UBER I.P.O.

     Uber ride share is popular.  Soon, you will be able to invest and become popular, too.  Become part of an IPO.

     IPOs are the very first sales of stocks issued by a company to the public.

     Uber was founded, and has been private since 2009.  Uber has been funded via the founders, friends, and professional investors. Early investors, venture capitalists, and angel investors.  An IPO will provide an opportunity for the taxi service to expose itself to public stock trading.

     Uber- "What did you say?"

     Open up your app. Become a rider.  From a rider perspective, Uber is an inexpensive rideshare service.  Modern day convenience lends you to private driver services toward your destination of choice. A nearby driver arrives to pick you up within minutes. The entire transaction is convenient and online.

     Wash your car.  Go online.  From a driver perspective-

     Uber is the rideshare service which enables you to be your own boss.  It provides exceptional pay, and tips are a plus.  UBER.COM

     Uber would prefer to go public in a positive, stable market. CRUNCHBASE.COM

     Uber completely scheduled its IPO. Tech stocks have consistently climaxed toward their expectations.  Uber is in line and getting ready to ride the stock-roller-coaster. 

     The company is reportedly planning on going public in the second half of the year. What can we expect from an Uber IPO?  Details are exiguous.  The ridesharing company could go public on a $120 billion valuation.

     IPO Valuation-

     An IPO valuation is based on income, book value of equity, sales, research/development, industry price-to-sales ratios, inside retention, investment banker prestige, and price-to-earnings ratios.  CORPORATEFINANCEINSTITUTION.COM

     These are steps a company must undertake to go public via an IPO process:

Select a bank

Due diligence and filings

Pricing

Stabilization

Transition

     Critics have have accepted Uber as is, but the net worth, founded through a variety of valuations from around the cyber world, has not been.  FORBES.COM

     Ridesharing company Uber is one of the world's most valuable startups.  It's driven by soaring revenue growth and expansion.  Untapped expansions into new markets.

     In one analysis,  Uber's value was estimated to be $120 billion.  $120 billion was gauged using key revenue tactics, including:

Monthly Active Riders (No. of riders who request a ride at least once a month)

Number of Rides Per User (Annual)

Gross Revenue Per Ride (Total fare per ride in driver, before Uber )

Net Revenues ( Revenues recognized by Uber after driver earnings, incentives, promos, refunds)

     Uber’s monthly active riders base grew from 50 million in 2016 to 75 million in 2017, with the number of rides called by each rider also trending higher. We expect monthly active rider growth to remain strong in 2018, as Uber doubles down on emerging markets, taking total rides delivered to around 5.25 billion for 2018 and over 6 billion in 2019. The bull case assumes that monthly active riders over 2019 will rise to 125 million, with the number of rides per rider growing to 60.

     We expect the company’s gross revenue per ride, which is the total value of the rides billed to customers before Uber takes its share, to remain at levels of around $9 over 2018 and 2019. We forecast its total gross revenue – which is total rides multiplied by gross revenue per ride – to rise to $47 billion and $56 billion, respectively, in 2018 and 2019. Our bull case assumes that gross revenue per rider rises to $10.

     Uber’s net revenue, which is the share that the company takes from gross revenues, declined in 2017. However, the company has been cutting back on driver incentives and the promotions it offers to customers, as it looks to improve its net revenues. We expect the company’s take rate to rise to 23.5% in 2018 and 25% in 2019, translating into net revenue of about $11 billion in 2018 and $14 billion in 2019. Our bull case assumes that the company’s share of revenue rises to 30% in 2019. 

     Investing in IPOs is a good idea.  To invest in every single IPO is not. After all, the course of every single IPO is different. Initial Public Offerings present a convenient platform. This is an opportunity to team up with Uber.  Make an entry into the market with rates at low level.

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Q: Why did the can crusher quit his job?

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Cancer research update

     Cancer research is a field based solely upon the eradication of the lethal disease that has plagued humanity.  Scientists have to discover techniques to manage cancerous gene changes.  Those mutated messages can cause cells to evade normal growth controls and become cancer.

     Some recent movements in the world of cancer research include:

          Immunotherapy-

checkpoint inhibitors

monoclonal antibodies

adoptive cell transfer

immune system modulator

cancer vaccinnes

          Gene based treatments -

Diagnose the cancer

Predict your outcome

Determine which drug or other treatment will work best on the cancer

See how well the treatment is working

https://www.webmd.com/

     Currently, the more effective between the two could argueably be immunotherapy.  It is also called biological therapy.  It is defined as a cancer treatment that raises cancer immunity utilizing substances made in vitro. 

          Immunotherapy works by:

Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells

Stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body

Helping the immune system work better at destroying cancer cells

          Recent cancer research abstract- 

"Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is an immune inhibitory receptor, with major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) as a canonical ligand. However, it remains controversial whether MHC-II is solely responsible for the inhibitory function of LAG-3. Here, we demonstrate that fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1), a liver-secreted protein, is a major LAG-3 functional ligand independent from MHC-II. FGL1 inhibits antigen-specific T cell activation, and ablation of FGL1 in mice promotes T cell immunity. Blockade of the FGL1-LAG-3 interaction by monoclonal antibodies stimulates tumor immunity and is therapeutic against established mouse tumors in a receptor-ligand inter-dependent manner. FGL1 is highly produced by human cancer cells, and elevated FGL1 in the plasma of cancer patients is associated with a poor prognosis and resistance to anti-PD-1/B7-H1 therapy. Our findings reveal an immune evasion mechanism and have implications for the design of cancer immunotherapy."(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30580966/)

     These findings could be an effective template for another successful basis of cancer combative immunotheraphy.

     Cancer  Research scientists are studying new treatments based on gene changes in cancer cells. These studies could lead to even more targeted immunotherapies and gene therapies in the future.

End of 2018 Low Gas Prices

     Oil prices continued to fall Friday, November 23, amid weaker global demand and increased output in the United States, to the lowest price in 2018.  The cost of a barrel of oil dropped below $60, a decrease of more than 20 percent from its peak last month.

2018 AVERAGE MONTHLY GAS PRICES-

October $2.39 - $2.68, $2.54

November $2.38 - $2.65, $2.52

December $2.35 - $2.62, $2.49

2018 U.S. Average $2.57

(Gasbuddy.com)

     President Trump has credited Saudi Arabia with the falling oil prices.  Saudi Arabia is furnishing the United States with shipments of Aramco/Total produced gasoline.

     The drop in prices has raised concerns about the international economy, as well as domestic growth in the United States. "The real economic growth rate measures economic growth in relation to gross domestic product (GDP).  From one period to another the growth rate adjusted for inflation. Alternatively, it is expressed in real terms as opposed to nominal terms (Investopedia.com)."

     Ingredients to decrease oil prices:

-High production output in Saudi Arabia.

-Record U.S. oil output.

-Exemptions from U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil.

-Slow global growth.

-Stock market decline.

-Trade tensions.

     Prices fell at the pumps, $2.80 to $2.60 on Friday. Drivers of midsize cars are saving about $3 each time they fill up their tanks.

     The U.S. became the largest global crude oil producer earlier this year via the fracking boom and other drilling innovations.

The Cloud-Gaming Battle is on the Horizon, and Sony has its Game Face On

https://youtu.be/8irW7iNSPU8

Pumpkins and Beta-carotene

     Pumpkin is a tasty fruit.  It's a fruit because it has seeds.  Pumpkins are orange.  When made to be an ingredient, the food will be tinted orange.  There are numerous ways to partake of the delicious gourd. Choose one, and enjoy it for all of the benefits it gives.

     Pumpkins and pumpkins' seeds simultaneously supplement healthy diets.  Pumpkin pulp is a superb source of Beta-carotene. 

     Beta-Carotene Molecular Formula: C40H56

     Carotenoids are red, orange, and yellow pigments.  Beta-carotene is a carotenoid.  Incidentally, Beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is derived from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

     Biosynthesis of carotenoids-

     The pathway begins with three molecules of acetyl CoA.  Those three acetyl CoA molecules plus mevalonic acid, synthesize isopentanyl pyrophosphate(IPP).  In the succeeding step of the pathway, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate(GGPP) is produced by the condensation of dimethyl allyl pyrophosphate(DMAPP) with a molecule of isopentanyl pyrophosphate(IPP).  It is followed by the addition of two IPP units using GGPP synthase.  A two molecule reaction between  GGPP yields phytoene. The phytoene enzyme is faithful in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. The first C40 hydrocarbon, an important intermediate of phytoene, undergoes a series of desaturation reactions resulting in the formation of zeta-carotene(2-carotene) and lycopene.  Four desaturase reactions are catalysed by two related enzymes: phytoene desaturase(PDS) and 2-zeta-carotene desaturases (ZDS). The enzyme introduces double bonds in the phytoene. Lycopene has a pink color. The products yield carotene with two types of rings, B and E rings.  B rings yield beta- carotene, and E rings yield alpha-carotene.  The pathway branches at this point. The enzyme lycopene-beta-cyclases are responsible for cyclization of lycopene.  Two beta-rings are introduced at the ends of the linear lycopene molecule. 

     Beta-carotene uses:

     Decreases (exercise-induced) asthma.  It also prevents certain cancers, age related macular degeneration(AMD), treats AIDS,  alcoholism, Alzheimer's, alcoholism, disease, depression, epilepsy,  headache, heartburn, high blood pressure, infertility, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, and skin disorders(psoriasis and vitiligo).

     Beta-carotene is used to treat malnourished women by reducing the chance of death and night blindness during pregnancy. The treatment is also aimed toward stopping diarrhea and fever after giving birth.

     Some people who sunburn easily, including those with an inherited disease called erthyropoietic protoporphyria(EPP), use beta-carotene to reduce the risk of sunburn.

     There are many authorities – including the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the World Cancer Research Institute in association with the American Institute for Cancer Research, and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer – that recommend getting beta-carotene and other antioxidants from food instead of supplements. Eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily provides 6-8 mg of beta-carotene.

     Pumpkin can be prepared in a wide array of scrumptious ways. For example: Protein Pumpkin Pie with Whey Protein Recipe (https://www.gnc.com/health-articles-tips/recipes/protein-pumpkin-pie.html):

2 (9-inch) deep-dish, unbaked pie crusts

5 eggs

2 ½ cups canned pumpkin

6 scoops- GNC performance Whey

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans fat-free evaporated milk

     Light whipped cream (optional)

     The pie should be placed on bake, and allowed to cool. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

     Pumpkin is a healthy source of vitamins and nutrients.  It is packed with Beta-carotene.

Election Promises

      Since the current president has taken office, the news hasn't ceased to place him directly in the headlines.  We, the people, have been relentlessly reminded of his long list of election promises.

     An election promise or campaign promise is a guarantee, made to the public, by a candidate that is trying to win an election.

     Scrutinizing campaign declarations provides us with the fact that candidates make increasing numbers of promises to constituents.  Americans don't believe that candidates will follow through on their promises.  Regardless of public perception, election promises function to spark an interest in that specific candidate.  These campaign declarations will accomplish similar if not the same goals, upon election day.

          "In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debates in American history. The Kennedy-Nixon debates not only had a major impact on the election’s outcome, but ushered in a new era in which crafting a public image and taking advantage of media exposure became essential ingredients of a successful political campaign (https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/kennedy-nixon-debates)."

         
     It is common knowledge that President Nixon, number 37, was virtually impeached after the Watergate Scandal.  He pre-impeachment-resigned in 1974. Election promises became a major staple on politician plates pre-apropos presidency.
    
     A plethora of promises have been made by smiling men, climbing the ladder leaning on the position of Commander-in-Chief.

     Examples:

     President Gerald Ford, number 38- in 1974, when it became clear that Nixon would face criminal charges for his role in the Watergate Scandal and three articles of impeachment had been passed by the House Judiciary Committee, Nixon resigned.  It was August 9. On that day, Ford took the oath of office and became president, stating, “Our long national nightmare is over."  Gerald Ford pledged to continue Nixon's foreign policy.  He also promised to work to reduce inflation. One month later, President Ford issued a complete pardon to Nixon for all criminal acts perpetrated while he was President.

     President Jimmy Carter, number 39- in 1976, Jimmy was probably the lowest on the totem pole. However, in a time of deep frustration with establishment politicians, Carter's anonymity proved to be an advantage. He campaigned on: reducing government waste, balancing the budget and increasing government assistance to the poor. However, Jimmy Carter won on status and integrity. "I'll never tell a lie," Carter famously declared. "I'll never avoid a controversial issue." "A Leader, For a Change."

     President Ronald Reagan, number 40- in 1980, Reagan chose Bush as his running mate, and promised steep tax cuts, increased defense spending, a balanced budget, and a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

      President George H.W. Bush, number 41- as Vice President, Bush had responsibility in several domestic areas, including Federal deregulation and anti-drug programs. In 1988 Bush won the Republican nomination for President and, with Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, he defeated Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the general election.  He pledged to round out some of the harsher edges of the previous administration, stating that he wanted "a kinder and gentler nation." And famously, he promised not to raise taxes: "Read my lips: no new taxes."

     President Bill Clinton, number 42-1992, facing incumbent President Clinton and his running mate, Tennessee Sen. Al got that 12 years of Republican leadership had led to political and economic stagnation.  Clinton had promised during the campaign to institute a system of universal health insurances, and to balance the budget.

     President George W. Bush Jr., Number 43- as gov. he implemented the philosophy of "compassionate conservatism," which combined limited government with concern for the underprivileged and personal responsibility.  He promised big tax cuts, new medical-drug benefits for the elderly, a major overhaul of Social Security, and commitment to public education.

     President Barack Obama, number 44- pledged and promised to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He promised to deliver a public healthcare plan.

      President Donald Trump, number 45- promised to ban Muslims entering the US.   He also promised to build a wall along the border with Mexico, and make Mexico pay for it.

     Election promises that have been granted are a completely different topic.  There is a sensitive slope caused by election promises.  Campaign promises, or election promises are very important.

     Keep watching the news. Vote.