Australia’s Prime Minister has announced the Federal Government’s biggest investment in blockchain to-date, with two pilots set to receive almost $5 million.
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I am introducing cryptography. Cryptography is used to secure and protect data during communication. Encryption is a process which transforms the original information into an unrecognizable form. Decryption is a process of converting encoded/encrypted data in a form that is readable and understood by a human or a computer.
Thursday, 1 October 2020
Australian government’s digital business plan includes $5M for blockchain
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Organic growth? Bitcoin SV activity up 761% ahead of BSV conference
Bitcoin SV users appear to have got very excited ahead of the conference.
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Organic growth? Bitcoin SV activity up 761% ahead of BSV conference
Bitcoin SV users appear to have got very excited ahead of the conference.
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Organic growth? Bitcoin SV activity up 761% ahead of BSV conference
Bitcoin SV users appear to have got very excited ahead of the conference.
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Indian researchers use 'nanomotors' as detectors that can read cancer environment
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has used a 3D tumour model and magnetically-driven nanomotors to probe the microenvironment of cancer cells. The team consisted of researchers from the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) and Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG), Bengaluru-based IISc said a media statement on Wednesday. In their work, published in Angewandte Chemie, the team steered helical nanomotors remotely via an external magnetic field through the tumour model to sense, map and quantify changes in the cellular environment.
The model comprises both healthy and cancer cells embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane matrix, and mimics the breast cancer environment, it said.
The study highlighted a new way of targeting cancer cells by manoeuvring nanomotors inside a tumour and waiting for them to localise in the vicinity of the cancerous site.
"We tried driving the nanomotors toward cancer cells in a tumour model and observed them getting stuck to the matrix near cancer cells, but this was not observed near normal cells," says Debayan Dasgupta, a co-first author and PhD student at CeNSE.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex 3D network of proteins and carbohydrates secreted by living cells into their neighbourhood.
However, when cancer cells secrete fresh material into the ECM, it disrupts the chemical and physical composition of the native ECM surrounding healthy cells, degrading the local environment.
"Therefore, understanding how the cellular microenvironment is altered due to cancer cells and measuring these changes quantitatively could be vital in understanding the progression of cancer," IISc noted.
In the current study, the researchers discovered that as the nanomotors approached the cancer cell membrane, they stuck to the matrix more strongly than they would to normal cells.
To measure how strongly the nanomotors bound to the matrix, the team calculated the magnetic field strength required to overcome the adhesive force, and move forward, it was stated.
"This means that the cancer cells are doing something.
So, we did some measurements and discovered that it [the adhesive force] depended on the type of cells, the strength of interaction and also which side of the cell the nanomotor approached," explains Ambarish Ghosh, Associate Professor at CeNSE and one of the senior authors.
"In the end, we really ended up discovering a physical property of an important biological environment."
"The reason why the nanomotors appear to stick to the cancer cells better is their charged ECM. This may be due to the presence of 2,3-linked sialic acid, a sugar-conjugated molecule which confers a negative charge on the cancer cell environment, the researchers found.
They visualized the distribution of these sugars using fluorescent markers and found that sialic acids were distributed up to 40 micrometres from the cancer cell surface – the same distance until which the nanomotors experienced strong adhesion, the statement said.
To counter this adhesive effect, the team coated the nanomotors with Perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFO) which shielded them from the charged environment.
The coated nanomotors did not stick to the matrix near the cancer cells, whereas the uncoated motors clung to the matrix, confirming the fact that the negatively charged cancer microenvironment interacts with the incoming nanomotors, rendering them immobile.
"What came as a beautiful surprise was that within such a milieu, we found that aggressive cancer cells ended up remodelling their surroundings by making them stickier, and richer in specific charged sugars," says Ramray Bhat, Assistant Professor at MRDG and one of the senior authors.
"This charging can potentially be used to target and kill tiny populations of cancer cells hidden among their normal counterparts, for which we are extending these studies to living animals", Bhat added.
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Widely-available, low-cost enzyme could be a treatment option for COVID-19, study suggests
Catalase, a commonly used low-cost enzyme, holds potential as a therapeutic drug to treat COVID-19 symptoms, and suppress the reproduction of the novel coronavirus inside the body, according to a study.
Catalase is produced naturally and used by humans, animals, and plants. Inside cells, the enzyme kick starts the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide, which can be toxic, into water and oxygen.
The antioxidant enzyme is also commonly used worldwide in food production and as a dietary supplement.
"There is a lot of focus on vaccines and antiviral drugs, and rightly so," said Yunfeng Lu from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US.
"In the meantime, our research suggests this enzyme could offer a very effective therapeutic solution for treatment of hyperinflammation that occurs due to SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as hyperinflammation generally, said Lu, a senior author of the study published in the journal Advanced Materials.
The team, including researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Jinan University, China developed the drug-delivery technology used in the experiments.
Three types of tests were conducted, each addressing a different symptom of COVID-19.
The researchers demonstrated the enzyme's anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to regulate the production of cytokines, a protein that is produced in white blood cells.
Cytokines are an important part of the human immune system, but they can also signal the immune system to attack the body's own cells if too many are made – a so-called "cytokine storm" that is reported in some patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
The researchers also showed that catalase can protect alveolar cells, which line the human lungs, from damage due to oxidation.
The experiments showed that catalase can repress the replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus in rhesus macaques, a type of monkey, without noticeable toxicity.
"This work has far-reaching implications beyond the treatment of COVID-19. Cytokine storm is a lethal condition that can complicate other infections, such as influenza, as well as non-infectious conditions, like autoimmune disease," said Gregory Fishbein a pathologist at UCLA.
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SingularityNET set to ditch Ethereum for Cardano citing speed and cost issues
This potential move will swap the native AGI token from ERC20 to Cardano
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Redmi 9i to go on sale today at 12 pm on Flipkart: Specifications, pricing, features
Redmi 9i with a 5,000 mAh battery debuted in India recently. This is the fourth model of the company's Redmi 9 series that already includes Redmi 9 Prime, Redmi 9 and Redmi 9A. The highlight of Redmi 9i is 4 GB RAM.
The smartphone will be available for purchase today at 12 pm in India.
Redmi 9i pricing, availability
The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 8,299 and the 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 9,299.
It will be available in Sea Blue, Nature Green and Midnight Black colour variants.
The smartphone will go on sale today at 12 pm on Flipkart and Mi.com.
Redmi 9i specifications
The smartphone features a 6.53-inch HD+ IPS display that has a 20:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 chipset and offers 4 GB RAM and up to 128 GB internal storage that is expandable up to 512 GB via a micro SD card. Redmi 9i runs on MIUI 12.
In terms of camera, it comes with a 13 MP rear camera setup and a 5 MP selfie camera. The camera also comes with Pro mode, Palm Shutter mode and more. According to Redmi, it also features AI scene detection which recognises 32 different scenes, including 5 India specific scenes.
It is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery. It also comes with a P2i coating that makes it water-resistant.
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Realme 7 with 64 MP quad camera setup will go on sale today at 12 pm on Flipkart
Realme launched Realme 7 (Review) and Realme 7 Pro (Review) in India at a starting price of Rs 14,999 and Rs 19,999 respectively. The headlining feature of the Realme 7 series is the 64 MP quad camera setup.
Realme 7 will be available for purchase today at 12 pm on Flipkart.
Realme 7 pricing
Realme 7 comes in two storage variants. The 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 14,999 and the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant is priced at Rs 16,999.
It comes in Mist Blue and Mist White colour variants.
You can buy the phone today at 12 pm on Flipkart and Realme.com.
Realme 7 specifications
Realme 7 features a 6.5-inch full-HD+ display. It comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. It is powered by MediaTek Helio G95 processor and offers up to 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variants.
In terms of camera, it comes with a quad rear camera setup that includes 64 MP Sony IMX682 primary sensor, 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2 MP macro lens and a 2 MP lens.
It sports a 16 MP punch hole selfie camera.
Realme 7 is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 30W Dart fast charging tech.
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Twitter’s Jack Dorsey takes aim at Coinbase's apolitical stance
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has called out Coinbase for seeking to suppress political activism and suggesting employees who think differently should leave.
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Wednesday, 30 September 2020
At $10,600, Bitcoin price is on track for its second-best quarter ever
Data shows Bitcoin should seal both its best Q3 on record and its second-highest lifetime quarterly close on Sep. 30.
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