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Expert explores China for unknown reptiles

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‘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

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In Turfan, Xinjiang, China’s first commercially operated microgrid has generated nearly 100 million kWh of electricity

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November 15, 2024

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TURFAN, China, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On November 13, the Turfan New Energy City Microgrid Demonstration Project, China’s first commercially operated microgrid demonstration project, generated nearly 100 million kWh of electricity, equivalent to saving 29,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 77,600 tons.

A microgrid refers to a small-scale power generation and distribution system organized by distributed power sources, power loads, distribution facilities, monitoring and protection devices, etc., which can realize flexible control and autonomous management. Since the end of 2013, the project had been the largest and most comprehensive solar energy utilization and building integration project in China up to that time, with 8.7 MW of photovoltaic power installed on the roofs of 223 residential buildings, generating an annual power capacity of about 10 million kWh.

To promote the physical operation of the project, the State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company invested more than 2 million yuan to cooperate in the construction of microgrid infrastructure, fully supporting the online operation of surplus new energy power generation, promoting the comprehensive utilization of renewable resources in urban buildings, and helping Turfan build a high-quality development demonstration area and a green and low-carbon pilot area.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/in-turfan-xinjiang-chinas-first-commercially-operated-microgrid-has-generated-nearly-100-million-kwh-of-electricity-302306810.html

SOURCE State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company

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Innovations in Guiyang: Adhering to New Industrialization and Promoting High-End, Intelligent and Green Manufacturing

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November 15, 2024

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GUIYANG, China, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A report by Huanqiu.com

The wave of new industrialization in Guiyang is driving the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry in ways like never before. Guiyang is always strategically oriented toward “industrial structure optimization with a focus on industries”, and has made all efforts to develop “four major industrial bases”, highlighting its industrial economy as the “primary driving force” behind development. Especially relying on its policy edge in renewable energy, Guiyang has rapidly emerged as a national new-energy power battery and materials research, development and production center, injecting strong momentum into the city’s economy.

In October 2023, the CATL (Guizhou) New Energy Power and Energy Storage Battery Production Base, located in Gui’an New Area, Guizhou Province, was put into production. The first phase of the base boasts cutting-edge design standards, characterized by “lighthouse + zero carbon factory”. The high-standard facility employs advanced, high-speed, highly automated, and flexible production lines. It is designed to have an annual production capacity of 30 GWh. After the base achieves the designed production capacity, its annual output value is expected to reach 15 billion yuan. According to statistics, the base realized an industrial output value of 618 million yuan in the first half of 2024, and the year’s industrial output value is expected at about 2 billion yuan.

The Chery (Guizhou) industrial base has also yielded unusually brilliant results in the field of new energy vehicles (NEVs), where Chery Automobile’s self-developed “CHEVOO” new-generation light truck KL71 project is undergoing four-pillar car road tests. The advanced pressing, welding, painting and assembly lines, as well as the R&D lab and the all-electric truck production line, together constitute this “digital intelligent” NEV factory. Moreover, the Chery (Guizhou) industrial base has built, extended and strengthened its vehicle manufacturing industry chain so as to master key parts supply chains and reduce development costs.

The Gui’an FinDreams battery project, as an important move of BYD in Guiyang, is also showing its strength in power batteries for NEVs. FinDreams Battery Co., Ltd. at Longshan Industrial Park in Gui’an New Area has four automatic production lines that are operating at high speeds in the workshop, which produce “blade batteries” which are well-known both in and out of the industry. According to reports, 300 battery packs and 40,000 cells can be produced per day.

Guiyang’s “four bases” – a new energy vehicles and battery materials production base, a resource deep-processing base, a computing power assurance base, and an industrial backup base, contribute greatly to the development of NEV and battery materials industry, electronic information manufacturing industry, and advanced equipment manufacturing industry, etc. Data show that in the first three quarters, the added value of Guiyang’s industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 11%, and the contribution of industrial economy to economic growth reached 39.4%.

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Premialab appointed by Lombard Odier Investment Managers to scale Quantitative Investment Strategies

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November 15, 2024

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Premialab’s technology chosen to enhance QIS scaling, operational efficiency, and risk management.

PARIS, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), the institutional asset management business of the Lombard Odier Group, has integrated Premialab‘s industry-leading technology to support the management of their soon-to-be-launched DOM Global Macro strategy. This partnership underscores LOIM’s commitment to onboard innovative strategies in an evolving market landscape.

“Our decision to partner with Premialab is driven by their comprehensive risk management and regulatory compliance expertise,” said Didier Anthamatten, Portfolio Manager at LOIM. “With a strong track record in alternative investments, LOIM remains focused on delivering innovative investment solutions and high-quality returns for our clients. Premialab’s advanced data capabilities are essential in helping us maintain our rigorous standards and provide robust, risk-adjusted performance. Additionally, their platform perfectly matches the DOM Global Macro strategy’s needs, enhancing our risk monitoring capabilities and streamlining portfolio management.”

The DOM Global Macro strategy expects to leverage Premialab’s unique dataset. The full lookthrough across all DOM’s proprietary systematic strategies allows granular risk decomposition and scenario-based analysis at the entire portfolio level. This should help monitoring exposures’ attractiveness, from both time-series and cross-sectional perspectives, and optimizing asset allocation.

Neil Richards, Head of EMEA Business Development at Premialab, said the collaboration with LOIM is a significant addition to Premialab’s growing business in Switzerland and within the wider European markets.

“Institutions such as LOIM, which oversees a substantial portfolio across various asset classes, need continuous monitoring and adjustment to keep their investments on track,” he explained. “Premialab provides the tools for benchmarking and stress testing their systematic investments, ensuring that LOIM’s mandates are effectively managed in terms of cost, risk, and value.”

Premialab CEO Adrien Géliot highlighted that the QIS sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by institutional investors seeking liquid, transparent, and cost-efficient investment strategies. “Premialab sits at the centre of the QIS landscape, uniquely positioned to aggregate and make sense of the vast and growing universe of data,” he stated. “We are thrilled to be partnering with LOIM to deliver our unique data and risk monitoring capabilities to one of the top global investment firms.”

Premialab’s multi-asset, multi-region platform handles 10 million data points daily. It analyzes over 5,000 investible systematic strategies, with client assets under management totalling approximately USD $20 trillion. Combining the Premialab platform with Premialab Pure Factors®, it provides comprehensive cross-asset quantitative strategy selection and thorough due diligence on strategies available worldwide. Additionally, the platform enhances risk management and reporting capabilities, including expedited and detailed regulatory reporting.

With its unique combination of systematic strategies and discretionary trading, the DOM Global Macro strategy clearly benefits from Premialab’s state-of-the art data analysis capabilities and computational efficiency. The Portfolio and Risk Managers can thus use a shared dataset for risk analysis and performance decomposition, enhancing the portfolio’s robustness and operational efficiency.

About Premialab
Premialab is the leading independent platform that collaborates with leading investment banks and institutional investors globally, providing data, analytics, and risk solutions for systematic, factor, and multi-asset strategies. With offices in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai and Sydney, the company has forged strong partnerships with the top 18 investment banks, asset managers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies globally.

About Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM)
Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM) is the institutional asset management business of the Lombard Odier Group, wholly owned and funded by its partners since its establishment in 1796.

We provide a range of investment solutions to a diverse group of long-term oriented clients. Our heritage, and our combination of the best of conservatism and innovation, keeps us well positioned to create lasting value for our clients. Our investment capabilities span fixed income, convertible bonds, equities, multi-asset, and alternatives. Sustainability is central to our investment philosophy; we believe it is the founding principle of long-term economic and investment outcomes and will drive returns over the long term.

With over 200 investment professionals, we are a global business with a network of 13 offices across Europe, Asia and North America and have assets under management of CHF 64 billion (as at 31 September 2024).

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/de/pressemitteilungen/premialab-appointed-by-lombard-odier-investment-managers-to-scale-quantitative-investment-strategies-302306411.html

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