XDS Announces Major Investment of UCI Astana Team, Paving the Way for Global Expansion

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When the San Francisco 49ers used a third-round pick to draft Jake Moody last year, the hope was it would settle their kicking position for years to come. A shaky second half to Moody's second season with San Francisco has put that into question headed to the offseason. Moody missed his sixth field goal in the past seven games last week, leading to questions about whether the 49ers will need to replace him or at least bring in competition for next season. Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Moody on Thursday, attributing some of the struggles to a high ankle sprain he suffered in his kicking leg earlier in the season. “I still feel the same about him, that I believe he is going to be our guy," Shanahan said. “Everyone has got to perform and do things like that and I think he has had a tough year. ... I thought he was doing really well and then had a high ankle sprain to his kicking foot. Since he’s come back, he hasn’t been as consistent, obviously. But I think a lot of that probably has to do with that, just common-sense wise.” Moody got off to a strong start this season, making all six field goals he attempted in the season opener and going 13 for 14 before injuring his ankle while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff return in Week 5. He missed three games and has struggled since he returned. He missed three field goals in first first game back at Tampa Bay, two more in the snow at Buffalo in Week 13 and then a 41-yarder last week against the Dolphins. “That’s the great thing about kicking is, you can be as talented as whoever and you can struggle,” Moody said. “I feel like this year, I’ve struggled. It doesn’t really waver my confidence or anything. I feel like, throughout my entire life, I’ve gone through struggles, I’ve gone through high points. The biggest thing is to just stay consistent, not change anything.” Moody had an up-and-down rookie season, making 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and missing only one extra point. But he missed a potential game-winning kick in a loss at Cleveland and missed field goals in playoff wins against Green Bay and Detroit. Moody then made three field goals in the Super Bowl with two coming from more than 50 yards, including a go-ahead 53-yard kick late in the fourth quarter against Kansas City. But Moody also had an extra point blocked in that game. “I believe we’ve got the right guy and I think that eventually, I think he has shown that at times,” Shanahan said. "I thought he showed that at times his rookie year. I thought he showed that big time being 12 out of 13 to start this year. And I think he’ll show us all that in the future.” NOTES: The Niners placed LT Trent Williams on IR after his ankle injury hasn't healed as quickly as hoped. Shanahan didn't think there were any long-term issues. ... LB Dre Greenlaw (calf) will be shut down for the rest of the season after playing parts of two games in his return from a torn left Achilles tendon. ... OL Spencer Burford (calf) didn't practice but might be able to play this week. ... San Francisco has signed two OL this week, adding Matt Hennessy and Charlie Heck. ... RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring, foot) was limited but appears on track to play this week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

In the wake of the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, the payment of student-athletes has gotten boatloads of attention. However, an often overlooked part of the agreement is roster limits and how that will impact teams and players. That will soon be evident, and that's why Nebraska's game against Wisconsin on Saturday won't just carry more meaning for the seniors on the roster but also the walk-ons. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Improving bureaucratic efficiency A representational image of a man working in an office.— The News/File LAHORE: The efficiency of a country’s bureaucracy is typically evaluated based on factors such as transparency, accountability, meritocracy, corruption levels, adaptability and responsiveness. In this regard, Singapore ranks at the top, followed by Denmark and Switzerland. In contrast, the country’s public sector efficiency is ranked very low. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Pakistan’s bureaucracy faces numerous challenges, including red tape, corruption, and delays, which stem from structural, operational and cultural issues. The country’s selection process, centred around the central superior services (CSS) exam, prioritises general knowledge and analytical skills over specialised expertise. As a result, bureaucrats are frequently transferred between departments, regardless of their qualifications. This practice leads to inefficiency in sectors such as health, education, and technical industries. While initial training is provided, ongoing professional development, especially in specialised fields, remains limited. This hinders bureaucrats’ ability to adapt to the technical demands of different sectors. Regular rotation of bureaucrats across departments and regions disrupts continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning. Political considerations often influence appointments and transfers, undermining meritocracy and accountability. The hierarchical nature of the system offers little room for innovation or flexibility, with junior officers often lacking the authority to make decisions, thereby slowing down processes. The current selection policy, which only requires a graduate degree for entry, does not ensure candidates possess the technical expertise needed for specialised roles. Although the CSS exam is rigorous, it primarily assesses general knowledge, leaving gaps in technical competency. Once selected, candidates undergo uniform training, without specialised tracks for fields like health, education or finance. To improve governance, introducing specialised qualifications for bureaucrats in various sectors would be crucial. For instance, health departments should be managed by professionals with backgrounds in medicine or public health, while specialists with experience in education policy and administration should oversee the education sector. For administrative roles, generalists with strong analytical and management skills could handle traditional tasks. Furthermore, cross-sector collaboration should be encouraged, but technical positions should remain in the hands of domain experts. The deputation of bureaucrats to public-sector enterprises (PSEs) is another issue in Pakistan, as many lack the technical and managerial skills needed to run these organizations efficiently, often leading to operational inefficiencies and financial losses. Bureaucrats tend to prioritize bureaucratic processes over entrepreneurial decision-making, stifling innovation. In countries like the US and the UK, public enterprises are typically managed by professionals with domain expertise rather than bureaucrats. To address these issues, the government of Pakistan should introduce specialised entry tracks for sectors like health, education and technical industries, alongside the generalist cadre. Continuous sector-specific training and certifications should be implemented, and bureaucrats should be allowed to gain long-term experience in particular sectors. Furthermore, private-sector professionals should be allowed to enter the bureaucracy for technical roles through a transparent process. Professional managers should be appointed to public enterprises to reduce bureaucratic control, and performance metrics should be integrated into bureaucratic evaluations. India also uses a common pool entry system through the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Revenue Service (IRS), but it has separate cadres for technical roles such as the Indian Health Service and Indian Engineering Service. While generalists dominate administrative roles, India has recently emphasized the lateral entry of domain experts into bureaucratic positions. Civil servants in India receive specialised training after selection, with sector-specific modules for certain cadres. While India also appoints bureaucrats to public-sector enterprises, the practice is debated regarding its efficiency. China’s bureaucracy is highly centralised and hierarchical but is known for its efficiency in executing policies, due to strict accountability mechanisms and a focus on technical expertise. Bangladesh’s bureaucracy operates similarly to Pakistan’s, with similar challenges and structures.

Stillwater approves agreements for $28 million water treatment facility upgradeNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans keep proving that for every step forward, they always find ways to take two back. The Titans (3-9) clinched a third straight losing record to mark first-year coach Brian Callahan’s debut season in an to Washington. Yet another slow start, more turnovers, sacks, penalties ruined their chance at stringing together consecutive wins for the first time in more than two years. Callahan said Monday they’re trying to build consistency. “In the NFL, a lot of it is about not losing the game first, and we do right now with the amount of penalties and turnovers we’ve had,” Callahan said. “We put ourselves in position to lose games and not win them. And so, yes, there is a there is an element of learning how to win.” Tennessee had 11 of 12 penalties before halftime, trailing 28-7. The Titans also were the at halftime in Week 17 of 2005 against the Jaguars. Only Baltimore has been penalized more than Tennessee this season. Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said after the loss that the Titans need to learn how to deal with winning better coming off a Simmons said they were “hungover from our own success.” Callahan said Monday he didn’t see any hangover issues. “You have a performance like that and you’re sort of grasping for an explanation on why and there really wasn’t one other than we made too many errors early in the game and put ourselves in a hole,” Callahan said. What’s working Quarterback Will Levis’ development over the four games since his return from a sprained, right throwing shoulder at least gives the Titans promise for the future. The made some nice throws and limited yards lost on two sacks Sunday. He threw two TD passes for 212 yards. Since his return, he is completing 61.7% of his passes for 960 yards with seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions with a 101.3 passer rating in that span. What needs help Now the defense is struggling after going into Washington second in the NFL in yards allowed, ninth against the run and first defending the pass. They gave up a season-high 267 yards rushing after giving up just 40 a week ago. The Titans also gave up 28 points within the first 20 minutes, becoming only the . The Titans also did that in Week 8 earlier this season after being routed by the Lions in Detroit. Washington did it against Dallas in Week 16 of 2021. Stock up WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Originally undrafted out of Indiana, Westbrook-Ikhine is tied for fourth in the NFL with eight TD catches entering Monday. That’s despite starting only five games this season and not having a pass thrown to him the first month of the season. He has earned a multi-year deal with his performance. He had three receptions for 61 yards against Washington and was targeted a season-high eight times. Stock down Rookie Jha’Quan Jackson. A sixth-round pick out of Tulane and nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ed Reed has fumbled five times as the punt returner recovering only two of those. That got him benched against Washington. His fumbles have come in the past six games, including one in each of the past two. His fumble against Washington led to an early touchdown. Injuries LT JC Latham hurt a quadriceps muscle but finished the game. Callahan said they will see how CB Roger McCreary (shoulder) and LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (strained hamstring) recover during the week. Key number 36 — The number of games since the Titans have had consecutive victories. Next steps The Titans at least are home with their best focus trying to improve their standing inside the AFC South with four divisional games down the stretch. They have two games remaining against Jacksonville (2-10) starting Sunday with But their biggest question now is how high does this franchise draft in April. ___ AP NFL:

Pennsylvania man accused of $30,000 robbery in LincolnBILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX) today announced that it received a notice (the “Notice”) on November 21, 2024 from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) stating that because the Company has not yet filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “Form 10-Q"), it is no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Rule”), which requires listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq. Under Nasdaq rules, the Company has 60 calendar days from receipt of the Notice, or until January 20, 2025, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Rule. On November 12, 2024, the Company previously announced that it would be delayed in filing the Form 10-Q due to the need to restate the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and its unaudited consolidated financial statements for the quarterly and year-to-date (as applicable) periods ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, September 30, 2022, March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024. The Notice from Nasdaq is standard practice in the event of a delayed periodic financial report filing and was anticipated. The Company is continuing to work expeditiously to complete the filing of the Form 10-Q and remains on track to complete the restatement and all required filings by the end of 2024. This announcement is made in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(b)(2). About Quanterix From discovery to diagnostics, Quanterix’s ultrasensitive biomarker detection is fueling breakthroughs only made possible through its unparalleled sensitivity and flexibility. The Company’s Simoa ® technology has delivered the gold standard for earlier biomarker detection in blood, serum or plasma, with the ability to quantify proteins that are far lower than the Level of Quantification (LoQ). Its industry-leading precision instruments, digital immunoassay technology and CLIA-certified Accelerator laboratory have supported research that advances disease understanding and management in neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiology and infectious disease. Quanterix has been a trusted partner of the scientific community for nearly two decades, powering research published in more than 3,100 peer-reviewed journals. Find additional information about the Billerica, Massachusetts-based company at https://www.quanterix.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release are based on Quanterix’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause Quanterix’s actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, that the Company may have underestimated the scope and impact of the restatement of certain of its financial statement and the risk that the Company’s restated financial statements may take longer to complete than expected, as well as those described in our periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” sections contained therein. Except as required by law, Quanterix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122959546/en/ CONTACT: Media: media@quanterix.comInvestor Relations: Amy Achorn (978) 488-1854 ir@quanterix.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HEALTH MEDICAL DEVICES SOURCE: Quanterix Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122959546/en