Category Archives: Life Extension

Thousands more Australians and visa holders will be able to receive financial support to relocate for short-term agricultural work after the Morrison Government announced a six-month extension to the highly successful AgMove initiative.

Since May 2021, almost 5,500 AgMove agreements have been negotiated with people from all walks of life who committed to moving to regional and rural Australia for short-term agricultural work.

Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, said the six-month AgMove extension to 30 June 2022 provides a timely boost to Australias vital agriculture sector.

The resilience our farmers have shown for so many years has been clear for all to see and the Morrison Government is proud to back them to ensure they have access to the workforce they need, Minister Robert said.

There are hundreds of varied jobs available on Aussie farms and the Morrison Government is making it easier than ever before to access those jobs.

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud, said with harvest season approaching its busiest period in regions all across the country, there has never been a better time to explore the wide range of exciting job opportunities available on Australian farms.

From plant horticulture, dairy, and livestock roles to driving machinery and picking fruit and vegetables, there is diverse and exciting work available on our farms, Minister Littleproud said.

We acknowledge the many challenges our farmers have faced due to the pandemic and recent natural disasters, one of which has been a critical shortage of harvest workers. Extension of AgMove will help us to meet this challenge head-on.

Whether youre a student, a job seeker, or an experienced worker looking for a change, there is a job for you on an Australian farm and well help you get there.

Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services, Luke Howarth, encouraged school leavers, including those aged 17 who have graduated from year 12 to consider a short-term agricultural work experience.

We listened to the needs of industry and responded with more flexible eligibility criteria in May last year, which included opening AgMove up to more school leavers, Assistant Minister Howarth said.

Farm work can be such a rewarding experience, particularly for young Australians, and so Id urge those school leavers who havent quite decided on the next step in life to strongly consider harvest work.

Youll get the chance to meet new people, youll see a beautiful part of the country, earn money and the Morrison Government will help cover your costs in getting there.

Started in November 2020, AgMove provides reimbursement for relocation expenses to eligible participants who move to take up short-term agricultural work and has so far more than 7,000 AgMove Agreements have been negotiated by employment services providers.

For more information:David LittleproudAustralian Governmentmedia@dese.gov.auwww.harvesttrail.gov.au

Read the original:

Australian AgMove extension to help get thousands more workers onto farms - hortidaily.com

Our next focus will be on your safety while in your car, and I dont mean wearing seatbelts. Observing some of these suggestions will help you stay safe here or abroad.

When you approach your car especially at night look under it as you approach. Make sure nobody is there. Peek into the back seat to determine that you are alone. Lock your doors immediately after entering your car.

Dont sit and text, phone or do paperwork, in an unlocked car with your attention focused elsewhere. Fifty percent of all auto theft results from doors left unlocked, especially if there are parcels or firearms visible in the vehicle.

Keep your vehicle doors locked at all times even in your home driveway.

In parking lots especially after dark park under lights and as close to the stores as possible. Make sure your windows are closed tightly.

Carjackings are a huge problem the nation over. In traffic, always park far enough behind the car in front of you so you can see their rear tires. That will give you room to pull out and speed away if a carjacking appears imminent. Carjackers do not normally want to shoot you; they want your car. Keep your windows up and doors locked! Women alone are big targets.

Am I being followed? Someone wants your car, your money, or perhaps YOU! Check your rear-view mirror as you alternate between slowing down and speeding up. Make two right turns in a short distance and then a quick left turn. A rapid U TURN works well too. Still being followed? Call 911 and alert police keep driving and stay on the phone until a police unit joins your convoy! Never drive home!

Someone jumps into your car and orders you to drive away, do not drive out of town! Drive to a police or fire station, crash your car into something in a populated area or, if in traffic, ram your car into the car in front of you and then back into the car behind you. RUN! Be careful at red lights and in traffic jams. Insurance is usually forgiving if your life was in danger.

Be wary of females hitching rides they frequently have a hidden accomplice.

And, as always, exercise Situational Awareness wherever you are and if you have a gut feeling that something is wrong heed that feeling! Gut feelings have a purpose.

K.H. Kraft has over 40 years of affiliations with Intelligence and Police organizations. Sources for these articles are decades of personal experience and numerous official manuals.

Link:

For Your Safety: Automobile awareness is extension of situational awareness - Prescott Daily Courier

Intro : Dr. Anil Kukreja, Vice-President Medical Affairs & Regulatory, AstraZeneca India Ltd spoke to ETHealthworld's Prathiba Raju and elucidated how Evusheld is specifically intended to protect the most vulnerable populations, including immunocompromised patients. The vulnerable groups may receive limited or no protection from vaccines and currently have few options in the face of COVID-19 and remain at high-risk.

How does the first-ever monoclonal antibody cocktail work on immunocompromised patients and how the medicine aims to prevent Covid-19 infection in such patients?

Preventing immunocompromised individuals from getting COVID-19 rather than waiting to treat this vulnerable population once they become infected is an important goal in the fight against the pandemic. Evusheld is intended to protect the most vulnerable populations, including the immunocompromised, who may receive limited or no protection from vaccines and currently have few options in the face of the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases seen in recent weeks and remain at high-risk.

Evusheld is synthesised in a laboratory to mimic the bodys natural infection-fighting antibodies. Therapeutic antibodies can offer almost immediate protection by neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus and activating an immune response. Evusheld is a combination of two long-acting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) -tixagevimab and cilgavimab -derived from convalescent patients after SARS-CoV-2 virus. Each mAb was engineered with: AZs proprietary YTE half-life extension technology, which more than triples the durability of its action compared to conventional antibodies.The reduced Fc receptor binding technology to minimise the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement of disease.

It binds to distinct sites on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The aim is that by targeting the spike protein, the antibody will neutralise the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by affecting its capacity to infect healthy cells.

Evusheld (AZD7442) is a long-acting antibody (LAAB) combination, engineered with AstraZeneca's proprietary half-life extension technology to increase the therapy's durability upto 12 months, following a single administration. It has been designed to attach to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 at two different sites. In addition, Evusheld contains infection-fighting proteins called monoclonal antibodies. The half-life extension more than triples the durability of its action compared to conventional antibodies. It is specifically intended to protect the most vulnerable populations, including immunocompromised patients. The vulnerable groups may receive limited or no protection from vaccines and currently have few options in the face of COVID-19 and remain at high-risk.What is the status of availability of this antibody treatment in India? How will it help in containing the spread of COVID- 19? With most of the people in India with co-morbidities already taken first two doses of COVID vaccines and also administration booster shots, why should they take Evusheld?

We are committed to working with international and government agencies around the world to make Evusheld accessible so that countries can potentially add it to their arsenal to tackle COVID-19. Regulatory dossiers are being compiled per the requirements of various countries including India. We are sharing this emerging therapeutic option as evidence generated with stakeholders and seeking their insights to arrive at our strategy, regulatory filing and timelines.

It is the first long-acting antibody to demonstrate robust efficacy in both prevention and treatment of COVID-19. There is a growing body of evidence underlining the potential of our LAAB to make a real difference in the fight against COVID-19, especially for vulnerable populations. It showed robust, long-lasting protection against symptomatic COVID-19 that continues for at least six months, as demonstrated in the PROVENT Phase III trial. In PROVENT, Evusheld reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by 77 percent at the primary analysis and 83 percent at a six-month analysis compared to placebo.

What is its distinct cohort of compounds, can it contain all COVID-19 Variants of Concern?

Evusheld, is one of only two antibody therapies authorised for use to retain neutralising activity against all other variants of concern tested to date.At least, in the pre-clinical in vitro studies, we have seen that the antibody cocktail is active against all the strains that have been identified so far. The most recent study by USFDA also found it to be retaining the neutralising activity against Omicron variant.

It is said that a person receives two injections, it protects from the illness for only about 6 months, how many doses should be taken and the frequency. Does it differ as per the age? How effective is it for patients using immunosuppressants like long standing systemic steroids or chemotherapy?Preliminary data from a Phase I study show high neutralizing antibody titers for at least nine months, with potential to offer protection for up to 12 months following a single dose. Some information provided is based on a pre-print and has not undergone peer review.Do you think antiviral COVID-19 drugs should be seen as the next step in the fight against the virus, apart from vaccination?

No one vaccine or therapy can eliminate COVID-19, but multiple approaches could help to reduce the spread of the virus, defend those most vulnerable to infection, deliver better outcomes for patients and ultimately allow the world to return to normal.

Vaccines have the potential to provide long-term protection against COVID-19 but require a healthy immune system and can take a few weeks to generate a virus-specific immune response. While vaccines are helping people around the world,not everyone who receives a vaccine can produce antibodies,or produce antibodies at a level which is sufficient to protect them from COVID-19.These vulnerable populations may need added or more immediate protection.

Go here to see the original:

Evusheld adds a layer of protection to those with weakened immune systems - ETHealthworld.com

THIS property may look fairly ordinary but there is more to it than meets the eye.

A clue that the Las Vegas home is not all as it appears is revealed in its asking price of a hefty $5.9million.

6

6

6

The Underground House at 3970 Spencer St, is mostly located 26-feet below the ground and was once a bomb shelter that has been turned into luxury home.

Covering 15,000-square feet, the property contains a pool, jacuzzi, casita, 500-feet of landscape murals, putting green and time-of-day lighting settings to copy the world outside the ceiling has twinkling stars to imitate the night sky.

It also comes with artificial trees, faux rocks and life-like scenery.

The main living space is accessed by an elevator from the structure above ground.

When you go down there, youre in a capsule and go back in time, Tee Thompson, a member of the secretive human life extension-enthusiast group Society for the Preservation of Near Extinct Species, toldthe Las Vegas Review-Journalin 2018 while living in the space on behalf of the society. I get to choose whether I want it day, night, dusk or dawn When it is dark, it is pitch black, and its very peaceful and quiet. I dont get to hear the outside elements. Its beautiful being down here. If youre not focused on what youre doing, you lose track of time.

The unusual home, situated 2.5miles east of the Strip, was built for personal use by investor Jerry Henderson, a subterranean living enthusiast, in 1978.

Henderson, who owned a company called Underground World Homes, also had a 45,000-square-foot underground home in Colorado.

He built two bedrooms and an 800-square-foot caretaker house into his sunless Las Vegas bunker, where he lived with his wife Mary until his death in 1983.

When Henderson died, Mary moved upstairs into the townhouse she built above the bunker and lived there until she passed away in 1989.

Following their deaths both properties were foreclosed on, the Review-Journal says.

The bunker was then bought for $1.15m by the Society in 2014, which made several renovations to the property.

Take an elevator ride down to an underground utopia, advertised the current listing, which also features a number of digital renderings showing a couple standing in front of the underground houses front doors, waving, the city street and sky above them.

6

6

6

We pay for your stories!

Do you have a story for The US Sun team?

Go here to read the rest:

This normal looking Las Vegas house has gone up for sale for $5.9million but can you spot its incredible... - The Sun

Under the changes, Sanofis sub brands, which include Sanofi Pasteur and Sanofi Genzyme, will be united under the Sanofi brand. Internally, staffers will continue to work under one of four global business units:Pasteur is the vaccines business unit and Genzyme is the specialty care business unit.The other two units are general medicine and consumer healthcare.

The refreshed branding represents the integrated way in which the company will work to achieve its ambition to transform the practice of medicine.

Sanofi embarked on these changes because itlost its stakeholders with multiple names,said Josep Catll, head of corporate affairs at Sanofi.

This is the only big pharma company remaining that still has such a broad portfolio. We want to be in every space that goes from prevention with vaccines to the more extreme, rare diseases of the other side of the business to everything in the middle from oncology to [multiple sclerosis]. Our portfolio is the result of 50 years of more than 500 mergers and acquisitions.

However, when Sanofi acquired a company, it didnt change the culture, look and feel of that companys purpose, with Catlla saying the company has been very fragmented over the last few years in that sense.

Sanofi wanted to find a theme that unites and connects all of its businesses and employees. The company listened to stakeholders both internally and externally, including healthcare and patient communities. Out of that, it came up with a new purpose, which is that Sanofi chases the miracle of science to improve peoples lives, said Catlla.

Some feedback it received: using the words miracle and science together may be seen as provocative since science is rational and data-driven and miracles are more aspirational.

Yes, science is very exact, but the effects of science can be super-emotional to the point where they are seen as a miracle, said Catll. For example, when paracetamol makes a bad headache go away, it can feel like a miracle to patients.

Sanofi used the word chasing in its purpose statement, because when a company chases something, it means it is determined and resilient to obtain it, said Catlla.

Sanofi wanted to get away from typical pharma jargon that leans on outcomes and impacting patients.

Improving peoples lives is more genuine to what we do, said Catll. In some cases, we cure, in others we bring better health or life extension, but in all the cases we bring hope to people.

Sanofi has also revealed a new logo,, which was inspired by the simple and motion-oriented codes of the tech industry, it said in a statement. The two purple dots embody the scientific journey between a starting point wondering what if? and a finish line. In other words, the eureka moment where innovative solutions are unlocked to impact peoples lives.

Sanofi started to think about itself differently when CEO Paul Hudson joined the company in 2019. That December, Sanofi launched its Play to Win strategy, which focuses on applying its platform for innovation to produce first- and best-in-class treatments and vaccines.

While business names are changing, the internal structure and reporting lines will remain the same and there will be no layoffs or people moves in relation to the changes.

This helps to position the comms team in a much more strategic manner throughout the company, Catll said.

To promote the rebranding, Sanofi is launching a series of films internally and externally with employees talking about the company to tell our own story, said Catll. Staffers discuss why they work at Sanofi and what they love about their jobs.

One employee is a scientist who had cancer, so she can talk to you as a researcher and also as a patient, said Catll. Others discuss how personal passions for dance and boxing link to their roles.

We have one single brand film now, but we will reveal individual stories of all the people in that film in the next few months so they can tell us more, said Catll.

Hudson sent a note to all employees on Thursday about the changes, including the brand film. Sanofi also rebranded all of its social media channels on Thursday.

Interpublic Group agency FutureBrand worked on the logo and Weber Shandwick and Jack Morton are aiding Sanofi with the launch.

Read the rest here:

Behind the scenes of pharmaceutical giant Sanofi's rebranding | Marketing - Campaign Asia

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) Following delays, the city of Spartanburg said its project to extend the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail will begin this year.

Over the past few years, those involved in the planning and development of the Rail Trail have run into roadblocks with the extension project.

Its been a lot of dealing with the South Carolina Department of Transportation. A lot of the trail goes along their right-of-way, said Spartanburg communications and marketing manager Christopher George. So, a lot of it has just been back and forth with them over their regulations and requirements and frankly a lot of this is stuff thats kind of new to them.

Delays have piled up along with residents hopes which, in return, were let down with no expected start date for expansion.

The city says its plan is still to extend the Rail Trail through downtown from its current end point at the intersection of Union Street and Henry Street.

This extension will allow its users a safe passage across the street; across Henry Street and all the way into downtown and eventually all the way to Barnet Park that will allow that connection for those folks using the railtrail to get to downtown, said Ned Barrett, trail development manager for Play. Advocate. Live Well. Spartanburg (PAL).

Developers said the new route will include space on Union Street, Kennedy Street and Converse Street, ending at Barnet Park. It will also include a first-of-its-kind in South Carolina curb-protected bike lane.

Along one section of it, which is alongConverse Streetto Barnet Park, well be narrowingsort ofthe roadway there and creating a protected cycle track. Andsowhat that isiswe will have a physical barrier between the trail and the oncoming traffic to protect cyclists and folks using the trail, said George.

According to PAL Spartanburg, since 2020, the trail count usage has tallied nearly 400,000 people.

Its a great change, the Rail Trail is the most popular recreational facility in the county, said Barrett.

People of all walks of life and all of our city uses it and, you know, if there is one complaint that folks have about is that its not long enough, George said.

Soon the Rail Trail will offer an extended space for usage.

We will be starting this spring. We dont have an exact start date yet, but we will be definitely be starting this spring on that extension, said George.

Read the original here:

Following delays, Spartanburgs Rail Trail extension set to begin this spring - WSPA 7News

NASA has just released a report detailing how it will deorbit or crash the International Space Station (ISS) in 2031, bringing it down into the Pacific Ocean.

This announcement is a gigantic punctuation mark that the era of the ISS is coming to an end, Jeffrey Manber, president of international space stations for aerospace company Voyager Space, told the Washington Post.

On borrowed time: For more than two decades, the ISS has been NASAs primary space-based laboratory, giving the agency and its collaborators the ability to conduct research thats impossible on Earth.

NASA initially expected to deorbit the ISS in 2015, but the stations death date kept getting pushed back, first to 2020 and then to 2024. In December 2021, the Biden administration granted the ISS another life extension, this time to 2030.

This announcement is a gigantic punctuation mark that the era of the ISS is coming to an end.

For reals: It appears this latest deorbiting date will actually stick because, well, it sort of has to systems are failing, cracks are appearing, and toilets are even occasionally breaking on the aging space station.

In anticipation of the ISSs demise, NASA has now sent Congress a detailed report explaining exactly how it plans to deorbit the spacecraft.

The plan: According to NASAs report, the plan is to send the ISS plunging through Earths atmosphere in January 2031. The station will then enter a part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo.

Because Point Nemo is farther from land (1,670 miles) than anywhere else on the planet, its often called the loneliest place on Earth. This isolation has also made it an attractive spot to deorbit old satellites and spacecraft, leading to the nickname the spacecraft cemetery.

What comes next: NASA has no intention of letting the ISSs deorbiting affect its ability to do space-based research astronauts will just start doing it on other space stations built and maintained by private companies.

In 2020, NASA awarded Houstons Axiom Space a $140 million contract to build and attach a new module to the ISS in September 2024. That module will detach prior to the deorbiting of the ISS, ensuring NASA has continuous access to space.

The agency has also awarded contracts totaling $415.6 million to other companies to develop their own space stations, the idea being that NASA will then be able to buy or lease space for its astronauts aboard them without having to worry about maintenance or, eventually, deorbiting.

Wed love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at tips@freethink.com.

Read more:

NASA plans to destroy the ISS in 2031 - Freethink

The Reddit Enhancement Suite add-on for Firefox and Chrome has entered maintenance mode. The popular plugin which made the platform usable, for old.reddit.com users, could come to an end if things don't change.

The developers of the open source extension have made an announcement at the add-on's subreddit, where they say that several members of the core developer team are busy or have moved on to other projects. The add-on, abbreviated as RES, has been around for a decade, and is available on all major add-on repositories including Firefox AMO, the Chrome Webstore, Opera Addons, and the Microsoft Store. Despite its popularity, the project did not receive much in terms of donations, which can be somewhat demotivating for a team that is working on the development of the plugin. Currently there are just 2 developers working on RES.

It's always sad to see good software die, but it is not dead yet, RES will be in life support mode for the foreseeable future. This means the extension will not add support for changes made to the website, or to support the redesign. The good news is that the add-on's developers have said they may provide patches to fix bugs, or release new options if the source code has been merged with pull requests from other users. Essentially, it depends on the developer community, with limited support from the core developers.

Since it is an open source project, there is also the possibility of other developers forking the add-on and taking it from there. If you read the comments from the Reddit Enhancement Suite developers, they blame the platform for being closed source and not developer-friendly. The push towards the new Reddit is also a cause for concern.

Reddit is one of my favorite sites, a friend introduced me to it when I sought some information about a decade ago. I found myself visiting it frequently to learn more things, stay up-to-date on tech and gaming news, and providing help when I could.

A few years ago, when I logged on to Reddit, something didn't look right. Enter the new Reddit design. It is a hideous monstrosity with wasted space either side of the screen, has links to promote other discussions right in the middle of the current thread, and even the subreddit sidebar is sort of in the middle of the screen. I could go on and on about how bad the design is. The interface is like Facebook's news feed, utter garbage, making navigation and searching for stuff, a real pain.

I was perplexed by the design, and immediately looked for a way to fix it, which wasn't hard to find. Other users who were annoyed by the design changes recommended using https://old.reddit.com/ in place of https://www.reddit.com/. Some users pointed out a setting that users can enable from their profile, to make old Reddit the default design. Whew, that was a relief.

It was around during that time, I came across some comments on a gaming sub, where a user had created a table, and recommended an add-on called Reddit Enhancement Suite, to sort the table. That was incredibly useful, but the plugin did more.

Some subreddits disable various elements like the upvote and downvote buttons, the subscriber count, and in rare cases, even the search bar is hidden by the admins/mods. I don't understand the logic behind such decisions. Reddit Enhancement Suite allowed me to disable a subreddit's custom design, giving me the original one, which has always been perfectly usable. This is, in my opinion, the extension's best feature.

To this day, I have not seen a website with a design that's worse than new Reddit, though the new Twitter comes a close second for me, but that's easily fixable with the GoodTwitter2 script.

I'm not sure I would continue using Reddit if they ditch the old design completely. The only alternatives would be to use third party clients that provide a different experience, similar to the old design.

Redreader, Infinity for Reddit, and Slide are great open-source Reddit client apps that you can use on your Android phone. Apollo (needs an IAP to create posts) and Slide are the only iOS apps that I have found to be of the same quality as their Android counterparts. Windows 10/11 users may want to look ReddPlanet, but according to some recent comments from the developer, the PC app is no longer being updated. On the bright side, ReddPlanet for iOS was released recently, and a version for Android is currently in closed beta.

The bigger problem is Reddit itself, when the admins decide to pull the plug on the old site and go, thou shalt suffer our new design and its atrocities, where then will we turn to?

Summary

Article Name

The developers of the Reddit Enhancement Suite extension have placed it on maintenance mode

Description

The Reddit Enhancement Suite extension for Firefox and Chrome is on maintenance mode. Here's what happened.

Author

Ashwin

Publisher

Ghacks Technology News

Logo

Continued here:

Development of the Reddit Enhancement Suite extension is on maintenance mode - Ghacks Technology News

Meg Brew| UF/IFAS Lake County Livestock Agent

Alligator interrupts golf game with prize catch

An alligator carrying a fish interrupted a golf game in Bradenton, Florida.

STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAY

Growing up as a Floridian, I took for granted that alligators everywhere were just a normal part of life. I am reminded of just how unusual, how prehistoric, and how remarkable they are whenever I host out-of-state visitors.

The excitement mixed with a healthy dose of fear my houseguests show upon seeing a gator is a good reminder of just how cool these creatures are.

Watch out for gators: In viral video, Florida man catches alligator in trash can. Fish & Wildlife says call the experts

Crocs, too: Crikey! American crocodile lives at this Palm Beach County golf course and is there to stay

The American Alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) can be found throughout the state of Florida. These large reptiles may be spotted in and around any body of water, including lakes and ponds, rivers, springs, canals, swamps, ditches, and retention ponds.

Florida woman bumps hissing alligator with paddle in too close for comfort encounter

Crikey! Vicki Baker had a close encounter with an alligator while paddleboarding the Silver River in Ocala. She used her paddle to push the gator away

The Gainesville Sun

While gators tend to prefer freshwater, they may also be encountered in brackish water and even saltwater. In Florida, if its bigger than a puddle, its safer to assume there could be a gator in it.

Gators mate in the spring, typically from mid-April through May. Female gators build their nests along the waters edge and will remain close by during the entire 65-day incubation period.

During this time, she will be extremely protective of her nest and should never be approached or harassed. Interestingly, the sex of gator hatchlings is determined by temperature ranges during incubation.

Cooler temps (below 86 Fahrenheit) produce female gators, warmer temps (above 91.4 Fahrenheit) yield male gators, and moderate temperatures mean a 50-50chance of producing males or females.

Gators are opportunistic hunters who choose their prey based on size and availability. Most active at dusk and dawn, the hunting gator will lie in wait for appropriately-sized prey to happen by and then strike with incredible speed.

Their powerful jaws are capable of easily crushing bones and shells, and gators will typically swallow their smaller prey whole. Common prey for gators includes fish, amphibians, birds, turtles, small mammals, deer, wild hogs, and sometimes other gators.

Gators are large, predatory animals, but that doesnt mean we cant coexist peacefully. We do need to observe some simple rules and practice situational awareness when we are in known gator habitats in order to stay safe.

It is illegal to feed wild gators, for good reason. When gators are fed, they associate people with food and lose their natural fear of humans. This may lead to gators becoming aggressive and extremely dangerous.

Avoid swimming or wading in areas where large gators are likely to be present, especially around dusk and dawn, and never allow children or pets to play around the water's edge where they may be mistaken for prey.

More From the Extension: Be mindful of your neighbors the bears

Gobble, gobble: Living alongside Florida's wild turkeys

Likewise, dogs should not be allowed to swim in dark water where gators might be lurking as they are prey-sized for many gators. Use care when working along the edge of water bodies, especially during nesting season when females are more prone to aggression.

Giant alligator casually strolls through Publix parking lot in Florida

A giant alligator was caught casually strolling through a Publix parking lot in Florida.

USA TODAY, Storyful

If a gator does charge at you, run away in a straight line, the zig-zag method is a myth! If you happen upon a gator while swimming, boating, or hiking, give them wide berth. Remember, gators are wild animals!

In general, if you are alert and aware of your surroundings, avoid unsafe situations, and dont feed or harass gators, youll never have a negative interaction with a Florida gator (unless, of course, you are an FSU fan).

If you have a gator on your property who is displaying aggressive behavior, you should contact the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by calling 1-866-FWC-GATOR. If the animal is deemed a threat to the public a licensed trapper will be sent to remove it.

For more information on alligator safety please visit edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW230from which this article was adapted.

UF/IFAS Lake County Extension is open regular business hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit us online anytime at sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lake and follow UF/IFAS Lake County Extension on Facebook. Our Gardens are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as the third Saturday of every month.

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, Dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.

Continue reading here:

From the Extension: Practice greater safety when around alligators - Daily Commercial

New Delhi: Ahead of initial public offering (IPO), Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has last month appointed six independent directors on its board to meet regulatory norms of corporate governance.

LIC appointed former financial services secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal, ex-Sebi member G Mahalingam, former SBI Life managing director Sanjeev Nautiyal, sources said.

Besides, chartered accountant MP Vijay Kumar, Raj Kamal, and V S Parthasarathy are roped in as independent directors on LIC's board.

With the appointment, the total number of independent directors goes up to 9 and all vacancies are filled.

Fulfilling corporate governance norms is an important element for filing Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

The central government is expected to file draft papers for the mega initial public offering of LIC with market regulator Sebi by this week, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey had said.

The embedded value of LIC has been arrived at and it is over 5 lakh crore. The size of the issue would be mentioned in the DRHP.

The issue, after approval of Sebi, is likely to hit the market in March, Pandey said.

Up to 10 per cent of the LIC IPO issue size would be reserved for policyholders.

LIC's listing is crucial for the government to meet the lowered revenue estimates of 78,000 crore for the current financial year.

Till now, the Centre has raised around 12,000 crore from privatisation of Air India and stake sale in other PSUs.

To facilitate smooth listing of the insurance behemoth, the government last week extended the tenure of LIC chairman M R Kumar for one year.

Besides, the government has also extended the tenure of one of the managing directors, Raj Kumar, for 12 months.

This is the second extension for the LIC chairman. Last year in June, he was given a nine-month extension in a view of LIC's proposed initial public offering towards the end of the current financial year.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters

* Enter a valid email

* Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

Excerpt from:

Ahead of IPO, LIC ropes in 6 independent directors on its board - Mint