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CrazyLand: Dispatches on the Great American Derangement of our Time

Paperback – November 21, 2023




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The Most Calming Song in the World Isn’t Great

By Eli Yudin Published: November 10th, 2024




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Move Over Billy, IKEA’s Got a New Greatest Hit

As someone who practically grew up with ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” as my childhood soundtrack (thanks, Dad!), I couldn’t be more excited to share this news: IKEA launched an album! IKEA just dropped the mic with their first-ever global talent show, and let me tell you, it’s not about building furniture – it’s about building harmony. Earlier this year, they turned the spotlight on their musically gifted co-workers, and did they deliver. Picture this: 150 talented IKEA co-workers from 21 countries, […]

The post Move Over Billy, IKEA’s Got a New Greatest Hit appeared first on IKEA Hackers.






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ANOTHER GREAT GUN GUY PASSES

I was saddened to be told of the recent death of my old friend Ed Lovette. He had a long and distinguished career in military, law enforcement, and the CIA. Ed was a thinking man’s instructor. We took each other’s classes. He went through my LFI-I course back in the day , and about thirty […]





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The perfect autumn weekend in London – still one of Europe’s greatest cities




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A perfect break in Rio, South America’s great party city




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How Was the Great Pyramid Built?

Records show how the Egyptians built the Great Pyramid more than 4500 years ago.





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Trials for rapid-charging battery trains under way by Great Western Railway

The trains could be charged in a matter of minutes before setting off on their journeys




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The great gene editing debate: can it be safe and ethical?

A UK law allowing gene-edited food has been paused and some British scientists fear being overtaken.




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Which was the greatest F1 wet-weather drive?

Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have all mastered treacherous conditions to win F1 races - but which was the best?




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Football great Souness made CBE for charity work

The former Rangers and Liverpool star said charity fundraising allowed people to see "the real me".




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Top Ducati executive explains how the Army helped him succeed and shares 2 traits that make veterans great hires

Ducati North America CEO Jason Chinnock enlisted in the US Army out of high school and served with the Third Armored Division in Desert Storm.




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The new TOXIC AVENGER comic book is great

It's been just over a year since director Macon Blair premiered his new reboot of The Toxic Avenger at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The new film stars Peter Dinklage as the eponymous hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength, along with Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon, and more—but has unfortunately struggled to find support for a wider distribution, according to The Hollywood Reporter. — Read the rest

The post The new TOXIC AVENGER comic book is great appeared first on Boing Boing.




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Sport | Difference between good and great is handling pressure, says Kaizer Chiefs legend Baloyi

Former Kaizer Chiefs legend Brian Baloyi says that holding the Kaizer Chiefs No 1 jersey requires a hardened mentality, but he is upbeat over Amakhosi's chances this season.




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Restraining Great Powers: Soft Balancing Strategies Reconsidered




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The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams vs International Realities




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The Implication of Greater Use of Investment Screening

The Implication of Greater Use of Investment Screening 26 June 2020 — 9:00AM TO 10:30AM Anonymous (not verified) 11 February 2021 Online

What is driving the trend towards greater use of investment screening by nation states and regional economic groupings?

  • How is the COVID-19 crisis affecting this trend?
  • What will the economic implications be?
  • Will this help or hinder inclusivity and transparency in investment governance?
  • Is there a role for international safeguards and/or international coordination of national/regional approaches to investment screening?

This event is part of the Inclusive Governance Initiative, which is examining how to build more inclusive models and mechanisms of global governance fit for purpose in today’s world.




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Importance of endothelial Hey1 expression for thoracic great vessel development and its distal enhancer for Notch-dependent endothelial transcription [Gene Regulation]

Thoracic great vessels such as the aorta and subclavian arteries are formed through dynamic remodeling of embryonic pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs). Previous work has shown that loss of a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Hey1 in mice causes abnormal fourth PAA development and lethal great vessel anomalies resembling congenital malformations in humans. However, how Hey1 mediates vascular formation remains unclear. In this study, we revealed that Hey1 in vascular endothelial cells, but not in smooth muscle cells, played essential roles for PAA development and great vessel morphogenesis in mouse embryos. Tek-Cre–mediated Hey1 deletion in endothelial cells affected endothelial tube formation and smooth muscle differentiation in embryonic fourth PAAs and resulted in interruption of the aortic arch and other great vessel malformations. Cell specificity and signal responsiveness of Hey1 expression were controlled through multiple cis-regulatory regions. We found two distal genomic regions that had enhancer activity in endothelial cells and in the pharyngeal epithelium and somites, respectively. The novel endothelial enhancer was conserved across species and was specific to large-caliber arteries. Its transcriptional activity was regulated by Notch signaling in vitro and in vivo, but not by ALK1 signaling and other transcription factors implicated in endothelial cell specificity. The distal endothelial enhancer was not essential for basal Hey1 expression in mouse embryos but may likely serve for Notch-dependent transcriptional control in endothelial cells together with the proximal regulatory region. These findings help in understanding the significance and regulation of endothelial Hey1 as a mediator of multiple signaling pathways in embryonic vascular formation.




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Economic Diplomacy in the Era of Great Powers

17 September 2020

Dr Linda Yueh

Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme and US and the Americas Programme
The 21st-century global economy has different drivers from those in the previous century. Amid ever more politicized trade relations, economic diplomacy needs a more transparent framework.

2020-09-17-Trump-Economy-WEF-World-Economic-Forum-Davos

US president Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2020. Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images.

The emergence of a multipolar global economy in which the US is no longer the main engine of growth has boosted the role of economic diplomacy, the setting of foreign economic policy. While the EU remains the world’s biggest economic bloc and the US is still an economic powerhouse, it is Asia – China in particular – which has created hundreds of millions of new middle-class consumers, helping to drive global economic growth.

This shift has ignited an era of competition between the US and China and, by implication, a debate about the merits of different political and legal systems. The difficulty for the rest of the world is how best to navigate this highly polarized climate – in recent history, only the Cold War comes close to having matched the adversarial dynamics of such a divided international community.

In conducting economic diplomacy, governments should consider their economic strengths, the importance of transparency, and how best to operate in a fragmented international system.

First, the setting of trade and investment policy should take into account developments in the global economy. One trend worth noting is the rising importance of services – in particular digital services – in international trade. The expanding cross-border trade in intangibles such as business services and data means the negotiation, definition and enforcement of standards to regulate these are of growing importance for the global economy, and for policymakers in many countries.

In contrast, negotiations around merchandise trade are likely to take a somewhat lower profile. Under the World Trade Organization (WTO), tariffs on manufactured goods have dropped significantly in any case – though there is still scope to lower them. Contemporary diplomacy, as well as disputes, around the lowering or raising of barriers to international trade will increasingly concern non-tariff measures applicable to services rather than those, such as tariffs, that traditionally apply to goods.

For service-based economies, it is vital free-trade agreements (FTAs) encompass regulations and standards for intangibles. But this is difficult in a multipolar global economy where the US, China and the EU all have different legal and regulatory systems, and raises the prospect of a fragmented global trading system divided into blocs of countries adhering to different standards.

A pluralistic or mini-multilateral approach to trade such as the stalled Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) could help resolve elements of this division. TiSA was launched in 2013 by a group of advanced economies, not the entirety of the WTO, to further opening up global services trade. However, talks have been on hold since 2016 and, in the current climate, it is near impossible to conclude negotiations when the major economies do not come to the table and instead promote their own standards with their closest trading partners.

Second, policymakers should consider that, in an era of heightened trade tensions, any framework for economic diplomacy needs to be transparent if it is to be trusted and credible. Such a framework could centre on commercial openness and consistency with a country’s foreign and intelligence policy aims. For example, clearly spelling out how a country reviews prospective foreign investment and applying this consistently would demonstrate that all projects are treated equally without singling out any individual country. This would be an improvement over an ad hoc and less transparent approach .

A major challenge in creating a ‘principle-based’ economic diplomacy framework of this kind is reconciling competing policy aims. To this end, several key questions need answering. Should trade agreements encompass non-economic elements, such as foreign policy aims? Do concerns over national security mean that trade and investment agreements should favour allies? Could such a framework assess a trading or investment partner in terms of national security as well as potential economic benefit?

A country should also re-think how to undertake a wider international role when embarking on economic diplomacy. The inability of the major powers to set new global rules has had a detrimental impact on an international system under significant strain. The stalling of multilateral trade talks and urgency of international coordinated action on global public goods, such as health and the environment, shows there is a pressing need for a new approach to international relations.

Economic diplomacy could, and should, bolster the rules-based multilateral system. The challenge is engaging the major powers without whom widespread adoption of global policies and standards is less likely. Yet the chances of wider adoption might actually be better if a proposal does not come from either the US or China. This opens up the opportunity for other countries to be ‘honest brokers’ and potentially improve their own international standing.

In an era of increasing tension between great powers, economic diplomacy requires re-tooling. It should consider not just economic considerations, but also broader foreign policy aims, greater transparency, and a pluralistic approach to global rules to strengthen the multilateral system.




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High-throughput and site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of human alpha-1-acid glycoprotein offers a great potential for new biomarker discovery

Toma Keser
Dec 29, 2020; 0:RA120.002433v1-mcp.RA120.002433
Research




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High-throughput and site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of human alpha-1-acid glycoprotein offers a great potential for new biomarker discovery [Research]

Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) is an acute phase glycoprotein in blood, which is primarily synthetized in the liver and whose biological role is not completely understood. It consists of 45% carbohydrates that are present in the form of five N-linked complex glycans. AGP N-glycosylation was shown to be changed in many different diseases and some changes appear to be disease-specific, thus it has a great diagnostic and prognostic potential. However, AGP glycosylation was mainly analyzed in small cohorts and without detailed site-specific glycan information. Here, we developed a cost-effective method for a high-throughput and site-specific N-glycosylation LC-MS analysis of AGP which can be applied on large cohorts, aid in search for novel disease biomarkers and enable better understanding of AGP’s role and function in health and disease. The method does not require isolation of AGP with antibodies and affinity chromatography, but AGP is enriched by acid precipitation from 5 μl of bloodplasma in a 96 well format. After trypsinization, AGP glycopeptides are purified using a hydrophilic interaction chromatography based solid-phase extraction and analyzed by RP-LC-ESI-MS. We used our method to show for the first time that AGP N-glycan profile is stable in healthy individuals (14 individuals in 3 time points), which is a requirement for evaluation of its diagnostic potential. Furthermore, we tested our method on a population including individuals with registered hyperglycemia in critical illness (59 cases and 49 controls), which represents a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Individuals at higher risk of diabetes presented increased N-glycan branching on AGP’s second glycosylation site and lower sialylation of N-glycans on AGP’s third and AGP1’s fourth glycosylation site. Although this should be confirmed on a larger prospective cohort, it indicates that site-specific AGP N-glycan profile could help distinguish individuals who are at risk of type 2 diabetes.




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Middle East and great power competition

Middle East and great power competition 28 November 2022 — 12:00PM TO 1:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 25 October 2022 Chatham House and Online

Experts discuss how the Middle East is changing in a fast-moving geopolitical environment.

The war in Ukraine and great power competition define not only global politics but also regional ones. The Middle East is a microcosm for observing how the great power rivalry informs regional affairs.

OPEC+’s decision to reduce oil supply to international markets and many regional states’ balancing act between the West and Russia, for that matter China as well, are only a few recent policy choices that clearly illustrate how the global and regional levels interact with each other.

Plus this is now a region in which the US has downsized its security commitments, whereas Russia has increased its footprint in regional security and China in economy.

This event tries to unpack how the great power rivalry and the war in Ukraine affect regional politics and how the Middle East adjusts itself to this new phase in global politics.




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U.S., South Korea agree to greater cooperation on civil nuclear energy

Earlier this month, the United States and the Republic of Korea reached an agreement on greater cooperation on civil nuclear energy projects, the U.S. Department of Energy said this week.




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Children Anticipate What Others Want, But Great Apes Don't

New cross-species research suggests a theory of mind is one thing that sets humans apart from apes




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The greatest show on Earth — for kids who need it most | Sahba Aminikia

TED Fellow and composer Sahba Aminikia brings the healing power of dance, storytelling, music and performance to some of the most dangerous places on Earth. By celebrating children and their communities with beauty and joy, he shows how to cultivate hope, connection and love — even in conflict zones. "The ultimate power is in unity," Aminikia says.




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'It's A Great Day': Kenzie Lalonde To Call Play-By-Play For Ottawa Senators Games In 2024-25

Kenzie Lalonde will become the first woman play-by-play announcer for an NHL team's TV broadcasts in Canada. Reactions and endorsements have poured in.




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The Wraparound: Have The Washington Capitals Found Their Next Great Playmaker?

Emma Lingan and Eric Cruikshank discuss Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome, the Bruins and Red Wings coaches, Kirill Kaprizov's next contract and much more.




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Latest CFP rankings are great news for IU football. Here's why.

With new CFP rankings having Indiana at No. 5, it's a clear sign from the Playoff committee: wins matter.




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FAO in review: Greater visibility and increased transparency

Read the series on how FAO increased efficiency, effectiveness and transparency to better support its Members in the transformation of agrifood systems.




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Scanning the Worlds Greatest Violins

In between trips to archaeology digs around the world, scientist Bruno Frohlich uses 3-D imaging to uncover what makes a great stringed instrument. Read more at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/scanning-a-stradivarius-13807009/




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South African Great Whites

Learn about this often misunderstood creature




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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Is One of America's Greatest National Monuments

Lonnie Bunch, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, discusses the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, one of America's greatest monuments.




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When Your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Is a Civil War Hero

Photographer Drew Gardner has a passion for history. His long-term project, “The Descendants,” (https://www.drewgardner.com/descendants)  wherein he recreates famous portraits of historical figures featuring their direct offspring, is his most visible expression of this interest. But like a lot of people who study history, Gardner has in recent years begun to contemplate more deeply the question of whose stories have been judged worthy of preservation, and whose have been allowed to fade into obscurity. That was how he decided to shift his specific focus to locating and photographing Black American descendants of Civil War veterans. You can take a look at Gardner’s photographs and read magazine editor Jennie Rothenberg Gritz’s exploration of their meaning here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/descendants-black-civil-war-heroes-wear-heritage-pride-180983397/) . On the latest episode of the Smithsonian podcast “There’s More to That,” (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/podcast)  I speak with Janisse Flowers and her 9-year-son, Neikoye, who are descended from the Civil War drummer boy David Miles Moore Jr. After some reflection, Janisse and her husband decided to grant Gardner’s request to photograph Neikoye dressed in a replica of Moore’s Union Army uniform. Both Janisse and Neikoye share their surprise over how this experience made them more conscious of their heritage. I’m also joined by Gardner himself, who describes the challenges—and, he hopes, the potential benefits—of asking Black Americans to revisit one of the most painful chapters of America’s history by (almost) literally stepping into their ancestors’ shoes. You can learn more about Drew and his work at his website (https://www.drewgardner.com/) . Find prior episodes of our show here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/podcast/) . There’s More to That is a production of Smithsonian magazine and PRX Productions. From the magazine, our team is Chris Klimek, Debra Rosenberg and Brian Wolly. From PRX, our team is Jessica Miller, Adriana Rosas Rivera, Genevieve Sponsler, Terence Bernardo, and Edwin Ochoa. The Executive Producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales. Fact-checking by Stephanie Abramson. Episode artwork by Emily Lankiewicz. Music by APM Music.




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The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name

In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as "Kuwohi"




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Nearly 40 Years After She Walked the Great Wall of China, Marina Abramović Returns to the Country With a New Exhibition

"Transforming Energy," the artist's first museum show in China, focuses on "artworks and objects that actively engage the audience"




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A Great White Shark Mysteriously Washed Ashore in Cape Cod, and Researchers Don't Know Why

Authorities have not yet identified the cause of death for the 12.5-foot-long shark, which was named Koala




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Cape Breton woman tracks down great-uncle's lost WWII medals in time for Remembrance Day

A Port Hawkesbury woman has long imagined a Remembrance Day with her great-uncle's war medals. It will happen this year for the first time thanks to some sleuthing and the kindness of her great-uncle's foster family.



  • News/Canada/Nova Scotia

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Gun violence is on the rise in Canada. In parts of the Greater Toronto Area, it's a record-breaking year

Families are grappling with the consequences of growing gun violence in Hamilton and across the Greater Toronto Area this year. Several of the region's police forces have warned of an alarming rise in shootings since January.




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Two cultures, one great God

God transforms the hearts of teens from two people groups, who normally do not interact, to bring them together for worship, Bible study and friendship.




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SOLIDWORKS COSMOSDesignSTAR 2007 software opens the door to greater innovation and higher product quality

Automation of time-consuming analysis tasks and support for popular CAD programs gives designers and engineers a safety net for experimenting with new product designs




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SOLIDWORKS 2011 Helps Turn Good Ideas into Great Results

Focus on Speed and Collaboration Enables Design Teams to Work More Productively and Profitably




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iMac review roundup: good performance, good price -- and great colors

Apple's new M4 24-inch iMac shows that the all-in-one desktop computer still has a loyal fanbase, with every reviewer also relishing the more vibrant colors of the new model.


M4 24-inch iMac - Image credit: Apple

Apple hosted a "week of exciting announcements" in late October, debuting three upgraded Mac models. Among them was a refresh of its much-loved iMac.

While the iMac mostly got a spec bump, it's nice to see that Apple views the all-in-one as a worthwhile addition to the Mac lineup.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums




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Perline of great price

Since joining OM’s Namana Project, one couple has developed a successful business, built their own home and can give their children an education.




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A great hope

Kuching, Malaysia :: The Logos Hope family celebrates Easter day together onboard.




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Bigger office, greater impact

On 19 March, OM Australia moved into their new home, a place that will help mobilise more people and finances into missions.




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Not just a great experience

A group from the U.S. demonstrated God’s love during OM Costa Rica’s city outreach, which focused primarily on working within the slums of San José.