US man guilty of killing 8 in mobile home
Brunswick (Georgia): A man was convicted on Saturday of killing his father and seven extended family members in a mobile home they all shared, though prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.
Guy Heinze Jr., 26, was found guilty of eight counts of malice murder. But the judge in the case said shortly after the verdict was announced that prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty after a juror was dismissed earlier on Saturday.
Police charged Heinze with the killings six days after he reported finding the bodies to police. In a frantic call to police he cried: “My whole family is dead!” Heinze’s younger brother, Tyler Heinze, started crying and was escorted from the courtroom after the verdict was read, yelling expletives as he left.
Prosecutors said Heinze had been smoking crack cocaine when he attacked his father and the others as they slept. Police found the victims scattered between five rooms of the cramped mobile home. Autopsies showed they suffered more than 220 wounds combined and each died from skull and brain injuries. No murder weapon was found, but police suspect they were beaten with a shotgun barrel. Heinze’s defense team argued one person couldn’t have slain so many people without anyone escaping. (AP)
Need different types of tissue? Just print them!
Berlin: Scientists have successfully developed suitable ‘bio-inks’ for production of artificial tissues. The transparent liquids consist of components from the natural tissue matrix and living cells.
The substance is based on a well known biological material: gelatin. Gelatin is derived from collagen, the main constituent of native tissue.
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart have chemically modified the gelling behaviour of the gelatin to adapt the biological molecules for printing. Instead of gelling like unmodified gelatin, the bio-inks remain fluid during printing.
Only after they are irradiated with UV light, they crosslink and cure to form hydrogels. These are polymers containing a huge amount of water (just like native tissue), but which are stable in aqueous environments and when being warmed up to physiological 37 degrees Celsius.
The researchers can control the chemical modification of the biological molecules so that the resulting gels have differing strengths and swelling characteristics. The properties of natural tissue can therefore be imitated – from solid cartilage to soft adipose tissue. In Stuttgart synthetic raw materials are printed as well that can serve as substitutes for the extracellular matrix. For example a system that cures to a hydrogel devoid of by-products, and can be immediately populated with genuine cells.
“We are concentrating at the moment on the ‘natural’ variant. That way we remain very close to the original material.
Even if the potential for synthetic hydrogels is big, we still need to learn a fair amount about the interactions between the artificial substances and cells or natural tissue,” said Dr Kirsten Borchers.
“Our biomolecule-based variants provide the cells with a natural environment instead, and therefore can promote the self-organising behaviour of the printed cells to form a functional tissue model,” said Borchers. (PTI)
Prince William vows son Prince George will be Aston Villa supporter
London: Prince William has marked the 150-year anniversary of The Football Association with a message to football fans saying that Prince George will be an Aston Villa supporter.
According to The Daily Express, the Duke of Cambridge recorded a video in which he revealed that when Villa will thrash Manchester United at Villa Park, his son would be there. In the video to mark the occasion, the Duke of Cambridge talked passionately about his love for the game and his pride in being President of The FA, the report said.
In July, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt insisted that the Duke can”t raise Prince George as an Aston Villa supporter and told him to pick ”a winning team” instead, the report added. The FA is the not-for-profit organisation that governs the body of football in England, according to the report. (ANI)
‘World’s most efficient car’ Volkswagen XL1 debuts in Beijing
Beijing: Volkswagen XL1 hybrid car, the world’s first 1-liter vehicle, has made its debut in Beijing.
The vehicle, dubbed ‘the world’s most efficient car’, consumes only 0.9 liter of fuel when traveling 100 kilometers.
To achieve such high efficiency, VW has followed three main ideas: making cars that are light, aerodynamic and that have a low center of gravity.
The car weighs just 1,753 pounds by using carbon fiber polymers, magnesium, ceramics and aluminum in its various parts.
It””s small as well, measuring just 153.1 inches in length, and 65.6 inches across and 45.5 inches from ground to roof.
The car has a sleek, aerodynamic look, the back wheels are covered and mirrors on the doors are digital cameras instead of the wind grabbing old-school variety, the body is also tapered, Physorg reports.
VW has given operators several options when driving the vehicle—it can be run as an all-electric, all-gasoline, or as a hybrid.
During the ””experience day for new energy cars”” held by Volkswagen Group China, the plug-in diesel hybrid car was shown off to the news media and visitors. (ANI)
It is said that only 250 units will be produced for sale across the world. (ANI)
Zambian leader pardons 500 prisoners
Lusaka: Zambian President Michael Sata has pardoned 500 prisoners as part of the African country’s 49th independence anniversary commemoration, a media report here said Friday.
The prisoners, who were serving sentences for various offences, have been released from prison according to a remission of sentences order issued by the head of the public service, Ronald Msiska, Xinhua reported.
The prisoners have been released from all the country’s 10 provinces. The Zambian leader ordered that they be released forthwith.
On Thursday, Zambia commemorated 49 years of independence from Britain and various activities were conducted.
This year’s independence commemoration was held under the theme of Commemorating God’s Favour of Zambia’s 50 years of Independence for continued peace, unity, democracy, patriotism and prosperity. (ANI)