rtu El mundo está buscando oportunidades mientras Colombia se mira el ombligo: Mauricio Cárdenas By www.spreaker.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Jun 2024 14:24:00 +0000 El exministro de Hacienda habló sobre la situación actual del país, durante su participación en el Congreso de Andesco Full Article
rtu “Pierden una oportunidad de inversión para la empresa” : expresidente de Ecopetrol By www.spreaker.com Published On :: Mon, 05 Aug 2024 15:40:00 +0000 En el programa 6AM Hoy por Hoy se conectó Felipe Bayón, Ex- presidente de Ecopetrol quien manifestó su perspectiva luego de que el presidente Petro vetó proyecto que incrementaría el 14% de utilidades netas en Ecopetrol Full Article
rtu “Pierden una oportunidad de inversión para la empresa” : expresidente de Ecopetrol By www.spreaker.com Published On :: Mon, 05 Aug 2024 15:43:00 +0000 En 6 Am Hoy por Hoy, se conectó Felipe Bayón, Ex- presidente de Ecopetrol, quien manifiesta su perspectiva luego de que el presidente Petro vetó proyecto que incrementaría el 14% de utilidades netas en Ecopetrol. Full Article
rtu “Buscamos reparación para el principio de oportunidad”: F. Bernate, abogado de Luis López By www.spreaker.com Published On :: Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:09:00 +0000 En 6AM Hoy por Hoy de Caracol Radio estuvo el abogado Francisco Bernate, quien defiende a defensa de Luis Eduardo López, para hablar sobre cuáles serán los puntos con los que pedirán un “principio de oportunidad parcial”, por escándalo de la UNGRD. Full Article
rtu CONTEST: Don’t Miss Your Chance To Be Part Of The 11th Edition Of The 7 Virtual Jazz Club International Improvised Music Contest! By www.allaboutjazz.com Published On :: 2024-11-03T19:10:11+00:00 New Application Deadline: December 31, 2024 With the eleventh edition of our international improvised music contest, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting talent from around the world and across all musical genres, making our format even more open and inclusive to celebrate every form of music. ... Full Article
rtu Looking into future computer vision opportunities for warehouse logistics By www.logisticsit.com Published On :: Mon, 13 Nov 5600 17:31:40 +0000 Lars Pruijn, Innovation Director, and Lorenzo D'Arsie, Computer Vision Product Manager at Prime Vision, examine computer vision technology and the new opportunities it provides in the postal and parcel sectors. Full Article
rtu GitHub - hyperlight-dev/hyperlight: Hyperlight is a lightweight Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) designed to be embedded within applications. It enables safe execution of untrusted code within micro virtual machines with very low latency and minimal overhead By github.com Published On :: 2024-11-13T05:47:01+00:00 via GitHub Public Timeline Feed https://ift.tt/EHbhjky Full Article
rtu EVE - The Emulated Virtual Environment For Network, Security and DevOps Professionals By www.eve-ng.net Published On :: 2024-11-13T08:40:11+00:00 EVE-NG PRO platform is ready for today’s IT-world requirements. It allows enterprises, e-learning providers/centers, individuals and group collaborators to create virtual proof of concepts, solutions and training environments. EVE-NG PRO is the first clientless multivendor network emulation software that empowers network and security professionals with huge opportunities in the networking world. Clientless management options will allow EVE-NG PRO to be as the best choice for Enterprise engineers without influence of corporate security policies as it can be run in a completely isolated environment. Full Article
rtu Denver-area startup aims to be leading supplier of advanced electric motors By www.denverpost.com Published On :: Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:00:38 +0000 Startup H3X, with a facility in Louisville, has ambitions to become the world's leading supplier of advanced electric motors. Full Article Business Latest Headlines Technology aerospace carbon climate change covid emissions energy fundraising Lockheed Martin More Business News NASA planes technology travel U.S. Air Force
rtu BZS Virtual Lecture Series On December 9 By bernews.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Dec 2021 11:07:45 +0000 The Bermuda Zoological Society [BZS] will be holding a virtual lecture series on Thursday [Dec 9] presented by Greg Kearns, Park Naturalist, Maryland, U.S.A on the topic of “Bermuda… ‘Lifeboat for birds’, Soras and the role of MOTUS”. The event promotion said, “Bermuda… “Lifeboat for birds”, Soras and the role of MOTUS presented by: Greg […] Full Article All Environment #Animal #Birds
rtu Kamau Leverock Excited By T20 Opportunity By bernews.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Aug 2024 12:27:51 +0000 [Written by Stephen Wright] Kamau Leverock said he is eager to make the most of his opportunity in the Legends League Cricket [LLC] in India, hoping it could help him secure further opportunities in franchise competitions. Leverock, who became eligible for the T20 league after retiring from international cricket in March, was drafted by the […] Full Article All News Sports #BermudaCricket #GoodNews #StephenWrightReports
rtu Video: Bermuda Halloween Virtual Art Gallery By bernews.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:00:21 +0000 Bernews’ latest virtual art gallery features a whimsical Halloween collection with Bermuda tree frogs donning witch hats, pumpkins scattered across eerie landscapes, and a spooky Halloween onion by the beach. Dive into this playful fusion of island life and Halloween spirit for a truly unique visual treat. Related Stories Video: Bermuda Halloween Virtual Art Gallery […] Full Article All Entertainment News Videos #BernewsVirtualShows #GoodNews #Halloween #VirtualArtGallery
rtu Photos: Portuguese 175th Anniversary Reception By bernews.com Published On :: Sun, 03 Nov 2024 17:14:23 +0000 President of the Azores José Manuel Bolieiro visited Bermuda to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the first arrival of Portuguese immigrants, and last night [Nov 2] a cocktail reception and dinner was held at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort. Those in attendance included Deputy Premier Walter Roban, Opposition Leader Jarion Richardson and Governor Rena Lalgie. […] Full Article All Entertainment News Photos Videos #AzoresPresidentBolieiro #BermudaPolitics #Portuguese
rtu Video: Bermuda Gombey Festival Virtual Gallery By bernews.com Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 11:00:11 +0000 Bernews’ latest virtual art photo gallery features the 2024 Bermuda Gombey Festival, which was recently held at the Botanical Gardens, showcasing the island’s iconic Gombey culture. The annual event featured performances by various Gombey troupes from across Bermuda with attendees experiencing the vibrant music, dance, and regalia that characterizes this traditional Bermudian art form. Related […] Full Article All Entertainment News Videos #BermudianCulture #BernewsVirtualShows #GombeyFestival #Gombeys #GoodNews #VirtualArtGallery
rtu Solar Energy Virtual Presentation Tomorrow By bernews.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Mar 2022 20:48:10 +0000 The Friends of the College of Library will host a virtual presentation on Solar Energy: The Power of Nature tomorrow [Thursday] at 6.30 pm. The discussion, presented by Cameron Smith of Greenlight Energy, will focus on the “intersectionality of sustainability, renewable energy, and the economy within the context of our island community”. Moderated by Dr […] Full Article All technology #SolarEnergy
rtu Anglican Choir Create Virtual Music Video By bernews.com Published On :: Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:59:46 +0000 Unable to gather due to the Covid-19 pandemic, choir members of the Anglican Church of Bermuda recently created a music video to celebrate Pentecost on Sunday [May 31]. Rev Gavin Tyte told Bernews, “Traditionally at Pentecost, in the Cathedral, Spirit of the Living God has been sung. However, as we were unable to gather, the […] Full Article All Entertainment Music News Videos #BermudianSingers #FaithAndReligion #Music #MusicVideos
rtu Lecture On 175 Years Of Portuguese History By bernews.com Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:49:44 +0000 The Department of Culture, in collaboration with the Portuguese Cultural Association of Bermuda, hosted a Bermudian Heartbeats Lecture featuring Azorean historian Eduardo Medeiros. A Government spokesperson said, “Last week [June 27], the Department of Culture hosted their latest Bermudian Heartbeats Lecture Series, in collaboration with the Portuguese Cultural Association of Bermuda. The topic was “175 Years […] Full Article All History News #BermudaHistory #Portuguese
rtu Video: Bermuda Wildlife Virtual Photo Gallery By bernews.com Published On :: Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:01:38 +0000 Today [March 3] marks World Wildlife Day, and Bernews’ latest Virtual Art Gallery showcases a spectacular display of Bermuda’s wildlife; from humpback whales, sea turtles, the iconic longtail and lively lizards scurrying around, this collection of stunning photos offers a unique glimpse into the beauty of the island’s inhabitants and showcases the beauty and diversity of […] Full Article All Entertainment Environment News Videos #Animal #Bees #BernewsVirtualShows #Birds #GoodNews #HumpbackWhales #Turtles #VirtualArtGallery
rtu Startuje nový newsletter a web 11am.cz Výběr těch nejpodstatnějších trendů a událostí pro rozhodování. Vede ho Lenka Zlámalová By www.reflex.cz Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:10:00 +0100 Svět je zahlcený informacemi. Skutečná výzva je výběr těch nejpodstatnějších, které opravdu ovlivňují rozhodování. Ukazují trendy a směr. A jejich jasné, stručné, analytické podání. Přesně to vám chceme v novém newsletteru a webu 11am nabídnout. Startujeme dnes, 11. 11. 2024 přesně v 11 hodin. Na www.11am.cz za předplatné 1 111 korun měsíčně. Full Article
rtu Apple Seeds Second Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display By www.macrumors.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:10:46 PST Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a little over a week after the first visionOS 2.2 beta. visionOS 2.2 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates. The visionOS 2.2 update adds a new feature for the Mac Virtual Display option, allowing it to be set to Wide and Ultrawide. The Ultrawide setting is equivalent to two 4K displays side-by-side, and it is a notable improvement over the current Mac Virtual Display that's available in visionOS 2.1. The Mac Virtual Display allows the Vision Pro to be connected to a Mac with the Vision Pro serving as the display for the machine. The virtual Mac desktop works just like a standard desktop with an external display, but Vision Pro does not support multiple displays. As a solution, Apple has added the option for a wider display to maximize space.Related Roundup: visionOS 2Related Forum: Apple Vision ProThis article, "Apple Seeds Second Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums Full Article visionOS
rtu A Fortunate Trade, an Unexpected Pledge of Support, and a Win for Yin! By www.thatswhatjennisaid.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:36:00 +0000 What follows is the true and unredacted account of my tour of duty as a command leader for the Yin Brotherhood. Map: 5p POK Kazadoom’s Notch Map generated on https://ti4-map-generator.derekpeterson.ca/ Factions: Yin, Yssaril, Nekro, Vuil’raith, Hacan. Round 1 objectives: Engineer a Marvel (R1-1); Push Boundaries (R1-2) Five experienced leaders gathered this weekend to prove themselves worthy. As the Yin, I found myself wedged between the Hacan (around the corner of a notch in the galaxy) and the Yssaril. Word had come down to the Blessed on Darien through our ambassadors and spies that both nearby factions were set on amassing larger fleets and armies, but to what end we were unsure. The Blessed discussed the matter at great length and decided our best defense was to rebuild our flagship the Van Hauge and to take control of as many planets as we could (more, at least, then our neighbors). That would allow us to stand firm in the face of any aggression. As a command leader, I had heard the rumors not only of these rising neighbor armies, but also of some truly terrifying events taking place on the other side of the galaxy. The horrific Vuil’raith were actively recruiting with empty promises; telling factions whatever they wanted to hear to forge alliances. Left unchecked, they would surely seize and destroy our entire galaxy planet by planet. The Nekro Virus was also gaining strength on a planet nearby the Vuil’raith and while it was unclear who would come out the victor in the inevitable head-to-head match between them, I shuddered at the idea of either of them heading our way. Because I viewed Nekro and the Vuil’raith both as bigger threats to our Yin than Yssaril or Hacan, I decided to put all my efforts into leading my crew to Mecatol Rex as fast as possible. I knew that if we could successfully land and build up a presence, we could stand as a line in the sand against the wave of Nekro or Vuil’raith forces that would inevitably come crashing down upon us. As time went on, I congratulated myself on recruiting warfare strategy experts and prioritizing our expansion to Mecatol Rex over building the flagship. It was the right choice. It had allowed me to maneuver our fleet onto the doorstep of Mecatol Rex. I had to explain to my Blessed brothers why we hadn’t built our flagship yet as ordered, but I pointed out that settling the planets along the way between Darien and Mecatol was in line with the orders given to seize control of new planets. Granted, we did not have more planets than our neighbors yet, but we did have more than we started with. I was sternly reminded to prioritize the flagship, especially since our spies had spotted the Hacan flagship (R1-1), but otherwise the matter was dropped. End of R1 scores: Yin(0), Yssaril(0), Nekro(0), Vuil’raith(0), Hacan(1) Round 2 objective: Erect a Monument (R2-1) To provide the assistance I needed, I hired some well respected leadership strategy consultants. Their job was to provide me guidance on getting more out of my command, using the influence I’ve cobbled together. I’d been given a new objective by the Blessed – I was to gather the resources needed to build a monument to the brotherhood on one of our newly settled planets. I thought it absolutely ridiculous at a time like this. Word was that Hacan was also heading to Mecatol with a settlement force and the Blessed wanted me to make time for fundraising? Forget it. In my meetings with my brothers, I nodded and agreed on the importance of the monument, but secretly planned to prioritize what I deemed most urgent instead. Back at command, I forged ahead and reached Mecatol (MR1) before Hacan could do so. Built a space dock on her right away once construction was authorized, and then began amassing troops on the surface. At the same time, I was diligently managing the build of our flagship (R1-1) by our production teams back home on Darien. Yssaril also finished their flagship (R1-1) and through some swift imperial strategy, settled enough new planets to control more than their neighbors (R1-2). Hacan got word that Vuil’raith had taken over a legendary planet in a distance sector (VS1) and in response intensified their own settlement efforts. In doing so, Hacan also found themselves controlling more planets than their neighbors (R1-2). Our ambassadors’ reports were increasingly worrisome – war was brewing and they were unsure where it would break out. And while the Vuil’raith were clearly planning something, the Nekro had gone completely silent. Our scientists on Darien continued their research, our production teams added more ships to our fleet, and we all waited for whatever was coming next. Having established a settlement on Mecatol Rex, I called for an inaugural council meeting with the other leading factions. At this first meeting, we took up a couple of interesting proposals and passed a new law implementing technology that allowed all Alpha and Beta wormholes to connect. End of R2 scores: Yin(2), Yssaril(2), Nekro(0), Vuil’raith(1), Hacan(2) R3 objective: Discover Lost Outposts (R3-1) Pleased with the completion of the Van Hauge, the Blessed advised that our intel had intercepted some encrypted communications about an objective the other factions’ were working on – to conduct in-depth explorations of their new settlements and identify any undocumented resources, pockets of political influence, or technology specialties. Any gains discovered during exploration were to be documented and written up in attachments to the planetary profiles faction leaders kept on hand for reference. I was told to keep on the efforts to settle more planets than our neighbors and to emphasis exploration of any new settlements. I was to report back when I’d successfully identified at least two different planets with enhancements worthy of documentation attachments. There was no more mention of the monument, and I was glad to have that off my to-do list. I decided to hire some tech strategy consultants to help develop new tech that could aid our explorations. Soon after I’d turned my attention to new settlements and exploration, the Nekro launched a direct attack on my fleet guarding Mecatol. I’m not the best negotiator and had been unable to secure the contractors needed to implement an imperial strategy, but holding onto Mecatol was still imperative for blocking the advancement of Nekro or the Vuil’raith toward Darien. Additionally, we had built a good rapport with everyone on Mecatol and their influence on the council was powerful. So I dug my heels in and fought. A couple of my destroyer pilots kamikazed their ships into the Nekro fleet, but it was not enough to stop them. They held the airspace above Mecatol while at the same time building their flagship in another production facility they controlled elsewhere (R1-1). Luckily for us, they underestimated the fortitude and persuasiveness of our infantry. We were able to turn at least one of their advancing infantry against them and through the strength of our troops, we held the planet. Still, they did not leave the system, so we had to make peace, at least temporarily, with their looming presence above us. There was a skirmish between the Nekro and the Vuil’raith as well, and there also, the Nekro had come out ahead. After the battle, Vuil’raith regrouped and turned their efforts toward building their flagship (R1-1). Nekro had also been reported to be gathering relic fragments as they conquered and explored, only instead of holding onto them to reassemble a relic, our spies came back with word they were purging them (NS1). While all of this was going on, Yssaril was quietly continuing to settle and explore planets. Our spies kept a close watch on them and every step of progress they made was immediately relayed to the Blessed. Eventually, my superiors sent me a reprimand via encrypted message wanting to know why I still hadn’t made more progress with the attachments when Yssaril had already done so (R3-1). Worse, the Hacan commander had managed to submit 2 attachments for planetary profiles under their control (R3-1) AND build a monument to their leadership (R2-1). Now the Blessed were jealous and angry and every communication from them I received reflected that. I had faith in my strategy, but I was going to have to have something more to show for myself when I spoke with my brethren. When I got word from my construction team that we’d build a third space dock across our systems in record time (YiS1), I forwarded the progress report directly to the Blessed, hoping it would soothe them. Another council meeting was called, and even though I wielded the most influence of any leader present, none of the proposed legislation before the council interested me much. Certainly nothing to really shake things up in favor of the Yin. I mostly abstained from voting and mentally prepared for my upcoming status report meetings with the Blessed. End of R3 scores: Yin(3), Yssaril(3), Nekro(2), Vuil’raith(2), Hacan(4) R4 objective: Raise a Fleet (R4-1) I really wanted to implement the famous imperial strategy I’d heard so much about, as when a faction holds Mecatol, it’s especially rewarding for them. But you need the right experts who know how to do it and Hacan always managed to grab that team it each time their contract came up for renewal. One time, even after they’d agreed to go work for another faction, Hacan pulled out some fancy datahub tech and persuaded them to come back over to work with them. So I never got my turn with them. After my research consultants rolled off their contracts, I reached back out to our warfare experts who were on the market again. I wanted to bring them back under contract for guidance in troop redeployments. We had a problem with ship crews’ that fulfilled a deployment order and then wanted to rest on location for an extended amount of time before being redeployed. They’d gotten their union involved and it was a mess and I hoped the warfare strategy team could persuade at least one of our most essential crew teams to head back out sooner than they’d planned. At my next status meeting, my brothers were frank with me. They were encouraged by my construction feat, but I was not back in their good graces yet. They told me I was to build my fleet up to 5 in at least one system (R4-1), but preferably in as many systems as possible. They were also interested in the spoils from the cultural planets my crews had been settling and asked me to have at least 4 under my control (YiS-2). I was easily able to do both of these things, and so our working relationship was going very well. With the Blessed giving me some breathing room, I took time for planning my own goals and priorities. Hacan had been making a lot of noise about taking over Mecatol and the Vuil’raith leveraged the general atmosphere of distrust and anxiety to approach me directly about a potential alliance. It might be just what I reported before – that the faction knows how to say whatever you want to hear to get you on their side. But it also might be that the rumors of their all consuming evil were vastly overdramatized. All I know is they gave me some useful tech that allowed my production teams to go above and beyond their production limits. And I agreed to look the other way should they decide they wanted to stomp out Hacan or Nekro. And why shouldn’t I make such a deal? They never did anything to me or our people whereas Nekro had attacked us. There were also confirmed reports that the Nekro had built an impressive monument to themselves on one of the planets they had recently assimilated (R2-1). And Hacan needed to be stopped before they got any more powerful. Recently they had amassed 5 ships in one system (R4-1), won a battle with their flagship (HS1), and come to control enough planets to give them 12 influence votes on the council (HS2). No doubt the Blessed would have been thrilled with the Hacan commander, were he set up to answer to them. At our third council meeting, Yssaril, Nekro, and Vuil’raith reported they now each had at least one 5 fleet system to serve as deterrents (R4-1) for aggression. Thank God I’d prioritized that myself or the Blessed would have really been up my ass. Nekro passed around pictures of the monument they recently built. It was absolutely hideous. I made no bones about saying so and they deflected with slander that I was just salty about their blockade of Mecatol. As we brought each agenda item up for consideration, Nekro pushed hard to get a seemingly dull law passed. I should have figured out their angle sooner, but I was distracted by the Vuil’raith who were on me to pay back that tech share by voting for them on an upcoming agenda item. At the end of things, the law Nekro was pushing was passed (NS2) and with my influence, the Vuil’raith was selected by the council as the elected beneficiary of a boost to their military operations (VS2). End of R4 scores: Yin(5), Yssaril(4), Nekro(5), Vuil’raith(4), Hacan(7) R5 objective: Command an Armada (R5-1) In my next debrief with the Blessed, I told them all that had happened at the council meeting. I warned them especially of Hacan’s growing power, but they didn’t take me as seriously as I’d hoped. The Hacan had not attacked us in any memorable fashion (perhaps an accidental ship collision here or there) and wouldn’t it be better for them to come out on top versus Nekro or Vuil’raith, the destroyer of worlds? I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d already made some preliminary deals with the the Vuil’raith. Their minds were made up on the more pressing threat. The Blessed presented me with my latest assignment – build up my fleet to 8 ships in a single system. A show of force to deter Vuil’raith and Nekro. I tried to remind them our great strength was in our infantry and holding the ground (especially with our Yin Spinner tech), not our pilots, but they didn’t care to listen. They sensed my reluctance and offered up double the cash incentive if I could get it done before the next council meeting. I told them I’d work on it, but as usual, I had other plans. As always, Hacan lured away the Imperial strategy experts when they came off their contracts so I reached out to our on again off again leadership consultants. I also focused on settling more planets, including a few intrusions into Yssaril territory. They were in the midst of a monument building project (R2-1) and completely distracted so there was no retaliation even though I’d braced for it. The Nekro and Vuil’raith faced off against each other aggressively again. The tension between all of the factions was growing but despite our petty grievances with each other, all of us kept our eyes fixed on Hacan. Just before the council met again, word came in that Hacan, Yssaril, and Nekro had each managed to build up a fleet of 8 powerful ships (R5-1) within a system they controlled. Dammit! The Blessed were going to be upset with me again. At least I’d settled enough additional planets to outnumber my neighbors as they’d asked me to do eons ago (R1-2). The Vuil’raith had done this also (R1-2), facing the increasing threat of the Nekro at every turn. While I didn’t have the fleet count the Blessed had asked of me, all my planet settling and incursions into Yssaril territory had given me control of planets in the same system as other factions (YiS3), which provided great accessibility for continuing covert operations. The Vuil’raith commander reported to me through back channels that Yssaril was creeping into systems neighboring their home planet in our galaxy (YsS-1). Yssaril had also formed a loose, informal alliance with the Nekro. Under friend of my enemy logic, that made the Yssaril a new enemy of the Yin. The fourth council meeting was extremely stressful. Hacan was confronted regarding their massive fleet build up and asked of their plans. Instead of answering the question, they reminded us how they’ve always been generous in trading with us all, and how they had rarely shown any aggression. But we weren’t buying it. The continual build up of their fleet and infantry had to point to something big they were planning. Hacan was given a mandatory military reduction directive from the council. They would be sent back out from the council meeting with a limit of 3 command actions, 3 ships max in any fleet, and only permitted to conduct two strategic actions until we met again, unless they could gain more influence through better leadership. It passed by a wide margin, and I have to say Nekro looked especially pleased. As much as I fear and hate Nekro, I do not trust Hacan and the Vuil’raith commander had said that was wise on my part. End of R5 scores: Yin(7), Yssaril(8), Nekro(7), Vuil’raith(5), Hacan(9) R6 objective: Manipulate Galactic Law (R6-1) Nekro announced a bold move – they had instigated a scheme their lawyers had crafted to force their consultants into an automatic follow-on contract. Each other faction was now doing the same, utilizing a fine print clause to make it so. I knew the Blessed would be disappointed if I released our teams, so I let our contractors know I was exercising the fine print as well and they belonged to us for a little while longer, whether they liked it or not. I needed to keep the Blessed content. My ears still stung from the berating comments my brothers had laid into me during our last status meeting following the fourth council. How had I let so many other factions get ahead of us on fleet size? Didn’t I see the danger? Did they need to replace me or could I get my head on straight and get us into a position of power? If Hacan or another faction were to take control of everything, there was a good chance they’d shut down our genetic cloning operations. They were prejudiced against our ways. They didn’t understand the threat of Greyfire. It was true that Hacan was exceedingly close to seizing control of everything, but I couldn’t see an easy path for me or my fleet to stop them. Perhaps if I had built up the fleet as the brothers had ordered, but it was probably too late for that to make a difference now. What I did do, was send a message out across all channels – even to the Nekro – that I pledged my support in temporary alliance to all who would seek to destabilize Hacan. Nekro moved first, easily taking control of multiple Hacan systems (although Hacan managed to hold the planets). Vuil’raith charged in next, infiltrating the Hacan home system and taking an entire planet hostage until Vuil'raith agreed to stand down. Meanwhile, I’d gotten an urgent dispatch from the Blessed. If I couldn’t take Hacan out militarily, the Blessed counseled that I needed to gain enough influence to impose even greater consequences on them during the next council meeting. To do this, according to their calculations, I needed to amass at least 16 votes of influence. So while all of the military operations against Hacan were going on, I moved into more of Yssaril territory to capture more planets so that we’d have a greater voice on the council. I also made a far reaching jaunt into Nekro systems thanks to one of our command heroes. I was bound and determined to collect enough planets under Yin control so that I would have the strength to stop Hacan. I also prioritized building out our fleet to 8 ships (R5-1). Better late than never. Just before the fifth council meeting, both Vuil’raith and Nekro publicly announced they’d raised enough influence among their settlements to be in a position to heavily influence the next wave of galactic laws (R6-1). Nekro had also beaten up Vuil’raith badly in an anomaly (NS3) equidistant between their areas of control. And Yssaril had brought in a report of some new strategic tech they’d adapted (YsS2). As for Hacan, they came into the council meeting with their head down and shoulders slumped. They hadn’t been able to accomplish much of anything lately with the constant onslaught of attacks from all sides and the Vuil’raith hovering over their home planets. Did I feel sorry for them though? While I considered it, the Vuil’raith commander gave me a wink across the table. No, I did not feel bad for them at all. Yssaril proposed we give an official support of power vote to the faction that most aided the Hacan disruption. We were all in favor of that and passed the measure, but when it came time to decide who should receive the award, there was contention. Nekro made a good case for themselves, but we felt the honor belonged to the Vuil’raith and gave it to them instead (A1). End of R6 scores: Yin(9), Yssaril(9), Nekro(10), Vuil’raith(7), Hacan(9) R7: Subdue the Galaxy (R7-1) I took news of all these developments (leaving out the wink from the Vuil’raith commander) back to the Blessed. They were extremely happy to hear the Hacan had stalled, even if it was temporary. We discussed the new problem – Nekro was gaining power and now they were on the verge of becoming unstoppable. In fact, they had assimilated not only our faction tech but Hacan’s! They were now able to seize control of any strategic contract team when needed during strategy contract negotiation windows. We could be faced with Hacan peeling away imperial strategy experts away from us and then Nekro peeling them away from Hacan. I told the Blessed that we had one last hope. The latest round of contract negotiations was approaching, and I was slotted last to recruit. My plan was to grab some strategic contractors who weren’t of any value to Hacan, but whose priority rank meant that I’d be given audience in my bid for total control before the other council members. If we could prove ourselves worthy, we could take control of the new empire before any of the other factions even got up to speak. I explained this would be possible because Yssaril always preferred to hire research contractors, Nekro would hire imperial strategy experts as it was the only way for him to win ultimate control, Vuil’raith would hire whomever they chose (they weren’t a threat to us), and then Hacan would take something they didn’t care too much about that was a higher number and then force Nekro to switch. The Blessed approved of my plan and suggested I continue to settle new planets – at least 11 outside of Darien – to give me firm footing on seizing total control. They didn’t have any new secret objectives to hand down to increase my power, but they said intel reports advised some of the relics could increase my power if I happened upon the best ones. When strategy consultant negotiations began, I found I was wrong about Yssaril – their commander hired warfare experts instead of tech. But I was right about Nekro. And Hacan chose to hire tech experts instead of stealing away the imperial experts from Nekro. This was probably because they realized Nekro would just lure them back. So I hired some trade experts, knowing Hacan would not want to steal them from me. It was hard to leave the leadership consultants on the table, but I couldn’t risk losing them to Hacan if I hired them. Based on my hiring choices, I held a better initiative than anyone else in the council except Vuil’raith. If everyone could just keep Nekro held back until the council was ready to meet again, and if I managed to find a powerful relic, I could seize control for the Yin. With limited command actions due to a lack of leadership strategy consultants, everyone was careful with their actions. Except for the Yssaril of course, who kept stalling, as is their way. The faction commanders plotted in the open how to stop Nekro. It wasn’t going to be that hard. They didn’t have a massive fleet yet (they had the capacity but not the build out), nor did they have 11 planets outside their home system. They’d have to work for either. And work for them they did, but they were stymied at every turn by the Vuil’raith and perhaps once even by myself. The Nekro commander boasted about finally having more planets than their neighbors (R1-2), but that was truly too little, too late. Having neutralized the Nekro, and seeing the Hacan was still too weak to assume power, everyone’s attention turned toward Yssaril and our people, the Yin. It looked hopeless for me, so the focus remained on Yssaril who still held secret objectives that could bring them a measure of power. I spent my time shoring up troops and ships on Mecatol and Primor, and as I turned in a handful of relic fragments, I prayed for a power granting relic. Nope. I pulled a relic that allowed me to destroy a planet. I would have to eventually face my Blessed brothers and explain to them why I had failed. My hopes dashed, I sent out my trade consultants. At least I could gather some trade goods to bring back to Darien. To my surprise, Hacan offered to give me 6 commodities in exchange for 2 trade goods and 2 commodities. It seemed to be for no particular good reason, but I suppose they needed the trade goods to continue rebuilding their fleet. They were not giving up yet on themselves. I accepted the trade as they truly seemed repentant and in no position to harm me. To finish things up what I assumed would be my last tour of duty, I looked for a high value target to destroy. Something with a lot of infantry or some structures. Then, at least I could tell the Blessed I went out with a bang and the event would be listed in my biography. I found it in a Vuil’raith system adjacent to their home. I called a 1:1 meeting with the Vuil’raith commander. While he watched, I unrolled a map of our galaxy and pointed to one of the planets bordering his home system. “I choose this planet”, I announced, as I showed him mercy with an advanced warning to evacuate. With a horrified look in his eyes, the Vuil’raith commander said, “Please don’t”, and pledged the support of the Vuil’raith for a Yin Brotherhood throne (SFTT1). Adrenaline surging, I agreed in earnest. I had not seen this coming and it was going to make all the difference. Suddenly the factions were buzzing again. We picked up the chatter on every channel we interception. Now *I* would have the first audience in a bid for the thorne. I had 12 planets outside my home system, proving the Yin brotherhood worthy of ruling. Could they stop me? Only Nekro and Yssaril were still under normal operations at the time; the Vuil’raith and Hacan leaders had gone on holiday until our next council meeting. Vacation or not, they were still in communication with Nekro and Yssaril. Scheming together, the entire council plotted against me. They tried to work out the easiest planets to take from our people to bring our planet count below 11. Nekro made an incursion into one my systems and took a planet. Then came wave after wave of Yssaril attacks. After reducing our territory to just 9 planets outside our home system, there was a pause. The pause and the realization I had been calmly waiting for. The Yssaril commander called for a 1:1 with me, and when I arrived she wanted me to answer a burning question. Had I already submitted proof to the Blessed that I had completed the objective I’d been given to produce 16 votes of influence? “I have not”, I replied with a smile. “And how much influence does the Yin hold at this moment?” “TWENTY-SIX votes of influence”, I replied, with an even bigger smile. There wasn’t enough attacking and stalling in the world for Yssaril to knock us down below 16. I could buy 9 votes in trade goods alone, 4 from my heavily guarded home system patrolled by our suicide leaning flagship, and much more spread across the 6 or seven systems I controlled. The Yssaril commander studied the situation from every angle. It was impossible. She had overlooked the key information – that I had finished my last tour of duty meeting both public objectives and she’d only stripped one of them from me. There was nothing she could do. She ended her tour of duty, dejected. Just before our next scheduled council meeting, Vuil’raith called a press conference on the steps of the council building to announce that they had won a measure of power by completing a secret objective they’d been given. (VS3). He also announced he had two planets with attachments under his control (R3-1). The crowd cheered for him. Everyone was really warming to these alleged monsters of the galaxy. And then I took to the steps and announced that our faction - the Yin brotherhood - who had peacefully resettled Mecatol and reinitiated the galactic council, were leaning on our 16 votes of influence to seize complete and total control of the galaxy. A gasp was heard from the crowd. And then cheering. Immense cheering from all sections of the crowd. And that is how Yin took the unexpected Win. End of R7 scores: Yin(12), Yssaril(9), Nekro(11), Vuil’raith(10), Hacan(9) Full Article Board Game Events Fantasy Flight TI4
rtu w0w b1g f0rtune By www.marriedtothesea.com Published On :: Wed, 07 Jun 2023 04:00:00 EDT Today on Married To The Sea: w0w b1g f0rtuneThis RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see! Full Article autogen_comic
rtu Opportunity knocks for USMNT's Ricardo Pepi: 'I'm feeling ready to be the man' By www.foxsports.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:29:11 -0500 With several U.S. men's national team strikers out with injuries, 21-year-old Ricardo Pepi has a golden opportunity to prove why he deserves to be Mauricio Pochettino top choice up top. Full Article soccer
rtu The Internet Took the Opportunity to Photoshop Donald Trump With a Blank Sign and Ran With It By cheezburger.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:00:00 -0700 Has Trump seen people holding signs on the internet before? It never turns out well. Full Article twitter trolling signs donald trump photoshop Memes
rtu CC strategic workshop reveals big opportunities for open access to cultural heritage By creativecommons.org Published On :: Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:30:54 +0000 In May 2024, CC organized a strategic workshop in Lisbon to develop a roadmap for future action to advance our work towards a UNESCO instrument on open cultural heritage. In this blog post, we share the full report and some of its key highlights. The post CC strategic workshop reveals big opportunities for open access to cultural heritage appeared first on Creative Commons. Full Article Open Culture Open Heritage
rtu Startup CEO says humans won't be needed for translation in 3 years as it launches AI app By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:07:56 GMT Unbabel on Wednesday announced an artificial intelligence-powered translation service, adding another rival to a highly competitive space. Full Article
rtu Portuguese FM warns of EU’s ‘cultural tendency’ to overregulate By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:19:08 GMT Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel warned on Tuesday of the downside of Europe's "cultural tendency" to "over-regulate" and called for a better "balance" between technological development and the defence of democracy and human rights. Read more. "Europe has a cultural tendency to… Full Article
rtu Grubhub reportedly in talks to be acquired by Marc Lore’s Wonder startup By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:29:16 GMT The European company had acquired Grubhub in 2020 in an all-stock deal for $7.8 billion, creating the world’s largest food delivery company outside China at the time. A deal for Grubhub could be finalized imminently, assuming the talks do not fall apart, the report said, adding that Grubhub is… Full Article
rtu Former Walmart Executive’s Startup Is Near Deal to Buy Grubhub By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:40:12 GMT Full Article
rtu US Startup Buys Just Eat Takeaway’s Grubhub for $650 Million By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:23:40 GMT In This Article: (Bloomberg) -- Wonder Group Inc. is buying Grubhub from Just Eat Takeaway.com NV for about $650 million, acquiring the restaurant delivery service at a steep discount to the $7.3 billion price tag it commanded during the early days of the Covid pandemic. Most Read from… Full Article
rtu Trump's return presents opportunities for China By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 08:14:16 GMT Cao Xin is a senior researcher at The Charhar Institute, a Beijing-based think tank. I had the opportunity to observe the American presidential election on the morning of Nov. 6 (China time) at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. For China, the world's second-largest economy, Donald Trump's victory… Full Article
rtu Mind, Body, Soul: 30 Journal Prompts to Nurture Every Aspect of Your Life By www.lifehack.org Published On :: Mon, 08 Jul 2024 19:11:23 +0000 Have you ever experienced that moment when you’re faced with an empty page, pen poised, ideas swirling in your mind but refusing to materialize into words? I can totally relate. It’s like standing on the edge of a cliff, captivated by the scenery yet hesitant to take that initial leap. But imagine if I shared ... Read more The post Mind, Body, Soul: 30 Journal Prompts to Nurture Every Aspect of Your Life appeared first on LifeHack. Full Article Life Balance
rtu New Flaws in Citrix Virtual Apps Enable RCE Attacks via MSMQ Misconfiguration By thehackernews.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:31:00 +0530 Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed new security flaws impacting Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop that could be exploited to achieve unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) The issue, per findings from watchTowr, is rooted in the Session Recording component that allows system administrators to capture user activity, and record keyboard and mouse input, along with a video stream of the Full Article
rtu Red Hat is Acquiring AI Optimization Startup Neural Magic By linux.slashdot.org Published On :: 2024-11-12T21:32:00+00:00 Red Hat, the IBM-owned open source software firm, is acquiring Neural Magic, a startup that optimizes AI models to run faster on commodity processors and GPUs. From a report: The terms of the deal weren't disclosed. MIT research scientist Alex Matveev and professor Nir Shavit founded Somerville, Massachusetts-based Neural Magic in 2018, inspired by their work in high-performance execution engines for AI. Neural Magic's software aims to process AI workloads on processors and GPUs at speeds equivalent to specialized AI chips (e.g. TPUs). By running models on off-the-shelf processors, which usually have more available memory, the company's software can realize these performance gains. Big tech companies like AMD and a host of other startups, including NeuReality, Deci, CoCoPie, OctoML and DeepCube, offer some sort of AI optimization software. But Neural Magic is one of the few with a free platform and a collection of open source tools to complement it. Neural Magic had so far managed to raise $50 million in venture capital from backers like Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associations, Amdocs, Comcast Ventures, Pillar VC and Ridgeline Ventures. Read more of this story at Slashdot. Full Article
rtu 'I'm in a very fortunate position' - Newey on Aston Martin move By www.bbc.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Sep 2024 14:35:26 GMT Adrian Newey tells BBC Sport's Joe Wilson "it is easy to become stale", but his "passion has always been for trying to find ways to make the car go faster" after joining Aston Martin. Full Article
rtu Lionesses face Portugal in Nations League opener By www.bbc.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:11:39 GMT England face Portugal in their opening game of the 2025 Nations League after Uefa announce the match schedule for the competition. Full Article
rtu News24 Business | New R4bn startup fund planned for African tech firms By www.news24.com Published On :: Wednesday Nov 06 2024 16:01:25 Tech accelerator Startupbootcamp, British-East African business tycoon Ashish Thakkar’s Mara Group and Blend Financial Services are planning a $250 million (R4.4 billion) fund to invest in new African technology companies. Full Article
rtu IT Departments Utilizing Virtualization By communicationtransformation.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:47:00 +0000 IDC released its Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker on September 2, 2009, which reports that "factory revenue in the worldwide server market declined 30.1% year over year to $9.8 billion in the second quarter of 2009 (2Q09)."According to IDC, this is the lowest quarterly server revenue since they began tracking this market in 1996.The obvious implication is that the economy has been awful and companies have been avoiding / deferring IT spend. But beyond that it seems that virtualization has both benefited from and contributed to this decline.With a single server now able to run multiple workloads, it seems inevitable that the server footprint is destined to continue getting smaller within the corporate data center. But the benefits of virtualization do not stop with simply running more apps on one machine; the whole datacenter becomes more agile, more flexible to deal with unexpected changes in workload.The ability to get more from fewer boxes is certainly a contributing factor to less boxes being bought. And tight budgets in the 2009 economy have certainly contributed to IT managers seeking out less costly options.It will be interesting to see how the server market rebounds.Andy Patrizio in his InternetNews.com blog quotes Rahul Agarwal, co-founder of Infiniti Research. Within the dismal sales figures, Agarwal notes that both Gartner and IDC report that unit costs are going up for server sales. Agarwal believes that this is due to sellers trying to widen margins by selling more feature-rich machines:Our view is that to offset this volume pressure, hardware vendors will beforced to improve unit margins by building in virtualization capability, memoryand I/O interfaces in the hardware.So the strategy to improve revenues will enable IT departments to further utilize virtualization, continuing the trend toward fewer individual servers.Agarwal noted that many servers out there are quite inefficient, particular amongst small-to-medium sized businesses, so the more successful players will focus on consolidation to increase efficiency and reduce the footprint. He says:The server market of tomorrow will be a value game and not a volume game. Full Article
rtu Sport | Boks: Why tour-closing Test seems best ‘youth showcase’ opportunity By www.news24.com Published On :: Monday Jan 01 0001 00:00:00 Late injection Johan Grobbelaar may find himself more than simply an “extra” on the Bok tour, writes Rob Houwing. Full Article
rtu Network Power in the Asia-Pacific: Making Sense of the New Regionalism and Opportunities for Cooperation By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:00:01 +0000 Network Power in the Asia-Pacific: Making Sense of the New Regionalism and Opportunities for Cooperation 7 February 2020 — 9:45AM TO 5:30PM Anonymous (not verified) 17 January 2020 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE The Asia-Pacific region continues to increase in geopolitical and geoeconomic importance. The rise of China and tensions with the US are affecting bilateral relationships and traditional alliances in the region. Whether seen from the perspective of the Quad – Australia, India, Japan and the US – or the Indo-Pacific concept embraced by a wide range of countries but with no shared consensus on scope and objectives or with ASEAN who insists on the importance of its own centrality, the region is redefining and reconceptualising itself.With a diverse range of initiatives – including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – there are a plethora of regional agreements and institutional groupings that add further complexity.As the Bretton Woods architecture continues to be dominated by Western powers, China is also spearheading parallel governance initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a means of enhancing its geopolitical and geoeconomic influence.This one-day conference will focus on how such networks and alliances have been built, and sustained, in the Asia-Pacific region. In order to understand how new regional initiatives might open up opportunities for new forms of international cooperation, the conference will focus on the themes of cyber-technology and innovation, sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change and new infrastructure initiatives. It will assess whether there is a zero-sum conflict between competing networks and agendas or whether a common approach can be developed. Full Article
rtu Virtual Roundtable: The Economic Implications of COVID-19 on Asia By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:35:01 +0000 Virtual Roundtable: The Economic Implications of COVID-19 on Asia 2 April 2020 — 11:00AM TO 12:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 27 March 2020 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a damaging economic impact on Asia, potentially the most serious since the financial crisis two decades ago. While early estimates suggest that a recession is inevitable, differing countries in Asia are generally deploying modest fiscal and monetary measures. This is true even in China, compared with the ‘whatever it takes’ approach pursued by Europe and America. How effective will these measures be in reviving growth and in easing the pain, particularly on the poor in developing countries in Asia? Is Asia witnessing a sudden but temporary halt in economic activity rather than a prolonged slowdown? At this virtual roundtable, the speakers will consider the likelihood of a recovery for trade in the region and will explore what lessons can be learned from countries like Singapore, who seem to be successfully managing the health and economic aspects of COVID-19. This event is online only. After registering, you will receive a follow-up confirmation email with details of how to join the webinar. Full Article
rtu Absolute Quantification of Proteins by LCMSE: A Virtue of Parallel ms Acquisition By www.mcponline.org Published On :: 2006-01-01 Jeffrey C. SilvaJan 1, 2006; 5:144-156Research Full Article
rtu Indo-UK Collaboration: Opportunities and Challenges By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
rtu The Transatlantic Relationship: Challenges and Opportunities By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
rtu Challenges and Opportunities in the Fight Against Corruption By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
rtu Is COVID-19 an opportunity for more equitable health systems in the Middle East? By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 17:33:00 +0000 Source Euronews URL https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/03/covid-19-pandemic-and-health-systems-in-the-... Release date 03 April 2020 Expert Dr Osman Dar In the news type Op-ed Hide date on homepage Full Article
rtu What's next for environmental peacebuilding? Lessons learned and opportunities from conflict-affected states By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:54:17 +0000 What's next for environmental peacebuilding? Lessons learned and opportunities from conflict-affected states 17 February 2021 — 3:00PM TO 4:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 8 February 2021 Online This event explores lessons and opportunities from conflict-affected states. In the field of peacebuilding, scholars and policymakers increasingly recognize the importance of environmental restoration, afforestation and infrastructural renewal for creating the sustainable livelihoods necessary for successful peacebuilding efforts. Featuring academics writing for International Affairs on environmental peacebuilding in Colombia, Yemen and the Sahel, this webinar discusses the policy implications of the turn to environmental peacebuilding. This event is part of the Chatham House’s Environment and Society Discussion Series in which the Energy Environment and Resources Programme brings together leading academics and policymakers to discuss key issues in environmental policy. In particular, this event focuses on the role of environmental peacebuilding in creating sustainable livelihoods. From the impact the destruction of infrastructure can have on poverty as a driver of conflict, to the role environmental peacebuilding can play in bringing communities together by creating sustainable shared spaces of employment, the importance of the environmental livelihood creation is difficult to overstate. Panellists focus on how policymakers can best encourage inclusive and sustainable livelihood creation and on addressing the key challenges such approaches face in the context of environmental peacebuilding efforts. Full Article
rtu Large deviations for perturbed Gaussian processes and logarithmic asymptotic estimates for some exit probabilities By www.ams.org Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:10 EST Claudio Macci and Barbara Pacchiarotti Theor. Probability and Math. Statist. 111 (), 21-43. Abstract, references and article information Full Article
rtu A structural and kinetic survey of GH5_4 endoglucanases reveals determinants of broad substrate specificity and opportunities for biomass hydrolysis [Protein Structure and Folding] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-12-18T00:06:18-08:00 Broad-specificity glycoside hydrolases (GHs) contribute to plant biomass hydrolysis by degrading a diverse range of polysaccharides, making them useful catalysts for renewable energy and biocommodity production. Discovery of new GHs with improved kinetic parameters or more tolerant substrate-binding sites could increase the efficiency of renewable bioenergy production even further. GH5 has over 50 subfamilies exhibiting selectivities for reaction with β-(1,4)–linked oligo- and polysaccharides. Among these, subfamily 4 (GH5_4) contains numerous broad-selectivity endoglucanases that hydrolyze cellulose, xyloglucan, and mixed-linkage glucans. We previously surveyed the whole subfamily and found over 100 new broad-specificity endoglucanases, although the structural origins of broad specificity remained unclear. A mechanistic understanding of GH5_4 substrate specificity would help inform the best protein design strategies and the most appropriate industrial application of broad-specificity endoglucanases. Here we report structures of 10 new GH5_4 enzymes from cellulolytic microbes and characterize their substrate selectivity using normalized reducing sugar assays and MS. We found that GH5_4 enzymes have the highest catalytic efficiency for hydrolysis of xyloglucan, glucomannan, and soluble β-glucans, with opportunistic secondary reactions on cellulose, mannan, and xylan. The positions of key aromatic residues determine the overall reaction rate and breadth of substrate tolerance, and they contribute to differences in oligosaccharide cleavage patterns. Our new composite model identifies several critical structural features that confer broad specificity and may be readily engineered into existing industrial enzymes. We demonstrate that GH5_4 endoglucanases can have broad specificity without sacrificing high activity, making them a valuable addition to the biomass deconstruction toolset. Full Article
rtu Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Ukraine: An Opportunity for Gender-Sensitive Policymaking? By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 17 Aug 2020 23:55:05 +0000 18 August 2020 Kateryna Busol Robert Bosch Stiftung Academy Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme @KaterynaBusol LinkedIn Meaningful change is needed in Ukraine’s response to the conflict-related sexual violence, which affects both women and men. 2020-08-18-Ukraine-Intl-Womens-Day.jpg Ukrainian feminists and human rights activists carry posters at an International Women's Day protest in Kyiv, Ukraine on 8 March 2019. Photo: Getty Images. The virus of violenceAccording to the UN (para. 7) and the International Criminal Court (ICC, para. 279), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is quite prevalent in hostilities-affected eastern Ukraine. Both sexes are subjected to sexualized torture, rape, forced nudity, prolonged detention in unsanitary conditions with members of the other sex and threats of sexual violence towards detainees or their relatives to force confessions. Men are castrated. Women additionally suffer from sexual slavery, enforced and survival prostitution, and other forms of sexual abuse. Women are more exposed to CRSV: in the hostilities-affected area, every third woman has experienced or witnessed CRSV as opposed to every fourth man.COVID-19 has redirected funding priorities, affecting the availability of medical and psychological help for CRSV survivors worldwide. In Ukraine, the very reporting of such violence, stigmatized even before the pandemic, has been further undermined by the country-wide quarantine-induced restrictions on movement and the closure of checkpoints between the government-controlled and temporarily uncontrolled areas.Addressing CRSV in UkraineThe stigma of CRSV, the patchy domestic legislation, and the unpreparedness of the criminal justice system to deal with such cases prevent the authorities from properly helping those harmed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.CRSV is equally traumatizing yet different in nuance for men and women. Female victims often choose not to report the violence. Women avoid protracted proceedings likely to cause re-traumatization and the disclosure of their experience, which could be particularly excruciating in small communities where everybody knows everyone.Men also struggle to provide their accounts of CRSV. Their suppressed pain and shame of genital mutilation and other CRSV result in sexual and other health disfunctions. Combined with the post-conflict mental health struggles, this has been shown to lead to increased domestic violence and even suicide.The very investigation of CRSV in Ukraine is challenging. Certain tests and examinations need to be done straight after an assault, which in the context of detention and grey zones of hostilities is often impossible. Specialized medical and psychological support is lacking. Investigators and prosecutors are hardly trained to deal with CRSV to the point that they do not ask questions about it during the interviews. Burdened by trauma and stigma, survivors are inclined to report torture or inhuman treatment, but not the sexualized aspects thereof.Seven years into the conflict, the state still has not criminalized the full spectrum of CRSV in its domestic law. Ukraine’s Criminal Code contains a brief list of the violations of the rules and customs of warfare in article 438. It prohibits the inhuman treatment of civilians and POWs but does not list any types of CRSV.The article has an open-ended reference to Ukraine’s ratified international treaties, from which the responsibility for other armed conflict violations may be derived. For the more detailed norms on CRSV, Ukraine should refer at least to Geneva Convention IV protecting civilians and two additional protocols to the Geneva Conventions, to which it is a party.However, the novelty of the war context for Ukrainian investigators, prosecutors and judges and their overcautiousness about the direct application of international conventions mean that in practice, observing the treaty or jurisprudential instruction on CRSV has been slow.Use of the Criminal Code’s articles on sexual violence not related to an armed conflict is not viable. Such provisions fail to reflect the horrible variety and complexity of CRSV committed in hostilities. They also envisage lesser punishment than a war crime of sexual violence would entail. Cumulatively, this fails to account for the intention of a perpetrator, the gravity of the crime and the trauma of its victims.The lack of public debate and state action on CRSV understates its magnitude. Ukraine should break its silence about CRSV in Donbas and make addressing this violence part of its actionable agenda - in law and in implementation.Ukraine should incorporate all war crimes and crimes against humanity of CRSV in its domestic legislation; ensure a more gendered psychological and medical support for both sexes; establish rehabilitation and compensation programmes for CRSV survivors; create special victims and witness protection schemes; consider the different stigmatizing effects of CRSV on men and women in criminal proceedings and engage the professionals of the same sex as the victim; map CRSV in the bigger picture of other crimes in Donbas to better understand the motives of the perpetrators; submit more information about CRSV to the ICC and educate the public to destigmatize the CRSV survivors.The drafters of Ukraine’s transitional justice roadmap should ensure that it highlights CRSV, adopts a gendered approach to it and endorses female participation as a crucial component of reconciliation and broader policymaking.Embracive policymakingAlthough ‘the discriminatory line almost inevitably hurts women,’ 'every gender discrimination is a two-edged sword’, Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously argued before the US Supreme Court. This could not be more relevant for Ukraine. The conflict - and lockdown-related violence has reverberated deeper within Ukrainian society, raising fundamental questions about the roles of both sexes and gender equality.The failure to address CRSV and its different stigmas for both sexes mirrors the general lack of sustainable gender lenses in Ukraine's policymaking. It is no coincidence that a June 2020 proposal for gender parity in political parties coincided with another spike of sexist remarks by top officials. While women get access to more positions in the army, sexual harassment in the military is investigated slowly. Despite all the impressive female professionals, no woman made it to the first four-member consultative civic group in the Minsk process. Such lack of diversity sends an unfortunate message that women are not important for Ukraine’s peace process.Ginsburg said, ‘women belong in all places where decisions are being made.’ CRSV against either sex won’t be addressed properly until both sexes contribute with their talents and their grievances to all pillars of Ukraine’s state governance and strategy. Ukraine should look to engage professional women - and there are plenty - to join its public service not just in numbers, but as the indispensable equal voices of a powerful choir. Full Article