A robot can recreate the mechanism plants use to transport water to bend itself towards the sun and open its leaves like a real plant
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2236815-robot-with-origami-leaves-can-follow-the-sun-like-a-real-plant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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L-R: Ifemosu Michael Adewale and, Prof Felix Salako
L-R: Ifemosu Michael Adewale and, Prof Felix Salako
A student of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, who was expelled for writing an open letter to the school’s management over issues of transportation and insecurity on campus, Ifemosu Michael Adewale, has raised the alarm over plans to kill him.
In a petition written to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, and heads of law enforcement agencies in the country, Adewale alleged that Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof Felix Salako, was currently doing everything possible to kill him.
According to the young man, he had been receiving death threats from different persons, who have told him that he would suffer for speaking against Salako.
Adewale said that he was crying out so that the world would know where his death came from in case he was killed.
He said, “At exactly 1:00am on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, some hired assassins came to my apartment around Apakila Camp with cutlasses and guns. They tore the net of my room and afterwards moved to the last room in my compound, tore the net and started searching for me.
“When they could not find me, they left but not without warning that they were going to deal with me for fighting the VC.
“Earlier, I had received a lot of calls from private numbers telling me that they would kill me for challenging my unlawful and illegal expulsion from the university and ridiculing the Vice Chancellor.
“Prof Salako is close to those in power, whereas I am an ordinary citizen.
“I am crying out publicly so that at least the world will know where my death came from and I will not join the long list of unresolved murders. My killer should at least be known.”
But when contacted by SaharaReporters, spokesperson for FUNAAB, Dr Lydia Onwuka, denied the allegations, insisting that the VC, Prof Salako, has no reason to go after the life of Adewale or any other person in fact.
She said, “There is a matter in court but let me just say that the VC has no reason to kill Ifemosu Adewale or any other person.
“The allegation is not founded on any proof or fact, so it is not true.”
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http://saharareporters.com/2020/03/17/expelled-funaab-student-alleges-threat-life-institution%E2%80%99s-vice-chancellor
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PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry (KPT) has given the approval for all higher education institutions (IPTs) Including public and private universities to conduct online teaching or e-learning.
KPT in a statement today said online teaching could only be conducted if all students have access to lecturers and all infrastructure requirements are in place.
“The ministry is aware of the level of readiness of some higher education institutions, in terms of infrastructure and lecturers as well as those offering programmes via Open and Distance Learning,” wrote the statement.
KPT hoped there would be no issue over connectivity causing some to miss the e-learning session adding that face-to face learning is strictly prohibited. — Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/higher-education-ministry-gives-go-ahead-for-e-learning-KB2164048
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Researchers are using a kind of machine learning known as sentiment analysis to assess the successes and failures of wildlife conservation over time. In their study, appearing March 19 in Patterns—a new open access data science journal from Cell Press—the researchers assessed the abstracts of more than 4,000 studies of species reintroduction across four decades and found that, generally speaking, we’re getting better and better at reintroducing species to the wild. They say that machine learning could be used in this field and others to identify the best techniques and solutions from among the ever-growing volume of scientific research.
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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-wildlife-ai-scientific-abstracts.html
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MALACCA: The Transfusion Medicine Department of the Malacca hospital is urging members of the public to donate blood, to ensure sufficient daily supply, especially with Ramadan approaching next month.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the department said on average 80 to 90 blood bags are needed every day, and due to the Covid-19 outbreak, many of its blood donation campaigns had to be cancelled.
“Although we are dealing with a pandemic currently, there are patients in the hospital who need blood transfusion every day for their survival.
“Therefore, we called out healthy and non-risky individuals, to come to the Malacca hospital blood bank to donate blood, since in this situation, transfusions can only be done there,” according to the statement.
The Transfusion Medicine Department is now also open during lunch break on Mondays to Thursdays (1-2pm), and Fridays (12.15-2.45pm), effective yesterday.
Operation time has also been extended which are Mondays to Fridays (8am to 9pm) and Saturdays and Sundays (11am to 4pm).
For further information, members of the public can refer to the department’s official Facebook page ‘melakabloodbank’ or call 06-2892873/2871. – Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/malacca-hospital-appeal-for-blood-donors-XE2152624
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IPOH: A doctor suffered losses of about RM135,000 when his bungalow at Meru Valley Golf Resort was broken into by six suspects including a woman, believed to be foreigners, at about 4am today.
Ipoh district police chief ACP A. Asmadi Abdul Aziz said the suspects, who wore black ski-masks and gloves, used two machetes and a cleaver to threaten the victim and his family members before they escaped with RM70,000 worth of jewellery; six branded wrist watches; three mobile phones and foreign currencies worth RM40,000.
He said the victim woke up when his bedroom door was suddenly pried open. The victim’s daughter was also brought into the room before the suspects tied all the victims with phone cables and asked for all valuables to be handed over or they would be harmed.
“The victim and his family were unhurt, while the suspects were believed to have escaped through the back door. There was no closed-circuit television cameras around the residential area where the victim has lived for more than a year,“ he said when contacted today.
He added that the forensic team found a fingerprint and a strand of hair near the window apart from shoelaces, a wire, a mineral water bottle, a stainless steel mug and three pebbles.
“Through the search by the canine unit, it was believed that the suspects went around the area before making their escape through a small stream behind the victim’s house,“ said A. Asmadi, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code. – Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/doctor-loses-rm135000-in-early-morning-robbery-LE2152397
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PETALING JAYA: Faced with the deadly Covid-19 virus, the government implemented the movement control order (MCO) as a lesser measure to contain the pandemic.
The MCO was favoured to a full lockdown as the latter might cause deep inconvenience to the people.
While the move, as a preliminary measure to counter the spread of the disease, was welcomed by the majority, it is not the case with a segment of obstinate Malaysians who are not adhering to the MCO and are going about their daily lives as usual, totally unperturbed by the pandemic.
Members of the police force are at their wits end.
Since the MCO came into force on Wednesday, it has been a gruelling task for personnel nationwide who are “chasing” those who continue to treat the order lightly. These selfish and stubborn individuals are taking to the outdoors without any concern for their own safety, that of their families and others who come in contact with them.
Should they become infected with the feared virus from their careless behaviour, these irresponsible individuals are a threat to the health of other Malaysians including those who abide by the MCO.
Law-abiding Malaysians viewed with utter disgust several videos which went viral since yesterday, showing a number of people who are turning the MCO into an outdoor leisure-seeking break.
One video taken in Johor Baru showed more than 50 adults and children passing their time at a playground in a residential area, playing basketball or idling away.
A police car arrives at the scene with its sirens blaring and beacons switched on but the crowd does not budge.
When a personnel makes an announcement with a hailer urging the people to return indoors in accordance with the MCO, it falls on deaf ears.
It was not until an exasperated policeman steps out of the patrol car and walks towards the people does the crowd decide to disperse.
Another video showed a group of men who were playing checkers in the open at an unnamed location in Selangor being advised to head indoors by police.
In Alor Star, police cars arrived at a house to advise its dwellers to call off a large kenduri they were holding.
Dozens of other videos of people enjoying meals, gathering, loitering and setting up food stalls, all outdoors, are making the rounds.
With the reckless behaviour of such Malaysians, perhaps it is time they face the full brunt of the law.
Laws of the Penal Code and Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 should be invoked and police be given consent by the higher-ups to arrest and prosecute those who fail to adhere to the MCO.
This will not simply serve as a lesson to those who flout the law but also a deterrent to the rest.
This should be done at the soonest to further counter the pandemic and in honour of the sacrifices our frontliners who put their lives on the line – the hundreds of medical personnel caring for over 900 infected patients battling the disease and the thousands of police personnel upholding the MCO.
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/video-time-for-tough-action-against-those-flouting-mco-MD2151817
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Gmail users frustrated with unsolicited marketing emails will now see the ?unsubscribe? link even before they open the message. At present, the link is buried at the bottom of promotional emails.
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http://www.associationofmarketing.org/articles/view.php?article_id=14444
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KUALA LUMPUR: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) hopes the government can take initiatives or steps to safeguard the well-being of civil servants who have to serve during the duration of the movement control order.
Its president, Adnan Mat said the safety and well-being of staff and their family members should be given priority, especially for those who had to work during the period.
“The support and cooperation of the public in understanding the work of civil servants is also needed as the country is facing a crisis such as Covid-19,“ he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Cuepacs also hopes that airline companies could be flexible for those who had booked tickets by offering open tickets to set new travel dates rather than cancelling without refunds.
This would help ease the burden of the people, Adnan said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that Malaysia would enforce a movement control order effective tomorrow until March 31 throughout the country to contain the spread of Covid-19. – Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/cuepacs-hopes-govt-ensures-well-being-safety-of-civil-servants-on-duty-MC2141349
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Your personality could significantly impact your ability to contribute to open source projects, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Waterloo.
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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-personality-key-role-contribute-source.html
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