Raptors’ pre-season may be over, but final roster decisions still to come

The Toronto Raptors capped off their pre-season with a 113-108 victory over the Washington Wizards and now they have some decisions to make.

There are five Raptors players on the fringes of the roster battling for three remaining spots before the Oct. 16 cut-down date. Realistically, the race will likely coming down to four players battling for two open spots.

Yuta Watanabe seems like a safe bet for one of those final three spots, meaning Isaac Bonga, Sam Dekker, Freddie Gillespie and Ishmail Wainright are likely all locking horns for the remaining two roster spots.

Not that you’d be able to tell these men were fiercely competing with each other in the last true audition they have before cuts happen.

The Raptors were able to cap off their exhibition schedule with a victory largely thanks to the contributions from these four in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game, where Dekker, Gillespie and Wainright were all playing team-first, winning basketball.

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Entering the final period trailing 89-81, it was unlikely hero Dekker who helped get the Raptors right back into things, scoring 12 straight Raptors points to pull Toronto within three with about eight minutes to play. A few minutes later, Dekker made an unselfish play where he could’ve jacked up a heat-check three while slightly trapped along the right wing, but decided to pass out to Dalano Banton, who then swung the ball to Malachi Flynn – who had a big fourth quarter himself – for an open triple to take the lead.

And as for the others in the fourth quarter, Wainright was seen playing solid positional defence and setting hard screens to free up the likes of Dekker and Flynn, and Gillespie came up with a key block in the quarter and was like Windex cleaning up the defensive glass for the Raptors.

Bonga didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter and actually had a poor game, in general, but his pre-season was so strong that there’s a thought he has an inside track to one of the remaining roster spots.

With that said, however, the performances of Dekker, Gillespie and Wainright in that fourth certainly gave Raptors head coach Nick Nurse much to deliberate on now.

“We’re going to have to talk it over and think through a little bit and see what we end up with,” said Nurse after the game.

He later added: “Well, I think that there wasn’t a whole lot of separation. I think that there are guys there that have all done a pretty good job and worked really hard and you could make a case for any of them, you really could. It’s a difficult decision. There’s not a whole lot of clear cut. It’s gonna be what do we think we’re going to do positionally more than anything, but we’ll kick it around and we’ll figure it out over the next couple of days.”

Before Tuesday’s game started, Nurse seemed far more confident in who he might be going with saying, “we’ll probably make our decisions pretty quick here so we can get the roster ready to go and we can zero in on opening night.”

After the performance from some of the fringe players Tuesday, though, that decision doesn’t appear to be quite as clear cut now.

And even if Nurse has cuts in mind and ready to go, that still doesn’t solve the issues he’ll have piecing together a workable rotation in time for opening night next week.

Most notably, Nurse will have to deal with not having his best player, Pascal Siakam, and probably Chris Boucher in time for opening night. This means that the starting lineup he likely had in mind will need to be re-shuffled and that probably means Goran Dragic will have to step in as a starter next to Fred VanVleet.

Fortunately, Dragic does have plenty of experience playing beside other point guards.

“We still need to work on it, but throughout my career I played with a lot of point guards, especially in Phoenix, I played with [Eric] Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas. Then in Miami it was with Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler was handling the ball a lot, so it’s nothing new,” said Dragic. “With Freddy we might not have great chemistry yet but I know what he can do, so it just takes time to get adjusted and everything will be fine.”

And though it might not be completely ideal, having Dragic starting and likely playing more minutes than first anticipated to start the season might be a good thing for this young Raptors team, as he’s a proven commodity in the league and can act as a soothing influence in the locker room.

“He was trying to calm them down in the locker room, let them know it was only a pre-season game,” said Nurse of Dragic, who had 16 points and shot 4-for-5 from three. “I just think he’s a good player. He’s a good, experienced player, he’s tough, he can shoot the three, he can run a team, understands what’s going on out there. It’s nice to have guys like that.”

It’s also just nice, in general, to have guys on a team who can get the ball to the place it needs to be, and while it looks like the Raptors don’t necessarily have a go-to option without Siakam in the lineup to begin the season, they certainly have no shortage of playmakers on the roster who can help create offence in other ways.

Dragic, of course, is one such player, but another could be rookie Scottie Barnes, who has impressed Dragic over the course of the Raptors’ pre-season.

“He makes the game easier for everybody else and we need this on our team, especially when he gets into the open court and when he gets inside the paint he makes the right read and it makes it much easier for us,” Dragic said of Barnes, who had seven assists and zero turnovers Tuesday.

Similarly, Dragic has liked what he’s seen from Flynn, who scored a team-high 22 points Tuesday.

“He’s really solid. He’s a great pick-and-roll player, he can break guys down, get inside the paint and make those reads, good shooter and he just needs that confidence,” Dragic said.

Confidence is something that Flynn appeared to be lacking during the early portions of pre-season, going 6-of-19 for 19 points combined in the first three exhibition contests. But he turned things around in the last two, particularly exploding in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game for 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

That spark of confidence Flynn found figures to be important for the Raptors as the season opens up, since it looks like he figures to be the de facto backup point guard, in charge of the second unit.

Of course, Banton showed flashes that may have pushed Flynn at times during the pre-season, but the job should be Flynn’s.

Then again, that’s yet another decision Nurse and co. will have to make.

The pre-season is over and regular season is just a week away. A week that will surely be filled with agonizing deliberation for the Raptors’ brass.

7 Reasons Business Needs SEO to Increase Sales

Many businesses have a presence online these days via a website. The visibility of such a website can determine the sale and profit of such a business. This happens through a tool called SEO, as it helps increase the quantity and quality of website traffic, which ultimately increases sales. 

This happens through a series of marketing tactics, which helps drive traffic to the site. Ultimately, this boosts website visitors and turns them into leads and paying customers. Overall, SEO has proven to be a great way to boost revenue and increase sales. 

However, SEO can be seen as an umbrella term for a series of activities, including adding content, link building, use of keywords, HTML, and many others. It is one of the best long-term investments that will yield tremendously for all businesses. 

Here are reasons why a business needs SEO for sales:

SEO Affects the Buying Cycle

Research is now an essential part of SEO, and there is a growing importance of real-time SEO research. SEO tactics will come in handy in relaying your message for impressive deals, new products, and services, as well as what makes your product stand out. As long as you do this right, it will affect the buying cycle positively.

This is expected as brands need to be visible and available where people need them. Through this, people and interested customers can make a good connection between what they need and your product. Local SEO gives business visibility and potential customers all they need to find answers, alongside the brands that provide what they need. However, if you are writing descriptions, product description software can help.

SEO boost Website Traffic 

Thanks to technological improvement, you need not rely on referrals and word of mouth for your business alone. SEO presents a platform to get new customers for your business where you never knew existed. 

In other words, SEO can present new opportunities and open your business up to a unique lead generation market. Chances are, many people are already looking for what you offer. As a result, you need to position yourself where they will find you. SEO is the perfect tool to make this happen, as it presents a way to get organic traffic with ease. 

Organic Search is the Main Source of Web Traffic 

When you get traffic to your website, which comes from visitors searching from various search engines, organic traffic is called. SEO is the primary way you can increase organic traffic. If your SEO effort is solid and intense, it will be easy to rank for selected keywords relating to your business. 

When you rank on the top for selected keywords, your website traffic will skyrocket, automatically boosting sales. This makes sense to increase organic traffic using SEO because organic traffic is the primary driver of website traffic to websites. It’s high time you stopped relying on word of mouth and social media alone, as they cannot replace the impact of SEO. 

SEO increases Trust

When customers search for a product online, they do not think twice before clicking the first result. This is not surprising as they believed that a business that stood head and shoulder above competition must be trustworthy. As a result, SEO is a trusted tool to establish your brand authority. A higher ranking gives you better visibility, which increases your credibility. 

When applying SEO to your website, this can be one of the things to guide you. However, bear in mind that SEO does not make your business successful overnight. You will invest time and a series of efforts. There needs to be a positive user experience before building your reputation, which happens over time.

You Get More Customers

Most businesses invest in a website to stand out from the competition and ultimately make more sales. With an SEO-optimized website, you have more sales and attract customers better than businesses that rely on offline advertising methods. 

SEO has changed the way businesses market and attract customers. Besides, SEO majorly engages customers interested in what you have to offer, not like the offline advertising tactic that approaches customers like a gamble. 

You Increase Engagement and Conversion Rate

Websites on the top-five results on the first page of Google generate the most traffic. Many people will not think twice before visiting such a website. As they do, it increases engagement, which ultimately increases the conversion rate. 

You need to have a chat box or landing page where your customers can easily interact with you should they need to ask a question. With your social media link conspicuously displayed all over the website, it will be easy for your website visitors to engage with you further. This allows you to build a relationship with prospective clients, which ultimately increases sales. 

Stand above Competition

A business that takes advantage of SEO already stands head and shoulder above another business that does not. The optimized website of such a business gives him an unparalleled advantage over other businesses. It is glaring that a business with an SEO-optimized website will attract more customers, make sales, grow, and succeed.  

SEO is indeed a powerful tool that can open new doors for your website. Make sure you are not left behind on adding SEO best practices to your website and business.

Conclusion 

SEO is a proven tool that can open unimaginable doors for any business. If done correctly, it can increase the lead and boost sales. It is a long-term investment that will surely yield results over time. 

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A Complete Guide To Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is the inside-the-cell process of forming protein molecules from programmed combinations of solitary amino acids. A coded pattern, enzymes, transmitters, and transferring ribonucleic acids are all required to create new polypeptides (RNAs). DNA and RNA control protein synthesis occurs in the nuclei and ribosomes of a tissue.

Proteins are necessary for life since they monitor and control all metabolic functions and provide structure to organisms. Proteins are also used as transport molecules and as antibodies to defend cells. However, what exactly is protein synthesis?

Protein expression refers to how proteins develop, are altered, and regulated in living organisms. The term may apply to either the debate topic or the research techniques required to create proteins in protein analysis. What are the most prevalent methods of protein synthesis? Are there any well-known applications of protein synthesis in modern biology? Follow along to learn how protein synthesis happens.

How is a protein synthesized?

Synthesis of protein by a protein expression service comprises two steps: transcription and translation. Transcription occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic organisms. DNA is utilized as a template to create a molecule of carrier RNA during synthesis (mRNA). The mRNA molecule then exits the nucleus and travels to a ribosome in the plasma, translated. 

The genetic information in mRNA is taken and utilized to create a polypeptide during translation. Here is how protein synthesis is done:

Transcription:

Transcription is the technique by which an mRNA blueprint, which encodes the protein sequence in a trinucleotide coding, is translated from DNA to serve as a framework for interpretation using the protein RNA polymerase. Transcription is therefore considered the initial step in gene expression. Transcription occurs in a 5′ 3′ direction, similar to DNA replication. Unlike DNA replication, however, transcription does not need a primer to begin, and instead of thymine, uracil combines with adenine.

The first stage, initiation, occurs after the RNA polymerase attaches to the DNA promoter with the help of specific transcriptional regulators. This causes the activator region of DNA to open (unravel), creating a transcription balloon. A transcription start point in the transcription balloon interacts with the RNA polymerase, namely to the starting and extending NTPs of the latter. There is a period of abortive synthesis cycles, which results in the release of truncated mRNA transcripts. The RNA polymerase must then escape the promoter to proceed to the elongation stage. 

RNA polymerase travels the pattern strand of DNA and base pairs with nucleotides on the blueprints strand during elongation.

Translation:

The translation is the mechanism by which organic molecules are joined together in a particular order based on the genetic code’s instructions. It takes place in the cytoplasm, where ribosomes exist. The three stages of translation are:

Initiation:

The mRNA escapes the nucleus through a nuclear membrane and reaches the cytoplasm after translation. The ribosome’s small and large fragments bind to the mRNA in the region containing the metabolized cap and the begin codon.

Elongation:

According to the compatible base combination between the sequences on the mRNA and the anticodons on the tRNA, tRNA continues to deliver amino acids to the expanding polypeptide. A tRNA’s amino acid is supplied to the nascent polypeptide as it travels inside the ribosome. The tRNA leaves the ribosome after this transfer, the ribosome travels one codon length beneath the mRNA, and a new tRNA with its correlating amino acid enters. The polypeptide increases as the process repeats.

Termination:

A stop codon occurs at the finish of the mRNA coding, signaling the end of the elongation stage. The stop codon does not require tRNA but rather a release factor protein, which causes the entire block (mRNA, ribosome, tRNA) to tear apart, distributing all elements.

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Post-translation:

Proteolysis and peptide folding are two processes that occur after protein synthesis. Proteolysis is the process of proteases cleaving proteins. N-terminal, C-terminal, and internal amino-acid regions are eliminated from the polypeptide using this method. The enzymatic treatment of a polypeptide chain after transcription and peptide bond formation is known as post-translational modification. 

To guarantee appropriate cellular localization and activity, the polypeptide’s terminals and side chains may be changed. The folding of polypeptide chains into secondary and intermediate structures is known as protein folding.

What is the commercial process for protein production?

The transcription of recombinant proteins in plants and plant cells has been encouraged as a cost-effective alternative manufacturing framework for the last three decades. Nevertheless, prokaryotic and vertebrate expression systems dominate the industry, with the former providing high functionality at a minimal price.

In conclusion

Understanding protein synthesis is vital for everything from the molecular basis of hereditary diseases to discovering antibiotics and sometimes even screening lab test kits. Advances in experimental tools for this microscopic examination have improved understanding of molecular biology’s core principle – that DNA transcribes RNA, which is then converted into protein. The information mentioned above will guide and assist you in helping protein expression from a closer view.

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5 Awesome Things to Try Out at Your Next Party

Are you bored of attending the same old parties that feature only drinks, loud music, gossip, and a next-day hangover? If yes, this article will save you from boring parties and give you mind-blowing ideas of making parties an absolute joy. A party should be a social gathering where all kinds of people can have fun and mingle around. It should leave a lasting memory in the minds of the attendees. Below are five awesome things that you can quickly try out at your next party and make your party memorable.

Vaping Games:

Most of us have come across alcohol games in parties like “beer pong” or “Truth or Shots”. While these games are interesting, they come with side effects like a hangover, severe drinking habits leading to liver damage, etc. What if the same games could be replaced by a healthier alternative, i.e., vaping? According to NHS, moderate vaping is safer than smoking because it does not produce any toxic tar or carbon monoxide. Similarly, vaping is also safer than large alcohol consumption as it does not harm the liver or cause any hangover.

You can liven up the party by organizing Vape games such as “Vape Cloud competition” and “Truth or Vape.” In a “Vape Cloud competition”, players can take turns to use vape kits to create vape clouds of varying shapes and designs, and the most creative one wins. In a “Truth or Vape” game, you can ask guessing questions, and if you guess correctly, the other person will have to vape. To try these awesome games, you can pre-order multiple vape kits online.

A Gastronomic Idea:

An Oxford University research says that eating together increases social bonding and uplifts emotions. So why not implement food ideas for your next party. To rev up the party’s mood, you can ask attendees to bring their hand-made delicacies and organize a potluck at your place. 

Alternatively, you could also organize a MasterChef type competition at your kitchen where you can all cook a celebrity recipe together. Imagine the uproar, the confusion, and the mess that it would create in your kitchen. But all of that is worth it, given the joy of cooking and eating together. It will imprint ever-lasting memories in the minds of all those who attend your party.

Party Outside The Walls:

The renowned Nature magazine points out that spending at least 2 hours a week in nature improves your health and well-being. Many of us spend our entire week in closed offices, and when it comes to weekend parties, we choose pubs or bars inside our homes. You can add a healthy yet happening twist to your next party by conducting it outdoors. There are several ways of organizing an outdoor party.

You can have a night-time party by making a bonfire and hanging around it with your friends. If it is a daytime party, nothing beats an old-fashioned picnic on a bright sunny spring day. You can also use strings of incandescent bulbs and light up your backyard to give a bohemian feeling of a backyard carnival. To add spice to it, introduce some retro music in your backyard, and voila, you will bring nostalgic memories back from your childhood. Another cool idea can be to host the party at an outdoor theatre watching your gang’s favorite movie under the starlit night sky.


Playing with Fashion and Apparel:

A themed fashion party never gets old. Try to find out a common theme in your circle. For example, if all members of your gang are Game of Thrones (GoT) fans, organize a GoT-themed party where all have to come dressed as one of the GoT characters. You can even have a random draw to decide who will represent which character. Everyone has to dress up and act like a character from Game of Thrones throughout the party. 

Another interesting clothing idea can be exchanging clothes at parties. You can ask everyone to bring their old clothes in a clean condition. Everyone lays their spare garments out at the party, and interested people can try them out and if they like it can exchange the clothes with their piece of clothing. It’s a great way to acquire new fashion styles as well as recycle clothing.


Music, Dance, and Movie Games:

Everyone loves to talk about or sing through their favorite movies or music. You can turn your next party into a musical night. Keep some musical instruments in the living room or in an accessible area and let the musicians in your party get loose. Soon you will be observing a jam session building up. 

For the ones that do not play an instrument, you could keep the floor ready with a karaoke mic and some hip music on so people can sing karaoke and groove along with it. Movie buffs can have fun by playing charades where a person will have to act out the movie name silently, and the other person or the team will have to guess the movie. Spice up the charades by bringing in vaping for wrong guesses.

Conclusion:

To summarize, there are zillions of ways to make your next party awesome. The above are some of the coolest ways that you can easily try out at your next party.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/using-e-cigarettes-to-stop-smoking/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3

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What Does Being a Shareholder of a Company Mean?

On buying a company’s stock, you become part of the owner of such a company, which is commonly called a shareholder. However, you will not be charged with the burden of managing the daily operation of such a business. You become a shareholder, which entitles you to series of benefits. 

Companies (for-profit companies and publicly traded companies) generally raise money by offering shares to investors. Such investors become part of the owners of a company. Any share you buy from a company through the IPO (initial public offering) will have the funds transferred to the firm directly. 

Funds that come from offering shares to people are directed to funding the business. Anyone who buys the share, called the shareholder, can be part of the company’s owners for as long as they want. However, the value of one’s investment is a factor of the company’s success. As expected, the stock price may rise or fall due to many factors. However, you will have a higher share with a successful company, while a struggling company might make your share decline. 

Who is a Shareholder?

When a single shareholder holds more than half of the shares of a company, such is called a majority shareholder. On the other hand, a minority shareholder controls less than 50% of a company’s stock. 

The majority shareholders, in many cases, are the founders of a company. For old companies, such majority shareholders are usually descendants or offspring of the founders. Since they control more than half of the voting interest of the company, they have the power to influence critical operational decisions of the company, like choosing board members and directors, senior personnel, and chief executive officers. As a result, companies most times do not like allowing majority shareholders to be an external party.

Also, corporate shareholders in a company are not responsible for the debt and other financial obligations on a company as applicable in sole proprietorship or partnership.

Rights of a Shareholder

There are some rights that you automatically become eligible for when you purchase the shares of a company. Such requests are usually stated in the charters of the corporations and the bylaws.

The rights that shareholders enjoy might differ from one company to the other. As a result, the rights of a shareholder in a privately held company will vary significantly from that of a publicly-traded company. If you are wondering what do shareholders mean? The next section explores the right of a shareholder.  

Photo by fauxels from Pexels

Basic Rights of a Cooperate Shareholders are

  • The right to have access to company records
  • The right to sue the company due to misconduct of directors and officers
  • Right to access a part of the liquidated asset of the company
  • Right to vote on essential company decisions, including deciding on a merger or appointing boards of directors 
  • Entitlement to company dividends
  • Right to be part of annual company meetings, either in person or through conference calls.

Defining the right of shareholders is a duty of each company, which will be included in the company’s governing document like the Article of Incorporation

 Each member’s share has a nominal value which stands for the value of money that they can contribute to a company’s debt. This is the value that a shareholder is liable to pay when the company gets into financial difficulty. 

Typically, most shareholders pay for their share once they get it or transfer it to them. In cases like this, the shareholder is removed from any financial obligation to the firm. In instances where the nominal value is unpaid, such value must be paid when requested. 

Qualification for a Shareholder

There is no restriction or qualification to become a shareholder. The opportunity is opened to anyone based on the Companies Act 2006. Also, there is no restriction on age, location, and gender. Many times, company directors are usually shareholders as well.

At times, shareholders could be individual people. However, it is typical for shared to be issued to other firms or corporate bodies. This is common when there is a parent company that has a subsidiary. 

One might wonder, is there any restriction on the number of shareholders a company can have? While there is no maximum cap for the number of shares possible, except specified in the shareholder’s general agreement, the minimum shareholder is one.

Comparing the Shares of Public Company to a Private Company 

Small corporations hardly sell their shares publicly. Those companies have a small group of shareholders, making them closely held. Generally, such shareholders have a preexisting relationship and might even be related. 

This is, however, different from the manner and approach of the shares of a public company. Often, they have a vast pool of shareholders that can run into millions. 

For a private company or a closely held group, the shareholders are usually pretty involved in the company’s running. As expected, this is not the case for a public company as shareholders will only be allowed to vote during general meetings of the firm. 

Also, the security and Exchange Commission usually foresee the operation of a publicly traded company while it is not so with a private company. 
https://www.vedantu.com/commerce/how-to-become-a-shareholder

https://www.commsec.com.au/education/learn/choosing-investments/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-shareholder.html

https://www6.royalbank.com/en/di/hubs/investing-academy/article/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-shareholder/jk0dlkvw

https://www.upcounsel.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-shareholder

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/shareholder.asp

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