cts Did you know dairy products can be made without cow or nuts? By inhabitat.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000 From cows to goats to sheep, the availability of dairy is ubiquitous. But with copious environmental and health issues around traditional dairy products, alternatives are in the spotlight more than ever. Now there’s a way to enjoy yogurt, cheese and ice cream without a heavy reliance on animals or nuts. It’s called Precision Fermentation, and it puts an old technology to new use. [...] Full Article food Dairy Drinks precision fermentation dairy alternatives
cts Did you know these surprising solar panel facts? By inhabitat.com Published On :: Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000 Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently available photovoltaic solar cell technology is still not as efficient as desired. The cells used in most solar panels have an efficiency of about 15% to 20%. This means that only about 20% of the sun rays that reach the panel are converted to electricity.[...] Full Article Solar solar solar panels solar panel net zero
cts German Police Disrupt DDoS-for-Hire Platform dstat[.]cc; Suspects Arrested By thehackernews.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:32:00 +0530 German law enforcement authorities have announced the disruption of a criminal service called dstat[.]cc that made it possible for other threat actors to easily mount distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. "The platform made such DDoS attacks accessible to a wide range of users, even those without any in-depth technical skills of their own," the Federal Criminal Police Office (aka Full Article
cts Malware Campaign Uses Ethereum Smart Contracts to Control npm Typosquat Packages By thehackernews.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:03:00 +0530 An ongoing campaign is targeting npm developers with hundreds of typosquat versions of their legitimate counterparts in an attempt to trick them into running cross-platform malware. The attack is notable for utilizing Ethereum smart contracts for command-and-control (C2) server address distribution, according to independent findings from Checkmarx, Phylum, and Socket published over the past few Full Article
cts Winos 4.0 Malware Infects Gamers Through Malicious Game Optimization Apps By thehackernews.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:29:00 +0530 Cybersecurity researchers are warning that a command-and-control (C&C) framework called Winos is being distributed within gaming-related applications like installation tools, speed boosters, and optimization utilities. "Winos 4.0 is an advanced malicious framework that offers comprehensive functionality, a stable architecture, and efficient control over numerous online endpoints to execute Full Article
cts New CRON#TRAP Malware Infects Windows by Hiding in Linux VM to Evade Antivirus By thehackernews.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:45:00 +0530 Cybersecurity researchers have flagged a new malware campaign that infects Windows systems with a Linux virtual instance containing a backdoor capable of establishing remote access to the compromised hosts. The "intriguing" campaign, codenamed CRON#TRAP, starts with a malicious Windows shortcut (LNK) file likely distributed in the form of a ZIP archive via a phishing email. "What makes the CRON# Full Article
cts THE LAW AND THE FACTS ARE ON OUR SIDE, BUT WE SHOULD BE USING EMOTION, TOO By www.backwoodshome.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000 Historically, both law and facts are on the gun owners’ side of the “gun control” debate, and the Other Side had relied largely on emotion. I respectfully submit that emotion is something our side should play to, as well. I made that point recently at the 2024 Gun Rights Policy Conference in San Diego last […] Full Article Uncategorized
cts Google’s ‘Where to Vote’ Search Result Reflects Quirk of Candidate Surname, Not Bias By www.factcheck.org Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:56:25 +0000 Social media users alleged bias against former President Donald Trump when a Google search on Election Day for “where to vote” returned an interactive map to find a person’s polling station when including the word “Harris” but not “Trump.” The reason is because “Harris” is a county in Texas, whereas “Trump” is not a location. The post Google’s ‘Where to Vote’ Search Result Reflects Quirk of Candidate Surname, Not Bias appeared first on FactCheck.org. Full Article Debunking Viral Claims FactCheck Posts 2024 elections Presidential Election 2024
cts Russian Penitentiary System of the 90s: Two Photo Projects From Foreign Authors By englishrussia.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Jan 2022 07:40:24 +0000 The post Russian Penitentiary System of the 90s: Two Photo Projects From Foreign Authors appeared first on English Russia. Full Article Law Photos Society 90s law prison
cts Princeton-HBCU research collaborations continue with 10 new projects By www.princeton.edu Published On :: Fri, 03 Nov 2023 16:44:17 -0400 This is the second round of Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research (PACRI) projects partnering HBCU and Princeton researchers. Full Article
cts Study shows routes for recycling carbon dioxide and coal waste into useful products By www.princeton.edu Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:34:00 -0400 A new report led by Emily Carter and Elizabeth Zeitler *14 offers research and policy ideas, including carbon fiber replacements for rebar in construction and titanium in high-tech applications. Full Article
cts Two Dale Fellowship recipients pursue original projects after graduation By www.princeton.edu Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:55:00 -0500 The Martin A. Dale '53 Fellowship provides grants for Princeton seniors to spend the year after graduation on "an independent project of extraordinary merit." Juliette Carbonnier and Collin Riggins are the latest recipients. Full Article
cts These Are the Quick Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Music NFTs By www.star2.org Published On :: Wed, 17 May 2023 08:02:53 +0000 Most people buy NFTs to support their favorite musicians or entertainers, feeling they own a piece of the song or album. If you constantly stream music, you should invest in NFTs instead; they exist on the blockchain and can’t be replicated. An NFT is linked to an individual song, EP, album, or video clip. Some ... Read more The post These Are the Quick Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Music NFTs appeared first on Star Two. Full Article Music Technology EDM Artists NFT Streaming
cts 6 stinking cool facts about dog noses By www.pbs.org Published On :: Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:50:28 +0000 Dogs can sniff out disease and analyze new odors even as they exhale. But how? Full Article
cts How do psychedelics work? This brain region may explain their effects By www.pbs.org Published On :: Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:23:00 +0000 The claustrum seems to act as a switchboard, telling different parts of the brain when to turn on and off. But what happens when the switchboard operator steps away? Full Article
cts 4 major effects of climate change in America By www.pbs.org Published On :: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:36:00 +0000 Warming temperatures are causing extreme weather patterns across the country. But communities are pushing back with solutions old and new. Full Article
cts How to create local climate change projects with your students By www.pbs.org Published On :: Thu, 04 May 2023 13:51:00 +0000 Three STEM educators share best practices for tackling climate change in the classroom through project-based learning. Full Article
cts 5 Little-Known Facts About the Eiffel Tower By www.pbs.org Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 19:18:00 +0000 The Eiffel Tower is an engineering icon that changed the face of the modern world. Full Article
cts How the 1874 Freedman's Bank collapse connects to economic disparities we see today By www.npr.org Published On :: Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:03:31 -0500 In Savings and Trust, historian Justene Hill Edwards tells the story of the Freedman's Bank. Created for formerly enslaved people following the Civil War, its collapse cost depositors millions. Full Article
cts Joanie Margulies: Reporting the unbiased facts of Israel’s breaking news By www.jpost.com Published On :: Sat, 02 Nov 2024 04:42:22 GMT Behind the Bylines: Breaking news coverage is the backbone of news, and in Israel, it comes with the added intensity of wartime coverage within the war. Joanie Margulies has been doing just that. Full Article journalism The October 7 Massacre Gaza hostages Israel-Hamas War Behind the Bylines
cts Kari Lake’s Campaign Chair Reacts to Election: “No Transparency” (Video) By sonsoflibertymedia.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:16:53 +0000 For a second time, Kari Lake has been denied a win in an election. First, it was for governor of Arizona, which was clearly due to election and voter fraud. Now, it appears something similar occurred in her race against Ruben Gallego. Now, the head of her campaign is speaking out and saying that there … Full Article News U.S. News Videos
cts Corruption review finds 'red flags' in more than 130 Covid contracts By www.bbc.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:04:10 GMT An anti-corruption charity finds significant concerns in £15.3bn worth of contracts awarded during the pandemic. Full Article
cts Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea By www.bbc.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:11:07 GMT The UK Health Security Agency argued naming the junior officials could put them at risk of abuse. Full Article
cts Biden Campaign Rejects Trump Campaign Calls For Pre-Debate Inspection For Electronic Earpieces By hispolitica.com Published On :: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 17:58:12 +0000 The Trump campaign wants a third-party inspector to inspect both President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ears for electronic devices or transmitters prior to Tuesday night’s presidential debate. Trump has consented to the inspection while the Biden campaign has declined. However, according to a source told Floridian Press that the Biden campaign agreed […] The post Biden Campaign Rejects Trump Campaign Calls For Pre-Debate Inspection For Electronic Earpieces appeared first on Hispolitica. Full Article 2020 Election 2020 2020 election 2020 Presidential Race Chris Wallace Cleveland Earpieces fox news Joe Biden Kate Bedingfield president trump Presidential Debate Tim Murtaugh Trump Campaign
cts 6 Top Outdoor Projects Homeowners Are Taking On By www.nar.realtor Published On :: Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:09:21 +0000 6 Top Outdoor Projects Homeowners Are Taking On Homeowners continue to focus on curb appeal, targeting improvements for the front and back yards. By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey Remodeling, Design & Architecture Full Article
cts How Nations League affects World Cup qualifying By www.bbc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:37:30 GMT BBC Sport looks at what England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have to play for in the Nations League - and how it ties into the World Cup. Full Article
cts News24 | Donald Trump's 'very polarising brand' raises new conflicts of interest following US election win By www.news24.com Published On :: Wednesday Nov 13 2024 09:00:22 Donald Trump's impending White House return poses questions once again about conflicts of interest related to his business empire, with new cryptocurrency and other ventures raising fresh concerns. Full Article
cts Teachers can assess young students’ literacy skills and knowledge by encouraging them to produce books based on animal facts. By www.npr.org Published On :: Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:49:56 EDT A new children's book transforms a sad, scared and anxious little boy into a superhero. The book is called "Cape," in honor of the bright-red cape the little boy wears and finds comfort in following the death of his father. "Cape" is Kevin Johnson's debut picture book, and it's vividly illustrated by artist Kitt Thomas. Full Article
cts Three Benefits of Promoting Digital Goods and Software Products By blog.avangate.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Are you dreaming of being your own boss someday, or would you like to bring in extra income? Starting an online business is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. The biggest challenge of starting an online business can be developing your business plan. If you are struggling to come up with that brilliant […] Full Article
cts Current State of the Evidence: Examining the Effects of Orton-Gillingham Reading Interventions for Students With or at Risk for Word-Level Reading Disabilities By www.readingrockets.org Published On :: Tue, 11 Oct 2022 10:40:37 EDT Over the past decade, parent advocacy groups led a grassroots movement resulting in most states adopting dyslexia-specific legislation, with many states mandating the use of the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach to reading instruction. Orton-Gillingham is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive approach to reading for students with or at risk for word-level reading disabilities (WLRD). Evidence from a prior synthesis and What Works Clearinghouse reports yielded findings lacking support for the effectiveness of OG interventions. Full Article
cts The Poopcopter is a DIY autonomous drone that finds and collects dog-doo By boingboing.net Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 22:27:31 +0000 A Minnessota maker named Caleb Olson built the Poopcopter, an autonomous drone that seeks out dog-doo and retrieves it for disposal. He describes it as the "world's first aerial bound self-guided dog poop removal system." See it in action below. "The Poopcopter is capable of scanning areas defined by a user, your backyard for example, and as it scans it's performing real-time computer vision using the camera which is inside the drone," Olson says. — Read the rest The post The Poopcopter is a DIY autonomous drone that finds and collects dog-doo appeared first on Boing Boing. Full Article Post animals dogs DRONES
cts Economic Turmoil Affects Investment in Video By communicationtransformation.blogspot.com Published On :: Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:17:00 +0000 Interactive Media Strategies released a quite timely study conducted in Q1 2011 that measured corporate executives' financial outlook and how their relative positivity or negativity affected their plans for spending on video. As one might imagine, only 6% of those with a negative outlook projected increased spending on video against 64% projecting less money spent on video. 39% of executives surveyed who were expecting their finances to improve projected increased spend on video, versus 29% who projected a decrease. Unfortunately, the study did not provide the percentage of respondents who were expecting finances to decline versus the percentage of respondents expecting finances to improve. The above results not all that unexpected, but they lay the foundation for this very interesting data: the study measured different types of executives and how their positions within the company influenced their outlook about whether macro-economic factors would impact spend on video. 46% of those in Accounting and Finance, 43% of those in Training, and 42% of Top Executives responded that macro-economic factors had "No Impact" in their decision to purchase video technology. Overall, 40% of non-IT personnel responded that the economic climate would have no impact. However, only 29% of IT executives responded that the economy would have no impact. I attribute this disparity to senior executives and heavy video users (like training executives) being more focused on the ROI and cost reductions that video brings to the enterprise, while IT executives are more focused on the cost of maintaining video delivery infrastructure and the impact on their budgets. I believe the path to bridging this gap is to leverage the cost savings of the cloud to free up IT resources and still deliver the benefits of video to the business users. For example, MediaPlatform's PrimeTime application for video asset management leverages public or private clouds to host our application and store all of the video assets. For example: for clients that have Riverbed, we use a cloud instance of the Riverbed Steelhead to reduce bandwidth usage between the cloud and the network by 80%. Full Article
cts M8R tropomyosin mutation disrupts actin binding and filament regulation: The beginning affects the middle and end [Molecular Bases of Disease] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-12-11T00:06:20-08:00 Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with mutations in cardiomyocyte sarcomeric proteins, including α-tropomyosin. In conjunction with troponin, tropomyosin shifts to regulate actomyosin interactions. Tropomyosin molecules overlap via tropomyosin–tropomyosin head-to-tail associations, forming a continuous strand along the thin filament. These associations are critical for propagation of tropomyosin's reconfiguration along the thin filament and key for the cooperative switching between heart muscle contraction and relaxation. Here, we tested perturbations in tropomyosin structure, biochemistry, and function caused by the DCM-linked mutation, M8R, which is located at the overlap junction. Localized and nonlocalized structural effects of the mutation were found in tropomyosin that ultimately perturb its thin filament regulatory function. Comparison of mutant and WT α-tropomyosin was carried out using in vitro motility assays, CD, actin co-sedimentation, and molecular dynamics simulations. Regulated thin filament velocity measurements showed that the presence of M8R tropomyosin decreased calcium sensitivity and thin filament cooperativity. The co-sedimentation of actin and tropomyosin showed weakening of actin-mutant tropomyosin binding. The binding of troponin T's N terminus to the actin-mutant tropomyosin complex was also weakened. CD and molecular dynamics indicate that the M8R mutation disrupts the four-helix bundle at the head-to-tail junction, leading to weaker tropomyosin–tropomyosin binding and weaker tropomyosin–actin binding. Molecular dynamics revealed that altered end-to-end bond formation has effects extending toward the central region of the tropomyosin molecule, which alter the azimuthal position of tropomyosin, likely disrupting the mutant thin filament response to calcium. These results demonstrate that mutation-induced alterations in tropomyosin–thin filament interactions underlie the altered regulatory phenotype and ultimately the pathogenesis of DCM. Full Article
cts Development Prospects in the Asia-Pacific: The Role of the Asian Development Bank By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Wed, 04 Sep 2019 12:55:01 +0000 Development Prospects in the Asia-Pacific: The Role of the Asian Development Bank 25 September 2019 — 12:30PM TO 1:30PM Anonymous (not verified) 4 September 2019 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE The speaker will discuss development prospects in the Asia-Pacific and their implications for Europe and the UK. He will outline prospects for the region’s growth, the impact of the current US-China trade conflict as well as other challenges faced by the region. He will also discuss the future role of the Asian Development Bank and how it plans to support the further development of the region. Full Article
cts What are the lasting impacts of the AUKUS agreement? By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 15 Aug 2022 21:32:19 +0000 What are the lasting impacts of the AUKUS agreement? Interview LJefferson 15 August 2022 Drawing on their International Affairs article, Jamal Barnes and Samuel Makinda outline the effect of AUKUS on Australia-France relations and the liberal order. Almost a year after the surprise announcement of the AUKUS treaty, its full diplomatic implications are still being understood. The security cooperation agreement between Australia, the US and the UK caused outrage in France and was a notable source of discord between states that see themselves as defenders of the liberal international order. In this interview Jamal Barnes and Samuel Makinda discuss their recent article in International Affairs and assess the effect of the agreement on relationships between its signatories and France and the EU, the potential for reconciliation in the treaty’s aftermath, as well as the implications it has for trust in world politics. What was the AUKUS treaty and why did Australia sign it? The AUKUS treaty is an agreement between Australia, the US and the UK. Signed in 2021, it facilitates cooperation on security issues in the Indo-Pacific between the three countries – specifically, it concerns the sharing of ‘military capabilities and critical technologies, such as cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and undersea domains’. A key aspect is that Australia will purchase nuclear-fuelled submarines from either the US or UK. Australia decided to purchase nuclear-powered submarines – and reneged on its 2016 agreement to purchase French-built diesel-propelled submarines – because it believed that the French-made submarines were no longer fit for purpose. The AUKUS agreement reflects the increased attention that the US, UK and Australia are paying to the Indo-Pacific and their commitment to constraining China’s exercise of power in the region. However, the agreement is about more than submarines. Although Australia, the UK and US argue that AUKUS is designed to defend the rules-based international order and help ‘preserve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific’, AUKUS has been largely seen as a response to the rise of China and its military activities in the region. The AUKUS agreement reflects the increased attention that the US, UK and Australia are paying to the Indo-Pacific and their commitment to constraining China’s exercise of power in the region. What were the effects of the AUKUS treaty on relations between Australia and France? It led to a serious diplomatic rift. Australian officials, including former Prime Minister Morrison, had visited President Macron in France and told him nothing about AUKUS. Morrison had assured Macron in June 2021 while former Australian foreign and defence ministers had assured their French counterparts that Australia was fully committed to the purchase of French submarines just two weeks before the announcement of AUKUS. France was not only left out of talks but was also betrayed by a country it considered a close ally. When French officials found out about AUKUS on the day it was announced on 15 September 2021, they declared publicly that they had been betrayed and stabbed in the back. Not only had France built its relationship with Australia on trust, but its relationship was more than just about submarines. It was designed to be central to France’s 50-year engagement strategy in the Indo-Pacific. However, France was not only left out of talks but was also betrayed by a country it considered a close ally. France responded by temporarily recalling its ambassador and stated that it would ‘redefine’ its relationship with Australia. It did not say that it would not work with Australia, but rather downgraded its relationship to one where it would only do so on a case-by-case basis. In your article you mention that the AUKUS treaty was seen as a betrayal of trust by France in particular. Why use the word ‘betrayal’? The word betrayal is accurate because Australia’s actions went beyond simply cancelling a business contract. Australia breached France’s trust. Not all agreements involve trust. Some are driven by self-interest while others are simply legal contracts. When these agreements are broken, the usual response is feelings of disappointment and a belief that one party is unreliable and has not lived up to its end of the agreement. However, when diplomatic partnerships involve trust, they often contain an emotional element. A key element of trust is that one party makes itself vulnerable to another in the expectation that neither party will take advantage. When that trust is breached, the response is different from a breach of contract. It involves feelings of betrayal as deeper emotional factors are involved. This could be seen in President Macron’s anger, and his and other French officials’ willingness to publicly call Prime Minister Morrison a liar who had stabbed France in the back. If the previous France-Australia agreement was simply a legal contract, it would have been difficult to explain the emotional element of this diplomatic fallout. How did the signing of the AUKUS treaty affect wider relations between members of AUKUS and EU member states? The EU, like France, felt betrayed by the AUKUS announcement. Despite being a key ally of the US, Australia, and the UK, it was left out of AUKUS discussions, and was not aware of the agreement until it was announced in the media. For the EU, this was the latest in a long line of recent policy betrayals that had left it uncertain if it could trust key allies on important issues. What made this worse was that the EU was in the process of announcing its Indo-Pacific strategy, which was characterized as ‘maybe one of the [EU’s] most important geopolitical documents’ by High Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell. For the EU, this was the latest in a long line of recent policy betrayals that had left it uncertain if it could trust key allies on important issues. The result was greater calls from within the EU to more forcefully pursue ‘strategic autonomy’, meaning a more assertive and independent EU foreign policy. Do betrayals of trust affect the health of the liberal international order? Yes, they can. While it is common for leaders in liberal democracies to lie to their own people, lying to the leaders of other countries can have serious repercussions for the norms, rules and institutions of international society. A key aspect of international society is the ‘presumption of trust’ that facilitates legal compliance and diplomatic cooperation. Without this presumption it is difficult for states to engage in long term partnerships or have confidence that diplomatic agreements will be upheld. In our article, we highlight how Australia’s violation of a particular norm, that agreements must be kept, has undermined this presumption of trust. This norm not only helps build trust between states, but also contributes to the maintenance of international order by helping to support the presumption of trust in international society. Full Article
cts The interconnected impacts of the Iraq war By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:43:28 +0000 The interconnected impacts of the Iraq war Expert comment LJefferson 22 March 2023 Relying on weak intelligence for invading Iraq has had a negative impact on US and UK credibility with several consequences that persist to this day. 20 years on from the fateful decision to invade Iraq, it is generally accepted that the US and UK governments overstated the evidence available for them to justify military action. The central claim to defend invading Iraq was that the country had continued its illicit nuclear weapons programme and had retained illegal stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons. None of these claims supported an imminent threat justification nor could any hidden caches of WMD be found by the US Iraq Survey Group after the invasion. In the US, President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney hinted at additional evidence which could not be shared publicly to suggest that if only people knew what the government knew, they would agree that Iraq posed a significant threat to the West and needed to be disarmed. In the UK, the Blair government acted similarly, focusing on a narrow interpretation of the evidence provided by the intelligence services and ignoring many of the dire warnings offered by academics and other experts. The Chilcot Inquiry found that the Blair government greatly exaggerated the threat Iraq posed to the UK, and that government arguments were based on the prime minister’s personal beliefs, as well as his promise to President Bush to support the US invasion. Relying on inadequate information and a biased analysis for invading Iraq has had a negative impact on US and UK credibility in the international security policy environment and domestically with ramifications that persist to this day. Impacts on soft power and trust The invasion had an impact on US and UK soft power due to negative perceptions of the decision to go to war and the competence of the UK and US: public opinion polling by the Pew Center showed that perceptions of the US declined significantly as a result of the invasion of Iraq, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia. This is undoubtedly a challenge for the US, but arguably an even bigger challenge for the UK, which due to its size and power relies much more on diplomacy and coalition-building in order to achieve its goals within various international treaty frameworks. The accuracy of the US/UK intelligence on Russia’s invasion, coupled with their sharing it openly, may well have restored faith in their capabilities and analysis. Over nearly two decades, the US and the UK no longer seemed to enjoy the same foundation of trust, even with close allies, as they did previously. This changed in February 2022. Towards the end of 2021, both the US and the UK were sounding the alarm about an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine based on information and analysis from their intelligence services. Despite the amassing of Russian troops, tanks and artillery on the border clearly visible from the air and by satellite imagery, several allies remained unconvinced until the invasion happened. This was in part due to their own assessments which indicated that Russia would stop short of an invasion, and in part because allies were unwilling to take US and UK statements on faith, without being able to assess the information themselves. US officials found this frustrating as it meant that NATO and the EU were slower off the mark with support for Ukraine than they might otherwise have been. However, the accuracy of the US/UK intelligence on Russia’s invasion, coupled with their sharing it openly, may well have restored faith in their capabilities and analysis. A more open approach to intelligence Over the last few years, there seems to have been a change in accepted practice regarding sharing and using intelligence. The UK Ministry of Defence has taken a much more open approach to intelligence in the war in Ukraine, sharing the most recent defence information publicly in order to counter Russian disinformation. This is a positive step to ensure that intelligence can be discussed and assessed critically. Being more open about secret intelligence may also be linked to the increasing capabilities of open-source intelligence (OSINT). Non-governmental and international organizations and the media all now have access to data from, for example, imaging satellites and can independently verify information coming from governments. Perceived double standards A reduction of trust in US and UK intelligence was not the only impact of the invasion of Iraq. Russia and China have repeatedly called out the US and UK for acting without a second UN Security Council mandate. Putin uses the decision to invade Iraq, as well as the NATO humanitarian intervention in Kosovo, to justify Russia’s actions in Crimea. He invokes parallel language to spread disinformation about a ‘responsibility to protect life’ of the (‘ethnically Russian’) Crimean population. Russia has also repeatedly used the WMD trope to create false narratives around Ukrainian biosecurity laboratories to justify Russian military actions against Ukraine. Putin uses the decision to invade Iraq, as well as the NATO humanitarian intervention in Kosovo, to justify Russia’s actions in Crimea. Deciding to invade Iraq under what turned out to be a false pretext has weakened the application of the international rule of law and has led to a perceived double standard whereby powerful states can use UN processes in their favour, or completely disregard them if they do not deliver their goals. As the Chilcot Inquiry found, there was very little preparation for the post-invasion period either in the US or the UK. Confirmation bias led not only to trusting shaky intelligence but also to believing in a best-case scenario and a ‘relatively benign security environment’ once the invasion had prevailed. Mismanaging the country’s occupation afterwards also led to the perception that the UK and US are less competent than projected. Problems for the international order The Iraq War has left many smaller and medium-sized states outside Europe and North America with the impression that powerful states are not committed to an equitable international system and instead will bend the rules to suit them while nonetheless holding other states to account. This dynamic poses a serious problem for the international system. It opens the door to ‘whataboutism’ in Russia’s false justifications for invading Ukraine and undermines faith in international law, destabilizing the international order in the longer term. Beyond the immediate challenges of dealing with the war in Ukraine, reforming and strengthening the international order to make it more equitable will be one of the most significant challenges the US and UK will face over the next decade. A trust deficit Domestically, for already disappointed citizens, the deceit over intelligence it is yet another piece of evidence which suggests that their government is not trustworthy and may not have their best interests at heart. This has profound implications for US and UK democracies, making it harder for governments to counter citizens’ susceptibilities to disinformation campaigns. Full Article
cts Mass Spectrometry of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Peptidomes Reveals Strong Effects of Protein Abundance and Turnover on Antigen Presentation By www.mcponline.org Published On :: 2015-03-01 Michal Bassani-SternbergMar 1, 2015; 14:658-673Research Full Article
cts The Human Plasma Proteome: History, Character, and Diagnostic Prospects By www.mcponline.org Published On :: 2002-11-01 N. Leigh AndersonNov 1, 2002; 1:845-867Reviews/Perspectives Full Article
cts Stopping the Use of Chemical Weapons in Modern Conflicts By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
cts Undercurrents: Episode 19 - Green Building Projects in Jordan, and Qatar's Football World Cup By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
cts Ten Conflicts to Watch in 2019 By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
cts Artificial Intelligence and the Public: Prospects, Perceptions and Implications By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
cts Ten Conflicts to Watch in 2020 By f1.media.brightcove.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
cts Thematic review series: The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis. Effects of infection and inflammation on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism mechanisms and consequences to the host By www.jlr.org Published On :: 2004-07-01 Weerapan KhovidhunkitJul 1, 2004; 45:1169-1196Thematic Reviews Full Article
cts Role of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in mediating the effects of fibrates and fatty acids on gene expression By www.jlr.org Published On :: 1996-05-01 K SchoonjansMay 1, 1996; 37:907-925Reviews Full Article
cts Amyloid precursor protein is a restriction factor that protects against Zika virus infection in mammalian brains [Gene Regulation] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-12-11T00:06:20-08:00 Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes several diseases including birth defects such as microcephaly. Intrinsic immunity is known to be a frontline defense against viruses through host anti-viral restriction factors. Limited knowledge is available on intrinsic immunity against ZIKV in brains. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is predominantly expressed in brains and implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's diseases. We have found that ZIKV interacts with APP, and viral infection increases APP expression via enhancing protein stability. Moreover, we identified the viral peptide, HGSQHSGMIVNDTGHETDENRAKVEITPNSPRAEATLGGFGSLGL, which is capable of en-hancing APP expression. We observed that aging brain tissues with APP had protective effects on ZIKV infection by reducing the availability of the viruses. Also, knockdown of APP expression or blocking ZIKV-APP interactions enhanced ZIKV replication in human neural progenitor/stem cells. Finally, intracranial infection of ZIKV in APP-null neonatal mice resulted in higher mortality and viral yields. Taken together, these findings suggest that APP is a restriction factor that protects against ZIKV by serving as a decoy receptor, and plays a protective role in ZIKV-mediated brain injuries. Full Article
cts Novel fluorescent GPCR biosensor detects retinal equilibrium binding to opsin and active G protein and arrestin signaling conformations [Molecular Biophysics] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-12-18T00:06:18-08:00 Rhodopsin is a canonical class A photosensitive G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR), yet relatively few pharmaceutical agents targeting this visual receptor have been identified, in part due to the unique characteristics of its light-sensitive, covalently bound retinal ligands. Rhodopsin becomes activated when light isomerizes 11-cis-retinal into an agonist, all-trans-retinal (ATR), which enables the receptor to activate its G protein. We have previously demonstrated that, despite being covalently bound, ATR can display properties of equilibrium binding, yet how this is accomplished is unknown. Here, we describe a new approach for both identifying compounds that can activate and attenuate rhodopsin and testing the hypothesis that opsin binds retinal in equilibrium. Our method uses opsin-based fluorescent sensors, which directly report the formation of active receptor conformations by detecting the binding of G protein or arrestin fragments that have been fused onto the receptor's C terminus. We show that these biosensors can be used to monitor equilibrium binding of the agonist, ATR, as well as the noncovalent binding of β-ionone, an antagonist for G protein activation. Finally, we use these novel biosensors to observe ATR release from an activated, unlabeled receptor and its subsequent transfer to the sensor in real time. Taken together, these data support the retinal equilibrium binding hypothesis. The approach we describe should prove directly translatable to other GPCRs, providing a new tool for ligand discovery and mutant characterization. Full Article
cts The Electric Vehicle Revolution: Impacts on Oil Economies and Industry By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 03 Dec 2018 14:15:01 +0000 The Electric Vehicle Revolution: Impacts on Oil Economies and Industry 24 January 2019 — 8:15AM TO 9:45AM Anonymous (not verified) 3 December 2018 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Electric vehicle (EV) deployment is gathering pace: the Norwegian government thinks that EV subsidies will be unnecessary by 2025 as they reach parity with diesel and petrol vehicles.China has stipulated that EVs comprise 12 per cent of vehicle sales by 2020 while more governments are committing to banning diesel and petrol vehicles.These developments are expected to be replicated as urban air pollution rises up the political agenda while technological developments and falling costs have given rise to ambitious forecasts on the increase in the deployment of EVs and the demise of the internal combustion engine.Considering this, the presentations and initial discussion focus on:The influence of new technologies on the automotive landscape, including autonomous vehicles.How the automotive and oil companies are adjusting their business models to accommodate and encourage the rise in EVs.The risks and opportunities for the deployment of EVs for incumbents and new market actors.The role of government for example in public procurement and infrastructure development.The potential for modal shift and its impact on oil demand.The discussion then seeks to explore the need for benchmarks of change including data and metrics to understand the changing risk landscape and the implications for different actors.Finally, the discussion focuses on the speed of transformation and what this means for existing and new market actors. Full Article
cts Climate Change and the Pacific: Impacts and Adaptation By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:20:01 +0000 Climate Change and the Pacific: Impacts and Adaptation 27 November 2018 — 8:30AM TO 10:00AM Anonymous (not verified) 14 November 2018 Royal Academy of Arts Pacific Island leaders have identified climate change as the single greatest challenge facing the region. Warming oceans and the increasing incidence of extreme weather events threaten Pacific peoples and their way of life. This event will explore the existing impacts of climate change on the South Pacific and what solutions are feasible for the region. This discussion will follow a brief screening of the documentary film, Subject to Change, which looks at the impact of climate change in New Zealand and Fiji and documents the personal stories of a tiny Pacific community faced with rising and acidifying seas, extreme weather conditions, tidal events and social changes. It also looks at New Zealand’s efforts to amplify the voices of its Pacific neighbours and to drive domestic and global action on climate change. This event is being held in partnership with the New Zealand government. THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL AND REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. Full Article
cts On products of Δ-sets By www.ams.org Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:05 EST Rodrigo Rey Carvalho and Vinicius de Oliveira Rodrigues Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 152 (), 5429-5443. Abstract, references and article information Full Article