Some of Ann Arbor's streetlights can be distractingly bright. New LED lighting is helping with the city’s A2Zero Climate Action plan, but some worry over increased light pollution. WEMU's David Fair talked with Ann Arbor City Council member Dharma Akmon about how the city can move forward while addressing sustainability and accommodating public concern.

The world population is going up, and human-wildlife overlap is increasing. That can lead to negative outcomes, including spread of disease and species extinction. There can be benefits, too, but it will require some planning. That's the focus of a new study out of the University of Michigan. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Associate Professor in Conservation Science Dr. Neil Carter about the study and what can be done right here in Washtenaw County.

Over the summer, the Huron River Watershed Council conducted an extensive survey of freshwater mussels in the Huron River to determine potential impacts when the Peninsular Paper Dam is removed. It found that removing the Pen Dam could release sediment, potentially smothering downstream mussel populations. Once the dam is removed, though, the river will return to a more natural state, benefiting mussel species over time. WEMU's David Fair looked at the research and its implications with Huron River Watershed Council Ecologist Dr. Paul Steen.

Tree Town is looking to find new and productive ways to avoid wasting wood. The City of Ann Arbor is partnering with the company “Urban Ashes” to repurpose storm-damaged and diseased trees. We often discuss the ecological benefits of planting and maintaining trees but rarely look at the environmental impact wood can have once it’s down. Urban Ashes CEO Paul Hickman joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the partnership, how it will work and the benefits it can provide.

The University of Michigan is forging ahead and working towards being a leader in generative artificial intelligence with its U-M-GPT program. As it does, there are environmental concerns to be addressed. The initiative is part of Michigan’s broader effort to integrate AI into its academic and administrative infrastructure, enhancing learning, teaching, and research. But, AI consumes a great deal of energy. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at U-M, Dr. Ravi Pendse, about how U-M is dealing with the environmental ramifications of AI.

Washtenaw County has elected its next Water Resources Commissioner. Evan Pratt decided against running for re-election after serving four terms. Former Saline Mayor and State Representative Gretchen Driskell won the race. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the priorities and challenges of the new job.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

"We have the original tapes, which a lot of bands can't say that."

A Delta Airlines flight flying from Detroit landed safely at Denver International Airport on Monday after a mid-flight mechanical issue damaged the plane’s nose.

It's more than fair to criticize the Rockies about how they have spent their money.

JET’s new digital app launches June 30.

The Philatelic Bureau of the Bermuda Post Office will be releasing a new commemorative stamp issue, “Backyard Birds” on Thursday, September 21, 2023. A Government spokesperson said, “Today, nine songbird species live in backyards across the Bermuda archipelago. Of these, seven were introduced by humans, while two species are indigenous to Bermuda, their North American […]

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said they have “received reports of reckless boaters and swimmers trying to get close to whales” and added that it is ”strongly recommended that members of the public do not swim with any whales.” A Government spokesperson said, “The Department of Environment and Natural Resources [DENR] has received reports […]

“March through April is the peak time for spotting humpback whales around Bermuda,” and officials urged the public to follow guidelines, noting that “boaters should not get closer than 100 meters” and the “public is also strongly advised not to swim with whales.” A Government spokesperson said, “March through April is the peak time for […]

Noting that we are in hurricane season, the Ministry of Public Works said they are “issuing a timely tree trimming reminder for residents” as “it is aware of the current overgrowth of vegetation and tree branches, which have encroached into the island’s sidewalks and roadways.” A Ministry spokesperson said, “While the Ministry has worked tirelessly […]

The Government has issued an RFP for rooftop solar for “approximately thirty Government owned buildings across Bermuda.” The notice said, “This Request for Proposals [RFP] is an invitation by the Government of Bermuda to prospective proponents to submit proposals for Government Solar Development Project, as further described in Section A of the Request for Proposal […]

The Bermuda Post Office [BPO] announced the latest commemorative stamp issue ~ “Mary Prince”. A Government spokesperson said, “In keeping with this month’s Emancipation observations, the Bermuda Post Office [BPO] is pleased to advise of the latest commemorative stamp issue ~ ‘Mary Prince’. This newest stamp series features imagery and renditions of Bermuda’s National Hero Mary […]

The Autumn 2022 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.

The Winter 2022 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.

The Spring 2023 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.

The Summer 2023 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.

Ukrainian authorities activated air raid alerts throughout the entirety of the country on Wednesday, with the president's chief of staff warning of a missile attack on the capital city, AFP report...

Intel has announced that it will address the performance issues plaguing its recently launched Core Ultra 200S series, particularly in gaming. The company acknowledged that the launch did not meet expectations and plans to roll out updates by the end of November or early December to rectify the situation.

The post Intel Promises Fix for Arrow Lake Performance Issues Within a Month appeared first on ThinkComputers.org.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has released security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities impacting Aruba Networking Access Point products, including two critical bugs that could result in unauthenticated command execution. The flaws affect Access Points running Instant AOS-8 and AOS-10 - AOS-10.4.x.x: 10.4.1.4 and below Instant AOS-8.12.x.x: 8.12.0.2 and below Instant AOS-8.10.x.x:

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new sophisticated tool called GoIssue that can be used to send phishing messages at scale targeting GitHub users. The program, first marketed by a threat actor named cyberdluffy (aka Cyber D' Luffy) on the Runion forum earlier this August, is advertised as a tool that allows criminal actors to extract email addresses from public GitHub

Decision informed by report of the CPUC Committee on Naming.

“Close Encounters: Facing the Bomb in a New Nuclear Age” is on display at SPIA’s Bernstein Gallery through Oct. 25. 

Download links (Spotify, YouTube, Apple) here. Learn more about the Pagan History Project here.

Dear RSS Ground users, Due to the recent changes in LinkedIn developers documentation and specifications, some of the remote LinkedIn account management options require a substantial update. For this reason and at this moment RSS Ground LinkedIn Poster can only make posts to your personal feed. Posting to specific company pages is not currently available. However, […]

The post LinkedIn Poster issues appeared first on RSSground.com.

Several days ago, eBay Partner Network reported about an issue with EPN links.  When someone clicks affiliate eBay link using Facebook app on iOS or Android, the click cannot be tracked. eBay has created a workaround to fix this issue. You need to append your eBay links before publishing them to Facebook. The only thing […]

The post eBay Links On Facebook: Issue And Fix appeared first on RSSground.com.

Customers are asked to do a mandatory battery check over safety concerns, and to reach out to Canyon if they are affected
( Photos: 1, Comments: 133 )

Imagine slipping into a tranquil space, the soft aroma of essential oils filling the air, as the world outside slowly fades away. For many, this is the sanctuary sought after a long week of work or dealing with chronic pain. In that moment, whether it’s the gentle caress of a Swedish massage or the deep ... Read more

The post Swedish vs. Deep Tissue – Which Massage Will Leave You More Bruised? appeared first on Star Two.

I am proud to announce that globalissues.org now also carries stories from UN News.

UN News recently reached out to engage in a partnership program whereby I am permitted to reproduce their news stories on globalissues.org. Together with IPS News, whose news stories I already carry, both are sources of important quality news global news. I hope you like them.

And many apologies for the lack of messages in recent years. I am still overcoming some personal challenges, but I have been keeping the site going behind the scenes. I hope to resume write my own content soon.

It is an embarrassing critique for Hamas, which has used religious arguments to justify its actions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in an interview with MSNBC called the New York Times report on President Trump taxes a question of “national security issues,” citing owed money to foreign interests. In an interview with MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell, Pelosi sounded the alarm that foreign governments might have “leverage” on the president due to […]

The post Pelosi says Trump’s Taxes Are a ‘National Security’ Issue appeared first on Hispolitica.

A fair number of Mac users have discovered that Spotlight Search is not working well in MacOS Sequoia, either missing files, apps, and sometimes not working at all to find any local file. For some users the issues with Spotlight happens right after they update to MacOS Seqouia, and for others it may happen later ... Read More

Samsung Electronics issued a rare apology and acknowledged on Tuesday it was facing a "crisis" over its technological competitiveness, reflected in a disappointing profit guidance, despite a global AI boom.

The country is set to experience varied weather conditions, with several impact-based warnings issued across various provinces, according to the South African Weather Service.

The following article, Steve Bannon Issues 90-Second WARNING To Deep State At Trump Victory Party (Video), was first published on Conservative Firing Line.

(Natural News) Steve Bannon, one of Donald Trump’s most fired-up supporters and allies all throughout the former president’s tumultuous political career, delivered a powerful speech after Trump’s victory warning the deep state that justice is coming. Fresh out of federal prison for his involvement in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Bannon took the stage to deliver …

Continue reading Steve Bannon Issues 90-Second WARNING To Deep State At Trump Victory Party (Video) ...

20th CCP National Congress: Five issues to watch Expert comment LJefferson 13 October 2022

Interpreters of the Chinese Communist Party’s tea leaves will be paying close attention to the issues that will shape China’s trajectory for the next five years.

Xi Jinping’s expected anointment for an unprecedented third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is likely to generate global headlines when the party’s five-yearly National Congress begins on 16 October.

But with that outcome so widely forecast, interpreters of the CCP’s tea leaves will be paying closer attention to a range of more contested – and sometimes byzantine – issues that will shape China’s trajectory for the next five years, and reverberate around the world.

These are five key issues to watch out for during Xi’s political report, a dry but authoritative account of the CCP’s policy priorities for the next five years, and the subsequent deliberations over personnel appointments.

1. From market economy to ‘common prosperity’

As the world grapples with the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese economy is entering particularly choppy waters. China is forecast to grow at a slower rate than the rest of Asia for the first time in more than 30 years, according to the World Bank, as the impact of Xi’s COVID zero policies compounds a growing list of structural and cyclical challenges.

Xi is under pressure to offer some new prescriptions for the world’s second biggest economy, and he is likely to signal further shifts away from the market economics that propelled Chinese growth for decades toward his vision of ‘common prosperity’.

His ambition is to redefine progress, not in terms of producing double-digit growth, but in tackling long-standing challenges such as demographic decline, social inequality and high property prices – thereby meeting ‘people’s ever-growing needs for a better life’.

China’s leader may have arrived at the right diagnosis, but he has so far failed to find measures that deliver common prosperity. He will use the Party Congress to redesign some policy measures, likely putting a stronger focus on the development of rural areas to promote economic dynamism and generate employment opportunities.

2. COVID zero to endure?

While most of the world has opened up and learned to live with COVID-19, China is still pursuing a COVID zero policy that requires frequent lockdowns, stringent movement controls and closed borders. This approach has intensified economic pressures, exacerbated high youth unemployment, and is testing the patience of China’s upwardly mobile middle classes.

Those not employed by the state have been particularly hard hit and it is difficult to see how China’s economy can start to crank up again until Beijing reduces internal restrictions and reconnects with the world.

Xi has championed the COVID zero policy, which Beijing continues to insist is vital to protect vulnerable people and support economic and social stability. So, observers will be playing close attention to his political report for any signs of a possible softening or indications of alternative future pathways for managing the pandemic. But a wholesale shift does not appear to be on the cards.

3. Xi Jinping’s team

Sinologists’ enthusiasm for predicting leadership changes in the CCP is not matched by their ability to do so. The party’s roots as a secret organization ensure that it keeps a tight lid on information about top leaders.

Observers will be closely following appointments to the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power for the CCP and China’s supreme decision-making body. These choices will shape China’s future policy trajectory and give some signals about the extent of Xi’s concentration of power and his future plans.

Names to watch for possible promotion include Xi allies such as He Lifeng, currently head of the National Development Reform Commission, a key economic planning entity, and Zhang Qingwei, currently the party secretary of Hunan, an important and populous province.

As Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, the only woman on the Politburo, reaches the retirement age, there is also likely to be a slot open for her replacement, with Shan Yiqin, the party secretary of Guizhou, one potential option.

Tracking the fate of key Xi allies will also indicate how far he has managed to overturn the collective leadership system he inherited in 2012 and how comprehensively the CCP endorses this more centralized approach to governing China.

4. Taiwan

After the escalating tensions of the last few months, analysts will be looking for any possible change in tone when Xi speaks about Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as a renegade province. During the past five years, Xi has approached the outside world with a mix of high-octane rhetoric with pragmatism and patience.

Roland Bruderer
May 1, 2015; 14:1400-1410
Research

Mathias Uhlén
Dec 1, 2005; 4:1920-1932
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Linn Fagerberg
Feb 1, 2014; 13:397-406
Research

Margrit Schwarz
Sep 1, 1998; 39:1833-1843
Articles

Saverio Cinti
Nov 1, 2005; 46:2347-2355
Research Articles

The development of a chronic, low-grade inflammation originating from adipose tissue in obese subjects is widely recognized to induce insulin resistance, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes. The adipose tissue microenvironment drives specific metabolic reprogramming of adipose tissue macrophages, contributing to the induction of tissue inflammation. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), a mitochondrial anion carrier, is thought to separately modulate inflammatory and metabolic processes in macrophages and is up-regulated in macrophages in the context of obesity and diabetes. Here, we investigate the role of UCP2 in macrophage activation in the context of obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Using a myeloid-specific knockout of UCP2 (Ucp2ΔLysM), we found that UCP2 deficiency significantly increases glycolysis and oxidative respiration, both unstimulated and after inflammatory conditions. Strikingly, fatty acid loading abolished the metabolic differences between Ucp2ΔLysM macrophages and their floxed controls. Furthermore, Ucp2ΔLysM macrophages show attenuated pro-inflammatory responses toward Toll-like receptor-2 and -4 stimulation. To test the relevance of macrophage-specific Ucp2 deletion in vivo, Ucp2ΔLysM and Ucp2fl/fl mice were rendered obese and insulin resistant through high-fat feeding. Although no differences in adipose tissue inflammation or insulin resistance was found between the two genotypes, adipose tissue macrophages isolated from diet-induced obese Ucp2ΔLysM mice showed decreased TNFα secretion after ex vivo lipopolysaccharide stimulation compared with their Ucp2fl/fl littermates. Together, these results demonstrate that although UCP2 regulates both metabolism and the inflammatory response of macrophages, its activity is not crucial in shaping macrophage activation in the adipose tissue during obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Visual Abstract

Colin T. McDowell
Nov 24, 2020; 0:RA120.002256v1-mcp.RA120.002256
Research

Montgomery Blencowe
Dec 23, 2020; 0:jlr.RA120000713v1-jlr.RA120000713
Research Articles