel-like shapes.

In a phone interview, Daniel Huber, an associate professor at the department of Basic Neurosciences at the University of Geneva, likened the visual processing system of the gray mouse lemur to that of a camera. A pinwheel containing multiple, neighboring columns integrates discrete bits of visual information, he explained. Its analogous to the electronic circuitry in a digital camera, which processes information from neighboring red, green and blue pixels into a single color.

In their Current Biology article, Huber and his fellow researchers compare their findings about the visual cortices of gray mouse lemurs with data about larger primates. They demonstrate that, across all of the primates species they studied, the architecture is the same. As Huber explained, this suggests that, how the gray mouse lemur sees and interprets basic visual information may be how all primates everywhere do.

Gray mouse lemur.

Surprisingly, Huber and his colleagues also found that the size of the columns is the same from one primate species to another. They are virtually identical across three orders of magnitude in body size.

How can a two-ounce and a 140-pound primate have same-sized columns? According to Huber, Its possible that this basic unit in primate vision cannot be simplified or scaled down.

This would require a silverback gorillas columns to be so thriftily packed as to fit into the primary visual cortex of a lemur whose brain is the size of a human fingertip. Indeed, in the Currrent Biology article, the researchers speculate that the organization of neurons into columns and of columns into pinwheels minimizes the length of wiring needed within the primary visual cortex, thereby economizing on volume.

While the basic visual unit size is about the same from species to species, according to Huber, the primary visual cortex of a larger primate simply contains more of those units.

Huber also noted that the fact that the units themselves are not simplified or scaled down in smaller species would indicate that they are a product of early primate evolution. Fossils of those earliest primates are very small.

According to Huber, fifty-five million years of stability is extraordinary in a complex biological system that serves so many different species.

The gray mouse lemur was declared a threatened species in 1975, though now the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species numbers it among those of the Least Concern. Still its habitat is dying back precipitously, and it is frequently caught to be sold as pets. Considering how closely todays gray mouse lemurs resemble the fossils of the very earliest primates, if the entire species disappears one day, so will a treasure chest of information about human vision, and even about humans in general.

Here is the original post:

Scientists May Have Found The Evolutionary Roots Of Human Vision - Forbes

Phase 4 of the MCU introduces SWORD, SHIELD's replacement - and it will be the next evolution of Captain America: Civil War's Sokovia Accords.

TheMCU's Phase 4 has the next evolution of the Sokovia Accords in WandaVisionafter the Acccordsplayed such a major role inCaptain America: Civil War.From the outset, the MCU has wrestled with the question of how ordinary men and women would react to finding themselves plunged into a world of superheroes. As early as 2010'sIron Man 2, Tony Stark was called before the U.S. Senate to testify about the Iron Man armor, and he was pressured to hand his technology over to the government.

All that came to a climax in the aftermath ofAvengers: Age of Ultron, as the amount of damage wroughtby Avengers missions began to build.Captain America: Civil War saw one final tragedy push the United Nations to the point of passing the Sokovia Accords, which attempted to police superhumans. The Sokovia Accords caused the Avengers to schism, with Captain America leading one group opposed to the Accords, while Iron Man led another who attempted to enforce them. This division arguably left the Earth particularly vulnerable to Thanos' attack when he invaded Earth inAvengers: Infinity War, seeking to acquire the Infinity Stones. In the aftermath ofAvengers: Endgame, most viewers assumed the Sokovia Accords had been repealed.

Related:MCU Phase 4: Every Hint Marvel's Civil War Is Still Raging

The MCU's Phase 4 slate will, however, introduce the next evolution of the Sokovia Accords.WandaVision introduces an organization named SWORD, but they have been significantly modified from the comics. In the comics, SWORD is concerned with protecting Earth from extraterrestrial threats, but in the MCU they are the "Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division." In other words, they are responsible for monitoring and policing superhumans. That perfectly explains why SWORD is appearing inWandaVision, when there appears to be no extraterrestrial involvement.

The meaning of SWORD's acronym is an important clue to the organization's mindset when it comes to superhumans; they are "Sentient Weapons," not viewed as people. This is the same attitude General Ross displayed inCaptain America: Civil War, when he complained about Captain America not knowing where Thor and the Hulk were. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes," Ross snarled, "you can bet there'd be consequences." Leaving aside Ross' hypocrisy - that Hulk was created in one of his super-soldier programs, and Ross "misplaced" him for years - notice the view that superhumans are simply weapons. Indeed, this raises the possibility that Ross is the one in charge of SWORD in the MCU, not Nick Fury, as had been assumed afterSpider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene.

No doubt Scarlet Witch is considered an important asset for monitoring by SWORD; not only is she one of the most powerful "Sentient Weapons," her actions inCaptain America: Civil War were seen by the public as the final accident proving the need for the Sokovia Accords in the first place. What's more, Vision also suggested something about Wanda Maximoff triggers an "involuntary response in [the human] amygdala," making people particularly afraid of her. That fear would surely make her the subject of excessive monitoring by SWORD - and it wouldn't be a surprise to find that had backfired inWandaVision. The Sokovia Accords haven't gone away - they've merely evolved into SWORD in the wake of Thanos.

More:Phase 4 Introduces A Bigger MCU Problem Than Retiring The OG Avengers

How Boba Fett's Armor Is Different In The Mandalorian Season 2

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot.A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.

Original post:

MCU Phase 4 Has The Next Evolution Of Civil War's Sokovia Accords - Screen Rant

If there is one flagship smartphone that can compete against the iPhone, it is the Galaxy S series device. But it took Samsung years to create the same level of buzz around the Galaxy S smartphone, the Android alternative, as the Apple iPhone. More than the marketing muscle, what really helped Samsung is its ability to observe the trends and create premium smartphones accordingly. Today, as Samsung is ready to reveal the Galaxy S21, we take a look at how the Galaxy S series has changed through the years.

Samsung had been making smartphones for years, but the Galaxy S was the companys first shot at cracking the high-end market. Announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in 2010, the Galaxy S was a true premium phone, a direct competitor to the iPhone 4. The Galaxy S featured a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 800, a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, a 5MP rear camera, a 1,500mAh battery, and Android 2.1 Eclair.

In every sense, the Galaxy S II was a step up from its predecessor. It was ridiculously thin and had an industrial design. Not to forget, the Galaxy S II was the fastest Android smartphone of its time. The phone had a larger 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display but retained the resolution at 480 x 800 with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It was powered by an Exynos 4210 dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and up to 32GB storage, 8MP rear camera, a 1,650mAh battery, and Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. The Galaxy S II proved to be a global success, as the company managed to sell 20 million units in less than a year.

The Galaxy S III was the first Galaxy smartphone that changed Samsungs fortunes in the handset market. The phone had everything one would expect from a flagship smartphone, including a larger 4.8-inch display AMOLED with HD resolution and 4G LTE.The phone came at a time when Nokia had already lost its market pull, and Apple was struggling to innovate. All of these factors benefited Samsung, establishing the South Korean giant closer to replace Nokia as the worlds biggest phone maker.

Although the Galaxy S4 was a hit device, the phone failed to impress critics. The reason: the Galaxy S4 went too far with the features that people never wanted. Those hand gestures and floating touch made the Galaxy S4 gimmicky, though buyers appreciated the performance of the phone. The Galaxy S4 came with a5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen, a 13MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, and a 2,600mAh battery.

The Galaxy S5 came at a critical time when Apple started to bounce back. The iPhone 5s was well received, and its successor, the iPhone 6/6 Plus, shattered all sales records. Despite the monumental success of the iPhone 6 series, the Galaxy S5 held well on its own. Samsung had included everything to stand out the Galaxy S5 from the competition, a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display, Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, IP67 water and dust resistance, and swipe-based fingerprint reader. The Galaxy S5 was fast and it also featured superior cameras. However, the Galaxy S5s design language raised many questions, as the cheap-feeling plastic designs started to look stale.

The arrival of the Galaxy S6, especially the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, marked a turnaround in Samsungs Galaxy S lineup. The Galaxy S6 was the first Galaxy S smartphone to be constructed out of metal and glass, giving Samsung an edge over its Android rivals. The Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, the one with the curved Edge screen and a slightly larger 2,600mAh battery, went on to become an even bigger hit. The success of the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus even surprised Samsung.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Plus transformed Samsung into a tech behemoth. For the first time, it appeared as if Samsung was not challenging Apple but the entire smartphone industry. Its expertise in the display tech was out in the wild with the superior AMOLED display and a new type of curved-edge screen. But the Galaxy S7 series got praised from all corners; critics especially liked the camera performance of its phones, a recognition previously reserved for smartphones from either Apple or HTC.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus both had powerful hardware, a feature that helped Samsung to beat its competitors. Both were the best Android smartphones of their time, but it felt like the Galaxy Note 8 was mostly a Galaxy S8 Plus with a stylus and 2x optical zoom lens. For the first time, critics started noting the similarities between the Galaxy S series and the Galaxy Note lineup.

The launch of the Galaxy S9 series wasnt anything monumental, but it did bring one big change. For the first time, Samsung started differentiating between two flagship smartphones in the Galaxy S series. Both the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus had a lot of notable differences other than the physical size. With the Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsung really wanted to go after a segment that values a bigger display and a bigger battery. The Galaxy S9 series was clearly aimed at the Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

The Galaxy S10 range was Samsungs biggest upgrade in years. They also cost more than their predecessors, but Samsung was after a new set of diverse customers. The Galaxy S10e, the cheaper option, was more exciting out of the bunch. In a way, the Galaxy S10e alongside the iPhone XR started a conversation around the affordable flagships. And the strategy worked at least, in parts. While Samsung did make an attempt to offer a flagship smartphone experience at a lower price, the Galaxy S10e didnt get the praise it deserved.

Lets talk about an overhaul. For the first time, Samsung offered four variants of the Galaxy S20. All four phones lived up to the promise, though the Galaxy S20 Ultra was a bit controversial for being too similar to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. This started a debate on social media about whether Samsung should merge the Galaxy S and Note series. Only Samsung knows the answer but the company has recently indicated that it plans to bring some features of the Galaxy Note to other smartphones. Should Samsung let the Galaxy Note die? We shall soon get the answer.

Samsung Unpacked Event LIVE UPDATES: Event starts, Galaxy Buds Pro are announced

Originally posted here:

As Samsung launches Galaxy S21 today, heres a look at the evolution of the Galaxy S series - The Indian Express

Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt

11 January 2021

Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted a large part of our lives tovirtual platformsand the delivery of healthcare is nodifferent. As it has become difficult or inadvisable to arrangeface-to-face visits between physicians and their patients, scoresof physicians have flocked to the use of telemedicine. Even beforethe COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine had been hailed as thehealthcare delivery model of the future, but many physicians werehesitant to utilize telemedicine for a variety of reasons,including concerns about privacy, confidentiality, quality of care,and the technological capabilities (or lack thereof) of theprovider and patient. While these issues still exist, theexigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic have driven physicians to usetelemedicine to avoid unacceptable interruptions in patient care.Knowing this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)adopted temporary changes to reduce privacy and confidentialityconcerns related to telemedicine, allowing for the use of moreeasily accessible, but less secure, technology platforms.

While stopgap measures have been taken to alleviate someimpediments to the use of telemedicine during the pandemic at thefederal level, there are still unaddressed issues physicians shouldbe aware of when utilizing telemedicine on a wide-scale basis.Among them are the ethical obligations that the physician-patientrelationship imposes on physicians. Physicians must be aware thatthese ethical obligations apply equally to care delivered viatelemedicineand that the Oregon Medical Board (OMB) has notrelaxed these ethical obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluating these ethical obligations in the context oftelemedicine can be difficult because existing laws were notwritten with the challenges of telemedicine in mind. The OMBaddresses telemedicine through a generalized, vague Statement ofPhilosophy, which makes it clear that physicians are held to thesame standard of care when treating a patient via telemedicine asin the traditional face-to-face setting. If a physician fails tomeet the physician's ethical obligations, he or she may be inviolation of the Oregon Medical Practices Act (OMPA), whichregulates the practice of medicine, podiatry, and acupuncture. TheOMPA is silent on the specific ethical obligations in the contextof telemedicine, beyond stating that physicians in Oregon are heldto recognized standards of ethics of the medical profession.

The Code of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association(AMA) Code addresses the physician-patient relationship in thecontext of telemedicine more thoroughly than the OMB or OMPA.However, it remains vague, potentially leaving physicians with morequestions than answers. The AMA Code states that aphysician's fundamental ethical responsibilities to patientsdo not change in the context of care delivered via telemedicine. Italso elaborates ethical obligations imposed on physicians whendelivering care via telemedicine, such as being proficient in theuse of the telemedicine technology and recognizing the limitationsof the particular telemedicine technology.

Given this lack of specificity, physicians are well advised toproceed with caution by over-disclosing when delivering care viatelemedicine. More specifically, physicians using telemedicineduringand afterthe COVID-19 pandemic should discloseand document, at a minimum, the following:

Moreover, physicians should be aware of the following whensetting up and utilizing telemedicine services for theirpatients:

This is not an exhaustive list of what physicians are requiredto do in order to meet their ethical obligations when deliveringcare via telemedicine. The exact obligations will differ based onthe practice specialty and the healthcare services being delivered.It is unlikely that the OMB or other regulatory authorities willpenalize physicians for exceeding the scope of their telemedicinepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is important forphysicians who intend to utilize telemedicine past the COVID-19pandemic to develop a telemedicine practice that ensures they canmeet their ethical obligations imposed by the physician-patientrelationship, as well as comply with requirements related toprivacy and confidentiality.

Originally Published by Oregon Health CareAssociation

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Coronavirus (COVID-19) from United States

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

2020 has been a busy year in privacy law both domestically and around the globe. Some of the most striking developments included enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

Visit link:

Evolution Of The Physician-Patient Relationship In The Era Of Telemedicine - Coronavirus (COVID-19) - United States - Mondaq News Alerts

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Asset classes continue to dominate the majority ofinvestment conversations but how have these changed overtime? And what will asset classes look like going forward? Partnerand investment funds specialist, Jonathan Garcia from ISOLAS LLP,explores this topic.

An asset is 'a resource of economic value that can becontrolled by a person, organisation or country'. Whilethe paper definition hasn't changed, theresource' that constitutes an asset has changedgreatly.

Today, there are countless categories of asset classes. Theancient, such as gold; the historic, such as currency; the modern,such as classic cars; and the disrupters that are currently beingrapidly adopted, such as cryptocurrencies.

As technology and tastes' change, so do the assetswith which people want to interact. The good news for asset holdersis that there are now so many respected asset classes that theirportfolios aren't just being diversified for better returns,but specifically tailored to the areas of interest of theinvestor.

No commentary on the evolution of assets would be completewithout discussing the established traditional' assetclasses. Equities, bonds, property, foreign currency, andcommodities are still, by far, the dominant players in theindustry, holding a larger store of value than other classes. Thisis because they are all highly regulated with defined processes ofexchange, ownership, and taxation. They are, for want of a betterphrase, safe as houses.

However, while they are regulated, no asset class is risk-free.They are all traded on the open market and, as with all assets, areonly worth as much as a buyer is prepared to pay. The prices ofequities, bonds, commodities and currencies fluctuate continuallyand, while the value of property does not often shift quite asquickly, it still experiences large variation in value.

These characteristics are at the root of their appeal, and thereis still the possibility for assets to appreciate. However, giventhe view that no asset class is risk-free, it is no wonder that newdisrupters continue to appeal.

While not viewed as traditional', there are severalother proven asset classes that fall into the category ofexotic' assets. These include art, fine wine andspirits, antiques, as well as rare coins and stamps. These assetscan be bought at both high price points and stored to furtheraccumulate, or bought earlier in their evolution as a riskier betas their value is anticipated to grow.

When put alongside the developing classes of assets, such asonline gaming and film development, these assets can be grouped aspassion' assets. These being places for people toinvest money into areas that interest them with the hope they get areturn so in many cases this class doubles as a store andaccumulator of assets, but also a hobby.

In recent years, the definition of an asset has evolved evenfurther. Cryptocurrencies and digital assets stored on theblockchain are growing in popularity. They are increasinglybecoming a part of established portfolios, as well as attracting anew market of retail investors into the space. While cryptocurrencywas viewed as a risky bet, increased regulatory scrutiny inestablished jurisdictions, such as Gibraltar, has enabled it tobecome more trusted, and we are continuing to see institutionalcapital moving into the sector. Just recently we have seen WallStreet titan Goldman Sachs looking to recruit a VP to grow itsdigital assets unit. Crypto is the asset of the moment, andinstitutions are looking at ways to increase their stake in it.Organisations and jurisdictions that are embracing the trend lookset to flourish in this chapter of the evolution of assets.

While it is important to understand where assets have been, andwhat the current shape of the market is, it is also important forall involved in the financial services industry to be mindful ofwhat comes next. Staying ahead of the pack is often a hugeadvantage. You only have to look at PWC's 2020 CryptocurrencyIndustry report to see that Gibraltar is small but mighty, havingthe third-largest number of crypto hedge fund managers, showcasingthat early and dynamic acceptance of new asset classes can bebeneficial.

In the decades before the advent of Cryptocurrency the idea of aline of code representing a unit of value that can be traded andexchanged for goods and fiat respectively may have soundedfanciful, but today it seems almost as natural as foreign exchange.It is always tough to predict what is on the horizon for the assetallocators of tomorrow. However, it is expected that, as in ourdaily lives, technology will play an ever-increasing role. Digitalassets will become much broader in its meaning, encompassing morethan just Cryptocurrency and a few niche tokenized assets. We willstart to see huge ranges of traditional assets, from gold (alreadyunderway) to fine art and wine, tokenised, and available totrade.

However, this change may be far from the most significant. Manymay think that the biggest evolution of assets in the future istheir form, but in fact, it could be the access to them. Technologycan democratise access to investing. Gone will be the days ofneeding to allocate large sums to get the best deals, we will seemore people choosing to put away a slice of their earnings.This democratisation could be the biggest evolution in the historyof assets, and frankly, with a bigger pool of investors, traders,and innovators, we will all be better for it.

Staying ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of assetschallenges can be tricky, but managing your funds from establishedand respected jurisdictions with a reputation for quickly adaptingto changes, such as Gibraltar can provide a head start. Withtrusted advisors such as the team at ISOLAS LLP on hand, we makethe move as simple as possible, while also staying one step aheadof the pack. Making the move to Gibraltar ahead of the next greatasset evolution has never seemed so appealing.

As featured in Global Banking and FinanceReview'

The evolution of assets

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

Continued here:

The Evolution Of Assets - Technology - Gibraltar - Mondaq News Alerts

Pokmon Go is a 2016 augmented reality mobile game developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokmon Company for iOS and Android devices. A part of the Pokmon franchise, the game is the result of a collaboration between Niantic, Nintendo and The Pokmon Company. Continue reading to find out about the best moves of Roserade and its evolution.

Also read |Genshin Impact Redeem Code For Free Primogems To Spend On Ganyu: How To Redeem?

Also read |Fortnite Lever Action Shotgun Arrives In Fortnite; Update 15.20 Now Available For Download

Pokmon GORoseradeis aGrassandPoisontype Pokemon with amax CP of3359,243attack,185defense and155stamina. It was originally found in theSinnohregion (Gen4).Roseradeis vulnerable toFire, Flying, Ice and Psychictype moves.Roseradeis boosted bySunny and Cloudyweather.Roserade'sbest moves arePoison JabandSludge Bomb(17.42DPS). For Roserade evolution,there are a total of 3 Pokemon in the Roselia family. Roserade evolves fromRoselia and this will cost you 100 Candy.

Also read |Pokemon Go: How To Catch Shadow Snover In Pokemon Go? A Complete Guide

Also read |Genshin Impact Leaks Suggest Two New Characters Could Arrive In The Game

View original post here:

Pokemon Go Roserade best moves: Check out the Roserade evolution and its best moves - Republic World