‘Doctor Snake’ from the US has discovered some 10 new species inside Hubei World Natural Heritage Site

BEIJING, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A report from China Daily

“Not venomous, it’s Elaphe carinata,” Kevin Messenger said to his companions with a smile, as a colorful king ratsnake sank its teeth into his left forearm.

The 42-year-old herpetologist from the United States, who is also a professor at the College of Life Sciences of Nanjing Forestry University, was conducting a field survey in the Shennongjia National Park in Hubei province.

“He’s not attacking, he’s defending. I attacked him,” he said calmly, clutching in his left hand the snake, which was almost as long as the height of a grown man, while one of his companions wiped away the fresh blood trickling from the wound.

Such a scene is a regular occurrence in his daily work. Over the years, Messenger has conducted scientific research in various ecological reserves in China, earning the nickname “Doctor Snake” among his colleagues.

Messenger has been fascinated by snakes since childhood. His earliest memory of a snake was at the age of 3, when his father, an emergency vet, brought home a python.

“I remember looking in the back of the truck and seeing this massive snake, and falling in love with it,” he recalled. “I just thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen.”

In May 2006, while he was finishing his undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University, Messenger noticed an online job posting that offered the chance to do a survey of reptiles and amphibians in the unexplored mountain range of Shennongjia.

He applied for the job, which was provided by a Sino-US collaborative research program, and just five days after his graduation, he flew to China and embarked on a four-month exploration of Shennongjia. “It was like a dream come true. Hiking and getting into the woods to catch reptiles and amphibians. … That is exactly doing what I love,” he said.

Messenger’s interest in China continued to grow in the following years, deciding to do field work in China for his PhD program.

In 2017, Messenger earned two PhDs, one from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and the other from Nanjing Forestry University. He then received a job offer in the US, but stayed in China to continue his research.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to continue my work in China is because the state of herpetology in China is still wide open,” he said. “You can still go out to many many different places and find new species. And the natural history of many of these species we still don’t have a full understanding of.”

During a field survey, Messenger usually spends about one week at a field station, going out multiple times a day to find and identify the reptiles and amphibians, trying to get a complete picture of their distribution.

He photographs them, sometimes collects a specimen, and occasionally does genetic work to identify their species. Following the survey, he returns to the university or home base and documents all the recordings in a database. “It is very tiring, very hard and underappreciated. But it is also very enjoyable. Every single time I see a snake, I just get super excited,” Messenger said.

Although he’s been bitten by snakes countless times, he does not blame them, believing that the majority of snakes are gentle and kind, and that biting is a form of self-defense.

In May 2012, Messenger was bitten by a venomous snake — Protobothrops jerdonii, or Jerdon’s pit viper — in Shennongjia, which left him unconscious for 30 to 40 minutes and his entire arm swollen.

He stayed in the hospital for two days, and it wasn’t until the seventh day that he was able to use chopsticks or write with his right hand.

Shennongjia is a place that Messenger holds dear, having visited the area as many as 16 times. He has discovered roughly 10 new species within this UNESCO World Heritage Site and he is currently working on what’s most likely a new species of toad.

“I’ve noticed more and more local people having an appreciation for the environment and wildlife and being more interested in doing whatever they can do to help,” he said, adding that this has further motivated him to continue his work in Shennongjia.

In June, he was appointed by the Shennongjia National Park Administration as an external expert to conduct long-term field research in the area.

As part of his work, Messenger explores new areas outside of Shennongjia to study the local flora and fauna. If these areas meet the criteria for inclusion within the protective zone, new boundaries will be drawn accordingly.

“Protecting the environment is protecting ourselves, because we belong to the environment,” he said.

In March, Messenger registered his marriage to Li Yecheng, from Anhui province, who subsequently accompanied him on his exploration of Shennongjia.

Messenger said his sister always asks their father, who has visited China and attended his wedding, when her brother will return home.

On the most recent occasion, their father told her that he sees no reason for Messenger to go back, as his support system in China is so good. “I’m hoping to stay in China for at least another 10 years, and then maybe continue for another 10 years after that,” he said.

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SOURCE China Daily

BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — OneStream, Inc. (“OneStream”) (Nasdaq: OS) announced today the pricing of the previously announced underwritten public offering of 15,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock, at a public offering price of $31.00 per share, of which 9,006,948 shares will be sold by selling stockholders and 5,993,052 shares will be sold by OneStream as part of a non-dilutive “synthetic secondary” transaction (the “Synthetic Secondary”). In addition, the underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 shares of Class A common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The public offering and the Synthetic Secondary are expected to close on November 18, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

OneStream will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders in the public offering. OneStream will use all of the net proceeds to it from the public offering to purchase LLC units of OneStream Software LLC (and purchase and cancel an equal number of shares of Class C common stock) from KKR Dream Holdings LLC in the Synthetic Secondary, at a purchase price per unit equal to the public offering price per share of Class A common stock sold in the public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions. Accordingly, OneStream will not retain any proceeds from the public offering and, upon the closing of the public offering and the Synthetic Secondary, the total number of outstanding shares of common stock of OneStream and LLC units of OneStream Software LLC will remain the same.

Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and KKR are acting as lead book-running managers for the offering. Citigroup, BofA Securities and Guggenheim Securities are acting as book-running managers and Mizuho, Raymond James, Scotiabank, Truist Securities, BTIG, Piper Sandler, TD Cowen and Wolfe | Nomura Alliance are acting as additional book-running managers for the offering. Amerivet Securities, Blaylock Van, LLC, Cabrera Capital Markets LLC, Drexel Hamilton and Loop Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was declared effective on November 14, 2024. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained from: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, New York, New York 10014, or email: prospectus@morganstanley.com; and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or email: prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com and postsalemanualrequests@broadridge.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About OneStream

OneStream is how today’s Finance teams can go beyond just reporting on the past and Take Finance Further by steering the business to the future. It’s the leading enterprise finance platform that unifies financial and operational data, embeds AI for better decisions and productivity, and empowers the CFO to become a critical driver of business strategy and execution.

We deliver a comprehensive cloud-based platform to modernize the Office of the CFO. Our Digital Finance Cloud unifies core financial and broader operational data and processes and embeds AI for better planning and forecasting, with an extensible architecture, so customers can adopt and develop new solutions, achieving greater value as their business needs evolve.

With over 1,500 customers, including 15% of the Fortune 500, more than 250 go-to-market, implementation, and development partners and over 1,400 employees, our vision is to be the operating system for modern finance.

Disclaimer

“Wolfe | Nomura Alliance” is the marketing name used by Wolfe Research Securities and Nomura Securities International, Inc. in connection with certain equity capital markets activities conducted jointly by the firms. Both Nomura Securities International, Inc. and WR Securities, LLC are serving as underwriters in the offering described herein. In addition, WR Securities, LLC and certain of its affiliates may provide sales support services, investor feedback, investor education, and/or other independent equity research services in connection with this offering.

Investor Relations Contacts

INVESTOR CONTACT

Anne Leschin
VP, Investor Relations and Strategic Finance
OneStream
investors@onestreamsoftware.com

MEDIA CONTACT

Victoria Borges
Media Relations Contact
OneStream
media@onestreamsoftware.com

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SOURCE OneStream, Inc.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Black Friday is just around the corner, enjoy early Black Friday security camera deals to enhance home security sooner. Reolink, an innovative leader in intelligent visual technology for the home, is offering diverse range of security cameras, enabling consumers to keep a vigilant eye on their home’s safety.

From now to November 18th, visit the Reolink website and its Amazon store to get the industry-leading 4K continuous recording battery camera Altas PT Ultra, 4K 180° color night vision battery camera Argus 4 Pro, 2K Dual-Band Wi-Fi Battery Doorbell, along with Argus 3 Pro and E1 Zoom.

Reolink Altas PT Ultra with Solar Panel (Save 31%, now $249.99)

Altas PT Ultra is an industry-leading 4K pan & tilt battery camera that offers continuous recording with a blindspot-free view. Equipped with a powerful 20000mAh battery, it can deliver a 96-hour 4K continuous recording on a single charge. The ColorX technology delivers day&night true-color vision without the needs of spotlights or infrared lights. Originally $359.99, it’s $249.99 during the sale, offering a significant 31% discount.

Reolink Argus 4 Pro with Solar Panel (Save 30%, now $229.99)

Argus 4 Pro is the world’s first 4K battery-powered camera with ColorX Night Vision and dual image stitching technology, providing a 180° blindspot-free view. Its battery life is 30% longer than the average battery-powered cameras in the market, reducing the frequency of charging. Originally $329.99, it’s $229.99 during the sale, offering a remarkable 30% discount.

Reolink Battery Doorbell (Save 30%, now $153.99)

Battery Doorbell features 2K/4MP resolution and captures a full head-to-toe view with no subscription fees. It can run on battery power or be hardwired for consistent operation, offering flexible installation and power supply solutions. Battery Doorbell can support Reolink Home Hub for local storage of video recordings and centralized management of cameras. Originally $219.99, it’s $153.99 during the sale, offering an amazing 30% discount.

Black Friday may be on the horizon, but from today until November 18th, customers can dive into early Reolink Black Friday sales. From now until November 18th, customers can purchase coupons for just a few dollars on the Reolink website. These coupons can be combined with Reolink Black Friday discounts and redeemed for up to $40 from Nov. 19 to Dec. 2. Visit Reolink website and its Amazon store to score the best security camera deals.

About Reolink

Reolink offers smart security solutions for homes and businesses, aiming for a seamless security experience with its wide range of products. Serving millions globally, it provides video surveillance and protection, standing out for its commitment to security technology innovation.

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SOURCE Reolink Innovation Inc.