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☆ Yellen says World Bank needs 'cultural change' to better mobilize private capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEN GUERIR, Morocco, Oct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday the World Bank had made progress in reforming its operations to better address climate change and other global challenges, but still needed "cultural change" to mobilize private sector capital. But more efforts were needed to equip World Bank staff to deliver the desired results, Yellen said. The reforms of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) are a key topic at this week's annual meetings in Morocco of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. But government funding would never suffice, Yellen added, calling on the MDBs to establish concrete private capital mobilization targets and incentives for staff to meet them. She said the World Bank's International Finance Corp and MIGA divisions should expand their lending, guarantee and insurance instruments, and find new ways to smartly manage foreign exchange risk.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Elizabeth Frantz, BEN GUERIR, Ajay Banga, Yellen, Banga, Andrea Shalal, Catherine Evans Organizations: Treasury, Treasury Department, REUTERS, . Treasury, Bank, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Bank's International Finance Corp, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Morocco, Ben Guerir

☆ Scientists have completely sequenced the human Y chromosome for the first time, with huge implications for heath and evolution research
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Researchers published two new papers on the human Y chromosome. That's because the Y chromosome is "the most complex, most repetitive chromosome," said Monika Cechova, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. AdvertisementAdvertisementKaren Miga was one of the researchers involved in fully sequencing the human Y chromosome. The worldwide Y chromosomeFor the single-sequence paper, researchers sequenced the Y chromosome of a single individual of European descent, known as the HG002 genome. Because of all the gaps in the Y chromosome genome reference, researchers haven't fully understood how the chromosome contributes to overall health.

Persons: Karen Miga, Monika Cechova, Carolyn Lagattuta, Pascal Gagneux, wasn't, Gagneaux, Evan Eichler, Cechova, Miga, Gagneux, haven't Organizations: Service, Telomere, University of California, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, Center for Academic Research, Human Genome Research Institute, Jackson Laboratory, Genomic Medicine Locations: Wall, Silicon, Nature, Santa Cruz, Anthropogeny

☆ Scientists solve the genetic puzzle of sex-related Y chromosome
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Males possess one Y and one X chromosome while females have two X chromosomes, with some exceptions. But until now, the Y chromosome part of the human genome had contained big gaps. In addition to identifying some additional Y chromosome genes, the researchers found that some DNA from the chromosome had been mistaken in previous studies as bacterial in nature. The first complete human genome - albeit with the Y chromosome partial - was published last year. Fully sequencing the Y chromosome adds to this.

Persons: Karen Miga, Carolyn Lagattuta, Arang Rhie, Monika Cechova, Cechova, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: University of California, UC Santa Cruz, REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, U.S ., Genome Research, of California, UCSC, Thomson Locations: Santa Cruz , California, U.S, Handout, Santa Cruz

A participant stands near a logo of World Bank at the International Monetary Fund - World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2018. "Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group's values. World Bank President Ajay Banga, who took office in June after the Ugandan law was enacted, has come under pressure to respond to the Ugandan law. The existing portfolio will continue to disburse funds, even as new lending is put on hold, a World Bank source said. It said the IFC and MIGA would also implement additional measures to "ensure inclusion and non-discrimination as needed."

Persons: Johannes P, Ajay Banga, Banga, Kanishka Singh, Andrea Shalal, Leslie Adler, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang Organizations: Bank, International Monetary Fund, REUTERS, United Nations, World Bank, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Reuters, IFC, Thomson Locations: Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Uganda, Washington

☆ Scientists updated the human genome to make it more inclusive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists have pieced together a new draft of the human genome that better captures humanity’s genetic diversity. The scientists involved say it will improve our ability to diagnose disease, discover new drugs and understand the genetic variants that lead to ill health or a particular physical trait. The pangenome, a digital amalgamation of sequences that can be used to compare, construct and study other human genome sequences, is still a draft. The first draft of the human genome was released in 2001 and was only fully completed in 2022. The new pangenome reference is an amalgamation of different genomes from 47 people with ancestry from around the world.

"Financial support is very necessary, as well as military support," he said, acknowledging growing acceptance that the military conflict could drag on. "We should be ready that this war will last longer than we expected,” he said, noting that G7 partners were no longer pushing Ukraine to accept an end to war - as they had last year - but were now signaling their support for a longer conflict. Marchenko said there was also growing openness among donor countries to explore using Russia's frozen assets to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction than even six months ago. "Our partners are thinking about the possibility of using Russian assets as a necessary tool to support Ukraine. Marchenko said U.S. Treasury officials had told him the United States had a low amount of Russian assets, but the issue was of greater concern in Japan, Switzerland and EU countries.

☆ See the presentations that hot healthcare startups used to raise millions from top VCs
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Here are the presentations obtained by Insider that healthcare startups have used to raise millions. Even so, healthcare startups raised $15.8 billion in the first half of the year, according to Silicon Valley Bank. Insider rounded up all the presentations we've published that healthcare startups have used to raise cash from investors. For instance, check out the 13-slide presentation heart-health startup Miga Health used to raise $12 million in seed funding. Brightside used this presentation to break through a crowded field of mental health startups and convince VCs to invest $24 million.

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