PDC

PDC may refer to:

In science and technology

Chemistry and biology

Computing

Phosducin

Phosducin, also known as PDC, is a human protein and gene. It belongs to phosducin family of proteins.

This gene encodes a phosphoprotein, which is located in the outer and inner segments of the rod cells in the retina. This protein may participate in the regulation of visual phototransduction or in the integration of photoreceptor metabolism. It modulates the phototransduction cascade by interacting with the beta and gamma subunits of the retinal G-protein transducin. By associating with these subunits only, the Transducin alpha subunit will remain active for longer. This will increase the amount of time of visual excitation.

This gene is a potential candidate gene for retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome type II. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified.

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PDC (gang)

The PDC (formerly Peel Dem Crew, now Poverty Driven Children) was a street gang based out of the Angell Town housing estate in Brixton, London and is now a music label. Founded by Elijah Kerr, street name Ja-Ja, the gang was originally drawn out of membership of another Brixton crew, the 28s, and engaged in robberies of local businesses as well as drug dealing and firearms, taking control of the Angell Town estate.

Following Ja-Ja's release from prison, he encouraged members of the gang to do more positive things with their lives and start up a music label instead. They released an album, Pray Days Change, and several music videos.

A faction of the PDC meanwhile broke off and converted to Islam in search of an identity while still continuing to engage in crime. This group, known as the 'Muslim Boys', caused something of a stir in the media for their lurid mix of gangsterism and religion and were said to engage in forced conversions at gunpoint.

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Belgium

Coordinates: 50°50′N 4°00′E / 50.833°N 4.000°E / 50.833; 4.000

Belgium (ⁱ/ˈbɛldʒəm/; Dutch: België  [ˈbɛlɣijə]; French: Belgique  [bɛlʒik]; German: Belgien  [ˈbɛlɡiən]), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts several of the EU's official seats and as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of about 11 million people.

Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community, which constitutes about 59% of the population, and the French-speaking, mostly Walloon population, which comprises 41% of all Belgians. Additionally, there is a small group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area, and bordering Germany.

Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. Its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of government.